CH 48.1

The crowd of demon cultivators gathered downstairs, and when the people from the Cloud Pavilion came out to collect the carrots, Shen Liuxiang waved his hand and closed the window, reluctantly watching as they dispersed.

Xu Xingchen returned and saw the ground downstairs covered with carrots. After learning the story, he threw a mask at Shen Liuxiang.

“Put it on quickly!”

Shen Liuxiang raised his index finger, hooked the thin string of the mask, twirled it in the air, and examined it in his hand.

A pig-face mask.

Ugly to the point that it made his scalp tingle.

Xu Xingchen sat on a chair, took the tea that Jin Xiaojiu handed over, sipped it to calm down, and said, “I looked through many stalls before finding this one-in-a-hundred mask. Do you like it, elder brother?”

Xu Xingchen never addressed Shen Liuxiang as “elder brother” straightforwardly. It was either out of respect for Emperor Yunyu, or it was when he was waiting for Shen Liuxiang to feel embarrassed.

Shen Liuxiang raised an eyebrow and smiled, then without saying a word, he put on the mask. He then approached Xu Xingchen, pressed one hand on the armrest of the chair, leaned slightly, and brought his face close to Xu Xingchen’s.

Xu Xingchen watched as the pig-face mask got closer and closer, and couldn’t help pressing it down with his hand. He turned his head away with a grimace.

“Get away, get away, it’s so ugly!”

Seeing Xu Xingchen’s reaction, Shen Liuxiang laughed, stood up straight, and said, “The mask you bought suits my taste very well.”

Xu Xingchen was stunned, looking incredulous. He actually liked such an ugly mask?

Then he saw Shen Liuxiang take off the mask, and for a moment, his long hair was disheveled. He looked at Xu Xingchen with lowered eyes, and a teasing curve formed at the corner of his lips.

“After all, it’s not me who has to look at this mask every day.”

Xu Xingchen: “…” It makes sense.

The one who will be talking to this pig-faced mask every day, eating with this pig-faced mask… seems to be him?

He reached out to grab the mask back, but Shen Liuxiang easily evaded, patted his shoulder, and said, “My second brother spent a long time picking this out for me, I’ll treasure it.”

After saying that, Shen Liuxiang swung his sleeves and left the room, his departing figure exuding carefree happiness.

Xu Xingchen’s tea cup shattered into powder in his hand with a “bang.”

The two of them had arranged to investigate the whereabouts of the scroll the next day. Early in the morning, while Xu Xingchen was still sleeping, he felt someone pushing him. In a daze, he opened his eyes and saw a demon with two fangs, wearing a pig-faced mask.

“Ah——!”

The Cloud Pavilion shook, and Jin Xiaojiu hurried over. Just as he pushed the door open, a pillow flew towards him and hit him in the head.

Avoiding the pillow, Zhang Miaomiao walked out expressionless.

“No danger.”

Jin Xiaojiu looked inside the room, where it turned out that the two young lords were in a fierce battle. Xu Xingchen was recklessly using various spells, but he didn’t manage to hit Shen Liuxiang even once. Smoke seemed to be coming out of his head due to frustration.

No one dared to get involved in the Cloud Pavilion. The entire morning, Xu Xingchen almost tore the building apart. When he finally sat down, Shen Liuxiang handed him a cup of tea and said leisurely, “Getting angry harms the liver.”

Xu Xingchen, almost numb with anger, took the tea and drank a sip in self-pity.

Shen Liuxiang said, “You have such a temper. If you are this easily provoked, you’ll fall for it and suffer great losses in the future.”

Xu Xingchen sneered, not taking it seriously, and arrogance filled his expression. “I am the Young Master of the Imperial Palace. Besides you, who would dare provoke me?”

Frowning, Shen Liuxiang slapped him on the back of his head, “Is ‘Young Master’ the only thing inside your head?”

Xu Xingchen paused for a moment and lowered his voice, “And there’s also the title of Emperor.”

Shen Liuxiang replied, “Emperor? Do you think you’re worthy of that?”

Xu Xingchen’s expression changed for a moment.

Before Shen Liuxiang appeared, the position of the Emperor was rightfully his. However, later on, seeing how fond the Emperor was of Shen Liuxiang, he felt a coldness in his heart.

As for whether he was worthy of the Emperor’s position or not, he had never thought about that question.

Now, Shen Liuxiang’s words were like a slap in the face.

Xu Xingchen’s lips trembled slightly, and he was at a loss for words.

Compared to the Emperor, he naturally wasn’t worthy.

Sitting on the cold floor, both of them, Shen Liuxiang moved closer to Xu Xingchen. He placed one hand on Xu Xingchen’s shoulder and patted it in a comforting manner.

“It’s not too late. You still have a chance to become a qualified Emperor.”

Xu Xingchen hesitated, “What do you mean by a qualified Emperor?”

Shen Liuxiang said, “Of course, someone like the Emperor.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed outside.

“We discussed it last night. Today, we’ll search for the scroll’s whereabouts within the city. But the blazing sun is intense outside. Every time we go to a place, we have to use a strand of the Emperor’s hair to sense whether the scroll is there or not. The process is both laborious and dull. Do you really want to do something like this?”

Xu Xingchen hesitated for a moment and then shook his head candidly.

This task was indeed exhausting.

Shen Liuxiang chuckled, “So, I’ve already thought about it. You rest at the Cloud Pavilion, and I’ll go alone.”

Xu Xingchen looked astonished and saw the young man’s face full of anticipation as he said, “If it were the Emperor, I think he would make the same choice as me—to shoulder the heavy responsibility alone. I want to get closer to the Emperor, and become more like him.”

Xu Xingchen’s eyes widened slowly, and his heart surged with enormous waves.

After a moment, he stood up with a serious expression, “No, let me go! Let me go alone! I’m the one who needs to learn from the Emperor!”

Shen Liuxiang furrowed his brows, “But the weather outside is scorching hot, and you’ve been sheltered since childhood. How could you endure such hardships? It’s better for you to stay at the Cloud Pavilion. I’ll go.”

“That’s enough. I’ve made up my mind,” Xu Xingchen said, flicking his sleeve. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, “You’re right. If it were the Emperor, he would definitely choose to complete this task alone. Since I have intentions towards the Emperor’s position, I should follow his example. Don’t stop me!”

Shen Liuxiang hesitated, then sighed helplessly, “Fine, I’ll let you take on this task. Go then.”

Xu Xingchen looked at him, his face showing a complex expression for a moment. He said, “Thank you.”

After saying that, he brushed his robe sleeve and left.

Shen Liuxiang blinked his eyes, watching Xu Xingchen leave the Cloud Pavilion. He quickly asked Jin Xiaojiu where he had bought the food last night. After finding out the location, he put on the mask and left the house eagerly.

The sun in the sky was like a blazing fireball, casting its intense heat over Qilin City. The air was filled with scorching heat.

Shen Liuxiang found the restaurant, but in less than half a cup of tea’s time, he had already broken into a thin sweat on his forehead.

On his way, he had bought a folding fan. He fanned himself as he walked into the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. The waiter came over quickly, and Shen Liuxiang ordered a series of dishes. He was then escorted to the second floor.

Not long after, the waiter brought various fruit dishes.

Shen Liuxiang leaned back in his chair, holding a plate of watermelon from the ice array in his hand, and turned his head to look at the scorching heat outside the window.

When he thought about Xu Xingchen, who was sweating profusely at the moment, holding a strand of the Emperor’s hair and sensing the whereabouts of the scroll all over the place, he felt a bit uneasy.

Ah…

Stupid little brother, quickly realize what’s going on!

Shen Liuxiang sighed in his heart, but his lips were busy swallowing a spoonful of cool and sweet watermelon, his eyebrows and eyes curving into a smile.

It was noon, and the restaurant was full of customers. Soon, a storyteller arrived on the stage at the ground floor. The others, who were accustomed to his performances, asked, “What ghost stories are you telling today?”

The storyteller replied, “Today, I’m telling the story of the old Demon King and the Demon Queen.”

Hearing this, the audience started clapping excitedly, their enthusiasm evident.

“It’s said that the Demon Queen An had an extraordinary beauty that captured the heart of the old Demon King Zhang Yao at first sight. He wanted to marry her as the Demon Queen An. However, the Demon Queen An resisted his advances in every way possible. Zhang Yao had no choice but to place her in a small courtyard in Qilin City. Later, our City Lord, the Seventh Demon King, was born as a result.”

Upon hearing “Seventh Demon King,” the audience couldn’t help but praise.

“On the day when the other Demon Kings tried to take over Qilin City, the old Demon King couldn’t hold them off. It is thanks to the City Lord’s intervention that we are now leading carefree lives.”

“Indeed, the City Lord is wise and virtuous. The other Demon Kings wouldn’t deign to take in lesser demons, only the City Lord treated them sincerely.”

The storyteller cleared his throat and continued, “Anyways, with the defeat of the Old Demon King came the new Demon Queen Zhang’s arrival. the old Demon King feared that the Demon Queen Zhang might harm him. Thus, he moved the Demon Queen and their child from place to place daily, evading the Demon Queen Zhang’s pursuit. He endured his longing and didn’t visit them. Years passed peacefully like this. But fate didn’t go as planned. The City Lord fell victim to schemers and disappeared!”

The audience below immediately exclaimed, “It must have been the work of the Demon Queen Zhang, that wicked woman! She’s truly vile. The heavens have eyes, all four of her useless sons met untimely deaths, leaving only a daughter behind. If it weren’t for the City Lord’s mercy, she would’ve been dismembered long ago. How could she be allowed to live peacefully in the mansion?”

The storyteller nodded in agreement and continued, “Fortunately, the City Lord had the help of kind souls. After wandering outside for more than a decade, he finally returned home and saved our Qilin City. Now, the old Demon King and the Demon Queen An live in the mansion, and they must be very content.”

Shen Liuxiang calmly picked up a mouthful of food, thinking that if what these people were saying was true, the Seventh Demon King truly repaid enmity with kindness.

However, it was hard to believe that the four sons of the Demon Queen met untimely deaths. No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like a coincidence. Yet, these people believed it wholeheartedly, which was quite strange.