Breaking Army - Chapter 28

Xiao Chen walked with him for a distance, partly to be polite and partly to find an excuse to get out. If he let Hu Qu keep cornering him, he’d never get to see Xiang Zhi and Geng Xie tonight.

Once they reached a spot where the Demon King’s sleeping quarters were in sight, Xiao Chen stopped. “I’ll leave you here.”

Hu Qu stopped as well. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. “Your Highness, what do you think of the Demon Realm these days?”

On the surface, it looked glamorous, but in reality, it had become a hollow shell. Zhi Luo’s grand dream of uniting the three realms never came true, but he certainly succeeded in exhausting the Demon Realm until it was weak enough for anyone to trample on.

Xiao Chen simply said, “You have already done quite well.”

Hu Qu smiled, though it was hard to tell if he agreed. He turned around. “I don’t know much about the affairs of the Underworld, so I rely entirely on your judgment. However, regarding the Heaven Realm, and I don’t mean to slander them, there are things from those years that feel more and more wrong the more I think about them.”

Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“The crime for which Zhi Luo was sent to hell was ‘sowing chaos in the three realms.’ The Underworld sent the records of his trial to the outside world, noting that the Lord of the Underworld at the time tried to use a Soul Search on him, but failed.”

It wasn’t strange for someone with a powerful will to resist a Soul Search, and no one truly understood Zhi Luo’s maddening mind anyway. Hu Qu continued, “Before the final battle, Zhi Luo sent a declaration of war to the Heaven Realm. He claimed he would send the armies stationed around the heavens to attack, making it seem like a desperate, all or nothing strike.”

“Right, we set up formations along the way so those armies couldn’t return in time to reinforce him,” Xiao Chen remembered. “His move was likely a distraction. At the time, Cheng Feng, who was leading the heavenly troops, sent word telling us not to worry about the Heaven Realm.”

“Exactly. And later, no army ever actually attacked the Heaven Realm, proving it was just a bluff by Zhi Luo, a classic diversion tactic,” Hu Qu said. “After I took over the palace, I cleared out Zhi Luo’s belongings. Among them was a box, sealed with intricate mechanisms and secret arts. I only managed to open it a few days ago. Inside, I found copies of every declaration of war he ever wrote. It turns out he kept a backup of every single one he sent.”

Xiao Chen had a feeling Hu Qu was about to reveal something major. Sure enough, Hu Qu looked at him with a faint smile. “Whatever his reason for keeping them was, that’s not our concern. But in that box, there was no copy of that final declaration sent to the Heaven Realm.”

Xiao Chen’s gaze instantly sharpened. “Countless eyes saw Zhi Luo’s messenger deliver that letter back then. The messenger even committed suicide immediately after. It couldn’t have been faked.”

“So,” Hu Qu said tonelessly, “if that wasn’t a declaration of war, what could it have been?”

If it wasn’t a declaration of war, what else could it be? Zhi Luo was at death’s door back then. He had killed so many people from the Heaven Realm, surely it couldn’t have been a plea for help? The Emperor would have personally struck him down.

After parting ways with Hu Qu, Xiao Chen calculated his route while lost in thought. Right, the only reason everyone knew it was a declaration of war was because the Heavenly Emperor opened it and read it aloud. From start to finish, probably only Zhi Luo and the Emperor knew the actual contents.

Zhi Luo had leveled an entire heavenly city in his first battle. Could he really have had some other secret connection with the Emperor?

Lost in these thoughts, Xiao Chen reached his destination. Geng Xie and Xiang Zhi were already waiting. Seeing him, Xiang Zhi rushed forward and grabbed his arm, checking him over to make sure he was in one piece and no longer pale and weak from the poison. Only then did he feel relieved and let go. Xiao Chen pulled himself out of his thoughts and patted Xiang Zhi’s head with a smile. “Feeling better now?”

Xiang Zhi smiled satisfactorily, but Geng Xie asked, “Why did you bring someone from the Underworld with you this time?”

“He is the incarnation of Rong Yuan.”

Both Xiang Zhi and Geng Xie were shocked, though for different reasons. Xiang Zhi gasped, “That’s his actual face?!” while Geng Xie muttered, “His cultivation is higher than mine? I couldn’t even tell it was an incarnation!”

Xiao Chen answered them one by one. “That is what he looked like as a youth. And yes, his true form’s cultivation is indeed higher than yours.”

“So the rumors about him being hideously ugly with green skin and fangs were fake,” Xiang Zhi remarked before adding, “What is he doing following you to the Demon Realm?”

Xiao Chen hadn’t told anyone about Rong Yuan’s feelings for him. Geng Xie murmured, “With a face like that, he definitely doesn’t need to lust after others’ looks. Could it be he needs your help with something in the Demon Realm?”

Xiao Chen rubbed his nose. “Uh, no.”

Having followed Xiao Chen for so many years, the two were familiar with his small habits. They shared a look. Geng Xie crossed his arms and scrutinized Xiao Chen. His train of thought was often unpredictable, and for some reason, he decided to drop a bombshell. “Xiao Chen, did you two consummate the marriage?”

Xiao Chen was speechless. How did the conversation jump to that?

Xiang Zhi choked on his own breath, eyes widening in disbelief as he coughed. “No, cough, cough, surely not?”

Xiao Chen placed a hand on Geng Xie’s shoulder with a wooden expression. “Seven Kill Star, I suggest you go back and study divination with Zi Wei. You don’t even need anything else, just use that mouth of yours to practice ‘Spoken Commands.’ You’d be invincible.”

He hadn’t realized Geng Xie had such a talent before. Ever since the wedding day, that jinx of a mouth had been eerily accurate about everything involving Xiao Chen.

Hearing this, Xiang Zhi ignored his coughing fit and grabbed Xiao Chen’s arm. “No way! You really, cough, did?!”

 Xiao Chen patted his back. “Get your breath back before you speak.”

Xiang Zhi took a few deep breaths to calm down. He blurted out, “Why would you do that with him? Did you actually fall for him? No one said you were having a romance calamity!”

He hadn’t checked his own fortune regarding romance either. The image of Rong Yuan flashed through Xiao Chen’s mind, not the teenage incarnation, but the Lord of the Underworld wearing his mask. He spoke softly, “I don’t like him like that. We only did it to help me integrate the Purple Lotus.”

“Oh,” Geng Xie said. “So he doesn’t want your face, he wants your body?”

Honestly, Xiao Chen wanted to call him a jinx again, but he suddenly remembered Rong Yuan confessing his love. The words got stuck in his throat.

Could Geng Xie be right again?

“This is bad, a marriage that is official in name and reality,” Xiang Zhi fretted, twirling a lock of his hair. “No, you two should divorce first. We can make a vow of gratitude to ensure we don’t owe him any favors. With a marriage bond like that, even if your karmic debt is cleared and you return to the Star Realm, you won’t be able to stay long!”

Geng Xie shook his head. “I kept asking when you’d divorce because I didn’t know the rice was already cooked. If you bring it up now, wouldn’t that make you look incredibly heartless and ungrateful?”

Xiao Chen and Xiang Zhi both turned to stare at him. He looked confused. “What?”

Xiao Chen looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. “Wow, look at you, learning how to be tactful.”

Xiang Zhi added, “Where did you learn that? The Heaven Realm? From the Prince?”

Geng Xie choked but kept his posture. “I spend every day with Ci Shu, what’s wrong with learning a thing or two?”

Xiao Chen teased, “Oh, I thought you looked down on learning things from outsiders.”

Xiang Zhi delivered the final blow. “Whenever you act this righteously defensive, it means you’re hiding something. What are you feeling guilty about?”

“I’m not,” Geng Xie tried to deflect. “Weren’t we talking about Xiao Chen!”

Xiao Chen laughed enough before saying, “If Rong Yuan isn’t involved in those shady affairs, he is a true benefactor to me. Anything else, I haven’t thought about it for now.”

Xiang Zhi’s eyes flickered. “What do you mean ‘for now’?”

Xiao Chen was usually casual in daily life but very clear-cut in major matters. ‘Yes’ meant yes, and ‘no’ meant no. What did ‘for now’ mean? What could happen later?

Geng Xie regained his composure. Since they were alone, he had removed his eyepatch, his heterochromatic, slightly wicked eyes fixed on Xiao Chen. “You are kind to many people, but very few are truly kept in your heart. Once someone becomes special to you, you can’t just let them go easily. So, his position isn’t ‘ordinary’ anymore, is it?”

Xiao Chen fell silent for a moment. He seemed to reconsider the question seriously. Finally, he smiled and admitted, “Yes.”

Xiang Zhi’s eyes widened slightly. Xiao Chen gently patted his head. “He is a bit special, special in a way I can’t quite describe. But it’s not love. I’ve lived for ten thousand years and never felt what ‘affection’ is supposed to be. If that day ever comes, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

In the past, when Xiao Chen talked about the people who stayed by his side during the wars, there were many outstanding and close friends, but none had ever been called “special.” The red hue in Geng Xie’s eye seemed to deepen. Someone who has never known love is already speaking about “if that day comes,” isn’t that a sign in itself?

It was likely a case of the person involved being lost, while the onlookers see everything clearly.

***

Xiao Chen’s evening was certainly busy. After seeing Hu Qu and then Geng Xie and Xiang Zhi, he finally wandered back to his courtyard. Rong Yuan was dressed in black, almost blending into the night. He sat in the yard, motionless. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head.

While waiting, Rong Yuan had likely pulled back some of his consciousness from the incarnation. Xiao Chen sat down across from him. “Do you travel to the outside world often?”

Rong Yuan shook his head. The only time his true form left the Underworld was during those three years with Xiao Chen. Back when his master was alive and before the chaos began, his master would occasionally take him out to see the world. They both used incarnations then. His master loved the mortal realm, so he was more familiar with that, but he rarely went anywhere else.

Xiao Chen asked again, “Have you ever seen a Demon Market?”

Rong Yuan shook his head again. Xiao Chen smiled. “There is a Demon Market tomorrow night. You accompanied me to see the lanterns in the mortal realm, so tomorrow I’ll return the favor and take you to the Demon Market for some fun.”

Rong Yuan smiled and finally nodded. Whether it was a mortal lantern festival or a Demon Market, as long as he was with Xiao Chen, anywhere was good.

Xiao Chen studied his smile closely. Rong Yuan blinked. “Is there something on my face?”

Xiao Chen rarely stared at people’s faces so openly, and his gaze seemed investigative, not at all hiding his intent. Rong Yuan really thought something was wrong and was about to reach up to touch his face when Xiao Chen looked away. “Nothing.”

“I’m just a little curious about what you actually look like now.”

Rong Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up sharply, but Xiao Chen stood up and waved him off. “I’m going to my room. You should head to yours too.”

As Xiao Chen turned to leave, Rong Yuan stared intensely at his back. A wave of immense joy washed over him. Xiao Chen wasn’t the type to be curious about such things, but now he was curious about Rong Yuan’s appearance and even said it to his face.

In the Underworld, Rong Yuan’s true body froze like a puppet. He stiffly pressed a hand to his chest. It was empty of a heartbeat, yet it felt completely full.

He is getting closer to me.

Rong Yuan, who had zero interest in Demon Markets, was suddenly looking forward to it very much.

However, before the market at night, there was official business to attend to during the day. The next morning, Hu Qu took them to the garden left behind by Hua Wuhen.

The garden was indeed filled with a murky aura, and the soil had become dead land. The heavenly officials and Rong Yuan both took samples of the soil in bottles, planning to examine them later. During this time, a civil official from the Heaven Realm said some pointed things against the Demon Realm, but Hu Qu subtly deflected all of them. In terms of wordplay, that official wasn’t even in the same league as Hu Qu.

Hu Qu remained smiling and mild-tempered. “I gave away all the Love-Sickness Seeds that were sent over. I didn’t keep a single one for myself. If you really want to see the records, I can take you there. It’s no trouble.”

Cheng Feng was about to agree, but Ci Shu spoke up. “The Demon King must be joking. There is no need for that.” Hu Qu’s smile was like a needle hidden in silk, while Ci Shu’s smile was like a spring breeze. The two locked eyes, their smiles deepening.

Xiao Chen watched their silent power struggle from the sidelines, thinking that this hidden tension was handled quite smoothly. He took an extra look at Ci Shu. Was this the person Geng Xie was learning from to temper his personality? He seemed decent enough.

Although Xiao Chen was a warrior, he didn’t look down on those with lower cultivation. Everyone had their own strengths. As the Prince, Ci Shu was able to hold the Heaven Realm together in the Emperor’s stead, so he was clearly capable.

Stopped by Ci Shu, Cheng Feng swallowed his words. After a moment, he realized Ci Shu was right. If they had agreed, wouldn’t it look like they were treating the Demon Race as their subordinates, coming to interrogate them? He almost let that fox lead him astray!

Hu Qu looked regretful. “In that case, let it be.”

Cheng Feng’s teeth itched with annoyance, but he couldn’t say anything. Ci Shu said politely, “If possible, we would like to look around the garden a bit more.”

Hu Qu generously replied, “Please.”

“I won’t be looking,” Xiao Chen said. “Hu Qu, give me two entry tokens. I’m going to check out the Demon Market tonight.”

“You’re going to the market? Then I—”

“Ah, don’t,” Xiao Chen interrupted. “You’re the Demon King. If you go in, everyone will recognize you. What’s the fun in everyone being all formal and respectful?”

Hu Qu tried to insist. “I can just use an incarnation to change my face.”

“Let your beauties accompany you instead,” Xiao Chen pulled Rong Yuan over. “I’m taking this kid out to see the world. I won’t be joining your rowdiness.”

In a place where Xiao Chen couldn’t see, the ears of Rong Yuan’s true body turned red once again.