The Immortal Monarch’s Fear and a Vanishing Orchid

No sooner had Luo Guanjing dispatched his tasks than a subordinate announced, “Venerable, Young Master Ji has arrived.”

“Uncle, is He Suosi truly dead?” Ji Chang questioned the moment he entered.

Luo Guanjing’s brow twitched, a deep conviction settling within him that this brat’s upbringing was severely flawed. Why had he never noticed it before? With a throbbing headache, he watched the young man barge in and finally spoke, “You are becoming increasingly undisciplined, Ji Chang.”

Ji Chang feigned deafness to Luo Guanjing’s words, pressing on, “Why are these rumors spreading like wildfire outside? Is Cloud Sky Sect not going to do anything about it?”

Luo Guanjing’s face darkened considerably. He increasingly regretted having so excessively doted on this young nephew, who bore a striking resemblance to himself. He felt utterly deluded for never realizing what a troublesome child Ji Chang truly was. “Yes, the rumors are true. Are you happy now that I’ve said it?”

Ji Chang’s beautiful face, poised between adolescence and young adulthood, contorted into an expression of anger and unease. His slightly moist eyes gleamed with an intense, erratic light. “Does it amuse you to make me miserable?”

“You were the one who told me last time that you’d strive to be a better person, Ji Chang,” Luo Guanjing sneered. “Yet, it seems you couldn’t even complete a simple assassination task.”

Ji Chang’s face flushed crimson. The failure to eliminate Pei Nishang indeed made it difficult for him to hold his head high, and his words stumbled. “But, but, Pei Nishang, she… she was not herself.”

Luo Guanjing waved a dismissive hand. In truth, he knew more of the inside story than Ji Chang, having met the “Pei Nishang” in question, but to teach his young nephew a lesson, he had no intention of revealing He Suosi’s soul-swap. He simply stated, “Ji Chang, go inspect the industries below. We need to proceed with the next steps. I am very busy lately; do not bother me again.”

Ji Chang’s eyes were bloodshot. He looked as if he wanted to argue, but ultimately pressed his lips together, remaining silent. He flung his sleeve with force and turned to leave.

Luo Guanjing’s sneering expression gradually softened into worry. ‘Never mind,’ he thought. ‘At least he and He Suosi won’t meet often.’

With that thought, he sat down, reviewing the incoming intelligence from various sources, and resumed contemplating the flaws in their operation. As things stood, with himself operating in the dark and possessing sufficient leverage, it would be foolish not to launch a surprise attack while the Guangyu Immortal Sect was unprepared.

‘A surprise attack, most likely,’ He Suosi mused.

His gaze drifted to the shimmering lake, watching a bird dip its feet into the water before suddenly taking flight. A pensive expression settled upon his features.

From the moment he realized Luo Guanjing was the mastermind, he had harbored vague suspicions about Luo Men’s intentions. It was probably due to their growing influence in recent years; unable to tolerate the Guangyu Immortal Sect’s preeminent position, they intended to attempt a swift suppression. Yet, deep down, He Suosi didn’t believe this plan would succeed.

The Guangyu Immortal Sect had held the top position in the cultivation world for so long that it now seemed an insurmountable peak. Luo Guanjing likely believed that scattering the sect’s main forces would be enough to dismantle it. However, to He Suosi, only by controlling the entire Southern Mountain Realm—which Guangyu Immortal Sect influenced—could its power truly be severed. Even then, it would take a long time for the cultivation world to gradually forget it.

Luo Guanjing’s current move might deal a heavy blow to Yuan Zhigong, but its impact on the Guangyu Immortal Sect’s true foundation would be negligible. It would likely reorganize in short order.

To He Suosi, this endeavor was meaningless—no, its sole meaning was perhaps to create enough chaos to free him.

Given that five days had already passed, it was essentially the critical point for a surprise attack. He Suosi believed it might be today. Thus, he had kept Lan Jun by his side all day, worried she might suffer unwarranted harm in the ensuing chaos.

“Mistress, I still have many things to do,” Lan Jun said, seeming to express considerable discontent at being kept idle.

He Suosi leaned on the railing, turning his head to look at Lan Jun. Seeing her slight frown, he couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle. Yet, as he considered the potential events, he felt a pang of self-reproach, as if he were a scoundrel for disrupting so many peaceful lives. He couldn’t help but ask, “Lan Jun, do you… like the Immortal Monarch very much?”

Lan Jun’s eyes widened, her face flushing. “Wh-what are you talking about, like what? How could I…?” Yet, her sparkling eyes and shy expression betrayed everything.

He Suosi chuckled softly, raising his hand to gently tap her cheek with his index finger. “Then, do you like the Guangyu Immortal Sect?” he asked again.

This time, Lan Jun was resolute. “Yes. Lan Jun loves the Immortal Sect most of all.”

“Lan Jun, if I were to leave the Immortal Sect, would you be willing to come with me?”

Lan Jun froze in place.

“Hmm?”

When no answer came, He Suosi turned to look at her. He saw the young woman’s expression was blank; she made no sound, yet tears streamed silently down her face.

“Lan Jun? Why are you crying? I was just asking, don’t take it seriously!”

Lan Jun raised a hand to wipe away her tears, but they gushed forth like a spring, impossible to stop. This time, He Suosi finally understood why people said women were made of water; when she cried, it was like a tap had been turned on.

He looked at Lan Jun placatingly, teasing her softly, “Don’t cry, your eyes will swell if you cry too much, and you won’t be pretty anymore. Did someone bully you? I’ll beat them up for you. Oh, wait, it was me. Well, then there’s nothing for it. I’ll just have to hit myself.”

He raised his hand as if to strike himself, but Lan Jun quickly stopped him, biting her lip to suppress her sobs, her gaze watery as she looked at him.

The emerald hue of her eyes was more vibrant than ever. Her throat worked, as if she had something to say, but before she could utter a word, Yuan Zhigong’s voice came from behind them.

“What are you two doing?”

His tone was icy and indifferent, as if he were merely asking casually. Yet, he swiftly moved to stand between them, separating them.

Lan Jun lowered her head, wiping away her tears. She spoke hoarsely, “Nothing, something just got into Lan Jun’s eyes.”

He Suosi’s heart ached for her, but remembering his ultimate goal, he forced a bitter smile, tacitly accepting her answer.

Yuan Zhigong looked at He Suosi, then at Lan Jun, and finally at the lake. “Do you want to go boating?”

He Suosi was taken aback, then shook his head. “No, I was just looking around.”

Yuan Zhigong seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “If you want to, I can accompany you, but it’s not really that interesting.”

He Suosi didn’t know what to say. He felt the situation should be incredibly awkward, yet Yuan Zhigong treated him no differently—perhaps like a favored concubine. He felt a flicker of guilt towards Yuan Zhigong, but this guilt couldn’t stop him from reclaiming his body and leaving the sect. Moreover, this guilt was quickly overshadowed by the anger brought on by the parasitic manipulations Yuan Zhigong had performed on his body.

He turned his head, watching another water bird fly across the lake. ‘Hmm? Are there more water birds than usual today?’

Just as this thought crossed his mind, someone came running from afar, shouting frantically, “Bad news, Immortal Monarch, bad news! The Demonic Sect! The Demonic Sect has invaded!”

This was a sudden development. He Suosi, naturally, displayed a surprised expression, but his heart remained calm. So calm, in fact, that when Yuan Zhigong’s gaze swept over him, he even managed to look bewildered.

“I didn’t do it,” He Suosi calmly met his gaze.

Whether Yuan Zhigong believed him was unclear. His eyes met He Suosi’s, his dark pupils as profound as the night sky. He Suosi held his gaze, his expression sincere, yielding not an inch. Finally, Yuan Zhigong simply said, “Escort Pei Jiaren back to her room,” then turned and left.

The attendant who had delivered the news smiled fawningly at him, bowing as he accompanied He Suosi on the way back. It wasn’t until they reached the garden that He Suosi suddenly gasped.

“What’s wrong?” The attendant, more flustered than He Suosi, spun around and rushed over.

“There’s a bug!” He Suosi exclaimed, his face etched with panic. As the attendant hurried to his side, bending down to search for the bug, He Suosi delivered a swift chop to his neck. The attendant crumpled softly at his feet.

‘Soon, things might descend into chaos and war. Consider yourself lucky you get to sleep through it,’ he thought, patting his hands together, preparing for his next step.

He called for Lan Jun, but she did not respond.

He looked at her, puzzled.

Lan Jun was no longer weeping, though her eyes remained slightly red, and sorrow lingered in her expression. She looked at He Suosi and spoke, “Young Master… actually, the Immortal Monarch is very afraid of the lake.”

He Suosi gazed at her calmly. “Lan Jun, I am not forcing you to come. I am very grateful for your care these past few days.”

Lan Jun’s lips parted slightly. After a long moment, the sorrow in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unruffled calm—just like the tranquil, composed maid He Suosi had first seen when he awoke in Yu Anlin’s body. Her voice, too, was steady. “Young Master, Lan Jun will not leave the Immortal Sect. Lan Jun will wait for you here.”

He Suosi’s heart trembled.

“An azure heart orchid by the Heavenly Lake. The orchid is the gentleman among flowers, which is why I am called Lan Jun. Young Master, I have always remembered your words. My true form is planted here; I cannot go anywhere.”

“So I will always wait for you, because Young Master said that Lan Jun should wait for you.”

“You…” He Suosi began to speak, reaching out to grasp Lan Jun’s hand. He sensed something was amiss, but just as his hand lifted, a gust of wind swept through. Lan Jun’s body dissolved into individual petals in the breeze, vanishing from where she stood.

The petals were translucent and shimmered with ethereal light, each bearing a touch of emerald at its base, like the finest jade.

His raised hand clenched into a fist. He Suosi stood stunned for a long moment, before finally regaining his composure and turning to leave.

‘I am He Suosi. He Suosi of the Cloud Sky Sect, not the person they speak of—the one I can’t recall at all.’