Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Fish and Bear Paws

The fellow disciples’ last memory of Chu Wuji was of him being given a hard time by the instructors.

Ever since he had mercilessly beaten that well-connected disciple half to death in the previous competition, the instructors had been deliberately making things difficult for him.

Sending him to the government office a while ago was proof of that. He had taken the championship that wasn’t meant for him, snatching away something that was reserved for the well-connected disciple. His future prospects certainly didn’t look good.

But what was happening now? He suddenly had even more powerful nobles protecting him?!

It seemed that this young girl trusted Chu Wuji quite a bit, even calling him “brother”…

The fellow disciples were still in a daze, unable to comprehend the situation. Chu Wuji and Princess Yao’er ignored them and discussed the matter seriously.

Chu Wuji planned to visit the government office to gather more information. After all, it was another source of intelligence, and hearing different perspectives could help him understand the situation more clearly.

But the young girl grabbed his sleeve, preventing him from leaving. “Brother Chu, carry me on your back! You’re fast, and you can take me to Aunt Empress quickly. That way, you’ll also get the news sooner. Otherwise, it would take me a long time to walk there!”

Chu Wuji didn’t mind this, but as an outsider, he wasn’t allowed near the imperial harem, where the female members of the royal family resided.

“Wouldn’t that violate the palace rules?”

“I’m here! If anyone asks, I’ll say that Brother Chu is helping me discipline the little white tiger. Without you, this little white tiger will become ferocious and hurt people~!”

“…?” The innocent little white tiger looked at the little princess, as if saying, I’m so young, and I’m already being blamed for such things!

“Alright then, I’ll trouble Princess Yao’er.”

Having made up his mind, Chu Wuji acted decisively. He turned around and squatted down, ready to carry the little princess on his back.

Princess Yao’er first placed the little white tiger on Chu Wuji’s broad shoulders, then slightly lifted her skirt, revealing a glimpse of her fair and delicate legs. With a gentle leap, she clung to his back.

The girl’s fragrant and delicate body pressed against Chu Wuji’s back, and she snuggled closer, finding a comfortable position before settling down. But then she realized she might slide off, so she wrapped her soft and slender legs around Chu Wuji’s waist to secure her position.

“Alright, let’s go!” Princess Yao’er pointed in a direction, signaling Chu Wuji to go that way.

As soon as Chu Wuji started running, he disappeared from the path of the martial arts division in the blink of an eye.

Only after he was gone did the fellow disciples seem to regain their ability to speak.

“Addressing the Empress as ‘aunt,’ could she be the treasured pearl of the Jing’an Palace?”

“Senior Brother Chu has been gone for so many days. Was he hired as a servant and guard? I’m so envious.”

After graduating from the martial arts division, the disciples would either become guards or servants in places like escort agencies or join the army. Chu Wuji seemed to have taken the former path to the extreme, becoming a servant in the Palace.

“But that doesn’t seem right. What young miss from a wealthy family would address a servant as ‘brother’?”

“We should have asked for the steamed bun back. I didn’t expect Junior Brother Chu to rise to prominence so quickly. He’ll be the one giving us steamed buns in the future!”

***

Empress’s Bedchamber

Empress Wen had insomnia last night and didn’t sleep well. After getting up and having breakfast in the morning, she went back to sleep and didn’t wake up until almost noon.

After waking up, she still felt a bit groggy and wasn’t in a hurry to get dressed. Wearing only a dudou and silk underwear, she sat by the bed, slowly regaining her senses.

The voluptuous and beautiful woman leaned back languidly, her smooth and exquisite legs gently crossed, exuding an air of natural charm and allure.

Being idle had its advantages. She didn’t have to be pushed around by various matters and could often relax and indulge in laziness as she pleased.

While she was regaining her senses, her most trusted maidservant would be by her side, recounting recent events.

This could be considered a way to refresh her mind, like listening to a news broadcast after waking up to stimulate her thinking.

The maidservant had been talking about the situation in Yunhe Town recently. The capital had already dispatched troops to handle it, but the results hadn’t been reported back yet.

After talking for a long time, the maidservant asked in confusion, “Your Majesty, Yunhe Town isn’t that far from the capital. How could things get so out of hand that we only learned about it after the situation escalated?”

Such situations were rare, and it was even more unusual for them to occur near the capital.

Empress Wen took a sip of tea, the liquid moistening her throat. She explained, “It’s precisely because the situation escalated that the higher-ups became aware of it. And due to concerns about their performance records, lower-ranking officials would try to suppress the news and resolve the issue themselves, preventing the scandal from reaching their superiors.”

In the human kingdoms of the mortal world, when faced with demonic disturbances, if it was just an ordinary small demon, soldiers and martial artists could handle it.

But when encountering serious demonic calamities, there was usually a set procedure:

1. Discovery of deaths caused by the demon.
2. Attempt to handle the situation.
3. Failure to handle the situation, requesting reinforcements from higher authorities.
4. Reinforcements arrive to subdue the demon.

If they encountered something that soldiers couldn’t handle, they would have to invite cultivators from the mountains to eliminate the demon.

It seemed cumbersome and inefficient, but this was a reasonable solution derived from years of experience.

Soldiers couldn’t be deployed at the slightest disturbance; troops and supplies were costly. And the immortals in the mountains were limited and couldn’t possibly deal with every minor demon.

Ultimately, it was due to the limited methods of dealing with demons and the scarcity of available forces.

Before confirming that the situation had truly escalated, they couldn’t utilize the power of the higher authorities to forcefully suppress it.

The maidservant seemed to understand and muttered, “Your Majesty, do you mean that the officials in Yunhe Town initially suppressed the news, not daring to report it, wanting to handle it themselves? But they accidentally let the situation escalate and get out of control?”

Any negative news spreading from the vicinity of the imperial capital could lead to the loss of one’s official position.

“Most likely. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken this long for the news to reach us.”

“Why haven’t we heard of such things before? A demon causing unrest in an entire town, that’s terrifying!”

“It’s not that it hasn’t happened before, it just hasn’t happened near the capital. You simply haven’t heard about it.”

The maidservant understood and said with concern, “Many deaths have been reported from Yunhe Town. Even if the soldiers haven’t had time to arrive, why haven’t any civilian martial artists intervened?”

“…That’s because…” Empress Wen hesitated, unconsciously recalling the past.

In the past, when wandering heroes were prevalent, these small demons were merely “trophies” for them to gain fame. They would compete to slay demons, hoping to leave behind a heroic tale in the surrounding areas.

Even when encountering troublesome demons, these wandering heroes would recklessly gather their like-minded companions and work together to contain the threat, not demanding substantial monetary rewards but vying for that intangible fame and recognition.

It was precisely because of these people that demonic disturbances rarely escalated in the region.

Now, the martial world in the Lihuo Dynasty was dead, and those chivalrous wanderers who didn’t pursue material gains and acted on their own accord were nowhere to be seen.

“Your Majesty, why aren’t you speaking? Did I say something wrong?” the maidservant asked with concern.

“No, it’s just that your question reminded me of something I overlooked in the past.”

“What is it?”

“From the government’s perspective, wandering martial artists were an unstable factor, potentially shouting ‘kill the corrupt officials’ at any moment. But now, it seems that they were also an important part of maintaining peace among the people.”

The Lihuo Dynasty had eliminated the threat to its rule, but inadvertently created a new one, which they had yet to address.

“Aunt, Yao’er is here!”

A clear and pleasant voice came from outside the window, followed by a young girl with a little white tiger in her arms, rushing in.

Empress Wen smiled gently and opened her arms to welcome the girl. Wen Yao’er threw herself into the woman’s embrace, her small face almost buried in her soft bosom.

The girl looked at her aunt’s attire and giggled, covering her mouth. “Aunt, why haven’t you changed your clothes yet? This dudou seems a bit small, bulging and unable to cover your ample bosom~”

Empress Wen just smiled and stroked Yao’er’s head, asking, “I heard that you’ve been busy getting acquainted with the cat you brought back. It turned out to be a little white tiger~”

Empress Wen had already learned about the encounter during the Palace outing from Si Que, but she pretended to be surprised, as if she had just learned about the white tiger.

This was to encourage the little girl to chat with her more enthusiastically. If elders didn’t take the initiative to start conversations, they couldn’t blame their juniors for not talking to them.

However, Wen Yao’er didn’t talk about her favorite topic, cats, this time. After greeting her aunt, she hurriedly asked, “Aunt, do you know what’s happening in Yunhe Town? Did those physicians really go there to fight over medicine?”

Empress Wen looked at the girl in surprise and replied casually, “Yao’er, you’re concerned about this now? Yunhe Town has indeed been troubled recently. According to the information from our spies, a humanoid demon has harmed the town official, disrupting river transportation.”

“As for physicians fighting over medicine… Aunt hasn’t paid attention to that. Why do you ask?”

The maidservant beside them chimed in, “Your Majesty, Princess Yao’er, the news about physicians fighting over medicine is likely true. Even the imperial physicians in the palace have taken their apprentices and gone out to fetch medicine. We can only consult ordinary physicians these days.”

Imperial physicians were the most outstanding among all physicians.

Even with their official positions, the current imperial physicians were helpless because the senior physicians active outside the palace might be their own masters or senior brothers. They were competing for medicine from their own people!

Princess Yao’er was startled. Could the rumors she heard at the martial arts division be true?

She had even thought that if the imperial physicians hadn’t gone out, she would pretend to be unwell and have them examine Brother Chu’s mother. But now, they had all gone to Yunhe Town.

She hurriedly asked, “Aunt, do you know more about that humanoid demon?”

Empress Wen didn’t know much either. After all, the situation hadn’t been resolved yet. She had only heard that it was initially a human skin drum, and the drumbeat could disturb people’s minds. Later, this human skin drum grew stronger, and the human skin would fly off and harm people.

“That’s basically all the information I have. We’ll have to wait for a while to get more details. The soldiers will report back after they subdue it… Yao’er, where are you going?”

Wen Yao’er put down the little white tiger and ran out the door.

Empress Wen curiously got up and walked to the window, looking out. She saw Yao’er bringing a man over and, remembering that she wasn’t properly dressed, quickly hid.

Princess Yao’er relayed the information she had just inquired about to Chu Wuji and softly persuaded him, “Brother Chu, Aunt said that the government has already sent soldiers to handle it, and Sister Que also led a team there this morning. They will bring those physicians back soon. You don’t have to worry!”

Chu Wuji couldn’t relax and forced a smile. “I understand. If you don’t need me to carry you back, then I’ll be going. It seems this place isn’t suitable for men to linger.”

Princess Yao’er didn’t know what to say and simply nodded. “Then you can go, Brother Chu. If anyone gives you trouble on your way out of the palace, just mention my name, and I’ll come immediately!”

Chu Wuji didn’t linger in this place of wealth and power and left with large strides.

Wen Yao’er returned to the Empress’s bedchamber. The beautiful woman asked suspiciously, “Who was that just now?”

“That’s Brother Chu, who gave me the little white tiger. He’s the one who beat up the black bear in the suburbs. Now he’s in charge of disciplining the little white tiger for me!”

Empress Wen suddenly understood. No wonder this little girl was so close to a strange man she had never met, even calling him Brother Chu. It turned out that the little white tiger was a gift from this young man.

“Is he the one you mentioned last time, who caught the cat spirit in the west of the city?”

“Yes!”

“Why was he asking you about Yunhe Town? Just curious gossip?”

“I think Brother Chu wants to go to Yunhe Town…”

***

Chu Wuji was conflicted as he walked back.

The faster his pace, the more thoughts flooded his mind. It was unclear whether his footsteps were trying to escape his thoughts or if his thoughts were chasing after his footsteps.

‘There’s definitely something wrong in Yunhe Town. Those physicians are practically throwing themselves into danger, all rushing there.’

‘There are capable people among those physicians. I heard that the renowned physician Princess Consort Jing’an found for me even helped refine the Black Jade Soul-Returning Pill. Perhaps he can diagnose Mother’s condition.’

‘Now that the soldiers have been dispatched, and Miss Si Que has also led a team there, I’m not a demon-subduing expert. Going alone, I can’t be of much help.’

‘The competition is approaching. If I go to Yunhe Town now, I might not be able to return in time and will miss out on the pill. If those physicians are already in trouble, and I can’t get the pill, wouldn’t I lose both?’

‘If I rationally weigh the pros and cons, I should focus on securing the pill. That’s what I have the highest chance of achieving…’

The strange thing was this “rational weighing.”

Logically, he had already made a rational decision in his mind, not to act impulsively, to remain calm. But his heart felt uneasy, as if he hadn’t fully convinced himself.

‘One cannot have both fish and bear paws. Could it be that I left with the bear paws before, and the fish in the pond resented me for neglecting them? Are they now punishing me for not being able to come up with a solution that satisfies both sides?’

Chu Wuji returned home and saw his godmother welcoming him at the door. His heart suddenly calmed down, although his face still showed traces of worry.

The woman stepped forward and smoothed his furrowed brows. Seeing his expression soften, she asked, “What’s wrong? Did you encounter something troubling?”

“Mother, I’ve been having troubling dreams lately, making me uneasy.”

Ning Xianzhi was surprised. Could it be that the snake demon was trying to snatch this child away from her…? She remained calm for the time being. “Dreams are not real. But tell Mother, what did you dream about?”

“I dreamt of fish in the mountains. They complained in my dream that I didn’t catch them, that I was completely captivated by those two plump bear paws. Now they’re asking me to take them away, wanting to become fish soup to nourish my body before the competition!”

“…” Ning Xianzhi was silent for a moment and reached out to touch Chu Wuji’s forehead.

He didn’t have a fever. Why was he talking nonsense?

Chu Wuji continued, “Mother, I want to go out for a day or two. I’ll be back soon!”

Ning Xianzhi sensed his hesitation and nodded, saying with a gentle smile, “You just want to go fishing to relax. You’re probably feeling stressed and pressured about the competition. Just go if you want to, why make so many excuses?”