Mistaken Era 108

Chapter 108

The news of the desecrated statues reached the Queen Mother’s ears. She summoned her son, demanding an explanation.

The Dongyuan Emperor didn’t care about those meager offerings, but Wei Jie’s involvement… it was unacceptable.

He was the obstacle, the wedge between him and Wei Feng.

Her decisiveness, her coldness, when she ended their relationship… if she hadn’t fallen for someone else, why would she have been so resolute?

His usual composure vanished, replaced by a sullen silence. Rong Yao, knowing her son better than anyone, understood his pain.

She had to tell him the truth, to shatter his illusions. He would never let go of Wei Feng otherwise.

“You’ve seen it,” she said, her voice cold. “The demons’ Saint’s light… it has reappeared. Their broken bloodline… it’s been restored. The Ebony Divine Tree… it wouldn’t have recovered without a deity’s sacrifice! Don’t you see? Wei Feng is gone! She used her own soul to revive them! Even if she were alive, the heavens would punish her, her soul scattered!”

Her words, a harsh truth he had been avoiding, cut through his denial. He refused to believe that Wei Feng would willingly sacrifice herself for those repulsive demons!

If it were true… then she must have been forced. And the only one capable of such manipulation… it was the ancient Flame Emperor!

He had gone to such lengths to spite him! He had destroyed Wei Feng, ensuring they would never be reunited!

Ancient Flame Emperor… no! Wei Jie! I won’t rest until your soul is extinguished!

His rage, a palpable force, cracked the jade tiles beneath his feet.

Rong Yao, seeing his anger, its intensity unsettling, said, her voice calm and steady, “Dongyuan, don’t disappoint me. You’re destined to inherit the Heavenly Emperor’s throne, to rule the six realms. To cling to such trivial attachments… it will hinder your path to enlightenment.”

He chuckled, his voice soft, almost mocking. “But wouldn’t unresolved anger and resentment also hinder my path? Mother, you know… Wei Feng… she’s the knot I can’t untie. To achieve enlightenment with such a burden… what separates me from those pathetic mortals? I need to return to the mortal realm. I need to confirm… whether that Cui Xiao Xiao is truly Wei Feng reincarnated.”

She knew she couldn’t dissuade him. He was stubborn, just like her.

Perhaps a trip to the mortal realm would help him accept the truth, to let go.

“You’ve already chosen your vessel,” she said, her voice neutral. “But don’t be reckless. You might be the son of the Heavenly Emperor, but you’re not above the law. Your father might be in seclusion, but there are other ancient deities… and they’re not as forgiving.”

She dismissed him, her words a warning.

After he left, she summoned the Mirror Lake Fairy, one of her attendants. The fairy was carrying the Book of Life and Death, stolen from the underworld.

“The demons’ escape, the Wei family’s negligence. I took the opportunity to borrow this.”

Rong Yao, taking the book, channeled her divine power, the pages flipping rapidly, her gaze scanning the names. She frowned. “Cui Xiao Xiao… she has no past, no future.”

The Mirror Lake Fairy, quick-witted, said, “If your theory is correct, if she was created by Wei Feng’s soul, a vessel for the demons’ Saint… then she’s an anomaly, a disruption to the natural order. Perhaps… she’s the reason for the chaos in the mortal realm…”

Rong Yao, her hand trailing through a nearby pond, summoned a school of fish. She conjured a handful of Golden Cores, the ultimate treasure for mortal cultivators, and tossed them into the water, watching the fish devour them.

“If that’s true,” she said, her voice thoughtful, “what should we do?”

The Mirror Lake Fairy, a demon cultivator, had once been a red carp in this very pond. Rong Yao, taking pity on her, had fed her Golden Cores, accelerating her cultivation, allowing her to transform into a human, then ascend to immortality.

She understood the importance of gratitude. The Queen Mother’s question… it was a test, an opportunity to prove her loyalty.

“She doesn’t belong in this time,” she said, her voice smooth and alluring. “To restore the natural order… there is a solution.”

Rong Yao, listening to her suggestion, smiled. “I have many attendants, but you’re the most capable. It seems those Golden Cores weren’t wasted. You’re a water spirit, your connection to the lower realms strong. I’ll leave this matter to you.”

The Mirror Lake Fairy, bowing deeply, hurried away.

Rong Yao, scattering the remaining Golden Cores into the pond, watched the fish, their movements frantic, their hunger insatiable, then turned her gaze northwards.

The Heavenly Emperor, in seclusion, cultivating, she hadn’t seen him in six hundred years.

She had warned her son against clinging to love, but she herself… her relationship with the Heavenly Emperor was based on respect, not affection.

He was obsessed with the pursuit of enlightenment, his heart devoid of any personal attachments, even towards her and their son.

She had cultivated for three thousand years, only to learn a simple, painful truth – men, whether mortal or divine, were unreliable.

If the Heavenly Emperor learned about Dongyuan’s actions, he would punish him, his judgment swift and merciless.

She wouldn’t waste her dwindling influence, pleading for leniency. It was better to handle this discreetly, before it escalated…

She returned to the Book of Life and Death, her gaze scanning the pages. This time she wouldn’t miss anything. She would settle all debts.

Meanwhile, the Dongyuan Emperor, having assured his mother that he would investigate Cui Xiao Xiao’s true nature, descended to the mortal realm.

But as he opened his eyes, he found himself bound by chains, his body trapped in a small cage, his surroundings unfamiliar.

A Demonic Ghost Sect disciple tossed a bowl of murky liquid into the cage. “Be grateful you’re getting anything,” he sneered. “You’re not the Young Master of the Soaring Cloud Pavilion anymore! If you complain, I’ll piss in your food!”

Qin Lingxiao, it seemed, had been trying to escape, his defiance angering his captors.

The Dongyuan Emperor, seeing the scars on his borrowed body, knew he had been treated worse than a dog.

That Prince Can… he knew he needed this vessel, yet he had allowed it to be abused. Did he expect him to use this broken body?

He flexed his arm, the chains shattering.

The disciples, startled, fled, two of them rushing to inform Prince Can.

But as he tried to break free from the cage, his heart sank – he couldn’t muster the strength. The bars, crafted from Nine Heavens Meteoric Iron, bent slightly, but they didn’t break.

He understood. The mortals’ resentment, fueled by his actions… it had weakened him.

In the celestial realm, such negativity was insignificant. But here, in the mortal realm… it was a tangible force.

Prince Can hurried down, and seeing Qin Lingxiao’s demeanor, he knew the Dongyuan Emperor had returned.

He glanced at the bent bars, then gestured to a disciple, who unlocked the cage with a key. “This cage was difficult to acquire,” he said, his voice smooth, his smile unwavering. “Thankfully, you didn’t break it. Otherwise. I wouldn’t know how to contain such a powerful individual.”

The Dongyuan Emperor chuckled, concealing his weakness. Prince Can was a dangerous man, their history complicated, their goals often conflicting.

If he sensed his vulnerability, he might try something unforeseen.

He didn’t want to end up like Qin Lingxiao, forced to eat scraps.

He stepped out of the cage, and as he stood on the deck, he realized they hadn’t been to shore. They had been sailing aimlessly.

Prince Can explained. He had followed his instructions, sending his disciples, concealed by invisibility talismans, back to the island. They had collected venom from several young Water Yasha, then, using gold, they had created fake dragon scales, coating them with venom, then encasing them in fish bladders, tossing them back into the sea.

The fishermen, finding those “golden scales,” had eagerly removed the protective coating, pricking their fingers on the hidden barbs, injecting the venom into their bloodstreams.

The Water Yasha venom, its effects swift and contagious, had spread rapidly. And then, as planned, the news of the demonic plague would reach the heavens.

But he hadn’t anticipated Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao’s intervention, their clever manipulation of the villagers, their destruction of his temples!

The Dongyuan Emperor, channeling his energy, felt a resistance, an invisible force hindering his power.

He couldn’t stay in the mortal realm much longer. He had to see Cui Xiao Xiao.

“Take us to the village,” he said, his voice firm.

Prince Can, bowing, instructed the crew to change course, the ship turning towards the mainland, cutting through the waves…

Meanwhile, in the fishing village, the “plague,” thanks to Cui Xiao Xiao’s Saint’s blood, had been contained.

Tang Youshu had collected the “dragon scales,” burning them with fire talismans, neutralizing the venom.

The remaining gold, he distributed among the families of the deceased and those who had been infected.

After all, those who had died were the breadwinners, leaving behind widows and orphans, their lives shattered.

Seeing those families, their gratitude overflowing, their tears a testament to their suffering, Xiao Xiao’s heart ached.

That night, sitting on a rooftop, Wei Jie’s arms around her, his warmth a comfort, she sighed. “I shouldn’t have come to this time,” she said, her voice filled with regret. “If I hadn’t interfered… the Dongyuan Emperor wouldn’t have unleashed those Water Yasha. Those villagers wouldn’t have died. Their families wouldn’t be suffering.”

Wei Jie understood her. She might call herself a con artist, but she had a kind heart, her empathy often overwhelming her.

She was blaming herself for those deaths. He tightened his grip, his voice soothing. “It wasn’t your fault. The Dongyuan Emperor is responsible. If you hadn’t awakened those Water Yasha, no one would have discovered Madam Fu’s scheme. She would have continued harming people, stealing their lifespans, nurturing those embryos. You stopped her. You saved countless lives.”

He rarely spoke so much, except in bed. She looked up at him, his gaze fixed on her, his expression sincere. “I’ve spent lifetimes accumulating good karma,” he said, “just to meet you. Otherwise… how would our paths have crossed?”

She knew he was right. When they had existed in the same timeline, she had been a black phoenix. And when she had been reborn as a human, he had been gone.

To meet, to connect, to love… it was a miracle, a gift from the heavens.

They had found solace in each other, their bond unbreakable.

She smiled, her eyes shining, and he smiled back, his canine teeth flashing.

These moments, their shared smiles, their unspoken understanding… they had become their routine. They didn’t need words. Just being together filled her with a sense of peace, a quiet joy.

But for Wei Jie, seeing her smile, her eyes sparkling, her beauty captivating… it wasn’t just his heart that ached. He wanted her, his desire a physical need.

He lifted her in his arms, carrying her towards her room.

She laughed, her hands pushing against his chest. “You’re like a dog in heat! You’d hump a tree trunk!”

He had learned about her dog, Jixiang, during their conversations. Her analogy… it was insulting!

He would show her… his enthusiasm.

They entered her room, the candlelight fading, their laughter echoing through the darkness, their shadows merging, their voices softening, the curtains drawn…

And those sounds, those whispers of passion, reached the Dongyuan Emperor, who had just arrived.

He stood on a hill overlooking the village, the wind whipping at his robes, his solitude a stark contrast to the warmth emanating from that room.

He remained silent, his divine vision allowing him to see clearly.

But a barrier, conjured by Wei Jie, shrouded the room, silencing the sounds.

It seemed Wei Jie was possessive, unwilling to share even the sound of her pleasure.

But the Dongyuan Emperor, a connoisseur of such matters, could imagine the scene.

Although his mother claimed Wei Feng was gone, he still clung to a sliver of hope. Cui Xiao Xiao possessed too many similarities.

Her mannerisms, her expressins… they reminded him of Wei Feng.

She was the only connection he had left.

And now he finally understood. He would never have her back.

She had never been demanding, never jealous, content to watch him flirt with other goddesses.

He had assumed she understood, that she knew better than to expect exclusivity.

But her rejection had been absolute, leaving him with nothing, not even a fragment of her soul.

And the demon she had created hadn’t even looked at him, choosing his enemy, their passion a mockery of his loss…

Was this her revenge?

He remembered a conversation, back when they were still close. He, unable to commit, had asked her, his voice light, as if joking, “What would you do if you discovered I wasn’t faithful?”

She had smiled, her gaze steady, her voice calm. “If you betray me, I won’t cling to you. I will forget you, our paths diverging, our souls separated for eternity.”

Her words, her expression… he saw now the hidden resolve, the chilling finality.

Perhaps she had known all along, her patience, her silence, a series of tests, opportunities for him to change.

And when he had failed, when he had used her, broken her heart… she had chosen to move on, to forget him…

He felt a sharp pain on his forehead, his hand reaching up, touching the divine mark. It was bleeding again.

He wiped the blood away, staring at the distant house, its windows glowing with candlelight, a cruel smile twisting his lips.

He was the son of the Heavenly Emperor and the Queen Mother, born into privilege, his life eternal.

And he was suffering because of unrequited love?

The humiliation was unbearable!

Let them enjoy their moment. He would show Wei Jie the limitations of mortality, the futility of defying fate.

He had made a decision. Cui Xiao Xiao, whether she was Wei Feng reincarnated or not, he wouldn’t allow her to be with Wei Jie.

The night deepened, shadows lengthening, secrets brewing, a storm gathering.