43: Chapter 43 Taixu Pavilion

At the main entrance of the Imperial Palace.

"My beloved consort, are you alright?"

A middle-aged man wearing a Dragon crown and bearing a dignified expression saw Imperial Consort Wang return, trotted over to tightly grasp her hands, and examined her carefully, his eyes full of concern.

"The moment I heard you were assassinated, I have been unable to sleep or eat for these past few days, wishing I could fly to your side immediately."

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and examine the Consort's injuries for me!"

The Emperor scolded the surrounding imperial physicians, while carefully supporting Imperial Consort Wang's arm, fearing he might hurt her.

Imperial Consort Wang gave a weak smile, her face as pale as paper:

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Thanks to the jade pendant you bestowed upon me, I was only a bit frightened and have no serious injuries."

For the past few days, she hadn't closed her eyes at all, afraid that if she did, that elusive assassin would take her life.

The Emperor stroked her cheek with heartache:

"My beloved consort, if the jade pendant is gone, then it is gone. At worst, I will go ask the Imperial Preceptor for another one; as long as you are safe, that is all that matters."

"Rest assured, I have already issued an imperial decree for the Shadow Guards to search for the assassin, and I believe they will give you an answer in a few days."

Imperial Consort Wang leaned into The Emperor's embrace, forcing a smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I truly do not know how I can ever repay your kindness."

"My beloved consort, you speak too seriously. Between us, there is no need for such talk."

"The journey has been exhausting; you should return to your palace early to rest."

Imperial Consort Wang nodded weakly, and under the protection of a group of maids and eunuchs, she slowly left in her carriage.

Only when Imperial Consort Wang was out of sight did The Emperor withdraw his gaze, the gentleness on his face instantly fading away.

"Prepare the carriage—to Taixu Pavilion."

The Emperor flicked his sleeves, his Dragon-patterned boots making a crisp sound as they stepped on the bluestone slabs.

...

The nine-story Taixu Pavilion stood towering and majestic, its green glazed tiles shimmering with golden light in the sun. As a breeze blew, the bronze bells at the corners of the eaves swayed, emitting a solemn, muffled sound.

The Emperor climbed the steps, and the closer he got to Taixu Pavilion, the clearer the sounds inside became.

However, what emanated from this solemn building was not the sound of chanting or Dao cultivation, but the coquettish laughter of women and the decadent clinking of wine cups.

"Imperial Preceptor~ have another drink..."

"Oh my, you are so bad..."

The Emperor's footsteps stopped on the last step, his brows furrowed slightly, and a flash of coldness appeared in his eyes.

The accompanying eunuch immediately understood and raised his hand to signal all the guards to stop.

The Emperor pushed open the doors of Taixu Pavilion, only to see light veils dancing inside the hall, the air filled with a licentious atmosphere.

An old man, appearing to be in his seventies or eighties with white hair and beard, was leaning disheveled on a soft couch, holding a young woman with partially unraveled clothing in each arm.

The table was set with delicacies and fine wine, and many empty wine jars were scattered on the floor.

Seeing The Emperor arrive, the Imperial Preceptor merely glanced at him briefly before ignoring him, continuing to flirt with the two women:

"Beauties, have another drink~"

It wasn't until The Emperor walked up to the Imperial Preceptor that the surrounding women noticed him, and they all knelt down, trembling.

The music stopped, and an expression of dissatisfaction immediately appeared on the Imperial Preceptor's face; he forcefully pulled the two women beside him into his arms, pinning them down.

"Imperial Preceptor."

"Your Majesty has come here, for what purpose..."

The Imperial Preceptor raised his head drunkenly, hugging the trembling woman in his arms, his tone flippant, with no intention of getting up at all.

Although The Emperor was displeased, he maintained a calm expression.

"Imperial Preceptor, I wonder when the Immortal Master from the Taixu Sect will arrive? I would like to make preparations early to welcome them, to avoid any dissatisfaction from the Immortal Master."

"Also, I would like to request another protective jade pendant."

The Imperial Preceptor narrowed his eyes and slowly extended one finger.

Seeing this, The Emperor's expression changed slightly.

"One hundred?"

"Didn't I just give you one hundred virgins last time?!"

The Imperial Preceptor shook his finger drunkenly and grinned:

"Your Majesty... don't talk about another hundred; even one thousand young virgins wouldn't be enough to fill this Taixu Pavilion... hehe..."

The Emperor's face turned gloomy, his hands hidden in his sleeves clenching into fists.

After a long silence, The Emperor slowly unclenched his fists and squeezed out a smile.

"One hundred is a bit too many, how about fifty..."

Before he could finish speaking, The Emperor felt a weight descend upon him.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Imperial Preceptor's withered palm pressing on his shoulder.

That palm seemed to contain the force of a thousand jun, pressing down so hard he couldn't breathe.

"Your Majesty... to put it nicely, I call you Your Majesty; to put it bluntly..."

"You are nothing but a dog raised by our Taixu Sect!"

"When did it become a dog's turn to bargain with me!"

The Emperor's pupils contracted, and he gritted his teeth to suppress his inner impulses.

"One hundred virgins... will be offered... shortly!"

These few words were squeezed out from between his teeth, and he could faintly taste the sweet, metallic tang of blood in his mouth.

The Imperial Preceptor then released his hand with satisfaction and lay back down on the soft couch drunkenly:

"That's more like it... *hiccup*... Your Majesty is indeed a sensible person..."

He casually pulled the trembling woman beside him into his arms, his withered palm grabbing her snow-white breasts and kneading them:

"At Senior Brother Wang's speed, he should arrive by noon tomorrow."

"Tomorrow at noon?!"

"It took me a full month to get here, but with Senior Brother Wang's Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, arriving within seven days is already very fast."

"Sigh, this backwater place of yours has thin Spiritual Qi and not even a teleportation array. Otherwise, a distance of ten thousand miles could be covered in an instant..."

The Imperial Preceptor shook his head while speaking, his eyes full of disdain.

"The Imperial Preceptor is correct. Since I have learned the time of the Immortal Master's return, I shall take my leave."

The Emperor turned and left; he did not want to stay in such a place for another second.

"Wait!"

The Imperial Preceptor suddenly called him back, and while throwing an object over, a strange smile appeared on his drunken face.

"Next time, send me one hundred handsome men; I have grown a bit tired of playing with women..."

The Emperor was stunned upon hearing this, looking at the jade pendant that had appeared in his hand, suppressing the killing intent in his heart.

"I have noted it."

...

The night was as dark as ink as Su Mo flew to the sky above the Imperial City.

After some thought, he decided to enter the Imperial Palace to search for clues about immortal cultivation and, while he was at it, wipe out the rest of the Wang family.

He hovered above the city gates, looking down at the brightly lit Imperial City. The night wind whistled, causing his trouser legs to rustle.

Su Mo was somewhat torn about whether to go in a straight line to the depths of the Imperial Palace or go to that particularly conspicuous tall building.

He had been drawn to that tall building the moment he arrived; the other buildings were at most three stories high, and compared to it, the difference was like that between a three-year-old child and an adult.

Glancing at the plain and unremarkable depths of the Imperial Palace, Su Mo decided to check out that tall building first. After all, there was still plenty of time, and even if he didn't find anything, it wouldn't take long to change course and go elsewhere.

With a light flutter of the four wings on his back, Su Mo instantly broke through the air, and after a few breaths, he landed silently on the top of Taixu Pavilion.

Just as Su Mo was about to lean over to investigate the situation inside the pavilion, he heard the decadent sounds of women's sultry moans coming from within—and it wasn't just one or two, but more than ten voices mixed together.

Su Mo immediately frowned:

"Damn it, this dog Emperor really knows how to play! He's even opened a brothel inside the Imperial Palace!"