Three Kingdoms Lords: Starting by walking into the mouth of a giant python

Chapter 127 The Foxes Get Married, Cao Cao Looks in the Mirror

The Holy Aunt was curious about the talents of these "pillars of society," and Cao De, who was the first to speak, said: "My young master Yuan can assist the emperor above and regulate the balance of yin and yang; he can also care for the people below and encourage agriculture and sericulture. He can be a great sage if he lives in seclusion, and he can be a master of the court if he comes out into the world."

Another pointed at Dian: "My brothers Dian are capable of fighting ten thousand troops, and their charge into battle is unparalleled. With such a general, our hegemony is within reach!"

Yong'er asked curiously, "And what about you?"

Cao De stroked his long beard and said with a smile, "My talent is inferior to that of Lord Yuan, and my martial prowess is far inferior to that of Brother Dian. I can only command tens of thousands of troops and win a dozen or so battles."

"Haha, you're so short, yet so funny."

Yong'er giggled sweetly, her adorable appearance melting Wang Zexin's heart. Even Cao De, who had a penchant for married women, couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

"Who's spouting nonsense here?"

Another voice rang out from outside the hall. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a crane flying in from the sky and landing in front of the hall.

A man jumped off the crane's back; he had a limp and was a foot shorter than Cao De.

He wore a tattered headscarf, a coarse cloth shirt, a straw rope tied around his waist, and hemp shoes on his feet, looking like a down-on-his-luck wanderer.

Yong'er and Zhang Luan, master and apprentice, both stood up to greet him, clearly indicating that this cripple was of high status.

The Holy Aunt introduced him to everyone: "This is my son, Zuo Chu. With his arrival, the king's great undertaking is accomplished!"

Wang Ze hurriedly rose and bowed. Cao De and the other two did not dare to be negligent and stepped forward to greet him as well.

Zuo Chu, originally named Hu Chu, was a family of three fox spirits, along with Holy Aunt and Hu Yong'er.

In his early years, Hu Chu coveted the beauty of a village woman and disguised himself as a handsome scholar to seduce her.

Unexpectedly, the woman remained chaste and unmoved, while Hu Chu was seriously wounded by the woman's hunter husband.

Although he was saved by a royal physician, he was left with a disability; his left leg was two inches shorter than his right, and he walked with a limp.

The old fox simply changed his name to Zuo Que'er, also known as Zuo Chu.

This incident sparked the old fox's idea to seek out immortals and the Dao. The three of them then set off to wander the world.

Upon arriving at Mount Hua in the west, at the foot of the mountain, beneath a large tomb, the old fox was summoned in a dream by Empress Wu Zetian, who instructed her to assist her reincarnation in achieving imperial power twenty-eight years later.

He also gave her sixteen characters, such as "Stop when you meet Yang, and understand when you meet Dan," which the old fox kept in mind. Only then did she later meet the Egg Monk, master the seventy-two earthly evil spells in the "Ruyi Treasure Book," and become known as the Holy Aunt.

Having mastered their magic, the old fox and his entourage came to Beizhou City to complete the important task entrusted to them by the Heavenly Queen.

The beginning of this great event was when Wang Ze and Hu Yong'er rekindled their old vows from their past lives and found new love in this life.

Wang Ze naturally agreed.

Hu Yong'er is also acceptable.

So Zuo Que'er asked Zhang Luan to be the matchmaker, and they got married that very night.

The Taoist priest Zhang Luan, originally named Zhang Dapeng, studied from a young age. He lost his parents at the age of twelve and wandered the world with a Quanzhen Taoist master. He contracted an epidemic in Dafang Mountain in Yandu, and the Quanzhen Taoist master abandoned him.

Fortunately, he encountered a foreign hermit who cured him. Seeing the extraordinary bones in his hands, the hermit taught him a family's magical arts, enabling him to summon wind and rain, and command ghosts and spirits. Compared to the magic in the "Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Book," it was roughly equivalent, with little difference between them.

Zhang Dapeng later conspired with others to fabricate auspicious omens, and Emperor Zhenzong issued a warrant for his arrest. He then changed his name to Zhang Luan, styled himself Chongxiao Jushi, and continued to live a carefree and unrestrained life.

Later, I met the old fox again, which led to today's meeting.

After everything was settled, the old fox instructed the girl to lead the king to bathe and change his clothes. Then, she presented him with a dragon robe, a jade belt, a crown, and shoes without worries, and had him put them on.

Wang Zehe had never seen such attire before, and for a moment he dared not reach out to take it.

Zuo Que'er grabbed him and said, "If you still have doubts, come with me to the [Three Lives Pool] and let me see your origins."

Outside the manor, by the clear pond, Zuo Que'er taught Wang Ze to look into the clear water.

Wang Du looked closely and saw that the reflection in the water was indeed a dragon robe, resembling an emperor. Only then did he believe it and let the girl dress him up.

Cao De and his two companions, curious about the [Three Lives Pool], also went to look at it in the clear water.

Upon seeing Yuan Ji, one could discern his noble bearing, with his tall hat, wide belt, gold seal, and purple ribbon—truly the talent of a high-ranking official.

When the mirror came into view, the fish-scale armor and the twin halberds made him look like a fierce and evil demon king descending to earth.

Zhang Luan and the Holy Aunt were both taken aback; the short man surnamed Cao hadn't boasted at all.

Cao De stepped forward to take a picture, and Zhang Luan and the old fox also came to watch.

It was still as short as ever. This man in the clear water was adorned with nine imperial titles. Although he was not the emperor, he possessed a powerful aura, like a dragon or python. His imposing presence was even greater than that of the king.

The two were shocked, but they didn't show it.

That evening, the manor was brightly lit and filled with the sounds of drums and music.

Hu Yong'er, dressed in a pearl crown and embroidered jacket, and Wang Ze, who was wearing a dragon robe, held a wedding ceremony in the thatched hall.

Laughter and music filled the boudoir.

Looking at the incomparably beautiful Hu Yong'er beside the wedding candles, Wang felt as if he were in a beautiful dream.

For three consecutive days, the soft, fragrant air captivated day and night, and the profusion of flowers ushered in the passing of time.

On the morning of the fourth day, the old fox, dissatisfied with Wang Ze's indulgence in the intimate affairs of "Mandarin ducks dancing neck to neck, and jadeite buds in a love cage," ordered the girl to invite him to discuss the grand plan of rebellion.

Before the girl even left the house, Wang Dupai rushed over in a panic, repeatedly exclaiming, "Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

The old fox asked what was the matter that caused such a hurry.

Wang said that he had a Buddhist monk at home. He had been away these past few days and hadn't been offering enough respect, which might have angered the monk.

The lame man said lazily, "Where did this sorcerer come from? What's his name? And why is he so arrogant?"

Wang Ze said, "The Dharma Master's surname is Li. He comes from overseas and is known as 'Fanghu Jushi.' He is extremely accomplished in his spiritual practice."

Although they had only spent a few days together, he had developed great respect and trust for the Taoist priest, Li.

Zuo Que'er, Zhang Luan, and the Old Fox exchanged glances and shook their heads, indicating that they had never heard of this person's name.

"He's probably some shamanic Taoist priest who popped out of some savage cave. Don't be fooled by him," said Zuo Que'er.

Wang shook his head and recounted how the monk had given him the [Fire Rat Fur] and the prophetic words.

Everyone was surprised when they heard "chasing after the candle" and "enjoying life after meeting the aunt".

She really is quite capable.

The old fox frowned and asked Wang Ze where the [Fire Rat Fur] was.

Wang then had the girl find his old clothes and took out the white fur coat.

Hu Yong'er took it and made a fire spell.

The raging flames failed to harm the [Fire Rat Fur] in the slightest.

It's truly a treasure.

"What is the origin of this Fanghu Hermit? What 'predestined connection' does he have? Could he be related to the Heavenly Empress?" The old fox muttered to himself, but couldn't figure it out.

At this critical juncture of rebellion, a figure of unknown stature and background has suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Good or bad fortune is unpredictable.

"Why don't we send our disciples into the city with the royal capital to find out about that Taoist priest?" Bu Ji suggested from the side.

Zhang Luan shook his head: "You have magical powers; it would be better to alert the enemy than to make things worse."

The old fox shifted his gaze to Cao De and the other two, and said, "Why not let the three of them go?"

Zhang Luan, recalling the scene at the Three Lives Pool, nodded: "Alright."

"As you command, elders, we will obey without question." Cao De cupped his hands in greeting. "However, we do not yet know whether the Fanghu Hermit is good or evil, friend or foe. We beg you elders to grant us three some wonderful methods for self-defense, so that we may preserve our bodies and do our utmost for the greater cause."

The old fox shook his head: "Spells aren't easy to learn. How can you master them in less than three to five months?"

The three of them endured countless hardships in their pursuit of learning magic.

Zhang Luan said, "The three of you will accompany Wang Du to Beizhou City. If you perform meritorious service in your investigation and contribute to the great cause, I will teach each of you a magical technique. What do you say?"

The three nodded happily, and Cao De started by saying "Thank you, Master" several times.

Zhang Luan smiled and agreed.

Led by Zuo Que'er, Wang Ze and his three companions left the manor, emerged from the woods, and headed down a path.

The four walked a few steps, then turned back, but the lame Taoist priest was nowhere to be seen, nor was the manor. They walked a few more steps and found themselves at the gate of Beizhou city.

It took more than ten miles to come, but only a few steps to leave.

Everyone was taken aback, and their longing for that mysterious magic grew even stronger.

The gatekeeper recognized Wang Ze and let the four men into the city.

Wang led the way back to the residence behind the prefectural government office. As soon as they entered, he greeted them loudly.

Someone answered from inside the room, and Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, a middle-aged Taoist priest walked out of the room.

Wang Ze kowtowed. Cao De and the other two were about to bow in return when they noticed that although the Taoist's face was unfamiliar, the iron Taoist hat and fiery red robe he wore were clearly familiar from a few days ago.

For those of you with elderly family members, please get them vaccinated as soon as possible.

Young people should eat and drink well and exercise to maintain good health.

Take care, everyone.

(End of this chapter)