The Villainous Shizun Is As Beautiful As A Flower

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Embraced again, Shen Liuxiang let out a relaxed breath, his brows lifted lightly as he gazed into the dim light. Zhou Xuanlan’s sturdy and cold jawline was highlighted in the faint light.

His youthfulness had faded away, and his features became more profound and three-dimensional. His lips were lightly moist, nose high and straight. Shen Liuxiang’s eyes scrutinized the face before him inch by inch.

As if sensing the gaze, Zhou Xuanlan lowered his eyelids slightly, revealing sharper brows and eyes than his youth.

Catching the phoenix-like gaze fixed on him, Zhou Xuanlan’s brows relaxed, and a hint of a smile glimmered in his eyes. “Master, can you see clearly? I have spirit stones that can illuminate the surroundings.”

Caught, Shen Liuxiang quickly averted his gaze, scanned around, and when he saw the stone wall behind, he suddenly froze.

“That can’t be right. There’s no way out on three sides. Where did you come from?”

Zhou Xuanlan: “This formation can alter the terrain. I’m skilled in formations, so changing positions within the formation is not difficult.”

Shen Liuxiang thought for a moment and widened his eyes. “If that’s the case, why not just take me out directly instead of crossing this water pool?”

Zhou Xuanlan’s steps subtly halted. “Disciple forgot.”

Shen Liuxiang: “…”

Thinking that if Zhou Xuanlan hadn’t forgotten, he wouldn’t need to worry about insects in the water pool, a chill ran through his heart. However, he didn’t dare to move recklessly and could only let Zhou Xuanlan hold him, nestling in his embrace.

After an unknown period of time passed in the overly quiet atmosphere of the cave, drowsiness crept over Shen Liuxiang, and he yawned. “Have we left the water pool yet?”

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“Yes,” Zhou Xuanlan’s deep voice echoed in the darkness. “Master is tired. Just rest for a while.”

For the past three years, Shen Liuxiang had fallen asleep every night listening to this voice. Now, with no distance between them, the melodious sound reached his ears with unparalleled clarity, intensifying his sleepiness.

Mumbling, he said, “When you find the way, remember to look for Xu Xingchen. He wears purple robes, looks dignified, and carries an air of unspoiled arrogance.”

Zhou Xuanlan replied with a sound of acknowledgment.

With worries resolved, Shen Liuxiang shifted his head slightly and found a comfortable spot on Zhou Xuanlan’s shoulder and neck.

Before long, his breath became even and steady. When he woke up again, he was disturbed by clamorous voices.

“Who are you? Why are you holding Shen Liuxiang? Let go of him!”

“He’s not moving. Did you drug him? What do you want to do to him?! Don’t touch him. If you go against me, be prepared for the consequences. I won’t spare my Xuanhuang Sword!”

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Shen Liuxiang opened his drowsy eyes, and the shouting abruptly stopped.

He turned to look and saw Xu Xingchen holding a dazzling sword, frowning, and observing Zhou Xuanlan warily. Xu Xingchen’s entire body was in a defensive posture.

Feeling Zhou Xuanlan’s threat but also concerned for Shen Liuxiang in his grasp, Xu Xingchen hesitated. For a while, he found himself in a dilemma between action and inaction, resorting to verbal attacks.

Upon realizing the person was awake, Xu Xingchen’s wariness reached its peak as he pondered the possibility of saving him.

Just when he was racking his brain, he heard Zhou Xuanlan address Shen Liuxiang as “Master.” Shen Liuxiang patted his arm, and he was released.

“It’s a misunderstanding. He’s my disciple.”

Shen Liuxiang walked over, took the Xuanhuang Sword from Xu Xingchen’s hand, sheathed it, and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Turning to his disciple, he asked, “Why didn’t you explain?”

Zhou Xuanlan looked at the way Xu Xingchen was defending him and gave an inexplicable look. “He didn’t give me a chance to explain.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Xingchen understood that it was his fault.

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About to retort, he saw Zhou Xuanlan point to the ground and say, “It’s wrong.”

Shen Liuxiang followed his gaze and noticed hundreds of spirit stones irregularly arranged on the ground, forming a formation.

Xu Xingchen had studied formations in the imperial palace and had some talent in it. After falling into the formation, he had been trying to break it. However, despite using the spirit stones to deduce for a while, he couldn’t find the location of the formation’s core.

“You know formations too?” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Zhou Xuanlan crouched down, his long fingers adjusting the jumbled spirit stones into a new configuration. “The positioning is wrong. With this arrangement, we won’t find the formation’s core. Let’s try this now.”

Xu Xingchen was skeptical but decided to give it a try. He cast a spell, and the cave lit up brightly.

In an instant, they found themselves in the Seventh King’s Mansion.

Beautiful music drifted from a distance.

The moon hung high in the sky, its light cascading down onto a raised platform. There, melodious tunes mingled with the graceful dance of young women, creating an atmosphere akin to a lavish banquet.

A man observing this scene sat alone on the stone steps. He wore a black fox fur cloak, and fiery red hair cascaded down his back. With a straight nose and thin lips, he lifted a wine jar and drank deeply.

Half of the fiery liquor went into his mouth, while the other half flowed down his chin, sliding over his alluring Adam’s apple and disappearing into his open robe.

After downing the jar of wine, Wenren Qin raised an eyebrow and looked toward the uninvited guests.

When he saw one of them, he slightly bit his lower lip, adding a touch of wildness to his handsome features.

He clapped his hands, stopping the music, and the dancing girls retreated.

Picking up the empty wine jar and placing it on the tea table, Wenren Qin reached for a wine jug, pouring as he spoke. His throat, freshly scorched by the fiery liquor, sounded slightly hoarse.

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“For what purpose have you come to my mansion?”

Shen Liuxiang handed Zhou Xuanlan a mask and then appeared before the Seventh Demon King. He spoke with a clear voice, “To retrieve something.”

Wenren Qin didn’t ask what that something was. He smiled and asked, “What if I refuse?”

Next to him, Xu Xingchen sneered, “Then we won’t be polite.”

Wenren Qin’s lips curled suddenly as if he had heard a great joke. Laughter echoed across the platform. “Killing for treasures is not uncommon, but being so blatant in front of me, you are the first.”

Xu Xingchen frowned. “What do you mean killing for treasures? This is rightfully ours. Hand it over obediently, and your life will be spared.”

Wenren Qin laughed but didn’t respond. He held a wine glass in one hand and a wine jug in the other. He slowly descended the stairs.

As he approached, he handed a glass of wine to Zhou Xuanlan, a gesture that seemed to greet an old friend. However, his gaze remained fixed on Shen Liuxiang’s face.

“Here’s how it’s going to be. Let’s play a game. I’ll tell you something you want to know, and you tell me something I want to know.”

Shen Liuxiang noticed he was speaking to him and raised an eyebrow in a probing manner. “Where is the scroll inscribed with the word ‘Emperor’?”

Wenren Qin responded, “It’s on me.”

Shen Liuxiang’s heart skipped a beat, momentarily unable to discern if this was true or false.

He had thought that the Seventh Demons King would have hidden the scroll somewhere that would require some effort to find, but he hadn’t expected him to reveal its location so readily.

Shen Liuxiang was half-believing, half-doubting, but since the other party had responded, it was now his turn to ask, “What do you want to know?”

Wenren Qin replied, “Your name”

Shen Liuxiang hesitated for a moment, not quite registering the question.

Wenren Qin looked at him and repeated, “What is your name?”

Shen Liuxiang couldn’t quite read the intentions of the person in front of him. After a brief pause, he calmly revealed his true name.

“Shen Liuxiang.”

Wenren Qin repeated the three words between his teeth, letting out a faint smile.

“I’ll remember that.”

At the same time, Shen Liuxiang noticed that the wine glass Wenren Qin had handed to Zhou Xuanlan was pushed back to him.

Wenren Qin’s expression changed for a moment, but he didn’t insist. After some playful back-and-forth with the brimming glass of fine wine, not a drop spilled. He eventually finished it in one gulp.

“You can ask two more questions.”

Shen Liuxiang squinted his eyes slightly. “Aren’t you worried we might forcefully take the scroll?”

Wenren Qin smirked and raised his index finger. “First, the scroll belongs to the Emperor. If you’re representing the Imperial Palace, you wouldn’t resort to force. Everyone in the Three Realms knows that the Imperial Palace is the most rational and wise place. If you were to kill me and take the scroll, the news would spread, and the thousand-year reputation of the Imperial Palace would be ruined in an instant. The Emperor’s authority would also be compromised.”

“Second,” Wenren Qin’s smile was enigmatic, “it’s not that easy to snatch something from me on my own turf.”

Xu Xingchen’s face changed slightly, and he clenched his teeth in frustration.

The Emperor was revered by thousands, and his actions were untarnished. Shen Liuxiang and Xu Xingchen, as the Young Princes, were seen as extensions of the Emperor. Any inappropriate actions they took would be attributed to the Emperor. Wenren Qin’s words made sense.

Shen Liuxiang believed that the scroll was indeed on Wenren Qin. While contemplating his next question, he heard Qin Wenren ask, “What’s your relationship with the Ninth Demon King?”

Shen Liuxiang was taken aback, and he turned to look at the pig-faced mask.

Exposed so quickly?!

He hadn’t intended for Zhou Xuanlan’s identity to be revealed. If a Demon King appeared in another Demon King’s territory without permission, it would likely be seen as a provocation and not end well.

Since they had been exposed, he had no choice but to say, “My disciple.”

After his response, Shen Liuxiang sensed the air pressure around Zhou Xuanlan had dropped, and he felt a chilly sensation behind him.

He paused for a moment and quickly added, stumbling over his words, “My… my only disciple.”

Zhou Xuanlan’s chilling aura subsided slightly.

Shen Liuxiang inexplicably sighed in relief, but then he realized something was off. His initial response was fine, so why was Zhou Xuanlan dissatisfied?!

He thought to himself, “I need to establish the authority of a Master at some point!”

Upon hearing the answer, Wenren Qin’s face visibly brightened, even if Shen Liuxiang had added a clarifying sentence afterward. Regardless, his good mood remained unaffected.

“Final question, think carefully.”

Shen Liuxiang blinked his eyes. Since he could ask anything, he decided, “How can we take the scroll from your possession?”

Xu Xingchen’s expression turned dumbfounded. Who would ask the person in question how to steal something from them?

Wenren Qin was momentarily surprised, then smiled, “I can’t answer that right now, because I don’t know. But I speculate…”

He paused, fixing his gaze on Shen Liuxiang with an inscrutable expression.

“If you come to me for it, I might consider giving it.”

Shen Liuxiang felt a bit baffled, suspecting that the Seventh Demon King might have some interest in him. His words carried both overt and covert implications, but it seemed implausible for him to fall in love at first sight when they had just met.

“It’s my turn to ask, but it’s late now. Let’s leave it for next time.”

Wenren Qin poured a glass of wine, filling it to about seventy percent, and handed it to Shen Liuxiang with a smile at the corner of his lips. “Since I’ve cooperated this much tonight, shouldn’t the Immortal Shen give this king some face?”

Shen Liuxiang was taken aback.

Calling him Immortal Shen indicated that he had looked into his identity, so why did he ask for his name earlier?

Was he just teasing him?

The aroma of the wine wafted from the cup, and Shen Liuxiang hesitated for a moment. He hadn’t yet made a move when a large sleeve lifted up from the corner of his eye.

A slender hand grasped the jade cup.

The distinct knuckles of the fingers turned, causing the fine wine in the cup to spill onto the ground.

“There’s no need for that,” came a voice.