Gu Xijiu smiled. “It has been such a long time. Perhaps she is no longer waiting for you. Maybe she has already started a new life with another man by her side. Why should you be so persistent?”
Gu Xietian’s expression changed abruptly. Dismayed, he thought about what she said. “Maybe you are right, but I still want to see her as a new man. I will not go near another woman.”
Gu Xijiu sighed.
If he had known that his life would come to this point of great remorse, he would have acted differently and treated his wife better. Some men just have to learn their lessons the hard way. They finally knew what was truly valuable to them after they lose it. Unfortunately, not all that is lost can be found. Some goodbyes were forever.
The next day, Gu Xijiu went to the palace and visited Rong Jialuo. The fake Celestial Master Zuo had been controlling Rong Jialuo with the use of poison, turning him into a puppet.
Di Fuyi, along with Long Siye, made their visit to the palace before and treated him to free him from the puppet regime. He could finally return to how he used to be.
Rong Jialuo’s spiritual power was nothing extraordinary. Moreover, he had been under control for a long time. Even though he was slowly recovering, Gu Xijiu could still clearly see his pale complexion, which looked like he had just recuperated from a severe illness. He looked unusually weak, so Gu Xijiu offered to check on his pulse. She noticed that his pulse was weak, mostly due to a prolonged illness that had been going on for years.
She was confused, as it had only been two years since the fake Celestial Master Zuo took over his consciousness. The reading of his pulse showed otherwise, indicating that he had been suffering from the illness for more than six years.
She continued to ask more questions.
Rong Jialuo answered promptly. She did not find anything wrong from his explanations. He told the truth about the mind-control trick. It happened to him just two years ago.
Sympathetically, Gu Xijiu shook her head. Rong Jialuo’s life had always been difficult. He used to be a genius but was unfortunately framed and poisoned by his own brother. Now that he finally became the emperor, the fake Celestial Master Zuo went on and took over his regime. It was no wonder that his body became so weak.
After a brief conversation, Gu Xijiu noticed that his memory had become much worse. He might look like a young man in his thirties, but his mind was equivalent to an old man in his sixties. He seemed to have dementia, for he would always nod off and the way he spoke was incoherent, uttering words that did not connect. Gu Xijiu began to suspect that there was another soul in his body.
Therefore, she tried to question him about some specific things that only both of them knew and found out that he was still the same Rong Jialuo that she used to know. His soul had not been stealthily substituted.
Gu Xijiu was finally relieved. Before she left, she gave him some pills made of valuable ingredients for speedy recovery. If he took the pills on time, he should be able to regain his health in no more than six months.
Rong Jialuo sent Gu Xijiu off at the palace gate. No one else had been given such a privilege to be sent off by the emperor himself. Rong Jialuo’s eyes followed her affectionately. The sight of her back went further, but he refused to look away.
The eunuch next to him bowed and greeted. “Your majesty, please take care of your health. Please return to the palace and rest.”
Rong Jialuo threw the eunuch a glance. The eunuch used to be his closest servant and had always been very devoted. However, while he was under control over the past two years, he caught him dealing with the people from the fake Celestial Master Zuo’s team multiple times.
With a smile, Rong Jialuo called for the eunuch to come closer. “Are you worried about my health?”
The eunuch sounded loyal. “Your majesty, your health is of the utmost importance.” Before he could finish, Rong Jialuo suddenly pressed onto his shoulder. He did it single-handedly, but with immense pressure.
The rest of the eunuchs witnessed their once strong and powerful manager being succumbed into the hard ground. Bit by bit, he had no chance to escape and slowly sank into the ground. Finally, he disappeared entirely.
They were shocked, at loss of what to say. No one dared to speak another word. They finally realized that in spite of his illness, the emperor’s power and prestige were in no way reduced. Not anyone could easily come near him.
…
Gu Xijiu left the palace and was ready to visit Luo Zhanyu. Suddenly, she could sense a sudden presence beside her. It was Di Fuyi! He patted her shoulder. “Xijiu!”