Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Yuan Ming strode into the secluded corner of the mansion's garden and gently tapped the spirit beast bag he carried.
A burst of purple-black light shot out from the bag and landed on the ground.
As the light touched the ground, it transformed into its true form—the demonic vine black toad that had been slumbering for ages. However, its appearance had drastically changed from before.
The creature no longer bore any resemblance to a toad, having completely morphed into a mass of intertwining purple-black vines, covered in sharp thorns and adorned with faint red vine flowers, giving it an exceptionally eerie look.
For some reason, Yuan Ming felt as though he had seen this pattern of sharp, claw-like thorns somewhere before, but despite pondering for a long time, he couldn't recall where.
While he racked his brain, the demonic vine began to slowly wriggle, splitting into five strands that grew outward.
Soon, the two strands at the bottom solidified into legs, lifting the body of the demonic vine upright, while the two strands on the sides took the shape of arms, albeit overly long and noodle-like, dangling at its sides.
Unlike the other four strands, the one at the top didn't grow outward but instead swelled inward into a spherical shape. Two vine flowers transformed into eyes, several vines coiled into lips and a nose, new shoots twisted into ears, and old vine skin spread out like long hair.
In no time, a vine creature of the same height as a normal person, with slender limbs and a bizarre face, stood before Yuan Ming.
Yuan Ming was somewhat surprised and quickly communicated with the demonic vine using his mind. To his astonishment, the vine waved its arms at him and a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Master."
Yuan Ming's eyes widened as he asked, "You've awakened your spiritual intelligence? When did this happen?"
"I don't know about before, but I remember everything else."
The demonic vine counted on its fingers, its voice resonating in Yuan Ming's mind: "I met Master in the desert… oh, no, it was a forest, and at that time I fought with someone who had a tattoo… no, it was someone wearing toad skin… and there was…"
Yuan Ming frowned, feeling as though he had seen the scenes described by the demonic vine somewhere before. Seeing the vine getting confused itself, he said, "Alright, I know you remember, no need to continue."
Hearing this, the demonic vine became overjoyed, its arms flailing as it thumped its chest, declaring, "Of course, I'm the smartest!"
Yuan Ming couldn't help but smile. After a moment of thought, he said, "Now that you look like a person, you need a proper name. Let me think… How about 'Huazhi'?"
"Great, I'll be called Huazhi!" The demonic vine Huazhi immediately raised its arms in excitement, intertwining them.
"What abilities do you have now? Show me, but remember to keep it down." Yuan Ming instructed.
At his words, Huazhi nodded excitedly, its arms quivering as the intertwined vines grew wildly, soon forming two purple-black long swords with a faint glow.
Then, Huazhi let its sword-arms fall back to their normal form and clasped its hands together, performing a gesture. Instantly, green grass sprouted from the ground, weaving together to form a grass cage in the blink of an eye.
Yuan Ming recognized it at a glance—it was the Wood Prison Technique he had learned in the Bi Luo Cave. He didn't expect Huazhi, having just taken human form, to be able to perform it.
"Master, isn't Huazhi amazing?" Sensing Yuan Ming's surprise, Huazhi patted its chest again, boasting about its abilities.
"It seems you've mastered all my spells?" Yuan Ming said with a smile.
Huazhi pondered for a moment, then its mood seemed to drop: "Huazhi only knows wood-based spells."
Yuan Ming had anticipated this and asked Huazhi to demonstrate its previously mastered abilities. He found that their power had increased a notch. The vine's mutation had far exceeded his expectations. Given the current environment, he could only study it further later.
He then ordered Huazhi to lie low in the underground of the General's Mansion, staying vigilant, while he returned to his room to continue his cultivation.
***
The next morning.
Yuan Ming left his room early, tidied himself up, and was about to have Wang Shun prepare the horse for a journey when he was informed by the gatekeeper.
"Young Master, the Master calls for you."
Puzzled, Yuan Ming followed the gatekeeper to the front hall. As he entered, he saw a young man dressed in a jujube-red brocade robe with a handsome face, talking with his father.
The young man had a gentle smile on his face, but Yuan Zuochong sat upright with an expressionless face, seemingly preoccupied.
Upon Yuan Ming's arrival, Yuan Zuochong's demeanor remained unchanged as he spoke indifferently, "Ming'er, this is the Crown Prince of the Eighth Prince. He has come to visit today, saying he has business with you."
The young man stood up and saluted Yuan Ming: "I have long admired Young Master Yuan's reputation. Seeing you today, indeed, your fame is well-deserved."
"You flatter me, Crown Prince." Yuan Ming returned the salute.
"Haha, Young Master Yuan, don't be modest. Even my father praised your 'Tales of Young Master Sheng's Journey South,' saying you have great talent. If you were to enter the court as an official, you would surely be a pillar of the state," the Crown Prince said with a laugh.
"It is an honor to receive such praise from the Eighth Prince," Yuan Ming replied noncommittally.
After flattering Yuan Ming a few more times, the Crown Prince said, "Tonight, I am hosting a literary gathering at Dingyang Tower, and we are in need of a talented individual like Young Master Yuan to attend. Would you be willing to grace us with your presence?"
Yuan Ming glanced at his father, who showed no objection, before replying, "How could I refuse such a personal invitation from the Crown Prince?"
The Crown Prince laughed heartily, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then took his leave.
After he left, before Yuan Ming could ask, Yuan Zuochong explained, "The Emperor has no heirs, so the successor after his abdication can only be chosen from among the several royal uncles. Among them, the Eighth Prince is known for his wisdom, and if nothing unexpected happens, he should be the prime candidate."
"And tonight's literary gathering…" Yuan Ming hesitated.
"He invited you to the gathering probably to win over people's hearts. But since I'm gradually withdrawing from the court, you don't need to worry about anything tonight. Just treat it as a regular gathering," Yuan Zuochong said bluntly.
"I understand," Yuan Ming nodded.
***
That night, at Dingyang Tower.
The tower, located in the center of the capital, stood five stories tall with glazed golden tiles on its roof and red lanterns hanging below. Though night had fallen, it was brightly lit, resembling a towering torch from afar, dispelling the dark night.
The area below was bustling with noise, and carriages with intricate carvings stopped in front of the door, from which nobles in luxurious robes emerged, escorted by servants into the tavern. However, before entering, they were stopped by several guards who requested their invitations before allowing them to pass.
This procedure naturally displeased some proud nobles.
Whenever this happened, a friendly-faced guard would step forward to explain, casually mentioning the "Eighth Prince" in conversation.
Most of the visitors would then quiet down.
Amidst the commotion, a luxurious carriage, accompanied by several guards, slowly stopped in the open space in front of the tower. Before the guards could report, Yuan Ming had already lifted the curtain and stepped out.
He instructed Wang Shun and the guards to wait outside and headed straight for Dingyang Tower.
At the entrance, a guard on the left side, seeing another person approaching, instinctively stepped forward but was suddenly stopped by his colleague.
Confused, he turned to his colleague, only to see the usually arrogant royal guard now wearing an excessively obsequious smile.
"It's Young Master Yuan, please, come right in."
Yuan Ming didn't look at him, simply nodded, and walked into the building.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a steward's uniform came down from the tower and immediately went forward to greet Yuan Ming.
This man was the chief steward of the royal household, who bowed deeply to Yuan Ming: "Young Master Yuan, you've finally arrived. The Crown Prince has been asking for you."
With that, he turned and personally led Yuan Ming upstairs.
This scene left the left-side guard dumbfounded, while his colleague showed no surprise: "Hey, what are you staring at? Someone else is coming."
The left-side guard snapped out of it and quickly stopped the person rushing over, but before he could speak, the visitor impatiently threw over an invitation.
"Here, the invitation. Don't hold me up!"
The left-side guard checked the invitation in confusion, stepped aside to let the person pass, and watched as they hurried after Yuan Ming. Seeing this, the left-side guard turned to his colleague: "Hey, who exactly is that Young Master Yuan…"
Before he could finish, another eager person arrived.
"That one who just went in was Young Master Yuan, right? Let me through, I want to meet him."
"Young Master Yuan is here today too, what a pity."
Watching this unfold, the left-side guard became even more bewildered.
Am I the only one who doesn't know Young Master Yuan?
***
Yuan Ming, of course, was unaware of the commotion at the entrance.
At this moment, he had followed the royal steward directly to the fifth floor of Dingyang Tower, the site of the literary gathering.
The people here were few, but each one was a well-known figure in the capital, and unlike other guests, they were attended by numerous personal servants.
Yuan Ming, who came alone, was the odd one out.
But his arrival immediately drew everyone's attention.
The Crown Prince, who was conversing with others, was the first to notice Yuan Ming and excused himself from the conversation to greet him.
"Haha, Young Master Yuan, you've made me wait," said the Crown Prince.
Yuan Ming saluted: "My apologies for being late, Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince laughed: "No matter, no matter. Come, Young Master Yuan, you've been away from the capital for three years, and some here may not recognize you anymore. Let me introduce you again."
Yuan Ming politely nodded. Although he recognized most of the people present, he did not want to offend the Crown Prince.
However, just then, a guard came up from the lower floors and whispered something in the Crown Prince's ear.
The Crown Prince's expression changed slightly: "Young Master Yuan, I apologize, but I have urgent matters to attend to. Please make yourself comfortable, and if you need anything, just ask Steward Li."
With that, he left with the guard, leaving amidst the surprised looks of many around him.