Chapter 82 - His Majesty Ji Yao

Ji Yao heard the sound of footsteps go further and further. He leaned against the door and heaved a sigh of relief. His fear of Rui Fei was deeply embedded in his bone but his desire to touch him made things very complicated. He liked it when Rui Fei grasped his arm and wrists, in fact, he liked it a little too much which made him feel a little perverse.

But whatever was going on between them was not as important as the issues he was dealing with right now. After his hot bath was prepared Ji Yao strode over and slipped out of his clothes ridden with dirt.

Before he met Rui Fei he would never have gotten into a senseless fight let alone pinned down on the ground. But ever since Rui Fei wormed his way into his life his bottom line had been greatly lowered but he himself hadn't even noticed.

He didn't even realise that the enemy had infiltrated his borderline and by the time he realises it would be too late. Ji Yao slipped into the wooden tub and felt his entire body relax. The feel of having his body enveloped in hot water was incredibly satisfying temporarily washing away his worries.

While Ji Yao was letting go of his stress and worry, Rui Fei was grumbling as his sister applied medicine to his split lip. He was incredibly bitter about losing his privileges but at least he wasn't kicked off the island, right?

Yes, it was better but he couldn't help but complain which Rui Li and Rui Yewan found hilarious though they had no courage to laugh in front of him.

***

After freshening up it was about time Ji Yao met with the concord members. They didn't even give him time to process the information directly seeking his audience. Ji Yao didn't refuse either. He knew he wasn't in the best shape but there were a lot of problems that had fallen on his plate.

Clad in a light-coloured brocade robe and his hair tied into a top knot with a ribbon he entered the main hall. The two face-framing tendrils on either side of his face and stern expression enhanced his features making the girls attending Lady Cheng Sei's faces heat up. This made them want to jump ship and join the crew of Red Bane.

Ji Yao ignored their probing gazes and took the seat his father would have taken if he was around. He was a little nervous but he had to stand his ground otherwise they would bully him on account of his age.

All the members apart from Lady Ching Sei and a man dressed in blue robes ignored his presence and kept chattering like he was invincible. One of the members named Zhanglang went as far as disrespecting his looks claiming that with such a face how could anyone take him seriously.

He even suggested marrying Ji Yao to one of his boorish sons and having them take the throne. At least they would be capable. Even the troublemaker Zhang Li would never go that far.

Big Hei and Xunshi Zhe beside Ji Yao were about to teach that roach a lesson when the sword beside Ji Yao unsheathed itself and flew like a sharp needle towards the disrespectful Zhanglang who hadn't stopped talking.

The sword made a shing sound as it stopped right in front of Zhanglang's neck. The tip of the sword was grazing his skin drawing blood. The entire hall descended into silence with the only sound coming from the high pitch vibration of the sword.

Maybe it was their illusion but the sword seemed to be begging for permission to end Zhanglang's life. It desperately wanted to finish the job but Ji Yao was hindering it.

The man swallowed in fright with cold sweat flowing down his face like a river. He was terrified of Ji Wen and would never dare say such things in his presence but after a couple of drinks tonight he completely spoke what was on his mind regarding Ji Yao taking over in Ji Wen's steed.

Besides his age, the boy had a face best suited for harem members in the imperial palace. He was also a clean and neat freak with a cold face so how could he rule over rough men ten times his age? Wasn't that a joke?

But now he wasn't laughing especially after that sword burst into flames right before his eyes. He was so petrified that his blood ran cold. Ji Yao acted like this had nothing to do with him as he poured out a steaming cup of tea for himself.

He held back the bottom of his sleeve as he picked up the cup of tea acting like a passerby. Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand Lady Ching Sei turned her gaze towards Ji Yao but before she could utter a single word, Ji Yao said, "It won't stand down until it's satisfied. Either an apology or blood will suffice."

Lady Ching Sei, "...."

Like father like son indeed. Ji Yao wasn't as goofy as Ji Wen but the ruthlessness and iron-fist rule were the same. He might seem like an easy to bully kid but that was far from the truth. This here was a wolf with sheepskin for an outward appearance.

Hearing this Zhanglang stammered out an apology. "I, I... ple-please forgive this lowly one young, young master... so-sorry I mean your majesty."

Ji Yao casually placed the teacup on the table acting as though he hadn't heard the man's pleas. He stretched out his hand and Big Hei handed him a stack of papers with a map of their territory.

Without looking up Ji Yao said, "In the absence of my father I will be taking over. I would appreciate it if we set aside our differences and fight against our common enemy instead of fighting amongst ourselves about who deserves to be seated on this seat. If you remain defiant the only way out of the concord is death by my hand. These are the rules set by my forefathers ever since the establishment of this concord. Understood?"

He then raised his head and stared at the man who was still being held hostage by his sword. The man shook his head vigorously as the others hummed in agreement.

Their families started as crew members on the first ship belonging to grandmaster Ji but over time the grandmaster improved their fisherman lifestyles that had deteriorated under the constraints of the imperial rules. This happened before the nocru incident ever happened.

The Ji family brought them out of poverty and now they even owned ships of their own so how could they dare go against Ji Yao. Even if he was a five-year-old infant they would still respect him.. It was just that the idiot Zhanglang forgot that his ancestors used to be called roaches as his name.