Chapter 1497: New Ally

After the Great Elf King left with Qiao Xueying, Zu An’s group separated into two. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue stayed behind to monitor Lei Xin and Wu Cheng, while Zu An headed to Golden Peng Manor with the Second Empress and Yu Yanluo.

The Peacock Wise King’s daughter Kong Nanwu had become the Crown Princess, so they were naturally allied with the Crown Prince. He couldn't really ask for their help. However, the death of the Little Golden Peng King’s father had a high chance of being related to the Fiend Emperor. Their faction definitely carried some resentment toward the crown prince, so there was a chance of roping them in.

Along the way, Zu An carried the young prince. The young prince was a bit uncomfortable with calling a stranger his adoptive father at first and didn’t let Zu An carry him at all, but after a while, he felt that Zu An wasn’t all that scary, and he was pretty good-looking.

With the Second Empress’ encouragement, he reluctantly accepted Zu An. Because he had been scared badly the entire night, he unknowingly fell asleep in Zu An’s broad and sturdy arms.

When she saw her son’s sleeping face pressed up against Zu An’s shoulder, the Second Empress felt warm inside. Normally, my son isn’t close to anyone but me; I didn’t expect him to be so close to Zu An already. Most importantly, Zu An is treating him well too, and doesn’t seem impatient at all. Is this heaven’s will?

Yu Yanluo was a bit jealous when she saw that. She thought, Ah Zu seems to like this child quite a bit. I should give birth to a child for him too.

Her face began to heat up when she thought about their intimate relationship. However, she quickly realized that with the Medusa’s bloodline, she could only give birth to a daughter. She wouldn’t necessarily be able to give him a son… She couldn't help but feel a bit of regret when she thought of that.

The group quickly arrived at Golden Peng Manor. Upon seeing the Second Empress, the guard stationed outside was shocked and moved. When he learned that she wanted to meet the Little Golden Peng King, he enthusiastically rushed over to make the report, as if doing it faster would leave the Second Empress with a better impression.

Zu An couldn't help but remark, “Your highness really is charming.”

“But unfortunately, a certain someone is not even willing to take a second look,” the Second Empress replied quietly.

Zu An knew she was still a bit bitter about what had happened in the bedroom. He smiled and didn’t explain himself.

However, Yu Yanluo had a strange expression. Her eyes darted between the two of them, wondering if she had missed something.

Soon afterward, the guard came back and said apologetically, “Your highness, our young master went to the city outskirts to go hunting. He is in a villa outside of the city and has not returned yet.”

“He left the city to go hunting?” the Second Empress repeated, her beautiful brows furrowing.

“Yes,” the guard replied. He couldn't help but lower his head when he sensed her disappointment, as if he felt upset that he couldn't help her with her worries.

Zu An chuckled. He stopped the Second Empress from saying anything else and pulled her away.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The guards at the gate widened their eyes when they saw that. Who is that man? Why is he pulling the Second Empress so casually like that? More importantly, it looks as if the Second Empress is used to this.

Don’t tell us he’s a palace eunuch? But he’s acting so carefree! What eunuch acts like that?

…

Zu An’s group wasn’t in the mood to attend to the guards’ thoughts.

However, the Second Empress couldn't help but grumble, “Why are you pulling me away? They’re clearly lying!” As a woman with feelings toward a man, especially a man she admired, it was easy to see what they were thinking.

Zu An said with a smile, “That’s true, but do you think that they would dare make up this kind of lie on their own?”

“Are you saying this was the Little Golden Peng King’s idea?” the Second Empress asked in surprise. She was intelligent too, after all. Previously, it was only because she really wanted to rope in the Little Golden Peng King that she had overlooked that possibility.

Zu An nodded and replied, “It’s probably because the Little Golden Peng King saw the chaotic situation and guessed our intentions. He doesn’t wish to get involved in this matter, so he found an excuse to send us away.”

“Things will become troublesome if he isn’t willing to join us,” the Second Empress said, sounding a bit worried.

Yu Yanluo said, “That might not necessarily be a bad thing. That means the Little Golden Peng King hasn’t sided with the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. Otherwise, they would have already joined the conflict and used this chance to capture us while we were alone. The fact that he chose to remain neutral in this situation is actually favorable for us.”

The Second Empress’ eyes lit up. She couldn't help but give Yu Yanluo a few more looks. She had thought that the beautiful Medusa Queen was just a pretty flower vase. She hadn’t expected the woman to actually be so knowledgeable!

“What Ah Luo says is right. Not siding with either one of them is already the biggest help. His position is special, and we aren’t all that close to him. Sticking around over there would just be a waste of time,” Zu An said.

“Ah Luo?” the Second Empress murmured to herself. When she heard the form of address Zu An used, she couldn’t help but think, That really is too intimate. The two’s affection for each other is much deeper than I thought.

Yu Yanluo muttered, “It’s a pity that the Little Golden Peng King doesn’t have any sisters, or else Ah Zu might have had a way.”

Zu An was speechless.

The Second Empress couldn't help but smile. She knew that Yu Yanluo was hinting at his relationship with the Elf Princess. At the same time, she was curious just what Zu An had done to convince so many beautiful women to stay around him.

…

Soon afterward, their group arrived at the Ocean races’ residence. This time, it was different from the Little Golden Peng King’s reception, and they were quickly invited inside.

Chi Wen ran all the way over to greet them, but of course, he ignored Zu An, the only man. His eyes were completely focused on Yu Yanluo and the Second Empress. However, when he recalled the strength of Zu An’s fist, he still tactfully shifted his eyes away from Yu Yanluo’s body.

Hmph, the Medusa Queen is your woman, but I can look at the Second Empress all I want, right?

In the past, he could only admire the Second Empress from a distance. Now that she was up close, his eyes were wide open and extremely enthusiastic. He was at her every beck and call, introducing everything and trying to get closer.

The Second Empress responded respectfully. She experienced such things often and didn’t find dealing with it too hard at all. In contrast, Zu An giving her the cold shoulder was what left her feeling awkward.

They quickly arrived at the guest hall. There was a familiar, beautiful figure in the room, filling the area with a sense of peace.

Today, Shang Liuyu was representing all the Ocean races, which was why she was dressed in a luxurious and wide-sleeved dress rather than her usual white silk dress. Her outfit’s material was made from extremely precious Black Glimmer Beast scales, as well as the silk of the Rainbow Frost Silkworm. It was also decorated with beautiful coral pieces that had sparkling pearls embedded inside.

Meanwhile, the guest hall wasn’t illuminated by fire the way it would be in other clans, but rather a massive luminescent pearl. The gentle light it cast over her body made her seem even more alluring.

The current Shang Liuyu was no longer the willful and carefree woman from Brightmoon Academy, but rather the Ocean races’ respected princess. Of course, the only things that remained the same were her spotlessly white bare feet. Their graceful, natural arcs made even her extravagant dress pale a bit in comparison.

When she saw Zu An, a faint smile appeared on Shang Liuyu’s face. However, when she saw the child Zu An was carrying, her smile instantly froze. Her first reaction was, His child is already so big?

When she recognized that it was the young prince, she sighed in relief. She suppressed her curiosity and said with a smile, “You aren’t someone who would die easily after all. But if you were no longer in this world, it would become much duller.”

The Second Empress was a bit shocked. The first reason was that she was the glorious Second Empress, and yet she wasn’t the first one Shang Liuyu greeted. The second reason was that judging from her tone, Shang Liuyu’s relationship with Zu An seemed even closer than her intelligence had stated.

Zu An sighed and said, “I was supposed to die, and I even met the king of hell, but when he heard that I had one greatest regret, which was that I couldn't see big sis Shang anymore, he let me go.”

When Chi Wen heard that while sneaking looks at the Second Empress, his mouth couldn't help but turn crooked. This guy Zu An won’t really become my brother-in-law, will he? But his way of flirting is really messed up. It’d only be able to fool naive little girls. My aunt is so wise and hates slick-mouthed people. There’s no way she’ll tolerate this.

However, Shang Liuyu had an ambiguous smile as she replied, “Look at you, you’re always speaking so confidently. Then now that you’ve seen me, perhaps it’s time for you to return to the king of hell?”

Zu An shook his head. “The king of hell has also known of the Mermaid Princess’ beauty for a long time, but he never had the chance to meet you. As such, he gave me a mirror and allowed me to remain in this world of the living for a few more years. That way, I can make a few more memories of the Mermaid Princess before going back.”

He then took out King Qin’s Mirror of Souls, as if to prove what he had said. However, when he saw the reflection, his face immediately turned red and he put it away. He almost forgot that the mirror now had special skills. My bad…

Shang Liuyu didn’t know that she had been taken advantage of. On the contrary, she laughed so hard her entire body shook, saying, “It’s been a while, but you’re still the same.”

Chi Wen was instantly stunned when he saw her laugh so happily without any intention of scolding Zu An. Little Aunt, this isn’t like you at all! I always get scolded whenever I flirt with women like this; why is it that you suddenly can’t see through his schemes?

The Second Empress’ expression was also strange. She suddenly recalled Yu Yanluo’s earlier roast and immediately felt a bit of regret. Why didn’t the Little Golden Peng King have any sisters? Additionally, she suddenly gained a lot of confidence in the success of their trip.

Shagn Liuyu and Zu An teased each other for a bit longer; then, she nodded toward Yu Yanluo. Finally, she turned to the Second Empress and said, “Your highness has visited at such a late time. There must be a reason for your visit.”

The Second Empress cursed inwardly, So you finally remembered me! However, she still gave a rough account of her visit’s purpose. Chi Wen’s expression changed greatly when he heard that; he was clearly shocked.

In contrast, Shang Liuyu seemed to have seen it coming. She replied, “Your highness, to be honest, if not for Ah Zu, I wouldn’t have even opened the door for you today.”