Chapter 574 - 279: Beat Them to Death

Chapter 574: Chapter 279: Beat Them to Death

The sky was clear and the air was crisp. Not a cloud in sight—a splendid, sunny day.

A sudden, heavy snowfall had buried the autumn chill just yesterday, but today, the warmth returned, and the feeling of fall was rekindled. This bizarre, flip-flopping weather caught the common folk completely by surprise.

In the streets and alleys, a group of mischievous children ran about, sweating profusely. They stripped off their Cotton jackets, tossing them back and forth like handkerchiefs in a joyous game.

Before the gates of the Red King Mansion, Zheng Xiu snapped his fingers.

SNAP~

A moment later, Qing Shisan leaped down from the top of the wall. He understood at once and went to prepare the carriage.

Qing Shisan, who had been Wandering for ten years, hadn’t driven a carriage on the open road in ages. He had now become the Red King’s most cherished aide. No wonder he’d hit it off so well with Huo Huo while they squatted and chatted on the street the other day; their circumstances were nearly identical. Both had become the exclusive drivers and bodyguards for a big shot.

"My lord, did you... throw out your back?"

As they walked through the Red King Mansion, Zizi recounted the entire farce from the Fragrant Pavilion. The Red King, however, simply gave a casual wave, signaling that it was nothing to worry about. It was after this that Zizi noticed the Red King holding his lower back and asked her hesitant question.

"Er, something like that." The words were barely out of Zheng Xiu’s mouth when he caught the knowing glint in Zizi’s eyes. He instantly knew that last night’s activities had been too vigorous to escape the notice of these four Orchids, with their sharp ears, keen eyes, and sensitive Constitutions.

That morning, as he pushed away the limbs tangled around his body, a still-drowsy Feng Bei had gazed at the small, red blossom on the sheets. She looked as if she hadn’t had her fill, ready for another round. That was precisely why Zheng Xiu had dressed and departed in such a hurry. What he didn’t see was the scene that followed: Feng Bei, cheeks flushing, secretly snipping off that small, stained piece of the sheet with a quiet smile.

"My lord?"

Zizi waved a hand in front of Zheng Xiu’s face.

’His Lordship has a strange smile on his face.’

’It’s like he’s in pain, but also happy about it.’

Zheng Xiu snapped out of it. His expression became stern, his bearing majestic, composed, and proper. "Do not ask further," he said.

"Yes!"

Zizi hastily complied.

’Then again,’ Zheng Xiu mused, ’I can’t blame them. The soundproofing in that room is terrible. How was I supposed to be discreet?’

Of course, Zheng Xiu chose to forgive them.

After a brief chat, Qing Shisan had the Red King’s personal carriage ready to go.

Qing Shisan asked with a perfectly straight face, "My lord, would you prefer to go a bit faster... or a bit slower?"

Zheng Xiu considered this, then smiled. "There’s no hurry."

"Got it!"

Qing Shisan immediately understood the Red King’s mind. He drove the carriage at a leisurely pace, meandering through the streets as if on a pleasant outing. ’His Lordship has a lovely lady with him in the carriage today,’ he thought. ’He won’t be lonely.’

Zheng’s Coachmen were still active on the streets. By day, they were simple, unassuming drivers. By night, they became the sharpest guys in town, either hiding in the shadows or donning red-clouded robes as Incarnations of the Dawn Department, walking through the night.

The coachmen would deliberately pass by the Red King’s carriage, leaving behind a series of whistles of varying lengths and pitches.

From these whistles, Zheng Xiu, Zizi, and Qing Shisan quickly pieced together the full story of the commotion at the Fragrant Pavilion.

"My lord, it seems the commotion over there is getting quite loud. Chef He has already reported it to the Officials."

Zizi’s face was etched with worry.

"No rush," Zheng Xiu said with a faint smile. "Let the Arrow fly a little longer."

Zheng Xiu’s composed expression seemed to hold a power that could soothe any heart, and Zizi instantly calmed down. Her eyes darted about for a moment before she curiously made a few hand gestures, probing Zheng Xiu, trying to find out what had really happened in Feng Bei’s chambers last night.

Zizi’s hands were a nimble blur, her dazzling gestures leaving Zheng Xiu at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. "What sort of strange books have you been reading! You ignore all the good things and only pick up the bad!"

He looked for all the world like a teacher lecturing a naughty student.

Zizi looked down, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her skirt. The tips of her ears turned red as she whispered, "Second Lady once told us we should learn more Bedroom Skills... She said we never know when they might come in handy."

Zheng Xiu offered another two sentences of light scolding.

Zizi listened, and though she didn’t quite understand, she felt it was all terribly profound. Her face was a mask of pure admiration for the Red King.

Qing Shisan focused on his driving, his posture a perfect picture of meditative concentration, completely minding his own business. With two wads of Cotton stuffed in his ears, he couldn’t hear a single thing being said or done inside the carriage. As they neared the Fragrant Pavilion, he could see in the distance a line of Officials in Feiyan Suits using their scabbards to form a human wall. A crowd of onlookers had gathered outside, whispering amongst themselves.

"Everyone, disperse! The Six Gates is on official business! Unauthorized personnel are forbidden!"

The Six Gates’ Top Divine Hunter, Guo Zifei, knew this place was critically important—it was the Red King’s territory. He had come personally to preside over the matter. The moment the report came in, he had dropped everything and raced over at the speed of light.

"We’re here."

Qing Shisan stopped the carriage, removed the Cotton balls from his ears, cleared his throat twice, and announced loudly to the curtained interior.

A blushing Zizi descended, taking the Red King’s hand and helping him down with all the pomp and circumstance of a royal procession.

The onlookers recognized the Red King and broke into cheers.

"Prince Zheng is here!"

"A Prince of our Daqian is here!"

"Haha! Causing trouble on Prince Zheng’s turf! That Barbarian clearly doesn’t know how to spell ’dead’!"

"You’re right, how do you spell it?" someone, who was genuinely illiterate, asked.

"Doesn’t matter how you spell it! Prince Zheng is here now. No matter how many more Barbarians show up, they’ll all be carried out feet first!"

"Twenty years ago, General Zheng marched north and beat the Barbarians until they were howling for their mothers! Today, Prince Zheng himself is here. The moment those Barbarians catch wind of this, they’ll be so terrified they’ll piss their pants! Hahaha!~"

Zheng Xiu had let the Arrow fly for a good while. The incident had already caused a huge stir on the streets, attracting a massive crowd of onlookers. He paused, momentarily taken aback. Zheng Xiu recalled when the Northern Barbarian Envoy first entered the city. Rumors of the Northern Barbarians’ savage customs had thrown the entire city into chaos, with people locking their doors and businesses shuttering. And yet, here was a huge crowd craning their necks for a better view. It seemed the only reason the people weren’t afraid of the Barbarians today was because the trouble had found its way to the Red King’s territory. They were only this bold because they knew of his abilities and trusted in the foundation of the Zheng Clan.