After Transmigrating Into The Body Of The Chief Disciple, The Villain Was Reborn. - Chapter 2

Lu Shi’an passed through layers of palace gates and arrived at the Empress’s Kuning Palace. Upon entering, he saw a delicate child sleeping curled up at a table. Tear tracks still stained the boy’s cheeks, suggesting he had been crying for a long time.

His sudden appearance caught the attention of a palace maid named Yun’er. In such sensitive times, the unexpected arrival of a handsome youth made her guard instinctively. “Who are you? This is the Empress’s palace!”

“I am Lu Shi’an. I have come at the order of my master to seek the Empress,” Lu Shi’an replied with a slight nod.

“Greetings, Immortal Lu. Please wait a moment while I inform the Empress,” Yun’er said. After a curtsey, she turned and hurried toward the inner chambers. The Empress had previously instructed Yun’er that if anyone came looking for her, they were to be announced immediately.

During this exchange, Ning Yuzhao began to stir. He blinked his eyes, looking curiously at the older boy. The visitor was ethereal and radiant, with a gentle smile that made him appear as holy as a descending immortal.

Lu Shi’an’s eyes crinkled with warmth. “Hello, I am Lu Shi’an. What is your name?” He had always loved children, but in his past life, he had been too busy with work to marry or have a family of his own.

“I am Prince Ning Yuzhao. Why are you looking for Mother?”

Before the child’s milky voice had even faded, Yun’er returned. “Greetings, Immortal Lu. Her Majesty the Empress invites you to the inner chambers.”

Although Lu Shi’an was unfamiliar with mortal etiquette, he knew that inviting a stranger into a private bedchamber was improper. He was only sixteen, which was marriageable age in the mortal world, but he brushed off the thought and followed Yun’er. He noticed a faint medicinal scent lingering in the air, confirming his suspicions about the Empress’s condition.

Little Ning Yuzhao followed closely, trotting behind them. Since his mother had fallen ill, she rarely summoned anyone, but today, she had allowed him to wait in the outer hall because he had begged to see her. The rumors circulating in the palace that she was near death had filled him with terror, causing him to fall asleep while crying at the desk.

When Lu Shi’an entered the room, he saw the Empress lying weakly on the bed. Her face was pale, and she struggled to sit up until Yun’er rushed over to support her. Despite the visitor’s youthful appearance, the Empress did not underestimate him. She knew that in the cultivation world, one could not judge a person’s power by their age, as those who reached the Yuan Ying stage earlier often retained a youthful appearance.

“Immortal Lu, were you sent by the Lingxiao Immortal?” the Empress asked, performing a polite greeting with Yun’er’s help. The Lingxiao Immortal was the Master of the Xuantian Sect.

Lu Shi’an nodded slightly. “Empress Ye, I am Lu Shi’an. My master received your message and sent me. How may I assist you?”

“Yuzhao, kneel.” The Empress signaled to the boy beside her.

“Yes.” Ning Yuzhao blinked, unsure why his mother wanted him to kneel, but he obeyed and sat obediently before Lu Shi’an.

Lu Shi’an frowned, looking at the Empress. “What is this?”

“You surely know from the message that my father’s rebellion failed. The Emperor no longer tolerates us. The poison in my body was planted by his agents. It is said that a tiger does not eat its own cubs, but if I am gone, how could anyone in this palace spare Yuzhao? My father and I have made many mistakes in pursuit of the throne, and now that we have failed, my death is inevitable. I know I cannot survive, so I hope you will take Yuzhao to the cultivation world and protect him. If you intervene, the Emperor will allow Yuzhao to leave.” The Empress stroked Yuzhao’s head as she spoke.

Hearing this, Yuzhao panicked. He stumbled to his feet, rushed to the Empress’s side, and buried his face in her waist, sobbing uncontrollably. “Mother, no! I don’t want to leave you!”

The Empress hugged him, stroking his hair comfortingly. “Be a good boy, Yuzhao. Don’t cry. Mother is heartbroken to let you go, but staying here is too dangerous. Only by following this Immortal will you be safe.”

Seeing this, Lu Shi’an understood that they needed a private moment to say goodbye. He quietly turned and left the room, giving them space.

About half an incense stick of time later, Yun’er led Ning Yuzhao out of the palace. She handed the boy to Lu Shi’an, her tone soft and pleading. “Immortal, please take good care of our Prince. I beg you.”

Lu Shi’an took Ning Yuzhao’s hand. Looking down at the small child, his face tear-stained and his eyes swollen, Lu Shi’an sighed. He knew that taking Yuzhao away was the best choice for the boy’s survival. Cultivators rarely interfered with mortal karma, but because the Lingxiao Immortal owed Empress Ye a favor, Lu Shi’an was authorized to take the boy.

After bidding farewell to the Empress, Lu Shi’an carried Ning Yuzhao to the Emperor’s Qiankun Palace. As soon as he appeared, palace guards surrounded him. Seeing the young Prince in the visitor’s arms, they did not dare to attack and immediately sent someone inside to report.

A moment later, a eunuch came running out. He saw the youth standing before him, remarkably handsome and possessing a noble aura far beyond that of the princes in the palace. When he saw the little Prince in Lu Shi’an’s arms, the eunuch’s eyes widened in shock. Sensing the powerful pressure radiating from the youth, the eunuch waved for the guards to retreat and asked with a sycophantic smile: “Mister, may I ask why you have come here?”

Lu Shi’an looked at him coldly. “I come from the cultivation world. By chance, I have found that this child and I share a bond of fate, and I intend to take him to the cultivation world.”

The eunuch’s expression darkened, but he maintained his forced smile. “Mister, you must be joking. This child is our Emperor’s legitimate eldest son, of noble status. How could he just leave with you?”

Lu Shi’an raised an eyebrow and sneered. “You mortals, do you dare to defy my will?”

With a slight flick of his hand, a surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted, forcing the surrounding guards to stumble back in retreat. The eunuch trembled in fear and immediately knelt to beg for mercy. “Mister, please calm your anger! I am just a lowly servant and dare not offend you! But this child truly cannot go with you. Please, show mercy and do not make things difficult for us.”

Lu Shi’an remained unmoved, staring coldly. “I have already given you a chance. You need only inform the Emperor. If you refuse, do not blame me for being discourteous.”

Terrified, the eunuch knew Lu Shi’an was a cultivator of unfathomable power and dared not cross him. “Immortal Lu, please wait a moment. I will go and report this immediately,” he stuttered, his eyes filled with dread. He turned and ran as fast as he could, hoping to report the situation to the Emperor without delay.