The Emperor’s Fury and a Turtle’s Intervention

“My life, oh…” Dan Fusheng mused, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood by the window, gazing into the distant horizon.

Chen Gui demanded, “Release them!”

“I toiled tirelessly for the demon race,” Dan Fusheng began, his voice tinged with a practiced melancholy. “I’ve been a Demon Lord, an exile, and even an Emperor. Yet, in the end, it all amounted to nothing.” He lowered his head slightly, a long sigh escaping his lips.

“Release them!” Chen Gui repeated, his voice sharper this time. Gritting his teeth, he insisted, “They only want you to help them find their Master!”

“I am looking,” Dan Fusheng replied simply.

“Then hand over Si Fenglang!”

“Junior Brother, that man covets your Senior Brother.” Dan Fusheng reached out, attempting to grasp Chen Gui’s sleeve. “Senior Brother is afraid. Besides, I didn’t find him; he came here himself, so it doesn’t count. Your Senior Brother wouldn’t take advantage of others for nothing.”

Chen Gui evaded Dan Fusheng’s movement, leaving the Demon Lord looking visibly hurt. However, Chen Gui was not swayed by the act. He pressed on, “Have you figured out what he wants to do yet?”

“He cursed at me all yesterday; he doesn’t want to tell me those secrets. I plan to give up on him and find a way to investigate myself.” Dan Fusheng clutched his own arm, looking heartbroken, and leaned mournfully against the window. He sniffled. “Senior Brother also has… his pride.”

“You can have your pride later. Let me into the barrier! Otherwise, I’ll force my way in!” Chen Gui needed to understand the current situation, and he found it hard to believe Dan Fusheng would tolerate Si Fenglang “cursing at him all the time” without a motive.

“Yes, I can do that, but Junior Brother, you won’t spread this around, will you?” Dan Fusheng didn’t want to stop Chen Gui from investigating the truth, but he truly desired to stay in this place.

“Are you really planning to seize this land?”

“It’s not seizing; it’s just that they invited me here, and I don’t plan on leaving.” Dan Fusheng had already meticulously planned how each plot of land should be used. He had also calculated the maximum cultivation level these disciples could achieve and how long they had to live. After their deaths, their residences could be utilized as well. Dan Fusheng decided he would stay at the Qianyu Sect for at least a thousand years.

“It depends. If Si Fenglang and his group are difficult to deal with, I’ll temporarily keep your secret.” Chen Gui frowned slightly. “Why are you so determined to take this place?”

“Indeed, Sir Dan,” Bai Yu added, equally puzzled. “If you wish, the authorities can allocate a plot of land for you to build upon as you please.” Dan Fusheng had chosen the smallest house available, leading Bai Yu to believe he had no specific luxury requirements.

“No, I cannot use official funds.” Dan Fusheng pointed to the ground. “This place, however, is the fruit of my own efforts.”

Bai Yu was speechless. ‘Efforts for what? Efforts to wait for this current batch of disciples to die?’

Dan Fusheng allowed Chen Gui into the barrier, then poured tea for Bai Yu and Jade Mastiff. Before the tea cups were even full, Dan Fusheng’s expression suddenly changed. He cursed under his breath, then, without hesitation, entered the barrier himself.

Inside the barrier, Si Fenglang lay in a pool of blood, while Chen Gui stood beside him, his sword dripping crimson. “I have countless ways to make your life a living hell,” Chen Gui said coldly. He lifted his leg, using the tip of his shoe to hook Si Fenglang’s chin. “Where did you disappear to, and what happened? Speak!”

Si Fenglang’s jaw was clenched tight, the muscles in his cheeks twitching. After several ragged breaths, he looked at Chen Gui and began to laugh.

“Good. If you won’t speak, I’ll continue.” Chen Gui pressed Si Fenglang’s head down with the sole of his shoe.

“Junior Brother!!” Dan Fusheng appeared within the barrier and quickly pulled Chen Gui away. “No, no, no! Don’t do that!” He had only remembered his Junior Brother was easy for him to bully; he had forgotten that Chen Gui was actually a ruthless cultivator to everyone else.

For cultivators or ordinary people who had never committed a sin, Chen Gui was gentle and approachable. But once he confirmed the other party was a threat, his demeanor changed entirely. Few cultivators who had survived the Millennium of Chaos were truly benign.

“Alright, alright, just stop for now.” Dan Fusheng quickly fed Si Fenglang a medicinal pill.

“I originally wanted to perform soul-searching, but his soul is peculiar,” Chen Gui said, frustrated. He couldn’t comprehend what exactly resided within Si Fenglang’s body.

“I’ve pondered it before; it might be that the cultivation method of the Yu Kingdom itself is the problem.” Dan Fusheng rose after administering the pill. “He’s just a puppet. Si Chen is a backup. They actually know very little. Their Master is a very strange person.” Dan Fusheng stroked his chin. “His hatred for the demon race is abnormal.”

Si Fenglang’s past parents were harmed by demons, so his hatred was logical. However, the ancient Emperor was truly peculiar. That Emperor’s loved ones were often still alive and well, yet he detested all demons regardless.

“When no demons were present, he was a gentle elder,” Dan Fusheng explained. “But the demon race was like a switch for him; as soon as he encountered one, he transformed into an extremist madman. Moreover, the Emperor of the Yu Kingdom possesses terrifyingly high cultivation. He’s even more formidable than our Master was. So, I have a theory: is this hatred perhaps cultivated by successive emperors? Does inheriting the lineage also mean inheriting the hatred and the power?”

As Dan Fusheng spoke, Si Fenglang’s expression remained confused, indicating he didn’t yet possess these specific memories.

“Then what is his current state?” Chen Gui asked, pointing at the bleeding man.

“It’s like a ‘winter worm, summer grass’ fusion—a parasitic relationship,” Dan Fusheng replied. “He’s the host, and those seven souls might be the parasite. The foundation of the Yu Kingdom isn’t the imperial family bloodline, but their inherited cultivation methods. Their laws are unfeeling, placed above human concerns and even imperial power.

“Anyway, why did you beat him? We’re not in a hurry. He can’t leave my barrier now. They can be dangerous when they get anxious,” Dan Fusheng noted, thinking of the disciple who died with his head severed. “But we are already at the Qianyu Sect; they cannot harm anyone here. I’ve placed protective seals on my elderly friends; if attacked, they’ll be teleported here instantly. Calm down a little.”

Dan Fusheng patted Chen Gui’s chest. “The calmer you are, the more anxious they will become. Let them come to you on their own.” Dan Fusheng’s smile widened. He believed his Junior Brother was quick to grasp things.

Thirty minutes later, a bewildered Chen Gui stopped what he was doing. “What’s wrong?” Dan Fusheng asked him from a nearby recliner.

Chen Gui looked at the pit he had dug, then asked in confusion, “Do I really have to dig this by hand?”

“Laboring like an ordinary person helps to calm the mind and aids in cultivation,” Dan Fusheng explained. “Spells are convenient, but relying too much on them makes one irritable.”

“Then why don’t you dig?” Chen Gui asked.

Dan Fusheng offered no help; he merely sat in his chair with a drink, supervising. “Because your Senior Brother has always been a simple, ordinary person,” Dan Fusheng said, taking a sip of coconut juice and sighing contentedly.

“There’s a river in the back mountain; it’s flowing water.” Chen Gui resumed digging. “Should we divert it here?”

“By hand?” Dan Fusheng was astonished.

Chen Gui nodded. “To calm my mind.”

Dan Fusheng’s eyes widened slightly. “Of course, that would be wonderful.” His Junior Brother’s perseverance was truly unmatched.

Thus, Chen Gui adopted a regular routine of manual labor from sunrise to sunset. Jade Mastiff occasionally joined him in the pit, digging with his paws. Dan Fusheng would bring Chen Gui meals, even though Chen Gui didn’t actually need to eat.

Chen Gui’s speed was still remarkable; he spent over a month digging a small lake. Afterward, they began planting flowers and grass around the perimeter. The vegetables Dan Fusheng had planted blossomed. He promised that once the tomatoes and peppers grew, he would share them with the members of the Qianyu Sect. The sect members were overjoyed. Dan Fusheng even made autumn clothes for the younger disciples while taking his online orders.

The Qianyu Sect was filled with harmony. Until a man inexplicably showed up at their doorstep.

That day, Dan Fusheng was strolling by the lake with Chen Gui when the man charged toward them. The disciples of the Qianyu Sect tried to restrain him, but he dragged them all the way to the water’s edge.

“Hello, may I ask who you are?” Dan Fusheng greeted him with a bewildered expression.

Chen Gui, however, recognized the man’s face instantly. This was the Emperor of the Yu Kingdom from back then.

“Where have you hidden Fenglang?!” the man demanded.

“Fenglang? Who?” Dan Fusheng still seemed confused.

“Si Fenglang!!”

Dan Fusheng fell into thought, then suddenly clapped his hands. “Oh! Him! I almost forgot his name.”

“Sir Dan, I apologize! We couldn’t stop him!” Meng Lei panted as he caught up.

“It’s alright. Why is he looking for Si Fenglang from me? Is he also from your sect? I haven’t seen him before,” Dan Fusheng frowned.

“He’s not. We don’t know where this senior came from,” Meng Lei explained. “He insists that Master has returned and that you’ve hidden him.”

Dan Fusheng paused, then lowered his head. After a moment of silence, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Perhaps it’s because I was a Demon Lord once; I can understand the suspicion.”

“Release Si Fenglang!!” the man bellowed.

Meng Lei grew impatient. “We’ve already explained! Master hasn’t returned!”

“He’s lying to you! Can’t you see?!” The man noticed the guilty-looking Chen Gui nearby. “Then look at him! He wouldn’t lie!”

Meng Lei and the others thought the man was insane. “Enough! If he had hidden Master, why wouldn’t he just leave? Dan Fusheng has a grudge against Master, he wouldn’t just keep him here!”

Just then, a turtle crawled out of the lake. Upon seeing it, Dan Fusheng’s “sorrow” turned to joy. He grabbed the turtle. “Don’t be angry, child. I’m used to being misunderstood.”

He looked at the intruder. “Since you don’t recognize this cultivator, he might have suffered qi deviation. Let him go.” Dan Fusheng shook the turtle in his hand. “I’ll stew you some old turtle soup to drink.”

Meng Lei pointed at Dan Fusheng and questioned the man, “Look at him! He’s so pure and kind! Does he look like the kind of person you’re talking about?!”

The man retorted, “Who?! Who’s pure?!”