Chapter 224: Chapter 168: Hidden Crisis

Caesar wiped the black bloodstains from his hands in disgust. Just as he was about to step forward and leave, he stopped abruptly. His expression softened slightly as he looked at the mother and son not far ahead.

Little Qi quickly slithered forward, wagging the tip of his tail wildly. “Mother, I finally get to see you again! Daddy didn’t lie to me!”

Sang Luo hugged the Little Black Snake. He felt a bit heavier now and looked a size bigger than before. She stroked the pair of small, hard black horns on his head—they had grown so much and were barely noticeable before. “Your daddy was going to come find me?”

“Mhm, mhm! Daddy promised that if I was a good boy and took my bath, he would bring me to find you!”

“…” ’At the banquet just now, he didn’t even spare me a single glance.’

’That scumbag was just pretending, to comfort his son.’

’He’s the kind of man who would find his child an unrelated stepmother. It’s not just that he doesn’t care about me—he doesn’t care in the slightest.’

Sang Luo gave the Little Snake a kiss, her mood instantly brightening. “Mommy just wants her good boy. I don’t want your daddy!”

Caesar’s violet eyes darkened, and he turned to leave.

The Little Black Snake’s wagging tail-tip froze. He was a little lost. “But… but Daddy was standing right behind us just now. He came to find you, Mother. Why don’t you want Daddy anymore?”

Sang Luo’s eyes widened. She quickly hugged the Little Black Snake and spun around to look, but there wasn’t a soul in sight.

“Your daddy was just here?”

“Daddy left after he heard what you said, Mother.”

“…” Sang Luo pressed her lips together and said dryly, “He must have come to Changle Palace to find you. He probably didn’t expect to run into me here and turned around because he didn’t want to see me again.”

The Little Snake’s body tensed even more. ’So the reason Daddy never brought me to see Mother was because he hates her?’

’Mother and Daddy’s relationship isn’t actually good at all.’

Little Qi suddenly coiled tightly around Sang Luo’s arm, on the verge of tears. “Then! Mother, take me with you! I don’t want Daddy anymore!”

“Your daddy loves you very much. Staying by his side, you’ll be able to grow up better.”

It was getting late by the time Sang Luo returned to the banquet.

Fei Yuan had already peeled several plates of fruit for her, along with a whole bowl of melon seeds. “Why are you back so late? If the tracking mark I left on you hadn’t shown you were just wandering around the palace, this Emperor would have thought something happened to you.”

“I got lost. The scenery in the Imperial Palace is quite nice, so I took a little walk.”

“Oh? Is it as nice as the scenery in the Phoenix Palace?”

“No,” Sang Luo said honestly. “But that Joyful Tree at the entrance of Changle Palace is growing well. It’s over ten meters tall, and the branches are covered in pink flower-puffs. It looks quite pretty.”

“Heh, if you like it, I’ll set aside a whole garden in the Phoenix Palace and plant it full of them for you.”

The banquet was drawing to a close.

Sang Luo asked Fei Yuan, “You’ve presented your gift, right? Shouldn’t we be leaving?”

Fei Yuan said, “The Beast Emperor’s coronation requires at least three days of celebration. A Servant has already prepared accommodations for us. I’m afraid we’ll have to stay in the palace for two nights.”

“That’s fine.” ’This way, I can see Little Qi more.’

’Maybe I could bring the Little Snake to my side tomorrow?’

’As his mother, it’s only natural that I’d want to see my child more often.’

If it weren’t for the fact that Caesar had clearly put so much effort into raising the child, Sang Luo would have been tempted to snatch him back and raise him herself.

The residences the Servant prepared for the Beast Emperors were all side palaces of the highest standard.

The facilities inside were magnificent, and the palace itself was very large.

The only drawback was.

There was only one bed.

“The empty palace across the way was arranged for the Northern Beast Emperor. Since he didn’t come, I’ll go sleep in his room,” Sang Luo said.

Fei Yuan replied, calm and composed, “You’d better not go over there.”

“Why?”

The moment the words left Sang Luo’s mouth, a dark shadow flashed past the window. Fei Yuan flicked a Wind Blade from his fingertip. The assassin fell instantly, torn into countless pieces that were then tossed into the soil where the trees were planted outside the palace.

Sang Luo’s heart jumped. ’Assassins!’

’It makes sense. With so many important figures gathered in one place, who doesn’t have a few enemies?’

’The mortal enemies of important figures are also important figures.’

’The assassins they send wouldn’t be weak… Tonight is destined to be anything but peaceful.’

“The security in the Soaring Snake Imperial Palace is so poor. I really don’t know how he manages to be a Beast Emperor!”

Fei Yuan just smiled without a word, his gaze turning thoughtfully toward the window.

Sang Luo followed his gaze and asked with sudden alarm, “Don’t tell me you have enemies too?”

“I do, and quite a few.” Fei Yuan turned back to her, the corner of his lip curling up. “How do you think I got this Poisonous Gu inside me?”

“…”

“Moreover, the person who secretly poisoned me is exceptionally powerful, their influence so vast it can blot out the sky. This Emperor has been investigating for years and still hasn’t uncovered the true identity of the mastermind.”

“Stop talking.” A wave of fear washed over Sang Luo, afraid of being dragged into his troubles. “Didn’t you bring me here to broaden my horizons? You’re not going to make me risk my life here, are you? … It seems even less safe to be around you. Forget it, I’m still going to the Northern Beast Emperor’s room.”

“With this Emperor here, what are you afraid of?” Fei Yuan pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Stay by my side, and nothing will happen to you.”

He had fallen into a trap back then only because he was still young and pure-hearted. Now, no one was his match.

“Then I get the bed.” ’I’m not sleeping on the floor.’

“Fine.”

Fei Yuan summoned a servant and asked for another set of bedding. He went to sleep on the couch in the living room.

Dark clouds hid the moon, and the evening mist was thick.

The entire Beast Palace was shrouded in darkness.

In the rear garden of the Imperial Palace, there was a clear pond, like a glazed Water Mirror. The moon shone brightly in the water, creating two reflections of itself.

「In the main hall.」

Elma emerged from the shadows of a corner and knelt on one knee. Facing the purple-robed man standing at the entrance, she asked respectfully, “Ni Xia, shall we make our move tonight?”

Another wisp of black mist descended into the hall, transforming into a tall, slender, and bewitching man.

Gong Zhou said, “Ni Xia, tonight is the perfect time to strike. We must not miss this opportunity.”

Elma added, “It’s a pity the Northern Beast Emperor didn’t come. But it’s no great loss. The power of several hundred King Beasts, plus three Beast Emperors, should be enough to tear a corner of the seal when sacrificed together.”

Caesar didn’t speak. He gazed at the night outside, seeming somewhat distracted.

A wickedly handsome, brown-haired man in black robes suddenly appeared outside the hall. His physique was exceptionally tall and muscular, the fabric on his chest straining slightly. However, the sinister, malevolent aura swirling around him made him seem eerie and strange.

“Lord Mi Xing.”

Seeing the newcomer, Gong Zhou and Elma bowed respectfully, both feeling a little puzzled. ’Haven’t this lord and Ni Xia always been at odds? Why would he have time to come over tonight?’

Mi Xing teleported into the hall and got straight to the point.

“Quan Jin, you and I will join forces to take down these three Beast Emperors. We’ll split the credit fifty-fifty afterward. How about it?”

He lifted his chin slightly, an eyebrow raised. “I came all this way out of the kindness of my heart to help you. Taking down these three Beast Emperors by yourself might be a little difficult.”

“I saw that Phoenix Emperor during the day. The man is not to be underestimated,” Quan Jin said flatly. “Not to mention that Phoenix True Fire naturally suppresses Demonic Qi, even I can’t quite see through his true strength.”

“Him? Nothing to be afraid of! I’ve already investigated. The Phoenix Emperor was afflicted with a Poisonous Gu in his early years, and the poison has long since spread throughout his entire body. His strength is less than ten percent of what it was at his peak,” Mi Xing scoffed arrogantly. “The other two Beast Emperors are no threat either. With the two of us working together, plus this Chaos Mirror, even if we can’t kill them, we can trap and capture them alive to bring back to the Demon Realm!”

“I have my own plans for this matter. I won’t trouble you for your counsel,” Quan Jin’s tone grew even colder.

“Tsk, are you rejecting my offer to cooperate?” Mi Xing’s eyes narrowed, his expression intriguing. “This really isn’t like the you I know. You’re not one to be timid or afraid of trouble. Could it be… you have other concerns?”

’Mi Xing thought back to the servant he had controlled during the day, the one who had run into that lost little female. An outsider, yet she knew Quan Jin’s son? He’d originally planned to lure her out of the palace but never expected Quan Jin himself to step in and save her life… What was their relationship?’

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