Had it been any other mystic realm, Cao Wenbin would not have spared a second thought. After all, his family lacked nothing in terms of resources and treasures. While the idea of exploring the resting place of an Emperor might sound grand, in the end, it was nothing but a glorified tomb. His family already had several living Emperors; why bother playing the tomb raider?
But the tomb of the Devouring Emperor—now that was a different matter altogether. If he could find something within that matched the Devouring Demon Technique, it would greatly enhance his power.
"As for the second matter, someone from the Empress's palace has been asking each day, for the last five days, if you have come out of seclusion yet," Xue Rou continued. "If we count the days…"
She didn't finish her thought, for a messenger from the Empress's palace had already arrived.
"My young lord, my lady wishes to invite you to the palace."
"Now?" Cao Wenbin glanced at the darkening sky, a look of disbelief on his face. If it were daytime, he might understand. But now, at night? Had she not been ever vigilant against him?
"Yes, my lord. My lady said that as soon as you emerged, she would like you to visit at once."
Cao Wenbin's eyes flashed, and without another word, he bolted from the room. Xue Rou, left behind in the haste, wore a look of annoyance.
"Can't even finish what's in his bowl before craving what's in the pot!" she muttered. "That little brat, he'd better watch out next time. I swear by my family name, I won't make it so easy for him!"
Clearly, she was jealous. Yet, she had no idea that Cao Wenbin's urgency wasn't just about fulfilling personal desires. No, it was the rewards from the Ten Thousand Beauties Record that he sought most of all.
…
Now that he had reached the peak of the Golden Core, Cao Wenbin's speed was beyond swift. And with the Empress's palace being so close, he arrived within minutes.
"Aunt Pei, have you finally come around?" he teased. "Come, let me see if you've gotten any thinner since we last met."
Pei Luoxue, reclining on a couch with a book, could only roll her eyes at his unabashed forwardness. Indeed, the leopard never changes its spots. Even now, he relished taking liberties with her. Yet, though she could have protested, she made no move to stop him and even shifted to make herself more comfortable. Clearly, her intentions were not trivial this time.
And indeed, she had come with a request.
"My lord, I…" she began, but before she could finish, Cao Wenbin interrupted her with a dismissive wave.
"Aunt Pei, there's no need to speak further. You have no bargaining chips left, so…"
The end of his sentence went unspoken, but a discerning mind could read the intention. Pei Luoxue, shrewd as she was, understood his meaning instantly.
"Seems I'll have to wait until I've earned his affection before I bring up the matter of a fief," she thought.
Indeed, her request was for a land grant. Five days earlier, by a stroke of luck, the ancestor of the Pei family had ascended to the Saint Realm, sparking a surge of ambition among the clan members. Many now clamored to found a kingdom of their own. Yet with their limited strength, they dared not openly defy the Wu family. Instead, they sought to secure a piece of unclaimed land from the Cao family. But a family of their rank couldn't approach the Caos directly, so they had turned to Pei Luoxue, who had married into the family, as their last hope.
Naturally, she had no desire to wade into these troubled waters. Yet the moment she refused, her parents had resorted to weeping and wailing, even threatening suicide. Her brother had taken it even further, kneeling at her door for hours in a silent plea. Left with no choice, she reluctantly agreed to try, only then able to send her family away.
"Ah, circumstances rule us all; there's no place left for pride," she sighed. "Very well, sooner or later, it's all the same. When things progress a little with Chengfeng, I'll find an opportunity to…entrust myself to him."
With that thought, Pei Luoxue's eyes narrowed as she turned to him, adopting a coy tone.
"Young master, my legs feel a bit sore," she purred. "Could you perhaps use your massage skills on me?"
As she spoke, her cheeks flushed, memories of past intimacies on the airship flitting through her mind.
"Of course!" replied Cao Wenbin, without a second thought, not caring what Pei Luoxue's true motives were. To him, an opportunity unseized was an opportunity wasted. And so, even before she finished speaking, his hands were already reaching for her slender legs.