CH 51

The people chatted for a while before Jin Wowo went to Ren’s bathroom to add half a jar of the snail liquid in the bathtub.

Afterward, he went back to the room to practice.

“You can soak here for a while. It might be best to soak overnight together with mother as well.” Raymond said to his father.

“I’m not in a hurry. Let your father soak first. I have something to discuss with you. I plan to hold a banquet with your father.”

Doris waited for Ren to soak in the bathtub before discussing the banquet with her son that was going to be held in the Marshal’s Mansion.

This banquet had two purposes.

One was to announce news about Raymond. Specifically, it was to announce that Raymond was still alive and had advanced to the ninth rank to all the stars and planets. 

Because of the previous live broadcast and the announcement of the new patriarch on the Black Python Clan’s homepage, almost every interstellar citizen connected to the Interstellar Network knew about it. They would also take this opportunity to make a formal response.

The other main purpose was to announce Jin WoWo’s identity.

Ever since the live broadcast, the public-inbox of the Marshal’s Mansion has been filled with countless letters of recommendation (suitors, blind dates, and so on).

When Marshal Raymond’s “weakened” condition was announced after his sacrifice, there was nothing of the sort. Now, not only was Raymond alive, but he has also become the strongest in the empire. Subbeasts of the Empire without a partner were going crazy after this noble bachelor.

Although subbeasts accounted for less than five percent of the population, after all they belonged to “undeveloped congenital disabled” people, these people generally have higher face values than other beastmen. Because most subbeasts don’t have abilities, the lifelong pursuit to find a strong male beastman as a partner was even stronger.

Countless emails were sent to the Marshal’s Mansion’s inbox with many photos of the subbeasts and their lives attached.

Even the subbeasts of several second-rate and third-rate families in the stars offered themselves.

“Jin WoWo’s identification has already been settled by me. All that’s left is whether you want to disclose the relationship between the two of you.” Doris said.

“Well, I want to ask him first.” Raymond replied.

After all, even though they have been pretending to be partners in front of outsiders, the intention of making it public would be equivalent to the two of them implying an intention to be together for the rest of their lives. 

Of course, Raymond would gladly make such an announcement. But, he couldn’t make this decision without Jin WoWo’s permission and knowing his feelings towards him.

Doris frowned at her son. “You still haven’t confessed?”

Raymond pursed his lips and said nothing.

Doris hated how she couldn’t turn iron into steel. 1 Raymond had already taken Jin WoWo to the online shopping mall. With the number of holy dating sites available specifically made for couples’ trysts and pink bubble atmospheres, wasn’t it a given that they should have already ended up together? Or at least talked about it?

And yet, her son was still stunned and hesitant. Doris wondered when Raymond would be able to catch her precious daughter-in-law.

“Today the Duchess sent me a message asking about Jin WoWo’s identity.”

Raymond frowned. “How did she know about Jin WoWo’s existence?”

“During the live broadcast, Jin WoWo was only captured briefly by the camera. His appearance was so eye-catching that it couldn’t go unnoticed. If I’m not mistaken, the duchess mentioned how her nephew seems to like subbeasts…” Doris said with deep intentions. When she finished speaking, she peeked at her son’s face.

As expected, Raymond’s face sank. “What kind of thing does he think he is?! Daring to covet the little snail!”

Duchess Nolan’s nephew was quite notorious. Raymond has heard about his playboy antics, provoking subbeasts everywhere and anywhere then leaving them hanging after playing for a while.

In the past two years, there was a scandal about a certain family’s subbeast and the infamous nephew. But because the Duke of Nolan’s family was so powerful, it became a he said she said situation until finally nothing happened.

“Hurry up and confess! Otherwise, it won’t just be one or two love rivals. More and more people will pursue the little snail after the banquet.”

Why is her son so slow?

Jin WoWo was so well-behaved, sensible, caring, and even has an ability that can go against the heavens. Raymond won’t be able to find any other like him in the interstellar. Yet, he isn’t in any crisis when chasing Jin WoWo. Is he waiting for someone to grab Jin WoWo first?

Raymond stood up, tense. The first thing he thought of just now was to find the duchess’ nephew and beat him up until the other person didn’t dare to look at Jin WoWo.

But with his mother’s reminder, he felt that–mother was right.

＊

Raymond went to the kitchen to get some food, which became full of sweet, fresh, and juicy fruits.

Jin WoWo’s room was next to his, and it was very quiet.

As a beastman’s five senses were very sensitive, Raymond had to lean against the gap between Jin WoWo’s soundproof door and heard smooth and even breathing. 

Unsure if Jin WoWo was asleep, Raymond hesitated for a moment before gently pushing the door open. Inside, he found that the lights inside were still on.

Jin WoWo was sitting on the bed cross-legged with his eyes closed, looking as if he were really asleep.

Due to hearing some movement near him, Jin WoWo opened his eyes and saw the plate in Raymond’s hand, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“I brought you something to eat. Are you… sleepy?”

It hasn’t been long since they last ate, so how could Jin WoWo be hungry? Besides, could people really eat so many sweet fruits before going to bed?

Even though these were the thoughts running in his mind, Jin WoWo looked at Raymond with a smile and answered, “No.”

“Then you were…”

“I was cultivating.”

“Cultivating?”

Jin WoWo nodded and motioned for him to come closer, “Come here.”

Raymond approached Jin WoWo, placed the plate on the small table, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Cultivation is a way to improve your own strength. In fact, you can practice it too.” Jin WoWo said.

“Me?”

Jin WoWo nodded, “While you use the method of injecting energy liquid to improve your own strength, we absorb the energy directly.”

“Is that why you needed the No. 3 energy liquid?” Raymond remembered that on the spacecraft, the golden snail had absorbed two No. 3 energy liquids.

“No, I use No. 2 Energy Liquid.”

The five elements that the golden snail could use is wood. But since No. 3 Energy Liquid or water energy is compatible with the wood energy attribute, it could also be used, just not as effectively as wood energy.

Raymond suddenly became nervous. “Then, you absorbed two No. 3 energy liquids before…?”

Jin WoWo smiled and said, “It’s okay, these two kinds of energy are very similar so there was no problem in absorbing them.”

Raymond frowned, still looking at him worriedly.

“In fact, you can also absorb the energy of other attributes. Wood makes fire. So in addition to the energy liquid number four, you can also absorb the energy of number two.”

It’s just that people in this world don’t understand the principle of mutuality and restriction in the relationship of the five elements so they have never dared to try and inject other types of energy liquids.

But, the dark intentions behind Raymond and Ren seem to have applied the principle of energy restriction. Otherwise, how could both the father and son who use the fire attribute have energy that forced them to have an energy explosion??

Raymond probably understood a bit of what Jin WoWo was saying. They were educated from an early age that different types of energies should never be mixed. However, there have also been ignorant little beastmen who injected other types of energy liquids. In those cases, some beastmen came out fine while others became disabled.

Turns out, there is also such a principle about energies being mutually related or restrictive.

Raymond nodded and said, “Then, I will have someone send you a box of No. 2 energy liquid tomorrow.”

Jin WoWo supported his chin with his hand and asked with a smile, “Energy liquid is expensive, right? I have to use a lot of energy liquid for my cultivation.”

“It’s okay, it’s not expensive, I have an entire energy star.”

Pft!!

Raymond just solemnly announced that he was rich. And, he looked like a tyrant…It’s really…a little cute.

“Do you want it? I can give it to you.” Raymond said.

“What?”

“The energy etar.”

The Golden Snail: “…”

Jin WoWo slowly opened his eyes, his long curly eyelashes blinked and blinked again as if he were stuck in processing mode. An entire energy star…

This was one star. One star, not a mine!

It’s not like the 1.5 billion before, and yet Raymond is just… just giving it away??

No matter how rich local tyrants are, they are not so lavish, right?

Jin WoWo’s heart was a bit moved and an idea suddenly emerged. He pointed to himself and said, “You are giving it to me?”

Raymond looked at him and nodded seriously.

Jin WoWo slowly got up, moved until he stood right in front of Raymond, and slowly approached him, almost making his nose touch the tip of Raymond’s.

Raymond froze. The warm breath of the other party made his cheeks feel hot, but he still looked at Jin WoWo intently, not breaking eye contact.

Jin WoWo softly asked with a smile, “Is this my betrothal gift?”

betrothal…gift….

Boom!

Raymond felt as if a big fireball had exploded in his head, and his entire head was burning.

“Is it not?”

“No.” Raymond heard himself replying.

“Oh~”

Jin WoWo dragged out his voice. Keeping his posture unchanged, eye to eye, nose to nose. His gaze slid past the other’s eyes, down to the bridge of his nose, and finally to his lips.

Raymond thought that Jin WoWo was about to kiss him.

However, he did not.

Jin WoWo used his gaze like a brush, carefully moving across Raymond’s face over and over again. “Then, what is it?” He asked softly.

Raymond gulped nervously and answered mechanically, “I have prepared other gifts as the betrothal gift.”

“Pftt, hahahahaha!”

Jin WoWo finally couldn’t hold it in and laughed out loud. Why was Raymond…so funny?

means to hate how she can’t do anything to take action even though the materials are right in front of he