Chapter 2 "Sea Emperor"

He fell asleep at night without turning on the light, and the bedroom was completely dark. The figure in front of him was very close, and the warm breath brushed against his face, causing a slight itch. He reached out his hand and touched the edge of her gauzy garment, instantly realizing that this figure was awake

That person cleared two plates again and, amidst the busyness, took a moment to reply: "First, let's eat!"

He enumerated the shortcomings of the Haizu in recent years, and for a long while, no one responded. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the fellow across from him was leaning against the back of the chair, sound asleep with drool flowing from his mouth

Qing Su covered his mouth and chuckled softly, while Qing Xuan, being somewhat more mature, also curved the corners of his mouth. The two had followed Rong Chenzi since childhood and were his trusted aides, never shying away from any matters. Rong Chenzi cleared his throat; this fellow was indeed the Sea Emperor he had unearthed from the waters around Lingxia Mountain. In recent years, the Sea Clan had been quite well-behaved, rarely causing trouble on land. Their relationship with the Daoist sect could be described as one of mutual non-interference.

Qing Xuan and Qing Su moved a table of vegetarian dishes from the dining hall, and Rong Chenzi also sat down at the table. Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks, this fellow had already cleared the two plates in front of him. Rong Chenzi picked up a piece of tofu and said, "In that case, what are the Sea Emperor's plans?"

Rong Chenzi, upon hearing that the conversation had finally gotten to the main point, let out a slight sigh of relief: "It seems that the disturbances among the sea tribes over the years have been caused by this priest."

In the darkness, a hand grabbed the sleeve of his tunic: "I will go with you."

... ...

Rong Chenzi was choked with anger: "You know you are from the - Tu - Shuhai clan! As the leader of your clan, instead of thinking about the rise and fall of your race, you allow minor demons to create chaos! Over the years..."

Before long, Qingxuan and Qingsu brought over steamed buns, flower rolls, and vegetarian stuffed buns. This fellow ate until his belly was round and bulging, finally wiping his mouth and slowing down his pace of eating. Rong Chenzi coughed again and said: "The Sea Clan..."

On the table were eight dishes, which were quickly cleaned up. Master Rong Chen snapped his chopsticks and said: "Your Majesty, the Sea Emperor, your subjects are now living in dire straits, yet you..."

On the second day, Master Rong Chen led his disciples to perform the morning lessons before dawn. When he returned, that fellow was still asleep. He shook his head and instructed the attendant not to enter his bedroom without permission, and then went to the Dao Hall. Qingxu Temple had taken in about ten homeless orphans, and whenever Master Rong Chen had free time, he would teach them to read and write.

Qing Xuan and Qing Su were also left speechless, this this this ... With such an emperor, the people of the sea tribe have it tough as well ... With such a sea emperor, will it really be impossible for people to overthrow him ...

The Dao Sect was well aware that this matter was of great significance, thus they united as one. However, the usually vigilant Sea Tribe appeared to be in complete disarray. The members of the Dao Sect easily invaded the Sea Emperor's palace, and some, seizing the opportunity, collected countless treasures and porcelain. Ultimately, however, the most important thing was still the Sea Emperor

Master Rong said: "It is quite late, and a man and a woman alone together may attract gossip"

Rong Chenzi had a look of exasperation: "Stop wasting words, just give me the name!"

On the night of the following day, Master Rong Chen led his disciples in completing their evening lessons before finally falling asleep. Suddenly, an unusual sensation arose before him, and he abruptly opened his eyes. With his right hand, he formed a seal, ready to imprint it on the opponent's forehead, but he suddenly halted his hand.

After spitting out a fruit pit, this fellow finally replied: "Hmph, you insignificant wretch, having offended me, you shall be punished today. How dare you even ask for my true name?!"

It seems that without her being fully fed, no information can be obtained. Rong Chenzi looked at the increasingly meager two plates of pastries on the table and, feeling resolute, signaled to his two disciples, "Go check what else is in the kitchen and bring it all over."

After two classes, he returned to the room, where that person was still sound asleep, leaning against the chair. Rong Chenzi intended to wake her up but ultimately refrained, considering the difference between men and women. Before long, two pilgrims arrived at the temple, specifically seeking Rong Chenzi for a talisman for peace. After dealing with them, it was time for lunch.

A moment later, an oil lamp lit up in Master Rong Chen's bedroom. Behind him, his two disciples, Qing Xuan and Qing Su, entered the room carrying two plates of pastries and some vegetarian fruits. Master Rong Chen sat down at the round table, indicating that he wanted to have a serious conversation with her: "I am Master Rong Chen, what is your name?"

Before the admonishing words could escape her lips, this person pointed at the white rice in his bowl and asked, "Aren't you hungry?" She picked up the bowl in front of Cong Chenzi and turned it upside down into her own bowl, eagerly dipping into the broth from the dish and devouring it all in one go

Qing Xuan wiped the table clean. Just before leaving, he glanced at the figure sleeping soundly on the bed and sighed, "I think I finally understand why the priests of the sea tribe chose to rebel..."

Is it possible? I'm so hungry. Is this how you Taoists treat your guests?! Where is my lunch?

As the conversation just began, this fellow became displeased, picking his teeth with one hand while holding a pastry in the other: "Damn you, you immortal! Here I am, the dignified Sea Emperor, and you neither ask if I am well-fed nor if I am warm, but are solely focused on inquiring about the Sea Clan! Sea Clan, Sea Clan, you keep talking about the Sea Clan. Are you part of the Sea Clan or my Sea Clan?"

Rong Chenzi truly has no intention of controlling the Sea Clan; however, the characters within the Dao Sect are of mixed quality. Once the Sea Emperor falls into the hands of the Dao Sect, conflicts are bound to arise, leading to yet another calamity for the Daoist sect. This time, the surprise attack on the Sea Clan resulted in relatively few casualties. However, during the plundering of the Sea Clan's treasures, internal strife broke out, resulting in casualties that even exceeded those lost in battle.

That fellow sat at the table, devouring his food ravenously, and after a long while finally found the time to say: "You may call me the Sea Emperor, or Your Majesty. Are you the ones who brought me here from the palace of the sea tribe?"

She spoke with great authority; however, if her mouth were not stuffed with steamed buns and apples, and if there weren't a pile of fruit cores in front of her, invoking her identity as the Sea Empress would surely have had some effect. Unfortunately, at this moment, her cheeks were puffed up like buns, resulting in no effect, but the comedic effect was quite evident.

Is this guy really the Sea Emperor?

Ah? Then turn on the light, I am afraid of the dark

She lay completely on him, and Rong Chenzi pushed her away with his hand: "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?"

"You..." Rong Chenzi opened his mouth to speak, but this fellow was quite impatient: "Here we go again, are you ever going to stop? Alright, alright, the Sea Clan was doing quite well a few years ago. Then the sea turtle priest passed away, and a new priest named Chunyu Lin took over. I have treated this fellow with great favor and courtesy, haven't I? Yet he actually placed me under house arrest in the Sea Emperor's Palace and even claimed he wanted to rebel!"

Human hearts are inherently insatiable; when things come too easily, some may feel that their gains are insufficient. The Sea Emperor is the spiritual leader of the marine tribes around Lingxia Mountain. If one were to gain control over him, it is possible to dominate the entire marine tribe in this sea area

It was not easy for Rong Chenzi to let her go out, so he had to send two disciples to bring her food, which also served the purpose of avoiding suspicion in the presence of others

In the past two years, it is unclear what the issue has been, as disturbances have occurred frequently. Countless fishing boats have capsized in the waters around Lingxia Mountain. The fishermen, left with no options, can only pool their money to commission Daoist priests to exorcise the demons.

As the last bite of rice was finished, she set down the bowl, finally revealing a hint of worry: "Sigh, you do have a point. The talents of the sea tribe are dwindling, and now it is even more so that treacherous individuals are in power. I too find it difficult to eat, sigh, even my appetite has significantly decreased"

Rong Chenzi slammed the door and left, while Qing Xuan and Qing Su began to tidy up the scattered cups and plates. The Sea Emperor, however, turned over to Rong Chenzi's monk bed, wrapped the quilt around himself, sighed with worry, and fell asleep

Rong Chenzi is a man of propriety, truly not adept at interacting with women. He is unsure of what tone to use when speaking to her, so he is compelled to ask a trivial question: "Are you awake?"

Rong Chenzi pushed her away, got up, and went to the kitchen. Before leaving, he thought for a moment and reassured her: "I will be back soon, don't wander around."

Pastry crumbs flew around, and Rong Chenzi slightly frowned, while the person opposite seemed completely unaware: "The delicacies of the land, I have not tasted for many years, yet they remain as delicious as ever. Hmm, however, it would be better if this cake had a bit more sugar! This fruit tastes quite good too, hmm, if picked a couple of days later, it would probably taste even better..."

The woman buried her head in his neck and took a deep breath, like a greedy cat that had spotted the most delicious fish: "You smell so good"

Moreover, given the recent disturbances among the sea tribes, there must be underlying reasons. Therefore, while everyone was competing to seize the coral pearls, he took the initiative to locate the Sea Emperor's palace, concealed her, and secretly brought her back to the Qingxu Temple

Her saliva dripped into the tightly fastened collar of his shirt, and her response was candid and direct, without the slightest hesitation: "You!"

As Rong Chenzi casually tidied the fruit pits into the basket, he looked at the fellow at the table who was sweeping everything away with the wind, feeling somewhat puzzled: "The Sea Clan and the Dao Sect have always been unrelated; why have there been frequent incidents in recent years?"

He returned to the room and saw that the person had finally woken up