Chapter 108: His Father Is Still His Father, but His Son Is Hardly Like Him

After the two elders of the Enforcement Hall, Yaguang and Yabang, left, Wuyun spoke to Jiayouke: “The blue-haired young master, Crane Guoguo, whose father is Crane Youqing, is an inner sect elder of the valley with mid-stage Profound Immortal cultivation. He is closely investigating this matter. However, the ones I sent here today were not chosen by me alone; the true instigator is the master of East Lake Manor, Donghu Wugua!”

Mentioning Donghu Wugua made Jiayouke somewhat uneasy. The other party was a fully realized Profound Immortal, about to break through to Immortal King, while the youngest son, Donghu Legend, was also striving to reach Profound Immortal.

“A bloody case triggered by the fate of a woman!”

Wuyun laughed heartily and left his residence with Jiayouke. As they stepped outside, Jiayouke obediently followed behind, resembling a distant impoverished relative seeking refuge.

Several guards watching the scene noticed their departure. Having just received messages from the two Enforcement Elders, they knew the matter was settled. After exchanging greetings and subtly probing, they even questioned Wuyun briefly, puzzled: “It’s strange. The Immortal Artifacts used by Immortals are at least fourth grade. Could it be hidden inside you?”

No matter the guards’ suspicions, the fact that the Enforcement Elders allowed him to pass indicated that Wuyun’s background was legitimate.

Wuyun swaggered alongside Jiayouke back to the tower of Deputy Valley Master Yang Chi. As they neared, they overheard the celestial servants outside discussing strange occurrences within the tower.

“Lord Bai Wan’s unicorn horse gave birth to a black, underdeveloped dwarf horned horse. Now Bai Wan is rigorously investigating the Training Demon Mountain to find out which little or great demon is responsible!”

“It’s said the dwarf horned horse was kicked out of the stable by the unicorn horse the moment it was born. Oh dear, that kick sent it flying over ten thousand meters into the celestial forest. It almost died! If the master dragon exorcist hadn’t caught it, it would have been crippled!”

The celestial servants chattered excitedly. Jiayouke listened intently, while Wuyun’s face darkened increasingly, and the laughter ringing from his earring grew louder, shaking the small orb as he moved.

Following Wuyun’s instructions, after the Flying Stone arranged his temporary identity, he reentered the entrance of the Soul-Shaking Tower. Unlike before, he could now carry the earring orb inside undetected.

Moreover, simply passing through the vast illusions at the tower’s gate allowed the third-grade Immortal Tower to determine whether the visitor harbored hostile intentions.

How could there be hostility between them? Whether by theft, deception, or force, they sought the reincarnation of the Xian Tuo!

After Jiayouke made a round inside and reported on his work, a message came from Dao Yuan.

He pleaded for Dao Yuan's help; Dao Yuan mercilessly refused!

Just as Jiayouke fretted over these matters, he realized Wuyun had vanished!

One does not act recklessly within an Immortal King’s artifact. In his subconscious, no matter how powerful Wuyun was, he could not surpass an Immortal King. Even a newly ascended Immortal King was beyond his imagination.

Amid the panic, he heard murmurs about strange events in the mount garden. He hurried after the celestial servants to see the commotion, and an unsettling thought took shape.

In the mount garden’s stable area, a crowd gathered, watching the spectacle. Because Immortal King Yang Chi was absent, Bai Wan, his nephew, was raging with anger.

“What are you all staring at? You unicorn horse! I raised you painstakingly, never sparing the celestial pills or miraculous medicines. Yet you show no gratitude and give birth to a dwarf black horse! Who is its mate in the Training Demon Mountain?”

Bai Wan fumed, cracking a soul-whipping whip against his beloved mount. The unicorn horse, once transformed into its true form, stood about a hundred zhang tall—a great demon at early stage—yet it was beaten motionless by its early-stage Profound Immortal owner!

Each lash tore flesh and skin; blood splattered with every strike. Each time, the unicorn horse howled, causing the curious mounts around to tremble.

Physical punishment was trifling for demons or immortals. Jiayouke had even severed limbs for Wuyun’s use.

But the soul whip was different—it punished the soul, pain unshielded. It was a tool specifically designed to discipline demon and immortal alike.

“Oh dear! This unicorn horse will likely be whipped to soul-scattering death. Look, it can barely stand on its four legs. If I were in its place, I’d surrender and breed again next time!”

“You don’t understand. If it surrenders, its mate dies. Lord Bai Wan has the fiercest temper and despises such things. This is betrayal both unfilial and disloyal!”

More immortals gathered to watch, including others from within the tower and generals. Word spread, drawing even larger crowds.

Bai Wan intended to make an example, killing the chicken to warn the monkeys, to curb this unhealthy trend.

As the unicorn horse neared death from the lashings, the small black dwarf horse by its side trembled and awkwardly approached. No matter how its mother kicked it earlier, it would not let her suffer punishment alone.

Before it could get close, the unicorn horse, enduring the pain, kicked it away again.

Yet the dwarf black horse stubbornly stood, foolishly moving closer to help bear the punishment.

Little did it know, a single soft lash could scatter its soul.

This time, however, behind the dwarf black horse stood a young man with a yellow face, dressed in tattered but neat clothing, holding the horse’s tail to prevent it from moving.

The surrounding crowd murmured, questioning who this reckless youth was, ignorant of the consequences.

Bai Wan noticed and, his expression darkening, opened his mouth to scold, but Wuyun sharply interrupted the black horse: “Why rush? When that mare dies, then it will be your turn. At least three days and nights of hanging for you!”

Bai Wan was speechless. He had indeed told other generals the same. Could this yellow-faced youth be a confidant of one of those generals?

When Bai Wan raised the soul whip again, Wuyun saw the black horse leap and bite its hand, then angrily said, “Who told your mother to give birth to a mutated black horse? If this spreads, no one will believe he’s his father. The son looks nothing like him!”

His words carried a hidden meaning that brought Bai Wan back to his senses. He stared at Wuyun a moment, coldly demanding, “What? Do you object to my punishment?”

All eyes turned to Wuyun. He returned the salute with both hands, first revealing his identity as a temporary visitor seeking refuge with Immortal King Yang Chi. Then he said, “The bloodline is correct, just the color is wrong.”

“Nonsense! Who in the entire Immortal Realm doesn’t know the unicorn horse is snow-white and pure? Only a foreign species would defile it to produce an impure offspring.”

“If you say so, sir, I have no words. But I understand a bit about beast taming. Right or wrong, it’s up to you, sir!”

Wuyun’s apparent humility was actually a subtle jab, meaning the one with the stronger fist was right. Bai Wan frowned and glared at a nearby expressionless immortal: “Dragon Exorcist, someone is questioning you. Tell me, what price will he pay?”

The Dragon Exorcist, clad in a dragon-head totem coat and adorned with numerous dragon belts representing great demon ranks, replied after hearing the matter: “I have mastered the art of beast taming. Another unicorn horse has been found, and its breeding records never show such a case. Consider this: how could two pure-blood unicorn horses produce a different species dwarf horned horse?”

Bai Wan looked at Wuyun. Unafraid, Wuyun said, “Actually, it’s quite the opposite. The purer the bloodlines of the two, the more likely an atavistic bloodline appears. This dwarf black horse is the ancestral original form of the unicorn horse. See how it’s pitch black, flawless and pure—how perfect, how beautiful…”

As he spoke, the dwarf black horse pointed at its four gray hooves with its mouth, as if accusing Wuyun of lying.

The onlookers burst into laughter.

Wuyun chuckled a little, saying, “Just a little more, and it would be the purest atavistic bloodline!”