Chapter 0045: Subterfuge in Tian Wu Hall
Chapter 0045: Subterfuge in Tian Wu Hall
Bang!
Wu Yu landed on Tian Wu Hall's courtyard.
"It’s Elder Brother Sun. Please enter." Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian was truly hypocritical. Just a few days back, he had attempted to suppress Wu Yu. However, for today, he acted as though nothing had ever happened as he invited Wu Yu into Tian Wu Hall.
Frankly speaking, it was not that he didn't look down on Wu Yu, but he was worried that his actions were too harsh, which could cause Wu Yu to summon the might of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Furthermore, it had already been decided by the sect that Wu Yu would become the Immortal Protector of Capital Wu and they ought to have left.
After entering Tian Wu Hall, only Hao Tian, Empress Dowager Xi, and Emperor Yuan Hao were there. Jiang Junlin and Yuan Chen were not present. Perhaps they had returned to the sect as something might have cropped up. With Jiang Junlin's status, he would not deign to remain in such a small and obscure place.
He had only appeared to suppress Wu Yu, most likely under the exhortations of Yuan Chen.
Of course, they might not have gone very far either.
The two of them being abscent was only beneficial to Wu Yu.
Shortly after, Princess Wu You arrived. Wu Yu began his preparations for what would happen later. He started to chat with Princess Wu You and left Yuan Xi, Yuan Hao, and Hao Tian in the cold.
"Princess Wu You looks truly beautiful today." Wu Yu could not help but to compliment her.
It was at this time where Emperor Yuan Hao interrupted them with a cold smile. "For the sake of meeting the other emperor, she must definitely look the part."
Wu Yu nodded his head and replied, "Since ancient times, beauties have always accompanied heroes. That Nine Regicides King should also be a hero, and having good looks is also a talent. He should be handsome and confident; otherwise, he wouldn’t be a fit for Princess Wu You. As it is said, a beautiful flower should not be placed in the midst of cow dung."
His words made the people around him feel embarrassed. Empress Dowager Yuan Xi lightly covered her lips and laughed gently. "Heavenly Immortal Sun truly knows how to joke. The Nine Regicides King is a man after all. One shouldn't judge him purely by appearances, they should also look at what he has done. He is a truly capable man."
After she finished speaking, movement could be heard outside.
Wu Yu could feel a hair-raising feeling. The person that arrived was definitely not a virtuous individual.
From ancient times, the rulers who treated the common man's life like dirt would normally have an air of death and balefulness surrounding them. Some would even be surrounded by the vengeful spirits they had wronged. The individual who stood outside Tian Wu Hall today was definitely someone like that. These kinds of individuals were not tolerated by the Immortal Dao and had to be exterminated with even more prejudice than demons.
The main character for today had finally arrived.
Before he had even arrived, a vulgar laugh echoed outwards. When Wu Yu raised his head to look, he could only see that a large shadow had appeared at the entrance to Tian Wu Hall. This was a man who possessed a large body. He was about the height of Wu You, but his body was more than thrice her size. His fleshly arms were as thick as Wu Yu's thighs and he was of dark skin. There were tattoos engraved upon his arm, making it look like the arm of a vicious tiger. His body was covered with the pelt of a black bear that wrapped around his waist, giving him a baleful aura.
Looking more closely, he looked to be about 50 and was completely bald. On his scalp was a huge scar that stretched to his cheek. It looked as though someone had almost chopped his head in half. One of his eyes was blind and the other eye looked particularly sinister. A mouth full of vicious, yellow teeth could be seen. It was as though he often ate raw meat, which resulted in such an appearance.
This was the Nine Regicides King.
He was an ugly feral beast.
It was no wonder Yuan Xi had mentioned that the Nine Regicides King was a capable man, not a handsome one.
It was rare to see someone so ugly.
Furthermore, Princess Wu You had seen all kinds of individuals before, yet when she saw the Nine Regicides King for the first time, she felt like retching. In Wu Yu's case, his heart was set ablaze with fury. If he had arrived any later and Princess Wu You had been forced to leave with the Nine Regicides King, she would definitely have had a fate as good as entering the depths of hell, since she could not kill herself!
"Your humble servant, the Nine Regicides King, greets the the two Heavenly Immortals of Dong Yue Wu!" The Nine Regicides King was very boorish. The moment he entered, he gave a loud laugh and greeted Wu Yu and Hao Tian.
At this point in time, Wu Yu saw the individual behind the Nine Regicides King.
The Spectral Concubine.
The Nine Regicides King was too large and had blocked Wu Yu's vision. As vicious and ugly as the Nine Regicides King was, the one that truly struck fear in Wu Yu was the Spectral Concubine.
She was tightly-robed in black and was not tall, yet she seemed very elegant. She wore a black veil and one could not discern her facial features. However, the deepest impression she left on Wu Yu was the gloomy and malicious air she held around her. Compared to the Nine Regicides King, that feeling was tens of thousands of times greater!
"So strong!"
Wu Yu frowned under his mask.
"Jiang Junlin is definitely the strongest individual in the vicinity of Capital Wu right now. Next would definitely be Hao Tian and this Spectral Concubine. The air of balefulness and gloom that the Spectral Concubine emits is extremely heavy. As Hao Tian is an orthodox cultivator and his qi is strong and vigorous, he should be stronger than the Spectral Concubine by a single tier. Although the Spectral Concubine is very scary, in terms of her cultivation, she is only a tier or two higher than Situ Minglang..."
These were all just guesses; he was unable to fully confirm their strength. If they truly were to fight to the death, the opponent would definitely be concealing some hidden cards.
"In short, this Spectral Concubine is stronger than something I can handle. If we were to fight, my chances of winning would not be greater than 20%."
These were extremely dangerous odds.
What was worse was that Wu Yu's true strength was only at the ninth tier of the Body Refining Realm.
He had already made arrangements with Princess Wu You and had made two markings on the table. Tian Wu Hall was not conducive for the two of them to talk directly, and these two marks symbolized that his odds of winning were not greater than 20%.
Princess Wu You understood his intentions.
The chances of winning were too low. She had previously also considered such a troublesome situation and could only steel herself for now.
"Please enter and take a seat."
Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian was smiling from ear to ear. There were no mortals here. He had personally escorted the Spectral Concubine to her own seat. On the other hand, the Nine Regicides King was considered an escort of the Spectral Concubine and followed tightly behind her.
At this point in time, he had laid his eyes upon Princess Wu You. His eyes lit up and he was unable to shift his gaze.
Princess Wu You's beauty was renowned, and even in the East Sea, tales of her beauty resounded throughout the region.
In just the blink of an eye, everyone sat down. It was at this point that the Spectral Concubine removed her veil. What lay beneath was a very ordinary demeanour. She would not be considered a beauty, but her pair of dark purple eyes instilled a sense of terror in those who saw them. It was like a dark maelstrom that made it so mortals were simply unable to look into her eyes. Her lips, which were ordinarily red, were also a dark purple. There was also a black mark at the side of her lips, which took away from her beauty, making this Spectral Concubine even less attractive.
Although her name sounded very alluring, her appearance could not be compared to Wu You’s. It was no wonder the Nine Regicides King had not met any beauties and was affixed to Wu You. With the way he ogled at Wu You, it seemed as though his eyes were going to fall out of their sockets. That perverse and lustful glare made Wu You feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Sun Wudao, I am a female, but I have also decided to reveal my appearance. Yet why have you not taken off your mask and let me see your true visage?" The moment the Spectral Concubine removed her veil, the first person she chose to target was none other than Wu Yu.
Although the Spectral Concubine's appearance was ordinary, her voice was enchanting and riveting. It was soft and inviting, letting one feel a sense of numbness upon hearing it.
"I was born ugly and am unwilling to let others see my face," Wu Yu replied.
"Haha, how ugly could you truly be?" The Spectral Concubine laughed insipidly.
"The Spectral Concubine's appearance is moving and she is 10 times more good-looking than I am." As she was just too strong, Wu Yu had to change his plans. For the sake of Princess Wu You, he also had to change his attitude towards her.
This sentence caused the Spectral Concubine to laugh loudly, and she did not pursue the issue. At this point, Yuan Xi instructed Princess Wu You to pour the wine. She proceeded to stand up and do so, her regal figure only causing the Nine Regicides King to ogle at her even more.
"This wine is extremely fragrant; however, it cannot compare to the blood of infants and its nourishment." After tasting the wine, the Spectral Concubine spoke openly as she enjoyed her wine.
The blood of infants!
If she was not a Ghostly Cultivator, how would she say such words?
Looking at the nearly stifled roomed, the Spectral Concubine quickly laughed. "I was only making a joke. I am one who pursues the orthodox dao. and I follow the legacy of the Scarlet Sea's Seven Immortals. How would I possibly drink the blood of infants?"
After speaking, Hao Tian and the rest also laughed before changing the subject. "Spectral Concubine, Nine Regicides King, you have now seen the Princess Wu You. Are the two of you satisfied?"
Nine Regicides King immediately nodded his head. "I am satisfied. Very satisfied. Being able to wed Princess Wu You would be the greatest honor of this Nine Regicides King and a result of all of the virtuous things I have done!"
However, in his long history, all he had ever done was murder senselessly; there was no virtuousness in him.
Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian gave a enthusiastic laugh. "Since this is the case, let us proceed with our agreement. You will be able to wed Princess Wu You and return to the East God Nation. Our Princess Wu You will be awaiting you."
"No problem. No problems at all." The Nine Regicides King was all smiles, but he only looked malevolent with his facial features.
Wu Yu felt as though a volcano had erupted within him. He had previously weighed the pros and cons as to whether he ought to cause an uproar and proclaim that he had fallen in love with Princess Wu You, and to then engage in a direct competition with the Nine Regicides King. If this was the case, then he would have to cross blows with the Spectral Concubine.
However, Wu You was right in front of him and was currently the center of attention, especially in the fixated gaze of the Nine Regicides King.
At this point in time, Wu You was currently dabbing away her tears with a handkerchief and crying. Her appearance was extremely pitiful and moving. According to Wu Yu's memories, he had never seen her look so fragile; even when she teared up, it was still full of strength.
"Pa!" Yuan Hao was furious as he slapped the table and stood up. "Wu You, what are you trying to do..." Before he could finish, Hao Tian stopped him and he kept the rest of his words in his mouth. From his point of view, Wu You was clearly trying to find a way to escape. However, he couldn’t say that, as the Spectral Concubine and the rest were there.
"What’s wrong with Princess Wu You?" The Nine Regicides King felt a little afraid that something was going to happen upon seeing her cry.
"I... it’s nothing." Wu You shook her head, clearly looking as though she was trying to control herself.
"No, you must speak. If there is anything troubling you, as your future husband, I will definitely help you resolve it," the Nine Regicides King said as her clapped his chest, speaking heroically.
In response to his questions, Wu You could only reply, "Actually, it’s not a big thing. It’s just that I have always grown up within the capital and all my family members are here. Once I go to the East God Nation, I will not know when I will have the opportunity to return. Thinking of leaving my home has brought me limitless remorse. I have been sick recently and have not had the time to properly settle matters between my family and friends. At the same time, I have not had the time to properly walk through these streets one last time. Thus my heart aches and yearns...."
"Since it’s like this... However, the fact is that once you’re married to me, you’re obligated to come with me back to the East God Nation," the Nine Regicides King said with a pained voice.
"If… If you are not rushing for time, we can choose not to leave tomorrow. Please give me a month's time and let me walk through these streets once more. That will be enough. Furthermore, my serious illness has only just started to recover. The carriage ride back to the East God Nation is trying, and I am afraid that my body might not be able to handle it..."
Wu You was very clear that the Nine Regicides King was unable to refuse her.
"This is in the realm of possibility. Let us rest for a month. It’s nothing much to stay here for a month. It will also give us a chance to enjoy the sights of the wondrous Capital Wu." The Nine Regicides King immediately agreed.
At this point in time, Wu Yu had understood Wu You's intentions. She had given him a month's worth of time to prepare himself. Her act today was truly convincing.
The Nine Regicides King had agreed in just a snap. Even Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian was left speechless. Just when it seemed like their group wanted to refuse this proposition, Wu Yu replied, "Since this is the case, why don't you stay for a month? I see that the Spectral Concubine is a truly valiant cultivator. It's rare to meet someone like this, and I would love to seek her guidance."
There wasn’t a shred of doubt that this Spectral Concubine was a ghostly cultivator.
"Sure. Let us stay for a month." It was clear that with Wu Yu's words, the Spectral Concubine had also come to a decision. The Nine Regicides King was one that followed her words closely, and it was only with her approval that could he do so.
Clearly, with the Spectral Concubine's words, Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian and the rest could only keep their words to themselves.
However, Wu Yu had interrupted them before they had a chance to reply to Wu You, forcing them to take notice of him.
His only aim was to let them understand that he had certain feelings towards Princess Wu You.
This way, even if he were to snatch a certain someone's bride a month later, no one would be too surprised.
Halfway through the meeting, Princess Wu You mentioned that as her body was not feeling well, she wished to retire and rest. Wu Yu did not linger any further. He was not privy to any discussions after he had left.
"I will have to struggle for a month!"
It was impossible that another opportunity like this would present itself.
Wu You's life would be determined in this month of effort.
"Win, and we will both live. Lose, and we will both perish."