Chapter 401 - 9.20 Second Blue Star - Lord Hei?
Carrying Xue Yan on his back, Fox God Hu Yue left the Village clean up to his servants and Ou Ya. As he said it only took him one hour to arrive in front of the Ghost King's Territory. Before them is a huge ancient mansion that used to look old and barren but now before they are still the same mansion with a slightly modern touch. The former walls with cracks due to age were replaced with a newly painted wall.
The dead trees around the house were all replaced with new ones, there are bushes of full-bloomed black roses outside the mansion climbing on the house walls giving an aesthetic feeling of nature. Though the huge trees gave the land more shaded regions as the owner of the place is the Ghost King who hates the sun. Seeing the modern palace before them Xue Yan and the Fox God was stunned.
Stunned Fox God, "W-What the hell happened here?!" asked Hu Yue in surprise.
The gates suddenly opened and the two were welcomed by Ghost servants wearing butler and maid attire. Though these servants used to wear eunuch robes and palace maid clothes.
Servants with their heads lowered, "Welcome. Fox God and Sire Xue Yan. The Master and the Lord Consort have been waiting for your arrival."
Xue Yan asked, "Excuse me. Is this the Ghost King Palace? Why does it look so… modern?"
"Answering to Sire Xue, this is indeed the Ghost King Palace. But since the Lord Consort is a modern person, the master had renovated the whole place with a modern touch." Answered politely by the servant wearing a butler suit. "Please follow me. I shall escort the guests to the Water Pavilion where the master and the lord consort rest."
Xue Yan and Hu Yue followed the servants inside the palace. They were brought to a pavilion surrounded by a huge pond. There are full bloom plum blossom trees in the area while at the center is an open pavilion. Once they were near the pavilion they heard a mellow voice. It's the heavenly voice of a man singing a tune of a song they haven't heard before. It seems to be an original ancient song.
Everyone who heard the song fell in a trance as if hearing angels singing. The servants seem to be used to it as they still properly lead the two guests to an area of the pavilion, at the center of the place they saw figures of two handsome men in modern clothes. A young man with short white hair with red highlights sat on a fur carpet laid under him. He had phoenix-shaped eyes and crimson irises which showed tenderness as he looked at the sleeping man whose headrest was on his lap. The sleeping man had his eyes closed as he held his lover's hand into his, laid on top of his chest. His slumbering figure looks serene. As his captivating features were barely laid under the beautiful man's tender gaze. It seems that he is enjoying his lover's singing. The servants only escorted the two by a certain distance and instantly lowered their heads standing by the side waiting for further orders from their masters.
Servant butler, "We can only escort you until here. Please go ahead and enter, esteemed guests."
Xue Yan said, "Thank you." Before walking forward to approach his younger brother by the distance. Fox God hesitated for it before following Xue Yan inside the pavilion to where the couple was.
The Ghost King felt their presence the moment they entered his palace but kept a mild reaction as the two guests were the ones they had been waiting for. One is his foolish Fox God subordinate and the other is his wife's elder brother. Xue Hua stopped singing when he saw his elder brother approaching with a fox masked man following behind him. Hovering around him is a glowing moon, this is clearly System Yue who is only visible to a few people.
[Host! They are here. The elder brother of your vessel, Xue Yan, and the Lord's subordinate, the Fox God, Hu Yue.]
Xue Hua spoke with his system through his mind, "Yue, are these two the usual pair?"
[Yes, Host! There are the same souls that are always with you.]
System Yue had informed Xue Hua about the other pair that always come with him and his husband through worlds. The job of this pair is to serve them. They are supposed to be the prisoners and wardens from the Nether System.
"Do you feel any presence of a system like you?"
[Only one. The system is the same as I do. I know him. Its Executioner 44. If I remember correctly he is monitored by a Prisoner called Yun Ming.]
"Yun Ming? This name seems familiar. The other one?"
[Host, he's... I'm sorry, host. I'm not allowed to say. ]
"Okay, I understand. Just one question. Is this man's identity greater than your superior?"
[No, Host. His authority is a level lower than the lord and he serves the Lord God directly while I answer to a different person. We don't serve the same Authority.]
Once Xue Hua heard the answer of his system a knowing smile appeared on his face while looking at the pair before them. Ghost King Xie Mo woke up and sat up properly when the two arrived. Like before his expression is cold and arrogant unless he is facing his wife.
Xie Mo looked at Hu Yue, "You are late."
Hu Yue saluted properly in Xie Mo's presence. "Forgive me, My Lord. I wasn't able to attend your wedding. Greetings to My Lord Consort."
Xue Hua gave them his usual mischievous smile, "Hello. Fox God. Brother, I'm happy to see you safe. Fox God must have protected you as usual…"
The three flinched and looked at Xue Hua's smiling figure before them. It's obvious that they were all surprised by what he said. Only the two arrivals really understood what he meant though they've heard that Lord Hei had no memories in this world, for him to know about them might be because of System Yue hovering around him.
Fox God, Hu Yue had the largest reaction. He showed a shocked and excited expression. "My Lord! You're…" but when he saw Xie Mo's bewildered expression and Xue Hua's knowing smile he understood that the beautiful man beside his lord schemed him to speak up. Hu Yue immediately stopped his words on time. "Please forgive my rudeness…"
Xue Hua has been observing the two the whole time. He spoke vague words to catch them off guard on purpose. System Yue who saw the whole scene would be covering his face if he is in humanoid form because of Shen Li's obvious reaction. As expected his smart host threw the bait and caught the targets he wanted to bite.
"Hm~ so he is the one that serves Fujun and the other one..." Xue Hua was staring at Hu Yue at first then moved his gaze to his elder brother who was sitting silently beside that person. "So you aren't my real brother ha?" he asked.
Xue Yan politely replied, "In this world, I am indeed your elder brother. But just in this one, in the original world, your real elder brother is a cousin older than you from your father's side. His name is Hei Jue. He is also the one who tasked me to protect you and the same person who gave you that artifact hanging on your neck."
Looking down Xue Hua touched the plain-looking necklace on his neck, he was silent most of the time as if thinking of something but couldn't remember a thing. Suddenly he felt his headache a bit and held it
THROBS~
"Y-Yue, give me something from the System Mall to block the eyes and ear of the Heavenly laws of this world," said Xue Hua who was still holding on his aching head. Just these words were enough to show that his memories are returning bit by bit and everyone was surprised by it.
[A-At what extent does the Host remember?]
"Nothing much. Just a few vague memories of the Nether System."
[I see. Host, I have redeemed the time the Host wanted from the Mall.]
"Go ahead. Give me my requested Item and keep the whole palace free of other people."
[Host, I have redeemed a consumable item that fits the host's request. An Item that opened a God's Domain for a period of time. It only lasts for 3 hours. I've redeemed the item without any tickets as the Lord God ordered. The host can redeem anything from the system mall.]
A glowing glass ball appeared out of nowhere within Xue Hua's eyes. Once Hu Yue saw the item in Xue Hua's hand, he knew what the latter wanted to do and wanted to run away.
Xue Hua spoke with a playful tone but his words were all full of threat. "If you run away~ I will kill the soul of that one~," said the playful little devil to the escaping Hu Yue who froze the moment he saw Xue Hua pointing at Xue Yan.
Everyone was rendered speechless this time, now Xue Hua started to act a bit like usual playful yet dangerous persona. Within those golden orbs, the Ghost King noticed some glints of silver which made his heart be filled with fear that his wife would remember everything and he would be left alone right after marriage. Xie Mo couldn't help but pull Xue Hua closer to him and hug him from behind. Xue Hua on the other hand was suffering from a throbbing head that he didn't notice what his husband had just done.
Hu Yue gave up from leaving but he was glaring at Xue Hua. Even though he knew his real identity he doesn't fear him as he currently doesn't have any memories and most of his abilities were sealed including his real cultivation. He was only angry for threatening him with Xue Yan's life. Xue Yin remained silent the whole time as he noticed that this group is full of outsiders like him though he doesn't have his original memories just the fact that these men were outsiders was enough to remain where he is.
Moreover, he could feel his system shaking as if he was scared of the beautiful man who wears the body of his current identity's younger brother. Xue Hua used the item in his hand and casually threw it at the center of their group. Instantly a sphere domain covered them.
[This is a God Domain that will protect us for 3 hours. Within those 3 hours, the heavenly laws would not see us. We can speak freely for 3 hours~. Please go ahead, Host]
Within the temporary God's Domain. Silence and tension ascended. There's silence in the area while only Xue Hua is wearing a playful smile on his face.
"Shall we begin? I believe there is nothing I need to introduce as among everyone only I had problems with my memories. You guys can begin your introductions." said Xue Hua
"I'm Prisoner Yun Ming. I only remember my name. This is my 53rd world." Said Xue Yan. Hearing his name Xue Hua frowned for a moment as if trying to remember something, the pain in his head was a bit too much and his face started sweating.
Xue Hua murmured, "Yun Ming? This name I truly heard of before. Are you the one following my orders in every world?"
"Yes, my task is to serve Lord Hei for every world since your first world in the Nether System," answered Xue Yan.
"I see. I want to talk to you later. Would that be alright? And I will still treat you as my big brother while my memories haven't fully returned." said Xue Hua.
Xue Yan responded, "As you wish, Venerable Lord Hei."
Only then did Xue Hua move his eyes towards Hu Yue who was giving him mocking gazes, "How about you? Who are you?" he asked, though his eyes were not smiling as he always thought this man was rude.
Hmph!
Hu Yue wanted to ignore Xue Hua. He knew his current situation and even knew who he really was. But at the moment he doesn't fear him as he knows that almost everything about him is sealed, including his strength. He is currently weaker than him. He wanted to say he didn't want to answer until Xue Hua's figure appeared before him. He teleported instantly to appear before him.
Xue Hua smiled at him but unlike his usual casual playful smile, there's no emotion on Xue Hua's face at the moment. Only cold and indifferent, staring down at Hu Yue like he is some kind of ant whose life and death are within Xue Hua's hands.
With his golden irises suddenly turning to silver at this moment, Hu Yue knew he had angered this God of Destruction unexpectedly. "Rude thing. Since when a mere warden dared to ignore the presence of this Lord? For a servant, you seem so unqualified~" asked Xue Hua.
[Lord Hei!!?]