The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 406 Take it all
Zhuge Qingqing's face was as flawless as jade, but a hint of doubt flickered in her expression as she looked at Zhao Ti: "With the matter at hand, how does Young Master Zhao intend to explain?"

Seeing that she did not draw her sword, Zhao Ti breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Miss Zhuge, this is a long story, but I really do not know martial arts."

"Doesn't know martial arts?" Zhuge Qingqing glanced at the left hand, which was playing with a gourd filled with sugar water. She didn't know how its fingers moved, but it was spinning the gourd between its fingers like the wind, which was very impressive and beautiful.

Zhuge Qingqing's expression turned cold, and she said angrily, "Does Young Master Zhao still say that he doesn't know martial arts?"

Zhao Ti glanced at his left hand, his lips twitching. The power was still there, but his arm wasn't entirely under his control, and he couldn't control his hand as he gracefully played with the gourd.

He stretched out his right hand to stop his left hand, but surprisingly, his left hand did not resist. He snatched the gourd away, and then his left hand slowly drooped down, the power inside gradually disappearing.

Zhao Ti controlled his arm at this moment, and it was no different from normal. He knew that just now, the power of the Demon's severed hand had gained the upper hand, but now it had all withdrawn.

He shook his head: "Miss Zhuge, I really don't know martial arts. What I did just now was not my intention. Something entered my arm and controlled my hand, making it move on its own. It was not my will, and I could do nothing about it..."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingqing frowned and said, "Something... went into Young Master Zhao's arm?"

“That’s right!” Zhao Ti said firmly, but then hesitated. It was not easy to talk about things like the Heavenly Demon with the other party, since there were probably no records of such things in the world at this time, and it would be too tedious and strange to talk about it from the beginning.

"Young Master, you're not lying to me, are you?" Zhuge Qingqing's eyelashes fluttered. "How could something have gotten into Young Master's arm?"

Zhao Ti carefully considered his words before slowly asking, "Does Miss Zhuge know that there are demons in the world?"

"The demon race?" Zhuge Qingqing looked surprised. "Of course I know. Where did you learn about this, young master? The demon race is not the monsters in the mountains and rivers, but a huge race that is not in the Great Qian territory, but in a remote and dangerous place."

Zhao Ti nodded. It was good that Zhuge Qingqing knew about the demon race, as that would indirectly corroborate the truthfulness of what he said. Of course... the crow had to be sold now, otherwise there would be no way to explain.

"The demon race doesn't refer to mountain monsters or water spirits, but rather a vast race from a distant place. I know about this because I met a demon a few days ago..."

"Caw, caw..." Suddenly, several crows shrieked in the air.

Um... Zhao Ti looked up at the sky in the sunset, where crows were faintly visible against the backdrop of the evening glow.

"Young Master encountered the demon race?" Zhuge Qingqing looked shocked. The existence of the demon race was such a great secret that not everyone in aristocratic families knew about it. It was only known to the direct descendants, and even then, only to the elites within the direct descendants. Otherwise, they would not be told about this. Now that Zhao Ti mentioned the demon race, she was already nine-tenths convinced.

“Exactly, I don’t know why that demon clan approached me. Maybe they saw that I can compose a few poems?” Zhao Ti touched his forehead, finding it hard to make up a story. “Anyway, they found me and asked me for a favor.”

Zhuge Qingqing blinked: "Could you please do me a favor, young master? May I ask which kind of demon race it is?"

"Which kind of demon race..." At this moment, a sharp "caw" came from the sky again. Zhao Ti's lips twitched. Was the crow not telling him to reveal its identity? Then he would have to make up a demon at random.

"It was a bird I had never seen before. It wasn't very big, about the size of a hawk or falcon. It had a colorful plume on its head, round black eyes, a large, curved beak, and was covered in multicolored feathers, dazzlingly beautiful, like a rainbow descended to earth. It could speak human language as soon as it opened its mouth. It was a mysterious creature whose name I did not know..."

“This is…this is the parrot demon recorded in the demon register!” Zhuge Qingqing immediately exclaimed.

Zhao Ti was taken aback upon hearing this. Could there really be such a monster? Had he casually mentioned a rare monster?
"Parrot demon?"

“Based on the characteristics described by you, young master, it must be a parrot demon without a doubt. This demon existed in the ancient Xuanhuang land, but it left with the migration of the demon race, and the human race has never seen it again. I have seen a description of this demon in the demon register at home, and there are also pictures of it. It must be this demon,” Zhuge Qingqing said with certainty.

Since it really exists, that would be even better. Zhao Ti said happily, "I didn't know the name of this demon. It seems to be the parrot demon that Miss Zhuge mentioned."

"What does this demon want with you, young master, that it would send a strange object into your arm?" Zhuge Qingqing asked. Even though Zhao Ti didn't explain the reason, she already believed it completely.

Zhao Ti said, "Miss Zhuge, please listen to my story. I was quite startled when I first saw this demon..."

He recounted the story of the Flying Tower in a different location and with a different name, only mentioning that the parrot demon had asked him to obtain items from the demon race.

The Demon-Summoning Banner was said to be a treasure of the demon race, the severed hand of the Heavenly Demon was changed to the hand of an ancient demon, and the corpse of the Feathered Spirit was not mentioned.

As for what happened, it was pretty much the same. The life force was tainted by the ancient demon's hand and entered his arm, but there shouldn't be any danger. As long as the remaining demonic nature is gradually worn away, or as time goes on and the absorbed life force is exhausted, everything will be fine.

But this hand was initially very active, occasionally making actions that he didn't want to do and couldn't control. His action of grabbing the gourd just now was an example of this. I think it will change after a while.

After listening, Zhuge Qingqing looked thoughtful and said after a moment, "I see. I have heard my elders talk about similar things before. When dead things are touched by human life force, they can exhibit supernatural phenomena for a short period of time. There are also black cats that jump over the coffin in front of the spirit and make the dead come back to life. But they usually do not cause any harm to the dead. But you should still be careful, young master."

Zhao Ti said, "Thank you for your concern, Miss Zhuge. I was just frightened."

Zhuge Qingqing smiled gently: "It's nothing. It wasn't originally your wish, young master. You are also a victim."

Zhao Ti was completely relieved upon hearing this. He hadn't expected the other party to be so understanding. He glanced at the empty gourd in his hand. Since the other party's sugar water had been poured out with his left hand, there was no reason for him to stay any longer. He then thought about how to ask to go home.

At this moment, Zhuge Qingqing stepped forward, examined the horizontal stone in front of her, and found no trace of sugar water. She sat down and said, "Young master, let's continue reciting poetry."

Zhao Ti: "Ah, okay..."

Left with no other choice, he sat down again and began reciting the poem, "The evening sky threatens snow; shall we drink a cup together?"

This poem was originally composed by Zhao's father when he was talking to Yang Jian about Green Ant and other liquors. He then recounted the scene and its origins, and shared his thoughts and insights on the words.

After listening, Zhuge Qingqing pondered: "I didn't expect that the young master's study was not for becoming a high-ranking official or a great Confucian scholar, but actually for leading troops to fight, defending the borders, and expanding the territory?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "Miss Zhuge, you are mistaken. That is not what I meant. I look forward to high office, I await the appointment of a great scholar, and I also hope to lead troops into battle."

Zhuge Qingqing exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master... you want to do them all? Not just one?"

Zhao Ti smiled. There was nothing wrong with admitting it. Why make a choice? If you're going to take it, take it all. Why would you choose just one? This wasn't greed; it was simply that if you had the ability, you would take it all.

Just then, he suddenly heard a faint, crisp sound in his mind, like glass shattering. He didn't know what had broken, but his mind cleared up instantly. However, this clarity vanished just as quickly.

What happened? What just happened? Although it was only for a moment, Zhao Ti felt a huge amount of information, which seemed to belong to him. However, this information disappeared in an instant, and he didn't have time to feel it carefully.

What exactly happened? Zhao Ti was filled with doubt and suspicion, but the feeling vanished in an instant, and when he tried to search again, there was no trace of it.

“Of course, it’s not just about competing for one thing…” he replied to Zhuge Qingqing, but inwardly he was quite puzzled by the scene that had just occurred to him. Zhuge Qingqing said, “Young Master, you have only shown your poetic and literary talents so far. Your other talents have not yet been revealed. Do you have expertise in domestic and foreign affairs, governing the people and the military?”

Zhao Ti said, "I have indeed dabbled in it, and I am still learning. I am diligent and persistent. Although I do not know how well I will learn, my lofty ambitions must not be abandoned, and my aspirations for the future must not be extinguished."

Zhuge Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "It is truly unexpected that you want to join the army, young master. Not to mention military strategy, you should also practice martial arts. Many of the boys in the family have practiced martial arts since childhood, especially those who want to join the army. At least they are proficient in archery and horsemanship."

Zhao Ti pondered, "Of course I must learn martial arts, but..."

"Does the young master intend to master literature before learning martial arts?" Zhuge Qingqing suddenly asked. "Is the young master worried and distracted, wanting to concentrate on his studies and achieve top honors in the imperial examinations before practicing martial arts?"

Zhao Ti looked at the other person, not expecting that the other person would guess what he was thinking so quickly.

"But by then it will be a little too late to learn martial arts, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to achieve great things," Zhuge Qingqing said softly.

Zhao Ti stared into her eyes, their gazes meeting. Zhuge Qingqing blushed and said coquettishly, "What are you looking at, young master?"

Zhao Ti, seeing her unparalleled beauty, a rare sight in the world, and her girlish demeanor, couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart. He smiled and said, "Miss Zhuge is incredibly intelligent and guessed it right away. I was also pondering the pros and cons of this matter and hadn't made a decision yet."

Zhuge Qingqing lowered her head and said, "I think you should start practicing martial arts now. If it weren't for the matter of that demonic hand, you could consider it a few more times. But since the hand is in your arm, if you want to get rid of its demonic nature as soon as possible, or even make it disappear, practicing martial arts is a good way."

"Is that so?" Zhao Ti asked. "Practicing martial arts can get rid of this demonic hand as soon as possible? Is there such a saying?"

“Practicing martial arts will make you stronger. When you are strong, you will be less susceptible to evil. I guess that because you are weak, that hand was tainted with life force and entered your body. If you had always practiced martial arts, that hand would have been unable to enter. It is not too late for you to start practicing martial arts now. Practicing martial arts and expelling evil spirits is the same as dealing with this demonic hand. You will surely be able to subdue it soon. Although that hand will not harm you, it is still not good…” Zhuge Qingqing said in a low voice.

“That makes sense.” Zhao Ti nodded. The two were very close at the moment, and he could feel the faint fragrance emanating from the other person. It was very pleasant, a blend of orchid and feminine scent, which made his heart race and his body feel warm.

Just then, the left hand, which had been quietly waiting since the gourd was taken away, suddenly shot out without any warning, reaching towards Zhuge Qingqing's arms with lightning speed.

"Huh?" Zhao Ti was shocked and wanted to warn her, but it was too late. The hand was faster than when he had forced her to drink sugar water. In the blink of an eye, it had reached Zhuge Qingqing's chest.

Zhuge Qingqing reacted at this moment, but there was no time to dodge. Even though she quickly leaned back, she was still caught by the hand.

Zhao Ti felt a buzzing in his mind, and his mind went blank. The sensation in his hand traveled to his heart, and his blood boiled.

"Hmm..." Zhuge Qingqing leaned back, but she couldn't dodge the left hand. After being grabbed, she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

She was both ashamed and angry, and hurriedly pushed her hands towards her chest, but unexpectedly, her left hand was quite shameless and actually applied a little force, and then seemed to rub it.

Zhuge Qingqing suddenly felt utterly powerless, as if she had turned into a ball of water. Amidst her anger and resentment, she murmured softly, "Young Master Zhao, you...you..."

"I..." Zhao Ti's face was flushed, his blood was surging, and the sensation from his hand made his heart almost jump out of his body.

That's utterly despicable! This is the behavior of a villain, the actions of a demon! Not only did he flirt and harass, but he also used sneak attacks. That Left Hand is a complete scoundrel.

He was so angry that he saw stars, but his left hand wouldn't obey him and was making some embarrassing little movements that he couldn't control. Helpless, he had no choice but to reach out his right hand to pull his left hand.

The left hand wouldn't obey his commands because of the immense force above, which he couldn't control. But when his right hand grabbed and pulled his left wrist back, the left hand seemed to understand the command and immediately relaxed its grip, allowing his right hand to pull it back.

Zhao Ti took two steps back, wiped the sweat from his forehead—whether from anxiety or some other reason—and hurriedly looked at Zhuge Qingqing in front of him, stammering, "Miss Zhuge..."

Zhuge Qingqing, who had been leaning back, used one hand to support herself on the bluestone behind her and slowly straightened up.

Her face was expressionless, with only a lingering blush on her cheeks and ears, indicating that the embarrassing incident that had just occurred was not a hallucination or dream.

"Miss Zhuge, are you alright?" Zhao Ti asked awkwardly.

"Young Master Zhao, what were you thinking just now that made your left hand suddenly move?" Zhuge Qingqing's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

Seeing that she remained calm and did not immediately become angry, Zhao Ti felt slightly relieved.

He recalled the thoughts in his mind before his left hand suddenly lashed out, and felt a wave of shame. He thought to himself that he must not say it. Although it was just what he thought, it was not the behavior of a gentleman.

"I...I didn't mean anything by it..."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingqing stared intently at him, and after a moment, said softly, "Young Master, there's something I didn't explain earlier. If those inanimate objects imbued with life exhibit strange behavior, it's mostly because they're influenced and controlled by the thoughts of their original owner..."

Zhao Ti was stunned upon hearing this and remained silent.

Zhuge Qingqing said, "When that demonic hand came over to grab and push the candied hawthorn, was it because you wanted me to finish it quickly so I could go home?"

“This…” Zhao Ti immediately looked embarrassed.

"Young master, there's no need to explain. The sudden, lewd gesture of that demonic hand must have been because you were thinking something, which is why your hand made that move, isn't that right?"

"I..." Zhao Ti thought to himself that this would not do. Although he had thought about it, he had never thought of such a frivolous act as cutting off a hand. He could not take the blame for this.

“Young master, there’s no need to say anything more.” Zhuge Qingqing stood up from the bluestone, came to Zhao Ti’s side, straightened his sleeves, smoothed out the wrinkles, and then said softly, “Young master, remember, when you see other women in the future, you must not have any wild thoughts. Although beauty is pleasing to the eye, do not forget that you have a demonic hand inside your body.”

“Miss Zhuge, I don’t have…” Zhao Ti said, stunned.

“Young master, there’s no need to explain…” Zhuge Qingqing’s cheeks flushed even more, and she whispered, “I especially remember when I saw Luofu…”

"I..." Zhao Ti was at a loss for words. Even with his vast knowledge, he didn't know where to begin.

Zhuge Qingqing tore off a piece of her gauze sleeve and covered her face again, saying, "I will leave Yuzhou tomorrow and will search for a way to deal with the demonic hand for you, young master. If you are able to learn martial arts, please do so as soon as possible, as martial arts will have a controlling and restraining effect on this demonic hand..."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Zhao Ti again, then turned around and darted into the depths of the forest.

“Miss Zhuge, you…” Zhao Ti looked at her, but before he could finish speaking, the fragrance had vanished and she had disappeared without a trace.

(End of this chapter)