Confirm the Holy Son’s identity?
Chu Zhenshan was puzzled: The Holy Son is the Holy Son; how could there be a fake?
But he dared not ask further, only answering:
[Yes, Fox Venerable.]
With that, he stopped, turned around, and looked Chu Yuan up and down before frowning.
He pointed at Chu Yuan’s luxurious brocade robe, his tone stern:
“Chu Yuan, look at this outfit of yours! What kind of image is that? After all, you’re a child of the Chu Clan. Going back dressed like this will make others think our clan has no rules! This is a gift from the Crown Princess, isn’t it? Though Her Highness meant well, you…”
Hearing this, the young dragon in Chu Yuan’s arms angrily thumped his chest with her small claws, chiming in:
[Exactly! My subject cannot wear the clothes that woman gave! Change them this instant!!!]
Chu Yuan looked down at himself, then at the Sovereign’s disdainful expression, and sighed inwardly:
‘Yes, yes! My Sovereign!’
Just then, Chu Zhenshan pointed at Su Xuanxuan:
“You, take him to the changing room and have him change out of those clothes.”
Su Xuanxuan bowed her head and replied with a soft “Yes,” then approached Chu Yuan:
“This way, Young Master.”
Chu Yuan nodded, cradling the young dragon as he followed her.
The changing room was at the end of the corridor, a small side chamber.
Thick paper was pasted on the windows, blocking out any light.
Su Xuanxuan pushed open the door, stepped aside for Chu Yuan to enter, and then closed it behind them.
As he reached the clothing rack and began to untie the sash of his outer robe, Chu Yuan found the maid still standing there, and frowned:
“Why did you follow me in? Men and women should not touch each other. I am a…”
The young dragon was so startled she curled into a ball in Chu Yuan’s arms.
At this, Su Xuanxuan did not move but grinned and let out a tittering laugh. The candle flame danced in the fragrant breeze, casting their shadows on the wall, growing and shrinking, matching the maid’s laughter, making it especially eerie.
The room was dim, lit only by a single lamp in the corner.
Chu Yuan’s scalp crawled, but he forced himself to stay calm, parting his lips slightly:
“May I ask who you are, Senior? There’s no need to play these tricks!”
As he spoke, he extended his Divine Sense, probing her cultivation.
The maid flicked her jade finger, and his Divine Sense was immediately repelled.
Chu Yuan’s throat felt sweet, and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Alarms blared in his heart.
Su Xuanxuan unfolded a sealing formation. After confirming that the entire space was under her control, she slowly opened her crimson lips:
“Elder Shenbao, quite the skillful hands! Not long ago, you received compensation through mining intelligence, and today, you squeezed tens of millions of Spirit Stones from the Crown Princess.”
Su Xuanxuan stared at him, her gaze like a blade, slicing across his face inch by inch, capturing every subtle change in expression.
So far, she still couldn’t determine whether this person was her Yuan’er, or possessed, or disguised—enemy, or…
With the [Phantom Ethereal Dharma Robe] on Chu Yuan, she couldn’t probe with Divine Sense, so she had to start with verbal probing.
That required an entry point!
One that would make him slip up!
The best entry point was the identity of both being Demon Path Alliance elders. If he truly was [Shenbao], who had possessed her sect’s Holy Son, he would inevitably reveal a flaw.
Then…
Su Xuanxuan’s fox eyes flickered with killing intent, exuding the terrifying pressure of the [Hedao Realm].
If the entire room were not under her formation’s control, this pressure alone would shake the entire Xuanji City.
Chu Yuan felt suffocated, inwardly alarmed:
Shenbao?
Is this woman from the Demon Path Alliance?
I only used that alias when I infiltrated the Demon Path Alliance stronghold nine days ago.
This woman can injure me without effort—she must be an elder-level powerhouse of the Demon Path Alliance.
Or… a [Hedao Realm] giant?
Could this be the elusive [Ziya] Great Elder?
No! She could also be a powerhouse of the Righteous Path Alliance…
Whoever she is, this woman is beyond my ability to deal with!
I must handle this carefully!
Chu Yuan forced calm: “Senior, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
As he spoke, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, inwardly unwilling.
Reincarnated for a second life, Chu Yuan had regained his peak cultivation from his previous life.
It was the early [Domain Transformation Realm]—enough to dominate most cultivators in the [Realm of True Emotions].
But unexpectedly, even his decent cultivation was suppressed in this critical moment.
Truly, “there is always a stronger hand.”
Of course, Chu Yuan wasn’t panicking.
First, his [Phantom Ethereal Dharma Robe] could help him conceal himself; even a Hedao Realm opponent would find it hard to detect him. Moreover, his Black Ring contained other treasures of the same grade. Though he couldn’t kill this mysterious powerhouse by crossing levels, he could still escape with his Sovereign if needed.
However, “fleeing” was far from the optimal solution.
If Chu Yuan fled, it would show he was guilty.
Then he would either be hunted by the Demon Path Alliance or the Righteous Path Alliance.
To avoid the worst-case scenario, Chu Yuan had no choice but to tough it out and try to stall.
Faced with Chu Yuan’s pretense of ignorance, Su Xuanxuan did not respond.
She walked slowly, each step unhurried, the sound of her shoes on the floor echoing through the room like a countdown to death.
As she drew closer, the young dragon in Chu Yuan’s arms smelled her scent and relaxed her guard, secretly transmitting:
[My subject~! Isn’t this your burnt fox? Why is she calling you [Shenbao]?]
Based on her past-life memories, Gu Su Die remembered:
This Nine-Tailed Fox Venerable was her cook’s most loyal guardian.
Though she didn’t understand why she was suddenly attacking her cook, Chu Yuan could use his Holy Son identity to suppress her with other means.
Sure enough, upon hearing the Sovereign’s reminder, Chu Yuan’s eyes lit up:
‘That fox? Then this is much easier! Don’t worry, Sovereign, I’ll handle her!’
If it were any other powerhouse, he would think of running;
But since it was his own guardian, Chu Yuan was no longer flustered.