I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 54

After the young girl finished her New Year’s greetings, even the air around her seemed to become cheerful, and the summer wind sang a blazing song.

Terrifying!

Master Zhang’s forehead was beaded with sweat. His peach-wood sword trembled slightly, his Daoist robe soaked with sweat and sticking to his back. He pointed his sword at Wei Ying, took two steps to the left, then two steps to the right.

Xiao Qianxue and Consort Shu followed behind him, walking back and forth as he did.

Wei Ying quietly watched them sway like seaweed in the wind.

After swaying for a long time, Gong Beinu couldn’t bear the boredom and tugged at Consort Shu: “What is the Master doing?”

Consort Shu thought for a moment and cautiously asked, “Walking the Gang Steps?”

Master Zhang jumped like a cat, pointed his peach-wood sword at Wei Ying, and then raised a talisman. The paper burst into flames and fell to the ground, leaving sparks like fireflies in the black ashes.

Seeing no abnormalities, he looked toward Consort Shu.

Consort Shu nodded at him.

This had been prearranged when they arrived. Even if Wei Ying wasn’t the so-called demon, Master Zhang could fully identify her as a monster, and Consort Shu could handle it afterward, reporting it only later.

Consort Shu clenched her hands. Originally, she hadn’t taken Wei Ying or Xiao Qianxue seriously and didn’t want to risk angering the Emperor. But… that day, when the Emperor smiled at the girl, his eyes gleamed with gentleness, conveying unspoken affection.

She suddenly realized that if action wasn’t taken soon, the greatest threat in the palace might not be the respectful Empress, the beautiful and noble Consorts, or the other concubines—but these two young girls who had just entered the palace, of low status.

The Emperor’s gaze toward them was different.

So action had to be taken in advance, as her aunt had taught her.

She lowered her eyes and nodded at Master Zhang.

Master Zhang understood, stepped back a few paces, and picked up a white porcelain bottle from the offering table, preparing to make the girl reveal her “true form.”

Wei Ying noticed their interaction, narrowed her eyes, and smiled, speaking first: “Master, have you figured out what I am?”

As she spoke, she rummaged through a pile of gray cards and pulled out one labeled “Yes and No,” but after thinking, she put it back. Gong Beinu was experienced with this card, which had been used so often that it needed some adjustment.

She suddenly remembered the first purple card she had drawn long ago.

Back then, she didn’t know that the ghost girl with a suction device was the Dog Emperor—hugging her while sucking and sticking.

Wei Ying took out the purple card and read the description:

New Grace Received: When the maid helps the delicate and weak, she is newly graced. When walking, she moves like a water lily in bloom, graceful and charming, swaying with elegance.

Duration: Five minutes.

She had never had a chance to use this card. She lifted her gaze at Master Zhang and raised her brows at him.

The palace intrigue spirit whispered urgently: “Host, one smile from you, life and death are unpredictable!”

The young girl’s face was soft and fragrant, her peach-blossom eyes curved in a sweet, tender smile.

Master Zhang was momentarily stunned. Consort Shu’s dry cough snapped him back to attention, and pointing his peach-wood sword at the girl, he shouted: “You—”

Before he could finish, his body suddenly twisted, moving like a drunken man, twisting back and forth with tiny steps, thighs clamped, and every step graceful like a delicate flower swaying in the wind.

If this were any other beauty, such a swaying, graceful movement would leave a deep impression. But the one walking was a towering man over eight feet tall—making the scene utterly bizarre.

Everyone gawked at the giant man strutting catwalk-like before them, dumbfounded.

Gong Beinu tugged at Consort Shu: “Sister, Master Zhang… his Gang Steps are… so flashy!”

Consort Shu remained silent.

Master Zhang not only walked provocatively, but his whole aura carried the charm of “new grace received”—flushed cheeks, gasping breaths, glistening eyes. If not for his grotesque appearance, Gong Beinu would have been tempted to exclaim, “What a peerless beauty!”

After Master Zhang’s first minute of “strutting,” Consort Shu couldn’t help but ask in a serious tone: “Master Zhang, what are you doing? Isn’t it time to catch the demon?”

Master Zhang turned his head, giving her an irresistibly coquettish look, biting his lip: “Mhm~”

Everyone instinctively took a step back.

He twisted his waist, catwalking toward them.

Gong Beinu’s stomach churned; as he came closer, she cried out, grabbed the porcelain bottle, and splashed it at him: “Sister, what kind of demon is this! Catch him, ahhh!”

Disgusting!

Black ink splashed all over Master Zhang. He paused briefly, yet continued his devilishly charming walk, leaving deep black footprints on the ground as he approached.

A tall, pitch-black figure strode closer and closer…

In panic, someone screamed “Monster!” and everyone fled chaotically, shouting “Ahhh don’t come near me!” “Who will take this demon?” “Help, help, Mom, a monster’s chasing me!”

Wei Ying had already dodged to the side, folding her sleeves to enjoy the commotion with a smile and a slight shake of her fan.

The palace intrigue spirit asked: “Host, you’ve changed.”

Wei Ying: “Where have I changed?”

Spirit: “You didn’t use purple cards on anyone besides the Dog… Emperor before.”

Wei Ying thought for a moment and nodded: “No choice. The client base has expanded, business must grow.”

The card’s time was nearly up. Courtiers in the garden scrambled to avoid the ink-covered Master Zhang, shoving past each other. Gong Beinu was pushed around, yelling “Ahh, ahh,” and fell to the ground.

A pair of large, blackened feet appeared in front of her.

Her shoes soaked in ink, leaving dark footprints with each step.

Gong Beinu looked up in shock at Master Zhang’s black, fierce face, turning pale with fear.

Suddenly, a slender figure appeared, blocking him.

Gong Beinu bit her lip. The young girl’s back was slender, her hair dyed light gold under the backlight, with pale cyan ribbons flowing down her waist.

Wei Ying picked up the peach-wood sword that Master Zhang had dropped, pressing it against him to keep him at bay.

Gong Beinu thought: Ahh, she’s so good.

Suddenly, she felt safe!

Master Zhang still catwalked, and Wei Ying struck his knee with the sword, hitting a pressure point: “You demon!”

Master Zhang’s legs went numb, and he immediately fell to his knees.

Seeing him subdued, the courtiers cautiously gathered around.

He tried to rise again, but Wei Ying pressed him down and scolded: “Monster, dare not move!”

The courtiers clutched their chests: “Lady Ying is amazing!”

“Surely Lady Ying is a semi-immortal.”

“Ahhh, she looks so cool wielding a sword!”

Consort Shu’s expression darkened as she watched the flustered Master Zhang. Could it be that he was truly unable to handle this woman, as he had said? Was her magic that powerful?

Gong Beinu covered her chest and couldn’t help but exclaim: “Watch her with the sword, ahh!”

Consort Shu tilted her head, frowned, and gave her a light smack. Gong Beinu sheepishly lowered her head.

Consort Shu whispered: “Still, she’s quite pretty.”

The card’s time ended. Master Zhang stared at Wei Ying in astonishment.

Wei Ying parted her lips, saying two words: “Demon!”

Master Zhang recalled everything and trembled, quickly bowing at her feet: “I am a demon, I am a demon! You are the true immortal, spare me!”

Wei Ying put away the sword, placed the talisman on his ink-soaked forehead, patted her hands, and walked away without leaving a trace.

Master Zhang trudged away, humiliated.

Gong Beinu watched Wei Ying’s back disappear into the sunset, hands clasped together.

Consort Shu said: “Let’s go.” She waited, noticing her sister still gazing that way. “Thinking about something?”

Gong Beinu: “Actually, she’s quite nice.”

When she was alone in the cold palace, Wei Ying had helped her up. Last visit, she had given her watermelon. Today, she even stood in front of her to protect her.

She thought for a while, realizing Wei Ying wasn’t bad. Her previous annoyance with her was only because Wei Ying was close to Xiao Qianxue. Xiao Qianxue was Xiao Qianxue, and Duan Wei Ying was Duan Wei Ying—they were different people.

Gong Beinu felt she shouldn’t have transferred her dislike of Xiao Qianxue onto Wei Ying. She said: “The one who uses magic is definitely Xiao Qianxue! Duan Wei Ying must be innocent.”

Consort Shu had question marks all over her head, couldn’t help but smack her sister lightly, and dragged the “traitorous” girl back to Qingdan Hall for a lesson.

The height of summer was ending, and it was nearly time to leave the Summer Palace.

Next to the palace, there were large hunting grounds. Xiao Qianxue said opportunities were rare, so she rode her white horse to hunt every day, returning exhausted at sunset, bathing, and immediately falling asleep.

Wei Ying didn’t exercise like her and stayed up a bit later, leaning on the railing to watch the lotus flowers under the moon.

The night breeze brushed her face, the pond’s lotus swaying, water rippling in silver waves.

She rested her head on her hand, remembering she still had several blind boxes stored away. Since discovering that the Emperor was the Dog… she hadn’t drawn cards, and her card pack was shrinking.

Wei Ying sighed, contemplating whether to draw a card herself, and called out the palace intrigue spirit.

Spirit: “Host, are you sure? Really going to draw a card yourself?”

Wei Ying hesitated: “I…”

She couldn’t just hug the Dog Emperor again to stick and suck.

Spirit: “Then draw it! Trust yourself, you can do it.”

Wei Ying rarely showed such lack of confidence, tilting her head: “Can I really do it?”

Spirit, voice full of courage: “Host, have confidence! After all—you’re the woman who can even draw an empty box!”

Wei Ying pursed her lips, placing her hand back by her side.

“Thanks to you,” she said softly.

She leaned on the railing again, gazing at the lotus, absentmindedly stroking her pale green imperial jade bracelet, thinking nostalgically of the time when she didn’t know the ghost girl’s identity.

Wei Ying was lost in thought, vaguely feeling someone was watching her. She looked back but saw no one. Feeling suspicious, she pretended to return to Yulu Hall, then quietly slipped out to catch the Emperor stepping out from behind a willow.

She leaned on the railing, staring at the Emperor standing under the moon, unsure what to say.

Since she had been discovered, Yun Shao hesitated briefly, then stopped fidgeting and slowly climbed the stairs to Wei Ying’s side.

Wei Ying bowed: “Your Majesty.”

Yun Shao helped the girl up. After feeling her warmth through the light veil, she quickly withdrew her hand as if burned, her movements awkward.

Wei Ying noticed and frowned.

Yun Shao asked: “Why aren’t you asleep, Ying Ying? Is it because of today?”

Wei Ying looked up: “Your Majesty knows?”

Yun Shao avoided her gaze, pursing her lips and nodding lightly. She hurriedly explained, as if afraid Wei Ying would misunderstand: “I was going to come, but…”

But she quickly realized it wasn’t necessary; the girl had gone to catch the demon herself.

Thinking of the palace report, Yun Shao curved her lips into a smile.

Wei Ying propped her chin on her hand, asking: “But…”

Yun Shao lightly traced the railing with her fingers, choosing her words carefully: “Just wanted to leave some fun for Ying Ying.”

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