YM778.TV Chapter 623: The Two Guests
— A few Days Later —
The sound of the doorbell rang, and Envy, who was at home, went to answer it. She opened the door to find two guests she had expected but never wanted to see.
"Oh… \'Princess,\' how gracious of you to bless our humble abode with your presence," Envy said, a hint of sarcasm lacing her tone.
Standing before her was Tian Xingyun, Princess of the Immortal Realm\'s Heaven Emperor Palace. Beside her was her loyal butler, Yuan, who had returned to the Immortal Realm earlier to take care of some matters before coming back to escort his lady for recuperation. Now, both of them were back.
Envy already knew of Tian Xingyun\'s situation from Daniel: it seemed the princess had lost half her memories after Daniel ambushed her when she approached young Sylvana\'s bed during her evolution process.
The spell Daniel had cast was meant to kill her on the spot, but instead, it ravaged her soul, erased part of her memories, and left her unconscious. Severely weakened, she had returned to the Immortal Realm to recuperate. And now she was back.
"Our humble abode?" Tian Xingyun repeated with a smile that held an edge of disdain. "You jest, sister Envy. You should have said \'welcome back,\' because this is also my abode—and that of our Lord husband, as well," Tian Xingyun replied with a hint of venom.
She then noticed Envy\'s outfit. Envy wore an apron over her casual blouse and skirt ensemble, giving her the look of an ordinary housewife. Without hesitation, Tian Xingyun strode into the house, treating it as her own.
"Sister, you seem to be toiling in the kitchen all day. Aren\'t you finding it tiring? Let me help today. I want Lord Husband to try some traditional Han cuisine—I\'m sure he must be a bit tired of \'European\' food every day," Tian Xingyun said with a thinly veiled barb, her gaze resting pointedly on Envy, a European woman.
Hearing this, Envy wanted nothing more than to take a nearby tea table and smash it over this wench\'s head! But she quickly suppressed her anger; this was Daniel\'s house, equipped with smart systems that would instantly detect any violence or emergency and alert Daniel of an intrusion.
Envy knew that Daniel was deeply focused on his contingency project prototype in his workshop, and she didn\'t want to disturb him.
"That\'s fine, sister Xingyun. Danny and I will look forward to tasting your cooking. I\'m curious to see if someone pampered all her life can make anything…decent without needing him to lie for comfort," Envy retorted, her words dripping with venom.
"Oh my, is that a challenge?" Tian Xingyun replied, producing an apron from her storage ring and proudly wearing it. "I\'ll have you know, I have received bridal training since childhood. I can certainly make something worthy of our Lord Husband\'s palate." She smiled, entirely unfazed by Envy\'s jab.
"That\'s good, sister Xingyun, but do remember our husband is Caucasian. He\'s rather fond of European food. Han cuisine might intrigue him for a moment, but his long-term taste will always lean toward the food of his heritage," Envy replied with a smile as sharp as her words.
Nearby, Uncle Yuan observed this exchange, feeling as though sparks were practically flying between the two. It seemed the Witch of Envy and his young lady weren\'t exactly getting along. Or was it that they were similar in ways neither would admit?
Or perhaps not? Lady Envy had lived over 1,500 years, growing wiser with age. His young lady, though older, was different since losing part of her memories. She no longer embodied the wisdom and skill she\'d once had as the Empress of the West, ruling in her husband\'s stead. Now, with the innocence of her earlier years resurfacing, she was once more a princess under the protective watch of her father, the old Heavenly Emperor.
From what he knew of Lady Envy\'s profile, she appeared ruthless toward her enemies. Anyone unfortunate enough to fall into that category would experience the cruelty she concealed behind her kind facade.
As for his young lady, during her time as Empress of the West, she had ruled with an iron fist in her husband\'s absence, leaving people unable to tell whether the Heavenly Emperor was present in the palace or not. She wielded her authority harshly, using it to control unruly sects and ambitious individuals alike. One might not be able to believe that she has those cruelty in her if one were to see her like this. Toiling in the kitchen making food for her husband with happiness.
Wait…perhaps they were indeed the same type of person, after all. And, like two magnets of the same polarity, they repelled one another.
As he thought things over, Old Yuan let out a weary sigh and turned to Envy. "Lady Envy, may I know where Lord Emberweave is?" he asked.
"Oh, he\'s in his private workshop, Uncle Yuan. Do you have something urgent to discuss with him? If so, I can take you to him."
"Yes, please, Lady Envy," Old Yuan nodded.
Envy led him to Daniel\'s private workshop. She actually appreciated Old Yuan\'s personality—polite and unwaveringly loyal to his mistress. The perfect old butler. Speaking of butlers, her thoughts drifted to her former one who\'d once had feelings for her, only to betray her. If she faced him again, would she kill him? Sentence him to a fate worse than death?
That was a punishment she reserved for her enemies. But… could she really bring herself to do it? She also felt guilt, knowing she could never return his feelings. Yet, matters of the heart could not be forced. No matter—she\'d decide if he dared to appear before her again. If not, she\'d let him go for old time\'s sake.
"Lady Envy… Lady Envy?" Old Yuan\'s voice drew her back from her thoughts, and she realized they had reached Daniel\'s private workshop.
"Ah, we\'re here. I\'ll call him for you." Envy pressed the doorbell in front of Daniel\'s workshop.
"Oh, Envy? Is there something you need?" Daniel\'s voice came through the speaker at the door.
"Uncle Yuan is here; he wants to speak with you," Envy replied.
"Uncle Yuan? Oh, that old butler of Xingyun\'s? Alright, let him in." Daniel responded, and the magnetic lock on the door clicked open, inviting them both inside.
Inside the workshop, Daniel stood before a small experimental model displaying a variety of weapons, vehicles, and unusual contraptions spread across the table. Construction bots and metal scarabs were busy completing the work outlined on his drawing board.
"Did you need something, old man?" Daniel asked, a bit curious about the butler\'s objective.
Old Yuan glanced at Envy, then turned back to Daniel, clearly wanting to speak with him alone.
Daniel smiled, sensing the hesitation. "It\'s fine. Whether you tell both of us now or just me and I relay it to her later, it\'ll be the same in the end. Save us both some time and go ahead."
With that, Daniel pressed a button to close the door, activating the magnetic lock to prevent any eavesdropping.
"Very well, Lord Emberweave," Old Yuan said, his reluctance apparent as he began to speak.
"Lord Emberweave… You need to be cautious. Many in the Immortal Realm are growing restless, and several ambitious individuals have set their sights on the Heavenly Emperor\'s throne. One of the Qing Empire\'s Ancestors has even left the Immortal Realm specifically to pursue you—he\'s currently serving as a protector of the Qing Empire.
Additionally, some smaller sects are beginning to test the waters outside their own borders. Their ambitions seem clear: they aim to subjugate the outside world. For now, they\'re testing the local powers within Qing Empire territory, but it\'s only a matter of time before they come here," Uncle Yuan explained, aware that Daniel, as his young lady\'s future husband, needed to be informed.
"Are they trying to expand their influence into the outside world? Isn\'t the mana here unsuited for them? Why would they go to the trouble of expanding outward?" Daniel asked, puzzled.
Old Yuan sighed. "There\'s an old saying: it\'s better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a dragon. Despite the mana deterioration, many from smaller sects would rather enjoy the privileges of leadership in a less prosperous place than serve as lackeys in a resource-rich domain."
"I see… I dare them to come. I could use a few willing subjects to test my new weapon on," Daniel said, a smile spreading across his face.
Old Yuan silently prayed for the fools who would come here seeking trouble. Testing the waters or not, they might find them far too perilous, with a bloodthirsty monster lurking just beneath the surface.