Su Xiaoyan had just been warned by Zijian, and his murderous eyes were still deeply imprinted in her mind, leaving a huge shadow. She refused to come again no matter what, so only Zhang Ai came alone.
This was the second time Zhang Ai saw Mu Lin. The last time was during the Hades’ wedding. Because her disciple was infatuated with Hades, she did not have a good impression of the new Hades. She just glanced at him from a distance and then left.
This time she was only a few feet away from the Queen of the Underworld, but a casual glance at her was stunning. Even though she looked down on the new Queen, she had to sigh that her appearance and temperament were outstanding, which her disciple could not even compare to.
How can a firefly compete with the bright moon
"Judge Zhang, please take a seat."
Mu Lin nodded slightly, his smile was neither eager nor distant, it was just the right attitude of a superior, with a bit of unique indifference, which made Zhang Ai feel an indescribable sense of familiarity.
She didn't think much about it, and after paying her respects, she sat down below Mu Lin.
The maid brought tea, and Mu Lin got straight to the point: "I wonder what Judge Zhang wants to see me about?"
Zhang Ai pretended to sigh: "Isn't it my unworthy disciple? After being brought back by His Majesty the King of Hell three hundred years ago, I have been devoted to His Majesty. I have no choice but to shamelessly come to ask for Your Majesty's grace..."
"Oh?" Mu Lin lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea. He raised his eyes and smiled softly, "I wonder what Judge Zhang wants?"
When Mu Lin didn't respond after saying this, Zhang Ai knew that she didn't want Hades to marry Xiao Yan, and she couldn't help but sneer in her heart. She came here, she didn't intend to return empty-handed!
So he just smiled and said: "I am not talented, but I am old, so I don't mind saying some things..."
Mu Lin smiled, "I am all ears."
"Ever since the accident happened to the lineage of the previous Hades, the royal bloodline has withered, and now only our Majesty is left. No matter when, having few offspring is a taboo. Your Majesty should take on the important task of carrying on the family line..."
"Oh?" Mu Lin just found these high-sounding words funny: "So Judge Zhang sent invitations to the palace again and again, and when your majesty and I were married less than half a month ago, he couldn't wait to propose taking a concubine? Your words are not taboo, but presumptuous, right?"
The word "僭越" was pronounced more strongly, and accompanied by Mu Lin's meaningful eyes, Zhang Ai's heart suddenly panicked, "Your Highness, I have no other intention..."
"Hmm? What do you mean? Are you trying to cause trouble for His Majesty and me for your own selfish reasons?"
"Having a virtuous wife and beautiful concubines, and having many children, is a happy event for the royal family..."
Mu Lin put the cup down heavily and said coldly: "High-sounding words cannot cover up selfish thoughts! Whose master doesn't want to train his apprentice to be a talent, stand up straight and serve the country? This is the first time I heard of a master sending his apprentice to the palace to be a concubine to compete for favor. Even if His Majesty is here, he will be dumbfounded and will not associate with it. I took a break from my busy schedule and said a few words to Judge Zhang. Shuangruo, send the guest away!"
Zhang Ai's face turned pale and blue at times, she was extremely embarrassed. She had not expected that the Queen of the Underworld would be so merciless. If her words were to spread today, it would not only be a small loss of face for Zhang Ai, but her entire life would be ruined!
Shuang Ruo had already walked over and made a respectful gesture, "Master Zhang, please."
Zhang Ai sat up suddenly, staring at Mu Lin with eyes that seemed to want to eat his flesh and blood alive: "The Queen of the Underworld, what you said is biased! The emperor's family affairs are state affairs. As a minister, why can't Zhang Ai give honest advice? My words are not for my own selfish desires, but for the interests of my family and country!"
As the saying goes, people need dignity and trees need bark. This shameless old man lied with open eyes, and Mu Lin was amazed.
She sat back on the Phoenix Throne and smiled, "I've heard for a long time that Judge Zhang's disciple is very talented. I saw it with my own eyes on the night of our wedding. Su Xiaoyan has reached the state of great perfection of the Supreme Immortal at such a young age. She is truly gifted."
Zhang Ai didn't understand why the Queen suddenly changed the subject, but as a master, she was also proud of the fact that the superior praised her disciple: "Thank you for the praise, my disciple is naughty and not very useful. After another hundred years of careful training, he can barely take over my position..."
Zhang Ai spoke modestly, but secretly showed off her disciple's excellence. In this vast world, most masters truly love their disciples. This old woman was shameless, but she was good to her disciple, so Mu Lin was no longer so disgusted.
Mu Lin took over her words: "Judge Zhang's love for his disciple is obvious to all, so keep the disciple by your side and educate him well. Miss Su is your Majesty's adopted sister. As your sister-in-law, I have prepared two water-patterned stones for Miss Su, which can help her calm her mind and improve her cultivation. With Miss Su's talent, I also hope that she will break through soon and add glory to the underworld. As for other distracting thoughts, it is better to cut them off as soon as possible, so as not to hinder your Tao heart and damage your future; disappointing your brother, and making your teacher's hard work go to waste."
After first suppressing and then praising, using both kindness and force, Zhang Ai had nothing to say and could only thank him and leave. After returning home, he thought deeply and repeatedly warned his disciples not to become enemies with the Queen of the Underworld.
Faced with her disciple's frustration and dejection, Zhang Ai just shook her head.
Yan'er felt wronged and confused, because she was young and inexperienced, and her vision was still short-sighted. Zhang Ai's age was not false, and after being enlightened by Mu Lin, she peeled off the fog of preference and saw much more clearly than Su Xiaoyan.
Whether in terms of cultivation or intelligence, Yan'er could hardly compete with the Queen of the Underworld, but the Queen of the Underworld was too disdainful to deal with her. She kindly reminded her to concentrate on her cultivation and not to waste the last bit of favor from the King of Hell.
After Mu Lin dealt with Zhang Ai, Zijian's private vault was almost sorted out. She took a special look and found that there was nothing she wanted.
The study is the place where Zijian spends the most time every day. It's time to find some time to explore it, Mu Lin thought.
It was already late at night when Mu Lin finished dealing with things in Danluan Palace. He simply spent the night here and had no intention of returning to Qingyuan Palace, his new residence after his wedding.
Not long after, Zi Jian came here. He waved his hand, and all the palace people around him left. Only Shuang Ruo beside Mu Lin remained.
"I have just obtained the Rain-previous Longjing in the human world, and I would like to share it with the queen. Shuangruo, go and make a pot of it."
"Yes." Shuang Ruo bowed and left.
After Shuangruo was sent away, only the couple were left in the hall, and they felt much more casual.
"I heard that Zhang Ai came to see you?"
"Your Majesty is well-informed."
"Not as smart as the queen, who can handle anything with ease."
Not comfortable enough to deal with you, Mu Lin looked at him calmly: "You came to Danluan Palace just to brag with me?"
"Nothing can be hidden from you, Lin'er. I came here to discuss something with you."
"What?"
Zijian stared at her: "Consummate the marriage."
"… "
"I told you before that I want a child, a child that is related to you and me by blood."
But they didn't reach a consensus at that time. Mu Lin didn't want children. When Zi Jian brought it up for the second time, she became a little impatient and looked back at him word by word, "I also told you that what you saw now was just a spirit, and it has no ability to reproduce."
"I have checked your origins. If I am not mistaken, your immortal body is in the Northern Desert Battlefield in the human world."
"That's right, and then what?" He would guess it sooner or later, so Mu Lin was not very surprised.
"It is not sustainable for the soul to wander outside. Now that Lin'er has climbed the altar and lit the lamp of the underworld, my name is connected to the Three Lives Stone, and I have reestablished a close connection with the underworld. Why not unite my body and soul and ascend to my homeland in the underworld in my original form?"
It sounded tempting, but she didn't need it. Now that she couldn't gather her father's soul, the most important thing was to help the spirits find Queyin so that she could work slowly.
In short, she would not stay in the underworld for long, so the unity of body and soul was not important to her. But Zijian could not know this, for fear of accidents.
"Zijian, you can actually be more sincere. Why do you have to have a child? Don't use the excuse that you love children. There are so many other solutions." If he really likes children, he can adopt a few. Mu Lin doesn't plan to have one anyway.
Zijian was about to say that he loved children: "..."
He sighed, and finally chose to tell the truth: "I am cursed by my bloodline. You are my destined one. Only by having children with you can the curse be lifted."
Mu Lin asked doubtfully: "How do you know that I am your destined one?"
"I knew it from the moment you appeared in the human world."
When he was reincarnated, he had no memory, but he knew clearly that he needed to keep marrying until he met his destined person. When he saw the little girl tied to the marriage bed, he seemed to see the red thread that bound them together.
So, I recognized it at first sight.
"Ridiculous, didn't you want to take my blood at that time?" Mu Lin was not easy to fool, he raised his eyebrows and glared at him.
Zijian suddenly smiled, his eyes were gentle and bright, "Little girl actually holds a grudge until now... I am a mortal with no memory of my past life. On the one hand, someone misled me, and on the other hand, I will not live long, so I can only use this method."
"Who misled you?"
"He is a Taoist priest, but I have to thank him." Zijian touched Mulin's head and said, "If he hadn't extended my life, I wouldn't have lived to see you."
"Then we really have to thank him." Mu Lin's lips curved slightly.
No matter what, her meeting and getting along with Zhongli Jian was one of her few good memories. Even though they later became enemies and suspected and schemed against each other, it could not completely deny the sincerity they once had.
Zijian was in a very good mood: "Meeting is fate. If we can have a blood bond, it would be fate upon fate..."
Mu Lin had a blank expression on his face: "There are so many people I've met, do I have to give birth to children for every man?"
"You dare!" Zijian was so angry that he felt layers of green appearing above his head.
"You are my legally wedded wife, and our marriage is engraved on the Three Lives Stone. How can you be compared to a mere passerby? If you want to give birth, you can only give birth to me!"
Mu Lin was so angry at his overbearing remarks that she laughed: "Husband and wife can divorce, and marriage can be severed, so why is my life still tied to you?"
"Have you ever heard of a Hades Queen breaking up with Hades?" Zi Jian was so angry that he laughed, "You deliberately said these hurtful words to provoke me to turn hostile and leave, so that this matter will be over, right?"
Yes, didn't her mother abandon her husband and children? No, their names were still on the Three Lives Stone, which showed that they didn't really divorce. I guess Ni Heng left in a hurry, and the two didn't have time to announce their divorce to the world.