Chapter: Chapter 294: “Chen An, No Peeking!”
After dismissing everyone, Qingxin Hall regained its tranquility.
The night was dim, and the man’s gloomy expression flickered in the moonlight. He stood silently at the doorway for a moment before turning and entering the hall. The hall was spacious and bright, with intricate and exquisite glazed tile carvings embedded between the red walls and black tiles. The dancing candlelight illuminated exquisite murals on the walls. The murals depicted giant beasts of various forms in meticulous detail. These were the great calamities of ancient times. Generations later, their appearances and ideologies had greatly diverged from their ancestors.
Long Yizhi walked past these murals one by one, recalling the legends about them among the human race: Taotie, Qiongqi, Yaoyu, Jiuying… Many fierce beasts that existed only in legend were now meticulously recorded within the Demon Country’s royal city. Finally, he stopped before one particular mural. It depicted a massive purple tiger bathed in lightning. When the Demon Country was first established, it was supported by the Four Divine Beasts, with the Dragon clan at the forefront. The purple tiger in the painting was one of them.
Watching the majestic purple tiger roaring at the sky, a faint, flickering light danced in the man’s eyes, the unique vertical pupils of a demon. He waited quietly until the mural before him suddenly distorted. A strange dark shadow then quietly emerged from the mural. The shadow transformed into human form but did not kneel as ordinary demons would. Instead, it stood beside him, gazing calmly. It softly asked, “Your Highness summoned me, is there something you need?”
Long Yizhi’s eyes widened, and the unnamable anger that had just subsided flared up again. Just a short while ago, the other party’s attitude was far from this cold. The profound respect he felt had almost elevated him to the heavens. Yet now, merely because his sister’s whereabouts were unknown, the other party had acted out of character, treating him with a cold demeanor, appearing ready to leave at any moment. This was undoubtedly a great irony. However, the figure before him was not a servant that Long Yizhi could easily manipulate. He had to suppress his anger and said resentfully, “I truly don’t know, what are you all in such a hurry for? My sister was forced to jump into the Li River, heading in the opposite direction of Dragon City. I have already set up checkpoints along the route. Unless she appears in Dragon City out of thin air, she absolutely cannot escape my control!”
The man’s voice grew louder as he paced back and forth before the mural. The dark shadow watched his impatient demeanor, a hint of mockery flashing in its eyes. “Your Highness, you are mistaken.” The shadow paused slightly. “We are not the ones in a hurry; it is you.” “If we cannot capture the little princess, all our previous efforts will be in vain.”
Long Yizhi’s eyes flashed with fury. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but ultimately gave up and fell silent. He knew the other party was right. Their purpose was not merely to prevent Long Li from returning to Dragon City. The truth would eventually come out, and many clan elders were already questioning him, demanding an explanation. He had to capture that wench before confronting the elders of his clan, then use a secret technique to seize her bloodline talent. Only then could he initiate the inheritance ceremony and ascend to the throne… At that time, all doubts would vanish, and he would be honored as king.
However, the deviation from the original plan had put him in this passive position. “It all comes down to the bloodline, bloodline, bloodline!” “Why?!” “Why?!” The man’s frantic roar echoed through the hall. The dark shadow stood by, its expression unmoved. It thought, if not for the bloodline, how could a fool like you, who is so easily manipulated, have ascended to the throne of the Demon Country’s prince?
Long Yizhi’s questions remained unanswered, only the echoes reverberated. Inside Qingxin Hall, his demeanor was anything but serene. After a while, the man’s emotions settled slightly. His eyes, bloodshot, stared intently at the visitor. “No, no hurry, cannot rush…” “You are right, I am too anxious, too anxious, but I must see her alive or dead. If I cannot find her for a single day, I will never rest easy…” His softly spoken words were like an insane person’s ravings. The man’s hair was disheveled, and his expression was somewhat crazed. His luxurious robes had come undone at some point, revealing a disheveled chest. Long Yizhi took a step forward, gripping the dark shadow’s arm tightly. He stared at the visitor, speaking rapidly, “Give me more time, especially with my clan elders, you must help me stall them.”
The dark shadow smiled faintly, gently removed Long Yizhi’s hand, and said, “Please rest assured, Your Highness. As you said, as long as the little princess does not appear in Dragon City out of thin air, we will continue to give you time.” The shadow’s reply was like a shot of adrenaline for Long Yizhi, somewhat easing his displeased expression. He opened his mouth, about to speak again, but the dark shadow had already dispersed with a gust of night wind, leaving no trace. Inside the hall, only Long Yizhi’s figure remained. He stood before the mural, motionless. Only the candlelight occasionally illuminated the man’s terrifyingly grim profile.
… night deepened. There were no clouds tonight, the starry sky was clear, and a crescent moon hung high, casting a faint, silvery glow. A clear stream flowed quietly under the moonlight, occasionally making the sound of water flowing over pebbles. Suddenly, the calm water surface stilled, and then it was as if something had shattered the scene, creating a splash. “Peh, Grandma, are you sure this teleportation array is reliable?” Chen An couldn’t help but complain. He wiped the stream water from his face and then vigorously paddled with the small person beside him towards the shore.
The stream was not rapid, and he quickly brought them to the bank. However, both of them were undoubtedly drenched. Using the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the branches, Chen An surveyed his surroundings. The night was dark, and he could only vaguely make out what appeared to be a small patch of dense forest. The surroundings were quiet, with only the faint chirping of insects. He then looked down, noting that his clothes were soaked through by the stream water. Long Qingqing beside him was no better. The hazy moonlight fell on her shoulders, her thin white skirt clinging to her skin, revealing her slender figure beneath. Her pair of small bare feet rested on the grass, and a few glistening water droplets slowly rolled down her fair, delicate legs.
Chen An glanced briefly, thinking the grandma’s white skirt was too sheer, and then averted his gaze. However, a faint voice followed, “You clearly want to look, so why turn away?” The words seemed to express confusion. Her elegant and ethereal face was as indifferent as usual, but with a faint blush barely visible in the night, adding a touch of color. Long Qingqing said, “You don’t need to feel ashamed. I had three thousand dao companions in my previous life, what haven’t I experienced?”
Hearing this, Chen An could only turn his head back. However, he was quickly stunned. In his sight, those small bare feet, with toes as exquisite as jade, suddenly curled inward. It was inexplicably playful and cute. This was a very subtle movement, and even with the cover of night, it should have been difficult to notice. But Chen An had still noticed. This wasn’t because he was a foot fetishist, but simply because he was a meticulous person. The next moment, Chen An felt a tug on his trouser leg by a small hand. He heard the faint voice again, but this time it was clearly tinged with suppressed shyness. “Chen An, no peeking!”
