"Listen to my instructions. Calm your breath, keep your mind still, remain at ease and relaxed. Above all, do not let your thoughts become cluttered..." The Juyang Will spoke in a leisurely tone, offering its guidance.
Hei Lou Lan slowly closed his eyes and relaxed his breathing.
Zhao Lianyun and Chang Li stood to the side, watching, not daring to make a sound.
A gentle breeze swept through, rustling the leaves and creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
Ma Hongyun, however, was looking around left and right. Suddenly catching sight of the Frost Jade Peafowl, he cried out in surprise: "Look, that peacock is alive! It's crying!"
The tranquil atmosphere was abruptly shattered. The Juyang Will's voice cut off. Hei Lou Lan fought down his irritation, opened his eyes furiously, and snapped: "Nonsense, of course the land spirit is alive. If the land spirit dies, the blessed land is finished. Stop worrying about whether it's crying or not and just do as you're told!"
"Oh, oh. So that's how it is. My bad, my bad." Ma Hongyun was startled by the furious Black Tyrant and hurriedly nodded in acknowledgement.
"Quiet your mind, clear away all distracting thoughts. Do not think of anything else. Only in this way can the power of the Insincere Affection Gu be brought to bear more effectively." The Juyang Will continued its instructions.
Hei Lou Lan closed his eyes again, his breathing gradually growing lighter. A gentle breeze brushed against his face, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.
"Wait, wait!" Ma Hongyun suddenly cried out again.
"You brat, you're asking for death!" Hei Lou Lan clenched both fists as a massive surge of rage rapidly welled up in his chest, his face twisted with fury.
"Ancestor, I'm a man, and he's a man too. You want me to develop feelings for a man? I... I can't accept that." Ma Hongyun, intimidated by Hei Lou Lan's oppressive aura, spoke in small, fearful tones, cautiously guarding against Hei Lou Lan while pleading with the Juyang Will.
"You wretched thing..." Hei Lou Lan ground his teeth, his clenched fists creaking. Fierce light blazed in both his eyes.
Had the Juyang Will not been right there, given his violent temperament, he would have already thrown a punch and smashed Ma Hongyun's head to pieces.
"Idiot! Right now, the most important thing is to save the blessed land and turn the situation around. So what if it's man and man? Be more open-minded about it — it's no big deal! I support you!!" Zhao Lianyun immediately shouted. She was worried Hei Lou Lan would cause trouble, and at the same time, an indescribable hint of excitement flickered in her eyes.
"Yes, husband, everything should be for the greater good. I... I don't mind." Chang Li echoed softly.
Ma Hongyun rolled his eyes dramatically and called out: "Hey, it's easy for you all to talk when you're not the ones in this position! Ancestor, I've thought of a solution — why not let me and my wife do it instead? We have genuine, sincere feelings for each other, and it would even save you the Insincere Affection Gu."
Ma Hongyun was simple and honest, unaware of the complex undercurrents at play.
For the Juyang Will, not using the Insincere Affection Gu was simply out of the question.
Hei Lou Lan's killing intent surged instantly — Ma Hongyun's suggestion would severely undermine his interests. His rage swelled almost to the breaking point, but with the Juyang Will present, he dared not act on it.
Sure enough, the Juyang Will rejected Ma Hongyun's suggestion: "Boy, you're still too young. Is true love so easily found? When disaster strikes, couples fly apart — that is often all there is to human marriage. Do you really think this little wife of yours truly loves you? Hehehe."
The Juyang Will's words made Chang Li's face turn deathly pale.
It was true — Chang Li had never genuinely loved Ma Hongyun. In the beginning, she had been sent to the Ma family as a political bargaining chip by Chang Biao, intended to curry favor with Ma Yingjie. But later, when Chang Biao died, Chang Li lost her backing and had no choice but to accept her fate, staying by Ma Hongyun's side.
Fortunately, Ma Hongyun had cultivated to the Third Transformation. He became an acting Elder of the Ma family, his family resources far exceeding what they once were, and he had earned Ma Yingjie's deep regard and trust — more than enough to provide for Chang Li.
As Ma Hongyun was poised to become one of the masters of the Blessed Land of the Imperial Court, the Juyang Will had long since begun investigating Chang Li and Zhao Lianyun, both of whom were closely connected to him.
Its methods of investigation were simple, direct, and effective.
It simply split off portions of its will, infiltrating the minds of Chang Li and Zhao Lianyun to sift through their memories and thoughts.
With the advantage of the True Sun Tower and the power of an Immortal Venerable behind it, neither Chang Li nor Zhao Lianyun had the slightest awareness that their deepest secrets were being swiftly laid bare by the Juyang Will.
"Ancestor, what do you mean by that?" Ma Hongyun furrowed his brow. He was foolhardy enough that while Hei Lou Lan dared not offend the Juyang Will, Ma Hongyun would directly question it.
The Juyang Will laughed heartily: "You really are an idiot, boy. Very well, it's excusable that your mind doesn't work fast — I'll teach you a lesson right now. This little wife of yours approached you with ulterior motives. She was deliberately sent by her adoptive father. Even that time when you played the hero saving the beauty — it was all nothing more than an act."
Chang Li's face turned utterly deathly pale, her entire body trembling.
Hei Lou Lan remained unmoved — he had long grown accustomed to such filthy political games.
"How can that be?" Ma Hongyun's eyes widened, still unwilling to believe it.
The Juyang Will continued: "And then there's this little companion of yours, Zhao Lianyun. Hehe, she does possess some early wisdom, but her staying by your side was not entirely by her own choice — circumstances forced her hand. Deep in her heart, she doesn't think much of you at all. She's simply using you to safeguard herself... Of course, now that you've grown increasingly powerful, she has gradually come to depend on you."
A chill spread through Zhao Lianyun's heart. Having one's innermost thoughts exposed on the spot was an excruciating feeling. It was as if the clothes she was wearing had been forcibly ripped away.
But facing the Juyang Will, she dared not offer any rebuttal. She was no ordinary child — she was a transmigrator, and the suffering fate had inflicted upon her had only deepened her understanding of this world's mysteries and cruelty.
"Eh?!" Just at that moment, the Juyang Will's tone suddenly faltered. The illusory image of its will, condensed in midair, widened its eyes, revealing an expression of interwoven shock and fury.
"I never expected this — I never expected this!" The Juyang Will's tone shifted drastically as it fixed Zhao Lianyun with a gaze brimming with loathing, so fierce that Zhao Lianyun stumbled back several steps.
"So you're actually a Demon Beyond the Heavens! And you've been hiding right beside Ma Hongyun all along! Hehehe, what audacity — truly, what audacity. What a pity, though... you've run into me." The Juyang Will radiated a thick killing intent.
"Demon Beyond the Heavens — what's that?" Hei Lou Lan was greatly surprised. For all his experience, this was the first time he had ever heard this term.
He looked at Zhao Lianyun but could not discern anything extraordinary about her.
"Ancestor, what are you going to do!" No matter how dense Ma Hongyun was, even he sensed that something was wrong.