Chapter 123: Tyrant x Replacement Bride x Little Mongrel (25)

Chapter 123: Tyrant x Replacement Bride x Little Mongrel (25)

The system was diligently broadcasting the entire process of the night march.

She asked thoughtfully, "Were you a drill instructor in your past life or something? You seem to love giving people military training so much."

Keding said, "Humans, when tired, hungry, or exhausted, will naturally harbor resentment. Sometimes, this resentment is more genuine than any love or affection."

"Look at these uncles, aunts, and cousins, walking several miles in the cold wind to kneel and pray at the nunnery. Their eyes could literally devour that deadbeat dad alive right now."

Indeed, Gu Zhangshan was cursed at face-to-face at least eighty times on the way back.

Counting how many times he had been badmouthed behind his back would be even harder to say.

After all, someone had used their outstanding talent to firmly pull all the hatred towards that deadbeat dad, and some people might end up hating him for the rest of their lives.

The system chimed in, "You got what you deserved, Gu Zhangshan. More kids, more trouble."

That night, after everyone had finished kneeling and returned to the Rui family mansion, it was already the middle of the night.

A young eunuch stood outside the hall, announcing that Rui Fengjun had already gone to sleep and everyone should do the same.

The expressions on the faces of the hundred or so people were a mix of disbelief and frustration.

He’s already sacked out?

He’s really asleep??

How long has he been asleep???

The grand feast of ninety-nine dishes had long since gone cold, and not only had most of it been eaten by Gu Xinqing, but what was left had been reheated in the kitchen so many times that even the best soup had turned into mush.

The kitchen staff in the backyard, seeing that all the Gu family relatives were starving and their eyes were turning green, hurriedly ordered the servants to bring out some buns and steamed buns to fill their stomachs.

The leading elder of the clan said angrily, "Where's the meat? Where's the soup? Gu Zhangshan, you've caused such a huge disaster, and now you dare to fob us off with these buns?!"

The cook wiped his brow with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry... esteemed guests, but before Rui Fengjun went to sleep, he decreed that, to earn good karma for the unborn child, all the leftover soup and even all the meat in the mansion should be sent to Guangci Orphanage to help orphans and widows.

He even sent a young eunuch to watch us pack everything into food boxes. Even the smoked chicken and cured goose from the New Year’s feast were donated. We didn’t dare to disobey."

In the night, the eyes of the crowd gleamed hungrily like wolves.

Gu Zhangshan, having been beaten and cursed nonstop along the way, had originally come home hoping for a warm drink, only to find that all the meat, poultry, and even the cattle and sheep had been donated away.

For a moment, he felt like he’d been hit by a truck, his hunger burning through any thoughts of future torture.

"Is it all gone?" said the stubborn old man, trembling. "There’s not a scrap of meat left?"

The cook shook his head painfully. "It’s really all gone, and at this hour, even if we wanted to buy more, all the shops are closed. There’s nowhere to get anything."

The clan relatives dispersed in a clamor. "Why are we still waiting? Let’s go home and eat. Who wants to stay here and eat these stale buns?"

"Let’s go, let’s go. If Rui Fengjun wakes up again, who knows what else will go wrong!"

"Ptooey! Gu Zhangshan, if you let your elder brothers and uncles suffer like this, you'll never have a good day again!"

In less than half an incense stick's worth of time, all the relatives had left, avoiding the Gu family like the plague.

Only Gu Zhangshan swayed slightly in the wind, still staring at the fat cook.

"Not even a sip of soup? Maybe a chicken leg? Or a steamed egg?"

The cook shook his head regretfully. "There's really nothing left, even the eggs were donated."

The stubborn old man rolled his eyes and fell to the ground, wailing loudly.

"I'm starving! I'm starving!!"

"I want to drink soup, I want to eat meat!!!"

The next day at noon, Rui Fengjun came back home on time and didn't stick around at the Gu family's place.

But his presence had already wreaked havoc on the household like a tornado, thoroughly and effectively.

As the big tornado left in his palanquin, the little Beagle outside barked twice to say goodbye.

"Bao, see you later." Gu Xinqing affectionately patted the dog's head. "You live well here, no need to give anyone face."

All the knives you endured and the suffering you experienced in the lab, you can now take revenge for, a karmic retribution for humanity!

The little Beagle licked his hand reluctantly as the young eunuch standing nearby furrowed his brows and said to the steward, "This is an imperial-bestowed dog. If we come back next time and see it has lost even an ounce of weight, it will be seen as a direct insult to the emperor's grace!"

"Of course, of course," said the two legitimate sons of the Gu family, rubbing their hands together. "We will certainly remember the emperor's grace and not dare to be negligent or harsh in any way."

"I dare say you wouldn't," the young eunuch sneered. "With those long ears and unique coat, you won't find another dog like it anywhere in the country. If anything happens to it, you won't even have the chance to replace it!"

Gu Zhangshan, looking haggard, leaned against the wall, still holding a steamed bun in his hand.

"All good… all good…"

Since last night, the stubborn old man's mental state had been scattered, and now it seemed like he'd agree to anything.

Amidst the farewells from everyone, Gu Xinqing slowly sat back in his palanquin, and the procession began to move eastward in a long line.

Outside the palanquin, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air, along with the music of strings and flutes, but inside, there was an unusual silence.

Just as Ke Ding was about to sit down, the system quickly said, "Don't sit! There's a trap!"

"Ah?"

The system marked the chair's structure on Ke Ding's iris and said, "This palanquin was swapped in the middle of the night by the tyrant emperor. The backrest and seat cushion are filled with poisoned needles. If you sit down, nine steel needles will instantly pierce your body, targeting the most vital areas!"

"Even though we have the cabbage protecting us, if you had actually sat down, the pain block might not have worked, given that it's a lethal level!"

Ke Ding braced himself on both sides of the palanquin, forming a 'big' shape to avoid the danger, and took a deep breath for his narrowly escaped backside.

"Damn, that's vicious," he thought. "Sure, I'm ruthless too, but this tyrant emperor? He's beyond rotten. His desire to kill me hasn't stopped for a single moment."

"You don't know," the system sighed. "Actually, Xiao Shizheng is very good at manipulating people's hearts. Previously, many players would accidentally develop feelings for him, only to be stabbed to death later. After leaving the mission, they'd refuse to come back and try again."

"He's usually fierce and ruthless, so even the slightest display of warmth can easily move those with softer hearts. Even very experienced players have fallen for his tricks."

"After reviewing all these records, you, Ke Bao, are the only one who has stayed completely unmoved by him from start to finish."

"Hard to say." Keding muttered in a low voice, "I was originally planning to let him die quickly, but thinking about it now, I was being too merciful."

This is what you asked for, Xiao Shizheng.

That was close; I almost got ambushed by the tyrant emperor.

Keding's thoughts swirled in his mind, and he decided to have the palace servants carry the empty sedan chair back, taking the opportunity to collect some more defense points.

He used the last of his small dog token and turned into a flower-patterned little mongrel again. While the palace servants weren't paying attention, he slipped out of the sedan chair and vanished into the bustling streets.

Before returning to the palace, he decided to pay one more visit to Doctor Jiang.

Fortunately, the system had scanned the area, and Imperial Physician Jiang was off-duty today and happened to be at home.

Keding nimbly crossed through the streets and woods, leaping from a height and rolling into the Jiang family's haystack. He then ran to Doctor Jiang's study and barked twice.

The man was holding a brush, deep in thought. Hearing the bark, he looked up with a smile in his eyes.

"You're here?" He spread his arms and asked in a coaxing tone, "How about a hug?"

The little dog, without a second thought, leaped into his arms and nestled comfortably, being rubbed on its little curly hair.

As a human, he wouldn't dare to do these things, but as a dog, he could easily enjoy such closeness.

Normally, if Doctor Jiang were to gently pinch his ears, Keding would blush intensely and probably run away before finishing his sentence.

But now, as a dog, he could be held and petted, and he even wanted a kiss.

Whenever he was close to Doctor Jiang, his tail would wag uncontrollably.

Keding had noticed this quirk before and tried to control it, but his tail had a mind of its own.

Doctor Jiang's hands were long and warm, and it felt very comfortable when he pinched the back of Keding's neck and spine.

Maybe it's okay to just go with it... it feels pretty good.

The system made a disapproving sound: "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Keding, with a straight face, said, "This is just how we dogs are."

Jiang Yi held him and sat down next to some medical notes, saying, "Luckily you came today; I'll bring you to meet an acquaintance."

With that, still holding the little dog, he went to the side courtyard.

An old woman sat on the ashes of mugwort, her eyes closed as she recited scriptures. Opening her eyes, she greeted them, "Long time no see, Rui Fengjun."

The dog barked once, wagging its tail playfully.

"Over the past few days, I've had many discussions with this elder and learned things that are usually hard to grasp."

Jiang Yi sat down on a meditation cushion with the little dog in his arms and slowly continued, "The young prince is very healthy. Although he has a congenital condition, as long as he grows up in a stress-free environment, he will become stronger after the age of fifteen. He can even practice horse riding and martial arts."

"Moderate exercise and fresh air are the best ways to raise him."

Keding nodded slightly, still feeling regretful as he thought of past events.

Actually, both Consort Jin and Gu Xin Qing had taken good care of the child.

If only that father hadn't treated his son as a plaything, tormenting him for amusement, the child might not have been so terrified.

"In response, Imperial Physician Jiang asked the old woman about the matter of body transformation."

The old lady smiled and said, "Since ancient times, there have been Lao Mountain Daoist methods, as well as various strange events like those in *Mirror Flower Edges*. Even breaking through realms with one's body is not a difficult task."

"When I was young, I actually saw an old acquaintance perform this method."

"The array, dragon's blood, and immortal jade. With these three, you can go to wherever you wish in your original form."

Dragon's blood?

Keding's dog ears perked up.

"Is he gonna bleed that tyrant emperor? Let me handle it!"

"Calm down," the system said. "These three names are just representative of this era."

"What we call an array in ancient times might be called a program today, or a high-dimensional genetic sequence in the future."

"...I think Doctor Jiang will get it," she said hesitantly. "But the dragon's blood she mentioned probably isn't Xiao Shizheng's blood."

Jiang Yi asked, "Is it possible to find these in this world?"

"Not at all," the old woman said. "I've witnessed it myself. Your fate is intertwined with his."

"One day, you'll see a real dragon with your own eyes."

By the time of the ceremony, the palace was lit with hanging lanterns.

The emperor stood with a group of concubines, his face unreadable, as they waited at the Chaode Gate to receive Rui Fengjun's return.

A guard rushed forward and knelt, saying hurriedly, "The return trip was completely silent—not even a breath."

Xiao Shizheng's eyes were filled with gloom as he signaled for the sedan chair to be steadied. The guards then lifted the curtain.

The guard took a deep breath and forcefully pulled back the covering.

Inside the sedan chair, there was nothing. Not even a trace of blood.

Several concubines let out quiet sighs of relief, patting their chests.

"This is impossible!!" the guard exclaimed in shock. "I saw Rui Fengjun get on the sedan chair with my own eyes!"

At that moment, an eagle's cry was heard, causing everyone to turn around.

Gu Xin Qing sat on the dragon throne inside the grand hall, stretching lazily.

"Honey, I'm right here," he said.