Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 97: Demon King has two mouths to feed

Chapter 97: Demon King has two mouths to feed

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the landscape, Han Xin and his party finally found the person but the sight that greeted them was a grim one. The mercenary lay sprawled on the ground with foam in his mouth. He was lifeless with no markings or identification to reveal his identity. From the look of it he had crushed a capsule and poisoned himself to death. Han Xin stared at the body coldly. It was yet another dead end.

He had them take care of the body before turning back towards the camp. Han Zhan wanted to ask his cousin what he planned on doing next but Han Xin’s cold expression was all telling. Thus, the journey back was shrouded in silence. In fact, Han Zhan had a lot more questions, but he knew better than to ask, especially now. When they arrived at the campsite it was already dark.

The night was cool, and the stars twinkled in the dark sky. Inside the campsite the soldiers were chattering happily the mood more jovial than usual. Dismounting his horse, Han Zhan’s keen eyes caught sight of a group of soldiers gathered near the campfire. They were chatting loudly and in the centre of their attention was someone, though from this distance he couldn’t make out who it was.

"What’s going on there?" Han Zhan asked, turning to Jun De, who was already moving towards the group to find out. Jun De approached the soldiers, his presence commanding immediate attention. The soldiers parted, revealing Princess Xiu sitting at the centre.

Her hair was tied up in a high knot and her legs spread apart in a stance that exuded confidence and defiance. For this era, it was extremely unladylike but she looked like she could give a rat’s arse what people would think.

The soldiers around her were engrossed in the dice game, their faces a mix of excitement and despair.

Xiang Yu had amassed a small fortune, his pile of silver coins growing with each victorious round. He had two mouths to feed. Everything in his household came in doubles. He had to buy clothes, shoes, hair pins and jewellery in pairs which was very expensive. As the demon king he didn’t have to worry about money but now he was so broke and it wasn’t a good feeling. This demon king could only resort to gambling.

Lian and Mei stood behind him, their voices loud and mocking as they cheered him on. They were excellent sidekicks baiting others to give it a try and go against their master. "Come on, is that all you have got?" Lian taunted, while Mei added, "Our Highness will clean you out before the night is over! Who was it that said women can’t be good at this?"

Some soldiers, having lost their hard-earned salaries, sat dejectedly, tears of frustration glistening in their eyes. They wanted someone to teach the princess a lesson but they were also afraid that their fellow men would suffer the same fate.

Xiang Yu’s smirk grew more pronounced as he faced his next opponent, a brawny soldier known for his mastery of the dice game. Most had lost to him in the past. The reason why he didn’t intervene earlier was because he underestimated her.

A game under a weak opponent wasn’t of interest to him, but when he saw that she kept winning, he decided to wait until she had won a lot of silver coins and then challenge her. After defeating her he would have a lot of winnings without putting in a lot of effort. It would be like stealing candy from a baby.

"Are you sure you can take the heat?" Xiang Yu asked, his voice dripping with challenge.

The brawny soldier smirked back, confidence radiating from him. "Your Highness, you will definitely lose," he declared ready to put her in her place. But after just one round, his expression changed to one of shock as he realised, he had lost. He glanced at the dice, suspicion flickering in his eyes. There was no way she could win against him unless she was cheating but he dared not voice his thoughts.

Before he could ask for a rematch, the crowd fell abruptly silent. The soldiers parted, making way for Han Xin, whose dark expression sent a shiver through the campsite. His presence commanded respect and fear, and even Xiang Yu’s smirk faltered slightly as he met his gaze.

The air grew tense, the game forgotten as all eyes turned to the imposing figure of the General. Han Xin’s piercing gaze locked onto Princess Xiu, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the camp. "Let’s talk," he commanded.

Xiang Yu’s eyes narrowed, a sneer curling his lips as he reluctantly rose. He was ready to clean the arrogant, brawny man’s coin purse, but Han Xin just had to ruin it. Lian and Mei squeaked under their breath, their excitement barely contained. Xiang Yu caught their whispers and wondered what had them so thrilled.

They had been acting weird ever since he woke up. When he said that why did this medicine taste not as sweet as it did the previous day they giggled and said, "Master, don’t you remember what happened yesterday." Of course, he didn’t remember.

All he could recall was someone feeding him medicine at some point. "Stay here," he ordered the pair, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The twins obediently stayed. Of course, mummy and daddy needed some time alone. They would respect that. Xiang Yu had no idea that their rotten brains were running wild. He followed Han Xin behind a carriage, away from prying eyes.

Han Xin crossed his arms over his chest, his annoyance palpable. He was frustrated that she seemed to remember nothing of what had transpired when she was ill. The memory of her kiss lingered in his mind but she was absolved from it.

"Xin-ge, meeting me in such a conspicuous place, aren’t you afraid of rumours? After all I am a lady with a precious reputation to uphold," he said taking a step closer to him his voice dripping with honey. Han Xin took three steps away as though avoiding the plague.

Xiang Yu, "..."

"I see that you are feeling better," he said, his voice laced with irritation.

Xiang Yu snorted, a sly smile playing on his lips as he leaned against the carriage. "Is that what you brought me here to say?" he asked, his tone mocking.

Han Xin’s expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. "Return the money to the soldiers," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.

Xiang Yu almost laughed out loud. He was a broke master with two disciples to take care of so that was a big fat no. "No," he sneered. "I won it fair and square. No one told them to wager against me." The tension between them crackled in the air, a silent battle of wills. Han Xin’s jaw tightened wondering if he owed Peng Xiu in his past life.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.