VAP - Chapter 66
Chapter 66: The Supreme Sage Hopelessly Obsessed with Beauty (25)
In Galor Castle, everyone knew that the young woman from the East, Yue, was the castle lord’s fiancée.
Love at first sight, a bond sealed at their next meeting, together from dawn till dusk, never leaving each other’s side.
It was simply… too beautiful!
“Blessings to Lord Galor,” the common servants would pray in their spare moments. “Great God of Love, please let Lord Galor be immersed in the sweetness of love and experience lasting happiness!”
Even the many practitioners serving under the First Dharma Saint were equally glad.
After all, their lord, who had been single for several hundred years, had finally found a partner. Wasn’t that a joyous occasion worth celebrating?
And recently, quite a few people had begun to notice that the castle might soon be hosting a grand wedding.
Previously, their relationship was like a rosebud, waiting to bloom.
Though everyone knew it was a flower that symbolized passionate love, before it opened, it still possessed a tender greenness—a faint, elusive sense of uncertainty.
But now, that rose had bloomed.
Its unconcealed fragrance and magnificent color, the eternal rose blooming with such passion, drew people’s eyes more than ever before.
Who could possibly doubt the affection between them?
Some people with too much time on their hands even started a betting pool on when they could start addressing Miss Yue as “Madam.”
The bets varied, but no one wagered on it taking longer than half a year. The earliest bet was for the very next day—and, unsurprisingly, that person was out of the running by the following day.
In truth, if these enthusiastic, gossiping onlookers knew what one of the protagonists was thinking, they would never have placed their bets so readily.
Yue Du was completely unaware that, in the eyes of others, she was already engaged. When she noticed an organist giving her a look of gratification during breakfast, she found it utterly baffling.
“Did I miss something?” she asked suspiciously.
Nai Yin elegantly gestured for the musician to leave before saying, “Pay them no mind. Every month, these people have a few days where they neglect their duties.”
Yue Du: “…”
But that organist was a man.
Seeing her disapproving expression, Nai Yin suddenly smiled. “So concerned about others?”
Yue Du: “I’m not, I wasn’t, don’t spout nonsense.”
Her explanation was useless. Nai Yin leaned in with a smile, cupped Yue’s beautifully sculpted chin, and gave it a gentle bite.
Then she began to kiss her.
When it came to the various strange techniques of intimacy, Yue Du was always outmatched by her lover. It forced her to admit that there really was such a thing as natural talent for kissing.
She couldn’t compete when it came to fancy tricks, so she might as well just enjoy it.
No matter how she thought about it, Yue Du couldn’t figure out the reason for the organist’s peculiar gaze.
Who could have guessed? Both in fact and in principle, she was new to love and quite inexperienced. As for being a fiancée… planning an engagement after just a few days of dating? Even a flash marriage wasn’t that quick.
Nai Yin, on the other hand, knew more. The castle was filled with her eyes and ears, and such rumors could never escape her notice.
But Lord Nai Yin didn’t pay it much mind.
The person was already hers. As long as the relationship was real, what did a title matter?
She would take things slowly; it would all happen naturally.
Nai Yin was quite composed—after all, she was very happy these days, and she would be even happier in the future.
With that thought, a slight smile touched her lips as she launched a foray deeper, tasting the sweetness.
The daily routine of love was wonderful.
But sometimes, just when you think life can’t get any better, life has a way of telling you:
You’re right.
That September, the magical beast clan formally tore up their treaty and launched a full-scale invasion of the human empire.
The conflict between humans and magical beasts had never ceased. It had been better before, with a treaty preventing either side from invading the other’s heartlands. Coupled with the deterrent presence of the First Dharma Saint, the magical beasts had only dared to organize minor beast tides along the border.
Then, when questioned by the empire, they would feign innocence: “What attack? There was no such thing. Those were just stray magical beasts who don’t obey the Beast Emperor’s command. You can’t blame us for their actions.”
The empire was helpless against this and could only station troops at the border long-term. For centuries, both sides had seen their share of victories and defeats.
Although the Lion God of War, Leo, had repeatedly crushed the beast tides since his return to the battlefield, forcing the magical beasts to retreat empty-handed, the empire remained deeply concerned, not daring to let its guard down for a moment.
But this year, their fears became reality.
On the first night of September, the magical beast army poured out in full force, launching an all-out assault on the human empire.
The timing was cleverly chosen. The sky had only just darkened, a time when most humans feel drowsy. Moreover, a small beast tide had just concluded, lowering the guard of even the most cautious border commanders.
Under the cover of night, nocturnal magical beasts advanced silently toward the city.
They were accompanied by the nimble bird tribe. These small creatures were the best scouts; almost no human scout could escape their notice.
Before the magical beasts came within sight of the soldiers on the city walls, not a single scout managed to relay a message back to the city.
The Beast Emperor bared his ghastly white fangs in a grin.
It was destined to be a brutal battle.
“…And that is the situation.” Beside a long table lit by candelabras, an old man with a hooked nose, wearing a crown that symbolized his authority, clenched the communication crystal in his hand, his tone grave.
“We have lost three border cities, most of our brave soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of civilians. A few leaders and warriors have fallen back beyond the first line of defense. Only Valdo City, where Leo is stationed, is still holding out.”
“This is absurd! Why would those beasts suddenly go berserk?” exclaimed a large man sitting beside him.
A woman in a mage’s robe sneered. “Who knows? How could a human possibly understand the thoughts of a beast? Perhaps they’ve been mad all along.”
At the head of the long table, the exquisitely beautiful First Dharma Saint was toying with her lover’s fingers out of boredom, only to receive a light, warning tap.
Looking aggrieved, Nai Yin behaved herself.
This was an imperial council meeting. The attendees included the emperor and his eldest son, the royal court’s Dharma Saint, the capital’s Holy Warrior, the Chief Summoning Saint, several influential ministers, and the rarely seen First Dharma Saint.
…And the First Dharma Saint’s lover.
When Nai Yin had entered with Yue Du, the emperor had protested. But despite his carefully chosen words, he had failed to sway the maverick Dharma Saint.
“Is this a formal council meeting?” Nai Yin asked nonchalantly.
The emperor said, “Your Excellency, this is an emergency council convened to discuss the magical beast invasion! It is of the utmost importance and is top secret. Only those with the proper qualifications may attend—”
Nai Yin was unconcerned. “Oh, then there’s no problem. If my partner isn’t qualified, then I’m surely not qualified either. Wouldn’t you agree?”
How could that be right!
The emperor is here, but is the empress? The crown prince is here, but is the crown princess?
Neither are here!
So Lord Nai Yin’s logic was deeply flawed!
But no matter how he roared internally, the emperor didn’t have the courage to refute Nai Yin Galor.
And so, Nai Yin openly led her lover by the hand to the head of the table. When she saw there wasn’t a matching chair, she simply retrieved a more lavish and magnificent high-backed chair from her personal storage space, set it beside her own, and watched Yue Du take a seat.
The emperor took a deep breath, pretended he hadn’t seen a thing, and began the council.
At first, some of the important figures, who were not in the know, secretly stared at Yue Du.
Yue Du, long accustomed to being stared at, sat calmly at the head of the table, not the least bit flustered.
A few clueless individuals couldn’t sit still and tried to test her with the oppressive aura of a high-level practitioner. But before their aura could even reach her, they were slammed against the table by Nai Yin’s own, unable to move.
Soon, however, no one had the mind to spare another thought for the First Dharma Saint’s lover.
Everyone was shocked and outraged by the magical beasts’ invasion.
The superficial peace had been maintained for centuries. No matter how bloody the fighting at the border became, the imperial capital was never affected.
The nobles had long grown accustomed to a life of peace. Though they revered strength, their training had been done in a greenhouse; they couldn’t withstand a true, bloody battle.
Organizing tournaments for practitioners, settling scores on so-called life-or-death stages—that was the most they had ever experienced.
The full-scale invasion of the magical beasts shattered the future they had envisioned—one of steady advancement and a lifetime of glory.
The emperor joined in denouncing the magical beasts for a moment before sneaking a glance at Nai Yin.
The silver-haired woman looked completely detached, on the verge of simply getting up and leaving. Even her lover, who had appeared out of nowhere, was listening more attentively than she was!
The emperor gave a dry cough. “Lord Galor, about this matter—”
Nai Yin replied languidly, “Yes?”
“Under your—Your deterrence, the magical beast clan still dared to invade the empire. This is a clear sign of disrespect toward you. They clearly hold no regard for your power.” The emperor watched her expression. “This is truly intolerable. I believe they must be taught a lesson.”
Yue Du: “…”
Though she knew no one in the empire dared to provoke her host, the emperor’s attitude was a little too “humble.”
Nai Yin communicated with her telepathically. “It seems the royal family hasn’t forgotten about me.”
Yue Du: “Hm?”
“About four hundred-some years ago, I fought the Beast Emperor and nearly beat him bald,” Nai Yin recalled. “The human empire invited me to act as their guardian, offering me territory, a castle, and, of course, servants to attend me.”
Yue Du: “So you agreed?”
Nai Yin tilted her head and smiled faintly. “Why wouldn’t I? I was too lazy to wander the continent anyway. Getting territory and servants without the trouble of fighting for them—isn’t that wonderful?”
Yue Du: “…Yeah, that’s not bad.”
Mystery solved.
No wonder this person, despite feeling no kinship with humanity, was willing to act as the empire’s guardian and living figurehead.
Only she could be this lazy!
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