270: Jade Peak Dew Wine

"The Iron-Haired Dog Pack crashed through the barrier and fell, landing right near the Grass Spirit Dog village..." Chen Yu spoke faster and faster, a chill creeping from the soles of her feet up her spine.

"I was picked up by them, and then the Gray-Backed Wolf 'just happened' to attack, forcing Sister Meng to intervene. One thing after another, the timing was too perfect."

She looked up at Shang Wan Ning, her eyes wide behind her gold-rimmed glasses: "It's as if... as if someone calculated every step, using me as a pawn to force the Grass Spirit Dog Clan and the Underworld together."

Shang Wan Ning did not deny it.

She released her finger from the center of Chen Yu's brow and instead pinched her small chin, her grip light.

"A pawn?"

A curve formed at the corners of her lips. "A-Yu, you've finally decided to use your brain? Though you're a bit slow."

"In this game of chess, the opponent's divination is indeed exquisite."

"Exploiting the Iron-Haired Dog's instinct for trouble, using the Underworld's concern for Big Dog, and even calculating that Sister Meng had just finished her seclusion and would be eager to protect her own."

"The ultimate goal is to shove the hot potato that is the Grass Spirit Dog, along with whatever hidden troubles they might carry, straight into the Underworld's arms."

With her chin held, Chen Yu was forced to look up into Shang Wan Ning's deep pupils. "Then what should we do?"

Her throat bobbed. "Are we really going to ignore the Grass Spirit Dogs? Feng Xi and the others probably don't even know they've been played."

"Care?"

Shang Wan Ning sneered and let go. Her thumb rubbed the reddened spot on Chen Yu's chin with gentle pressure.

"It's no longer a question of whether the Underworld wants to get involved. The opponent has already dangled the bait in front of my mouth, forcing me to bite."

She took a step back, her robes fluttering without any wind.

"The value of the Grass Spirit Dogs is real, and their desire to leave the Demon Realm for protection is also real. Regardless of whether there's a mastermind behind it, this 'surrender' is more beneficial than harmful to the Underworld."

"Your Majesty means..." Chen Yu rubbed her chin, her brain capacity struggling to keep up.

"We'll beat them at their own game," Shang Wan Ning said. "If they want to shove the Grass Spirit Dogs onto the Underworld, then I shall accept them."

"Huh?" Chen Yu was dazed.

"Not only will I accept them, but I will do so beautifully." A sharp glint flashed in Shang Wan Ning's eyes.

"Doesn't Feng Xi want the whole clan to migrate? Grant it! I not only want the Grass Spirit Dogs, but I also want all their 'hidden traces moss wine' recipes, their Spiritual Plant Compendiums, and even all their records regarding the Demon Realm."

"In exchange, the Underworld will promise protection for the entire clan and provide the most fertile Spiritual Fields on the The Banks of the River of Oblivion."

She paced to the treehouse window, watching the busy figures of the Grass Spirit Dogs in the thin mist outside.

"The opponent went to great lengths to deliver this 'sugar-coated bullet.' I'll eat the sugar coating and send the bullet back to them exactly as it came."

Shang Wan Ning turned around, her gaze piercing Chen Yu like lightning: "A-Yu."

"Present!" Chen Yu jolted.

"You've played the 'King of the Hill' long enough while recovering."

"Since the opponent wants to see the Underworld enter the game, you will play the role of the 'Lord Prefectural City God' who is kept in the dark and gladly accepts the surrender."

She stepped closer and tapped Chen Yu's chest. The force penetrated the thin fabric, flat and intimate.

(ﾟ⊿ﾟ)ﾂ

"Relax. Eat when you should, drink when you should, and be enthusiastic toward Feng Xi and the others. Make sure the eyes hiding in the shadows believe that I am completely convinced by this 'gift from the heavens' and have a very healthy appetite for it."

Chen Yu felt a numbness in her chest where the Empress had tapped her.

Softness and tingling intertwined, making her want to jump up and cling to Shang Wan Ning.

"And then?"

"Then?" Shang Wan Ning leaned in slightly, whispering in her ear. "Then we wait. Wait for the snake to leave its hole, wait for the fox to show its tail, and wait for their next move."

"I want to see exactly what they're plotting by going to such trouble to push the Grass Spirit Dogs onto us."

She straightened up and wiped her face, returning to the plain appearance of "Envoy Shang."

"Alright, Lord Prefectural City God, it's time to 'discuss' the 'happy occasion' of the clan's migration with Clan Leader Feng."

Shang Wan Ning removed the Restriction and pulled open the door of the treehouse.

The morning light began to show, reflecting her plain profile and illuminating the lingering shock in Chen Yu's eyes.

"By the way." Shang Wan Ning paused.

"Keep an eye on that Iron-Haired Dog Pack. I've indeed raised them with too much indulgence. I'll have them all neutered when we get back."

Watching Shang Wan Ning's figure vanish into the morning mist, Chen Yu subconsciously touched the spot on her chest and then pressed her legs together.

【Wuu~ wuu~ wuu~】

Outside the treehouse, Feng Xi was waiting anxiously for the "good news."

She rubbed her face hard and forced a bright, somewhat fake trademark smile.

"Sister Feng Xi."

Chen Yu pushed open the half-closed door, her voice crisp and cheerful, filled with "joy."

"Come in quickly. Envoy Shang has finished her inspection."

"Wonderful news! Your whole clan's migration to the Underworld is a go!"

The wild joy on Feng Xi's face had only half-bloomed before it suddenly froze.

It was too fast!

So fast that her heart began to drum with anxiety.

Shouldn't the "Spiritual Farmer" positions in the Underworld require layers of inspections and all sorts of difficulties, before finally granting one or two spots out of pity?

The "small gifts" she and the elders had prepared hadn't even been sent out to take effect yet.

Chen Yu saw the suspicion in Feng Xi's eyes at a glance.

【Tsk, Sister Feng Xi is quite meticulous.】

"Ahem~" Chen Yu cleared her throat, tilting her chin slightly and putting on the air of a Prefecture City God.

Her right thumb and index finger naturally rubbed together in the universal "counting money" gesture, her expression carrying a "you know what I mean" hint.

"Sister Feng Xi." The White-Haired Loli lowered her voice, sounding like she was sharing a confidence.

"I have a bit of influence in the Netherworld." She leaned in, almost whispering.

"As long as for the first ten years, we split the harvest from the Grass Spirit Dog Clan's Spiritual Fields on the The Banks of the River of Oblivion sixty-forty? You should understand, right?"

Feng Xi's dog-like eyes instantly lit up.

All her doubts vanished in an instant.

【That's the one. That's exactly right.】

This matched her perception of "important figures." She wasn't afraid of an envoy being greedy; she was afraid of an envoy being so noble they were detached from the world. Being nice to the Demon race for no reason was what truly made a Demon's skin crawl.

"I understand, I understand perfectly."

Feng Xi was so excited her voice almost cracked. Her tail swept wildly behind her in small arcs as she nodded like a woodpecker.

"A-Yu's action is like a second lease on life for my Grass Spirit Dog Clan. It's a kindness as vast as the heavens."

Her eyes darted around, and her face filled with absolute flattery. "A-Yu and Envoy Shang have worked so hard. Seventy percent! It must be seventy percent! The Grass Spirit Dog Clan will be more than grateful to keep thirty percent just to survive."

Saying this, she reached into an inconspicuous animal-skin storage bag at her waist and pulled out a small, translucent white jade jar.

The jar was no bigger than a palm, warm to the touch, and exuded a faint, intoxicating warmth.

With a knowing smile on her face, Feng Xi shoved it into Chen Yu's hand without a word, pressing down firmly.

"A small token of my appreciation: Jade Peak Dew Wine. It's the first batch just brewed, hasn't even entered the warehouse yet."