Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

On the Investiture of the Gods, the information about Peony was perfectly clear to Wu Tian.

Peony was a "kindred flower" to the Peony Fairy.

What was a kindred flower? It could be compared to a mighty Divine General reincarnating as a grinning, cheeky rogue. Were they the same person? No. They were merely kindred flowers.

"Senior, you created the Art of Blood Refinement, from which the Blood Refiners rose. But I will not let you have Peony," Lv Baicha declared, shielding Peony behind him. He could see the Ancestor of Blood Refinement’s imposing aura and knew he was determined to take her.

"Don’t force my hand," Lv Baicha said through clenched teeth. He had never cultivated the Martial Path, but he possessed the Great Venerable’s Pure Yang Body. He had to let the Ancestor of Blood Refinement know that while he was a scholar, he would choose mutual destruction if provoked.

It was well known that those with a Divine Body were uniquely blessed. For instance, if Lv Baicha chose to self-destruct, the explosion from his Great Venerable’s Pure Yang Body would reduce even a Heavenly King Realm expert to ashes alongside him.

Before Wu Tian could say anything, Lv Baicha snorted. A torrent of Pure Yang Qi surged from his body, thick and terrifying, gradually coalescing into the form of a yellow crane behind him.

Seeing this, the Ancestor of Blood Refinement let out an intrigued, "Oh."

According to legend, Lv Dongbin, the reincarnation of Dong Wanggong, was protected by a yellow crane. It seemed that Lv Baicha’s cultivation-style protector had transformed into a fantasy-style one, yet it was still connected to the same core concepts—Pure Yang Qi and a yellow crane—that were associated with Lv Dongbin.

"Baicha, don’t do this," Peony cried, rushing to stop him when she saw he was willing to perish together. "Once a Great Venerable’s Pure Yang Body self-destructs, the entire royal capital will be wiped out! What about all the innocent people?"

"But..." Lv Baicha gritted his teeth.

"There are no ’buts’," Peony declared, making her intentions clear. "I would rather die than let him defile me."

Hearing this, Wu Tian raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "You... still have your chastity?"

The moment Wu Tian spoke, everyone in the hall froze. It wasn’t just Lv Jieshi and his group; even Meng Tian and Bo Gu, standing beside the Ancestor of Blood Refinement, were stunned.

Lv Baicha’s face became the most unsightly of all. The woman he loved was an Oiran in a brothel, but she had always performed, never selling her body. And now this man was claiming she had no chastity? What do you mean by that? Are you insulting Peony’s character, or are you saying I’ve been cuckolded?

"Ancestor of Blood Refinement, how can you slander someone like this?" Lv Baicha’s resolve hardened as he glared at the man and ground out the words.

"Slander?" The Ancestor of Blood Refinement chuckled. "Why don’t you ask Peony if her chastity is still intact?"

"Peony?" Lv Baicha trusted her completely. He turned to look at her, and the sight sent a jolt through him. Peony was staring at the Ancestor of Blood Refinement, her body trembling, her expression one of pure panic, as if her deepest secret had just been exposed.

"You... H-how did you know?" Peony suddenly stammered while Lv Baicha was still reeling in disbelief.

"What?"

Her question struck Lv Baicha like lightning, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.

Lv Jieshi’s face darkened. Both father and son had believed in Peony, trusting that even in a brothel, she had maintained her dignity and virtue. But her words implied her chastity was long gone. How could this be?

The Ancestor of Blood Refinement smiled faintly. "Lv Baicha, do you still think I’m slandering her?"

Lv Baicha’s mind was a complete blank. When he finally came to his senses, he turned to Peony, tears welling in his eyes. "Peony... you... How could you have lost your chastity?" he asked, so distressed he could barely speak.

They had promised to be together forever. He had told her that after he passed the imperial examinations, he would marry her. But her? How could she have lost her innocence? What had she done behind his back?

"Baicha, please, let me explain..." Peony pleaded, grabbing his sleeve.

"Explain? There’s no need." Lv Baicha was heartbroken. He was still a virgin and had never been intimate with any other woman. But Peony had already lost her innocence? He shook her hand off his arm.

"Peony, come to my side," the Ancestor of Blood Refinement said. "The two of you are not suited for each other. He has a virginity complex."

Lv Baicha snorted in defiance.

"Peony stays," the Ancestor of Blood Refinement commanded. "As for the others... throw them out." Questioning me? Speaking to me like that? They deserve a lesson.

"Throw us out? No, you can’t!" Lv Jieshi finally asserted himself with the authority of a Family Head. He was the head of the family, but he was utterly henpecked at home and always listened to his wife. This was why he had hesitated to stop his son earlier, allowing the situation to escalate to this point.

"Fierce Crab, you’re awake. Throw these two men out," Wu Tian ordered, his brow furrowed, radiating an imposing aura without a trace of anger.

"Yes."

The Fierce Crab had already moved from the backyard to a position behind the screen in the main hall. Now, it emerged, its carapace gleaming with the cold light of black steel. With a sharp CLICK, CLICK, its two massive pincers lunged toward Lv Jieshi and Lv Baicha.

"We were wrong," Lv Jieshi apologized hastily, finally realizing they had not behaved as proper guests should. He was now terrified that the Blood Refiners Guild would move against the Lv family.

"Father, don’t beg! I *will* pass the examinations this time. When I do, the Blood Refiners won’t dare touch me. Xiuyuan Country has Wu Tian, and once I become an official, I’ll be one of Queen Si’er’s people. Wu Tian won’t stand by and do nothing!" Lv Baicha was a scholar of integrity, and seeing his father plead was painful. He didn’t want him to beg the Ancestor of Blood Refinement for anything.

"But..." Lv Jieshi became meek again, unsure how to respond to his son. Should he say it? That you’ve failed the exam twenty-one times already? That perhaps you’re just not fated for it? He was afraid of crushing his son’s spirit.

And just like that, the Fierce Crab threw both of them out. They landed in a heap before the courtyard gate, bruised and swollen.

Lv Jieshi scrambled over to his son. "Baicha, are you alright?"

"I..." A bitter taste filled Lv Baicha’s mouth. His heart ached at the thought of Peony no longer being pure, but this pain only made him clench his teeth harder. "Father, I feel a fire burning inside me now. I suppose you could call it fighting spirit. For this year’s examination, Father, I swear I will succeed!"

Meanwhile, Peony remained at the Blood Refiners Guild. She was too devastated to leave, to see anyone, or even to eat. She was simply heartbroken. Her chastity? Was that all Lv Baicha cared about? Did he no longer love her because she had lost it? Did he love her, or just her maidenhead?

「Another day passed.」

On this day, Queen Si’er suddenly announced that this year’s imperial examinations would be held early. Wu Tian hadn’t told her anything. Rather, out of concern for her Sect Leader and big brother figure, she learned of Lv Baicha’s situation and decided to lend a hand. Besides, she was also curious to see for herself what was going on with this Lv Baicha, who had failed the examination twenty-one times in a row.

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