Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 316 : Succession To The Throne (11)

Chapter 316: Chapter 316 : Succession To The Throne (11)

Xie Jianshen arched a brow at Zhang Fengxi, his gaze dripping with contempt.

"Are you telling me that the First Demon King’s corpse melted inside the pond? You better search more carefully."

Thankfully, Zhang Fengxi was one step ahead of him.

"I already asked them to drain the pond. We will see whether he melted inside or not."

"... Fine. I shall await further updates."

Xie Jianshen then left the chamber to inspect the kitchen staff at work.

Zhang Fengxi reached out and caressed Xie Jianyu’s cheek.

"My poor baby," he whispered.

Zhang Fengxi closed his eyes and put both of his hands on Xie Jianyu’s belly. Streams of warm energy emerged from his palms in the form of bright red light that entered Xie Jianyu’s body.

The omega on the bed stirred slightly from the influx of spiritual power.

If only his cultivation was more advanced, Zhang Fengxi mused with a touch of regret.

He wanted to erase every bit of pain in Xie Jianyu’s body with his own hands.

Alas, age could not lie.

He was in his twenty-two-year-old body.

No, a treacherous voice in his head said. You won’t be able to protect him all the time no matter how old you get or how many years you spend cultivating.

There is a limit to everything, although the limit expands as you grow older and stronger.

A gasp escaped Zhang Fengxi’s lips when he felt a soft flutter reverberate through his palms. A wide, incredulous grin spread across his face as he realized the source of the sensation – the delicate life stirring within Xie Jianyu’s womb.

The soon-to-be father gently placed his hands against his wife’s abdomen, cradling the precious bundle of life that was growing within him and showering it with tiny kisses.

The babies responded with two more kicks against Zhang Fengxi’s face.

Tears of happiness welled up in Zhang Fengxi’s eyes.

"My babies, the world is embroiled in chaos at the moment," he whispered to his unborn babies. "But fret not, for your father will do everything in his power to establish a sense of order before you arrive in the world."

Zhang Fengxi was startled by three knocks at the door a while later.

Kneeling outside, Head Servant Zhou announced the arrival of a guest.

It was none other than Wu Shenxia, who came to report the aftermath of today’s demon attack.

Wu Shenxia refused to sit in the guest room and chose to wait in the front courtyard instead. She did not come for a visit, and she was not in the mood for a cup of tea.

"How is everything?" Zhang Fengxi asked as soon as he stepped into the front courtyard.

Wu Shenxia was a seasoned warrior, a veteran of countless skirmishes and solo confrontations. In her life, she had amassed plentiful experience from various battles in all three realms, yet even she was not immune to the lingering effects of the clash that had shaken the very foundations of the Heavenly Empire.

"Supreme General Liang is heavily wounded," she announced with a heavy heart. "Deputy Supreme General Han Zirui almost lost his legs during the fight when he tried to save his superior. The Grand Chancellor unfortunately passed away, but the Grand Tutor managed to hold off the demons until reinforcement arrived. He merely complained about the demonic smell that pervaded Golden Dragon Palace’s otherwise clean air."

Zhang Fengxi snickered when he heard Wu Shenxia’s descriptions of the Grand Tutor.

Good that you are still alive and kicking, old bat, he thought to himself fondly.

"What about the palace masters?"

"Alive, but most of them are heavily wounded. My uncle -- Juhua Palace Master had to take on a horde of demons on his own while Qifeng Palace Master escaped with the rescued children."

Wu Shenxia heaved a deep sigh.

"To my understanding, all palaces have closed their doors for now. I don’t know what is going to happen to our empire."

"And Xie Jianzhi? Any news?"

"He should be at either the Demonic Realm or Wuyang Palace."

"It cannot be the Demonic Realm. Although, have we found the corpse of the First Demon King or not?"

Wu Shenxia shook her head.

"We emptied the pond, we scoured every inch of the pond bottom, but we found nothing except a lot of jewelries that disappeared a long time ago, and... Some skeletal remains."

Zhang Fengxi raised his head and stared at Wu Shenxia with knitted brows.

"What skeletal remains?"

"Apparently, the Heavenly Empire’s residents have a long-running history of ditching dead bodies into the pond. Possibly maids and eunuchs, for the purpose of silencing them."

"..."

It almost made Xie Jianshen’s method of feeding people with Gu Worm appear like a more humane alternative.

"How is the Crown Prince?" Wu Shenxia asked out of concern. "I heard that he has severe bleeding on his way back to Fuxi Palace."

"He is doing fine right now. I am not letting him out of Fuxi Palace anymore. It is too dangerous."

Wu Shenxia nodded in apprehension.

"What are we going to do now?"

"Vanquish the throne usurper, of course. Not to mention that he is also colluding with the Demonic Realm."

"If I were him, I would run far, far away," Wu Shenxia noted. "His mask has already been revealed. What is the point of staying?"

"If he has the confidence to take the Dragon Throne, he will stay," Zhang Fengxi mused.

"I don’t think that the other palaces would happily let him take over," Wu Shenxia raised her eyebrow quizzically.

"Not happily, but all palaces are currently in disarray. You yourself said that most of the palace masters were heavily wounded.

Xie Jianzhi escaped unscathed, and he still has the demons to back him up."

Wu Shenxia clicked with her tongue unhappily.

"The empire is doomed if Xie Jianzhi sits on the Dragon Throne."

"I agree. Well, then. If you are up to it, let’s do something to prevent that from happening."

"And that is...?"

Zhang Fengxi rose to his feet.

"We will put the Golden Dragon Palace on a total lockdown. For that purpose, we need to consult my good brother-in-law."