Chapter 468 - 467: Arranging a Substitute?

"How long will you be staying in Silan City this time?" Yu Zhizhi asked as she sat down in a chair, holding the Little White Snake. She noticed a scroll related to Spirit Art spread open on the desk; Beast Clan cubs began their studies at a very young age and worked incredibly hard.

The Little White Snake opened his big, round eyes. "I don’t know. Father didn’t tell me. How long will you be staying, Mama?"

"Maybe... a few days." Yu Zhizhi wasn’t sure either.

They had to wait for Lord Shen He to finish his business regarding Chixing before they could set off for her territory.

Yu Meng bit his tail, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Mama!" he suddenly called out. "I want to go back to the territory with you!"

The little white snake’s eyes sparkled. "Could you please talk to Father? Ask him to let me go to the Sky Star Territory to play for a few days?"

’Yun Ze even got to go before!’

Yu Meng was incredibly envious!

Yu Zhizhi hummed in thought. "I’ll try."

She wasn’t sure if the Duke would agree.

The Snake Clan had many rules. The last time she had Summoned Yun Ze, the Duke had called her right after he returned. He’d said Yun Ze had to undergo a trial and that she couldn’t Summon him again for a while.

Yu Zhizhi couldn’t fathom what the Duke was thinking.

She played with the Little White Snake for a while before Little Amon had to finish his lessons for the day.

He was overjoyed to have seen his mother and hummed a cheerful song under his breath.

「Outside the Holy Tower.」

Buli stood with a calm expression, holding the items purchased during his shopping trip with Miss Rabbit. As the glaring sun beat down on him, he composed a message, updating Lord Shen He on the situation.

Inside the residence, Shen He had just finished an internal meeting about Chixing.

He saw the message and bit down on his cigar.

A video feed floated in front of him. The person on the other end coughed lightly. "Lord Shen He, regarding the matter of the secret agents we just discussed, will you be selecting them personally?"

To choose a wife for the Duke of the Valoran Empire, all the major powers had secretly planted their own people, and the Deep Sea Empire was no exception.

Unfortunately, the Snake Clan female they had planted was eliminated right from the start.

Now that the Jinshe female was dead, the position by the Duke’s side was once again vacant. How could they possibly pass up such a golden opportunity?

The subordinate continued, "These three secret agents are all from the Snake Clan. One of them bears a striking resemblance to Yu Xiang. Sir, would you like to review her profile?"

Shen He suddenly interjected, "In addition to the Snake Clan females, find me another one. A female from the Rabbit Clan. A white one."

The man on the other end was stunned.

’Duke Bolan’s bride could only be a female from the Snake Clan. Everyone on the planet knew he strictly abided by this Snake Clan rule.’

’So why would Lord Shen He suddenly want to find a Rabbit Clan female?’

’A white rabbit... His thoughts immediately went to *her*—’

’Although she had borne a cub with Duke Bolan, that didn’t prove they had an intimate relationship.’

’It was probably just a fleeting dalliance. After all, Miss Rabbit had never made any move to form a bond with the Duke, and the Duke from the Valoran Empire hadn’t given her any special treatment on account of their child.’

’Not to mention, the Jinshe female had just been assassinated.’

’And the Duke was even taking her body back to the Imperial City.’

Although the middle-aged man on the video feed was confused, he didn’t ask any further questions.

Shen He closed the communication link.

’But what if...’

A reliable answer could only be confirmed through repeated probing.

"Yes, sir," the middle-aged man replied immediately. "I’ll begin the search right away."

A Rabbit Clan female, and a white one at that. Although Lord Shen He hadn’t been more specific, the man understood. He was to find someone who resembled Ms. Zhi Zhi.

Speaking of this Miss Rabbit, she was about to form a bond with Prince You Sen, wasn’t she?

He’d heard that the Prince had already received her invitation and was preparing to travel to the Sky Star Territory very soon.

A gratified smile touched the middle-aged man’s face as he thought of the Prince Merfolk.

The Prince’s talent was exactly what the Deep Sea Empire needed most at this moment.

His potential seemed to have been unlocked, and his rate of cultivation was nearly fast enough to surpass what Lord Shen He had achieved in his prime.

The only regret was that the Prince had failed to become Miss Rabbit’s sole Beast Husband.

Otherwise, Miss Rabbit could be living with the Prince in the Undersea Palace right now.

Then he thought of the Valoran Empire’s War Machine and the Moon Rising Empire’s Lord of Paradise—both were enemies who gave the Deep Sea Empire a constant headache.

’If only Miss Rabbit belonged exclusively to the Deep Sea Empire.’

The middle-aged man sensed that Lord Shen He likely had the same idea.

He hoped that when the time was right, Lord Shen He would be able to bring Miss Rabbit to the Empire.

When dinnertime arrived, Yu Zhizhi thought of Buli, who was still standing guard outside.

She returned to the entrance of the Holy Tower. The setting sun was gradually sinking behind the magnificent structure. The young soldier was leaning against a wall, with the bags from the day’s shopping and a jar of rice wine at his feet.

Yu Zhizhi wanted to tell Buli to go home and rest, as she had no idea how long she would have to wait for the Duke.

The young soldier smiled. "It’s all right. I’ll wait here. I have to ensure Ms. Zhi Zhi’s safety."

Before Yu Zhizhi could say anything more, she saw the Holy Tower’s Snake Clan guards stand even straighter. They announced in loud, clear voices, "Duke!"

’The Duke is back?’

Yu Zhizhi glanced back, and sure enough, the Duke had appeared, followed by several Stewards from Silan City.

Having just finished with official matters, the Duke’s face was cold and stern. He saw the petite figure standing at the Holy Tower’s entrance, but his stride never faltered. He walked right past the Rabbit Clan female and the guards at the door, heading straight into the Holy Tower.

Yu Zhizhi froze for a second, then whispered to Buli, "I’m going in now!"

’But I’ve been waiting for the Duke this whole time!’

’I need to talk to him about Little Amon.’

’She wasn’t very confident, but what if the Duke actually agreed?’

The Stewards from Silan City did not follow him inside.

They bowed, watching as the Duke departed.

Their gazes also followed the esteemed Rabbit Clan Lady—

Young Master Yu Meng of the Snake Clan was here; it was only natural for his mother to come visit her child.

Yu Zhizhi had to break into a light jog to keep up with the Duke.

The Duke seemed to have no intention of speaking with her.

She hesitated for a moment but continued to follow him. It wasn’t until they reached the fourth floor of the Holy Tower and the Duke was about to enter his own room that she quickly called out, "Lord Bo Lan!"

The Duke stopped and glanced at the small female who now stood before him. "Is there something?"

Yu Zhizhi stood before him, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her skirt. "Little Amon is here. I wanted... to talk to you about him."

Just as Yu Zhizhi was about to ask if she could stay with Little Amon for the next few days, the Duke coolly averted his gaze. "We’ll talk inside. Before that, I have to reply to a message."

The Duke’s attitude was still cold, but it seemed a tiny bit better than the last time they’d met.

Yu Zhizhi didn’t dwell on it. She followed the Duke into his personal chambers.

Little Amon was staying in the room right next door.

The Duke was busy with his work, so she didn’t disturb him, waiting quietly to the side. She had grown accustomed to this back when she was at the Duke Mansion.

The only difference was that back in his study, the Duke used to like holding her while he worked on official documents.