Chapter Twenty-Four: The King of Yunnan

Perhaps it was due to exhaustion from my recent writing, but my right wrist often ached so severely that I lacked the strength to lift it. A hospital check-up diagnosed it as tendonitis, but the patches and oils the doctor prescribed proved completely ineffective after prolonged use. I began to suspect the issue was not pathological.

During that time, Teacher Yang’s illness flared up again, so Teacher Xing had to take her to a hospital in Shanghai. Before leaving, he told me that if anything came up, I could reach out to Zhong Yang. Zhong Yang had improved by leaps and bounds; her phoenix eyes were now akin to X-ray scanners, capable of pinpointing the source of an ailment at a single glance.

That afternoon, I video-called Zhong Yang on WeChat and was surprised to find her at Wang Xinyue’s home.

Zhong Yang explained she was visiting Wang Xinyue and staying for a while. She mentioned that Wang Xinyue kept a portrait of the Luo Goddess in her home and offered incense to her devoutly every day. However, whenever Wang Xinyue offered the incense, the Luo Goddess in the divine realm would always turn her back, unwilling to spare her even a single glance.

Confused and curious, I asked, "Isn't the Luo Goddess Wang Xinyue's mother? Why would she be unwilling to look at her?"

Zhong Yang explained, "Lu Dongbin offended the Luo Goddess before descending to the mortal realm, and she has been angry with him ever since."

Ever since my father appeared in my dream and urged me to reconcile with Wang Xinyue, and after we both contributed incense money to have Teacher Xing help retrieve the soul fragment hanging in the Hall of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, the urge to beat her up that I used to feel whenever I saw her had truly vanished.

I watched as Zhong Yang’s pupils condensed, emitting a green light that scanned my wrist like a scanner. She said in surprise, "Oh, Xiao Qian, the skin on your wrist looks so smooth..."

I rolled my eyes and retorted, "Is this really the time to compliment my skin? I'll send you the link to my hand cream later. Can you help me see if there’s something wrong with my wrist?"

Zhong Yang waved her hands hurriedly. "No, I mean your hand doesn't look like a real hand..."

"Not a real hand?" As soon as she said this, Wang Xinyue, who was on the other end of the video call, leaned in curiously. After a glance, she clicked her tongue and said, "Her hand was chopped off, and someone replaced it with a fake one."

"Who hates you so much that they chopped off your right hand?" Zhong Yang’s phoenix eyes widened.

Wang Xinyue was indifferent. "Just find her real hand and put it back on."

Zhong Yang closed her eyes and used her mental focus to search for my hand. Sure enough, a right hand flew through the air from afar and landed near Zhong Yang. "Wait, I’ll reattach it for you."

After Zhong Yang swapped my hand back, she applied a celestial medicine bestowed upon her by Taishang Laojun to promote healing. I flexed my wrist and realized the pain was gone. Just as I started to feel happy, suddenly—

"Ah—!" I clutched the hand I had just recovered and shrieked, tears welling in my eyes. "Something—something just bit my hand!"

Zhong Yang widened her green phoenix eyes again to examine it. This time, even she let out a cry of alarm. "Xiao Qian, there’s a worm on your right wrist, and it has a human face!"

Zhong Yang had seen a soft, yellowish-white long worm clinging to my wrist. When the worm raised its head, a lifelike face of a mature man appeared. The scene was so grotesque that it made my skin crawl. It was that human-faced worm biting me; it seemed to harbor immense hatred, its mouth filled with dense, tiny teeth gnawing relentlessly at my wrist.

"We need to use the Jade Gourd to capture it."

Zhong Yang commanded, "Jade Gourd, go and capture the worm on Xiao Fu's hand!"

A translucent, emerald-green jade gourd, as if carved from fine jade, passed through the phone screen. The mouth of the gourd emitted an irresistible suction, drawing in the worm that was biting me so stubbornly. Once inside, the worm immediately dissolved into pus.

I thought that would be the end of it, but things kept appearing one after another. Sometimes a cleaver would suddenly materialize on my wrist, other times I would discover my tendons had been pulled out, or my wrist would be riddled with needles. Zhong Yang spent over an hour clearing them away, but they never seemed to stop.

It was then that I realized the problem. "If we keep clearing them, but the person on the other end keeps sending them, it will never end, will it?"

"We have to find the person behind this and deal with them, or your hand will never heal," Wang Xinyue suggested to Zhong Yang. "Try using your mental focus to see who is doing this."

Zhong Yang stared intently at my wrist, searching for the mastermind. Before long, she saw a man abruptly appear on my wrist. He was dressed in a black robe and held a black umbrella. Seemingly sensing someone peeking, he looked up and locked eyes with Zhong Yang.

The moment their eyes met, images flashed through Zhong Yang’s mind:

In the endless tea fields of Yunnan, a tall man with coarse features blocked Yu'er’s path. Yu'er said angrily, "I can pay you ten times the price for these tea leaves. If you dare to block me again, be careful, or I’ll slap you all the way from the Southern Heavenly Gate to the Northern Heavenly Gate!"

The tall man ignored her, his lecherous eyes fixed on her beautiful face. "All of Yunnan belongs to me. I, Feiyan, the Marquis of Southern Peace, am the king here. As long as you become my woman, all the tea leaves here will be yours."

"Pah! Who would want to marry you? Look at your ugly face; stop trying to eat swan meat like a toad!" Yu'er threw down the tea leaves, grabbed her magical artifact, and fought the Marquis. Unexpectedly, his powers were so great that Yu'er couldn't even last two hundred rounds before being defeated.

The Marquis refused to let her go, insisting she stay as the Princess of Yunnan. Fearing he would forcibly abduct her—and knowing that if he made her his wife against her will, even her father wouldn't be able to undo it—Yu'er transformed into a green dragon and dove into a large lake.

The Marquis had not expected her to jump into the water to escape him. He had attained his cultivation through Yunnan insects and was granted the title of King of Yunnan by the Jade Emperor, but insects were naturally afraid of water; no matter how high his cultivation was, he dared not enter.

Yu'er stayed in the lake for half a day, thinking he must have left by now. She cautiously poked her head out to check, only to be horrified to find that not only was the Marquis still there, but his parents were there too. His mother even said with a benevolent smile, "It's cold in the lake; come up quickly. I'll make you my son's primary consort."

"Ah—!" Terrified, Yu'er dove back into the water, trembling. She dared not surface for three full days. When she finally saw no one on the shore, she flew into the clouds and fled Yunnan without looking back.

As soon as Yu'er entered the Zhenwu Palace, she saw a mountain of betrothal gifts. A sense of dread washed over her, and sure enough, she heard her father, the Great Emperor Zhenwu, laughing heartily. "Yu'er, the King of Yunnan came to propose yesterday. When did you get to know him? I’ve already agreed to the marriage."

What? Agreed?!

Yu'er cried, threw tantrums, and threatened suicide to force the Great Emperor to call off the engagement, declaring she would rather shatter her primordial spirit than marry that disgusting bug.

Unable to handle his daughter's antics, the Great Emperor personally went to rescind the engagement. The gifts were returned, but as soon as he left, the Marquis’s family sat in the hall with dark expressions. A flash of cruelty crossed the Marquis’s eyes as he crushed a jade sphere in his palm into powder.

Zhong Yang shuddered and told me what she had seen. The King of Yunnan was my suitor, and he had turned his love into hatred.

"We have to tell your father and have him go to the Jade Emperor, otherwise the King of Yunnan won't give up," Zhong Yang said worriedly.

"But Teacher Xing and Teacher Yang are in Shanghai right now; they don't have time to deal with my affairs," I sighed gloomily.

Wang Xinyue suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Yangyang recently unlocked a new skill—mental communication. She can invite deities to connect their consciousness with hers. We should try that. Have Yangyang invite your father, and you can talk to him directly."

"Mental communication?" I was truly surprised by how quickly Zhong Yang’s abilities were progressing.

Zhong Yang slowly closed her eyes and whispered, "I invite the Great Emperor Zhenwu to connect his consciousness with mine..." After calling several times, her voice gradually became deep and strange. Her aura transformed, and she spoke in a mature, resonant male voice: "Yu'er, why do you seek your father?"

I felt nervous and whispered, "Father, the King of Yunnan has repeatedly cast evil spells on me, cutting off my hand so I cannot write. Can you report this to the Jade Emperor and ask him to uphold justice so the King of Yunnan stops attacking me?"

"Do not panic... I will report this to the Jade Emperor. The King of Yunnan shall not bully others by relying on his power. We have justice on our side; there is no need to fear him."

"Thank you, Father. Take care."

"I shall return now." With those words, Zhong Yang opened her eyes and blinked.

I gave her a thumbs-up. "Awesome, Zhong Yang, this skill is incredible."

I hesitated, then asked, "Since you have such a powerful skill, can you invite other deities? I want to invite one to apologize to him in person."

"Which deity?" Zhong Yang asked.

"Hengtian."

Once, during a mission in the divine realm, the generals encountered a brilliant formation set by the demon race. It was immensely powerful, and just as everyone was at an impasse, a general suggested, "I recall a deity in the lower realm named Hengtian who possesses a supreme treasure with unparalleled power to break formations. We could use it."

Another general shook his head. "Hengtian values that artifact as much as his own life. Why would he lend it to us?"

The first general replied, "Others might not succeed, but Yu'er can."

Every eye turned to Yu'er. The generals chimed in, "Exactly! Who in heaven or earth doesn't know that Hengtian pursues you? He’s even boasted that he must marry you. Use your charm on him, and he’ll surely give it to you."

Yu'er’s superior ordered her to do it, citing military necessity. With no choice, she went to the lower realm, feigned affection for a few days, and stole the artifact when Hengtian was caught off guard. She returned to the divine realm, broke the formation, and achieved great merit, but she could never face Hengtian again.

Now, having forgotten much of the divine realm's history, I felt bold enough to finally apologize.

Zhong Yang closed her eyes and called out. After a dozen attempts, Hengtian finally arrived. This time, Zhong Yang’s voice transformed into the magnetic tone of a young man. "Yu'er, I have feelings for you."

I felt a mix of emotions and deep shame. "I'm sorry, Hengtian. I shouldn't have used and deceived you to complete my mission."

Hengtian sighed, his voice filled with indescribable pain. "Do you know how much I have hated you all these years?"

"I know. I’ve always felt guilty and wanted to apologize, but I lacked the courage to face you."

Hengtian was silent for a moment. "Then say it sincerely."

I lowered my head and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Very well. I have received your apology." A hint of relief seemed to linger in his tone.

"Goodbye," I said carefully.

"Goodbye."

After he left, Zhong Yang opened her eyes. "Xiao Qian, Hengtian really loves you. When I was connected to him, I felt his emotions so strongly I almost cried."

I thought it was over, but that night, while I was soaking my feet in the bathroom, I heard heavy, distinct footsteps in the hallway. I live alone, and I always lock the door at night.

As I was baffled, Zhong Yang’s face on the video screen turned pale with terror. "Xiao Qian, the Marquis of Southern Peace is at your bathroom door."

The lights flickered and went out, and the screen illuminated our terrified faces. *Knock, knock, knock.*

I realized I hadn't locked the door. As I scrambled to get up, the handle began to turn, and the door creaked open—

"Hah—!" Something blocked the intruder, and the sounds of a struggle erupted outside, accompanied by a man’s angry roar: "Meddlesome fool!"

Zhong Yang whispered, "Xiao Qian, the Luo Goddess that Wang Xinyue worships has come to stop the King of Yunnan!"

My aunt had saved me! The Luo Goddess had raised me, and I felt closer to her than to my own mother.

Zhong Yang’s face turned white again. "Xiao Qian, the Marquis is back, and he wants to connect his consciousness with mine."

"Connect with him," Wang Xinyue’s bold voice came through. "We aren't afraid of him."

Once connected, Zhong Yang’s voice became cold and evil. "Yu'er, I am the Marquis of Southern Peace. You cannot escape me. Come back and be my wife, and I will make you the Queen of Yunnan."

Wang Xinyue asked, "Why are you casting evil spells on Xu Xiaoqian?"

The Marquis replied with cold determination, "I just want to be with her forever."

Wang Xinyue scolded him, "But she doesn't want to be with you!"

The Marquis’s voice turned fierce. "I proposed twice, and her family went back on their word!"

"Just because she doesn't want to marry you doesn't mean you can do this. Stop your spells!"

The Marquis refused, and a heated argument ensued. Wang Xinyue shouted, "Stop your spells! I, Lu Dongbin, am not afraid of you!"

The screen went black. I could only hear the sounds of furniture being smashed on the other end.

When Zhong Yang finally called back later, she looked exhausted. "Wang Xinyue smashed everything and almost became possessed herself. The Marquis was terrified by her madness and fled."

Was the Marquis really that easily scared off? I had my doubts.

A few days later, Teacher Xing and Teacher Yang returned. When I told them about the "consciousness connection," Teacher Xing’s expression turned stern. "Are you sure the ones they connected with were the King of Yunnan and your father?"

"Aren't they?" I felt a sense of foreboding.

"True deities do not possess bodies! That wasn't consciousness connection; it was possession! Those are demons."

Teacher Xing explained that these spirits were impersonating deities to siphon off Zhong Yang’s energy and gain power through our misplaced belief. Because Teacher Xing possessed immense cultivation, their tricks failed before him, and they stuttered and contradicted themselves during his test.

He unleashed a powerful force, instantly expelling the spirits—a fox demon and a minor spirit from Dragon-Tiger Mountain—from Zhong Yang’s body. Their two thousand years of cultivation vanished in an instant.

"Then the Great Emperor Zhenwu, Hengtian, and the King of Yunnan I spoke to were all demons?" I asked, trembling.

Teacher Yang answered for him, "I checked with the dragon-finding ruler. Only Hengtian was real; perhaps he came because he still has feelings for you."

Teacher Xing finally dealt with the King of Yunnan. He produced a lifelike wooden doll from his palm—my effigy, covered in needles and with broken arms, representing the Marquis's hatred. With a flick of his finger and a burst of *Samadhi* fire, he reduced the doll to ashes.

He burned a formal petition to the Jade Emperor to deal with the Marquis. Despite resistance, the petition eventually reached the Heavenly Palace. The Jade Emperor reviewed it, stamped it, and ordered the Marquis’s primordial spirit imprisoned, stripping him of his title and handing Yunnan over to a successor.