Chapter 77: Aphrodisiac Fish Soup

The trio plotted for two days and decided that Xue Lao Er would return to the Demon Palace first to prepare for the usurpation, while Hua Mei would also head back to the Demon Realm to handle the logistics.

Gu Changhuai, for the time being, enjoyed a peaceful interlude, waiting for Rong Ye to return to Supreme Peak.

Before Rong Ye came back, the Tongtian Instrument first boiled over like a pot of porridge.

“Hm?”

Gu Changhuai lay on the couch, sending his divine sense into the Tongtian Instrument for a stroll. Only after circling around did he piece together the whole story.

The National Advisor of the Kyoto Imperial City was a member of the Demon Clan, entangled in vast karma. Unfortunately, he had escaped under one sword strike from the Qing Lian Immortal Lord.

But his accomplices hadn’t managed to slip away in time. The culprit turned out to be the eldest young master of Red Feather Manor. In a righteous act, the Red Feather Manor Lord executed his own kin, beheading the eldest young master who had colluded with the Demon Clan and displaying his head as a warning.

Once he understood the situation, Gu Changhuai went to contact Jin Shuang. “Are you at Red Feather Manor?”

After a long pause, Jin Shuang replied, “Yes. The Immortal Lord has already returned ahead and should arrive tomorrow. There are still some loose ends to tie up here.”

“. . . I wasn’t asking about Rong Ye.” Gu Changhuai coughed twice and asked, “Did you see Xuan Yao? How is that kid doing?”

Jin Shuang said, “Oh, you’re asking about Young Lord Xuan. He’s fine, just had a big argument with the Manor Lord and is now confined to his courtyard, not allowed to go out.”

Gu Changhuai sighed. “. . . That’s not what I meant.”

“. . .” Jin Shuang paused for a moment before realizing. “Young Lord Xuan and the eldest young master of Red Feather Manor are cousins. The one who was beheaded was the son of the Manor Lord’s older brother. He and Young Lord Xuan weren’t particularly close on normal days. Young Lord Xuan doesn’t seem too upset. He got confined because he threw a tantrum wanting to go out and find you, and happened to run into the Immortal Lord, who said a few words about it.”

At those words, Gu Changhuai choked.

From the sound of it, the pain from the guilty eldest young master’s beheading wasn’t as great as the Manor Lord’s refusal to let him go out.

Gu Changhuai muttered, “Well, that’s pretty good.”

Jin Shuang, ever good-tempered, asked, “Is there anything else you want to ask?”

“No, no.” Gu Changhuai didn’t want to disturb his work and grinned. “Go ahead with what you’re doing. Say hi to Xuan Yao for me.”

Jin Shuang fell silent for a beat and selectively ignored him, cutting off the Tongtian Instrument.

. . .

Thus, Gu Changhuai, who learned that Rong Ye would probably return to Supreme Peak tomorrow, had already begun pondering how to carry out the assassination.

Oh, no.

Not an assassination.

It was a hair-stabbing operation. He just needed a lock of hair and a bit of Rong Ye’s blood carrying his scent.

Gu Changhuai yawned and, before contacting Hua Mei, casually asked about Pei Tianyi’s condition.

From Zhao Shuzhai, he learned that Pei Tianyi was fine, his heart demon shattered, and he was now contemplating life.

In a show of sympathy, Gu Changhuai offered to send over two silver fish. Zhao Shuzhai immediately said he wanted some too, claiming he’d been busy caring for Pei Tianyi lately, hadn’t made any money, and needed to replenish himself.

And so.

Three silver fish vanished from the pool.

Once he finally settled down, Gu Changhuai continued his communication with Hua Mei.

Without Xue Lao Er present, their conversation grew even more unrestrained.

Separated by thousands of miles, their voices transmitted directly into each other’s ears.

Hua Mei said, “Everything in the Demon Realm is under control. It all depends on what you plan to do.”

The fishing session over, Gu Changhuai now lay in his room reading a storybook. He drawled lazily, “Didn’t we already settle it? I’ll go back and usurp the throne. Are you worried?”

Hua Mei muttered, “I’m not doubting your strength. I’m asking what you’re really thinking. After the usurpation? Do you plan to follow in his footsteps and stand against the entire Cultivation World?”

Gu Changhuai turned the page without changing expression, propping his chin as he said, “I can’t just keep letting the Demon Venerable control me forever. Before I left the Demon Realm, he fed me that Demon Gu, which I dug out a few days ago. He’ll find out sooner or later. The Left Protector is dead too, and he’s already suspicious. Otherwise, why would he order me to injure Rong Ye within a month? He’s forcing my hand.”

No choice but to send the Demon Venerable off to ascension ahead of schedule.

Hua Mei asked, “What after you kill the Demon Venerable?”

Gu Changhuai’s finger paused on the page, his eyelids lowering slightly. After a moment, he smiled, his expression unchanged in that lazy tone. “Naturally, we’ll just eat and wait for death. Isn’t that our dream? With no threats in the Demon Realm afterward, we can hole up there for life, eating and slacking off. Sounds pretty good, right . . .”

In the transmission, Hua Mei’s voice suddenly turned serious. “Gu Changhuai, stop playing dumb. Is that really what you think?”

“You’re so annoying,” Gu Changhuai grumbled. “I said we’re gonna eat and slack off, and now you’re unhappy. I’m done talking to you.”

With that, he directly severed the transmission.

On the other end, once Hua Mei realized the transmission wouldn’t go through no matter what, he laughed in exasperation.

＊

Under a tree in the courtyard of Supreme Peak, Gu Changhuai calmly brewed his fish soup as if nothing had happened.

The silver fish soup bubbled and gurgled, the fresh aroma wafting continuously from the pot. His long lashes lowered, he stared at the tender white soup, watching the bubbles burst and rise, lost in thought.

He didn’t know how much time passed.

A large hand with distinct knuckles took the spoon from his grasp and stirred the bubbling pot.

Gu Changhuai snapped back to attention in shock and relaxed with a breath upon seeing the newcomer. He smiled. “The Immortal Lord is back.”

Rong Ye’s face was calm as he gave a soft ‘mm,’ then said in a low voice, “What were you thinking? The pot’s almost burned.”

With a flip of the spoon, the half-charred body of a silver fish floated to the soup’s surface.

Gu Changhuai touched his nose and laughed it off. “Nothing, nothing. I’ve just been seeing so much news on the Tongtian Instrument these past couple days—got distracted and forgot the heat.”

Rong Ye merely gave him a faint sidelong glance and casually extinguished the flame.

The gurgling pot gradually quieted, steam rising hot and thick between them.

“Drink it.” Rong Ye said nothing more, handed back the spoon, and walked away.

Gu Changhuai’s smile slowly faded, his eyelids lifting slightly as he gazed at Rong Ye’s tall, straight back. He pursed his lips.

With a flick of his finger, a pinch of drug powder dropped into the fish pot.

He picked up his smile again, ladled out a bowl of soup, and chased after him. “Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord, I can’t finish this soup. Help me drink some, okay?”

He held the fish soup out to Rong Ye.

Rong Ye lowered his gaze, looking at Gu Changhuai with crinkled eyes, then at the fish soup.

The soup still steamed, carrying a subtle medicinal scent within.

A shadow flickered in Rong Ye’s eyes for an instant. He took the fish soup, stared at Gu Changhuai, and drank it down sip by sip. Like a beast locking onto its prey, no longer disguising itself.

Gu Changhuai, the one locked on, inexplicably felt a chill and shrank his neck.

Glancing guiltily at Rong Ye amid his unease, he was met with the man’s dark, heavy gaze, his hand in his sleeve trembling involuntarily.

Was Rong Ye staring like this because he’d noticed something off? It was just a bit of the bewitching drug from Hua Mei, but how to explain drugs in the fish soup . . . But if Rong Ye had noticed, why drink it? Since he drank it, he probably hadn’t noticed . . .

Stared at too long, Gu Changhuai felt like he’d fallen into a trap. He didn’t dare meet Rong Ye’s eyes, his breathing tight, heart pounding fiercely.

As the soup was drunk down to the last drop, he took back the bowl, his neck flushed red. He stammered, “The Immortal Lord must be tired from all those days. Rest early. I’ll go . . . I’ll go wash the bowl. Yeah, wash the bowl.”

He bolted away on hasty legs.

Behind him, Rong Ye’s gaze remained deep and unwavering, fixed on Gu Changhuai until his figure vanished. Then, the corners of his mouth curved up.

Fish soup.

Drug.

Aphrodisiac bewitching drug.