“To inform the Immortal, this one is the steward of Joyous Union Palace’s punishment hall—unfortunately surnamed Xing.”
“The Old Mother gave special orders; we are merely following her rules.” Manager Xing smiled and bowed. “If we offend, please forgive us, Immortal.”
Mu Daoying said, “No need for more words; this one understands. Begin.”
Manager Xing smiled. “Immortal is straightforward.”
Mu Daoying felt somewhat weary, somewhat numb.
How could he not be numb? Anyone enduring all this would be numb.
This time, Mu Daoying stayed a full ten days in Joyous Union Palace’s dungeon.
Ten whole days without closing his eyes.
He could no longer remember how many lashes he had taken or how many hair-raising torture instruments he had endured.
That Manager Xing was polite and always smiling, yet he was a thoroughly rotten-hearted villain who delighted in tormenting others.
Flesh was flayed off piece by piece, coated with precious healing salves, carefully tended for days until it healed like new.
Even bones gouged out could be put back.
Mu Daoying’s blood nearly drained dry. Sometimes, unable to endure the torture, he would just close his eyes when a bucket of ice water would wake him abruptly.
In merely ten short days, he had been tormented to skin and bones, no longer human.
Yet even so, with his lower lip nearly bitten through, Mu Daoying had not uttered a single word about Ling Yuan or the Soul-Returning Lamp.
In the end, even Manager Xing was at a loss.
He went to report to Liu Qiao’e: “This Daoist—this one truly has no way with him.”
Liu Qiao’e was drinking tea with Chen Yuro when she heard this. She frowned and set down her teacup with a clink. “Then in your opinion, does he truly not know, or is he pretending not to know?”
Manager Xing shook his head. “This man is stubborn. If he clenches his teeth and refuses to speak, it’s entirely possible. In my humble opinion, strict interrogation won’t work.”
Once Manager Xing left, Liu Qiao’e sneered coldly. “He is quite stubborn!”
Chen Yuro set down her teacup and persuaded her. “I know you hate him deeply. He is already in the palace now, and there’s plenty of time ahead. Why bother getting angry with him?”
Liu Qiao’e asked, “Has the Immortal Alliance given any instructions?”
Chen Yuro nodded. “Just as we discussed before. We’ve pushed it all onto Qi Mei.”
Liu Qiao’e’s lips curved slightly. “Everyone says our Joyous Union Palace is colluding with the Demonic Sect. But aren’t the people in their Immortal Alliance the ones who’ve been secretly colluding with the Demonic Sect all these years?”
Qingxu of the Jade Clarity Temple had not ascended to his position cleanly. Everyone with eyes knew there was something fishy about Ling Yuan’s defection.
No one knew how much information Ling Yuan had passed to Mu Daoying before defecting from the sect.
With Mu Daoying still in the Immortal Alliance, who knew how many people were losing sleep and appetite, hoping day and night for him to drop dead suddenly.
Now that he had been abducted, those people could no longer sit still.
Previously, Chen Yuro had pushed back by saying the Old Mother was in seclusion and there was no one in charge in the palace, so she had no authority to interfere. Now that Liu Qiao’e had emerged from seclusion, the Immortal Alliance had sent someone over to demand him.
Naturally, they wouldn’t get him.
Externally, Chen Yuro only said that it was Qi Mei, the Vice Palace Lord, who had borrowed the Old Mother’s order to abduct the prisoner.
Qi Mei’s collusion with the Blood Devouring Sect was ironclad evidence, and she had already been purged as a traitor by the Old Mother.
As for the man?
Sorry, once someone enters the gates of the Joyous Union Sect’s palace, there’s no reason to send them back.
Unless your Immortal Alliance offers something else, or conditions, or promises in exchange.
Our Joyous Union Palace doesn’t answer to your Immortal Alliance anyway. We didn’t even agree when the Demonic Sect came demanding him—that’s already giving plenty of face.
“Send invitations in my name to the Jade Clarity Temple, Taihe, Youjian, and the Song Clan—those major sects.” Liu Qiao’e stroked her teacup as she instructed. “Say it’s to celebrate my breakthrough to the Seven Realms, and specially invite them to the banquet.”
“That’s only natural. We must establish our authority with those few houses.” Chen Yuro nodded gladly.
“But what about that Mu Daoying?” Chen Yuro lowered her voice, circling back to the topic of Mu Daoying.
She had always known that Mu Daoying held extraordinary significance to Liu Qiao’e.
Now this hot potato was like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. How best to handle it?
Liu Qiao’e asked, “You wouldn’t speak without reason. From your words, it seems you’ve already got an idea. Speak freely—I won’t get angry with you.”
Chen Yuro smiled faintly.
Everyone said the Old Mother was ruthless, but between the two of them, there was a closeness and trust far beyond others, like family.
“I know you both love and hate him.”
The old matters between Liu Qiao’e and Mu Daoying were truly tangled beyond untangling, yet Mu Daoying remained completely oblivious.
Chen Yuro urged, “After so many years, that obsession of yours with him boils down to those three words: ‘cannot obtain.’ It’s time to let it go.”
“In my view, why not take him as a male pet? People are always fixated on what they can’t have. Once it’s in hand, it loses its novelty and doesn’t seem so great anymore.”
Liu Qiao’e shot up like a fuse lit cannon, furious. “How is he worthy to be my honored consort?!”
Chen Yuro wasn’t hurried, merely sighing. “Just treat it as resolving that obsession of yours. Then, you can hate him openly and honestly, kill him if you want—how you kill him will be entirely up to you. Isn’t that better than leaving things in this awkward limbo?”
Liu Qiao’e pressed her lips shut, her gaze flickering slightly.
Chen Yuro knew her words had struck home to some extent and breathed a sigh of relief. “I still have things to attend to. Decide for yourself.”
After being imprisoned for a full ten days,
Mu Daoying finally saw sunlight outside the dungeon for the first time.
Manager Xing still had that smile hiding a dagger, polite as ever. “Congratulations, Daoist. The Old Mother has personally ordered to see you.”
Days of captivity and inverted day-night had left Mu Daoying’s memories somewhat disordered and blurred.
It took him a moment before he recalled the woman’s face from his memory.
Liu Qiao’e… wanted to see him?
She should know by now that nothing could be gotten out of his mouth. Was she still unwilling to give up, or did she have other plans?
Mu Daoying thought for a while. The scar on his head throbbed faintly, yet he had no clues—his thoughts were blank.
He would handle whatever came.
He stopped thinking further and followed the Joyous Union Sect disciple who had come to escort him out of the dungeon.
They passed through winding, deep corridors to a secluded courtyard screened by flowers and trees.
Water sounds burbled.
Mu Daoying halted, gazing at the steaming pool surface before him.
This was actually a hot spring courtyard.
The disciple said respectfully, “The Old Mother values cleanliness. Please wash your body thoroughly before paying respects.”
His clothes were now tattered, his body covered in crusted blood and dirt. This was basic etiquette for meeting guests, so Mu Daoying suspected nothing.
The disciple bowed again and turned to leave.
Mu Daoying undressed and entered the water, immersing his entire body in the hot soup.
The scalding water flowed over his skin, greatly easing the fatigue of the past days.
He undid his hair tie, wetted his crusted long hair with his hands, and combed it through bit by bit, washing the dust from it.
As he washed intently, suddenly, the screen by the pool moved.
Mu Daoying froze and tensed! His muscles tightened all over as he instinctively moved to stand and enter combat readiness.
But as he rose, he realized he was completely naked. He froze in place—neither standing nor retreating into the water seemed right.
In the end, his combat instincts overcame his natural shame.
Mu Daoying endured the embarrassment and discomfort, fixing his gaze steadily on what might emerge ahead.
The screen parted, but out came not some executioner with blade and axe, but a group of beautiful and handsome youths!
These youths were all adorably fair and lovely, holding golden cups and jade trays, towels and toiletries.
Mu Daoying realized his mistake. His face flushed like the dawn, and he hurriedly shrank back into the water, lips pressed as he said, “No need to trouble yourselves, fellow Daoists. This one can manage alone.”
But the youths ignored him as if deaf, bustling about busily yet orderly, arranging everything in the room.
Only then did Mu Daoying sense something was off.
Their appearances were exquisite, but their expressions wooden, devoid of life—like lifeless objects.
As he stared in a daze, two of them came to grab him.
Mu Daoying knew they meant no harm and had no intent to hurt anyone, so he merely dodged and coped.
Who knew these youths had immense strength? Their hands clamped like iron vise, seizing him firmly and beginning to scrub him.
Mu Daoying said, “Fellow Daoists—”
One seemed to notice his discomfort and said flatly, “Fellow Daoist need not be shy. We are the Stone Servants who serve the Old Mother, formed from stone essences—neither male nor female, without gender.” Its tone was equally flat, devoid of emotion.
“The favored attendants by the Old Mother’s side tolerate no outsiders’ touch or offense, so we handle the serving.”
Mu Daoying felt uncomfortable and struggled to evade. “Many thanks for your kind intentions, but this humble one can—”
Suddenly, his words cut off, for one Stone Servant had touched his thigh. In shock, without thinking, Mu Daoying unleashed a sword art with his last bit of energy!
The Stone Servants neither dodged nor evaded, and it happened to strike one’s center.
Mu Daoying had only meant to force them back. Unexpectedly, with one point, the Stone Servant shattered into stone chunks on the spot.
This was far beyond Mu Daoying’s intent. Apart from slaying demons, he had never harmed an innocent life.
He stood stunned in shock.
But at that moment, the stones rustled and moved. Two large stones formed the torso, smaller ones the limbs and head.
Two pitch-black eyes drilled out on the face.
The stone said, “Since Daoist is unaccustomed to human form, how about we little ones serve you in this appearance?”
Mu Daoying breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt doubly helpless. “…” No, he thought not.
But before he could refuse, the youths all thudded and transformed into round, rolling stone figures, surrounding him completely.
After days of torture, Mu Daoying lacked even the power to break free from the encirclement.
One stone figure squatted to scrub his thighs, chirping, “Daoist’s thighs are sturdy and powerful.”
Another scrubbed his waist and abdomen. “Daoist’s waist is slim, back broad.”
Others wiped his head and face. “Daoist’s brows and eyes are handsome.”
The young man’s skin was fair as snow, his jet-black, resilient long hair draped to his waist—at the prime of youth, with tight, powerful waist, abdomen, chest, and back, flowing and graceful. Even there, he was exceptionally endowed, heavy and vigorous.
Truly a rare sight for these little stones in washing a male pet.
The stones couldn’t help but glance up in slight surprise.
“Daoist’s yang energy is vigorous.”
They patted his shoulders, his legs—like appraising pork on a cutting board—and greatly satisfied for Liu Qiao’e, chorusing, “The Old Mother is blessed!”
Mu Daoying pressed his lips tight, his expression changing slightly. “Why has the Old Mother summoned this humble one?”
Great clans had always had servants attend bathing and sleeping; naturally, he had household servants in his youth.
But since entering the Dao, he had grown accustomed to handling everything alone.
Now, he could only try his best to ignore these stones’ offenses.
…After all, they were just stones.
The stones exchanged glances and said in unison, “Doesn’t Daoist know?”
“Naturally, to wash clean and go serve the Old Mother!”
Even Mu Daoying couldn’t help but be stunned, his expression gradually turning ugly.