t [V6C206 – Sorrow of a Silent Parting]
Zhao Ruoxi sighed in satisfaction after ravaging him for quite a while and finally loosened her demonic claws. William’s bright, silky hair was now a puffy mess. He himself looked somewhat withered in spirit and lay quietly on the ground. That little demoness Zhao Ruoxi looked quite pure, but her strength was nothing to scoff at.
She suddenly exclaimed in surprise as she remembered to chase after Bai Kongzhao. She flew up into the air, glanced around, and quickly locked onto a certain direction. Then, she said with a frown, “Ah, so far already?”
After escaping Zhao Ruoxi’s clutches, William clambered up immediately in a bid to escape. However, the girl activated the Red Spider Lily while hovering in the air, causing netherworld flowers to bloom one after another. And, intentionally or otherwise, several of them happened to bloom near William. Seeing the swaying flowers, William had no other choice but to lie down on the ground, whether he was willing or not.
Uncle Wang appeared once more. “Young Miss, why are you hesitating?”
Zhao Ruoxi pointed in a certain direction. “That little slut is about 500 kilometers in that direction, I’m thinking about whether I should give chase or not.”
William stood up in shock, but the words he wanted to say only appeared in the form of howls and barks. Even if he was howling to the moon, all Zhao Ruoxi would hear was a series of bow-wows.
William knew what was in that direction. There was a new major fortress being constructed in there, one which the dark races were planning to use as their frontline base of operations against the Zhao clan’s fortress cluster. The overseers of such a big operation were all at the marquis level, and there was definitely a vice duke behind them.
No matter how powerful Zhao Ruoxi was, she was still reliant on the Red Spider Lily’s power. It would be difficult for her to escape if she were surrounded deep within dark race territory.
Yet William didn’t know how to stop her. He stood up on his hind legs in a rush, bit the hem of Zhao Ruoxi’s dress, and dragged her back to the ground.
“Eh? Big doggy, you don’t want me to go?”
The moment he heard this, William felt a strong urge to drill into the ground. Unfortunately, he was a wolf and not an arachne—he had no talent in this regard.
Fortunately, Uncle Wang was there to save him at the right moment. “Young Miss, dark race activity in the area is quite high according to the latest intelligence. The fourth young master is also too far away for a timely rescue, should you encounter danger there.”
Zhao Ruoxi gritted her teeth. “Do we just let that little slut go?”
Uncle Wang smiled, “Although her talents are quite strange, young miss happens to be her natural predator. She doesn’t know that yet, however. You need only return to Indomitable and wait. She’ll come back on her own before long.”
“Fine! At that time, I’ll definitely kill her many times over!” Zhao Ruoxi’s eyes were frighteningly bright.
Uncle Wang nodded. “Next time, she won’t be able to escape.”
“No, I’ve changed my mind.” Zhao Ruoxi made a surprising remark. There was a shocking glow on her countenance as she said, “It’ll be too easy for the Bai clan if I kill the little brat just like that. Only by letting her live will the Bai clan interfere, and only then will I have a reason to use the Red Spider Lily on them. I must kill a couple of batches of Bai clan people before doing that slut in. Only then will I feel better!”
“Young Miss, this will really incite a war between the two clans,” Uncle Wang reminded.
Zhao Ruoxi’s little face turned cold. “So? Fighting wars is fourth brother’s business.”
William was dumbfounded after hearing this. Zhao Ruoxi’s attitude was clearly going to drag Zhao Jundu into the water. This evil demoness wouldn’t even hesitate to trick her own brother, to speak nothing of other people.
William suddenly felt his golden mane tighten. For the first time in his life, he felt that his silver-wolf form was a bit too flashy.
Uncle Wang added with a smile, “I guess so, the fourth young master will deal with it.”
“Okay, let’s go back first. I heard a lot of people will be gathering for a drinking contest tonight. It’ll be quite lively.”
William finally heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that the demoness was going back. It was time for this unknown giant dog to return to the woods. As such, he quietly turned around and attempted to edge away in a stealthy escape.
Then... his mane tightened as Zhao Ruoxi lifted him into the air.
Uncle Wang said with a cough, “Young miss, this dog…”
“Cute, isn’t he!? I’m grabbing him back for a few days to play. In any case, he’s indestructible no matter how I play with him, right doggy?”
William had no answer, and neither did Zhao Ruoxi need one. She simply grabbed him by the mane and flew back toward Indomitable.
Close to dusk, the many lights of Indomitable had sprung to life, painting the city in colors akin to a river of stars. With the war close at hand, this period was the final moment of peace. The cluster of fortresses outside the city was being built day and night, while people in the city indulged in merrymaking. No one dared to claim they would survive the final battle, so all they could do was enjoy the good times while they could.
Wei Potian’s courtyard was brightly lit. A roasting rack had been set up at the center, with a young cow slowly rotating upon it. The fragrance of roasted meat filled the air, and the atmosphere was just right.
There was an entire row of barrels leaning against the courtyard walls, all of them filled with strong liquor. Just from these ten barrels of intense spirits, one could see that Wei Potian’s aspirations weren’t small at all. He was intent on wiping away the embarrassment he had suffered during the elite corps recruitment.
He had lost to Qianye in a fight back then, but he had long since stopped considering it a humiliation. On the contrary, it became an honor for him instead. This was even more so after Qianye slaughtered a virtuous count—how many people dared say they had fought Qianye and lived to tell the tale?
Hence, the Wei clan heir had decided to seek his revenge at the drinking table, although this road was just as difficult.
There were several beautiful ladies in the courtyard, frolicking and occasionally whispering quietly among themselves. They would steal glances at the gate from time to time with eyes full of anticipation.
These girls were all lineal daughters of aristocratic families. Their family backgrounds provided them with a comfortable life but also bound them—forming marital connections between influential families was their inherent fate.
In their hearts, Qianye’s accomplishment of beheading a count on the frontlines couldn’t catch up to the other rumor. Reportedly, Qianye was very beautiful, even more so than the Song clan’s seventh young master.
The young ladies were currently as close as sisters, but as the time drew closer, the ambiance between them began to see subtle changes. There were now some sparks flying amidst the laughters and conversations.
Wei Potian checked the arrangements in the courtyard once more. He felt an indescribable sense of worry as his eyes landed on the wine barrels. He hesitated a bit but finally summoned his servants and said, “Go and get a couple more barrels!”
The servant was shocked. “More? How many?”
“As many as you can muster. Those fellows coming tonight are fierce people!” Wei Potian then kicked the dazed servant out of the courtyard.
The night was growing deep, and the time for revenge was drawing closer, yet Wei Potian’s heart grew heavy for some reason.
Just as he was staring vacantly, he felt a heavy slap on his shoulder which nearly sent him sprawling into the ground.
“Ho? Not bad! You actually took a slap from this mommy here. You’ve improved!” Zhao Yuying appeared out of nowhere and began praising him incessantly. Then, she slapped him again, causing Wei Potian’s face to change colors.
“How come you’re here?”
“I came after hearing you have drinks here. What? Do you not welcome me?” Zhao Yuying said carelessly.
Wei Potian whispered, “Sis, keep your voice down. There are quite a few people watching us.”
Zhao Yuying looked back and found a group of young girls in the courtyard, all of whom duly performed their greetings. “Greetings, Young Miss Yuying.”
Zhao Yuying was wild in front of familiar people, but she still had to keep up a lady-like appearance in front of strangers. She returned the gesture and said, “You’re all… daughters of those counts, right?”
“Yes.” The girls introduced their backgrounds in succession, all of them count and marquis families. It was just that the empire was vast—there was no shortage of marquis families and an even greater number of counts. Every family was doing its utmost to expand, resulting in an almost innumerable number of daughters and granddaughters. One could tell just by looking at Zhao Yuying that she wasn’t memorizing any of them.
Even so, she was the direct descendant of Duke You and also a well-known expert of the Zhao clan. The young ladies were content since it was already an honor that she would return the greeting.
After the formalities, Zhao Yuying dragged Wei Potian to the side and asked, “What are these brats here for?”
“They’re here to see Qianye.”
“Marriage? What’s the use of that? Why not just flip Qianye over and get it done with.” Zhao Yuying’s thinking was indeed unique.
Wei Potian smiled wryly. “Sis, just think about it, who can beat Qianye right now? Much less flip him over? Even you might not be able to do it. These girls only want to try their luck, what if Qianye likes one of them?”
Zhao Yuying snorted loudly. “They’re all weak as hell! Even if Qianye agrees, this mommy doesn’t!”
“The man in question will be coming soon, so we’ll leave it to him to decide. Today is just the beginning. Just watch, there’ll be even more in the coming days.”
Zhao Yuying was puzzled. “How come? When did Qianye become such a hot commodity?”
Wei Potian glanced at her helplessly, too lazy to even explain. Zhao Yuying gave it some thought and also realized the reason later on.
It was at this time that the courtyard doors were opened and someone walked in. The servants at the door seemed entirely oblivious to this person’s existence.
Wei Potian’s face turned ugly after seeing that the guest was actually Song Zining. “Why are you here? I don’t ever recall inviting you.”
Song Zining had gone through countless storms, and his face was as thick as a well when required. How could he trip up at such a small trial? He waved his fan lightly and said with a smile, “I heard there’s a distinguished gathering here and many friends will be present. How can I not come? What’s more, a certain person can’t handle alcohol yet always talks big. He must be trying to avoid me after losing last time. How can I let him off so easily? Of course, I must flip him over once more and let him see my power!”
Wei Potian was furious. “When have I ever lost to you? Hold it right there and make things clear! If not, we can duke it out tonight and settle the dispute in front of everyone! I just don’t believe I can’t outdrink Qianye and deal with a gigolo like you.”
Song Zining laughed out loud. “Blow! Keep blowing your own horn.”
Wei Potian was even more furious. He instantly ordered his men to bring wine, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being tricked.
With Song Zining and Wei Potian standing together, the young misses to the side saw their eyes light up. The seventh young master was well-known for his good looks and romantic lifestyle. Wei Potian wasn’t as exquisite as the former was, but he was masculine, bold, and admirable.
The girls looked back and forth between them but couldn’t figure out which one was better.
It was at this time that a servant cried out in a loud voice, “General Qianye has arrived!”
With a swoosh, all of the girls looked toward the courtyard gates.