Chapter 115 - 100 Jade-faced Princess

"Who goes there, daring to barge into the Imperial Palace unannounced!" a guard shouted, entering a battle stance.

The female demon who arrived, however, showed a trace of disdain on her face, laughing as she said, "A bunch of coquettish foxes, and you still dare to call this an Imperial Palace? That’s absolutely laughable."

They were all maids of Iron Fan Princess, originally from Rakshasa Kingdom. Having seen what an Imperial Palace is like, their words were filled with scorn.

"How dare you slander our Long-Live Fox Kingdom," the guard yelled angrily, picking up his weapon to launch an attack.

However, a flash of silver sword light was all it took, and the weapons of several guards were instantly snapped into two.

After all, the entire setup of the Long-Live Fox King was a sham, the guards were mere little monsters acting the part, none of them had any real training before being posted, and with King Niumo protecting the Fox Kingdom in recent years, these guards had never truly fought; they were the epitome of all show and no substance.

But the maids of Iron Fan Princess were battle-hardened individuals who had literally fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. When King Niumo first arrived in this realm and subdued the four corners, these people had all earned their stripes alongside him.

Therefore, as soon as the battle began, the clear difference in strength was evident. The female demon, looking contemptuously at the dispirited guards, said, "Showing off such pathetic skills is simply embarrassing. Now get out of my way."

The commotion at the entrance soon caught the attention of everyone in the great hall. King Niumo’s face darkened with displeasure; he hated disturbances most when enjoying song and dance.

Jade-faced Princess gently soothed King Niumo’s robust chest with her delicate hands, her peach blossom eyes radiating an astonishing charm as she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will have someone take care of this."

At a glance from her, a maid at her side quickly and respectfully excused herself.

Upon exiting the palace, she immediately saw the chaos, and shouted reprimandingly, "What have you done? Don’t you know His Majesty and the Princess are resting inside? If you ruin His Majesty’s enjoyment, you will all pay dearly for it."

The surrounding guards were scolded so harshly they did not dare lift their heads, a testament to the woman’s status within the Imperial Palace.

After scolding these worthless guards, she turned her eyes to the sword-wielding female demon and with a light chuckle said, "I was wondering who had the audacity to storm into the Imperial Palace of our Long-Live Fox Kingdom. So it’s Sister Qing Mei. I wonder, Sister, why aren’t you content to stay in your Banana Cave? Did you come here hoping to persuade His Majesty to return? You might as well give up that hope."

The woman’s words dripped with scorn as she coldly gazed at Qing Mei, for Qing Mei had once barged into the palace seeking an audience with King Niumo, only to be turned away with a scolding when he had just married Jade-faced Princess.

"Hmph, don’t be too pleased with yourself. I have urgent matters with His Majesty today, and if you dare to stop me, I would not mind adding one more spirit under my sword," Qing Mei brandished her sword, teeming with killing intent. The aura of someone who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood instantly halted the woman, who did not dare to speak further, knowing full well that Qing Mei meant business.

Qing Mei stormed into the palace, and what met her eyes was a scene of indulgence. She could not help but shout forcefully, "Your Majesty!"

Her voice carried a formidable authority that swept away the air of decadence. All those playing music or dancing stopped at once, looking curiously at this uninvited guest.

After all, they were in the presence of the Great Sage Pingtian; who could possibly have the audacity to be such a wet blanket? They wondered if King Niumo’s reputation was truly just hot air.

King Niumo was also greatly enraged, but when he saw that the person coming was Qing Mei, he calmed down his aura and said with some displeasure, "So it’s Qing Mei. Why are you rushing in here in such a hurry?"

After all, she was someone who had followed him through campaigns in all directions, and he still had to give her that much respect.

"Your Majesty, the mistress sent me to ask you to return. Someone has delivered a letter from Second Master. It seems to contain some urgent matters," Qing Mei said with neither servility nor overbearing.

Upon hearing this, King Niumo immediately furrowed his brow. Although he and his second brother were siblings, their relationship was indifferent due to their vastly different personalities. However, since they shared the same mother, the two had always been together before, and when they had made such a big name for themselves, this brother had played his part too.

After settling down, his brother bid farewell and left, rumored to have settled in a place called Maiden’s Country to live in seclusion and devote himself to the practice of cultivation. Although he had occasionally received letters over the years, they were generally about trivial matters, not worth mentioning. This time, however, it appeared there was something urgent.

At this moment, he could no longer sit still. With a sudden motion, he got up, donned his robe, and said, "Qing Mei, you go first. I’ll be right there."

Qing Mei glanced at the surrounding bevy of beauties, snorted coldly, and clutching the Treasured Sword, she hurried to Banana Cave to report back, while King Niumo had someone bring his mount to prepare for departure.

"My lady, wait here in the palace, your husband will return shortly!" King Niumo said to the stunning woman beside him.

"Your Majesty, take care on your journey, and give my regards to sister," said the Jade-faced Princess tenderly, her voice gentle. She busied herself tidying King Niumo’s clothes before he left.

King Niumo laughed as he touched the delicate jade hand of the Jade-faced Princess, and then spurred his mount to ride into the distance.

As he left, the Jade-faced Princess rushed to the palace gate to watch him go, the very picture of a virtuous wife and good mother.

Once King Niumo was far away, a maid approached the princess and said, "Princess, you’re too good-tempered. That haggard-faced woman dared to humiliate you, yet you still send greetings to her through His Majesty."

The Jade-faced Princess turned her head, her face losing its previous soft, honeyed expression, and said with a cold laugh, "What do you know? A woman has to learn to bow and submit. Only by doing so can she capture a man’s heart. My foolish sister never understood this, which is why His Majesty has grown tired of her."

"It’s only because I’m not capable enough. If not relying on his strength, I wouldn’t be able to protect this estate, and why else would I, a princess, humble myself and marry as a concubine?"

The maid also had a face full of sorrow. In this world, where the strong prey upon the weak, especially beautiful female demons like themselves, were treated like worthless lives. Without the protection of the powerful, they would likely just become commodities to be traded by others.

At this point, the Jade-faced Princess couldn’t help touching her belly and said with some regret, "It’s a pity that my belly is uncooperative. After so many years, to not have a single heir, or else I wouldn’t be in such a passive position."

"It’s your cleverness that prevails, Princess. If it hadn’t been for your scheme to send Red Boy far away, with their father-son affection, how could Iron Fan Princess and His Majesty have become so estranged?"

"Shut your mouth. Keep that matter to yourself. If I ever catch you gossiping again, I’ll send you to the Plum Blossom Pavilion," said the Jade-faced Princess, staring coldly at the maid’s face.

The maid immediately shuddered. She certainly knew what the Plum Blossom Pavilion was—a pleasant-sounding name for the largest brothel in the area.