Was it because of him? Fu Mingxu wasn't sure, but as of now, Han Tao hadn't fallen into demonic possession. He remembered what Immortal Lord Siyang had said: Han Tao was severely injured and unable to maintain human form, and only chose to fall into demonic possession after his cultivation was completely destroyed.
However, judging from his entry into the city lord's mansion last night, and the fact that the Fu family dared to use him to replace Fu Shanqing in a marriage of convenience, it is probably not as simple as just the destruction of his cultivation.
The reason why Si Yang Xianjun chose to "reborn" was simple: when the world collapsed due to the demonic dragon, he inadvertently witnessed Han Tao helping him and determined that this was the only causal relationship between the fallen god and the human race.
He believed that cause and effect were the key to choosing Fu Mingxu's rebirth.
Although Fu Mingxu felt the real reason was that he didn't belong to any immortal sect at that time, nor did he have any cultivation, so there was no reason for him to use his known memories to cause trouble after being reborn.
As for himself, he agreed not only because he wanted to continue searching for his missing father, but also to repay Han Tao for saving him back then.
As for why Han Tao saved him back then, whether it was a casual act or for some other reason, probably no one but the fallen god at that time would know.
Fu Mingxu rubbed his temples, then remembered the troubles caused by the dragon blood incident, and decisively decided to treat Han Tao's injuries first.
In his knowledge, the dragon race has always been fond of pursuing great power; this is a tradition deeply ingrained in their bloodline, even though the Heavenly Ladder on the Azure Spirit Path has long been severed, making ascension impossible. Even the immortal sects, which advocate natural living and carefree existence, don't they lack those who cultivate the supreme Dao?
After all, even if the ladder to heaven had not been broken and the path to ascension still existed, only a few out of millions of people would eventually be able to ascend.
Fu Mingxu thought for a long time and finally attributed Han Tao's choice to fall into demonic ways to pursue greater power after his cultivation was completely destroyed.
Therefore, whether it was to fulfill Si Yang Xianjun's request or to repay the help he received in his previous life, the direction he took was generally correct.
Having made his decision, Fu Mingxu didn't hesitate for a moment. He changed out of his wedding dress, which he had torn to shreds, and into his usual blue robe. As he lifted the curtain and walked outside, he was already thinking about how to help him heal.
He had a very clear view of Han Tao's external injuries; all that remained was to know where his internal injuries were so that he could treat them accordingly.
Now that Han Tao has woken up, it would be more efficient for him to ask him directly.
Pushing open the door, the view I hadn't been able to see clearly last night came into view.
Strange rocks stand tall, willows droop, and exotic flowers and plants are scattered all around. The dew that has not yet dissipated on the tender green leaves reflects the glimmer of light.
My gaze followed the red ribbons hanging under the corridor, finally settling on the wide lake in the middle of the landscape.
Fu Mingxu never expected that there would be such a large lake in the city lord's mansion. The lake was so large that a dragon could be placed in it.
But when the image of a soaring figure blotting out the sky appeared in his mind, he became somewhat uncertain.
The city lord's mansion didn't look very big, and he guessed that space-folding magic must have been used here.
After marveling at the benefits of high cultivation, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Han Tao, whose cultivation was now completely destroyed. If someone like me had never been able to cultivate, aside from occasional frustration, I would simply accept it. But when someone who was once proud and aloof between heaven and earth suddenly falls to the dust, the feeling is probably indescribable.
Following his memory from last night, Fu Mingxu wandered around, but after a stick of incense had burned, he still couldn't find the exit.
Fu Mingxu: I'm so tired from walking. As expected, this space folding technique is only suitable for people with high cultivation levels.
Strangely, he hadn't encountered a single person in the vast city lord's mansion on his way here.
Having failed to ask for directions, Fu Mingxu, exhausted, casually found a spot under the corridor to rest.
The spring sunshine was warm and the scenery around the lake was beautiful. The only drawback was that the exotic flowers and plants were neglected and crowded together, which diminished their beauty.
"What a waste." Fu Mingxu idly began to examine the flowers and plants, but unexpectedly spotted a few rare medicinal herbs among the crowded plants.
Well, he finally understood why no one had noticed the broken blood flower inside the beast candle.
Seeing the neglected medicinal herb, Fu Mingxu's heart warmed. His blue robes fluttered in the wind. He walked to a strange rock and bent down to reach out when suddenly he heard the sound of rushing water.
A note from the author:
Han Tao: He actually likes to drink my blood...
Chapter 7
It sounded like a giant beast churning in the water, the splashing sound sending shivers down one's spine.
Fu Mingxu instinctively stepped back, but didn't notice the person behind him.
"Madam, are you watching the city lord take a bath?"
Fu Mingxu was so startled that he quickly stopped in his tracks. Before he could turn around, his gaze was drawn to a dazzling glitter in the sunlight.
He saw a huge golden dragon tail.
Sunlight poured down, its bright rays obscuring the dullness of the dragon's tail, leaving only the golden reflection of its scales to catch the eye.
The dragon's tail swung so violently that it splashed up a layer of water.
Han Zhengzhi skillfully dodged, and then saw Fu Mingxu wipe the water off his face, his voice suddenly rising: "What did you call me?"
His blue robe was soaked through; if he hadn't reacted quickly and dodged, he would have been completely drenched.
“Madam,” Han Zhengzhi said solemnly, “the City Lord’s wife.”
"Don't talk nonsense!" Fu Mingxu was terrified, a wave of shame washing over him. "What lady! I'm a man!"
But Han Zhengzhi showed no change in expression. Instead, he asked in confusion, "You've already married our city lord, and you slept together last night. What else could you be but his wife?"
"I've heard that the elders of the Xuantian Sect also have male partners, and the Dragon Clan doesn't care about that."
"Not Madam, but..." Fu Mingxu searched for a long time but couldn't find a suitable title, so he could only bite the bullet and explain, "I can't explain it to you, so just don't call me Madam."
Han Zhengzhi gave him a strange look, clearly not intending to change his mind.
The two spoke loudly, and the commotion in the lake subsided. Han Tao, dressed in black, stood under the willow tree. The gentle touch of the tender green willow branches did not lessen the coldness and ferocity naturally emanating from his face, making him appear like a fierce god descending upon the world.
Han Tao's presence was too strong. When he walked towards him like this, Fu Mingxu felt the blood in his chest begin to surge.
"What is it?" As he moved, the fierce look in his eyes disappeared, but his jawline remained taut, making him look rather unapproachable.
Even knowing the underlying reasons, Han Zhengzhi was still astonished when he witnessed his city lord's emotional changes firsthand.
Perhaps in Fu Mingxu's eyes, the city lord still seemed unapproachable at this moment, but only he knew that the bulging veins on the back of his hand and his tense expression revealed the tension in his heart.
Han Zhengzhi followed him for a hundred years, watching him stand out from the dragon clan, and what he always saw was his composure when Mount Tai was not collapsing.
Concealing his shock, Han Zhengzhi replied, "It's the priest. He wants to see the lady."
Fu Mingxu's eyelids twitched, and then he heard Han Tao ask, "Do you want to go?"
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt the other person's gaze was too aggressive. For a moment, he even wondered if his actions last night had been witnessed by him. But when he looked closer, all he saw in those golden eyes was a restrained ferocity.
How could that be? It's probably just a hallucination caused by not getting enough sleep.
“I don’t want to go.” Fu Mingxu shook his head honestly, forgetting about how Han Zhengzhi addressed him. “I’m not familiar with them.”
His purpose in coming was to help Han Tao heal his injuries; there was no need for him to have contact with other dragons.
"Then I won't go," Han Tao decided.
Han Zhengzhi had no objection and cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, Lord City Lord, Madam, I will go and reply right away."
Fu Mingxu's lips twitched. After he left, he chuckled awkwardly, "Could you please stop calling me 'Madam' from now on?"
Meeting Han Tao's seemingly somber gaze, he said, "It sounds rather awkward."
Han Tao glanced at him, seemingly lost in thought, and only managed to utter a single "Okay" from his throat.
Fu Mingxu breathed a sigh of relief and put the little incident out of his mind. He then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him: "This contains the elixir you need to treat your external injuries. Have someone prepare it."
The white paper was covered with a long string of names of medicinal herbs, the black characters flowing and elegant, exuding a faint scent of ink.
"Okay." Han Tao reached out and took it. For a moment, their hands were side by side as if they were taking turns, and the difference in size was astonishing.
The paper was ordinary white paper. Fu Mingxu handed it over very gently, and the paper was soft. Logically, it was impossible for the two of them to touch each other's skin while each holding one end. However, Han Tao's hands, like his body, were much larger than others.
The touch and separation of their fingertips was only for a brief moment, but Fu Mingxu could feel the roughness of the fingertips, which was different from his own.
He quickly withdrew his hand and subtly increased the distance between them.
Fu Mingxu steadied himself and tilted his head slightly. Seeing that he was holding the paper and looking at it, he couldn't help but say, "There are two columns in total. The left side contains the more precious spiritual herbs, and the back side contains the ordinary spiritual herbs that can be substituted."
Unable to fathom Han Tao's thoughts, and fearing that he might mistakenly believe, like ordinary people, that the effectiveness of a medicinal herb depends on its rarity, he explained, "Don't underestimate those ordinary medicinal herbs. If they are properly combined and refined, they can have unexpected benefits."
Han Tao nodded: "I believe you."
Fu Mingxu was taken aback, not expecting him to do this.
But it's always better to cooperate than not to cooperate; it's exhausting to make him explain everything.
It felt good to be trusted. Fu Mingxu breathed a sigh of relief and said with a light smile, "This is for treating external injuries. If you want to recover to your former self, your internal injuries must also be treated. Of course, then I would like to trouble the city lord to describe the details of your internal injuries."
"What do you want?" Han Tao suddenly asked.
His gaze shifted from the paper to the top of his head, then down along the direction of his dark hair.
"Huh?" Fu Mingxu didn't expect him to ask that. He quickly realized, "During this time, it would be enough to get some protection from the city lord."
“Of course.” Han Tao nodded, but then asked, “Is there anything else?”
"And another one?" Fu Mingxu was shocked. He wondered if this city lord was all brawn and no brains. Otherwise, why would he be so eager to offer benefits?
Could it be that the benefits I just mentioned are not worthy of his recovery?
That must be it!
Having figured out Han Tao's true thoughts, Fu Mingxu smiled knowingly and said frankly, "Of course I do. I need some dragon blood for research, is that alright?"
He tilted his head slightly as he spoke, a comforting smile playing on his lips, as if what he was saying was simply a doctor's instinctive research.
He wants dragon blood? Han Tao couldn't help but recall the scene from last night, his heart pounding. After a long while, he finally found his voice: "Okay."
Fearing he might doubt him, Fu Mingxu emphasized, "Not much is needed, just a few drops will do."
It would be terrible if people suspected that he came because of dragon blood.
The willow branches swayed slightly, and the two stood facing each other in the spring sunshine. Han Zhengzhi returned from outside, intending to come in and report the situation, but stopped in his tracks after meeting his master's glance.
From his perspective, his master could easily reach out and embrace Fu Mingxu.
Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was alright, Han Zhengzhi thought for a moment and did not step forward. Instead, he waved to his master from behind Fu Mingxu and then withdrew.
Having received the promise to take a little dragon blood, Fu Mingxu had already taken advantage of the time the two were talking to understand Han Tao's internal injuries.
Other flesh and blood injuries are fine; even severely injured Reverse Scales can have most of their vital energy restored with the Spring Transformation Pill.
The most difficult thing is that the ruptured dragon soul in his body needs to be dealt with. The dragon soul is the essence of the dragon race's cultivation. If it is not repaired properly, even if he has great cultivation, he will not be able to exert it.
Fu Mingxu pondered for a long time, and Han Tao waited patiently.
Then, he said, "The injury to the reverse scale has stabilized. All that's left is one Spring Transformation Pill to restore it to its original state. With plenty of spiritual herbs, refining the Spring Transformation Pill is not difficult. It's just that the shattered Dragon Soul is a problem."
Fu Mingxu's brows furrowed slightly amidst the mist. His voice, already clear and melodious, softened as he spoke, making it as soothing as a flowing spring: "I know of a rare spiritual flower that has a magical effect on the inner core of demons. Perhaps there is someone who can help us."