146: Emperor

In a dim room, Su Ze opened his eyes and concluded his meditation.

Even though he was alone now, he still didn't show any emotion, trying his best to act like a controlled puppet.

Because he could feel many gazes penetrating the walls of this room and falling upon him.

Just a few hours ago, they had left the anchor point formed by those shadows and were brought here. Afterwards, Tanaka Mori and Zaraki Kenpachi left first to report back to the person they called His Majesty the Emperor.

Su Ze and Xiao Xu were left here. Clearly, although they addressed him as Lord Xiao and seemed very close, they were actually still very wary of Xiao Xu, who was an outsider.

However, Xiao Xu didn't seem to care much about this.

“Hmph, selling out your own country just to come here and be someone else's dog, you really have some backbone,” Su Ze glanced at Xiao Xu and cursed in his heart.

But when the other's gaze turned toward him, he quickly looked away.

He didn't want to expose the fact that he wasn't controlled for the time being; after all, they were now standing on Fusang's soil.

If the opportunity Teacher Lin Xi had exchanged his own spiritual body's dissipation for was only used to eliminate a single traitor, Su Ze felt it wouldn't be profitable enough.

He now had a new goal: the His Majesty the Emperor that Tanaka and Zaraki kept mentioning.

Su Ze wanted to lie low and wait for an opportunity to eliminate this true mastermind behind the scenes!

Afterward, Su Ze and the other were placed in different rooms.

About a few hours later, Tanaka Mori returned and entered Xiao Xu's room.

He invited, “Lord Xiao, His Majesty the Emperor would like to invite you to the Gosho for a dinner banquet.”

“It is my honor,” Xiao Xu replied with a smile.

Listening to the hypocritical conversation between the two next door, Su Ze sneered incessantly in his heart, but then his door was also knocked on.

Tanaka Mori continued, “Su Ze, you come out too. His Majesty also wants to see what the top ranker of Great Xia's Beast Taming Grand Competition, the most outstanding young man, looks like.”

The tone used with him was not nearly as friendly.

“I was just worrying that as a puppet I wouldn't have a chance to get close to this bullshit Emperor; this is perfect.”

Su Ze calmed his emotions, pinched his face to control his expression, and then pushed open the door and walked out.

The three did not fly, because the place where the Emperor lived was not far from them.

After all, the entirety of Fusang was only about the size of a fart.

As one of the few countries that retained imperial power, the place where the Fusang Emperor lived was called the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace consisted of the 'Gosho' (the Emperor's residence), the 'Kyuden' (the place for various public ceremonies and political affairs), and the Imperial Household Agency (administrative organs).

The place they were going to now was the Gosho.

“Lord Xiao, don't think that because His Majesty is not receiving you in the Kyuden but chose the more private Gosho instead, it means anything less; it actually represents trust in you. Only those closest to His Majesty the Emperor are allowed to enter the Gosho,” Tanaka Mori introduced along the way.

“I naturally understand this, and I will certainly not fail the trust of His Majesty and the two General Commanders.”

Tanaka Mori waved his hand and said, “Lord Xiao is being too formal.”

Soon, the three crossed the Imperial Palace, arrived in front of the Gosho at the back, and walked in together.

Clearly, today's dinner banquet was not just for Xiao Xu, but also a welcome banquet for Tanaka Mori and Zaraki Kenpachi for successfully completing their mission.

Su Ze couldn't help but frown; with all three of them present, it wouldn't be so easy for him to make a move, so he could only wait and see.

Passing through the courtyard, several girls dressed as yamato nadeshiko stepped on clogs and slowly pulled open the doors, revealing two people already sitting cross-legged on tatami mats, with a table full of delicacies before them.

One of them was naturally Zaraki Kenpachi, and the other was a new face, presumably the so-called Emperor.

He was much younger than Su Ze had imagined, looking only in his twenties, with a thin face and high cheekbones, not particularly good-looking.

Xiao Xu made a move to kneel, but the man waved his hand and said, “This is a family banquet, just be casual, no need for formalities.”

Xiao Xu did not insist on the formalities, which also made Su Ze breathe a sigh of relief.

If he were made to kneel to this person like Xiao Xu, he definitely wouldn't be able to keep up the act anymore; even if he died, he would take one or two of them with him.

“I have long heard that Fusang's Emperor Meiji is young and promising, but I didn't expect him to be so young. Such a young talent is truly astonishing.” Although he didn't perform the formalities, Xiao Xu didn't forget to flatter him.

“Haha, I'm ashamed. Speaking of young talents, the one beside you is the true genius,” Emperor Meiji said with a smile, using standard Xia language.

But this did not make Su Ze feel any kinship; instead, it sent a chill down his spine.

After the two also took their seats, the Emperor continued, “You two have just arrived in Fusang and might not be used to our food, so I specially prepared Great Xia delicacies. Please enjoy.”

Xiao Xu bowed again and said, “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Sitting among a group of enemies full of ugliness and fake smiles, it was truly difficult for Su Ze to work up an appetite.

The only saving grace was that his current identity was that of a puppet.

So he didn't need to join them; he just had to quietly wait for an opportunity on the side.

But even if he didn't want to participate, others might not necessarily let him off.

After three rounds of drinks, Emperor Meiji said in a seemingly tipsy manner, “Good, Lord Xiao, I have already witnessed your eloquence and ability. I am now even more curious about this Great Xia genius beside you.”

“It's just a pity... if the yata no kagami hadn't controlled him, I'm afraid he wouldn't be used by my Fusang.”

“There is a common saying in Great Xia: ‘A melon forced off the vine is not sweet.’”

Xiao Xu smiled from the side and said, “The Emperor truly understands my Great Xia, it's admirable. But for this sentence, we generally have another interpretation: although a forced melon is not sweet, it can quench thirst. It's better than smashing it and throwing it by the roadside, isn't it?”

Emperor Meiji raised his wine glass and laughed, “Haha, the thinking of you Great Xia people is truly cunning, but it makes sense. Have another drink!”

Su Ze, on the other hand, understood that in the conversation just now, he had already passed through the gates of hell once.

Heh, wanting to smash me and throw me by the roadside?

Then you'd better see clearly whether what you've picked is a melon or a stubborn rock!

“Speaking of which, I'm somewhat interested in seeing the form of the divine beast Phoenix,” Emperor Meiji said somewhat tipsily.

Seeing this, Zaraki Kenpachi immediately gave Su Ze an order to curry favor.

After all, in the eyes of outsiders, he was a puppet of the yata no kagami, and Zaraki Kenpachi was the controller of the yata no kagami.

Su Ze followed suit and pretended to obediently summon the Golden Feather Phoenix Bird.

He was just worrying about how to summon his beast to launch an attack.

Now that he had a reason to openly summon his beast first, Su Ze could fully take advantage of the gap while others were summoning their beasts to first eliminate this seemingly weakest Emperor!

By then, no matter what happened to him, it would be a gain!

The Golden Feather Phoenix Bird also felt the thoughts in Su Ze's heart; as soon as it emerged from the summoning circle, it had already gathered flames in its mouth.

But just as it was preparing to spit them toward the Emperor across the table, they both felt a cold gaze watching them from behind, accompanied by a thick smell of blood.

The Golden Feather Phoenix Bird uncontrollably turned around and spat flames behind it.

Under the firelight, Su Ze saw a massive giant snake.

It had eight long necks covered in cyan-green scales, but only one neck, the one in the center-right, had a head.

The remaining seven necks only had shriveled and twisted balls of flesh on top, which were still dripping with pale red slime, looking extremely disgusting.