Chapter 580 - 281: Yue Linglong

Chapter 580: Chapter 281: Yue Linglong

"Mao’er, tell me, what’s the ’other side’ like?"

Whenever he had a spare moment, Zheng Xiu would take the opportunity to cozy up to Mao’er.

First, to grind levels for his Foreign Language Talent and make it bigger and stronger.

And second, he wanted to coax some information out of the cat.

The world was split in two.

The Common World and the Darkness.

The other side of the world, the Darkness, was a profound mystery to Zheng Xiu, one with a fatal attraction.

After his Evil Child’s exceptional Constitution allowed him to comprehend the Glazed Pure Body and resist Filthy Qi, Zheng Xiu had more than once felt the urge to enter the Darkness and investigate it for himself.

But in the end, his cautious nature won out, and Zheng Xiu abandoned the idea.

Whenever he walked through a Rift, Zheng Xiu had the strange sensation that the Rift and the Darkness were separated by only a thin membrane. It felt as if he only had to boldly step into the dense fog to break through it and arrive in the Darkness.

The prospect of what lay beyond the Rift was like the Golden Apple in the Garden of Eden from the storybooks—full of temptation.

This was the thrill of the forbidden.

Humans were just that sort of creature. The more something was forbidden, the more dangerous it was, the more one’s heart yearned for it. Yet, at the same time, the fear of death kept them from acting rashly.

Mao’er rolled its eyes. MEOW~

’It’s telling me to dream on.’

"Your butt’s itching for a beating, isn’t it?"

Zheng Xiu raised his palm and delivered a flurry of sharp smacks to Mao’er’s behind.

Mao’er let out a series of miserable wails, its meows rising and falling with a distinct cadence, one after another.

It sounded utterly tragic.

But as he continued spanking it, Zheng Xiu began to regret his actions.

’This is just a fucking reward for it.’

After a frantic round of smacks and slaps, Mao’er finally couldn’t take it anymore and escaped from Zheng Xiu’s arms.

Zheng Xiu felt his lap go wet. The cat had peed on him.

"Vile beast!"

Zheng Xiu bellowed, pointing in the direction Mao’er had fled.

「Night fell.」

Someone came with a report.

"Your Highness, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Dou Jiuyi, requests an audience."

An obscure Assassin materialized from the shadows, reporting in a low voice.

Zheng Xiu had just finished his bath. He’d been planning to sneak off and sleep with Feng Bei while the four women weren’t looking. He was about to refuse the request for an audience, but when he heard it was Dou Jiuyi, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, his ardor instantly cooled. He nodded calmly. "Send him in."

Dou Jiuyi, traveling by night in his fine robes, walked down the long corridor, constantly straightening his attire. He was terrified of offending the Prince with a disheveled appearance.

A servant who looked like a young page led the way. He moved without a sound, as if floating. Upon reaching the reception hall, the page gave a sinister smile. "We’re here, my lord."

When Dou Jiuyi turned back, the page had vanished. He was left standing all alone in the vast courtyard, and a cold sweat broke out on his skin. For a moment, he thought he’d encountered an evil spirit.

The rumors were true—the Red King Mansion was filled with masters as numerous as the clouds and countless Odd People.

The reception hall was brightly lit. The moment Dou Jiuyi entered, he saw the Red King sitting languidly on a raised seat, dressed in a loose sleeping robe. The Prince supported his chin with one hand, while in his other arm, he cradled a small orange cat.

"This subject, Dou Jiuyi, pays his respects to Your Highness!"

Dou Jiuyi first bowed to Zheng Xiu. After a moment’s hesitation, he clasped his hands in another salute. "Dou Jiuyi greets the Prince’s cat."

Mao’er looked up, its eyes brightening. It meowed several times, gesturing at Dou Jiuyi.

Dou Jiuyi: "?"

Zheng Xiu nodded. "It does have some manners."

Dou Jiuyi: "??"

Mao’er: "MEOW MEOW MEOW!"

Zheng Xiu smiled. "That’s what you call social grace. You don’t know a damn thing."

Dou Jiuyi: "???"

Dou Jiuyi was utterly dumbfounded. ’Is the Prince... chatting with a cat?’

’Impossible.’

Dou Jiuyi mentally shook his head.

’This must be a tactic used by those in power to create an intimidating atmosphere, to make one feel panicked and fearful. That must be it. It’s just an illusion! It’s all fake. It won’t fool me!’

Dou Jiuyi reassured himself, and his heart settled. After some pleasantries, he launched into his prepared, eloquent speech, stating the purpose of his visit.

The gist of it was this: the Prince was now the Prince Consort, betrothed to the Princess of Northern Kingdom. A talented man and a beautiful woman, they were a match made in heaven. They should pick an auspicious day to meet and get acquainted.

After rattling off his speech, Dou Jiuyi nervously watched the Prince’s expression. When he saw the Red King’s face remain calm, he breathed a silent sigh of relief and gave Zheng Xiu a mental thumbs-up.

’As expected of the man who is the Red King! To be able to place the fate of the nation above personal romance, family feuds, and old grudges... his breadth of vision is simply immense.’

Before coming, Dou Jiuyi had worried he’d have the door slammed in his face. A few days ago, there had been a massacre at the Fragrant Pavilion. Dou Jiuyi had tremblingly reported the truth at court, causing a huge uproar. The officials all rushed to impeach him for incompetence, for failing to protect the envoys. Yet, not a single one of them dared to impeach the Red King in the Emperor’s presence for committing murder in broad daylight.

The so-called law of the land was worthless before the rich and powerful—Dou Jiuyi knew this well. He had immediately employed a tactic of feigning retreat to advance, requesting that the Emperor punish him. But unexpectedly, Venerable Wei Yang had only given the Red King a perfunctory verbal scolding, and that was the end of it. This left all the civil and military officials completely unable to guess what Venerable Wei Yang was thinking.

The bizarre atmosphere in the morning court persisted for several days. Then, Venerable Wei Yang issued an imperial edict, which led to the current scene: Dou Jiuyi, terrified, paying a visit to the Red King.

"Someone."

The Red King smiled and waved a hand. "See our guest out."

A figure emerged from within Dou Jiuyi’s own shadow, gradually solidifying into a human form. A sudden voice from right behind him scared Dou Jiuyi so badly that his legs went weak.

"Lord Dou, this way please."

Stunned and confused, Dou Jiuyi looked toward Zheng Xiu and asked tentatively, "Your Highness, you mean to...?"

"I won’t see her."

Zheng Xiu scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.

Dou Jiuyi tried to ask another question, but the person behind him lifted him by the collar as if he were a baby chick. The world became a blur as the scenery rushed backward. After a dizzying spin, Dou Jiuyi found himself deposited outside the Red King Mansion.