Chapter 170: Emperor Of Cucksville?
Chapter 170: Emperor Of Cucksville?
After a deep, lingering kiss, Hao Hun gently pushed a strand of dark-brown hair away from Xia Sha’s face. He looked down at her, his voice low. "If the Emperor leaves before performing the wedding for us, what will we do, Sha?"
Xia Sha could still feel the warmth of his recent release buried deep within her. A tender smile touched her lips. Gazing up at him, she decided it was finally time to share her deepest secret. "If that guy leaves prematurely, we will just have one of the other Sect Masters perform the ceremony for us," she whispered, her eyes searching his. "Hao Hun, you really want to marry me, right?"
A playfully roguish smirk spread across Hao Hun’s face. Instead of answering with words, he began to move inside her again. The sudden friction made her internal muscles clench in desperate, tight agitation as another wave of desire flared between them.
"Not only am I going to marry you, I am going to put my child in you, and eventually run the sect for you," Hao Hun growled playfully, picking up his pace. "Once I reach the 9th Circle, I will clear away absolutely everything that hurts my wives. Now, Sha, we have just enough time for me to love you before the grand meeting starts."
The much older woman cupped his cheeks, her breath catching as their physical and emotional connection deepened. Overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment and the raw devotion in his eyes, the truth blurted from her lips. "Hao Hun, I am a Youkai Snow Woman... Will you still marry me then?"
As the confession left her, Hao Hun finally understood the mystery behind her nature. Pieces of the puzzle clicked together in his mind.
Thump, thump.
His heart pounded with a sudden surge of adrenaline. Hearing the secret that had consumed her with anxiety for so long only fueled his protectiveness.
He leaned down to whisper fiercely into her ear. "Knowing my wife is a Snow Woman only makes you more beautiful in my eyes, Sha! My dual element of Death and Ice must be destiny, tailored perfectly from your love. Let the summit wait for us to find peace in each other..."
"Ah... Hao Hun, this is my biggest secret... You must keep it for me!" Xia Sha cried out, her heart finally finding a safe harbor.
"Sha, I promised to keep all your secrets, even those regarding your past," Hao Hun promised hoarsely, his embrace becoming firm and possessive.
"You are my woman."
The powerful leader of the Corpse Refining Sect felt her remaining emotional walls shatter, making her heart collapse into absolute surrender.
As they remained close, Hao Hun realized her heritage as a Youkai Snow Woman perfectly explained why her lineage of both twins was so deeply tied to the elements of Ice and Death. A sudden thought struck him—perhaps she, too, could unlock the strange power of destiny that seemed to follow him.
In the quiet dual climax of their union, he held her close, whispering with absolute seriousness, "I want us to build a legacy together, Sha. A family of powerful twin Necromancers who will lead this Eastern Wasteland of Myst."
Xia Sha closed her eyes with her fading climax. Having heard whispers that Ye Lin and her daughter, Xia Gu, had obtained supernatural luck by placing their faith in Hao Hun, she felt a flicker of profound hope. Unthinkingly, she formed a silent wish in her mind.
[Hao Hun, I want nothing more than to give you twins to build this future with you... I want to be a better mother with a man who truly wants me. I pray that it is possible.]
As the moment of intimacy concluded, a distinct sensation rippled through Loki's chest. A small fragment of his rapidly growing divine essence responded to her silent plea. Xia Sha opened her eyes, a newborn flicker of genuine hope shining within them, entirely unaware that a miracle had been set in motion by the power resting right on top of her.
Hao Hun glanced at the magical clock and sighed softly. "We are running late, Sha. Let me cast my magic on us both."
With a flick of his wrist, he channeled his sky-grey mana. "Cure Mental Fatigue!"
A refreshing wave of clarity washed over their minds, wiping away the weariness of the morning. Together, they finally prepared themselves, masking the traces of their private hours before heading out to face the summit ahead.
At the "Crystal Palace" Conference Pavilion, the air was thick with the scent of spiritual tea and unspoken scandals. Despite having spent the entire night entangled with me inside her chambers, Xia Sha glided into the pavilion with her usual frosty composure. She walked a pace ahead of me and Gu Xia, giving absolutely no outward sign of the breathless intimacy we had shared hours prior.
Gu Xia, however, was far less subtle. Though she held my hand openly in a display of public solidarity, she was shooting me vicious, sidelong glares.
Her eyes practically screamed bloody murder, furious that I hadn't found a way to sneak into her quarters last night.
As I expected, the other three sects were already seated, their cups being actively filled by attendants. I immediately noticed a shift in the room's dynamic: the Ice Palace Sect disciples tasked with serving the snacks and tea had been entirely replaced. Yesterday’s "Gu planting incident" had clearly shaken the leadership.
The political heavyweights gathered today were the exact same inner circle as before, with one striking addition. The roster included the Emperor, Su Youming, Lin Feng, Sect Master Su Mei, Su Ruyan, Xia Bing, Xue Wuxia, and a mysterious new woman. Even with a full-length silk face veil obscuring her features, I recognized her instantly as Lin Xue.
Lin Xue had taken a seat at the far end of the table right next to Gu Xia, while I was relegated to my previous spot next to Su Youming.
Suddenly, a faint, humming warmth bloomed in my chest. Xue Wuxia, who now shared a literal Summoner Link with my soul, picked up on my internal confusion. Sitting tall at the head of the table, she addressed the gathered cultivators the moment we took our seats.
"Yesterday, a vile Gu Master infiltrated our sacred grounds and attempted to infect our ranks with Gu insects," Xue Wuxia announced, her voice echoing with chilly authority. "Furthermore, this individual went so far as to kidnap and ransom Sect Master Su Mei last night. As a precaution, all food and drink served today have been rigorously searched. Additionally, those of you possessing Greater or Area-of-Effect Death Utility magic are welcome to inspect your own refreshments for lingering infections."
I stared down at the swirling steam rising from my cup of Spiritual Tea, biting the inside of my cheek until it bled to keep from laughing out loud at the collective look of horror on everyone’s faces.
Taking a deep breath, I adopted an expression of earnest, righteous indignation. It was time to confess to the crimes—well, the crimes of my alter ego, Loki Sky, not my current persona as the innocent Hao Hun.
"If that is the case," I said, my voice carrying a perfect blend of shock and realization, "then there is only one man alive brazen enough to deploy Love Gu and kidnap the Emperor’s own wife. It has to be the Demonic Sect Master himself... Loki Sky!"
The moment the name left my lips, a chaotic storm of distinct thoughts and emotions rippled through the gathered cultivators.
To my left, Su Youming—who had accidentally Love-Gu’d herself to me—leaned back slightly. Her eyes softened with profound gratitude. She genuinely believed I was spinning a lie to cover up her secret status as a Gu Master, a dangerous truth known only to a select few.
Sect Master Su Mei visibly startled, a flush creeping up her neck. She thought I was shielding her from her husband's wrath, fabricating a demonic kidnapping to prove she hadn't willingly snuck out to meet a secret lover. I couldn't help but shudder internally; if Su Mei ever discovered that the man she had passionately slept with last night was the very same "demonic" Loki Sky, she would likely end her own life in sheer shame.
Meanwhile, Su Ruyan nodded fiercely, entirely convinced by my deduction. Of course! her expression said. Only Loki Sky would have the absolute balls to steal my mother.
Xia Bing’s left eye twitched violently. Having been a direct accomplice to almost all of my recent crimes of passion—and having actively helped me cover them up—she looked like she was under immense physical strain to keep a straight face.
Xue Wuxia merely offered a faint, knowing tilt of her head. As my newly bound lover and soul-contracted partner, she knew exactly how deep my hands were in last night's chaos, but she chose to turn a completely blind eye.
Across the table, Gu Xia glared at me over the rim of her lower-face veil. The pieces had just clicked in her mind. Realizing exactly who I had actually spent the night with, she huffed, her inner tsundere taking full control as she sharply snapped her gaze away from me.
Yet, it was the Emperor whose aura radiated the most suffocating, volatile rage. Surprisingly, his fury wasn't primarily fueled by the fact that his concubine—the legendary Queen of the Eastern Wastelands—had been compromised and left unconscious in a messy bedroll within a common flower house. No, his true agony stemmed from a far more devastating loss. His prized treasure, a mythical artifact he had personally unearthed from a Primordial Demons Secret Realm—The Succubus Locket—was gone. Stolen.
The thief, presumably Loki Sky, now possessed the locket along with the gathered hair strands of five powerful women to use for whatever dark rituals he pleased. Worst of all, the Emperor had absolutely no concrete proof to legally pin the cuckolding on the Demonic Sect Master.
Anxious to steer the narrative, Su Youming turned her beautiful, enamored gaze toward me. "Hao Hun, what makes you so certain it was Loki Sky?"
I took a slow, deliberate sip of my tea, completely bypassing the need to inspect it for poison, and looked back at her. "He is the only known male Gu Master to have ever surfaced in the cultivation world, and his fondness for Queens is notorious. While I cannot fathom why he would openly target Sect Master Su Mei, it aligns perfectly with his reckless reputation. I have heard rumors that he possesses a flawless Hidden Gu capable of bypassing any ward unnoticed. Perhaps that is how he executed these atrocious crimes."
The Emperor, utterly desperate to bury the conversation regarding his personal cuckoldry and public shame, raised a hand to cut the discussion short.
"I have personally inspected Su Mei," the Emperor said, his voice forcedly calm, though his knuckles were white against his teacup. "There is no trace of Gu inside her. Without definitive proof linking this to Loki Sky, further speculation is useless. Let us pivot to the matter at hand. Today, we discuss the compensations owed to the Ice Palace Sect. Sect Master Xue Wuxia, you may floor the discussion."
Wuxia glided a glance over toward Xia Sha, a brilliant, dangerous spark igniting in her eyes. When she spoke, the words that left her mouth were nothing short of outrageous.
"The Ice Palace Sect is entirely willing to overlook the tragic deaths of nearly half of our core disciples within the recent secret realms," Wuxia declared smoothly. "However, this concession hinges on one condition: the Corpse Refining Sect must forge a binding alliance with us. Furthermore, to act as the unbreakable bridge of trust between our two factions, we demand that Hao Hun assume the prestigious title of Holy Son right here in our Ice Palace."
A sudden wave of playful, mischievous amusement flooded our Summoner Link. I looked up to see Wuxia’s heterochromatic eyes—the right a piercing sky-blue, the left a shimmering gold—blinking at me with absolute, wicked delight.
I had to play my part. I needed to react exactly how the innocent, uncorrupted Hao Hun would react if he weren't currently sleeping with half the women at the negotiation table.
"Sect Master Wuxia, surely this is... highly irregular," I stammered, doing my best impression of a panicked young cultivator. "The Balder King already serves as the Holy Son of the Demonic Sect, and his legal wife, Xia Bing, is the Holy Maiden of your Ice Palace. If a righteous sect and an unrighteous sect join forces so abruptly, how will it look to the rest of the cultivation world? It is entirely inappropriate!"
Su Mei, practically eager to agree with anything that distracted from her own situation, nodded quickly. "Sect Master Xue Wuxia, the Holy Son speaks the truth. An alliance of this nature will completely upend the established balance of power. Your reputation will suffer. Furthermore, pairing a married Holy Son from an unrighteous sect with your own Holy Maiden? The rumors would be a public scandal."
Xue Wuxia’s smile only widened. She raised a delicate finger, pointing first at Xia Bing, and then shifting her hand to indicate the veiled woman to her right.
"There is no scandal to speak of," Wuxia countered elegantly. "As of this morning, Xia Bing has been elevated to the rank of Fifth Elder, meaning our seat for Holy Maiden is currently vacant. Stepping into that role today is Lin Xue. As for the pairing being inappropriate? There is no issue. Lin Xue and Hao Hun have been bound by a legitimate, centuries-old childhood marriage contract."
Click.
My brain experienced a figurative .exe crash.
My jaw dropped, but absolutely no sound emerged from my usually silver tongue. I stared at them, entirely paralyzed by the sheer absurdity of the play.
Before I could even process the trap, Xia Sha’s aura flared, threatening to freeze the very floorboards of the pavilion. "I am slated to marry Hao Hun as his primary, lawful wife," she hissed, her voice cutting through the room like a blizzard. "This sudden arrangement is utterly unacceptable."
Before the absolute chaos could erupt and shatter the table, Lin Xue calmly reached into her robes and produced a beautifully preserved, glowing parchment, holding it high for the room to see.
"Please, quell your anger, Sect Master Xia Sha," Lin Xue said, her voice smooth and entirely unfazed. "If you read the terms, you will see my family's contract specifies that I am to be wed only as his concubine, never his primary wife. Your rights and status remain entirely untouched. When Hao Hun was merely an infant, his master and my clan finalized this covenant. Though he went missing in the perilous Dragon's Graveyard for over a century, I have finally tracked down my betrothed. I am well aware he retains no memory of me from his youth, but..." She leveled a knowing look straight at me. "...I am entirely certain he carries the matching half of this very contract within his storage ring."
Buzz!
A cold sweat broke out across my back. I frantically reached into my spatial inventory and pulled out the old case containing a marriage contract I had recently bought from the Thousand Flower House. At the time, I hadn't thought twice about the fact that Xia Bing had mysteriously handed it to me as a joke.
With trembling fingers, I snapped the ancient latches open. My heart dropped into my stomach. Written in archaic, glowing ink were two names perfectly intertwined: Hao Hun and Lin Xue.
Holy hell. Hao Hun was a fabricated identity—he didn't have a past. Xia Bing, Xue Wuxia, and Lin Xue had literally forged a bulletproof backstory on the fly, entirely tricking me with my own props.
Xia Sha snatched the glowing parchment directly from my dazed hands. She scanned the ancient seals, her sharp eyes inspecting the structural integrity of the magic. After a tense silence, she gave a slow, approving nod.
"The signature of his master bears the unmistakable seal of our Corpse Refining Sect," Xia Sha murmured, her icy demeanor instantly melting into pragmatic acceptance. "The lineage is legitimate. Very well... let us sit and discuss the specific dowry and wedding details."
I sat frozen in my chair, completely trapped by my own web of lies. Through the spiritual bond, I could feel the overwhelming waves of sheer smugness, pride, and utter amusement radiating from Xia Bing and Xue Wuxia. They were practically purring with satisfaction, deeply enjoying the sight of my completely bewildered, utterly outplayed face.