Chapter 466 - 465: Are They in a Cold War?

The Red Elder died with his bloodshot eyes wide open.

The young Snake Clan man, prostrate on the ground, slowly clenched his fists, only to let them relax again. He finally understood. This was all a trap set by the Duke.

To the outside world, the Duke had personally chosen a Jinshe female as his bride. He had indulged and doted on her in the Imperial City, and even specially selected her hometown for the wedding. Yet, an elder of the Chi Lian Clan had dared to harbor malicious intent, violating the Snake Clan’s prophecy—

Whether for public reasons or private ones, the Duke would not spare them.

The young Snake Clan man now realized that in the Duke’s mind, the Chi Lian Clan had long been marked for death.

And it wasn’t just the Chi Lian Clan...

There were also the other elders who had manipulated the Snake Clan for years, who had tried time and again to strip the Duke of his title—

They, and the powers behind them, would perhaps soon suffer the same fate as the Chi Lian Clan.

After their deaths, the Holy Tower fell silent. The only sound was the wind beating against its outer walls.

The Holy Tower guards silently cleaned up the bodies.

Everyone gradually departed.

Soon, only the Duke and his personal attendant remained in the Holy Tower.

"Lord Bo Lan." The middle-aged man bowed slightly. "As you commanded, Young Master Yu Meng has been brought to Silan City. The news has been spread as well. I trust everyone in Silan City will soon know of Young Master Yu Meng’s arrival."

The Duke leaned against the back of his chair, stroking the blue Luck Bag hanging from his pipe. After a long moment, he slowly raised his eyes.

His personal attendant immediately understood what the Duke wanted to ask.

He said, "Ms. Zhi Zhi has returned to the warship. She’s taking care of the Octopus Young Master. Today... she seemed frightened. She looked pale when she left."

’Frightened.’

The Duke’s fingers slowly curled, clenching the blue Luck Bag in his palm.

’Didn’t that man-eating shark protect her well enough?’

’Noel is watching her at all times, too.’

From what he could see, that little rabbit didn’t seem like she had been frightened at all.

The personal attendant carefully glanced at his Duke. Even when dealing with the Chi Lian Clan, his master’s expression hadn’t been as frightening as it was now.

’Ever since he failed to bring Ms. Zhi Zhi back to the Imperial City, the Duke had become even more unpredictable. The attendant had cared for the Duke’s daily needs since he was a child, so he was more sensitive to his master’s moods than anyone else.’

’I wonder what happened between him and Ms. Zhi Zhi...’

’The Duke seems to be deliberately restraining himself from contacting her.’

’Back in the Imperial City, the Duke would often spend the night in the study. He would frequently stare at the mystical blue lotuses blooming in the pond, lost in thought.’

’Occasionally, he would stare at his communicator for a long time.’

’Once, he even specifically summoned Young Master Yunze and had him place a call to Ms. Zhi Zhi.’

’But after the call ended, the Duke’s mood seemed to sour even further.’

’News from Ms. Zhi Zhi’s domain also arrived frequently.’

’The Duke knew everything about her, down to the last detail.’

’Sometimes, the attendant would wonder, why did the Duke no longer try to contact Ms. Zhi Zhi?’

’In the past, whenever Ms. Zhi Zhi was in other territories, the Duke would find all sorts of ways to contact her. Whether by communicator or by using a Clone, he managed it, despite the countless eyes watching the Imperial City and the Duke Mansion. As long as Lord Bo Lan wanted to, he would always find a way.’

’Could it be because Ms. Zhi Zhi publicly bonded with the Lord of Paradise?’

’Did they have a fight?’

’Are they in the middle of a cold war?’

The attendant couldn’t fathom the Duke’s thoughts.

This time, the Duke had specifically arranged for Young Master Yu Meng to come, and the attendant felt it had to be for Ms. Zhi Zhi’s sake.

Back in the Imperial City, the Duke would occasionally have Young Master Yu Meng brought to his study.

The Snake Clan were known for being indifferent toward their offspring.

But the attendant could sense that the Duke seemed to favor Young Master Yu Meng. His fatherly affection might not have been abundant, but it was there...

’Perhaps it was because Young Master Yu Meng was the only White Snake among the six young ones Ms. Zhi Zhi had left behind.’

’Only he resembled Ms. Zhi Zhi the most.’

Young Master Yu Meng had been weak and sickly, but after the Beast Bone Healing, his physical condition improved daily. His spiritual power also advanced by leaps and bounds, and he was quickly catching up to his brothers.

’All this time, he had deeply missed his mother.’

"Regarding the Imperial Council, Marshal Shen He must personally handle matters related to ’Chixing’."

The attendant continued his report.

"The Hai Giant Shark should be remaining in Silan City for a few more days."

"Shall I go and invite Ms. Zhi Zhi over now?" the attendant asked tentatively.

"There’s no need."

The Duke stood up, his expression chilling slightly. "Wait."

’Wait?’ The attendant was confused.

’What is the Duke waiting for?’

’Is he waiting for Young Master Yu Meng?’

’Or is he waiting until the internal troubles of the Snake Clan are resolved...’

"Have you discovered the origin of the insignia?" the Duke suddenly asked.

The attendant bowed. "Not yet, my lord. However, it seems to be related to the Moon Rising Empire. We are still investigating the specifics."

They had been investigating the Jinshe female’s identity for a long time.

The person behind her had erased nearly all traces.

It made the investigation incredibly difficult.

Fortunately, they had accidentally found the insignia she had hidden so well. Following that lead, they traced it back to the Moon Rising Empire.

Her exact relationship with the Moon Rising Empire was still under investigation.

Many people had their eyes on the position by the Duke’s side.

Whether it was the Snake Clan of the Valoran Empire or the other Empires, many females had been pushed his way, both overtly and covertly.

From the start, the Jinshe female’s identity had been compromised.

They wanted to plant a pawn by the Duke’s side—whether for surveillance, to gather useful information, or, more ambitiously, in the hopes that the Duke would become lost in sensual pleasures.

And with today’s wedding incident, the Duke had not disappointed them.

He even insisted on taking the Jinshe female’s body back to be buried with the highest honors of the Snake Clan.

Now that something had happened to the Jinshe female, more Snake Clan females would surely be sent to him.

After the Imperial Council meeting, Shen He looked down at the new treaty of alliance in his hand. These were special times; they had to present a united front.

The Three Great Empires and the Divine Hall Alliance had jointly established ’Chixing,’ an organization dedicated to handling incidents involving smugglers from Alien Planets, gathering intelligence on them, and, when necessary, launching counterattacks.

And Shen He was the primary commander for Chixing’s inaugural mission.

He would need to remain in Silan City for several more days to manage affairs and command the campaign.

The initial phase was always the most hectic.

Shen He sent someone back to the warship specifically to explain the situation to his little rabbit.

"Lord Shen He said he will be staying in Silan City for the next few days. Once he’s finished with his work, he will escort Ms. Zhi Zhi back to her domain."

Yu Zhizhi nodded gently. "Okay, I understand~"

Although she was eager to return to her domain, Yu Zhizhi was actually more than happy to stay in Silan City a while longer because of the Little Octopus’s Healing.

Noel had promised her he would visit every day.

After the major incident in Silan City during the day, the usual bustling night scene had vanished without a trace.

A state of panic now gripped Silan City.

The Snake Clan within the city walls all feared that the axe would fall on their own necks.

Just then, a carriage arrived from the Imperial City.

Coiled on a soft couchette inside was a Little White Snake.