Outside, the chase for Zi Shou continued. Thanks to the heads that Huan Yi had left behind, news that a squad of royal guards had met its demise during its search for Zi Shou spread throughout Linzi city, causing many senior experts to conclude that the seventh prince wasn't acting alone, and could very well be in cahoots with enemy states.
This news caused the elders of the Zi clan, who initially supported Zi Shou's innocence, to shift to neutrality. After all, as elders of the royal clan, what they needed was a powerful and reliable prince to entrust the Yin Dynasty to, not some scoundrel that could ally with enemy states and cultivate demonic powers just to improve his position. Some even started wondering if demonism wasn't the true reason behind Zi Shou's abnormal cultivation talent.
The Wen clan, however, stayed steadfast in the defense of the seventh prince, professing his innocence for all to hear and employing propaganda tactics to have influencers such as storytellers, innkeepers and renowned entertainers convince the public of the seventh prince's innocence.
The Wen clan elders reasoned that, if the rabble believed in the seventh prince's innocence, they could easily find a scapegoat that'd satisfy the royal clan. As for the four Great Dukes, who all lost sons or beloved relatives in the Linzi tragedy, the Wen still believed in their ability to placate them.
It wouldn't be easy. After getting the news, all four Great Dukes left their palaces, bolting across the air as they headed towards Linzi.
"The royal family must give us an explanation, otherwise, the four Great Dukes can no longer guarantee the protection of the Yin Dynasty's borders!" The four dukes united in one defiant stance. Even the Northern Duke, who usually licked the boots of the Wen clan the hardest, stayed resolute in this rebellious challenge.
Of what use were power, wealth and authority, if they couldn't even protect their beloved? The four Great Dukes couldn't accept a world where the murderer of their children and relatives escaped scot-free. Even if they had to challenge royal authority, they refused to balk!
But as Zi Shou's trails went cold and tensions rose, Wen Tianhua ended a battle in the Blight Sea, and headed towards Linzi! Queen Wen also arrived in Linzi, joining her brother Wen Zhongshang and the Wen clan elders in the defense of the seventh prince.
Once more, things became chaotic. Wen Tianhua's entrance alone was enough to put the ball in the Wen clan's court. But even if the Grand Preceptor didn't make a move, the alliance between Queen Wen and Wen Zhongshang was enough to make the royal family tremble. After all, these were Wen Tianhua's most powerful nephews, having both received his guidance in their youth and reached the peak of the Dharma Body.
They were the leaders of the Wen clan, one controlling the men, while the other controlled the women. Individually, they weren't any weaker than Zi Xian, the King of Yin. But together, they became the walking proof of the Wen clan's superiority over the royal family.
At the moment, the King of Yin was meeting with his top royal guards and advisers, when Queen Wen waltzed into the royal residence in Linzi, blasting anyone that stood in her path as she forced her way into the royal council.
With the elegance of a phoenix and the dignity of a dragon, Queen Wen entered the royal council, causing the king and his advisers to shift their attention towards her.
"Your Majesty, you shouldn't—" Barely had Queen Wen entered that, anticipating the chaos she would bring, a senior adviser tried to appease her.
"Shut your mouth!" However, Queen Wen flashed the man a murderous glare, leaving no doubt that, should any of the advisers try to block her path, she'd slaughter them without hesitation.
She then turned towards Zi Xian, facing him with the same murderous glare.
"Xinzhui, is this any way to approach your husband?" Frowning at his queen's look, Zi Xian rhetorically asked, hoping that Wen Xinzhui would remember that, before being a daughter of the Wen clan, she was the wife of Zi Xian.
However…
"Zi Xian, I have one simple thing to tell you. You have seven sons; I only have one. If you dare to touch even a strand of Shou'er's hair, the Heavens above be my witness, I will rip your head off and drink from your skull!" Wen Xinzhui's voice boomed throughout the royal residence, blasting the eardrums of the guards, advisors, and hidden Zi clan elders.
As trails of blood trickled down those men's ears, Queen Wen slashed open her palm, splashing her blood over Zi Xian's table. Blood characters took shape, representing Wen Xinzhui's words.
"This is not a threat, but a pledge written in my own blood!" After adding these words, Wen Xinzhui turned heels, leaving the royal residence for the Wen clan's Linzi residence.
Zi Xian wasn't wrong. Before being a daughter of the Wen clan, Wen Xinzhui was his wife. However, before being his wife, she was Zi Shou's mother. So long as she lived, no one could harm her child. No one—including her husband. Realizing that his wife was willing to come to blow with him, Zi Xian clenched his fists, his eyes turning red.
"Fuck! Fuck!" Meanwhile, Zi Shou hid in a boat cabin, jerking off as he listened to the sound of Huan Yi pounding the monstergirls. A part of Zi Shou felt ashamed of these crude actions. Another part couldn't stop picturing those beauties moaning without restraints as Huan Yi's meat-slab went in and out of them.
At times, Zi Shou would sneak out of the cabin, glancing at the orgy from behind the door before rushing back to his cabin. Never in his life had the seventh prince felt more ashamed. But at the same time, this was also the first time that he felt this excited. So excited in fact that, once the mating stopped, Zi Shou felt a wave of sadness take over his heart.
Coming out of the cabin, Zi Shou returned to Huan Yi's side, and was surprised to see that all 66 monstergirls now possessed human legs. More importantly, their skins glowed with a magnificent luster, hinting at a drastic improvement to their bloodline. At the same time, a part of Zi Shou believed that those girls' body refinement level had also increased significantly. But by how much? He couldn't tell.
The boat now reached the other shore of the Wine Lake, and though he wanted to trust that Huan Yi had his best interest at heart, a sense of foreboding crept over the seventh prince.
"Senior, what…do you really want from me?" Zi Shou blurted out. At that time, the boat reached the shore, now standing at the edge of the Meat Forest. A cortege of beauties, some fully human, others with charming antlers, emerged from behind the woods, bowing at Huan Yi.
"I've said it before. You're the king I have chosen to serve. I believe in your potential to turn the Yin Dynasty into a place that serves my ambitions. For that reason, I will help you clear your name," Huan Yi said, and stood up, stepping into the air as he walked into the Meat Forest.