Chapter Sixty-Eight Tang Yuehua

On the shores of Mirror Lake, where the mountains were green and the waters clear, mist drifted like a veil. Far out on the lake, a small flat-bottomed boat rocked gently. Li Yu sat at the prow with a fishing rod in hand.

"Brother Li, it's time to eat!" came a girl's voice from the bank.

Li Yu gathered up his rod and rowed the little wooden boat toward shore.

"This really is a fine place to nourish the spirit," he said, reflecting on these past few days. It felt like a communion between man and nature, and his understanding of the classic Daoist teachings had grown even deeper. The food was simple, yet he ate with great relish. The fragrance of truly natural ingredients was something no seasoning could quite match.

"Lately, Master has been a little obsessed," Duanmu Rong said as she picked at her rice, curious about the knowledge that interested her. "Brother Li, is there really a remedy on a cow's body that can cure smallpox?"

"Of course," Li Yu replied. "Have none of you noticed that whenever a plague breaks out, there are always a few cows that remain perfectly healthy?"

He enjoyed talking with this innocent young woman; it was quite relaxing.

"Brother Li knows so much," Duanmu Rong said, looking at him with admiration. When Li Yu glanced her way, she shyly turned her face aside.

"Most of that is trivial. What I want most now is penicillin. If it could be invented, the average human lifespan worldwide could be extended by at least fifteen years."

"What is penicillin?" It was not the gentle Duanmu Rong who asked this time, but Nian Duan.

"Master, you're here!" Duanmu Rong hurried to prepare a bowl and chopsticks for her teacher.

"Penicillin is a kind of mold, but one that can kill harmful germs inside the human body without harming the body itself," Li Yu explained patiently.

"How can penicillin be obtained?" Nian Duan asked further.

Li Yu frowned. "Very difficult. Unless the whole nation throws its strength behind it, and even then it would take a long time and a great investment of labor. It is not something one person can accomplish alone."

"You want me to go to Qin?" Nian Duan said.

Li Yu nodded honestly. "One person's power is finite. I have founded a school in Qin to gather talent from all under heaven. Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants may all enter. Medicine is the first priority. I have prepared a laboratory for this very purpose, waiting only for Master to take charge of the great effort."

"The world outside is treacherous. I fear Rong'er may be hurt."

Li Yu smiled. "With me here, who would dare harm her?"

Nian Duan gave him a sidelong glance, her meaning quite clear.

Li Yu rubbed his nose. "Doesn't Master think Rong'er should go out and see the world? Only by experiencing it can she avoid being deceived. And Master cannot protect her for a lifetime. When the day comes that Master is no longer here, if that simple girl is cheated, wouldn't that all become Master's responsibility?"

Li Yu was not exaggerating. Duanmu Rong had been living peacefully at Mirror Lake, only to be talked into joining the rebellion by Crown Prince Dan of Yan after a few words. No sooner had she completed her apprenticeship than she was injured and bedridden for five seasons.

Nian Duan had also come to see the problem. This stranger, Li Yu, had only known Duanmu Rong for a few days, yet she had already grown fond of him. If she were sent out into the wide world, she would surely be tricked so badly she would not know north from south.

Nian Duan felt that, while she still lived, she ought to keep an eye on Duanmu Rong. Better that she herself oversee things than let the girl wander alone.

"I understand. Tomorrow, we will go to Qin," Nian Duan gave her firm answer.

Deep in the night, Nian Duan looked at Duanmu Rong, who was preparing to sleep.

"Rong'er, do you resent Master for not letting you leave Mirror Lake?"

"No. I know Master is doing this for my own good," Duanmu Rong said softly, her eyes turned aside.

"Rong'er, tomorrow we go to Qin," Nian Duan said, gazing at the candle flame on the table.

"Really?" At those words, Duanmu Rong sprang up from bed, looking at Nian Duan with delight.

Seeing such unguarded joy on her face, Nian Duan became even more convinced that her decision was right.

...

Zhao King City, in the inner palace, at the palace of Queen Consort Lan Li'er.

A purple sandalwood incense burner sent thin wisps of smoke curling into the air. Crimson gauze curtains drifted in the wind. Soft, sensual sounds came from the queen's bed. Two bodies were entwined, and with the sound of waves crashing and water splashing, the woman's seductive cries grew ever more piercing, filling the entire room with unbearable indulgence.

On the floor also lay a plump figure, eyes closed, arms wrapped around a pillar, panting as he thrust himself back and forth in a most obscene manner.

"Li'er, let me take you to paradise," Li Yu murmured.

"Young Master Yu, I am already in paradise," she replied.

"I'll give you a different kind of experience, one you'll never be able to leave me for."

"Young Master Yu, I can already never leave you."

"Then would you be willing to give up the throne of queen consort for me?"

"Young Master Yu, don't speak of such things. Hurry and love me."

"All right. This time, let's try something different."

"I'll do whatever you say."

"First like this... then like this..."

"Young Master Yu, why is this so strange?"

"It's almost done. Then this... and finally, the last step, like this."

With that final movement, Li Yu guided his true energy into her.

That familiar sensation instantly flooded her soul.

A white pillar of light shot straight up from the palace into the heavens, dazzling and magnificent.

The palace guards immediately rushed to the scene of the strange phenomenon.

"Commander Chen, what should we do now? His Majesty and the queen seem to be inside," one guard asked.

"Wait for now," the commander said, fearing to disturb Zhao King Yan. He stood helplessly outside the palace doors, torn between advance and retreat.

"Send a palace matron to check," he finally decided.

"Yes," the guard answered and went to summon someone.

At that moment, a voice came from within.

"Who dares make such a disturbance here?" A deep voice rose from inside the room.

"Your Majesty," said Chen Jie, commander of the royal guards, bowing toward the palace door. "This humble one noticed an omen in the harem and came to inspect it. I have disturbed Your Majesty and beg forgiveness."

"No matter. This king and the queen are discussing the path to immortality. Do not disturb us. Leave," came the reply from within.

"Yes." Though Chen Jie was suspicious, he did not dare barge in. He simply ordered the guards to keep watch at the gate while he waited in the courtyard.

Inside, Li Yu covered his mouth and chuckled softly, finding the whole thing highly amusing.

He glanced at Zhao King Yan, who was sleeping like a dead pig on the floor, and continued toward the inner chamber.

There he looked upon Lan Li'er, suspended in the air, her soul utterly immersed in the sea of love, interwoven with his own—each within the other, each part of the other.

Li Yu's incarnation dressed himself, touched his finger to his forehead, and said, "Gone."

His figure vanished instantly.

After about an hour, the white radiance above the palace slowly faded.

Lan Li'er slowly opened those mesmerizing eyes of hers and looked in disbelief at Li Yu holding her.

"Young Master Yu, what just happened? I felt my very soul trembling. It was wonderful..." As she spoke, a trace of saliva unconsciously slipped from the corner of her mouth. She was still savoring the feeling from moments ago, as though her whole being had been sublimated.

"Did you like it?" Li Yu asked tenderly, holding her close.

"Your consort is becoming more and more unable to leave you. What am I to do?" As she spoke, Lan Li'er unconsciously shifted against him.

"Li'er, do you want our child to become crown prince?" Li Yu asked while soothing her.

"Does Young Master Yu have a way?" Lan Li'er gazed at him, her expression hazy.

"Naturally. Just listen to me." As he spoke, a wicked, charming smile crept unconsciously across his face.

...

Moon Pavilion.

A song was being performed in the main hall.

As Li Yu raised his hand, instruments of different timbres entered in turn, weaving together into a performance of Jay Chou's Chrysanthemum Terrace, stirring a deep nostalgia within him.

"Your tears, fragile yet carrying wounds..."

Li Yu found himself singing along with the music.

Tang Yuehua stood on the second-floor balcony, gazing down at Li Yu on the stage below. Her eyes gradually grew dreamy.

When Li Yu's voice faded, the students below burst into applause. Then they all crowded around him, young and old alike, from little girls of eleven or twelve to women in their forties and fifties. Some even tugged stealthily at his clothes, making Li Yu acutely aware of the terror of fanatical devotion.

"Teacher, sing another one!"

"Teacher, the last song, Butterfly Breakout, was sung very well by Xiaowu. Do you have any more songs? Please write one for me too!"

Li Yu could only raise his hands helplessly, staring in resignation at the two-hundred-pound noblewoman pressing forward at the front. Her tight dress had squeezed rolls upon rolls around her middle, a truly eye-searing sight.

Only when Tang Yuehua stepped in did the admirers finally leave Li Yu's side reluctantly.

By then, Li Yu's collar had already been torn to tatters. It was a miserable sight.

Recently, Moon Pavilion had taken on a new music instructor, and news of it quickly spread through noble circles. Most often repeated was that this instructor was exceptionally handsome, his bearing quite unlike that of other men on the continent, and therefore highly captivating.

Because of this, many noble ladies came to pay a visit in admiration. Men are fond of beauty, and women are no different—only more reserved. Yet in the more open style of this Douluo world, women were far less constrained than in Qin's era. Even Li Yu found it somewhat hard to bear.

As a result, the adorable Xiaowu had suffered quite a few inexplicable fits of jealousy.

So Li Yu went directly to the pavilion mistress, Tang Yuehua. "Madam, could you possibly place some limits on the students? This is really affecting my teaching."

Tang Yuehua looked at him apologetically. "These are all important figures of the Heaven Dou Empire. I cannot afford to offend them too much."

Li Yu smiled helplessly. "How about this: aside from the princess, let the rest be taught separately. For example, limit it to ten people a day on rotation. They come here every day, and many of them are not really here to learn music."

Hearing this, Tang Yuehua could not help but burst out laughing. Realizing her失态, she hurriedly covered her delicate lips with her hand.

Li Yu, meanwhile, stared at the elegant noblewoman before him in fascination and could not help blurting out, "Pavilion Mistress, you look beautiful when you smile."

Tang Yuehua's fair cheeks flushed slightly as she turned her face a little away. "I'm already old."

Li Yu was enchanted by her shy demeanor.

He smiled faintly. "Your beauty, madam, is plain for all to see. Who knows how the Snowy Night Emperor pursued you for so many years without ever winning your favor?"

Tang Yuehua's cheeks grew even redder. "What nonsense."

Li Yu felt he had a chance, though he could not be certain, so he tried lightly touching the back of her hand with a finger.

Tang Yuehua's body shivered at the touch as though struck by electricity.

Li Yu watched her expression closely and, seeing no anger, slowly hooked his finger around her fingertip and moved toward her palm.

Taking Tang Yuehua's soft hand in his and holding it before his chest, Li Yu looked steadily at the noble lady before him and said tenderly, "Yuehua, will you be my girlfriend? No matter how thorny the road ahead may be, I will shield you from the wind and rain. Yuehua, will you give me a chance?"

Pavilion Mistress Tang Yuehua had been frail from childhood in talent but strong in character, proud and self-assured. The Snowy Night Emperor had pursued her for years, but if she felt nothing, then she felt nothing.

When it came to love, if she had not met the one who made her heart stir, she would never settle for less.

The first time she saw Li Yu, Tang Yuehua knew he was the other half she had been waiting for.

Why, then, was he so young?

This troubled Tang Yuehua for a long time. Until today, Li Yu's gentle touch had opened her heart entirely.

Life is but a brief span. Why should I, Tang Yuehua, torment myself over such things?

If it is love, then it is love.

Thinking this, Tang Yuehua turned and met Li Yu's eyes directly. "I am much older than you, and my spirit is special. I cannot cultivate. You do not regret this?"

Li Yu lifted Yuehua's soft hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "Through illness and hardship, for this life and the next, I am willing to walk through it all with you. No regrets in this life, no resentment in the next."

Tears began to glimmer at the corners of Tang Yuehua's eyes, and Li Yu took the opportunity to draw her into his arms.

When Li Yu and Tang Yuehua appeared in the eyes of the crowd once more, they were already walking down the stairs hand in hand.

The sight nearly blinded everyone.

No one could guess what had happened in the pavilion just then. How had the two of them become so close in such a short time?

The students soon thought of the Snowy Night Emperor.

Li Yu was quickly drawn toward a pink figure. Xiaowu was rubbing her eyes as she ran out of the courtyard.

Li Yu hastily chased after her.

"Xiaowu, where are you going? Wait for me!" he shouted as he ran.

He left a room full of people staring at one another in confusion.

Chasing her into the street, Li Yu moved in a single bound, leaving a trail of afterimages, and gathered Xiaowu into his arms from the front.

"Let go of me! Let me go!" Xiaowu flailed in his embrace, struggling to break free.

"Xiaowu, you can hit me, you can scold me, anything you want, but please don't leave me. I'm afraid," Li Yu said, holding her tightly, his face full of guilt.

"Brother, how could you do this?" Xiaowu was already in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I just can't control my feelings. Just like when I like you, I can't control it no matter what. I know I'm awful, but my feelings for each of you are sincere. Xiaowu, I will give you an explanation. Wait for me."

"Brother, you're too fickle. First it was Director Liu Erlong, and now Pavilion Mistress Tang Yuehua. Brother, do you like older women?" In Li Yu's arms, Xiaowu gradually calmed down and asked with a little confusion.

"Nonsense! Brother likes beautiful women. Isn't Xiaowu still young?" Li Yu said gently, stroking both of her rabbit ears.

At those words, Xiaowu's body stiffened instantly.

Compared to his, their ages seemed not even a fraction. Her own age was probably far, far greater than that of the legendary White Snake that Brother had mentioned.

Xiaowu immediately lost her temper.

In the animal world, polygamy seemed to be common. For example, Big Titan had many female monkeys.

Thinking of this, Xiaowu's little face grew even redder.

What am I thinking about?

Seeing that Xiaowu's anger had mostly ebbed, Li Yu said no more. He simply lifted her high into his arms and set her on his shoulders, just as before, carrying the little white rabbit through the streets.

"Xiaowu, Brother swears I will be good to you in the future. I will never let you be hurt even a little."

"Brother, I am hurt right now. My heart is hurt."

"..."

"Xiaowu, let's go to the Great Star Dou Forest. Let's go see your home."

At those words, Xiaowu seemed struck by lightning, her whole body trembling.

"Brother, what are you saying?" she stammered, her teeth chattering.

Li Yu raised his arms and lifted her into a princess carry, drawing her close.

"You are my White Snake, and unlike Xu Xian, I would never treat my wife that way. I will protect my White Snake with my life."

"Brother, you already know..." Tears welled up again in Xiaowu's eyes.

Li Yu looked down at the adorable girl in his arms with deep affection. "I have always known. My little white rabbit, you waited for me for one hundred thousand years. I will shield you from wind and rain. From now on, you are my wife, my family." With that, he gently kissed her soft lips.

"Brother will take you to eat something delicious."

Holding Xiaowu all the way, Li Yu walked toward the restaurant.

...

"Master, it's so high!" Duanmu Rong looked down at the forest passing swiftly beneath them, exhilaration in her voice.

Li Yu watched her innocent smile from the side and felt deeply satisfied.

If it were the Duanmu Rong of later years in Qin, she would never be so childlike.

"Rong'er, be more steady. Once we are in Qin, we will encounter many nobles. If you are like this, people will laugh at you," Nian Duan admonished her kindly.

Duanmu Rong stuck out her tongue at the reprimand, acting mischievous.

Li Yu smiled and said, "Please rest assured, madam. In Qin, I will protect Rong'er and not let anyone bully her."

Nian Duan sighed. "You cannot protect her forever."

Li Yu's expression suddenly turned serious. He looked at Nian Duan and said, "I can."

Nian Duan grew even more forlorn at that.

Duanmu Rong, meanwhile, blushed and turned aside shyly.

...

Handan was not far from Wei.

Li Yu walked aimlessly along the road, trying to figure out where Xiao Meng should appear. Since she had been rescued by Jing Ke, it must be somewhere not too far from Qin. Because of his own interference, Jing Ke was no longer even on the Central Plains, so he had better not accidentally make the girl vanish.

By the timeline, this should be the point when Jing Ke rescues Xiao Meng.

It would not be hard to find the Qin-Wei battlefield nearby, either.

So Li Yu simply followed the Qin-Wei border, asking around as he went.

After all, given Xiao Meng's talent and appearance, she was not difficult to hear about.