Inside the loft, a gentle breeze blew, lifting the light gauze curtains by the window.
In the distance, the sea of clouds churned, a sight of incomparable beauty that felt like a true fairyland.
Su Fu sat at the table as invited.
The sandalwood in the incense burner burned slowly, sending curls of green smoke upward.
When Immortal Xu asked why she had come, she replied, “I have long heard of your great name, Immortal Xu, so I have come specifically to ask for your guidance on a few matters.”
Immortal Xu nodded, “There is no need for such formalities, General. Please, speak freely.”
Su Fu smiled slightly and asked, “I am curious. For an existence such as yourself, what is it that you truly seek?”
Immortal Xu stroked his long beard, his smile gentle as he said, “All mortals seek something, and Immortals are no different. What I seek is simply immortality.”
He explained, “All those who practice cultivation are, in the end, only seeking the word ‘longevity.’ Only through eternal life can one truly penetrate the mysteries of heaven and earth.”
“Immortality…” Su Fu softly repeated the word, “Then, have you attained it, Immortal?”
Immortal Xu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Su Fu to ask so bluntly.
He then chuckled, “Do your words mean that you are also interested in the path to immortality, General?”
“Who in this world does not desire eternal life?” Su Fu gave a light laugh, then changed the subject,
“By the way, Immortal, have you ever been to the East Sea?”
Immortal Xu paused for a nearly imperceptible moment, but he quickly recovered his composure and said calmly, “I have resided on the Immortal Ship for a long time and have never set foot in the mortal seas.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Su Fu spoke noncommittally, “Then let me tell you a story.”
Immortal Xu stared at her for a moment before nodding, “I am all ears.”
Su Fu’s voice rose slowly, “Long ago, there was a mortal who presented a miraculous technique to an emperor. He claimed that the Penglai Immortal Mountain existed in the East Sea, where the method for immortality could be found.”
“The emperor was overjoyed. He bestowed upon the man countless treasures and sent him into the East Sea with several thousand young boys and girls, 100 artisans, and the five grains to seek the elixir.”
“But that man took the emperor’s trust and the heavy treasures and, after entering the East Sea, he fled. He never returned.”
Immortal Xu’s expression stiffened.
He subconsciously tightened his grip on his teacup.
He stared intently at Su Fu as if he were looking at a ghost of history that should not have appeared.
Su Fu acted as if she had not noticed.
Her voice dropped low as her eyes met him directly.
“Do you think, Immortal, that after the man betrayed the emperor, he ever felt fear? Did he sleep soundly at night?”
“Did he wake up in shock every night, seeing armored soldiers coming across the sea, or seeing that emperor holding a long sword with endless fury burning in his eyes?”
Immortal Xu’s face finally changed.
Why did Su Fu know his story so clearly?
‘Who was she? What was she really here for? How did she know these things…?’
“…A story?” Immortal Xu suddenly snapped back to reality, forcing a stiff smile onto his face, “You must be joking, General.”
“It is just a story. I am not that man, so how would I know? Besides… what is there to fear?”
A trace of malice flashed in his eyes as he said, “That emperor may have died long ago, while that… person seeking immortality might live much longer than the emperor ever did.”
“Why would the living fear the dead?”
Su Fu nodded as if realizing something, “Oh, I didn’t expect you to have such a perspective, Immortal Xu. However, I heard that the fangshi did indeed live for more than 2,000 years, but…”
“But what?” Immortal Xu’s breathing became noticeably rapid.
Su Fu continued slowly, “The mortal in the story also had the surname Xu.”
She smiled, “Just like you, Immortal Xu.”
Hearing this, Immortal Xu suddenly stood up.
His Taoist robe knocked over the teacup, spilling tea everywhere.
If he couldn’t understand Su Fu’s meaning by now, he would have lived all those years in vain.
He completely tore away his disguise and asked angrily, “Who exactly are you!”
How could anyone know this so clearly?
‘Could it be… sent by ‘that’ person? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He was dead! He was already dead!’
Su Fu unhurriedly picked up the fallen teacup and sighed, “Why get so worked up, Immortal Xu?”
She slowly pushed it toward him and said, “I am simply acting on someone’s behalf. I wanted to ask a question for that Qin Emperor…”
The moment Immortal Xu heard this, his expression changed drastically.
‘Who? The Qin Emperor?!’
He stumbled back a few steps, knocking over the bookshelf behind him.
“No, no, no…”
Su Fu’s voice echoed eerily, as if traveling through a thousand years, “My Emperor asks you—”
“Minister Xu, why do you not return?!”
Immortal Xu froze entirely.
It was as if he could see that black-robed emperor standing with his back turned in Xianyang Palace, slowly turning around, pointing the Dingqin Sword at him.
“Minister Xu.”
The Emperor’s voice rang out coldly, “Where is my Elixir of Immortality?”
In an instant, Immortal Xu collapsed, he began to scream frantically, “No… impossible!”
“He’s been dead for a long time! Yes! How could he live until now! He’s been dead for ages!”
He laughed hideously, looking at Su Fu with madness, “Did you hear me? He died long ago!”
“Even if you know I am Immortal Xu, so what? Do you think you can do anything to me?”
He let out a sudden roar.
A massive phantom appeared behind him—a terrifying serpent with eight heads.
Each head opened its bloody maw, revealing cold, serrated fangs.
“Do you see? This is a true god!” Immortal Xu opened his arms, letting the shadow of the serpent coil around him.
“What does Ying Zheng count for? He was nothing more than a short-lived ghost who couldn’t even live to fifty!”
He said proudly, “Your Chinese gods aren’t even worthy of being sacrifices before the great Yamata no Orochi!”
Yamata no Orochi looked greedily at Su Fu, its crimson eyes locked onto her.
“You think I’d be afraid of him? I am no longer that weak fangshi from back then! Now, I am a true Immortal!”
Su Fu looked at the frenzied Immortal Xu and sighed deeply, “So that’s how it is. You really did betray the Qin Emperor and to escape his pursuit, you colluded with Amaterasu’s Yamata no Orochi.”
“Let me think, how did you collaborate? Did you take the initiative to offer up Penglai? Or was Yamata no Orochi greedy and wanted to swallow it?”
“Or perhaps it was both. You hit it off and planned together to take the entire Penglai Immortal Isle for yourselves and consume it completely.”
Rumor had it that Immortal Xu fled to the plains and marshes.
It was logical for him to encounter Yamata no Orochi there.
Combined with his voyage to Penglai, he likely learned of the existence of the Penglai Immortal Isle.
As a fairyland in mythos, the Penglai Immortal Isle possessed endless spiritual power and vitality.
Once Yamata no Orochi knew of it, there was no way it wouldn’t covet it.
One sought immortality, and the other sought to consume.
It was a perfect deal.
The only victims were the former fairyland and countless innocent beings.
“Shut up!” Immortal Xu roared, “Where did this junior come from? You’re seeking death!”
He suddenly whipped out streaks of venom that rushed toward Su Fu.
“What do you know! I’m about to succeed! When that time comes, I will obtain infinite life! I have already attained immortality!”
Su Fu swung the Golden Cudgel, stirring the air and easily blocking Immortal Xu’s attack.
“Is that so?” She took a step forward.
“If you really aren’t afraid, then why was your reaction so violent the moment you heard the title ‘Qin Emperor’?”
Su Fu had struck a nerve.
Immortal Xu’s body faltered, “Shut up!”
He howled hysterically.
Behind him, the serpent shadow lunged frantically at Su Fu, vowing to coil around her and crush her to death.
Su Fu, of course, would not shut up.
She swung the Golden Cudgel to force him back and said, “There is nothing wrong with pursuing immortality, but you worked hand-in-glove with Yamata no Orochi in an attempt to steal Penglai.”
Yamata no Orochi let him taste the sweetness of immortality, and in exchange, he provided it with convenience, allowing it to gradually devour the Immortal Ship.
“So what?!”
Immortal Xu laughed wildly, his voice hoarse, “You guessed everything correctly! So what?”
“Ying Zheng is long dead! The gods of China have long since vanished! And I—I am the eternal existence!”
“Once the consumption is complete, what use is the Penglai Immortal Ship? I will be Penglai! I will obtain a life as long and endless as the ship itself!”
His eyes stared fixedly at Su Fu, his pupils thinning into slits.
His voice overlapped with the whispers of the serpent shadow as if they were speaking simultaneously.
“Su Fu… don’t you want immortality?”
He lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of temptation, “I didn’t want to lay a hand on you. I even tolerated you at every turn before…”
“Why must you disturb me?”
The phantom of Yamata no Orochi coiled behind him, its heads drooping low.
“I know you Generals won’t stay for long before leaving. You should be leaving soon, right?”
“I won’t affect you, and you shouldn’t disturb me. Peaceful coexistence—isn’t that good?”
“Or perhaps…” His voice sounded like a demon’s whisper, “Do you want to stay?”
“I have found the path to immortality. I can help you achieve it too. How about it?”
Su Fu looked at him expressionlessly.
The Golden Cudgel in her hand grew several times larger, making a harsh scraping sound against the floor.
She walked toward Immortal Xu step by step, her tone nonchalant.
“Not interested.”
She was actually in a pretty bad mood.
She hadn’t expected her guess to be right—that a big boss had been entrenched in the Immortal Ship map for a long time.
Hidden, cunning, and deceitful… it had likely sent away countless generations of Test Takers while secretly devouring the Immortal Ship to grow stronger.
If it truly succeeded in devouring it, this would likely be the strongest Yamata no Orochi in history.
“You’re too ugly,” she said earnestly.
The person was ugly, and the snake was ugly.
She found it quite revolting.
“The Immortal Ship is mine. Therefore, you die.” Simple and crude, the Golden Cudgel suddenly swung down.