Free Web NovelChapter 1224: Chapter 39: Power, Hypocrisy, and the Master of Deception
On the streets of the Royal Capital, Su Xiao and Bu Wang walked slowly, each holding a fruit resembling a peach.
The two of them took a big bite of the fruit in near-perfect synchrony.
Su Xiao was quite hungry, and Bu Wang was just as famished; from last night until now, Su Xiao had been either fighting with people or on his way to fight, with no time to eat or even drink water.
At ten at night, he finally finished fighting, but still had no time to rest because he needed to go to a small village to hunt down the mastermind.
After that, he handed the mastermind over to the Old King, thinking he could finally rest for a while, but he soon had to visit the Princes or Princesses.
By the time Su Xiao finished all these tasks, it was already three in the morning. When he visited the last Princess, she was very nervous, thinking Su Xiao was looking for some fun.
At three in the morning, shops wouldn’t be open in the Royal Capital, so Su Xiao grabbed some fruit to quell his hunger. He had to admit, while the fruit in this world looked unattractive, it tasted pretty good.
"Woof."
Bu Wang barked, meaning: "Master, I want meat."
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Su Xiao chewed the fruit in his mouth. Although it tasted good, it barely eased his hunger given his constitution.
"Bear with it for now."
Su Xiao mumbled, and Bu Wang sighed.
"If everything goes as expected, the Old King will host a feast soon."
Su Xiao had been running around all night; now, returning to the Royal Palace for his report at three a.m., it seemed unlikely the Old King wouldn’t express gratitude. Moreover, when Su Xiao resolved the ’Little Princess Murder Case,’ the Old King didn’t even verbally commend him.
Su Xiao certainly wasn’t hoping for verbal commendation, but based on his judgment, the Old King wouldn’t forget the matter.
Hearing Su Xiao’s words, the almost stumbling Bu Wang perked up considerably, asking: "Really?"
"Of course. If he doesn’t host a feast, we’ll revolt against him."
Su Xiao chuckled, not entirely joking. If the Old King didn’t offer a reward at such a time, it indicated he was starting to distrust Su Xiao.
In such a scenario, Su Xiao would kill the Old King and a bunch of Princes and Princesses before his power was stripped away. freewёbnoνel.com
When Su Xiao reported back to the Royal Palace, there was no feast arranged by the Old King; he was merely resting on the throne in the Council Hall.
Su Xiao looked at the Old King on the throne, feeling a strange sense of weakness from him, as if he might pass away at any moment.
Just when Su Xiao suspected that the Old King might suddenly kick the bucket, the King’s eyes opened, and the frail feeling disappeared.
"Is it handled? Cough, cough, cough..."
The Old King coughed dryly, his face flushed red.
"It’s handled."
Su Xiao sensed something was wrong with the Old King’s condition.
The Old King shakily retrieved a ceramic bottle from his chest, sprinkled some gray powder from it onto the hollow of his left hand, raised it to his nose, and took a deep breath.
"Hoo~"
The Old King’s breathing improved significantly, and his flushed face began to regain its normal color.
"Sorry for the trouble. I originally wanted to host a feast for you, but it seems I can’t hold on much longer."
The Old King waved at Su Xiao to approach.
Su Xiao was uncertain about the Old King’s intentions, but he had a gut feeling just now that the King’s days were numbered.
"Iron Hand, which of my descendants do you favor the most?"
The Old King’s eyes were bloodshot; presumably, he hadn’t rested well recently.
"The Big Prince."
Su Xiao knew the Old King favored him, so he chose a relatively stable Prince.
"Valentin also favors him."
The Old King smiled, referring to Governor Joe Valentine.
"Hershel isn’t in the Royal Capital; whoever you and Valentin support, or whoever you’d assist, can gain Royal Authority the quickest."
The Old King shifted his gaze to a side hall of the Council Hall: "Valentin, come out."
With a creak, a wooden door was pushed open, and Governor Joe Valentine walked into the Council Hall. This henpecked powerful minister looked exhausted, suggesting he hadn’t rested much in the past few days either.
"You and Iron Hand made the same choice."
The Old King gestured to Governor Joe Valentine to come forward. Joe Valentine bowed and stepped closer to the Old King.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
The Old King started another bout of coughing; his hand trembled, dropping the ceramic bottle to the ground. Joe Valentine
Immediately rushed forward, picked up the bottle, and poured some gray powder into the Old King’s hand.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo..."
The Old King breathed heavily.
"I used to take medicine once every five days; now I need over 30 doses a day. Old age really hits hard."
The Old King grinned dryly a few times, while Joe Valentine kept his head low, not daring to smile back.
"How much longer can you endure?"
Su Xiao asked, causing Joe Valentine to twitch.
"I might not... make it through tonight."
The Old King shot Su Xiao a look, clearly signaling that if Joe Valentine’s expression changed slightly, Su Xiao should kill Joe Valentine on the spot.
"Maj... Majesty?"
Joe Valentine was thunderstruck; he stared in shock at the Old King, the already bloodshot eyes turned red, and tears welled up.
The Old King stared at Joe Valentine’s eyes, feeling guilty after a few seconds. If Joe Valentine had made any mistake before, he would have had Su Xiao remove Joe Valentine.
Judging by the current situation, Joe Valentine appeared a loyal minister; the mention of not surviving the night immediately brought tears to Joe Valentine’s eyes. The Old King had seen through countless people, knowing Joe Valentine was genuinely saddened.
"Valentin, at my age, facing life and death is quite normal."
The Old King wanted to raise his hand to pat Joe Valentine’s shoulder, but simply lacked the strength; the secret medicine he took three days ago was wearing off rapidly.
"But, Majesty, you..."
Joe Valentine knelt on one knee, tears dripping onto the polished marble floor, recalling past memories; at 30, he was just a subordinate of a Great Noble.
"This person is decent, ugly, but capable; send him to the Royal Capital."
This was what the Old King said to that Great Noble, back when Joe Valentine knelt trembling on the ground, fearful. Yet over the next decade, filled with gratitude for the King’s recognition.
"I’m already 65 years old, dealing with so many trivial matters every day; my body can’t withstand it."
The Old King faced his imminent demise not with fear but acceptance.
"Valentin, go call the Big Prince."
"Yes, Majesty!"
Joe Valentine wiped his tears, turned around, and headed out of the Council Hall. As he left, the Old King turned to Su Xiao.
"This is my choice and your choice as well. It’s unconventional, but the conventions are set by men."
Though appearing half-dead, Su Xiao sensed something wasn’t right with this Old Lion.
