Chapter 463 - 462: Her Beast Husband

As the white mist around Silan City’s Holy Tower gradually dispersed, Yu Zhizhi saw from a distance the river of red blood flowing at its base. The brilliant light of the sun was blotted out, leaving the entire area dark, silent, and cold, like a colossal tomb.

Everyone present was reminded of the old Silan City, a land once covered in bones.

The Duke’s figure appeared atop the high tower.

His white wedding suit was soaked through with blood, and his thin, cold face was marred by gruesome bloodstains. His deep, golden, vertical pupils were fixed on a Snake Clan elder whose eyes had not yet closed in death. The body of the Jinshe female was already cold, held carefully by an attendant following behind the Duke as a cold sea breeze stirred the scattered petals of her bouquet.

Yu Zhizhi never imagined that something like this would happen on the Duke’s wedding day.

She stared blankly at the Duke high above, feeling as if she were seeing him for the first time.

’The Duke today... he’s a stranger.’

His overwhelming, oppressive aura almost made her forget to breathe.

Noel gazed at the sea of corpses. Amidst the white mist, his Beast Form had been involuntarily revealed, his black rabbit ears standing erect.

One of his hands gripped Yu Zhizhi’s wrist tightly.

His other hand clutched the... Luck Bag at his waist.

Only after confirming that the Duke’s slaughter had ended did the young man from the Rabbit Clan slowly relax his grip.

"L-Lord Duke..."

A respected, middle-aged male from the Snake Clan spoke, his voice trembling. "The Chi Lian Clan has already paid the price. I beg you, Lord Duke, please spare Elder Shen."

The Chi Lian Clan was nearly wiped out.

No one dared to make a sound.

Everyone knew, deep down, that the bride’s assassination was most likely their doing.

The white-haired elder of the Chi Lian Clan had bloodshot eyes. Unfortunately, the base of his tongue had been severed by a Fog Blade, leaving him unable to speak a word.

The Duke glanced at him.

The middle-aged male immediately fell silent.

"Guards."

The Duke’s cold voice drifted down from the top of the tower. "Escort Elder Shen to the Holy Tower."

Armor-clad guards from the Snake Clan appeared in view.

They lifted the Chi Lian elder and started toward the Holy Tower.

What was supposed to be a joyous day of national celebration had unexpectedly turned into a funeral rite for the Chi Lian Clan.

Even Elder Shen Ye, head of the Snake Clan’s five great elders, had been forcibly "escorted" into the Holy Tower by the Duke.

It was a place of no return.

Hearing the Duke’s command, the Chi Lian elder trembled with fury, his eyes looking as if they would pop from their sockets—

’If I had known it would come to this, I should have drowned him in that cold pool all those years ago!’

’I never should have let that Snake Pup inherit the title of ruler of the Snake Clan!’

The Chi Lian elder was quickly led away.

The vast majority of those killed in the massacre were members of the Chi Lian Clan.

There were also some Beastmen of suspicious origin...

The Duke’s immense spiritual power gradually receded. He stood atop the tower like an evil god cast into the abyss, his pair of golden, serpentine eyes daring anyone to meet their gaze.

"Lord Duke."

His personal attendant, still holding the body of the Jinshe female, asked, "Miss Yu Xiang... where is she to be buried?"

The Duke’s expression didn’t flicker. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Take her back to the Imperial City."

"Yes."

The attendant acknowledged the order.

Among the many Beastmen present, none dared to speak out of turn, especially those of the Snake Clan.

Shen He’s overflowing spiritual power had also receded.

He returned to his usual posture, leaning back against his chair and gazing thoughtfully at the blood-soaked grounds.

’The Snake Clan’s civil war has come sooner than I expected.’

The Duke’s aggressiveness also vanished without a trace.

He gazed down at the crowd. "Today’s events are a result of my Snake Clan’s poor hospitality. For the next seven days, Silan City will host a banquet. I invite you all to enjoy the festivities."

With that said, his gaze fell upon the young woman from the Rabbit Clan.

"Ms. Zhi Zhi graced us with her presence, and this is how you receive her?"

A personal attendant bowed his head and replied, "It was our oversight."

The Duke withdrew his gaze.

His attitude toward this exceptionally noble female from the Valoran Empire was neither warm nor cold.

They had a history.

When Ms. Zhi Zhi was still only an S-Class female, she had lived in the Duke Mansion for a time.

But this was a matter few people ever mentioned.

Ms. Zhi Zhi’s current, officially registered Beast Husbands were Tang Luo Ke, the War Machine of the Valoran Empire, and the Lord of Paradise from the Moon Rising Empire.

Aside from them, there were other rumored paramours.

The higher a female’s Level in the Beast Clan, the more choices she had.

She had come to the wedding this time with her identity concealed, apparently for the sole purpose of accompanying Lord Shen He of the Deep Sea Empire.

The only remaining connection between her and the Duke was likely those six Snake Pups.

However, for someone of the Duke’s status, information about his heirs would never be leaked.

No one knew what had become of those six Snake Pups.

The Snake Clan’s living conditions were harsh.

It was possible some of them had already perished.

Yu Zhizhi hadn’t expected the Duke to mention her at all. She remained silent, only letting out a slow sigh of relief once the Duke’s figure had vanished from the top of the Holy Tower.

Before she could say anything, a Snake Clan guard approached her in an orderly fashion.

The young guard first bowed to Yu Zhizhi.

Then he turned to the man beside her. "Lord Shen He, the joint conference of the Three Great Empires is about to begin. Please follow us to the meeting hall."

Besides the Duke’s wedding, Silan City was also hosting another conference for the Three Great Empires to discuss the terms of the armistice.

Despite what had just happened, the corpses that had littered the ground were cleared away in the blink of an eye, as if everything had returned to the way it was on the eve of the wedding.

Shen He glanced at the little rabbit beside him. "You should head back to the ship and rest. I’ll come find you after the meeting."

Yu Zhizhi nodded gently. "Okay~"

The Snake Clan guard then turned to the black-eared rabbit youth. "Lord Nuo’er, the Jinshe Family Master’s injuries require your attention."

Noel barely lifted his eyelids. "One more day won’t kill him."

The Snake Clan guard was speechless. "..."

Noel looked at Yu Zhizhi. "Didn’t you say you wanted me to treat your friend? Lead the way."

Yu Zhizhi replied cheerfully, "Great, they’re on the ship."

Lord Shen He had also told her to return to the warship.

Although the Duke had spoken, anyone could tell his words were mere pleasantries. Any Empire was obligated to treat a female of Yu Zhizhi’s Level with the utmost ceremony.

Yu Zhizhi was still in a bit of a daze.

’Silan City feels... a little dangerous.’

’I want to go back to the ship, too.’

Yu Zhizhi and Noel followed behind Buli.

She glanced back, her heart still pounding with fear. The Beastmen were beginning to disperse. Stern Snake Clan guards in matching dark blue uniforms maintained order, and everything that had happened before the Holy Tower was swept away and concealed by the wind.

As for the Snake Clan elder who had been taken into the Holy Tower, his fate remained unknown.

"Why... did they do it?"

Yu Zhizhi was bewildered.

’Why would they kill Miss Yu Xiang?’

As a member of the Valoran Empire’s Rabbit Clan, Noel wasn’t particularly concerned with the day’s events. He had no interest in how many people died.

However, since she had asked—

Noel, for once, gave a serious response. "There are many possible reasons. Perhaps the Chi Lian Clan committed treason, perhaps it was driven by a personal vendetta against the Duke, or perhaps it was because of a prophecy made many years ago."