Chapter 114

Bang! Right from the start, Tang Nan-ah’s expectations went totally haywire.

When you trim and grill the thick fat beneath the tail, you get a chewy, crispy, and rich chunk of goodness that’s oh-so-different from regular intestines.

This delicacy is so rare that even a big duck only yields a few pieces, and it’s served in a golden bowl, placed right at the honor seat.

But in the Tang family, there was a strict hierarchy, so everyone knew who the top dog was.

So far, that’s how it’s been.

Just as Tang Nan-ah reached for her chopsticks, the table spun around, and her second brother lifted the golden bowl and placed it right in front of Qing.

“Young Lady Seomun, why not give this a try? The tastiest part of a roasted duck is definitely the fat under the tail.”

“Really? Wow, what the heck! Amazing!”

Qing’s eyes widened.

What’s this? Why is it so good? Those sneaky Central Plain folks were hiding this from everyone?

Watching nearby, the first lady’s eyebrows twitched.

Hey, the mother has a mouth too, you little brat.

They said raising a son is pointless, but look at this.

Meanwhile, the third one was showing off his special talent.

With a pair of chopsticks, he expertly and swiftly filleted the meat off the duck’s neck bones—a specialty of his.

No need to explain how delicious poultry neck meat is.

As usual, Tang Nan-ah awaited the kind result of her third brother arriving at the table, but the plate made its way to Qing naturally.

“The tail’s nice, but we can’t forget about the neck. Here, try some of this too.”

“Huh? I could’ve just taken it myself! But thanks anyway. Oh, it’s delicious! So good!”

Qing’s face broke into a soft smile.

Her emotions were completely transparent.

A beautiful face illuminated with happiness.

The second lady decided to just give up.

What was supposed to go to her daughter ended up in front of the guest.

At this point, that felt like a better outcome.

Sister, raising a son proves to be pointless.

Do you really think there’s a difference between a boy and a girl? They’re all the same.

The two ladies exchanged glances.

This is how wives end up being as close as sisters.

“Young Lady Seomun, this is a top-quality wine from Sichuan called Jian Nan Chun. If you enjoy white liquor…”

“Wow, Jian Nan Chun!”

“Young Lady Seomun, but…”

“Young Lady Seomun…”

“Seomun…”

A brotherly competition broke out over a woman.

However, this kind of scene in the Central Plain wasn’t ugly at all.

In the realm of romance, it dictated that men would fawn over women, getting wrapped around their fingers while they called the shots.

In matters of love, the woman held ten parts of the control.

Why? Because men have several wives to manage.

After marriage, this dynamic flips completely, as they have to butter up their wives and concubines to get the most affection.

So before marriage, the woman is the ultimate boss.

After marriage, it’s flipped, leaving the man somewhere in between.

It may seem unfair, but hey, where in this world is there true fairness?

In the Central Plain’s view on romance, snatching the tastiest pieces and serving them up is just the basics.

Basic service that can’t even compare to sweet nothings.

This was just your average Central Plain man.

But it seemed like it was way too obvious for Qing, putting an endless pressure on her—no, a thousand times over.

What’s up with everyone staring at me while I eat?

I have hands too, why’s everyone taking the meat off my plate, serving it, and cooling it for me?

Don’t you know I could feed myself? (Right?)

So that’s why Grandpa insisted on me wearing a veil.

Listening to adults might not be such a bad idea, after all.

Qing regretted it late, but what could she do now?

After fully exposing herself, hiding would be pointless.

Of course, it didn’t mean Qing ate less; absolutely not.

The continent is just so vast, and even the ducks here are the size of baby piglets. The Sichuan method of steam-frying them yields a soft and oily texture.

So, Qing automatically inhaled the duck meat piled high on her magical plate and gulped down the fine liquor like it was nothing.

People are fickle, and even though she barely chewed a few times, she still looked adorable because she was a beauty.

Only Tang Nan-ah stared, eyes wide open.

Is she a person or a pig?

She’s practically stuffing her cheeks like a toad with the whole bowl in hand.

And her brothers are all done for.

They’re definitely gonna tell the adults.

Just then, as Hae-eo-dok-hwa grinded her teeth,

the banquet hall door swung open and a Tang family warrior stepped in.

He approached Tang Tujung with great respect, whispered something in his ear, then turned to the table and raised his voice.

“Currently, there’s a black crisis at Deokhyeon Prince’s Mansion.”

“What? Who, who has suffered a misfortune?”

Jayu urgently asked.

“Well, it’s said that Prince Deokhyeon has passed away…”

Passed away means he’s kicked the bucket.

The Tang family warrior replied somberly, as expected—he had to maintain a grave tone.

Being upbeat would be treason.

“…?”

In an instant, Jayu heard news of his own death.

Jayu was left shocked, mouth opening and closing in disbelief.

—-

At that moment, at the Demon Cult’s temporary facility, Thunder Prison.

To cut to the chase, Seolga and Seomun Hee failed to escape.

It was already a done deal.

No point in blaming anyone; it would only harm their camaraderie.

So instead of blaming Seolga, he put his sharp mind to work on finding another escape route.

Seomun Hee, who had honed her skills in Hwanhui Palace, had grown even more beautiful, and they were in the midst of planning a beauty scheme.

Luckily, Seomun Hee didn’t mind using her looks.

After all, the tactics of Hwanhui Palace were all about beauty.

But the plan to seduce the jailer for their escape failed before Seomun Hee even had the chance to act cute.

Seolga hadn’t expected much from her cuteness anyway.

“Uh, could you step outside for a moment?”

“What are you trying to pull?”

“A higher-up has ordered that you be escorted. The only meal we can serve you in here is a plain one, but we haven’t treated you poorly, so…”

“…?”

Talk about luck for the jailer.

Busy day and night, he hadn’t bothered to toy with the prisoners, so he just tossed them some grub and that was it.

Had he tortured them, it could have made a big mess.

Seolga and Seomun Hee slipped outside the prison, and suddenly, maidens from the Divine Sect swarmed in to wash and groom them, slathering them with elixirs and dressing them up nicely.

Seolga lamented.

“I don’t know whether to be happy or sad.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“The treatment is so formal it feels like we’re hosting some high-ranking guest. If we were really doing that, it’d just mean that the Heavenly Demon had awakened and formed a bond with Young Lady Seomun.”

“Oh, so Uncle has the Divine Sect as his hostess? Well, isn’t that a good thing?”

“That depends on her. No matter how good the situation is, she must be willing.”

Just then, while they were chatting, the door opened and Ji Seung-ju walked in.

Seolga recognized him immediately.

“I’ve heard my brainy little brother is a young lad, but…”

“Pleased to meet you, Great Hero Seolga. And Great Hero Seomun. It’s my first time seeing you both. I’m Ji Seung-ju, responsible for the secret shrine.”

“Great Hero? What are your intentions?”

“What? I’m a Great Hero too?”

“There’s no other ulterior motive. You two are now in a position to be honored by the Divine Sect.”

“What? I’m getting honored? Oh.”

“…What happened to Young Lady Seomun?”

“No need to worry. She’s currently on her way to the Central Plain.”

“If my sources are correct, if she’s gone to the Central Plain, the Demon Cult wouldn’t be so peaceful, would it?”

“What? Uncle has already gone to the Central Plain?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Just because you’re ignorant doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to understand.”

“Enough chitchat, get to the point.”

“…? Can you not hear what I’m saying? Strange, isn’t it?”

The two sharp minds completely ignored Seomun Hee’s words.

“She has inherited all the Divine Skills and has manifested as the Supreme Heavenly Demon. Before leaving, she commanded to open the door of the Divine Sect and instructed us to live more humanely. The foolish ambition of liberating the Central Plain has finally come to an end.”

“…?”

Seolga looked utterly dumbfounded.

“I-I need you to repeat that. What happened to that person?”

“I didn’t expect things to unfold like this either, but Young Lady Seomun is now the Supreme Heavenly Demon of the Divine Sect.”

“What? Uncle is now the Supreme Heavenly Demon?”

“Wait, hold on. I don’t understand this at all.”

“What? What? So what does that make me? Heavenly Demon’s little sister?”

“Can you please keep it down? You’re being so loud.”

Seomun Hee pouted and fell silent.

Seolga thought of Qing.

That friend of his was planning to make a clean getaway with the Heavenly Demon Soul plan.

Now, suddenly, she had become the Heavenly Demon?

But if you asked whether she matched or not—

It did fit perfectly.

She was practically a born Heavenly Demon.

“Of course, she has absolutely no interest in the Divine Sect, but do you think the people of the Central Plain see it that way?”

“That’s true.”

“So I hope you two could assist the noble Supreme Heavenly Demon.”

“You want us to convince Young Lady Seomun to return to the Demon Cult?”

As a response, Ji Seung-ju smiled warmly.

There was no need to hide his expression anymore; he didn’t have to disguise himself to butter up some Supreme Being.

“Do you really think that’s necessary? The Supreme Heavenly Demon I’ve seen is bound to return to the Divine Sect sooner or later.”

“…I can’t deny that.”

Seolga solemnly agreed.

How long could someone who had always bathed in blood hang around the Central Plain?

“Great Hero Seolga, you can’t hide away forever, can you? The Supreme Heavenly Demon seems to have a warm disposition.”

“What if I refuse?”

Then, Ji Seung-ju shrugged his shoulders.

“Nothing will change. You can leave if you want, but since you’re heading to the Central Plain anyway, all I ask is that you promise to escort the Supreme Heavenly Demon. I’ll provide you with some elixirs as well. I’m sure it would be beneficial to have a little more authority while accompanying her.”

Seolga quickly reached a conclusion.

The Demon Cult wouldn’t mess around with the Supreme Heavenly Demon.

Then, there was no reason to turn down free elixirs.

What’s the harm in having a good relationship with her?

Wouldn’t he be rewarded for all the face splashing?

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