We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 622: Who Exactly Is He?

At the gate of the Great Zhou capitalʼs imperial city.

Xiao Mo had already led the Zhou Kingdomʼs civil and military officials out to receive the guests.

For this diplomatic mission from the Four Seas, Xiao Mo showed every possible measure of respect.

As the great whale descended from the sky, the Zhou Kingdomʼs officials all felt their hearts lurch with alarm.

They had never before seen such an enormous whale, resembling an entire city unto itself.

”Your Majesty...”

Wei Xun said worriedly, watching that great whale draw ever closer to His Majesty.

He genuinely feared that this massive whale might come crashing down, crushing His Majesty along with a good portion of the capital but Xiao Mo said nothing.

He continued gazing calmly upward, watching that great whale descend toward him.

”ROOOAR!”

The next instant, a dragonʼs roar echoed through the heavens.

High above the clouds, a scaled dragon, a full hundred zhang in length, coiled and surged ceaselessly through the cloud layer.

Throughout the capital, the common people all looked up at the sky, frozen in place, too frightened to move.

An endless dragon-majesty spread across the heavens.

”Whoosh.”

The great whale, carrying with it a fierce gust of wind, stirred the hem of Xiao Moʼs robe.

That great whale transformed into a giant, a hundred zhang tall, the giant descending like a mountain, and the moment it landed upon the ground, the earth shook violently, as though some great earth-dragon had turned over in its sleep.

Upon the giantʼs back still rested that palace-like pavilion and that scaled dragon, too, dove down toward Xiao Mo.

Zeng Qiang and the others positioned themselves before Xiao Mo protectively, but Xiao Moʼs expression remained unchanged, simply watching the approaching figure.

At last, the scaled dragon transformed into a woman dressed in a blue skirt, landing upon the ground.

Another woman transformed into a streak of light, flying out from the pavilion, standing beside the woman in blue.

At the same time, the Four Seasʼ envoy procession, too, gradually settled safely onto the ground.

”The Four Seasʼ sudden visit today, I hope Your Majesty will forgive us.”

Sizhu stepped forward, bowing to Xiao Mo.

”That our small Zhou Kingdom could catch the Four Seasʼ attention, that the Dragon Ruler would come specially to visit, is truly the Zhou Kingdomʼs own good fortune.”

Xiao Mo, too, stepped forward, returning the bow.

”I have already arranged a banquet within the palaceʼs front hall, specially to welcome the Dragon Ruler and your party. Please, Dragon Ruler, enter the city, and allow our Zhou Kingdom to fulfill our duties as host.”

”My thanks to Your Majesty. Since thatʼs the case, we shall not stand on ceremony.” Sizhu nodded, smiling faintly.

”Please, Dragon Ruler.” Xiao Mo stepped aside, making a gesture of invitation.

”Your Majesty is the host, and we are but guests. Please, Your Majesty, lead the way.”

After exchanging courteous pleasantries, Sizhu climbed into the carriage the Zhou Kingdom had prepared, entering the city together with Xiao Mo.

The giant whale-form and the three thousand soldiers all remained stationed outside the city walls, with only the mermaid and clam-spirit attendants in palace robes following behind.

Along the capitalʼs streets, the common people stood on either side, watching the Four Seasʼ envoy procession with eyes full of curiosity.

This was the first time the common people had ever seen mermaid and clam-spirit women.

They could not help but feel these women seemed even more beautiful than humans, their bearing somehow finer as well.

Within the carriage, Yan Shuang lifted the curtain, gazing at the Zhou Kingdomʼs capital, her eyes blinking gently.

”Sister Yan Shuang said she had no interest in this old place, and yet I see youʼre quite interested after all.” Seeing Yan Shuangʼs expression, Sizhu beside her could not help but laugh softly, covering her mouth.

Yan Shuang straightened her expression, lowering the curtain, resuming her usual dignified composure, “I simply wanted to see whatʼs changed in the capital over these past ten-odd years, thatʼs all. And just as I suspected, itʼs exactly the same as before.”

”Only ten years. What could possibly have changed?” Sizhu propped her chin on her hand, saying casually. ”For us cultivators, ten years is but the snap of a finger.”

”Heh, rather than dwelling on that, Sister Sizhu, youʼd best think about how youʼre going to explain yourself to His Majesty later.”

Yan Shuang glanced flatly at Sizhu.

”His Majesty told us, when we came here, to be extremely mindful of protocol, showing the utmost respect. And yet Sister Sizhu gave the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler quite the intimidating show of force. Thatʼs not good at all.”

”Did I? I donʼt think so.” Sizhu feigned ignorance.

”I hope His Majesty thinks so too.” Yan Shuang had no wish to argue with her further.

After all, by any normal understanding, the great whale should never have appeared within ten li of the imperial capital, and yet Sister Sizhu had let it descend directly upon the Zhou capital.

Sister Sizhu had even revealed her true form, circling through the sky.

If that wasnʼt a deliberate show of intimidation, what was it?

”All right, all right, I was just having a bit of fun. You know how it is, living in the Dragon Palace all the time gets so boring. Finally having a chance to tease the human race, I couldnʼt resist. As for whether His Majesty noticed... I imagine itʼs not a big deal.”

Sizhu laughed lightly, draping an arm around Yan Shuangʼs shoulders.

”But, come to think of it, this ruler of the Zhou Kingdom really is quite impressive. Facing my dragon-majesty, he didnʼt so much as flinch. Even with that whale descending upon him, he stood perfectly still.”

”Honestly, for the ruler of such a small kingdom as the Zhou Kingdom to greet us delegates from the Four Seas with such composure, neither servile nor arrogant, thatʼs genuinely rare.”

”Oh, and one more important thing.” Sizhu added. ”This ruler of the Zhou Kingdom is quite good-looking too.”

”Heh.” Yan Shuang gave a cold laugh, paying Sizhu no further mind.

Before long, the carriage came to a stop, and Sizhu and the others entered the palace.

The Four Seas envoys all took their seats, and the Zhou Kingdomʼs Chancellor, Yan Zhen, along with the various officials, took their places as well.

Seeing her own father, Yan Shuang could not help but feel a jolt of surprise, sitting up straighter without meaning to.

Yan Shuang had never imagined that her own father had become the Zhou Kingdomʼs Chancellor but soon, Yan Shuang withdrew her gaze, watching everyone with the cool detachment of a cultivator.

The welcoming banquet began.

The palace maids brought out dish after dish of wine and food.

”The Dragon Ruler and all the envoys have traveled a long way. I offer this cup to all of you.”

Xiao Mo raised his wine cup, and the others, naturally, raised their cups in return, draining them in one go.

”Though I am rather curious. I wonder how my small Zhou Kingdom could possibly be fortunate enough to catch the Dragon Rulerʼs attention, that the Dragon Ruler would come here personally?”

Xiao Mo set down his cup, asking.

He genuinely found this puzzling.

After all, he understood well enough the size and strength of his own Zhou Kingdom.

Most within the Ten Thousand Laws Realm had never even heard of this small kingdom, and yet the Lord of the Four Seas had come here in person. Such an anomaly surely concealed something strange.

”Why does Your Majesty belittle yourself so?”

Sizhu said with a smile.

”Compared to the ten great dynasties of the Ten Thousand Laws Realm, the Zhou Kingdom does indeed show something of a gap. But observing the celestial signs at night, I saw the Purple Tenuity star shining brightly above the Zhou Kingdom, your national fortune growing ever stronger. Under Your Majestyʼs guidance, the Zhou Kingdomʼs future strength will surely rival even todayʼs ten great dynasties.”

”Moreover, my sister Yan Shuang was once a native of the Zhou Kingdom herself. The Zhou Kingdom is Sister Yan Shuangʼs homeland, and this visit also serves as an opportunity to bring my sister home to see it once more.”

”Oh? I never imagined that Fairy Yan was originally from the Zhou Kingdom. That truly is the Zhou Kingdomʼs honor.” Xiao Mo looked toward Yan Shuang with surprise. ”I wonder where Fairy Yan Shuangʼs family resides. Might I take the liberty of inviting her family to join us at this banquet?”

”My thanks for Your Majestyʼs kind intention, but thereʼs no need to trouble yourself.” Yan Shuang nodded in thanks, her gaze quietly drifting toward Yan Zhenʼs direction. ”This visit to the Zhou Kingdom is simply to look around a little. Having already ascended the path of immortality, I naturally have few remaining ties to the mortal world.”

”I see. Then I wonʼt meddle further.” Xiao Mo said, going along with her words. ”During this time, should Fairy Yan Shuang need anything, please feel free to seek out Lord Yan at any time.”

”My thanks to Your Majesty.” Yan Shuang expressed her gratitude.

The rest of the banquet continued with pleasantries exchanged, neither too deep nor too shallow.

After several rounds of wine, Sizhu had her attendants bring in ten large chests.

The chests were opened.

Within them lay the Four Seasʼ gifts to the Zhou Kingdom.

Looking at the gold, silver, and jewels common to the mortal world, along with the magical artifacts, elixirs, and spiritual flowers and herbs needed by cultivation sects, everything spoke to the Four Seasʼ genuine sincerity.

An hour and a half later, the banquet concluded, and Xiao Mo saw Sizhu and the others off, having the palace maids escort Sizhu to the envoy residence.

The other Zhou Kingdom officials, too, gradually took their leave, until only Xiao Mo and Yan Zhen remained within the vast hall.

”What does the Chancellor make of all this?”

Once everyone had left, Xiao Mo dispersed the lingering scent of wine around him, asking Yan Zhen.

”This subject, too, finds himself somewhat puzzled.”

Yan Zhen shook his head, stroking his beard.

”Though this Dragon Ruler claims to have observed the celestial signs at night, seeing signs of our Zhou Kingdomʼs impending prosperity, and thus came specially to visit, in truth, Your Majesty surely understands this as well.”

”Given the Four Seasʼ strength, they could rival half of the entire Ten Thousand Laws Realm, paying little mind even to the ten great dynasties. How could they possibly take notice of our humble Zhou Kingdom?”

”And besides... this subject keeps feeling that this Dragon Ruler named Sizhu doesnʼt quite seem like the true Lord of the Four Seas...”

”Indeed, Iʼve had a similar feeling myself.”

Xiao Mo nodded, agreeing with Yan Zhenʼs assessment.

To Xiao Moʼs mind, whatever else one might say about the Lord of the Four Seas, at the very least, as sovereign of all the myriad races of the Four Seas, one would expect a certain regal bearing but this Sizhu gave off more of a playful, lighthearted impression.

It felt rather like when the elder of a household is away, or perhaps simply busy, and has sent a disciple to handle matters on their behalf.

There seemed to be a certain lack of gravitas.

”And has the Chancellor noticed something else?” Xiao Mo said with a smile, looking at Yan Zhen. ”Whether itʼs this Lord of the Four Seas or the envoys themselves, they seem to harbor a certain contempt toward us in their hearts, and yet also a certain fear. Itʼs a rather contradictory combination.”

”I noticed as well.”

Yan Zhen smiled ruefully.

”That they might look down on us is only natural, after all, the Four Seasʼ sheer scale speaks for itself, and its people are all cultivators besides. How could cultivators possibly think highly of a mere mortal kingdom like ours?”

”But that they would suppress this contempt, even showing a certain fear, as though someone had specifically instructed them beforehand not to show any disrespect, that truly is difficult to fathom.”

”Iʼve heard that the true Lord of the Four Seas is, in fact, someone else entirely. Chancellor, what do you think? If someone truly did give them orders, instructing them to observe proper protocol here in our Zhou Kingdom, could it be that legendary Ancestral Dragon of the Four Seas?” Xiao Mo voiced his own speculation.

”But if it truly were that Ancestral Elder of the Four Seas who sent them to our Zhou Kingdom, what purpose could that possibly serve? Your Majesty, I say this not out of excessive modesty, but truly, what could our Great Zhou possibly possess that would draw such an elderʼs attention?” Yan Zhen shook his head.

”Who knows.” Xiao Mo shook his head as well. ”But regardless, proceed with caution. We absolutely cannot afford any misstep. Understood?”

”Yes! Your Majesty!” Yan Zhen answered solemnly.

Sizhu and Yan Shuang arrived at the Four Seas envoy residence.

This residence had once been the grandest princely mansion in the capital.

To properly receive the Four Seas envoys, the court had specially renovated it into an embassy, to reflect the Zhou Kingdomʼs regard for the Four Seas but just as Sizhu and Yan Shuang arrived at the residenceʼs rear courtyard, and saw a womanʼs figure standing there, both their hearts trembled violently, and they immediately dropped to one knee, “This disciple, Sizhu.”

”This disciple, Yan Shuang.”

”Pays respects to Your Majesty!”

Yan Ruxue slowly turned around, gazing flatly at Sizhu, saying nothing.

The next instant, a terrifying dragon-majesty pressed down violently upon Sizhu, heavy as a mountain range.

Cold sweat broke out across Sizhuʼs forehead, her body trembling ceaselessly, as though she might collapse prostrate to the ground at any moment.

Yan Ruxue folded her hands before her, walking forward step by step.

With every step Yan Ruxue took, Sizhu felt as though her own body and soul were being crushed to pieces.

”What did I tell you both, when I sent you to the Zhou Kingdom?” Yan Ruxue spoke slowly, her voice carrying an unspoken authority.

”Reporting... reporting to Your Majesty...” With every word Sizhu spoke, her chest heaved violently. ”You... you said we absolutely must treat them with courtesy, that we must never show the slightest arrogance or negligence, that we must regard the Zhou Kingdom as more important even than the Four Seas...”

”And what exactly did you do?” Within Yan Ruxueʼs peach-blossom eyes, her pupils had already turned into golden, slit-like forms.

”This disciple, Sizhu, should never have transformed into her dragon form to intimidate the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler, and should certainly never have let the Sea-Heaven Leviathan descend beyond the capitalʼs walls. Sizhu deserves death ten thousand times over!”

Sizhu knelt on both knees, prostrating herself before Yan Ruxue, not daring to raise her head for a long while, her delicate body curved like an arched bridge, drops of dragon-blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.

Yan Shuang, standing nearby, wanted to speak up on her senior sisterʼs behalf but she sensed, vaguely, that the more she spoke for her senior sister, the worse things might become for her.

Their master, it seemed, was genuinely angry.

This was the first time Yan Shuang had ever seen their master in such a state.

Yan Shuang even began to question the true identity of the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler.

She and Sizhu both knew that their master valued the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler highly, having even searched for him for a long time but to their minds, whatever connection this rulerʼs past life might have had with their master, it could, at most, have been some passing acquaintance, an ordinary friendship at best.

And so Sizhu, with her frivolous temperament, had deliberately teased the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler, harboring no genuine malice, simply treating it as a joke but it now seemed that the Zhou Kingdom rulerʼs weight in their masterʼs heart far exceeded anything they had imagined, to the point that even the slightest joke was utterly forbidden.

”Seeing how hard you work day after day at the Dragon Palace, Iʼll spare you this once. Should you dare show any further disrespect to the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler in the future, you can go boil yourself into soup.”

Yan Ruxue walked past Sizhu, her voice drifting back from behind her.

”Beyond this, he cannot withstand my own essence blood. Take out ten drops of your own essence blood and send them into the palace instead. I want to use it to temper the Zhou Kingdom rulerʼs physical constitution.”

With these words, Yan Ruxue left the courtyard, and the dragon-majesty gradually faded away.

”Thatʼs a relief, thatʼs a relief. I truly thought my life was over.” Sizhu let out a heavy sigh, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, slowly rising to her feet. ”But why does His Majesty value that ruler of the Zhou Kingdom so highly?”

”Merely ʼvalueʼ?”

Yan Shuang glanced at Sizhu flatly.

”His Majesty wants to temper the Zhou Kingdom rulerʼs constitution. The reason sheʼs using your essence blood instead isnʼt as punishment for you, itʼs because His Majesty is worried that her own essence blood might be too much for the Zhou Kingdomʼs ruler to withstand...”

Hearing Yan Shuangʼs words, Sizhuʼs expression froze, her eyes filling with astonishment, “Then who exactly is this ruler of the Zhou Kingdom?”

Yan Shuang shook her head, gazing in the direction their master had departed, letting out a soft sigh, “Who knows?”