Chapter 492: Boss

Chapter 492: The Boss

As Li Huowang had just stepped up to the imposing palace entrance, he was stopped in his tracks by a guard whose towering frame seemed to stretch at least three meters tall. “Weapons are not allowed inside the palace!”

This towering guard had an oversized upper body and disproportionately short legs, making him appear oddly unbalanced and unsettling. His face was obscured by a bronze mask, leaving Li Huowang uncertain whether what stood before him was truly human or something else entirely.

When the Purple Ear Sword and the Copper Coin Sword were seized by the guard’s hand, he retreated into the shadows, standing motionless like a statue.

Li Huowang entered the hall. He found that this spacious chamber was supported by numerous red pillars, each carved with a coiling, lifelike golden dragon—spectacular in their craftsmanship.

Such grandeur did not at all resemble a royal sleeping chamber.

Before Li Huowang could observe further, a shout from afar drew his attention. “Come quickly! Come quickly!”

It was the young emperor of Daliang, dressed in a black-red imperial robe, waving frantically toward Li Huowang. Were it not for the eunuchs blocking his path, he would have rushed over long ago.

Li Huowang walked up to within three zhang of him and bowed deeply. “Earjiu greets Your Majesty!”

Ji Lin, however, no longer cared about the eunuchs’ obstruction. He immediately ran forward, eyes filled with desperation. “Earjiu! You must help me!”

Caught off guard by such a sudden plea, Li Huowang stood silently, waiting for Ji Lin to continue.

“My father was right. Those brothers of ours—they’ve begun to move! They’re trying to steal my throne!”

Fear crept into Ji Lin’s eyes. “I... I don’t really want to be emperor. I’d be happy as a free-spirited prince. But they don’t just want the throne—they want to kill me!”

“That’s obvious. Do you honestly think they’ll spare your life out of brotherly loyalty?” Li Huowang thought to himself.

After all, this wasn’t his problem. At this moment, Li Huowang felt no urgency; he was merely here to watch the show.

“Your Majesty, as one of the Heavenly Observers, Earjiu is bound by ancestral laws that forbid involvement in court affairs.”

“You’re lying! Why does Brother Three have people from the Heavenly Observers?” the young emperor shot back loudly.

Then his voice dropped. “I’ve heard from the eunuchs that you’re quite formidable, aren’t you? That spirit demon was brought to us by you. You’re someone who can speak with authority in the Heavenly Observers, right?”

“Do you know? Now, aside from these eunuchs, I don’t even know who I can trust in the court. Everyone has their own agenda. I don’t even know if they’ve secretly pledged allegiance to someone else!” The emperor’s voice trembled.

“If you were able to warn me about that deception during the Shangsi Festival, then your heart must not be evil. Please, help me. I have no one else left to turn to!”

“And do you know anyone in the Heavenly Observers? If you can find someone to help me, I’ll give you a title and a fief!”

Hearing this, Li Huowang frowned. Even though he knew nothing of imperial politics, he could tell this young emperor was hopelessly inexperienced.

He was trying to recruit someone outside the game—someone like himself—and had no advisors around him. In this deadly game of cultivating vipers, he might be the first to be eliminated. “Your Majesty, please forgive my incompetence. I cannot take on such a great responsibility.”

Upon hearing Li Huowang refuse, Ji Lin flew into a rage. “I am the emperor—you must listen to me! Otherwise, I’ll chop off your head!”

Li Huowang’s blood boiled. “Should I join his brother’s faction and kill him when the time comes?”

Just as he thought this, Ji Lin’s tone softened again. He took both of Li Huowang’s hands in his, almost begging. “Earjiu, help me. Just this once! I truly have no other way. I don’t want to die!”

Seeing tears welling up in his eyes, Li Huowang felt a flicker of sympathy. But such a dangerous political maneuver as choosing a side in a succession struggle could end in instant destruction—even more so given that his own past was far from clean. If his true identity were ever exposed during the process, everything would be lost.

“Your Majesty, this matter is grave. Please allow me to return and consider it carefully.”

Hearing Li Huowang’s refusal turn into hesitation, Ji Lin let out a sigh of relief. “Fine, fine! Think as long as you want! I won’t pressure you. As long as you help me this time, once I’m firmly seated on the throne, I’ll give you whatever riches you desire!”

As Li Huowang slowly walked out of the magnificent palace, he caught a glimpse of the old eunuch beside the emperor. With each word spoken, the eunuch nodded slightly, then drew a circle around a name on a scroll in his hand.

Tonight, it seemed he hadn’t only come to recruit Li Huowang. This man was clearly desperate, grasping at straws. “If there’s fruit, beat three sticks anyway.”

Of course, Li Huowang wouldn’t get involved. What he said earlier was simply to stall and buy time to escape.

As for whether the young emperor would later cause him trouble—it would depend on whether he survived this viper game first.

Li Huowang believed this emperor’s chances were slim. Refusing his offer wouldn’t be just his alone.

By the time Li Huowang returned home in a sedan chair carried by eight men, the sky had already brightened.

He casually picked up a beggar, draped his face over the man’s, and left the beggar in his place. After changing his appearance, he set off with Miao Miao and Li Sui toward the city gate.

As a member of the Forgetful Dao sect, Li Huowang had confidence in fooling those watching him.

Sure enough, as they neared the gate, everything remained calm—no incidents occurred.

“You stay here. I’ll go buy breakfast. We’ll eat on the way,” Li Huowang said, walking toward a nearby stall.

The thin, pale-yellow dough was stretched and dropped into a pot of sizzling oil. It quickly swirled and puffed up, turning from light to dark until it became crispy fried strips.

The freshly pounded steamed glutinous rice cakes, still steaming, were shaped into balls and squeezed out of the plump middle-aged man’s palm, then tossed into black sesame and coarse sugar.

The crisp fried strips folded in half, sandwiching the sesame-and-sugar-coated rice cakes. With a firm grip, he bit down. The crispy fried strips wrapped the soft rice cakes, the rich aroma of sesame blending with the salty flavor of the oil, enveloping his mouth completely.

“Six of them,” Li Huowang tossed a copper coin into the basket on the stall.

Seeing the coin, the round-faced middle-aged man smiled. His small green eyes disappeared beneath his jowls.

“Ah~ Alright! Six fried strips with rice cakes. Here you go, sir. Be careful, it’s hot!”

Li Huowang took the food and took a bite. After chewing just a couple of times, he stopped walking.

He walked back to the stall, spat out the piece in his mouth, and asked the enthusiastic vendor softly, “Boss, is there something wrong?”

The fat vendor wiped his forehead with a cloth, his sweat glistening from the heat of the oil pot. Nodding and bowing, he called out to customers with a casual grin. “Oh, nothing much. Just need a little favor from you.”

(End of Chapter)