Chapter 10

At this moment, Xiao Sheng suddenly encountered the demon insect again. Even though his strength had vastly improved compared to that day, he still felt a deep shock.

In fact, demon insects were not exclusive to that parallel world. Because the Boundless Karma Fire existed deep within the human soul, it was a concrete manifestation of harmful deeds. Therefore, as long as there were harmful deeds, there would be Boundless Karma Fire, and thus, demon insects. However, in any world, demon insects were extremely rare.

The Great Hao Dynasty was vast and rich in resources, almost having everything. So it was not particularly strange for Baili Kunluo to possess a demon insect. But the fact that he dared to take it out clearly showed that he was desperate and had nothing to lose.

It must be understood that once the crystal cylinder was opened and the demon insect was released, everyone on the scene, except for Xiao Sheng, would be burned to death by the demon insect.

Moreover, after the demon insect obtained sufficient nutrients, it could almost split without limit, wreaking havoc everywhere. At that time, the entire imperial palace, or even the entire Luoyang City, would see countless innocent people buried in a sea of fire.

Undoubtedly, if things came to this, it would be a shocking and terrifying disaster!

Even though many people had never seen a demon insect with their own eyes, the notorious reputation of the Boundless Karma Fire was well-known to many. When Xiao Sheng revealed the secret of the crystal cylinder, the faces of the surrounding lackeys instantly turned pale with shock.

The countless gazes directed at Baili Kunluo inadvertently carried a hint of resentment. At the same time, the gazes directed at Xiao Sheng were mixed with gratitude.

Xiao Sheng coldly snorted and casually put the crystal cylinder into his own pocket. In fact, he had once considered using some temporal energy points to buy a few demon insects in the Kala Hall as a trump card for emergencies.

However, demon insects were uncontrollable and would attack indiscriminately. Plus, they were expensive, and the cost-effectiveness was not high. So in the end, Xiao Sheng gave up. Now that he had the opportunity to obtain one, he decided to keep it and study how to use it later.

The Boundless Karma Fire of the demon insect was clearly the most precious thing on Baili Kunluo. After putting away the crystal cylinder, Xiao Sheng roughly searched Baili Kunluo but found nothing else of value. There was only a broken jade pendant that looked interesting. Xiao Sheng unhesitantly took it for himself.

After collecting the spoils of war, Xiao Sheng straightened his back, looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on the group of lackeys, smiling slightly. His smile was warm and gentle, but for some reason, the lackeys shivered as if they had been doused with a bucket of ice water in the dead of winter.

Taking in everyone's reactions, Xiao Sheng smiled again and asked in a gentle tone, "Everyone, why are you still here? Do you want to continue causing trouble?"

The lackeys were startled and bowed, saying, "No, no. Prince, it was all a misunderstanding. We'll leave right away."

Xiao Sheng's face darkened, and he said slowly, "Is my place an open chicken coop where you can come and go as you please? If you want to leave, you can! But first, give yourselves seventeen or eighteen slaps and break one of your legs."

The lackeys looked at each other, all wanting to refuse but not daring to. Because after witnessing everything, Xiao Sheng was no longer a deposed prince in their minds but a deadly star.

With no choice, the lackeys finally had to grimace and grab whatever they could from the ground, such as table legs or chair legs, and brutally beat each other.

For a moment, the sounds of "slap, crack" echoed continuously. Slaps left faces bruised, and wooden sticks broke legs. The scene was not only cruel but also somewhat comical.

Seeing this, the people who had been bullied, led by the old eunuch Guan Canghai, felt both amused and relieved, finding it extremely satisfying.

After a while, all the lackeys had become one-legged cripples, resembling wild pandas. Xiao Sheng then laughed and scolded, "That's about right. Quickly take Old Nine and Baili Kunluo and get out of here."

The lackeys felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They thanked Prince Xiao Sheng repeatedly, then hurriedly carried the Ninth Prince and the Marquis, fleeing like dogs with their tails between their legs, limping and stumbling away in a miserable state.

Watching the lackeys flee, Xiao Sheng couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head, walked over to the old eunuch Guan Canghai, and asked, "Eunuch Guan, are you alright?"

Guan Canghai was both surprised and delighted, as if in a dream. After standing up in a daze, he suddenly came to his senses.

He subconsciously grabbed Xiao Sheng's arm and trembled, "Your Highness! You drove away the Ninth Prince and the Marquis? Really... really you!?" His voice was filled with disbelief.

Xiao Sheng smiled and said, "Yes, it's me." He looked around and sighed, "Unfortunately, I acted too late. They've already wrecked this place."

"It's fine, it's fine, it's not a big deal," Guan Canghai suddenly looked radiant. He straightened his back and said loudly, "I'll have them clean up. Your Highness, you must be tired. Go back and rest for a while."

Xiao Sheng laughed and said, "Just a bit of exercise, nothing to be tired about. I've been sleeping for days, my bones are rusty. I'll go for a walk and come back before the palace gates close in the evening."

After saying this, Xiao Sheng walked out. Behind him, he could faintly hear Guan Canghai saying, "Thank heaven and earth, may the Empress protect us," interspersed with sobs.

This was understandable. Since Empress Mu's death, Xiao Sheng's status in the palace had plummeted, and those around him had to endure the bullying of the Ninth Prince's lackeys.

Although they were loyal, who would want to live such a miserable life?

Now, Xiao Sheng had suddenly shown his might and driven away the Ninth Prince and the Marquis. It was clear that from now on, those around him would be able to hold their heads high and walk with pride.

The "deposed prince" suddenly becoming powerful was indeed strange. But what did it matter? As servants, Guan Canghai and the others didn't need to know the reason. They just needed to happily accept the fact.

In fact, those who no longer wanted to live in submission were not just Guan Canghai and the others. Xiao Sheng's actions this time were not only because he could no longer tolerate the Ninth Prince's behavior but also because he had obtained the imperial aura of Genghis Khan, which would significantly enhance his own strength.

With this strength as a backing, Xiao Sheng had the ability to protect himself and no longer needed to endure the bullying of those small people.

In the State of Chu, there was a divine bird that did not fly for three years, but when it flew, it soared to the sky; it did not sing for three years, but when it sang, it startled the world. Now, Xiao Sheng had endured for far more than three years. Including the time he spent in the parallel world, it was almost thirty years. The time to soar and sing was now!

——

As a young prince, Xiao Sheng lived in the "Ten Princes' Mansion" located in the southeast of the capital, Luoyang. He left the Ten Princes' Mansion and walked along the Azure Dragon Street, which ran through the entire capital, out of the imperial city, and onto Tianjin Bridge.

This was the most bustling place in Luoyang. The Luo River below was wide and flat, capable of accommodating seven or eight double-masted ships sailing side by side. White waves rolled, and numerous sails competed, making it a lively scene. On both sides of the bridge, carriages and carts flowed continuously, and various hotels and shops lined the streets. If one couldn't secure a shop here, they couldn't claim to be a top merchant in Luoyang. On the bridge, various performers entertained the crowd.

Puppet shows, shadow plays, chest-breaking with a large stone, throat-piercing with a silver spear, sword swallowing, fire breathing, snake charming, monkey handling, cockfighting, dog racing, magic tricks, and storytelling—everything was available.

The Great Hao Dynasty had been established for sixty years. After three generations of emperors focused on rest and recuperation, the dynasty gradually overcame the impact of the wars at the end of the previous Zhu Guo Dynasty (also known as the Qing Dynasty). Especially after the current emperor, Xiao Sheng's adoptive father "Emperor Xuan," ascended the throne, he worked hard to develop the country. A prosperous era, full of flowers and boiling oil, was beginning to take shape.

Xiao Sheng walked around, enjoying the various lively scenes for a long time before slowly descending from Tianjin Bridge and turning into another street.

This street was also bustling with traffic and activity. At the entrance stood a magnificent archway, decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. On the archway were three large red characters: "Guose Tower."

Various carriages and sedan chairs entered and exited the archway continuously. Dozens of well-dressed servants stood on both sides, chests out and bellies protruding. As soon as a carriage or sedan chair stopped, they immediately welcomed the guests, guiding them inside.

Looking further, one could see a row of exquisite and deep pavilions behind the archway. All had red beams and painted rafters, with jade railings and carved balustrades. On the rooftops, faint pink canopies were vaguely visible. The air was filled with a faint scent of cosmetics, and the sound of soft and tender music could be heard.

Even without entering, anyone standing under the archway could imagine that this place was a haven of tenderness and a golden nest.

Indeed, Guose Tower was the top pleasure house in Luoyang. Inside, there were only courtesans who sold their art, not their bodies. These women, with their beauty and figures, were undoubtedly the most exquisite in the world. Each was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and excelled in poetry and literature, rivaling even the talents of ordinary scholars and imperial candidates.

_____

Two chapters a day, when is the best time to publish? 8 AM and 8 PM? Or 12 PM and 6 PM like before? Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends