574. Bite the Bottle Cap? Is It Really Tasty?

Dawn was just breaking.

At the rooftop of the viewing platform in the imperial palace.

Qian Renjue was still sound asleep, resting on a soft, curvy "pillow."

Inside the open-air viewing platform, where wind flowed freely on all sides—

Ah Yin and the Ice Empress had been busy grilling over a fire all night long.

“Sister Ice, if you keep pulling, I’m gonna go bald.”

“It’s fine. You grow fast.”
The Ice Empress replied casually, yanking out a few strands of Ah Yin’s vibrant blue hair without a second thought.

With a flash of light, the strands of hair turned into fresh seedlings.

Under Ah Yin’s resentful gaze, Ice Empress skewered them and placed them over the fire.

Soon, a fragrant aroma began wafting through the air.

Ah Yin pouted.

“When is Master going to wake up? I need to drink blood to replenish energy.”

“Hmph! Just let that lazy pig sleep a little longer.”
Ice Empress snorted, clearly annoyed.

Everything she roasted had been stored in a warming pot—obviously meant for Qian Renjue.

Ah Yin gave her a disapproving look.

“Sister Ice, you confessed your feelings already. Why do you keep saying the opposite of what you mean?”

“W-Who confessed?! Don’t make stuff up!”

“How am I making it up? I saw you ask for a kiss. Clear as day.”

Hearing Ah Yin’s words, Ice Empress’s pretty, loli-like face immediately turned beet red.

She also remembered how, after she gave her kiss, Ah Yin popped out and gave one too.

So she fired back:

“W-Well I saw you chug something white down your throat too!”

“Ah!”

Ah Yin let out a soft yelp, her cheeks flushing red.

She hurriedly reached out to cover Ice Empress’s mouth, nervously glancing upward:

“Sister Ice, are you trying to get me killed?!”

“Mmph!”

Ice Empress glared at Ah Yin, shaking her head.

On the roof—

Qian Renxue opened her golden eyes, her elegant brows furrowing slightly.
She could feel the moist warmth pooling below.

Her expression softened into a blissful red-tinted calm.

She instinctively tightened her arms around the one in her embrace just a little more.

She'd let this one slide, for now. For the sake of the pillow talk.
She’d punish them next time.

The viewing platform grew quiet again.

Ah Yin looked up at the roof. Seeing no signs of movement, she finally let out a breath of relief.

She gently released Ice Empress, who had been this close to invading her personal space.

“Whew~ Thank goodness Miss Xue didn’t hear that.”

“…”

Ice Empress hugged herself in frustration.
Being caught between Ah Yin’s antics left her incredibly uncomfortable.

Then as if remembering something—

She stared up at the roof and slowly scooted closer to Ah Yin, her lovely cheeks gradually turning pink.

“Sister Ice… what are you doing?”

Ah Yin leaned away slightly, instinctively pleading:

“Please don’t pull my hair again—I really won’t be able to hold this human form anymore.”

But Ice Empress didn’t respond.

Instead, she snuck up close to Ah Yin’s ear and whispered cautiously:

“Ah Yin… is the white stuff really that tasty?”

“Huh?”

Ah Yin froze, her cheek pressed to Ice Empress’s hot, blushing face. The heat was contagious.

Wisps of steam curled from her blue hair.

She stammered:

“Sister Ice, I told you—you have to go get it yourself. It’s easier that way.”

“I remember… but I don’t know how…”
Ice Empress’s voice was as soft as a mosquito, and her teeth chattered slightly from nerves.

Ah Yin glanced around sneakily, then asked:

“Didn’t you eat candied hawthorn skewers before? It’s kinda the same.”

“Wait, do you mean… I have to bite off the bottle cap too?”

“Absolutely not!!”

Ah Yin’s eyes widened in alarm and she corrected her immediately.

This was no joke—
If she actually bit off the cap, Ice Empress would be torn into eight pieces!

And then those eight pieces would get shared among the other women.
Each of those pieces would be split again into eight more.

“Sister Ice… just start by licking the candy first. Don’t damage the hawthorn.”



Ah Yin lowered her voice, speaking with serious instruction:

“Is that so? Then I’ll go buy some candied hawthorn skewers to try when I have time.”

The Ice Empress looked like she’d had a sudden realization.

But suddenly, her delicate body trembled, and she looked at Ah Yin with a strange expression.

“By the way… Ah Yin, do you feel a chill behind us?”

“Miss Xue…”

Ah Yin’s voice trembled with difficulty.

The Ice Empress’s eyes instantly lost focus, and fear surged through her heart.

Slowly, rigidly, she turned her head—

Qian Renxue was standing right behind them, gazing down with an icy, towering presence.

Her blushing face was dark and filled with killing intent.

From her slightly open robe, faint droplets of crystal-clear moisture flowed between her curves—

Too dazzling to look at directly.

Her red lips parted, and her voice rang out like celestial music with a blizzard’s edge:

“You two… tired of living? Tastes that good, hmm?!”

“Miss Xue…”

Ah Yin’s legs went weak as she crouched down, too terrified to speak.

Ice Empress quickly tried to distance herself.

“I-I don’t know anything! I haven’t even tasted it yet!”

“Tch~”

Qian Renxue let out a cold, amused laugh, but the redness on her face could not be hidden.

Her delicate hands suddenly tightened, veins bulging—

“AH—!!”

Ah Yin was launched into the air, followed closely by the Ice Empress, who crashed right into her.

“Aaaah—!!”

The two girls collided midair, their figures bursting into flashes of blood-red and emerald-green light.

“So infuriating!”

Qian Renxue panted in frustration.

How did things get to the point where she had to hear such filth?!

It was clear she’d need to properly educate her foolish little brother—
on how to protect himself as a man!

As for whether Qian Renjue enjoyed being fought over?

That wasn’t her concern!

On the rooftop…

Qian Renjue slowly opened his eyes.

Noticing a moist feeling at the corner of his mouth, he paused in confusion.

He quickly wiped it away—
After all, he was the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, the future Pope, the future God.

Drooling in his sleep? How disgraceful.

But after wiping it, he noticed a familiar lingering fragrance…

___

Heaven Dou Royal Academy

Flender and the others had just returned, having been bailed out by Dugu Bo.

“Xiao Wu!”

Back in the courtyard—

Zhu Zhuqing leapt down from the roof and wrapped Xiao Wu in a tight embrace.

“Are you alright, Xiao Wu?”

“I’m fine,”
Xiao Wu shook her head and gave her a sly smile before burying her face in Zhu Zhuqing’s arms.

“Flender, what happened?! Where’s Tang San?!”

Yu Xiaogang immediately hobbled over with his cane, his single eye scanning the area.

“…”

Flender said nothing at first, only staring at Zhao Wuji and the others with guilt.

Yu Xiaogang frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

“Teacher, what’s going on?”
Ma Hongjun asked anxiously.

“Sigh…”

Flender let out a deep sigh and explained honestly:

“Tang San killed the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire… and is now on the run.”

“What?!”

Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others were stunned. They could hardly believe it.

Tang San—was that bold?

“That’s impossible…”

Yu Xiaogang’s face went pale as he staggered back two steps.

His hopes had been shattered again!

Ma Hongjun’s chubby face trembled, fear showing in his beady eyes.

“Then… aren’t we going to take the fall for Tang San?!”

“…”

Zhao Wuji and Shao Xin both frowned, clearly troubled.

Li Yusong’s expression was full of bitterness.

“Heh… we traveled all this way, only to walk into a death trap.”

“Yusong, it’s not that bad,”
Flender replied bitterly, though with a hint of relief on his long face.

He slowly explained:

“That honored one spared our lives thanks to her granddaughter’s plea. But… it also means we’re no longer welcome at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.”

Hearing this—

Everyone turned their eyes toward Xiao Wu, who looked disheveled and clearly had been crying.

“Haha… the academy doesn’t matter. We’re still alive—that’s what counts. I guess we owe this one to Xiao Wu.”

Zhao Wuji let out a hearty, unbothered laugh.

The others nodded in agreement. Compared to life, everything else was trivial.

“Teacher Zhao, don’t say that…”

Xiao Wu gently waved her hands.

“If Tang San did what he did, I’m partly to blame too. You’re all safe—
it should be me who’s grateful.”