“We’ll only know what the cauldron is made of once we go back and investigate the Huo family,” Lu Xingzhou said.

“Perhaps that cauldron even contains ingredients from other exotic beasts… but Anuo probably doesn’t have any other exotic beast blood in her; only bovine blood could cause this dual effect, leading to her current condition.”

The blood theory could be verified immediately. Long Qinghuang summoned an old bovine shamanic doctor to examine Anuo.

“Your Majesty’s guess is correct. This little girl must have bovine blood, especially that of a Kui Niu, and it’s not very harmonious with her own being. It’s easily agitated and can boil within her… Hmm, this disharmony is also directly related to her difficulty in growing up. This child shouldn’t be so small.”

Case closed.

Lu Xingzhou stared blankly at the old bovine, feeling a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite place.

This revelation didn’t just solve the root of Anuo’s “illness”; it also confirmed the long-speculated theory that “Anuo is a medicinal pill.”

Only if she were a medicinal pill could all of Anuo’s anomalies be explained; there was almost no need for further evidence.

But why was it that no one could tell she was a transformed medicinal pill? It was probably due to her extremely high grade.

“So, what should we do?” Long Qinghuang asked. “Do we need to remove the Kui Niu blood from her body? Or help it integrate?”

The old bovine was an excellent shamanic doctor. He pondered for a long time before shaking his head. “This Kui Niu blood should give this child powerful unusual abilities. Removing it would cripple her, which is not suitable. And this disharmony is innate, from the womb, somewhat like the result of a premature birth. If she’s properly nurtured later, helping it integrate should be possible. But, alas, we can’t even tell what she is, so how can we help?”

So, Anuo’s strength was bovine strength?

No, more than that.

Anuo must possess the strength of a dragon and a tiger, which was the fundamental source of her immense power. However, the dragon and tiger weren’t involved as blood; they were integrated as the entire environmental leyline during refining, and their power was absorbed. As for what effect the Kui Niu blood had, perhaps it harmonized the dragon and tiger? Was it a catalyst? Or the foundation for her transformation?

This level of medicinal pill exceeded Lu Xingzhou’s knowledge, but the principle was clear: extracting the Kui Niu blood could indeed cause problems with Anuo’s foundation, making it unsuitable. And how would one even extract it?

Long Qinghuang whispered, “Gu Zhanting’s injury is somewhat similar… I struck a trace of stagnant blood into his body, which took root and constantly churned his blood into chaos. He’s been trying to expel the corrupted blood I put in for ten years, without success.”

Lu Xingzhou was aware of Gu Zhanting’s root cause. “You’re quite malicious.”

“It wasn’t intentionally done with such means; I was also injured at the time, and it was simply in response to the battle situation.”

Lu Xingzhou suddenly found it amusing. “Then if we plan to extract Anuo’s Kui Niu blood, there’s an emperor who’s paved the way for us with the strength of an entire nation over ten years.”

Long Qinghuang also chuckled.

It was just a joke; they hadn’t intended to extract it anyway, so who paved the way wasn’t so important anymore, though it could serve as a reference.

As for “premature birth”… Lu Xingzhou felt a bit awkward. Did they have to put her back in the furnace?

Long Qinghuang suddenly said, “Xingzhou… Although we don’t have an immediate perfect solution, it’s clear that Anuo will have a better chance of harmonizing her bloodlines here with me. We are specialists in the integration of different bloodlines; Daqian is not. And Anuo was already going to learn the Kaitian Gong from me. Taking the secret manual back to practice by herself is clearly not the same as being guided by my side.”

Lu Xingzhou fell silent.

After a long pause, he said, “When Anuo wakes up, let her decide for herself.”

Long Qinghuang gazed at him deeply, then finally said, “Mm… let the child rest, and we should rest too?”

Back in their own sleeping chambers, Lu Xingzhou stood by the window, watching the fine night rain. Long Qinghuang stood beside him, watching too. Neither spoke for a long time.

No matter what, Anuo’s situation now had a complete understanding. Even if the solution was difficult, there was at least a direction. The heavy stone that had weighed on their hearts for so long was finally lifted.

They should have felt greatly relieved and celebrated with champagne, but the atmosphere was instead more subdued.

It inevitably still touched upon the issue of his departure.

After a long while, Long Qinghuang quietly said, “You… go bathe first.”

Lu Xingzhou paused. “Ah?”

Long Qinghuang turned her head. “I mean, take a medicinal bath. The golden dragon corpse of Du Juan is extremely complete, with flesh and blood intact. It’s much more effective than the bits and pieces we cobbled together before. You can truly forge a golden dragon body.”

She had deliberately mentioned bathing first, wanting to see his reaction, whether it would immediately bring a sense of spring into the room.

His reaction, however, was as it was, and Long Qinghuang felt a little disheartened, stepping down from the prepared steps.

Lu Xingzhou couldn’t fail to notice her melancholy. He quickly moved behind her, put his arm around her waist, and whispered into her ear, “Thank you.”

Long Qinghuang’s body tensed slightly at first, then quickly relaxed, letting herself lean into his embrace. “You know I don’t want just those two words.”

Lu Xingzhou didn’t know how to respond. Long Qinghuang then chuckled to herself. “But it’s okay; I can tell you’re hesitant. What, are you unable to speak the conditions you want to negotiate with me?”

Lu Xingzhou said helplessly, “You understand me so well now?”

“It’s like the methods you used on me back then. Even in the midst of a power struggle with me, you always put my well-being first. Even I, a tyrant, can’t be tyrannical anymore. I learned all this from you.” Long Qinghuang turned to look at him, blinking. “Mr. Lu, how’s this apprentice’s comprehension?”

Lu Xingzhou sighed. “You’ve graduated, and you’ve even deceived your master and destroyed your ancestors.”

“Deceiving master and destroying ancestors? That’s just the beginning.” Long Qinghuang said, “Speaking of which, I also taught you the Kaitian Jue. I said before, I should also be considered your teacher, not just Ye Tinglan.”

Lu Xingzhou acknowledged this with an “Mm.”

“So…” Long Qinghuang’s voice became somewhat alluring. “Do you want to deceive your master and destroy your ancestors?”

Lu Xingzhou gasped.

How did she suddenly become so skilled?

In fact, for a woman, once she’s willing to help you with *that*, what other alluring or seductive things would she not do?

Long Qinghuang bit her lower lip, purring, “What were you doing with your sworn sister in the Scripture Repository today?”

“…You really have spies? An emperor shouldn’t do things like this.”

“Extraordinary times… Besides, I don’t do this with others, only with you.” Long Qinghuang’s soft, charming voice suddenly turned a little fierce. “What, you can kiss your sworn sister to practice cultivation, but with your master, there are obstacles?”

Lu Xingzhou sensed that Dragon Empress was suppressing her anger towards the “sworn sister.” If she accumulated enough anger, she might truly unleash a big move. How could he let her continue? He immediately lowered his head and kissed her.

As his lips met hers, he suddenly wondered if this was the first time the two of them had embraced and kissed like a normal couple.

Their previous situations… weren’t exactly normal.

It was either a monarch possessing a concubine, or a man rebelliously taming.

Only this kiss, at this moment, carried the tender affection of lovers.

Long Qinghuang seemed to realize this too and felt a surge of emotion. She closed her eyes and yielded softly.

She also felt this kiss was different from before, and her heart was filled with an extraordinary tenderness.

Before long, her dragon body grew soft and limp again, leaning more helplessly against him than before, the aphrodisiac scent filling the room.

“You… were you practicing on your sworn sister…” Long Qinghuang almost couldn’t stand steadily, her eyes hazy. “How… how is it so much more comfortable than before?”

Of course, it was the divine skill from the “Great Joyful Sutra of Ultimate Bliss.”

With Dragon Empress completely unprepared, it wouldn’t even be a problem to make her call him “master.”

Naturally, Lu Xingzhou’s reply was the textbook standard answer: “Only because my heart is filled with love.”

Long Qinghuang bit her lower lip and gave him a resentful glance. “Really?”

Lu Xingzhou kissed her again, answering the question with action.

Long Qinghuang’s breathing grew more rapid, and soon her mind was blank, unable to form any thoughts.

As they kissed, Lu Xingzhou’s hands unconsciously began to unfasten her dragon robes. The robes opened, revealing the swaying inner bustier, a stark contrast.

Especially since they were facing the window, watching the night rain. With the dragon robes open to the outside, the scene was indescribably decadent. In her confusion, Long Qinghuang felt a primal sense of shame, the night wind sweeping over her, tickling, like his hands.

Long Qinghuang finally regained some awareness and pushed him away, somewhat resentfully. “Are you… still taming me?”

Actually, Lu Xingzhou didn’t mean that; it was just natural to get out of line when passion ran high. Anyway, in her Dragon Imperial Palace, there were no eunuchs, only a dozen palace maids. So, how much more open could it be?

But Long Qinghuang’s question made Lu Xingzhou pause, because he only heard resentment, without any displeasure or resistance.

His hand once again slipped inside her bustier. He whispered into her ear, “Then… will you let me tame you?”

Long Qinghuang’s breathing quickened again. She didn’t answer the question, only murmured, “You should take your medicinal bath first.”

Indeed, she preferred a man to be more domineering and proactive.

Lu Xingzhou then said, “I can take the medicinal bath, but I don’t want Xiaokui to serve me.”

Long Qinghuang’s mind was momentarily hazy; she didn’t quite understand what he meant by that. “So?”

Lu Xingzhou reached out and gently stroked her body. “Of course, I want Your Majesty to serve me.”

Long Qinghuang’s gaze became even more hazy. After a long moment, she softly replied, “Alright.”

Her voice was so low that she could barely hear herself.