Chapter 38 part 2
Seeing Xiao Xiao’s confusion, Wei Jie calmly explained, “If one’s ambition is inflated enough, even the most alluring femme fatale could not obstruct his path forward.”
Xiao Xiao understood – if Prince Can did not prefer masculine beauty, then he must be a man consumed by immense ambition and aspiration.
Recalling his refined and amiable demeanor, it suddenly sent a chill down her spine.
Discerning demons was simple with a demon-subduing divine sword. But discerning the human heart was infinitely more difficult.
Yet sometimes, humans were forever more complex and terrifying existences than demons…
By the time they returned to the inn, the heavily vinegared and spicy braised dishes Wei Jie had bought for Xiao Xiao were already half-eaten by the little fox.
Yu Ling’er had now discovered that the human realm offered far too many delicacies – a life of only chicken giblets and breast meat was too dull.
When love-sickness could not be cured, indulging in the delicious human cuisine was truly a balm!
Fortunately, the ever-filial Tang Youshu had managed to preserve two bowls, understanding that the master and grand-master had not eaten, allowing Xiao Xiao to have her late breakfast.
As Xiao Xiao ate the braised dishes, she suddenly recalled that at last night’s banquet, Prince Can had mentioned he would soon be holding his thirtieth birthday celebration, planning to host a lake-side wine banquet at Autumn Water Pond on the city outskirts, while also letting his guests sample the local specialty small-scaled fish. Apparently, Prince Can was fond of fishing and had been personally leading people to catch fish in preparation to serve the honored guests.
At the time, the elder from Ebony Peak had responded enthusiastically, saying he also enjoyed fishing, and they had chatted merrily.
All the major sects present at the prince’s manor had received invitations.
As she munched on a braised chicken foot, Xiao Xiao asked Wei Jie about this matter. He said, “If Prince Can sends an invitation, we will naturally have to attend the banquet and see what’s going on.”
As he spoke, he was swinging his whip, the leather coils precisely wrapping around some empty wine jars placed on the ground, as dexterous as an extended limb.
After whipping for a while, he casually removed a silver ring from the whip handle and slipped it onto Xiao Xiao’s wrist.
Xiao Xiao looked at the ring, its patterns clearly bearing the Wei Family’s demon-subduing insignia.
As it encircled her wrist, the silver ring shook violently for a while, as if adapting, before finally becoming still.
Wei Jie explained, “Since you have the demon bead within you, the silver ring will react this way. Wearing it, if any ominous presence approaches, it will provide a warning.”
Xiao Xiao shook her wrist, the circular ring fitting perfectly as a bracelet due to her slender bones. Xiao Xiao reminded herself to simply wear it and absolutely not touch it with her fingers, lest she turn it to ash.
Those puppet worms were hard to guard against. But wearing this silver ring would at least provide advanced warning if any worm seeds approached.
After speaking with Xiao Xiao for a while, Wei Jie left on some matter.
Xiao Xiao noticed a few tall, cloaked men standing at the inn entrance. Although they were heavily covered, Xiao Xiao’s exceptional eyesight allowed her to make out the silver demon-subduing insignias embedded in their armor through the cloaks.
It seemed these were members of the Wei Family. Wei Jie had a hushed conversation with them before leaving together, likely called away on some urgent business and unable to return soon.
Seeing Wei Jie depart, Xiao Xiao lost her appetite for the braised dishes, quietly pondering her next steps.
Her greatest worry of Wei Jie and his mother’s life-and-death separation seemed to have been resolved. Si Ling had also been freed from the puppet worm, removing any lingering concerns.
If so, there seemed little point in remaining in Luoyi City any longer. As for whether the Four Great Sects had been inflicted with puppet worms, Xiao Xiao felt it was beyond her ability to investigate.
If that Prince Can truly harbored ill intentions, the Four Great Sects attending his birthday banquet in the previous timeline would likely have fallen victim as well.
After the incident in Ghost Alley nineteen, Xiao Xiao had experienced how her unconscious actions could bring drastic changes to this lifetime. She could only remain prudent in speech and action, trying her best not to further interfere with these people and events.
At that moment, the prince’s servants arrived with the invitation.
Having already made up her mind, Cui Xiao Xiao smiled at the messenger, “Thank you for Prince Can’s kind invitation, but as reclusive cultivators, we have concluded our business in the city and do not wish to disturb His Highness further. We will be leaving the city.”
The messenger was clearly displeased upon hearing this, drawling, “Although you are all cultivators on the path of immortality, you have not yet achieved transcendence and must still endure this mundane world for a time. Prince Can is the most favored brother of the current emperor, of unmatched nobility. For you to refuse in such a manner is rather inappropriate.”
His words were clearly rebuking Xiao Xiao for being ungrateful, but she pretended not to understand and simply smiled as she saw the messenger off.
Overhearing this, Tang Youshu became worried. “Grand-Master, by refusing this way, will we not offend Prince Can and face retaliation?”
Xiao Xiao sighed slightly. If it were just a regular noble’s banquet invitation, someone like her who enjoyed attending such grand events would have no reason to decline.
However, the host happened to be Prince Can. Although he appeared refined and amiable, Cui Xiao Xiao did not wish to have any dealings with this Prince Can.
Ever since learning that Wei Jie’s mother Si Ling had been inflicted with the puppet worm, Xiao Xiao had been pondering this issue – did that Prince Can’s obsession with collecting ferocious beasts stem merely from an eccentric personal hobby?
It must be known that the Enlightenment Beast he sought to capture guarded the Heavenly Gate of Kunlun Mountain. If it were captured by the likes of Hunter King, the heavenly gate would lose its divine guardian beast. Any demonic forces entering would surely incur the wrath of the celestials, with unimaginable consequences.
In the previous timeline, all the strange beasts captured by those hunters at the cost of their lives, be it the Enlightenment Beast or the Corpse-Eating Beast, were eventually collected by Prince Can.
Yet Prince Can then turned around and presented the Enlightenment Beast to the reigning emperor under the pretext that it was an auspicious beast manifesting to protect the nation, drawing unanimous celebration and praise from the court officials. Any dissenting voices were drowned out amidst the accolades.
According to her master’s secret text, after she and her master left Luoyi City in the third year of the Da Qi reign, a great drought struck for three years, followed by three years of devastating floods.
Countless refugees suffered, openly cursing the Da Qi emperor’s incompetent governance. This eventually led to the dynasty’s collapse that Xiao Xiao was familiar with from her own era, over two hundred years later when Prince Can’s fourth generation descendant sat on the throne.
However, Prince Can himself did not ascend the throne after his imperial brother, instead supporting his young son’s succession while hiding behind the scenes. It was said he had achieved immortality and entered a higher spiritual realm at an early age.
Such obscure imperial histories were unknown to commoners, so Xiao Xiao was also unclear about the details of his later cultivation journey.
From this perspective, this Prince Can had indeed enjoyed a smooth and illustrious life in his previous incarnation!
Unfortunately, due to Xiao Xiao’s existence as a variable in this lifetime, the events in Luoyi City had already begun to change.
Now that both the hunters from Qian Dong and Cang Bei had failed and met tragic fates in Ghost Alley, there would be no rare beasts to present as birthday tributes.
It seemed the gifts Prince Can received for his birthday this time would be severely diminished.
