Xiao Lin didnât have a high-profile personality, so his birthday banquet wasnât much fun.
After the performers played music and danced on the stage, only the ministers were left exchanging conventional greetings with each other.
It was at this time that a man walked in laughing. The man was dressed in white with a jade crown, and a transparent jade hanging on his waist.
âIâm late for Sixth Brotherâs birthday banquet. I hope Sixth Brother wonât be angry.â
Although he was smiling, his eyes were not.
Sitting on the main seat, Xiao Linâs initially gentle expression had turned slightly colder upon seeing him. Xiao Lin stood up. âFourth Brother.â
It turned out to be King Zhao.
Su Su quietly observed King Zhao. His gait was slightly conceited, his eyes were somewhat bluish-black, and his gaze was sharp. With just a glance, one could see that he was a person that was hard to get along with. King Zhaoâs identity was quite unusual. His mother was the Emperorâs favourite imperial consort1, and her maternal family was very powerful. So, in the future battle for the throne, he would be Xiao Linâs most significant opponent.
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His impression of this Third Miss remained from the past. She was a spiteful, willful, and vicious-hearted young lady. But the Third Ye today had a different bearing, with a scorching flower ornament in-between her eyebrows.
If the Eldest Miss Ye was a pretty bloomed lotus, then the Third Miss would be a peony2Â that had just began to blossom.
A young girl who had just matured was youthful and attractive. The two girls of the Ye Family were born well.
Su Su didnât expect that King Zhao would end up diverting his attention to her when she was just eating melon3.
His vulgar gaze made people uncomfortable.
However, Su Su was calm and collected. She said to King Zhao, âThis officialâs daughter greets His Highness, King Zhao.â
Then, she hid behind Tantai Jin with evil intentions.
Come on, bad devil! Go and face King Zhao.
Tantai Jin looked at the girl behind him in bewilderment. She looked back at him with a straight face.
Tantai Jinâs gaze looked uncertain. He glanced at her, then replaced her to meet King Zhaoâs gaze.
King Zhao smiled treacherously, âHostage prince, long time no see. Is your life in the Generalâs residence better than the cold palace?â
Su Su felt that King Zhao was like an arrogant giant crab that walked horizontally. He was not only lecherous but also had evil tendencies. Whenever he caught someone, he would publicly criticize them4.
The entire atmosphere had changed since his appearance at the banquet.
Tantai Jin said, âThanks, King Zhao, for your concern. The Generalâs residence has been very good.â
âThatâs good then. But I really miss hostage prince, my good childhood playmate.â King Zhao lifted his robe and slightly split his legs. His expression was darkly hinting at his ridicule and contempt.
Tantai Jinâs expression did not change, and he nodded. He toasted King Zhao a cup of wine.
King Zhao raised his eyebrows. He was amazed. Last time, this lowly prisoner of warâ the hostage prince, had crawled through his legs, and his hands had clenched the mud so tightly that the green veins on the back of his hands bulged. Now, he was hinting at that incident to humiliate Tantai Jin, but his reaction was extremely calm. How interesting.
When Su Su heard this, her heart clenched unconsciously. She suddenly remembered what the momo from the cold palace had said. The princes often seemed to have fun toying with Tantai Jin.
What did King Zhao do to Tantai Jin?
She couldnât help but glance at Tantai Jin, trying to make out something from his expression, but she could only see the young manâs thin side face. His long lashes and dark pupils were remarkably calm.
In a flash, the joyful and harmonious banquet became dreary because of King Zhao. At this moment, a plump minister smiled and said, âThis lowly official just came back from the border of Great Xia some time ago and obtained something exciting. I donât know if the two princes and everyone here are interested in enjoying it together.â
King Zhao leaned forward and said, âOh? Lord Li better not use mediocre things to fool this prince. Take it out and show us.â
Lord Li smiled and said, âThis lowly official doesnât dare.â He clapped his hands, and the servants brought in a huge square object. It was covered by black silk cloth, and the inside couldnât be clearly seen.
Lord Li walked over and lifted the black cloth.
Surprisingly, a mighty lion was lying on its stomach inside the cage.
Everyone looked at each other.
Pang Yi Zhi said, âLord Li, although lions are not commonly seen, they are not something rare. Lord Li, what do you mean by this?â
Lord Li smiled so widely that his eyes couldnât be seen.
âDonât worry, everyone. The good show is yet to come.â
He took out a palm-sized jade box from his robe. He opened up the jade box and threw it into the iron cage.
Su Su had a bad feeling. She stared at the box intensely.
A bee that was the size of a fingernail flew out of the box.
âThis is the Scarlet Flame Wasp. Although itâs small, just it alone can defeat the lion.â
As soon as he finished talking, the lion stood up vigilantly. Unexpectedly, the fiery red wasp charged directly into the lionâs ear.
The lion started to madly slam its body on the cage.
Lord Li was still smiling. The next moment, the lion convulsed and fell onto the ground. Suddenly, its head exploded, and the remnants splattered all over the floor.
The Scarlet Flame Wasp that had been the size of a fingernail earlier had now become the size of a sturdy manâs fist.
Everyoneâs eyes widened. The females of the familiesâ expressions turned ghastly. They used handkerchiefs to cover their eyes, and their stomachs were churning.
Su Su abruptly put down her chopsticks.
It wasnât just something strange. This Scarlet Flame Wasp was clearly a demonic creature.
How could a demonic creature appear in the mortal world?
As expected, the next moment, the face of the initially kind and straightforward Lord Li suddenly became distorted. âNow that everyone has seen enough excitement, you can go to the Yellow Spring5Â with ease!â
An unforeseen event happened out of the blue. Dozens of Scarlet Flame Wasps suddenly flew out from the lionâs iron cage.
The Scarlet Flame Wasps charged towards the crowd, and the sound of screaming fell incessantly to the ear.
General Yeâs expression couldnât help but change. He drew out his sword and started to chase away the Scarlet Flame Wasps that were flying in his direction.
Everyone had seen the formidable power of these creatures. If one were to let them enter their body, they wouldnât be able to live.
Xiao Linâs reaction was even faster. He slashed his sword at a Scarlet Flame Wasp. He turned back and ordered, âProtect the Side Imperial Concubine and leave!â
His men hurriedly guarded Ye Bing Shang aside.
Ye Bing Shang held onto Xiao Linâs hand and said in a trembling voice, âWangye6.â
Chapter 10.2 Dazzling
Xiao Lin said, âGo!â
He took off his cloak, wrapped it around Ye Bing Shang, and pushed her towards the maidservants.
The guards hastily protected Ye Bing Shang and left.
Su Su knew this was a big problem. She initially thought that the mortal world was peaceful. To prove her wrong, when she attended a birthday banquet, she actually saw something that shouldnât have appeared.
Although General Ye was good at martial arts, he was just a mortal. He had never seen such weird and ferocious Scarlet Flame Wasps.
The Scarlet Flame Wasps were so agile that Ye Xiao was badly struggling.
At the scene, the stream of screaming was never-ending. The Scarlet Flame Wasps broke through the human bodies and became bigger and bigger.
A Scarlet Flame Wasp was about to get into General Yeâs head in the next blink, but a sharp sword cut it into half.
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She was in a panic. If something were to happen to him, she couldnât live either. The three realms would also quickly be doomed.
In a flash, a Scarlet Flame Wasp flew towards her.
Someone abruptly caught her wrist. Su Su shouted in surprise, âEldest Senior Brother!â
Xiao Lin frowned as he didnât understand why the Ye Xi Wu in front of him would address him that way. âWhat are you still standing here for? Quickly leave!â Although he didnât like Third Miss Ye, he wouldnât neglect rescuing those in danger.
Xiao Linâs sword aura was completely different from his amiability. His sword carried a vaguely cold aura, diffracting light and shadow, swift and cool.
Su Su was caught off guard and saved by Xiao Lin. She was moved that her Eldest Senior Brother had never changed.
When the secret guards of the princeâs residence joined in, the situation eased a lot.
Nonetheless, the Scarlet Flame Wasps were still absorbing the power of the dead humans and growing bigger and bigger.
Su Su held onto her sword. She didnât have time to care about her own safety and walked towards the chaotic crowd.
She was really anxious. Where is Tantai Jin? Where did he go?! Did something really happen to him?!
In a flash, a man in front of her was forced into a corner by a human baby-sized Scarlet Flame Wasp. Su Su twisted her body and stabbed it without even thinking.
She used the Qinghong Sword Technique to its fullest and cut off the Scarlet Flame Waspâs wings and head.
Only then Su Su saw the person who was almost killed.
The man looked at her with disbelief.
It was Pang Yi Zhi. Pang Yi Zhi had excellent literary talent, but he wasnât good at martial arts. He looked at Su Su hesitantly. His mouth used to be vicious and sharp, but now, it was a little disobedient. âYouâŚâŚ YouâŚâŚâ
The beautiful flower ornament in the middle of the girlâs forehead was messily smeared, but her clear eyes were beautiful as if burning multi-colored.
Su Su pursed her mouth in a straight line. âLord Pang, hurry up and run for your life!â Why did he keep staring at her! Did a flower bloom on her face?
Pang Yi Zhi looked perplexed. He turned around and was about to run.
Su Su suddenly pulled his sleeve. âWait a minute. Did you see Tantai Jin?â
âHostage prince âââ He lowered his gaze and saw a dirty little face that was looking at him eagerly. The girl was holding a sword, and her eyes were bright and stubborn.
Pang Yi Zhiâs heart palpitated and he pushed her soft hand away. He averted his gaze. âI didnât see him!â
*
Ye Bing Shang was escorted by the secret guards, running towards the princeâs inner residence.
When they walked through the rockery, a maidservant suddenly screamed. When Ye Bing Shang looked back, she saw a Scarlet Flame Wasp rush out from the maid servantâs body and charge towards her ferociously. The guards were flustered. âSide Imperial Concubine Shang!â
A guard hurriedly went to block it. Unfortunately, he had never seen this kind of strange creature before, so his martial art skills were useless. The guardâs eyes widened, and the Scarlet Flame Wasp had already passed through his body.
In a moment, the Scarlet Flame Wasp flew over, and the guards fell one by one. The secret guard that was protecting Ye Bing Shang had disappeared. Ye Bing Shang tripped over a stone and fell to the ground.
She was frightened and desperate. Was she really going to die under the siege of these bizarre creatures today? The odd creature in front of her was actually half the size of an adult man! Just looking at it made her almost faint from fear.
Ye Bing Shangâs face paled and she backed away.
The next moment, dark purple clothing appeared in front of her.
Ye Bing Shang looked up in shock. But, before she could clearly see the person who came, her eyes went dark, and she lost consciousness.
The young man raised his hand and caught that huge Scarlet Flame Wasp.
As he grabbed its antennae, the Scarlet Flame Wasp that had been violently killing people just before was now starting to tremble in fear.
Tantai Jin tilted his head and laughed. He whispered slowly, âItâs okay to kill anyone else, but you shouldnât touch her.â
His chapped right hand clenched its antennae tightly.
When his blood touched the Scarlet Flame Wasp, it screeched strangely and instantly turned into a puddle of foul-smelling liquid.
The smile on Tantai Jinâs face disappeared, and he looked at the pool of fiery red liquid indifferently. He turned around and gently carried the girl from beside the rockery.
Ye Bing Shang leaned against the young manâs thin chest.
Tantai Jin carried Ye Bing Shang to the willow tree by the lake and put her down. He pulled her slender right hand and wiped his own blood on her wrist.
He finished everything leisurely and walked back with ease.
Maybe he should go back and see whether King Zhao was still there.
Didnât King Zhao miss the âwarmthâ from his childhood? He didnât mind helping this prince relive his feelings from the past.
As for Ye Xi Wu, he half-heartedly thought that in this kind of situation, she might already be dead.
Tantai Jin passed by the panicking crowd that was escaping. In the past, he had looked docile and timid. But now, it was the turn for these high-rankers to look flustered and hysterical.
He couldnât help but laugh when he saw an official push his wife towards the Scarlet Flame Wasp.
What can that do?
As expected, a few seconds after the Scarlet Flame Wasp killed the frightened wife, it also killed the official.
Tantai Jin was leaning against a red pillar and watching this hell on Earth. The smell of blood spreading in the air made him so happy that his eyes squinted. The potent blood gas penetrated his lungs. He choked and coughed twice, but the corner of his lips were highly perked up.
Through the shadow of the tree, Tantai Jin saw a man in green with an appearance like a fallen immortal, tirelessly lifting his sword to protect the crowd leaving the princeâs residence.
King Xuan, huh. Many thoughts passed through Tantai Jinâs heart.
But the next moment, the smile on the corner of his lips froze. Tantai Jin didnât expect that the girl he had thought to be dead would appear not far away.
Her hair was scattered, and the flower ornament on her forehead had been smeared. Her little face was even stained with a few tints of red.
It was strange that she didnât look messy at all. Even in the bustling crowd, people could find her at a glance.
The girl was carrying a sword, and the sunlight reflected on the tip of the blade. That ray of light was so dazzling and warm that it could burn someone.
She was walking and saving people along the way. He heard her anxiously asking the people that she had rescued. âHave you seen Tantai Jin?â
The officials shook their heads. She had hurriedly saved many people, but everyone waved their hands at her.
Tantai Jin looked at her coldly. A strange feeling rose again on the places of his fingers that had previously touched her. They were itchy and painful.
The young man gasped for air and lifted his foot to step on a Scarlet Flame Wasp that was killing people.