A goddess dwells in my heart.

Chapter 9 Lord Qiao Qiao is Jealous

The two left the noisy audience seats and, led by a servant, arrived at a relatively quiet courtyard at the back of the villa.

The once imposing Bull Demon King was now chained to a stake with thick iron chains, while a middle-aged man who looked like a manager stood beside him, directing several burly men to pour feed into the trough.

The resort manager, a middle-aged man in his forties, immediately greeted Su Wan Ning with a beaming smile upon her arrival.

"Miss Su, what brings you here?"

"Come see the cows." Su Wan Ning replied casually, naturally moving closer to Lu Zhe Ji.

The supervisor's gaze swept between the two, finally settling on Su Wan Ning's arm linked with Lu Zhe Ji's. A knowing smile played on his lips: "This young master is quite handsome; could he be Miss Su's lover?"

Su Wanning stood on tiptoe and reached out to rub Lu Zheji's head: "Manager Wang has misunderstood. I raised this child myself."

As she spoke, her body was almost pressed against the road, an intimacy that had long since crossed the boundaries of normal male-female relations.

A flicker of realization crossed Manager Wang's eyes. He guessed that this handsome young man was probably a kept man, a plaything, for the young lady of the Su family. He didn't expose him, but simply smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "My apologies for my rudeness. May I ask how this gentleman is addressed?"

"The road was broken."

Manager Wang's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze sharpened slightly, as if he were weighing the significance of this surname.

Su Wanning didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "We need a bullfight, this is it."

She raised her chin and pointed to the Bull Demon King who was engrossed in eating.

Manager Wang's expression changed slightly, and he shook his head repeatedly: "Miss Su is joking. The Bull Demon King has extraordinary bloodline. He's only one year old and already has such a physique. He's guaranteed to grow to the second realm in the future. This is the manor's prized possession; how can we sell it so easily?"

Su Wan Ning extended four slender fingers: "I'll add money, four thousand taels of silver."

Manager Wang shook his head again: "This isn't about the money. This is a Snowfield Wild Bull, a tribute exclusively for the Lin family's main household. We servants have no right to sell it privately."

Su Wanning patted Lu Zheji on the shoulder: "This child is the son of the Prince of Zhenbei. The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion and the Lin family's fiefdom are adjacent, and the two families have been on good terms for generations. With this kind of relationship, can't even a snow-covered bull be enough?"

Manager Wang frowned and looked at Lu Zheji: "How could the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion have such close ties with the Su family?"

"None of your business!" Su Wan Ning raised her chin. "I'm the physician appointed for him by the imperial court."

As she spoke, she took out a document from her sleeve and handed it over. It was Lu Zheji's urgent dispatch bearing the seal of the Goddess Palace. "Here, take a good look."

Supervisor Wang took the document and began to scan it. When his gaze swept over the text describing the patient's condition and finally landed on the doctor's signature at the end, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression became complicated.

He closed the urgent dispatch, and when he spoke again, his tone was much more polite: "Given our friendship, Her Majesty the Empress will surely agree. However, my position is limited, and this matter must be consulted with Her Majesty, or perhaps decided by the direct descendants of the Lin family. Please wait a few more days before coming again."

"When will we be able to contact Her Majesty the Empress?" Lu Zheji asked.

Su Wan Ning, who was close to the road, suddenly interjected, "The academy will release the results in nine days, and Her Majesty the Empress will definitely be there."

If I come back then, won't I have already sent it?

Lu Zheji's heart tightened, and he said to Su Wanning, "Junior Sister, as a member of the imperial family, may I enter the palace to request an audience with Her Majesty the Empress under the guise of paying my respects?"

These words made Manager Wang look at him like he was an idiot, but he immediately remembered the illness recorded on the medical report and felt relieved.

No problem, he really is an idiot.

He cleared his throat and explained with a hint of barely perceptible pride, "Young Master Lu, you may not know this, but Her Majesty the Empress is the head of the Lin family. She usually resides in the family's fiefdom and never stays overnight in the Chang'an Imperial Palace. If it weren't for the release of the academy's examination results, it would be even more difficult to see Her Majesty."

Lu Zheji noticed that he used the word "stay overnight," as if the empress shouldn't be staying in the palace at all.

This is utterly upside down! Could this emperor's reign be any more pathetic?

Having previously heard that the Goddess Palace was in power, he guessed that the current royal family was probably being sidelined. Now, knowing that the Empress could insult the Emperor in such a way, he realized that the Lu royal family was probably even more of a nobody than he had imagined.

Su Wanning seemed to have seen through his thoughts and secretly transmitted her voice, saying, "Don't worry, the Lin family and the Lu royal family have been on good terms for generations, but they have a falling out with the Chang'an branch. However, they have a close relationship with your family."

She did not explain why the empress married someone she had a grudge against.

Lu Zheji wanted to try again, but Manager Wang repeatedly cupped his hands and said with a bitter face, "Young Master Lu, Miss Su, these are the rules. I really have no right to make an exception. Please don't make things difficult for me anymore."

Lu Zheji didn't want to make things difficult for a working-class person, but the matter was of great importance. Just as the two sides were at an impasse, a short, startled cry suddenly came from behind them—

"ah!"

It was Su Wanning's voice.

Lu Zheji turned around abruptly and saw that the Bull Demon King, who had not yet been locked in the cage, had somehow broken free of his restraints.

"Moo—!"

Thick iron chains dragged on the ground like broken snakes, and amidst a deafening roar, the enormous beast, weighing 4,200 pounds, charged straight toward Su Wan Ning's slender figure at a speed disproportionate to its size.

The distance was too close, and the speed was too fast. In the blink of an eye, the huge body had rushed several feet in front of the young woman!

Lu Zheji's mind went blank for a moment.

An ordinary person would be terrified if pounced on by a tiger weighing a few hundred pounds, let alone a behemoth weighing four thousand two hundred pounds. Coupled with its cultivation level that was on the verge of becoming a demon, the Bull Demon King at this moment was like a truck that had gone out of control on a highway. The unstoppable impact seemed capable of crushing all flesh and blood into dust.

Ordinary people are so terrified that they just wait to die.

But the road was thwarted...

When he came to his senses, he found that his body had already reacted instinctively.

His left hand reached out immediately, embracing the petite girl's slender waist, and with a sudden burst of strength, lifted her light body into the air, protecting her behind him.

At the same time, his right hand was already on the hilt of the sword. With a clear and melodious "clang," the fine steel longsword was drawn from its sheath, turning into a cold, sharp light that pierced straight into the giant bull's vulnerable throat along its charging path.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. After Lu Zheji regained consciousness, he was still not panicked. His heart was still beating steadily and powerfully in his chest, and the rushing blood brought him an unusual calmness.

He continued to follow the familiar yet strange fighting instinct surging from the depths of his body, as if this body had already experienced thousands of similar life-or-death battles.

"Pfft."

The sword tip pierced the bull's throat cleanly, and the enormous impact surged through the blade. Lu Zheji, however, instinctively adjusted his posture, distributing the force—enough to shatter an ordinary person's arm bones—through his entire body, rather than having it borne solely by his right arm.

At the same time, the movement techniques he had learned in the past were integrated in this instant. He held the girl's soft waist with his left hand, and his right hand plunged the long sword deep into the bull's throat. His whole body was like a willow catkin in the wind, smoothly moving backward with the bull's violent momentum, and he completely dissipated the overwhelming impact!

The Bull Demon King, barely a year old, was in the prime of his life, fearless and brimming with inexplicable rage, wanting nothing more than to crush everything in his path. But when the cold blade pierced his throat, when his pride and joy were inexplicably disarmed by this tiny human, a fear born of primal instinct suddenly seized him.

The inexplicable anger died down just as suddenly. Driven by fear, it instinctively tried to beg for mercy, but with its throat pierced by the blade, it could only let out a hissing sound.

The man in front of him suddenly drew his longsword.

"laugh--!"

Blood gushed out like a fountain, and only then did the Bull Demon King belatedly feel the excruciating pain.

Another cold sword light flashed, and the Bull Demon King felt a chill on his neck, and his vision suddenly spun.

"Bang."

The headless ox carcass crashed down, raising a cloud of dust.

Lu Zheji was still somewhat dazed even after killing the Bull Demon King.

But driven by some deep-seated muscle memory, his left hand naturally pulled the seemingly trembling girl closer to his chest, making her press more tightly against his body. With a flick of his right wrist, he shook off the dripping blood from the sword, then slung the sword behind his back.

He can slay demons, flirt with girls, and show off his coolness all in one go; he's a hero in the world of showing off!

"Wow! Junior brother, you're amazing!"

Su Wan Ning's exclamation rang out in her arms. She looked up at Lu Zhe Ji with her small face full of undisguised admiration.

Seeing the mess, Manager Wang, ignoring his pale face, immediately bowed and flattered:

"Young Master Lu truly lives up to his reputation as the son of the Prince of Zhenbei! Like father, like son! His moves are decisive and swift, his swordsmanship precise and ruthless—he's practically a seasoned warrior! I admire him greatly!"

Is he a veteran of countless battles?

Lu Zheji also realized that this body's combat talent was excessively strong.

Emperor Wu – an emperor who was revered for his military prowess.

Even though the memories of that life remain sealed away, the fighting spirit honed through countless life-and-death battles seems to be gradually emerging as the soul awakens.

Just then, a strange sense of irritation welled up in his heart without warning, interrupting his thoughts.

It was only then that he belatedly realized that what he felt through the thin fabric of her clothes was the warm, soft touch of the girl's waist, and besides the smell of blood, there was also the faint fragrance of her hair.

I've been holding this position for quite a while now...

He quickly let go, but Su Wan Ning seemed to have no concept of the boundaries between men and women. Instead of leaving, she jumped up and hugged Lu Zheji's neck, hanging on him like a koala.

"Junior Brother!" She pressed her cheek affectionately against his neck, gently nuzzling him. "You scared your senior sister to death just now! Thank goodness you were here! Our junior brother is now a reliable man who can protect his senior sister!"

Surrounded by the warmth and softness of her body, the girl's unreserved dependence and adoration were like the finest wine, instantly dispelling the chill of the previous battle. Lu Zheji felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, as if he were floating on clouds.

Unexpectedly, a cold voice came from within his mind:

"If you don't make a move, that cow will be killed by Su Wan Ning."

That's right.

Su Wan Ning is a cultivator at the third realm. Even if she is only a medical cultivator who is least skilled in combat, suppressing three major realms is enough to easily kill this Bull Demon King who has not yet entered the realm.

After all that, it turns out my junior sister was the one providing me with emotional support...

……

Su Wanning got off Lu Zheji and straightened her slightly disheveled skirt. When she turned to Manager Wang, the sweet smile on her face faded a bit, replaced by a hint of arrogance typical of scions of wealthy families.

"Manager Wang, how does your Bullfighting Manor plan to handle this matter?"

Manager Wang finally opened his mouth: "This..."

Su Wanning interrupted him directly: "I was able to enter the manor to buy cattle because of the Lin family's favor. I won't make things difficult for you today."

She pointed to the enormous bull carcass on the ground, "I'll buy this bull for four thousand taels, consider it a bullfight, and let's leave it at that."

When it came to interpersonal relationships between prominent families, Lu Zheji wisely refrained from interjecting.

But he remembered that cows could be sold in parts, and not wanting Su Wan Ning to spend too much, he whispered, "Junior Sister, there's no need to buy the whole cow, we can buy them individually..."

"Junior Brother, you don't understand." Su Wan Ning abruptly interrupted him, turning her head to reveal her playful smile again. "This is a Snowfield Bull, exclusively for the direct descendants of the Lin family. Even the Emperor doesn't have this luxury! I've been craving it for so long, how could I let this opportunity slip by?"

Manager Wang hesitated, "Um... Miss Su, I haven't agreed yet..."

Su Wanning took a token from her waist and casually tossed it over.

"It's settled then." Her tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "If Her Majesty the Empress blames me, I will take the blame."

Manager Wang held the token, and suddenly seemed to understand something; his expression changed several times.

He took a deep breath, put away the token, and bowed, saying, "In that case, we will do as Miss Su says. The manor will send the slaughtered beef to your residence later."

……

On the way back, Lu Zheji finally spoke up and asked, "Senior Sister, it was clearly the manor's fault for offending us just now. Why did they let it go so easily? And even offered to buy cattle?"

Su Wan Ning took his arm, turned her head and smiled, "Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future. Why do you think this manor could still open a back door for Senior Sister even though the Su family and the Lin family are at odds? That's the art of dealing with people."

Lu Zheji suddenly realized and laughed, "I understand. Junior Sister is afraid that if things get too tense, there won't be any beef to eat in Chang'an anymore."

"Haha, junior brother understands me!" Su Wan Ning smiled, her eyes crinkling, and she clung to his arm even tighter, her body almost pressed against him.

Lu Zheji let her hold his arm, gazing at the exquisite figure sitting serenely in the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and sighed inwardly:

"Junior Sister is so gentle. Whoever marries her will be incredibly lucky."

There was no response from the Bronze Sparrow Terrace; it seemed the indifferent goddess disdained to pay attention to his pointless remarks.

But Lu Zheji persisted: "Why aren't you saying anything? Could it be... that Lady Qiao Qiao is jealous?"

He had felt something was off earlier, wondering where that inexplicable unease in his heart came from. Coincidentally, at that very moment, the goddess uttered words that didn't quite match her usual aloof persona.

Su Wanning offered him emotional support, but why would this goddess, who was always detached from worldly affairs, have to expose him?

Unless... she saw how intimate they were and was displeased.

The goddess had previously said that their souls were connected, and Lu Zheji's intense emotional fluctuations could be transmitted to him. So it turns out the reverse direction works too...

Inside the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, the peerless goddess still sat with her eyes closed, her expression unchanged, seemingly unwilling to pay attention to Lu Zheji's unreasonable speculations.

But only she knew the reason she didn't speak: the words she had hesitated to tell Lu Zheji were now being confirmed as evidence of her jealousy if she were to say them now.

Just now, no one else noticed, only the goddess sensed it.

Before the Bull Demon King went berserk, it was Su Wan Ning who subtly beckoned it with her little finger.