Chapter 0.75: What is the Price?
After obtaining the Spatial Black Stone from Yu Rong, Qin Gou had Lin Youqing examine it carefully. Only then did Qin Gou realize that it was He Lidao’s ‘Void Crossing Stone’.
Clearly, that brat had learned from somewhere that the previous Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers, Yu Rong, had been defeated by him, which was why he had shown such reverence towards him back then.
The next day.
“Oh? Has my pious younger brother truly agreed to all my requests?” Lin Boyuan pondered for a moment, looking at Lin Youqing. “Then why didn’t he come himself?”
Lin Youqing smiled brightly. “Brother Qin was too exhausted last night, so I didn’t wake him.”
“Exhausted?” Lin Boyuan’s eyelids twitched.
“No…” Lin Youqing’s pretty face immediately blushed. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I mean, wasn’t Brother Qin drinking with Father Emperor all night yesterday? He’s never been good at that.”
Lin Boyuan’s face twitched. He gritted his teeth. “Then why didn’t you spare a thought for your father?”
“You’ve always had a massive capacity, and you’re a generation’s Realm Lord mighty figure!” Lin Youqing reasoned logically.
“No need to explain,” Lin Boyuan felt a wave of self-inflicted humiliation and dejection. He waved his hand. “You may go. Tell my pious younger brother that I will choose an auspicious day, and take you both to the Empress’s tomb.”
“Father Emperor, are you thinking of…”
“That will depend on Brother Qin’s performance! In front of your Mother Queen, I will personally bear witness to your union and establishment of a Dao Companion. It’s not impossible to officially announce it later.”
Lin Boyuan’s smile was filled with reminiscence as he spoke tenderly. “If you find someone that Youqing truly recognizes, make sure she knows immediately. This was your Mother Queen’s only request to me in those days.”
…
Not long after, Nian Zhong appeared inside the Grand Hall, carrying a scroll.
Lin Boyuan tacitly dismissed all the attendants and then asked, “Have you ascertained the origins of the people Brother Qin brought into the palace?”
“This is the information Old servant retrieved from the Hidden Dragon Guard.” With that, Nian Zhong approached the desk and slowly unfurled the scroll for Lin Boyuan.
“Your Majesty, you see, this one’s origin needs no further explanation.” Nian Zhong pointed to the Daoist robed sword-bearing woman in the scroll.
“Li Yuanzhen of the Sword Questioning Sect! It is said that she has been following Master Qin as ordered for quite some time. However, as a paragon of the righteous path in Das, and the future Sect Master of the Sword Questioning Sect, she will undoubtedly be a person of utmost purity and integrity! Clearly, it is impossible for her to have a private lifelong commitment with Master Qin.”
“Evil, Saintess? Even I have often heard of the fame of this untainted jade maiden. I happened to catch a glimpse of her just now. Her ice-clear beauty and her inner and outer elegance truly live up to her reputation!” Lin Boyuan agreed with a smile and turned to look at Ao Banwei’s portrait.
Nian Zhong immediately said, “This golden-eyed, silver-scaled maiden is clearly a member of the Dragon Race. According to the Hidden Dragon Guard’s intelligence, her father is the renowned Wave-Treading King Ao Junling. Her bloodline is extremely pure and noble among the entire Dragon Race, an existence that cannot be blasphemed. Unless the sun rises from the west, it is utterly impossible for her to marry a human!”
“Just looking at these followers, I can tell that my pious younger brother is indeed extraordinary.” Lin Boyuan nodded slightly. “And her?”
On the scroll was Yi Chengying, wearing a pleated flower skirt. Every frown and smile was vividly depicted, and the craftsmanship was divinely exquisite. It was clearly drawn by Nian Zhong himself with his Natal Spirit Tool, ‘Needle Shuttle’.
Seeing this, Nian Zhong was silent for a moment and became exceptionally solemn. He spoke word by word, “Lone Shadow Saint Lord, Yi Chengying.”
“What?”
Lin Boyuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “The ‘nemesis’ of Purple Extreme Demon Zhao Xinting? Why is she traveling with my pious Brother Qin?”
“Old servant does not know, and the Hidden Dragon Guard is still investigating the hidden details. However, with this, this person is also cleared of suspicion, leaving only…”
Their gazes simultaneously fell upon A’Yuan’s portrait.
“The origin of this woman is the most mysterious. We only know that she calls herself ‘Gu Yuan’ and is the most powerful cultivator among Master Qin’s group. However, beyond that, the Hidden Dragon Guard has no other information related to her. But… according to observations reported by Old servant’s adopted son, she is clearly the most intimate with Master Qin and has entered Master Qin’s room the most times in the past two days!”
Nian Zhong scratched his head and let out a dry laugh. “To put it in the crude words of my adopted son, this woman simply has no sense of propriety between men and women, and knows nothing of shame. She wishes she could stick to Master Qin’s side every moment.”
“Ahem! Therefore, based on the above, excluding other cultivators, only this Gu Yuan is the most likely candidate… for Brother Qin’s Dao Companion.” Lin Boyuan’s tone was deep.
“Your Majesty, are you planning to…”
“I was too impulsive last night and ordered my pious brother to sever all emotional ties and abandon his former Dao Companion. Thinking about it now, it was too overbearing! How can such a matter be rushed?” Lin Boyuan shook his head and chuckled, tapping Gu Yuan’s portrait with his finger. “And even if Brother Qin has now been persuaded by Youqing, it might just be a perfunctory response, a delaying tactic. So, I still plan to take a different approach.”
“Go and summon this Gu Yuan now!”
“Understood.”
A moment later, led by Nian Zhong, Gu Yuan appeared before Lin Boyuan.
“Gu Yuan pays respects to Emperor Daojun.” Gu Yuan was neither subservient nor arrogant, but polite.
“Little Friend Gu Yuan, please don’t be nervous. I summoned you here at this moment not for any particular reason.” Lin Boyuan first said with a gentle smile, then got straight to the point. “May I ask if Little Friend Gu Yuan could demonstrate your Natal Spirit Tool?”
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan nodded lightly, and at the same time, an icy blue spiritual light flashed in her eyes.
“It’s an Eye-type Spirit Tool?” Lin Boyuan’s tone held a hint of surprise, and he then gave Nian Zhong a look.
“Your Majesty, this Eye-type Spirit Tool…” Nian Zhong couldn’t help but show a distressed and heartbroken expression.
“It’s fine, take it out.” Lin Boyuan’s voice was irrefutable. Nian Zhong had no choice but to immediately take out a five-colored pearl densely covered with spirit patterns from his Nascent Void Ring.
“This is… the Five Wisdom Pearls?” Gu Yuan exclaimed in surprise.
“Does this item catch Little Friend Gu Yuan’s eye?” Lin Boyuan placed his hands lightly on the desk and asked with a smile.
“These Five Wisdom Pearls are enough to make any cultivator with an Eye-type Spirit Tool’s heart flutter! But I wonder what the Human Emperor’s intentions are?” Gu Yuan asked, confused.
“I naturally intend to bestow this item upon Little Friend Gu Yuan on the spot!” Lin Boyuan said with a full face of smiles, seemingly very satisfied with Gu Yuan’s answer.
“Is that true?”
“Of course.” Lin Boyuan was very generous and waved his hand, signaling Nian Zhong to hand over the Five Wisdom Pearls.
However, as one receives no reward without merit, Gu Yuan immediately stared fixedly at Lin Boyuan and asked without hesitation, “Then, what is the price?”
Lin Boyuan immediately smiled knowingly. Indeed, it was convenient to converse with intelligent people.
“I want you to voluntarily become Qin Gou’s concubine!”
