The Demon Lords

Chapter 1061: Chapter 255: Bitch_3

This is all about luck—using Fire Phoenix essence blood as bait, waiting at the edge of Daze for demonic beasts to come over. How strong the beast is depends on your own fortune.

Qu Peiluo knew that his fiancée had a Green Python guarding her.

Unless the princess was willing,

anyone who dared to harbor ill intent toward her would be swallowed by the Green Python.

Mr. Chen saw Zheng Fan leave and rose, preparing to take his leave as well.

The swordsmith waved a hand and said, "No rush, come with me. I’ll give your sword pattern another touch-up."

"Many thanks, sir."

Right after that,

only the Regent and the Qu Family were left in the hall.

Qu Peiluo’s third uncle, Qu Tianhua, spoke up at this moment:

"If Your Majesty values that young Mr. Su, you might as well recruit him into Chu to be used by our Chu. This minister has heard that in recent years that Qian State monarch has reversed his old policy of favoring the civil over the military, which has greatly displeased the literati of Qian State."

The Regent chuckled,

and said:

"Indeed, that Qian State monarch knows he did wrong before and wants to change, and as a result I have to learn from him how to make the same mistake?"

"..." Qu Tianhua.

This was what it really meant to flatter the horse and hit its leg instead.

The Regent sighed and said, "Earlier today in the carriage, that young Mr. Su said something that I kept in mind—that a scholar is utterly useless.

Same age,

same sort of youth,

yet in my heart,

ten Su Zhemings

aren’t worth one Lord Pingye of Yan State."

...

"Achoo!"

"Has Mr. Su caught a chill?"

In the pavilion, the princess was pouring tea as she asked with a smile.

Lord Zheng pointed at an incense burner by the tea table and said, "You’ll have to change this habit in the future. I never burn incense at home."

The princess flicked up a cup of tea dregs and directly doused the incense.

Lord Zheng nodded in satisfaction and sat down opposite the princess.

"Is it convenient to talk here?" Zheng Fan asked.

He knew that some powerful experts could hear sounds from far away.

The princess clapped her hands,

and a Green Python surfaced from the pond beside the pavilion, giving Zheng Fan a sidelong glance.

"With it here, no outsider can hear what we say." The princess spoke with great confidence.

Lord Zheng nodded, reassured, then immediately pointed at the python and said, "Is it looking down on me?"

The princess did not deny it and said bluntly:

"A little."

"I have a Pixiu under my seat, you know."

The feel of the conversation was very much like modern couples talking marriage and discussing what car to match with it.

Hearing this, the princess said, "I’d love to see it. The Chu royal family has always been fond of raising demonic beasts."

"No problem. That Pixiu can be handed over to you to raise in the future."

Lord Zheng very unceremoniously sold the Pixiu off on the spot, and even threw in some freebies:

"Oh right, there’s also a cat demon and a fox vixen at home. I’ll send them over for you to play with as well."

The princess handed Zheng Fan a freshly brewed cup of tea. Zheng Fan took it, had a sip, and immediately said:

"Daze Fragrant Tea."

It was rare for him to run into a tea he could actually identify. Lord Zheng deliberately acted as if he drank it all the time.

"What’s going on?" the princess asked.

Clearly he was Yan’s Lord Pingye, yet after wandering out for a day, he came back having become Master Yao’s disciple.

As for the Full River Red the Regent had specially ordered copied and sent over to her before the meal, the princess did not find that strange, because she knew this man’s talent in letters was in no way inferior to his achievements in the army.

Lord Zheng hesitated for a moment,

then said:

"I missed you."

The princess opened her mouth. "I don’t—"

"I know you won’t believe it. Let’s just call it luck, then."

The princess took a small sip of tea, seemingly not intending to press further on this matter, and instead said, "If..."

"Mm, go on."

"If, if you were to go tell my royal brother your true identity right now, and then tell him you want to marry me, what do you think—would my royal brother choose you, or choose Qu Peiluo?"

"It’s late, the moon’s nice, why ask something so pointless?"

The princess leaned forward slightly, looked at Zheng Fan, her red lips parting as she said:

"I think my royal brother would definitely choose you. The Qu Clan might be angry, sure, but they’d still swallow it and follow my royal brother. And if Yan’s Lord Pingye could surrender to my Chu, that would be a great joy for him. At that time, Zhen Nan Guan and Xue Hai Guan would both be in our hands..."

Lord Zheng picked up his teacup,

and with a "splack!"

splashed it directly onto the princess’s face as she leaned toward him.

The princess closed her eyes,

tea trickling down her cheeks, tea leaves still clinging to the corner of her lips.

She didn’t get angry, didn’t flip the table, just silently maintained that posture.

Lord Zheng picked up a cloth lying to the side and began wiping the princess’s face for her, very carefully, very gently.

The princess spoke:

"So, you disagree."

Zheng Fan continued wiping as he said:

"Be good. Don’t be naïve."

When he finished,

Zheng Fan sat back down,

and the princess also sat back down,

the two of them sitting face to face.

The princess slowly said:

"Do you know that if my royal brother had been just a little gentler to me today, I might have sold you out, let you, the famed Lord Pingye, be imprisoned in the Chu region forever."

Zheng Fan looked at the princess calmly,

and said:

"And do you know that every word you’re saying right now is wearing down the affection I have for you?"

"Affection?"

"Even if I don’t like you, even if you’re not a peerless beauty, you’re still quite pretty and pleasing to the eye.

If you were to disregard everything, say nothing more and just get on my horse and go home with me, as a man, I’d owe you a favor.

But every time you haggle,

every time you indulge in wild fantasies,

every time you act all innocent and carefree,

you’re whittling away that favor."

"And if it’s all whittled away, so what?"

"Then don’t be crying in front of my spirit tablet in the future, sobbing and asking why my posthumous decree doesn’t name your son as heir."

Hearing this,

the princess drew in a deep breath,

genuinely infuriated by these even more shameless, even more fantastical words;

after a long moment,

the princess spat out two words:

"Despicable man."

Zheng Fan reached out, picked up a piece of shortbread from the tea table,

took a bite,

and frowned slightly,

saying:

"This pastry is too sweet. Eat too much and you’ll get fat."

The princess closed her eyes, the corner of her mouth curved in a mocking smile,

and said:

"Are you about to say that if I get fat, you’ll have to change your will as well?"

"Heh heh heh."

Lord Zheng laughed,

and said:

"No, no, no,

only hot-blooded youngsters like slender figures,

you,

would actually look better a bit plumper."

——————

Thanks to Vela0205 for becoming the 119th League Lord of "Demonic Rise."

The recent plot’s been a bit "watery," but I personally really like this vibe.

Also, about using suggestions from the comments this Chapter, I’d like to say:

"Demonic Rise" is a very high-level novel, and its author is a very high-level author, so readers who can appreciate it and keep subscribing and reading along to this point are also very high-level readers. It’s perfectly normal to adopt ideas from high-level readers.

Hands on hips!