Chapter 1429: Court Painter

Xia De nodded:

"At the ball in the castle, Cinderella, who came by carriage, stepped on crystal shoes and just appeared, winning everyone's attention. Her brown eyes were as deep as the night sky, her golden hair was as soft as the silver moonlight, and the dark blue evening dress reminded people of the silent night at this moment, the stars on the edge of the skirt..."

"... were like the stars tonight. Cinderella welcomed the prince and danced with the prince until late at night."

Xia De took a deep breath. The outsider had heard these fairy tales many times in his hometown. But when he really had to tell them himself under the premise of meeting the requirements, he had new feelings himself:

"Midnight was about to arrive, and the prince tried his best to persuade Cinderella to stay and continue dancing, but Cinderella remembered the agreement with the old woman and rushed away. So, the next day, the prince continued to hold a grand ball. After the stepmother and sisters left, the old woman holding the magic wand arrived in the night again—'I will continue to help you, just as I promised last night'."

Fiona continued to listen to the story, not forgetting to paint this fourth act. The fourth act was relatively simple, just inside the castle of the night, the grand ball was being held, and Cinderella wearing crystal shoes was dancing with the prince.

In the empty temple, Xia De didn't know if those people who had been made into specimens by the god could hear his voice. He just hoped that all stories were as beautiful as this one:

"When the ball reached the third night, Cinderella, who had secretly fallen in love with the prince, forgot the time in the music of the ball. It wasn't until the twelve chimes of midnight rang that she rushed toward the gate of the castle. 'Oh, my princess, why are you leaving me again?'—the prince said, and chased after her. But Cinderella was too anxious, and left her left crystal shoe on the steps. The prince held the crystal shoe, couldn't find Cinderella's figure, so he swore to let all the girls in the country try on the shoes, and must find the girl who danced with him and marry her as his wife."

Fiona painted the fifth act quickly.

The prince in a red tailcoat held the crystal shoe. In the pitch-black night below him, a small figure was running wildly on the hillside, holding up her skirt.

The red dragon witch's painting talent was indeed first-class.

"So he searched and searched, searched and searched. The girls in the country heard that the prince wanted to find his future wife by relying on a shoe, and they all went to try the shoes enthusiastically, but no one's feet could match the crystal shoe. Until one day, the prince's team finally arrived at Cinderella's home. Cinderella's sisters went to try the shoes excitedly, and after finding that they didn't fit, they cut off their heels with sharp knives according to the stepmother's suggestion."

Xia De heard the red dragon girl behind him...

... make a sound of exclamation: "The prince thought he had finally found his future wife and wanted to take her back to the palace, but the old woman who kept her promise appeared again. She helped Cinderella as promised, and the birds chased after the prince chirping, so the prince discovered the blood on the ground. The birds pushed Cinderella, who was busy in the kitchen, out, so the prince ignored the stepmother's obstruction and let Cinderella put on the crystal shoes." Fiona's fingers left colors on the last sixth stone slab. It was a sunny day. On the left in the courtyard was the prince and his attendants, and on the right was Cinderella, who was surrounded by birds and shyly put on the crystal shoes, as well as the sisters with injured feet and the stepmother crawling on the ground. But if you look closely, there was an obviously abnormal shadow behind the willow tree, and the old woman holding a magic wand and smiling was hiding in the shadow.

As the sixth painting was completed, the story also came to an end. The six huge stone slabs rose slowly and arrived near the night curtain on the side wall of the hall. Fiona held Xia De's hand behind his back again, but this time she at least dared to peek at the curtain located at the highest point of the palace from behind Xia De's shoulder.

Xia De explained loudly:

"What I offer is the story about the night and the agreement. Although it is just a fairy tale for children, it can also highlight the power of the night. When the midnight bell rings, everything will change with the night. God of Night, are you willing to accept this story? Are you still..."

"... satisfied with this story?"

A long silence, so much so that Xia De was counting down the time he could stay in his heart.

Each time this time key was used, the stay time was forty minutes. And this last time he entered, except for the time spent talking with Fiona at the beginning, the rest of the time was spent in action. Telling the story and painting those six pictures consumed nearly half an hour. In other words, the time Xia De had left now was less than ten minutes. The thick night filled the Hall of Night, so much so that if it weren't for "Time Perception," Xia De would have thought that even time was about to be frozen.

It wasn't until Xia De had only the last five minutes left that the god behind the curtain finally gave an answer:

"The story of the night, although light, is enough to decorate my hall."

At this moment, Xia De and the red dragon girl behind him breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. And the six stone slabs flew to the side wall of the hall and were embedded in their original positions. As the original version of the story *Cinderella*, it was permanently left in the god's hall.

Xia De felt that he was only one last bit away from this Enlightenment Spiritual Rune.

"God, since you are satisfied with our story, are you willing to agree to the mortal's request and give us a part of your territory in the mortal world?"

Xia De asked again, and at the same time, a doubt arose in his heart.

Just now, when he mentioned offering that stone slab from the First Era, the God of Night said "not enough" instead of "don't want." In other words, that stone slab was also part of the transaction content, but the stone slab clearly remained in St. Byron's in the Sixth Era.

"Yes. But..."

"... the sacrifice must be changed to something else."

The god high above said behind the curtain. Xia De still didn't know what the god looked like after descending...

... but perhaps, there was nothing behind that curtain that kept fluttering in the windless room.

"I don't know what you need us to offer? Also, I don't know if you are..."

"... willing to provide us with a way to leave."

Xia De asked cautiously, but since the transaction had reached the final step, there shouldn't be any problems.

Another silence, which led to Xia De getting closer and closer to leaving.

The voice of the God of Night sounded only when Xia De had only the last minute and a half left, but the sentence he said was very surprising to Xia De:

"You can leave, I need a court painter." "What?"

Xia De didn't understand this sentence at first, but then looked up suddenly:

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"

Fiona behind him finally understood that "court painter" referred to her, and she squeezed Xia De's shoulder fiercely.

And in Xia De's eyes, which were pierced by golden cracks, anger had already appeared. Tonight he had encountered many, many things. Although the Osenfort Manor ended with defeating the demon, the process was far from easy, not to mention that he still had to face the Chosen One and another evil god in a while:

"God, before I offered that story, you clearly said 'not enough'. Why, why do you still want to play with us mortals? Saying such things is enough to be called 'disrespectful to the god', but facing this situation, Xia De couldn't care too much."

"Xia De..." "Xia..."

The girl behind him wanted to stop him in panic, but Xia De interrupted her words forcefully:

"I promised from the first time I saw you in the City of Eternal Night that I would bring you out of here safely. I will never lie to you."

He looked at the god high above:

"King of Eternal Night, Master of the Night, we are willing to offer you the story of the ancient god, and we have also offered you the story of mortals. May I ask, can we leave? Are you going to let us go back according to the agreement?"

The night around was restless, but the golden radiance on Xia De's body became brighter and brighter. He was waiting for the god to give an answer, but after the other party was silent again, he suddenly understood:

"Wait a minute! Your silence from just now, wouldn't it be to delay my time?"

The silent god didn't speak, but Xia De heard laughter like whispers from all directions.

He was shocked, and at the same time, "She" in his ear reminded him softly:

【You have forty seconds!】

"I need a court painter. She is very excellent, so stay."

This sentence had no emotion, and as the voice fell, the thick...

... night compressed the light around him along with the sound coming from all directions. The night almost turned into a solid, and the light of the moon and sun, which was originally maintained at a distance of half a meter around the two, suddenly almost reached the point where it couldn't illuminate Fiona behind Xia De.

Fortunately, the divine radiance was still bright, and the God of Night couldn't swallow Xia De in the state of divine radiance:

"She must leave!"

The hesitation and worry in his heart only lasted for a second, and Xia De already had the answer. He turned and hugged Fiona. The red dragon girl saw that something was wrong in Xia De's eyes, and she wanted to say something in panic, but Xia De said the thing he had promised again:

"I said, I will bring you out safely!" 【Thirty seconds!】

He gritted his teeth: "Help me burn my divinity!"

There was only one drop of divinity currently, and it would be really gone if it was used up. But fortunately, there was another drop of divinity in the Randel Valley area. Although this "rash" behavior would cause more waves in the final chapter of the epic of the Chosen One of the Earth in the Sixth Era, Xia De would absolutely not let Fiona stay here alone and become some court painter. ===== CHAPTER 1430 =====

There is currently only one drop of divinity left; once used, it will truly be gone. Fortunately, there is still another drop of divinity in the Lende Valley region. Although this "rash" behavior will cause more ripples in the final chapter of the Sixth Era's Chosen Epic, Xia De will absolutely not let Fiona remain here alone to become some court painter.