BXBX NOVEL Chapter 136 - 136: The Empress is Putting Up a Facade
Shattered Cloud City.
Capital of the Demon Immortal Nation.
As a nation predominantly inhabited by plant spirits, Shattered Cloud City boasted an impressively high level of greenery.
By the time Lu Xuan and Cheng Lingzhu finished grooming and left the imperial palace, it was just past the hour of Chen.
This time of day marked the transition from breakfast to early tea, a somewhat idle period.
To pass the time, Lu Xuan and Cheng Lingzhu visited a shop selling herbal tea.
The shop, a century-old establishment, was managed by a diligent proprietress passionate about developing new beverages.
Before Lu Xuan were two cups of pear juice, freshly squeezed from large, snow-white pears, brimming with a fragrant aroma.
Having spent the previous day indulging in sweets with Ye Banzhuang, Lu Xuan initially hesitated at the sight of these large, white pears.
However, the proprietress assured them that their morning pear juice was unsweetened.
Tentatively tasting it, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but hiss in surprise.
True to the proprietress’s word, the juice was refreshing, rich in fruit flavor, yet only faintly sweet.
Inside the teahouse.
Lu Xuan and Cheng Lingzhu chose a seat by the window to enjoy their morning tea.
After finishing their pear juice, they came here. It was still early, and the storyteller had not yet arrived, leaving the hall sparsely populated.
Cheng Lingzhu picked up a shrimp dumpling and fed it to Lu Xuan.
As he bit into it, his gaze shifted subtly towards the entrance.
Noticing the change in his expression, Cheng Lingzhu turned to see three new arrivals in the teahouse.
An old man accompanied by two younger individuals.
The elderly man appeared to be in his seventies, with an unremarkable face.
He was flanked by a young man and woman, in their twenties and late teens, respectively, both handsome and beautiful with a distinguished air.
Of course, in the realm of cultivation, one’s age cannot be judged by appearance alone.
“A peak of the Body Integration Stage… Is that a tortoise spirit?” Lu Xuan communicated through a mental message.
He was referring to the elderly man.
Despite the old man concealing his true nature, Lu Xuan’s keen perception saw through him.
This elderly figure was not human, but a powerful demon.
“What would a demon of such caliber be doing in Shattered Cloud City?” Cheng Lingzhu pondered.
She knew that most cultivators in the Demon Immortal Nation were plant spirits, transformed from flora.
Animal spirits, especially those who had reached such high levels of cultivation, were rare.
Shattered Cloud City, being the capital of the Demon Immortal Nation, should be cautious of such a powerful cultivator entering unannounced, raising suspicions about his intentions.
The trio ordered morning tea and seated themselves at the other end of the hall.
The old man’s behavior towards the young man and woman was respectful, more like that of a servant than an elder.
As their breakfast arrived, the young man eagerly bit into a red bean bun, his face immediately showing satisfaction:
“Truly worthy of the Demon Immortal Nation’s capital, under the feet of the Shattered Cloud Empress, even this red bean bun tastes divine.”
Lu Xuan, eavesdropping, blinked in surprise, glancing at the red bean bun on his own table.
Cheng Lingzhu picked one up and fed it to him.
“It’s just average,” Lu Xuan mused.
If he were to score it, he’d give this bun twenty out of ten. Fourteen of those points were for Cheng Lingzhu feeding it to him; in terms of flavor alone, it barely earned a six.
The young man then praised a shrimp dumpling after tasting it:
“This surpasses the delicacies served at the Eastern Sea banquet by threefold. One bite of this dumpling, and one would forget seafood for three years.”
Cheng Lingzhu, also listening in, was perplexed.
Lu Xuan fed her a shrimp dumpling.
After tasting it, Cheng Lingzhu suspected that their morning tea was different from what was served at the other table.
The elder, sensing the awkwardness, coughed twice, “Young Master, we are in public… be discreet.”
“What’s there to worry about, Elder Hai?” the young man, Ao Sheng, queried.
“I haven’t insulted anyone or spread falsehoods. With my sincere heart, even the Shattered Cloud Empress would appreciate my honesty if she heard me…”
“Shut it!”
The girl at his table, unable to tolerate more, picked a piece of dry pastry, cast a spell to enlarge it, and stuffed it into his mouth.
As Ao Sheng choked and searched for water, Cheng Lingzhu picked up on some clues.
“Ao Sheng? Elder Hai? A tortoise spirit?”
She pondered, “Could he be the Crown Prince of the Eastern Sea?”
Cheng Lingzhu was well-versed in the young prodigies from various factions in the Archean Eon world.
After all, as the Saintess of the Dushi Sword Sect, she wouldn’t bother with unknowns.
Lu Xuan was puzzled.
What was the Eastern Sea Crown Prince doing in the Demon Immortal Nation?
The Shattered Cloud Empress was Ye Banzhuang’s imperial name. Lu Xuan took out a communication artifact to contact her.
“Hmm? Master?”
Ye Banzhuang had just concluded the morning court and was reviewing memorials. She used a clone technique, filling the room with mini versions of herself, each with a basket of jade slips.
Receiving Lu Xuan’s message, all the Ye Banzhuangs stopped and turned to the one holding the communication artifact.
Lu Xuan asked, “Do you know Ao Sheng from the Eastern Sea Dragon Tribe?”
After a moment of thought, Ye Banzhuang replied:
“I’ve heard of him, I guess I know him. What about him, Master?” “He’s here in Shattered Cloud City. I saw him in a teahouse.”
Ye Banzhuang hesitantly inquired, “Master… are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“He’s with a girl, about sixteen or seventeen, and a tortoise spirit named Elder Hai…”
Lu Xuan answered.
After a pause, Ye Banzhuang confirmed, “That’s him.”
“What’s the issue with him?”
Lu Xuan inquired.
Ye Banzhuang carefully explained, “You know, Master, when I appear publicly, I don’t use my current form.”
“Yes, I know.”
Lu Xuan nodded.
The cute young girl lacked a certain authority.
Ye Banzhuang, during important meetings and court sessions, used an avatar, one that exuded majesty.
In a way, controlling this avatar in court affairs, Ye Banzhuang was akin to a virtual host.