C10 I Took an Old Ancestor as My Little Brother!

The Fifteenth Princess's Estate was enveloped in the stillness of the night.

Silence reigned supreme.

The two maids on night duty outside the Fifteenth Princess's sleeping quarters held their palace lanterns aloft, but they struggled to fend off the overwhelming drowsiness.

As a result, they failed to detect the subtle rustling noises emanating from within the chambers...

Inside, a white cloth dangled from the central beam, and from it hung a figure, swaying gently. It was none other than the Fifteenth Princess herself. Gone was her usual charm and grace, replaced by a ghastly expression caused by asphyxiation.

Standing before her lifeless body was Zhuang Banxue, her demeanor icy and detached. To her, taking a life had become all too familiar. She wasn't inherently cruel, but as the adage goes, "For a general to succeed, a thousand bones must be laid to waste." In her past life's quest for the throne, the number of lives she extinguished was beyond count.

If one were to discern any emotion in Zhuang Banxue at that moment, it would be regret.

"What a shame that the Fifteenth Princess's master wasn't here. We couldn't capture them all in one go," she mused. "After today, he'll surely be on his guard. Killing him later will undoubtedly be more challenging... Yet, it's not impossible."

With her thoughts in check, Banxue was ready to depart. But suddenly, she paused, a look of surprise crossing her face.

"Hm? Why is the panda heading straight for the inner sanctum of the Imperial Palace?"

Having formed a pact with Wu Zhi, Banxue could sense his whereabouts. And now, she felt him moving towards a place she had hoped to avoid.

"The inner sanctum of the Imperial Palace..."

"This is bad!"

Banxue's gaze sharpened as realization dawned on her. Deep within the palace lay a fearsome entity that even she dared not provoke lightly. This being was far more formidable than Emperor Lee himself.

It was the spirit beast, a guardian of the Li Dynasty's royal family since its inception. Renowned for its volatile nature, it was said that no one, save for the dynasty's founding ancestor, had ever tamed the creature.

The panda was a confused and impulsive creature.

Like that night, the creature had barged into Zhuang Banxue's chamber, greedily snatching the last wisp of her immortal energy.

If the panda kept up this reckless behavior and angered that dreadful being...

The thought alone gave Zhuang Banxue a pounding headache.

"No, I must quickly track down that creature!"

With that thought, Banxue didn't hesitate. She leaped into action, tuning into Wu Zhi's location as she hurried in his direction.

...

Meanwhile, Wu Zhi was on the move.

He was carrying the old man's body, striding swiftly toward the mountain behind the palace.

His plan was straightforward.

Find a spot, dig a hole, and bury the old man.

The palace grounds, with their red bricks and green tiles, offered no suitable place for digging.

So, he aimed for the solitary mountain deep within the palace grounds.

Wu Zhi didn't resort to using Dharma Cosmic Phenomenon, but his speed was nonetheless remarkable.

Before long, he reached the mountain's rear.

He buried the old man.

Wu Zhi intended to return for some more sleep.

But suddenly, he caught a scent.

An unusual fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

What was this scent?!

It was delightful.

It closely resembled the aroma that pills exuded!

Wu Zhi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

As a panda, aside from his love for a good slumber, his next favorite thing was eating.

Such an enticing scent could only come from a rare and precious natural treasure!

Lucky him, stumbling upon such fortune while disposing of a body in the wilderness. Not too shabby!

He followed the scent, searching as he went.

Soon, he reached the mountain's depths.

There, hidden from view, was a spring of Spiritual Water. At its heart, a lotus bud poised to bloom swayed in the breeze.

Seeing the lotus bud, Wu Zhi's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Though he didn't know its nature, Wu Zhi knew one thing for sure...

This was something valuable!

But just then, an enormous black bear emerged from the forest by the pool.

Its massive form cast a shadow as vast as the sky, and each step it took made the earth tremble.

Its body was covered in countless old wounds and scars, giving it an air of extreme menace!

"It's been ages since anyone dared to venture into my back mountain..."

To my astonishment, it spoke in human tongue!

Such a divine power could only be attained by a spirit beast whose cultivation had reached a terrifyingly advanced stage!

Wu Zhi was no fool.

Every sign pointed to the fact that the colossal creature before him was anything but ordinary!

Yet, for some reason...

He felt no panic whatsoever.

On the contrary, he even felt a sense of disdain for the formidable Big Black.

It wasn't that his mind had gone awry.

Rather, it was an instinctual feeling from his bloodline.

Bloodline dominance!

It wasn't just Wu Zhi.

Upon getting a clear look at Wu Zhi, Big Black's heart was also thrown into turmoil!

"A panda!!!"

"I'm actually facing a panda!!!"

"I recall our ancestor mentioning that the scattered bloodline of a panda's mixed descendant in me is what led to my current stature..."

"But now, a living panda stands before me!"

"No, not just a panda."

"It's the Ancestor!!!"

"The Ancestor of my Big Black lineage!!!"

In a mere moment, the overwhelming ferocity that emanated from Big Black dissipated, replaced by an almost human-like sycophancy.

He fully understood the significance of encountering a panda!

"Big Brother, Big Brother!"

He scampered towards Wu Zhi with enthusiasm.

As he moved, his massive form shrank until he was even smaller than Wu Zhi.

Wu Zhi, a man of exceptional intelligence, pieced together the bloodline suppression he'd felt and Big Black's behavior, grasping the situation instantly.

Calling me big brother?

Wanting to be my underling?

Well, I've lived two lifetimes and never had a subordinate. This is quite refreshing!

With a mere thought, Wu Zhi transmitted a mental message to Big Black.

"This little brother of mine, not too shabby. I'll accept him!"

Big Black's face lit up with excitement.

He had feared the panda might not accept him!

Now that he had latched onto this powerful ally, he was certainly not about to let go and eagerly sought to ingratiate himself.

Wu Zhi tilted his head, gesturing towards the lotus at the heart of the lake. Big Black caught on instantly and dashed off to harvest it.

Just then, Zhuang Banxue, who had been racing towards this location, finally made it. As she neared the spiritual pond, she braced herself for the worst-case scenario. "We're in the domain of that fearsome being now," she thought. "If the panda has ventured here, it must have encountered him..."

With this in mind, a grave look crossed Zhuang Banxue's face for the first time. "If push comes to shove, I'll have to resort to my secret techniques. No matter the cost, I must rescue the panda!"

With caution, Zhuang Banxue concealed her presence and peered out from the woods. What she saw next was beyond belief. The spirit beast, revered even by Emperor Lee, had somehow shrunk to the size of a dog, joyfully sprinting with a lotus in its mouth.

Zhuang Banxue was stunned. "Isn't this beast supposed to be as colossal as the Imperial Palace when it stands tall? How has it become dog-sized? And that lotus! Isn't it the Twin Lotus, a divine treasure zealously guarded by the beast? How could it sever its roots and recklessly pluck it?"

Even with her past life's wisdom as an Empress, Zhuang Banxue was utterly baffled. What in the world had happened?

Her astonishment only grew when she saw Big Black trot back to Wu Zhi with the lotus, offering it with an eagerness to please. Out of nowhere, he produced two bottles of wine and respectfully poured Wu Zhi a cup. In Zhuang Banxue's mind, a giant question mark took shape.

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