Close to a mass grave laid a corpse-like figure. His long, raven hair has been disheveled and stuck to his equally grimy, aged skin. His face lay hidden, curtained by the tragedies he had recently experienced.
Slow and heavy breathes drew out and into his half-opened mouth, with chapped lips that showed his dehydration.
A single, calculating eye narrowed as she continued to examine his state.
"Your highness, is your fancy plate fake?"
"..."
The third prince tilts his head sidewards and refused to talk. The divine object on her hand is an imperial treasure, how dare this lowly twig call it a fake! You are the fake one!
"Your highness, if this plate is not broken, that means this old man is really Master's teacher. Even the sake jar is shaking in acknowledgement! Is this a living pet? What the heck?"
Initially, he wanted to deal with this brother-stealer by giving her the cold shoulder. Yet her provocations were just too tempting to ignore. Phoenix eyes scan the said object that recognized and confirmed the old man's identity. "That sake jar is a gourd that has undergone a hundred thousand years of refinement. It can be close to be called a divine object itself."
Unfortunately, such information fell into the ears of a gourmand who has lost interest in cultivation after so many lives. "So if I squeeze some good fruit juice, it will turn into a great aged wine that is a hundred thousand years old? Oh my gosh, will it be rotten or will it be like those luxurious aged wine? How about we give it a shot?"
"..."
"well, I'll take that as a yes. I'll do it upon my return. That little pig should love it! It should be a great gift too when he comes to age!"
Celes felt her spirit like it was fire growing steadily inside her. The wild discovery and the benefit of getting Jiang Yehan were just too great!
Unfortunately, same thing cannot be said to the prince with a mission considering a crisis occurring at the moment back in the empire! His face turns dark and rage thundered in his head. Spiritual pressure started leaking out and the air turned chilly.
"You dare?" The girl does not know her place! So let this master show you! She was only a lowly cultivator while he is a breath away from rising to a low level martial honor! In what way can she retort? None!
Celes unconsciously steps back when she sensed his unstable aura. Then the devour began to appear like a mist to protect her as soon as the prince released his Qi. Not to forget, the old man aside has been provided a seal of protection to serve as a barrier.
Her brows furrowed. This brother really is so hot tempered, like a mother-in-law in denial that her son has already entered the arms of another woman! "Your highness, please get a hold of yourself! The little prince is still too young, I will wait patiently! Oh you will be surprised about the length of my patience!"
"..."
It seemed like her words were useless to appease a raging martial art practitioner yet it was highly effective at drawing out more pressure from him! The devour thickens and greedily eats away the available qi.
Celes sighed. At any rate, he will faint from exhaustion or even die without knowing what caused his demise! The divine beast badly wanted to warn him of her devour but who would believe a barbaric looking girl with one eye and low cultivation? If her devour wanted so, it may even try to sink its teeth to the source of all his Qi, his dantian and then disable him for life.
She snapped a finger and increased her devour's presence. "Your highness, I do not wish to fight right now. Master's teacher will be in danger if you keep this up!"
How insolent to command a prince! Just as he was about to wrap his fingers around the hilt of his sword, a sudden stinging pain felt like he lost a piece of himself, as if a beast had bitten half of his body off. Such blow also left the man struggle to breathe for awhile and as if a bucket of ice water has been dumped on his head. A pair of sharp, thick brows furrowed. Just what happened?
His vision blurs but just before he lost his consciousness, he witnesses Celes pulling out a quilt from thin air to wrap around the frail elder then flung him over to her shoulder. Her eye then lands onto him, a small twitch at the corner of her mouth showed a helpless smirk just before she wraps an arm around his waist to carry him like a pillow! The sense of surprise must have been too much on an ignorant prince leaving him to faint like a noble daughter.
....
The little prince scowled at the dragon in Ling Hou's arms. "Why don't you become this prince's pet? In the palace, grandmother empress dowager have many snacks! Mutton, pork, chicken, beef, fish or, or, or even bunnies!" The young prince wanted to say humans but he cannot bear such cruelty. He read from the books that human flesh were the dragons' favorite delicacy.
Ling Hou could not help but let a small, helpless smile slip through his facade. They were currently in the middle of a class as the third prince requested. Such older brother even brought books and writing materials with him in search for this young prince.
"Your highness, let us make a deal."
"Deal? How dare you... Against this prince?" Jiang Yehan had a momentary stop at a loss of words, he did not know what to call Ling Hou's actions. Was it a scheme? A threat? What is the right word for that?
"Your highness, your best interest is what this subject has in mind. Your highness will be able to play with this dragon if your highness can finish three chapters before Celes comes back."
"What? This prince seeks justice! Celes will be here any time!"
Ling Hou gives the prince a quick glance filled with confusion, disbelief and a little bit of ridicule. The youngest prince was not just slow but also too impulsive, talking faster than allowing his mind to think first.
It took him several days to go around and search before he found the sake jar. Plus, it was not so easy as at least every few meters was a beast lurking! Celes was abnormal but she definitely cannot find it in one day!
Unfortunately, Ling Hou has yet to know of Celes' actual species.
Much to his surprise...
"Master, we're back. Please carry this blue blood to his room! He is really so annoying! Plus great grandmaster? Master, I found your old man!"
A short girl carrying two full-grown men entered his eyes making them widen in disbelief.
However, the little prince saw how intimately close his (unconscious) royal brother was to Celes causing a frown across such a lovely and chubby face. A pair of heavy legs made its way towards them then swiftly pulled his brother down from Celes' arm. She immediately let's go and allows him to drag his brother back to the quarters.
Yet just before he turned around the corner, Jiang Yehan did not forget to drop his own blood-brother to rush back to Celes. A small smile spreads his lips as he grabbed the arm she used to carry his brother. While quickly wrapping himself around that arm, the little prince tiptoes until his mouth was against her jaw.
"uuhhh, please, can you lower you head?"
"of course."
When Celes realized that he was still too short to reach her ear, she lowers her head and listened. Her cheeks redden in delight that Ling Hou shuddered sensing some danger.
"This prince, I---I want an embrace... Please?" in a sheepish voice, he begs Celes much to the girl's delight.