Chapter 914: Chapter 533: Return (Part 2)
Did Xu really indulge in astronomy back then? Zhao Douan was taken aback for a moment and said:
"So Your Majesty suspects that my appearance from the mural in the Capital is related to this Disaster Star?"
This logic is somewhat convoluted...
However, Xu Zhenguan shook her head, her eyes gleaming with wisdom:
"No, I speculate that the reason your Divine Sense manifested and walked out from the mural is not significantly related to the Disaster Star. It should still be the mysterious transformation that occurred after you sensed the Heavenly Human Realm, combined with the Dragon Essence within you. After all, you have always been closely linked with the Royal Family’s heritage."
Zhao Douan was at a loss for words to refute this, and instead asked:
"Then why did Your Majesty mention the Disaster Star just now?"
Xu Zhenguan’s eyes grew brighter. She spoke with a bit of enthusiasm, as if sharing a great secret:
"Because this involves another transformation. Just now, I visualized entering the ’Human World,’ and there I finally found the cultivation clues left by the Grand Ancestor Emperor. It was a Painting Person who called himself ’Zhang Hui’... Upon entering, there seemed to be an ’identity’ of mine in the painted world, and this Painting Person contacted me through this identity... Hmm, similar to the ’Big Dream Scroll’..."
She eagerly talked about her experiences.
Women always have a strong desire to share, but as an Emperor, she had too many secrets that couldn’t be spoken, only kept in her heart.
And Zhao Douan was undoubtedly a good confidant, especially since he would also enter the ’Human World’ sooner or later. Xu Zhenguan believed that sharing her exploration experiences with him could help him get familiar with the next Chapter in advance...
The Empress didn’t notice that Zhao Douan’s gaze was becoming increasingly strange.
’Hmm... Zhenbao, you are indeed very clever, being able to conjecture such a reasonable explanation... Because when the Grand Ancestor Emperor painted the mural, he referred to celestial phenomena, and it just so happened that the Disaster Star swept across the sky, causing some changes within the mural... Hmm, although this logic is not tight, cultivation at the Heavenly Human level is full of mysteries and uncertainties... It indeed easily leads to associations.’
The key point here is that the Empress doesn’t know some secrets that only successive Emperors are aware of due to her unusual ascent to the throne.
Thus, many things, especially those involving cultivation, require her to explore bit by bit.
Just like how she did not know the location of the Dragon Essence initially.
And in the Empress’s judgment, compared to the incredibly absurd possibility that "Zhao Douan is Zhang Hui," the changes induced by the Disaster Star are undoubtedly more "reasonable."
Hmm, or perhaps it’s not that complicated at all. It might simply be that she stayed in the ’Human World’ long enough to meet some conditions, allowing the guide Zhang Hui to appear... Xu Zhenguan speculated in her heart.
"So that’s how it is." Zhao Douan seized the opportunity, suddenly realizing, "So this is how I could return."
After this conversation, both ruler and subject felt much lighter-hearted, setting aside the ominous presage of the Disaster Star.
Whether it was the great victory on the western front, the appearance of Zhang Hui, or Zhao Douan’s extraordinary way of returning... these were all joyous events.
"How long can you maintain this state? Is it possible to return?" Xu Zhenguan began to show concern for his state.
Zhao Douan said: "I don’t feel any discomfort, but there’s a sense that I can’t go too far from the mural... Another is that it seems I can return to Linfeng through the mural, but whether I can come over again is uncertain and needs to be tried."
Xu Zhenguan nodded with a serious expression: "When it comes to the realm of cultivation, even a bit of carelessness is unacceptable. I also cannot confirm if there would be any problems with you staying here long-term. To be safe, let me send you back first."
Are we leaving now? Zhao Douan remained silent for a moment, gazing directly into the Empress’s eyes: "I am reluctant to leave Your Majesty, I wish to sit a while longer."
Xu Zhenguan’s cheeks flushed, and a warm feeling arose in her heart, even though Zhao Douan currently had no physical form. His gaze seemed to carry a burning warmth, prompting her to want to avoid it.
The Empress hesitated for a moment but softly uttered an "Hmm," which was considered permission.
Zhao Douan chuckled, boldly stood up, walked to the Empress’s side, and attempted some tentative advances with his hands.
And as expected, he passed through her.
Xu Zhenguan glared at him, somewhat exasperated: "Did I let you come over?"
"There’s no one else here, Eunuch Hai is guarding outside." Zhao Douan muttered, at this moment, having finished discussing serious matters, the atmosphere between the two was no longer just ruler and subject, but something else.
The Empress did not reply, only feeling the shadow trying repeatedly to pass through her, she said with a half-smile: "You can’t even get your drool on me like this, what else can you do?"
"..." Zhao Douan retreated dejectedly.
So, in the end, the ruler and subject simply sat quietly in the study, talking for a while.
Afterward, though the Empress also felt some reluctance in her heart, she took Zhao Douan back to the old building behind the Martial Arts Hall for his safety.
Standing in front of the mural, she said, "Try returning first. If you can come back again, then just come. If not, send the news back from the front lines. The news of the great victory on the western front will surely boost the confidence of all the officials and military, but next, the alliance between Prince Jing and Mu Prince will undoubtedly become tighter, so you and Xue Shence must act cautiously and not act recklessly."
The Empress spoke her parting words.
Zhao Douan nodded and smiled: "Don’t make it sound like a farewell. I have a premonition that I can come again. Once the battle on the front lines is concluded, I’ll come to report to Your Majesty."
Xu Zhenguan’s smile was filled with joy: "Alright, I’ll be waiting for you to return."