The Yao Emperor and His Human Doctor.

Chapter 82 - Retaking the Capital (1)

The number of cultivators in the Imperial city was not as high as they thought. Ce Rang was probably looking for Zhi Lu throughout the palace, while the rest of the cultivators surrounded and watched the surroundings. He would never have imagined that there was a secret exit and he must have been breathing fire from his mouth.

Qiang Yong was sure that his soldiers would be able to easily take care of the cultivators, especially the pathetic way they had evolved over the years. He landed in the center of the golden palace's main pavilion and Su Ning gently slid to the ground. Qiang Yong then returned to his human form and stood beside him. He received a message from his mother through the communication array.

"The Empress has already arrived at a safe place. She took them to Ren Loo's mansion. It is a difficult to access but comfortable place. No one will find them there."
Su Ning nodded and thanked him again. They made a little rounds around the silent corridors. The courtyard seemed deserted.
Then they began to search the rooms of the Palace.

"Ce Rang must have gone to the barrier to personally check the intruder." Su Ning reflected.
Qiang Yong laughed. "Ah! He must be furious after going around so many times and still finding the exit closed!"
Su Ning smiled slightly. Qiang Yong's joyful laughter eased the pressure of the moment somewhat.

They continued to inspect the rooms and found one specifically locked with a seal. Qiang Yong took the initiative to open it, worried that there was something that could hurt Su Ning. What they found were some frightened servants who had been taken hostage.

"Master Su!" One of them recognized him, standing up from where he was sitting.
Su Ning approached. "Mr. Chou." He added to Qiang Yong. "He is Emperor Zhi's secretary."
"Master Su, the emperor disappeared! As soon as Ce Rang declared the invasion of the imperial capital, we didn't see him again! We were all locked up here. Master Ce interrogated us but we really don't know where the emperor is..."

"The emperor is safe." Su Ning reassured the nervous man.
Yes, because you advised him to take an escape route, as always one step ahead of others. The dragon thought to himself. Perhaps it would be better if Su Ning was the human emperor. Ah, forget it, he would already be the Empress of the yao anyway (Pause to imagine Su Ning empress 😅).

"I'll ask you to hide in the pavilion on the east side. The path is more hidden, you can go down and follow the kitchen and you probably won't be intercepted. I don't want Ce Rang to be able to use you as hostages." The servants nodded, tiptoeing out.

"It's amazing how well you know this palace... Almost as if you lived here! This is so unfair! I believe that in three days you haven't visited every room in my Fortress." Qiang Young grumbled full of vinegar.
Sua Nong ".............."

The dragon then smiled maliciously. "But let's fix this. When we're done here, I'll show you all the rooms and rooms in the Fortress. And maybe I'll make an escape route too. That was an excellent idea."
Qiang Yong saw the white skin on Su Ning's neck redden, the soft color spreading across his cheeks and ears. He blushed just thinking about what it would be like to live with the emperor.

He spoke as if it were certain, but he was still full of doubts. Doubts about his own feelings that now came to torment him at an inappropriate time. He took a deep breath, trying to focus. Soon concentration came, Qiang Yong pulled him by the arm, just as the wall next to him exploded into pieces. A dragon's keen sense never fails.

Ce Rang entered in just two strides, a tall man with a thin face, wearing dark blue cultivation clothes and his hair tied high with a silver crown. Su Ning was dumbfounded by this entrance but Qiang Yong simply dusted off Su Ning's robe, frowning slightly. How rude is this cultivator!

"Dr. Su, I already thought you'd be here. You've been having a lot of fun hanging out with yao, haven't you? You've brought a lot of hard-to-deal with friends with you."
"Not as much as I'd like." Qiang Yong sighed.
Su Ning ".........."
"Oh! Even the dragon emperor came! I thought you hated humans." Ce Rang looked at him in surprise.

"I don't hate them anymore." He laughed. "Dr. Su here helped me resolve some past issues." He held Su Ning's shoulders amicably.
Trying to ignore this gesture, the doctor focused on Ce Rang.
“And what brought you here Zongzhu?
"Sect problems, Dr. Su, nothing that should involve you. But that was all a mistake. We didn't come to testify anyone here."

"That's not what the emperor himself and his servants said." Qiang Yong gave him a dangerous look.
"The Emperor and I have our disagreements. No wonder he misinterpreted it."
"Then the best thing would be to retire for now and hide clear it up later. Perhaps through a neutral intermediary." Su Ning said calmly.

Qiang Yong was amused. As if Ce Rang having his plan foiled could leave like this, without any punishment. The Doctor. Su was being too kind.
"Ahhh... Dr. Su, I so needed to have this audience with Zhi Lu..." Ce Rang slowly lowered his eyes, in less than a breath's time he drew his sword and launched a slash towards Qiang Yong. The dragon snorted, however Su Ning had already cast a protective barrier blocking the attack.

"All good?" Su Ning asked the emperor worriedly. Qiang Yong was all melted with his eyes shining. Oh! My husband defended me!
Su Ning didn't know what was going on in his head, so he angrily turned to Ce Rang. The cultivator shrugged.

"You know what? I came to depose Zhi Lu and this absurd agreement he made. It's not possible for humans to live well, being submissive to yao."
"No human is being submissive! Both parties have lived in harmony!" Su Ning countered.

"Only in your limited vision, doctor. Don't you realize that because they are weaker, humans have to lower their heads, bow down so as not to be crushed by these creatures. Where is this harmonious? It's a false peace, a fake peace, supported only by the weaker side."

"The laws protect the rights of humans and yao, in addition there are few cities where they live together. And so far no crime involving yao and humans has gone unpunished. I am always close to these places and I am a witness that there are no conflicts. Unlike you, who implanted a cultivator to murder human women and blame it on yao!"

Qiang Tong "...................." When did I miss this part?
"Do you have any proof of that?" Ce Rang pointed the sword at him.
"No, the cultivator committed suicide in his cell. The yamen warned me this morning."
"Are you sure he wasn't killed by the real culprit?" Ce Yan raised his eyebrows.
Su Ning let the boats fall to his side, tired from the argument.

"Ce Rang... the use of clones is one of our most famous techniques, and on top of that, he committed suicide by destroying the core, which is also the only method used by our cultivators. How does this not point to the sect?"
Ce Rang gritted his teeth.
"Dr. Su, has anyone ever told you that you think too much?"

Author's Note

Not that he thinks too much, but that this was so stupid on the part of the cultivator that even I could see it 😅.
Qiang Yong: "Eh? I've missed a lot now!"