Chapter 572: A Soggy Reception(2)
[Too…dramatic…chances…of…that… happening…too…low…,] Frosttusk rumbled in protest.
[Some…times…but…this…time…different…]
[Okay, jolly frost giant,] Hurricroak retorted, [what do you think is going to happen now that we’re balls deep in hostile territory?]
[Easy…jilted…former…lover…]
[Jilted former lover? I don’t think grandpa Zhen Shi had any jilted former-oh wait a minute…you’re no talking about the grandpa, are you?]
[Nope…]
[Damn, I forgot about that angle.]
[Okay no,] Razorstella interjected, [its been like…two, three decades since the elopement happened. I highly doubt that a half-dragon prince who probably has literal pick of any woman he wants would get hung up over one jilted engagement.]
[I…which ones? We have like several different sections based solely on region alone.]
=Judging by the context of Pathos’s statement and the style of government we are dealing with…try the Ancient Asiatic Imperial section and maybe the modern Asiatic fantasy novels. Should have plenty of stories about Imperial concubines trying to murder each other via politics or actual assassins and/or people getting revenge on their ex-fiancées for fucking them over in the first place. I have a recommended list.=
=Good girl.=
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To say the man was stressed would be a bit of an understatement.
As captain of the city guard, it was Zhen Ba Yin’s duty to make sure that the city was safe and that all of the businesses and lives in the city went smoothly, especially when they were in the middle of the Sapling Festival.
As such, it was his duty to be informed of every possible little thing that could go wrong and/or be a source of issues in the near future. Normally this wasn’t a big issue, not a lot got reported on the day to day, but today was…exceptional.
For starters, one of his spies had informed him that the fallen clans were going to make moves to try and disrupt the clan tournament that was used to recruit fresh blood. He had no idea exactly how they were going to disrupt it, but he just knew those guys were going to do everything they could to make the event into a hell…more of a hell than it already was, but still.
Next, the mysterious super warrior that had appeared the other night, one that he could personally vouch for existing, had suddenly upped and disappeared into nothingness. Zhen Ba Yin could literally find no recording of this guy entering, exiting or even staying anywhere in the city.
Speaking of that warrior, Zhen Ba Yin was also just informed that that warrior’s disciples, the “Shen” Family, turned out to actually be his long lost clansmen who’s grandfather was none other than the infamous “Princess Thief” and that the guy had somehow managed to breakthrough into the Aether Lord stage, with three sons who were all Aether Grandmasters.
And he came back to try and make amends with the clan…despite being the one to besmirch its honor in the first place.
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Literally seconds after he asked that question, his doors opened to the presence of yet another soldier.
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Out of all the imperials to show up, they were possibly the worst pair to do so.
Because the 24th Prince and the Princess Thief, happened to have a hatchet to bury.
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[I do believe we have all the bases covered at this point, and while me and my oh-so violent companion aren’t there to see for ourselves the situation, I think I’ll just join in on Nepherage’s claim. The likelihood of our dear young master getting embroiled in unnecessary conflict seems to be a part of his existence at this point,] Arachnidame answered.
[I’m going with Frosttusk on this one,] Lacerage disagreed.
[Outside enemy forces are fun and all, and hell, maybe our lord can earn some brownie points for fighting an age old enemy, but the chances of us drawing the ire of a jilted royal is way, way higher! Plus, the guy has dragon blood! Meaning that he is probably old, or has a memory like a antlion’s jaw. Tight and hateful.]
=Those are fair points to make.=
[Uhh…can I make a new bet?,] Spring Brawler asked.
[What’s your opinion on this, Spring? Think the maestro is gonna get in trouble with the familia?,] Hurricroak asked.
[Well…yeah,] Spring Brawler readily agreed, [didn’t y’all notice the type of looks the ringmaster has been getting ever since he walked through the door? It’s not exactly friendly.]
[Looks?]
[Take a look…]
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‘Alright, I am getting real sick of all of these fucking stares burning a hole in the back of my head. Am I seriously that much of an anomaly to these motherfuckers?,’ Zhen Liu mentally complained as he could feel the gazes of the main clan members pointing in his direction.
The literal moment he and his family had entered into the more public areas of the Blessed Willow Manor, he could feel practically everyone’s gazes turn towards them if they were far enough and didn’t have to move anywhere, while those who were on the move gave the group a quick glance with some clicking their tongues in disdain.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Zhen Liu could trace the gazes of the people watching him and his family at this moment. More specifically, he could see how their gazes would start at either end of their group, appraising his family members based on how they looked and how they played the game.
If that was all they did, Zhen Liu wouldn’t mind all that much. But then he overheard what some of the onlookers were saying about them.
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As soon as he heard the term “mud-born”, Zhen Liu’s eye actually twitched with rage.
‘Did these motherfuckers seriously just call me a slur? While I’m right here?!’
The mature thing to do in this situation would be to ignore such terminology and keep walking, since this day and this entire trip wasn’t for his sake, but his grandfather’s.
Zhen Liu completely understood that losing his cool and cold clocking one of these assholes would probably end badly, especially since he could punch most people’s ribs into dust.
Luckily for Zhen Liu, he didn’t lose his cool and threatened violence…his cousin, Zhen Hai, did.
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As soon as those two prejudicial assholes saw that they were clearly outmatched and understood, the two of them bailed like chickens being confronted by a wolf. Once they had completely left the branch clan’s field of view, Zhen Hai turned off his aura.
“Tsk! Bunch of soggy ass pricks. I thought the main branch would be more…’civil’,” Zhen Hai said with exaggerated air quotes.
“You okay, by the way? Xiao Liu?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, yeah just…thanks for sticking up for me.”
“No problem cousin, family got stick together, right?”
“Yeah…”
In this moment, Zhen Liu was reminded once more of a very important fact of life: family that got your back is the best feeling in the world.
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[So we’re finding those two and kicking their asses in later, right?]
[Yup…]
[Agreed.]
[Are you sure we can’t eat them?]
=Y’all may not get a chance to. Look alive and alert, we’re gonna meet our maker’s ancestral maker.=
