Chapter 7: Unfortunately… you are not him!

“Enter!”

Creak!

As the door opened, the wind it stirred lifted the youth’s ink-black hair.

The bulging cloth bag at his waist stood in stark contrast to his simple, austere appearance.

Seemingly intimidated by Ji Xuanyuan’s imposing aura, the youth stood at the doorway without immediately stepping inside.

Ji Xuanyuan examined him, her brows furrowing tighter the longer she looked.

Although the youth before her had delicate features, he looked completely different from the handsome and elegant junior brother in her memories.

Could he be disguised?

Ji Xuanyuan silently extended her divine sense.

His meridians were mediocre…

His spiritual roots were mixed and impure, like those of an ordinary rogue cultivator…

His physique was not the world-renowned Grand Void Sacred Body…

Was this truly the junior brother praised by the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Supreme Elder as “a genius once in a century”?

No!

It definitely wasn’t…

Ji Xuanyuan withdrew her divine sense and let out a disappointed sigh.

The person before her was nothing more than a collateral orphan whom even the Chu clan’s genealogy barely bothered to record.

Her voice turned indifferent—the calm and unruffled tone forged over centuries on the imperial throne.

“Young Master Chu, I heard you possess a batch of decent-quality iron ore. This palace noticed you visited several shops without success. Is the price the issue?”

Chu Yuan was slightly stunned, then bowed properly in greeting.

“Your Highness is perceptive…”

Your Highness?

Ji Xuanyuan was startled.

“How do you know my identity?”

As she spoke, she glanced at Fang Henian.

Fang Henian hurriedly knelt.

“Your Highness, this humble official has never revealed your identity!”

Chu Yuan smiled and explained.

“Your Highness misunderstands Lord Fang. I deduced it myself. Not to mention your flame-like red hair and the imperial aura surrounding you…”

“Moreover, as a collateral member of the Chu family, I have naturally seen Lord Fang’s esteemed face before. The only person who could command such respectful service from him is none other than Your Highness.”

Hearing his analysis, both Ji Xuanyuan and Fang Henian couldn’t help but scrutinize this seemingly ordinary-looking youth more carefully.

Unlike the shyness or wariness common among his peers, the youth’s brows carried a worldly vicissitude and carefree demeanor.

For a fleeting moment, Ji Xuanyuan glimpsed traces of her junior brother’s bearing in him, only to smile bitterly soon after.

In her previous life, she had encountered sword cultivators whose eyes resembled her junior brother’s by thirty percent;

Rogue cultivators whose speech patterns had identical pauses;

Passersby whose backs looked seventy percent like his.

Each time she stopped and turned, holding her breath at those moments of familiarity, she would end up with the same lament:

What a pity… you are not him!

Ji Xuanyuan’s expression gradually turned cool as she returned to the topic.

“Let us speak of your ores. I heard they contain slightly more impurities, leading to high refining loss, which is why the shops are unwilling to stock them?”

Chu Yuan cupped his fists.

“Exactly! I was planning to try my luck at the Old Lord Pavilion in the western district.”

“No need to try.”

Ji Xuanyuan took out a storage bag from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

“There are thirty thousand spirit stones inside, consider it a deposit. This palace will take all the ores. In the future, if you have similar spiritual materials, deliver them directly to the Tribute Department at the City Lord’s Mansion under Young Master Chu’s name.”

Chu Yuan sensed the spirit stones within.

Thirty thousand spirit stones was an amount he, a mere insignificant collateral descendant, could not earn in an entire year.

It was more than enough to buy his batch of ores a hundred times over.

Chu Yuan smiled and cupped his hands.

“Thank you, Miss. The ores will be delivered to the Tribute Department within three days. Actually, I also have another business proposition…”

“This palace is tired.”

Before he could finish, Ji Xuanyuan waved her hand dismissively.

Since the youth before her was not her junior brother, she no longer held any interest in him.

Yet at that very moment, a cold mechanical voice rang out without warning in the depths of her consciousness.

【Congratulations, Host, on successfully locating the divine artifact 【Divine Treasure Meditation Cushion】. Please sit upon it to complete the binding.】

Only after hearing the system did Ji Xuanyuan remember that her trip to Xuanji City was for this so-called divine artifact.

Sensing the lock on Chu Yuan, Ji Xuanyuan was puzzled.

Could the system’s 【Divine Treasure Meditation Cushion】 be him?

And she has to sit on him???

How is that possible…

Just as Ji Xuanyuan was about to reject the idea, the system stated firmly.

【Correct! The divine artifact 【Divine Treasure Meditation Cushion】 is right before you.】

Ji Xuanyuan’s eye twitched. She found the system’s words incomprehensible.

Seeing that the Crown Princess of the Immortal Dynasty had lost interest in him, Chu Yuan did not push further. He cupped his hands.

“Very well. Then I shall take my leave first.”

Thud!

Once the door closed, the private room returned to silence.

Fang Henian stood respectfully to the side, waiting quietly for instructions.

Fragrant tea steam curled upward.

Ji Xuanyuan heard the system continue its reminder.

【The divine artifact is moving away! Please have Your Majesty sit upon the divine artifact as soon as possible to complete the binding.】

The corner of Ji Xuanyuan’s mouth twitched. She suddenly realized that when one reaches the limit of speechlessness, one really does laugh.

It is often said that men and women should not touch.

In this female-honored world, as the future Female Emperor of the Immortal Dynasty, she must set an example.

Not to mention, she already had someone in her heart.

The tea on the stove had long gone cold. Tea leaves drifted up and down, gathering and scattering.

Ji Xuanyuan turned her head to look at the spring scenery outside the window.

Reflecting on how she had successfully reborn through the risky forbidden technique, she already considered herself extremely fortunate.

As for this malfunctioning system and the so-called 【Divine Treasure Meditation Cushion】… she could do without them!

“Waaah~!!”

At that moment, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the window.

Ji Xuanyuan leaned over to look down. The view from her window faced the teahouse entrance directly.

Chu Yuan had just stepped down from the stairs and had yet to enter the bustling street when he was intercepted by an approaching entourage.

The procession was not extravagant, yet it exuded refinement and nobility.

The leader, dressed in plain-colored brocade robes with a face as handsome as jade, raised his hand in a gentle blocking gesture.

“You must be Yuan弟, right? What a coincidence~!”

The spring sun shone perfectly, making the speaker’s gentle, jade-like brows and eyes appear even more refined.

His smiling gesture of raising a hand to stop someone remained as proper and measured as ever.

But Ji Xuanyuan’s pupils contracted sharply. What she saw was another face—

It was from her previous life, over a hundred years ago.

Not long after the Black Dragon Emperor’s fall.

Holy Lord Chu Yunlan, having had his arm severed by the Sword Venerable for his improper intentions toward the Female Emperor, fled back to the Holy Domain.

Ji Xuanyuan had publicly announced Chu Yunlan’s cowardly behavior of “watching tigers fight from the mountain” during the war.

For a time, cultivators across the world despised him.

The rumors grew fiercer, even claiming that Holy Lord Chu Yunlan was actually a remnant of the Demonic Alliance—otherwise why would he betray his allies?

When the rumors were at their peak, Ji Xuanyuan, together with various forces and immortal armies, arrived at the Holy Domain with the bet contract in hand.

The Holy Domain prepared for battle.

The domain-protecting grand array activated, covering the entire sky with a pale golden curtain of light.

Behind the curtain, countless Holy Domain cultivators gripped their weapons with solemn expressions.

As the two sides reached a stalemate, the grand array slowly parted.

A graceful figure drifted out from the gap.

Everyone saw a nine-tailed golden-furred fox venerable in luxurious attire, her skirt trailing three zhang, lotus blooming with each step.

Stopping before the allied army, she raised her fox eyes curved like crescent moons, a smile on her lips.

“May I ask what brings Female Emperor Your Majesty here today?”

Every smile and frown carried natural charm.

The cultivators from various forces felt their minds sway—some showed infatuation, others quickly looked away, not daring to stare.

Ji Xuanyuan’s expression remained unchanged, her voice cold.

“The bet contract is here, personally signed by Holy Lord Chu Yunlan, wagering half the resources of the Holy Domain. This palace has come today to fulfill it.”

As her words fell, she raised her hand. A contract flew into the air and hovered between the two armies.

The Holy Domain disciples erupted in an uproar.

“Half the resources?!”

“This… this is unacceptable!”

“Has Holy Lord Yunlan gone mad?!”

Knowing he was in the wrong after losing an arm, Chu Yunlan immediately ordered.

“Fox Venerable, why waste words with them? Lead the troops to counterattack immediately. This is a battle for the survival of our Holy Domain!”

Hearing the enemy say this, the allied army led by Ji Xuanyuan all tightened their grips on their weapons.

The Fox Venerable, however, sneered and turned to glance at her own Holy Lord.

“Hah! Who said this is a battle for the survival of our Holy Domain?”

Her words stunned both armies.

Under everyone’s varied gazes, the Fox Venerable smiled and asked Chu Yunlan.

“Holy Lord Yunlan, this is your personal battle for survival, isn’t it?”

Chu Yunlan panicked.

“Fox Venerable, what do you mean by that? Are you planning to rebel?”

The Fox Venerable’s smile did not fade.

“Holy Lord Yunlan, was this bet contract not signed by you personally?”

Chu Yunlan’s heart shuddered. He lowered his head and stammered.

“I… I…”

The Fox Venerable’s tone grew cold.

“What’s wrong? Holy Lord, look into my eyes and speak. Was this bet contract signed by you personally or not?”

As she finished, her pressure pierced through the domain-protecting array and bore down on the one-armed figure.

Chu Yunlan suddenly spat out a mouthful of essence blood and was forced to mutter.

“It was…”

Even though his voice was as faint as a mosquito, the Fox Venerable heard it clearly and said calmly.

“The Holy Domain has stood for ten thousand years. What does it rely on? Strength? Resources? No! It relies on trust and righteousness!”

Her gaze swept across Chu Yunlan and every elder standing with him.

“Since this was personally signed by the Holy Lord, it is the promise of the Holy Domain. We must honor our bet. Do any elders have objections?”

The few elders who still wanted to protest all lowered their heads and fell silent.

Only the cornered Chu Yunlan gnashed his teeth.

“Fox Venerable, you were tasked by our ancestors to protect the safety and prosperity of the Chu bloodline! With our ancestors watching, is this how you protect them?”

Protect the ancestors’ bloodline?

Facing the question, a slender figure flashed through the Fox Venerable’s mind. A trace of pain appeared on her charming face.

Glancing at the one-armed figure in the distance, her eyes grew even more filled with hatred.

“Holy Lord Yunlan is right! I was indeed ordered to protect the Chu bloodline. But are you part of the Chu bloodline? Impostor!”

The words “impostor” were heavily emphasized by the Fox Venerable, echoing across heaven and earth.

??!

Upon learning this shocking revelation, both armies erupted.

Even some elders in the Holy Lord’s camp were stunned.

“Fox Venerable, what do you mean by that?”

Only Chu Yunlan roared like a punctured balloon.

“What impostor! I, Chu Yunlan, am the most favored direct son of the Holy Father. I have worked tirelessly for the Holy Domain all these years…”

Before he could finish, the Fox Venerable coldly countered.

“May I ask if Holy Lord can manifest the power of the Grand Void Sacred Body?”

Hearing these words, Chu Yunlan felt as if his breath was forcibly blocked. His face turned beet red.

“I… I… I…”

The greatest stain and fatal flaw of his life was undoubtedly—

As Holy Lord, he could not activate the Grand Void bloodline and manifest the Sacred Body.

Even collateral descendants of the Chu family possessed one or two tenths of the Grand Void bloodline, yet he had none.

Only the Fox Venerable knew this secret in the entire venue.

After all, this fake young master was merely a tool used to temper the true Holy Son’s character and methods.

As a precaution, she and the previous Holy Lord had specially chosen an infant with no relation to the clan.

Neither of them had ever imagined back then—

That things would develop into the current situation.

Seizing this point, the Fox Venerable framed him.

“Back then, the Holy Lord couple was assassinated and the true Holy Son went missing. This scoundrel somehow obtained the information and impersonated him, infiltrating the Holy Domain for decades.”

“All these years, he has schemed and formed factions purely for personal gain. As for the safety of the Holy Domain? The trust of allies? When has he ever cared?”

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

The elders near Chu Yunlan turned deathly pale.

They recalled how they had curried favor with him these years, the resources they had given, and the favors they had promised…

And this person turned out to be an impostor?

Chu Yunlan’s face was as white as paper, his expression growing more and more sinister.

“You… you…”

He stared fixedly at the Fox Venerable, his voice trembling.

His lips shook violently, yet Chu Yunlan could not utter a single word.

What could he say?

Argue? He truly could not manifest the Sacred Body. How could he refute it?

Resist? He was now one-armed and heavily injured. How could he resist?

Escape?

Where could he escape to?

All directions were filled with Holy Domain elders and cultivators.

Those who once flattered him now glared with murderous intent, wishing they could devour him alive.

Since he was a fake young master, he was destined to be stripped of the Holy Lord position.

On top of causing such a disaster, if they did not want to be implicated, they could only “sacrifice” him.

Chu Yunlan sensed danger. Survival instinct made him activate a talisman with his remaining arm.

The moment the talisman activated, he turned into a streak of light and fled.

The Fox Venerable, standing before the immortal army, made no move to stop him, her clothes fluttering elegantly.

Ever since Holy Son Chu Yuan’s death, she had been waiting for this moment.

Among all the generations she had protected, only Chu Yuan was raised personally by her.

The Fox Venerable cherished him as her own child, yet he had been persecuted by this fake young master.

She had kept this deep grudge in her heart.

Thus, she turned to the red-haired Female Emperor and bowed.

“Female Emperor Your Majesty, that thief is a remnant of the Demonic Alliance who has troubled our Holy Domain for many years. Now that his identity has been exposed, my Grand Void Holy Domain is willing to contribute nearly half of our domain’s resources and requests all armies to join us in eliminating this traitor!”

She wanted to borrow Ji Xuanyuan’s blade to completely eliminate this “fake.”

Ji Xuanyuan’s brows moved slightly. She suddenly understood why this nine-tailed Fox Venerable could stand equally with the Holy Lord.

Now the Holy Domain, due to Chu Yunlan’s reckless actions, was suspected of being a branch of the Demonic Alliance.

If the Fox Venerable simply handed over resources, the Holy Domain would still face criticism afterward.

Only by sacrificing this fake and supplementing it with resources could they silence all parties and clear their name.

Moreover, by doing so, the Fox Venerable could distribute the share originally owed to the Immortal Dynasty among other forces.

Invisibly, she had saved the Holy Domain a large sum of resources.

“Good!”

Of course, for Ji Xuanyuan, those resources were never the goal of her trip. “Revenge against Chu Yunlan” was the real objective!

Since the Fox Venerable was willing to cooperate, she would nail Chu Yunlan to the pillar of shame in front of the entire world.

Following Ji Xuanyuan’s signal, the allied forces led by the Phoenix Feather Army immediately began pursuit.

Facing an inescapable net, Chu Yunlan was soon stripped of his cultivation and imprisoned in the heavenly prison.

The day Ji Xuanyuan visited him in the heavenly prison was—

The twelfth lunar month.

Deep within the prison, the chill pierced to the bone. Inch-thick ice and snow coated the walls.

A jailer led the way with a dim yellow lantern.

After passing three heavy iron doors and seven layers of restrictions, they reached the deepest cell.

She saw Chu Yunlan.

He was curled up in the corner. His prison clothes were covered in bloodstains and filth.

Disheveled hair covered most of his face, revealing only a small portion of his cheekbone.

The once gentle and jade-like young master now huddled pathetically in the cold, dark corner.

Ji Xuanyuan stood at the cell door, gazing at him through the rust-covered iron bars.

The jailer reminded her in a low voice.

“Your Majesty, this man has been acting crazed every day. Please be careful…”

Before he finished, the person in the corner suddenly raised his head.

The moment she saw his face, Ji Xuanyuan’s heart jolted.

Those eyes that once always carried a smile now held only emptiness.

“It’s you.”

His voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable.

“You… came to see me make a fool of myself.”

Ji Xuanyuan looked at the man who had always “cared” for her junior brother in a condescending manner and remained silent.

Chu Yunlan instead began to laugh.

“You won. Those old fossils who once knelt at my feet calling ‘Holy Lord for ten thousand years’ are now scrambling to stab me. They say, how is a fake like me, Chu Yunlan, worthy of being Holy Lord?”

“Meanwhile, my Yuan弟 whom they conspired to frame is now being praised to the skies, hailed as the true dragon who was lost among the common people since childhood, enduring humiliation while bearing heavy burdens! Heaven’s chosen! Hehehe…”

His laughter was dry and raspy, like a blunt knife scraping bone.

“Holy Son Chu Yuan, intelligent in youth, gentle and generous in adulthood. Though he suffered hardships, he never changed his resolve. Regrettably, Heaven did not grant him more years, and he perished before returning to his position. The world mourns him…”

“Those old bastards clearly helped me frame Yuan弟 back then, yet now they pin everything on me? Letting that dead fox flay me alive!”

Chu Yunlan gradually lowered his head, his voice suddenly dropping.

“Yuan弟, look how good your brother is to you. Clearly it was you who fell to the demonic path, yet I am the one bearing it for you… hehehe…”

He laughed until tears streamed down his face, then suddenly roared.

“Why! Chu Yuan! Why did Father have a real son like you? If not for you, I would have been the only legitimate heir… hahaha!”

Ji Xuanyuan turned and left indifferently.

Behind her, that hoarse laughter continued to echo.

Soon, the laughter grew softer and eventually turned into intermittent sobs.

The sobbing sounded like a dog with a broken spine.

After passing three heavy iron doors and seven layers of restrictions, she walked out of the heavenly prison. The cold wind of the twelfth month hit her face.

Thinking of the person she had pierced through the heart with a single sword, Ji Xuanyuan sighed softly.

“Junior Brother, the one who usurped your position—your senior sister has already eliminated him for you! Can your spirit in heaven see this?”

She closed her eyes and raised her head. The moisture at the corners of her eyes was instantly dried by the cold wind.

When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the present.

Xuanji City, third floor of the teahouse.

Ji Xuanyuan looked at Chu Yunlan standing at the teahouse entrance and felt deeply moved.

Seeing him raise his hand to gently stop that grayish-green figure, doubt arose in her heart.

The current Chu Yunlan was the nominal only son of the Holy Lord, with a noble status.

With his arrogant personality, he would never lower himself to trouble a collateral member of the Chu family unless…

Ji Xuanyuan looked at Chu Yuan downstairs. Hope rekindled in her eyes.

“Junior Brother…”