Chapter 279: Volume 1, Chapter 279 — Empress x Courtesan (9)

As the leader of this beast garden, the gray wolf opened its bloody maw and let out a roar toward the pack of beasts hiding in the darkness.

Those beasts were especially fearful of it, daring not to approach.

The gray wolf seized the boy's clothing in its jaws and immediately dragged him outside.

When Wen Ci's second personality awakened, he strained to open his eyes; upon seeing the gray wolf beside him, he wanted to struggle, but his body had no strength at all, and he could only be eaten by it.

But contrary to his expectations, the gray wolf had no intention of eating him; instead, it carried him outside the beast garden, far from the pack of salivating, hungry beasts.

Wen Ci gazed at the gray wolf fixing its keen beastly eyes on him, feeling contempt, aloof, languid; only lacking appetite.

After disguising herself, Jiang Zhi donned a set of guard armor, wore a thick mask covering her entire face; even if her own mother came, she would not be recognized.

She arrived before the beast garden and at once saw the boy lying on the ground.

The gray wolf had already returned to the beast garden, as if rescuing him earlier had been an illusion.

Wen Ci also fell into a coma.

Jiang Zhi carried him to the guards' quarters, where each person had a separate room; her lodging was relatively remote, requiring a long walk before other palaces came into view.

She first swiftly treated his wound, then bandaged it with medicine to staunch the bleeding, helped him lie on the bed, covered him with a blanket, and hurried away.

Having taken off the guard armor, just as she left the Nurturing Heart Hall, she encountered Yan Yao, who had come looking for her.

He opened his mouth and asked: "Where did A Zhi go?"

Jiang Zhi was overly hurried, sweat beading on her forehead, her breath slightly ragged; she maintained a frivolous expression, hooked a strand of his black hair with her finger, the corners of her eyes flushed red from alcohol, and said: "Just resting a while—what? Do you also need to manage this?"

Yan Yao's gaze swept over that hint of crimson at the corner of her eyes, paused a few seconds, then naturally smoothed the slightly disheveled dark hair at her forehead.

"Drunk?"

Jiang Zhi snorted, "Even I can get drunk? Ridiculous."

Yan Yao calmly said: "If so, then tonight let's not return until we're drunk."

Jiang Zhi was at a loss for words.

Though she claimed to have a high tolerance for alcohol, she could not withstand drinking with Yan Yao, the god of alcohol.

Yan Yao saw her delay in speaking, raised his eyebrows, and asked: "Afraid?"

Afraid? She had directly stepped into the original host's forbidden zone.

Jiang Zhi immediately said: "Drink!"

As the words fell, she recalled the officials at the banquet.

Yan Yao seemed to see through her thoughts, saying: "Not long after A Zhi left, I concluded the birthday feast."

Then there were no worries left behind.

Palace attendants brought jug after jug of fine wine, setting them before their table.

Jiang Zhi gritted her teeth and drank with him, consuming roughly dozens of rounds, gradually becoming intoxicated, her face flushed, ears red, head heavy and dizzy.

"Yan Yao, you… should go back."

She swayed as she stood, fingertips pressing her forehead, the discomfort intense.

Yan Yao had drunk several jugs, his expression unchanged, showing no trace of intoxication, calmly observing the red-clad woman before him who was seeing guests out.

A crimson brocade robe set off her cheeks, making them especially charming and bright; her phoenix eyes, flared and slightly narrowed, revealed a splendid ripple, surpassing the most beautiful color in the world.

Yan Yao supported her falling form, his clear voice carrying a coaxing tone: "Who are you?"

Jiang Zhi was slow for a few seconds, then suddenly straightened, gripping his collar with one hand, and asked in a grim tone: "Well done, Yan Yao, you don't even recognize me? I… I am the supreme sovereign, the… ultimate emperor!"

Arrogant, unruly words—no matter how you hear them, they sound exactly like something A Zhi would say.

Yan Yao's eyes held a dark, complex expression.

Yet she could still not hide it from him; having grown up together with A Zhi, he notices any change in her.

No matter how much a person changes, their essence cannot be altered.

The woman before him, though extremely resembling A Zhi, is not A Zhi.

For now she is unwilling to speak, but she will eventually do so.

Yan Yao embraced her and placed her upon the Dragon Bed, poured a cup of water for her to drink, then ordered the palace attendants to keep watch outside before finally leaving.

After he left, the drunken Jiang Zhi lying in bed abruptly sat up, supporting her dizzy, painful forehead, her voice hoarse: "He already knows I am not the original host."

From the moment she first saw Yan Yao, Jiang Zhi had a premonition that she could not conceal her true self from him for long.

Mainly because this fellow's observational skills are too sharp, and having grown up alongside the original host, any slight deviation from the original's character makes him suspicious.

The original host killed without blinking, seeing blood every day, either beating to death palace personnel and consorts, or punishing others according to his preferences.

The title of tyrant is not just empty talk.

But Jiang Zhi is not such a person; she never acts against her principles, and no matter how she impersonates the original host, she will not do anything contrary to her inner self.

To regard human life as weeds, doing as one pleases.

She could never do that well.

She firmly believes that everyone should have their own bottom line in heart; a person without any bottom line is no different from beasts and livestock.

777's tone grave: "Host, what should we do?"

As the original host's right and left hand, Yan Yao is loyal and capable; this is also why the original host, despite his domineering excess, could remain steady on the imperial throne for over a decade, largely thanks to Yan Yao's contributions.

Jiang Zhi gave a light laugh: "There's no way; we can only speed up the progress."

She ordered the attendants to bring a spittoon, spat out the wine she had swallowed, felt somewhat better, then took some sobering medicine and stood by the window to dispel the alcohol fumes.

She also had to check on Wen Ci; two flying daggers had pierced his back, though they missed the organs, they still caused deep wounds.

The boy's constitution is weaker than ordinary people's; aside from the strength burst of his second personality, he is inherently frail, so tonight he will surely run a high fever.

Jiang Zhi changed into guard armor, and under the thick night she quietly went to the arranged guards' quarters.

She pushed open the door, saw the boy's motionless figure on the bed, turned and closed the door, then just as she sat beside the bed, a cold dagger pressed against her chest; the boy, his breath unsteady, sat up, the dim night filling his eyes, shrouded with a sinister malice.

"Where is this place?"

Jiang Zhi's body tensed, "This is my residence!"

Wen Ci stared intently at her helmet, furrowed his brows and ordered, "Take off the helmet."

Jiang Zhi helplessly extended her finger and removed the helmet that covered her entire face.

Soft moonlight poured in from the latticed wooden window, falling on the woman's face; her features were quite ordinary and unremarkable, hard to discern in a crowd, the only striking thing being her lively eyes.

Jiang Zhi saw his wary expression and could only explain, "I am a guard at the Beast Garden, and I also saved you; if you fear I will harm you, just leave through this door."

She had not only changed her appearance, but also deliberately altered her voice; one could not tell she was the empress at all.

Wen Ci panted shallowly, his chest heaving violently, his face flushed red, he sheathed his dagger, curled up in the corner, and could faint at any moment.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhi pressed her lips and said, "Your injury is very serious."

Wen Ci delayed sleeping, knowing his injury was severe, still running a high fever, but the surroundings were utterly unfamiliar and he did not trust this guard, so he could only hold out.