After dinner, the Demon Emperor and the Empress made their way to the Duke's residence.
Looking at the magnificent gates, the Demon Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
Little 98 really knows how to get things done. This is a nice arrangement.
“Come, let's go inside and take a look. I'm telling you, you're so lovely, the Little Ancestor is bound to like you...”
The Demon Emperor spoke as he led the Empress up the steps.
Thud...
The moment he stepped over the threshold, the Demon Emperor felt his foot sink into empty space, as if he had jumped straight into a massive pit.
Just as he was about to fall, his body flickered. With a stylish spin, he managed to stabilize himself.
“A-Yuan, are you alright?”
The Empress hurriedly reached out to support him.
“Watch out—”
Before the Demon Emperor could finish his warning, the Empress stumbled as well.
Before she could fall, the Demon Emperor lunged forward. With a graceful, sweeping spin, he pulled her into his embrace.
After they landed, the Empress's face flushed red.
“I'm fine, I could have handled it...”
She quickly wriggled out of the Demon Emperor's arms.
If the Little Ancestor sees this and ends up disliking me, what will I do?
Seeing that the Empress was unharmed, the Demon Emperor finally looked up.
Instantly, his eyes widened. He gasped, his face a mask of utter shock.
The entire Duke's residence was in absolute ruins.
Massive pits were nested inside smaller ones, deep craters overlapping shallow trenches. Not a single flat patch of ground could be seen in the entire courtyard.
The jade steps beneath the veranda had been chipped and hollowed out into a bumpy mess, and the spiritual herbs and flowers in the flowerbeds had completely vanished.
Even the ornamental rockeries in the courtyard were gone.
Looking around, from the pavilions and towers above to every single inch of soil below...
...it looked as though someone had stripped the earth three feet deep, digging up everything.
Sniffing the scent of freshly overturned earth in the air, the Demon Emperor and the Empress stood frozen in a daze.
Could someone please tell me what on earth happened here?
Even if they had been raided by bandits, it wouldn't be this tragic!
The Demon Emperor and the Empress exchanged a bewildered look.
The Empress opened her mouth to speak, finally asking softly, “A-Yuan, what happened?”
Suddenly, the Demon Emperor snapped out of his shock and cried out:
“Little Ancestor?!”
Don't tell me the Little Ancestor got robbed the moment he returned?
“Woof woof!!”
Coming, coming...
No sooner had the Demon Emperor's voice fallen than Big Yellow and the others came running out of the main hall.
Smack!
Because it was running too fast, Big Yellow tripped over its own paws and faceplanted onto the ground.
Lu Ming, Huang Tianbao, and the rest of the followers couldn't help but twitch their lips.
That's some dedicated acting!
Seeing Big Yellow fall, the Demon Emperor and the Empress also looked rather awkward.
Big Yellow stood up as if nothing had happened, shaking the dust off its body.
“Woof woof?!”
I must say, this minimalist style of yours is really not very practical!
It's so easy to trip just by walking.
Big Yellow's words left both the Demon Emperor and the Empress utterly dumbfounded.
What minimalist style?
Why does none of this make any sense?
Just then, Big Yellow barked again.
“Woof woof!!”
Come, come... yard's clear, hurry inside and sit down...
Hearing this, the Demon Emperor and the Empress found it hard to ask anything more for the moment.
They had no choice but to follow Big Yellow into the main hall first.
Once the Demon Emperor stepped inside, he saw that the interior of the main hall was exactly the same as the outside.
It looked as though it had been stripped three feet deep, leaving nothing but the four walls and the roof.
If there was any difference...
...it was only that the pits inside the hall seemed slightly smaller than the ones outside.
“Snore... snore...”
Right at that moment, an earth-shattering snore echoed in the Demon Emperor's ears.
Turning his head, the Demon Emperor saw Zhu Wuneng sprawled out inside one of the pits, fast asleep. Bubbles were rhythmically inflating and popping from his snout in time with his snores.
The Empress's lips twitched at the sight.
Seeing where their eyes had landed, Lu Ming quickly stepped over to Zhu Wuneng's side.
“Hey... stop sleeping. Wake up...”
“Oink... oink...”
Despite Lu Ming's nudging, Zhu Wuneng merely grunted a couple of times.
Smacking his lips, he rolled over and continued to sleep.
Lu Ming was quite speechless. This guy was really a heavy sleeper.
Having no other choice, Lu Ming reached down and pinched Zhu Wuneng's ear.
“Wake up! The Demon Emperor is here...”
“Ouch... ouch! The Demon Emperor... the Demon Emperor is here?!”
The sound of the Demon Emperor's arrival instantly jolted Zhu Wuneng from his deep slumber, and he scrambled out of the pit in a panic.
When he saw that the Demon Emperor was indeed standing in the hall, Zhu Wuneng scratched his head sheepishly.
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty. This minimalist residence is just too comfortable to sleep in...”
Hearing the term "minimalist style" again, the Demon Emperor couldn't help but frown.
What on earth is that supposed to mean?
Just then, Big Yellow offered a warm invitation:
“Come, come... Sit down, hurry and sit.”
Looking at the small stools placed before them, both the Demon Emperor and the Empress felt their lips twitch.
Can we even sit on these?
Lu Ming, Huang Tianbao, and the others stared up at the ceiling, desperately holding back their laughter at the royal couple's expressions.
“Woof woof!!”
Sit! Why are you being so polite? Hurry up and sit...
Under Big Yellow's persistent urging, the Demon Emperor and the Empress had no choice but to lower themselves onto the small stools.
Once seated, the Demon Emperor frowned slightly as he noticed the dust clinging to the Empress's elegant robes.
Right at that moment, Big Yellow pulled out a small table, placing two cups of tea upon it.
“Woof woof!!”
Drink up... Honestly, isn't this minimalist decor of yours a bit too minimal?
There isn't even a table to drink tea on?
We had to bring our own!
Hearing "minimalist" yet again, the Demon Emperor could no longer contain himself and asked:
“Little Ancestor, may I ask why this place is in such a state?”
Big Yellow whipped its head around to look at the Demon Emperor. “Woof woof!!”
You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?
It was already like this when we moved in!
Isn't this your minimalist renovation style?
Lu Ming, Huang Tianbao, and the rest of the group also turned their gazes toward the Demon Emperor.
Zhu Wuneng, in particular, stared at the Demon Emperor with a face full of confusion.
“What? It was already like this when you moved in?”
Hearing this, the Demon Emperor couldn't help but cry out in shock, while the Empress beside him looked at him with a bewildered expression.
Did you arrange this?
“Woof woof!!”
Of course! If it wasn't already like this, do you think we would have torn the place apart ourselves?
“Little 98...”
The Demon Emperor muttered through gritted teeth.
Immediately, he pulled out a sound transmission talisman and spoke into it:
“Little 98, get your ass over to the Duke's residence right now!”
...
After arranging the accommodations at the Duke's residence, Ye Fan had returned to his own prince's manor, thoroughly satisfied with the half of the resources he had skimmed off for himself.
However, he only stayed at his manor for a brief moment before heading straight to General Tiger's residence.
“What do you even see in that boy? His cultivation isn't as high as yours, he has no background, and he has no backing!”
At that moment, General Tiger was in the middle of scolding his daughter.
“Father, Ye Fanfan is not as bad as you make him out to be! I believe he will definitely succeed and become the next Demon Emperor...”
Hu Niu retorted defiantly, then turned and stormed out without looking back.
General Tiger let out a helpless sigh.
It seems I'll just have to find an opportunity to ensure the 98th Prince meets with an unfortunate accident.
Just then, a lesser demon came in to report: “The 98th Prince has arrived...”
Hearing the report, General Tiger couldn't help but frown.
He couldn't understand why this fellow was coming to see him.
Does he actually expect me to support him?
What wishful thinking...
If he were to win the position of Crown Prince through sheer strength during the tournament, he might consider it.
However, he would much prefer it if this guy simply died during the tournament.
That way, he could find a much better husband for his daughter...
“I wonder what business brings you to see this old man?”
General Tiger picked up a teacup the size of a washbasin, took a sip, and asked.
In truth, he didn't want to pay any attention to Ye Fan at all.
Ye Fan didn't mind General Tiger's cold attitude in the slightest.
He merely smiled faintly and said:
“I wonder if General Tiger has ever heard of... Break-Stage Grass?”
Rate on N.U.
