Chapter 547: Chapter 269: "Glazed Pure Body
The arrival of the Northern Kingdom’s envoys in the Imperial City naturally sent shockwaves through certain circles.
Zheng Xiu also sensed something was different in the air.
To the common folk, the Northern Barbarians were all but demonized.
Some said the Barbarians ate their meat raw and drank their blood, and even practiced cannibalism.
Some said the Barbarians had three heads and six arms, with heads covered in eyes.
Some said the Barbarians could tear a live ox apart, bathe in its blood, and gnaw on its fresh, unadulterated intestines.
Some said that wherever the Barbarians passed, they left no living thing behind, and that they would carry off Daqian women to the wastelands to bear children for all the Barbarians.
It wasn’t that the common folk were ignorant. Over the years, the Northern Barbarians had invaded repeatedly. The two nations had clashed several times, and the people of Daqian had suffered terribly, developing an instinctual fear of the Barbarians.
This fear was like that of an unarmed Human facing a Fierce Tiger—not easily dispelled, unless the Human grew stronger. Take the current Zheng Xiu, for example. If he heard a Fierce Tiger, he would only get excited, whip out his "big baby," and rush forward to beat it into a picnic.
"Why does His Lordship have such an appetite tonight?"
Chef He had been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, preparing more than thirty dishes.
Each time he went up, Chef He was astonished to find the plates on the table wiped clean. Every last bit of the generously portioned dishes had gone into the Red King’s stomach.
He even circled the table suspiciously, wondering if the Red King had secretly hidden the food somewhere, or perhaps if he was indulging in some debauchery, hiding someone under the table to eat and play with.
In the end, to Chef He’s disappointment, the Red King was indeed alone and had simply wolfed down all the dishes.
After eating his fill at his own Fragrant Pavilion, Zheng Xiu watched from the attic as the envoy’s procession receded into the distance until it vanished at the end of the street. As darkness fell, Zheng Xiu whistled down to Qing Shisan, letting him know he didn’t need to wait. Then, he leaped from the high building. A single wing unfurled, and under the cover of night, Zheng Xiu streaked toward the Red King Mansion like a flash of black light.
Strange, beastly markings on his chest spread across his entire body. Vicious claw marks pulsed on his torso. As the autumn night wind blew across his face, the inexplicable agitation in Zheng Xiu’s heart gradually calmed.
The "mysterious Birdman’s" approach to the Red King Mansion immediately threw his own men into chaos. At first, they didn’t realize the "Birdman" was the Red King. It was only after he landed and shed his half-demon form that they understood. A group of Assassins had been creeping up in the dark, just about to draw their weapons, when they saw the Red King standing in the courtyard. They exchanged awkward glances, grinned sheepishly, and slunk away.
"No wonder this Birdman looked so majestic and extraordinary! Turns out the Birdman was the lord himself!"
The Assassins secretly flattered the Red King from the shadows.
Zheng Xiu, of course, heard the rustling in the darkness, but he paid it no mind. He touched his chest, his face grim, and returned to his room.
He removed his outer layers of clothing, changed into a clean inner shirt, sat cross-legged on the soft couch, and submerged his consciousness, entering the Heart Prison.
Entering the Heart Prison took longer than usual this time. After entering, Zheng Xiu didn’t sit at the Game Table. In fact, he had nothing to do. He stood by the decaying iron bars, watching the mists ebb and flow outside. The deep, sea-like fog didn’t make Zheng Xiu feel lost or afraid; on the contrary, this familiar, claustrophobic scenery gradually calmed his agitated mind.
’Am I addicted to being locked up?’
It seemed only the environment of a prison cell could bring him a sense of security and comfort.
When Zheng Xiu realized this, he was momentarily speechless. He laughed at himself, but quickly accepted this fact.
His [Prisoner], the Source of his Ability, all his Derivations—they all came from the "prison." It was only normal to feel a sense of security and dependence on a prison cell.
Zheng Xiu took deep breaths.
He suddenly felt the urge to call for Qing Shisan and take a puff of his old-fashioned dry pipe.
An unknown amount of time passed before Zheng Xiu opened his eyes. There was another person in the room.
Her long hair was tied back, and she wore a form-fitting black outfit. The black of her clothes against the white of her bare feet created a striking contrast. Her rounded toes, white as mutton-fat jade and seeming to glow, curled up slightly. It was Feng Bei, in her familiar attire. At some point, she had snuck into Zheng Xiu’s room. She was now sitting on the table with her legs crossed, a faint look of worry on her face as she quietly watched him.
"What are you doing here?"
Zheng Xiu was stunned for a moment, but his expression quickly turned playful. He rubbed his hands together with exaggerated glee and chuckled. "We’re not even engaged yet, and you’re already trying a night raid? You’re really something else, Madam!"
Feng Bei smiled faintly and opened her arms, as if to say, "I’m all yours."
Zheng Xiu froze for a second. Feng Bei hopped off the table and stepped forward, gently pulling his head into her embrace.
Zheng Xiu suddenly fell silent. His breathing grew long and slow as he greedily inhaled Feng Bei’s scent.
She had just bathed; a scent of Orchid Fragrance clung to her. It was as if she were subtly competing with someone.
The two held each other quietly for a long while.
The embrace was so tight that Zheng Xiu almost couldn’t breathe. He pulled his head back, looked up at Feng Bei’s worried face, and asked again, "What are you doing here?"
Feng Bei said softly, "The sound of the wind around you is especially turbulent tonight."
Zheng Xiu didn’t answer.
Feng Bei gave a faint smile. "It’s funny, but it was ’her’ who told me you were unsettled." She closed her eyes and tilted her head as if listening to the voice in Zheng Xiu’s heart. After a moment, Feng Bei added, "I hear the clash of weapons."
Zheng Xiu, in turn, comforted Feng Bei. "It’s you. The other you."
Feng Bei smiled without saying a word.
Zheng Xiu let out a long breath.
Zheng Xiu sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. Feng Bei understood and sat down. The two sat side-by-side.
After a moment of silence, Zheng Xiu said calmly, "I always thought I had let it go."