Chapter 121: Song of the Twin Gods pt. 2

"Only a few people in the world know about my contract with Ming Zhuo. Even those who have heard of the Soul Promise have no idea about the contract's details," Little Luo Xu said. "When I woke up, you mentioned that my heart no longer hurt because someone had calmed the Little Crown Prince for me. The Little Crown Prince resides deep in the Divine Palace and has never left. The only ones who are familiar with him and understand the contract, aside from Ming Han, who made the contract with my father, is the Little Crown Prince himself."

Ming Zhuo, still with his hands behind his back, gazed at him somewhat as if he were looking down at him from on high, "Besides Ming Han and the Little Crown Prince, there are many servants and Baiwei warriors in the Divine Palace. If I were just a Baiwei warrior sent by Ming Han to gather information, it's not impossible that he might have shared some details of the contract with me."

"Baiwei warriors all carry dual blades. If you were one, you should have shown me by now," Little Luo Xu tugged at the silver hair covering his eyes. "Besides, Yafu has close ties with Ming Han in Peidu. If you were sent by Ming Han, he would surely recognise you."

Ming Zhuo was unaware of the internal situation in the Heavenly Sea. The corpse lying on the ground, the one who could act as Luo Xu’s foster father, had two reasons for his position: first, in his youth, he had been a fierce general in Heavenly Sea’s Imperial Guard, and second, he was an expert strategist with a sharp sense of judgment—simple disguises could rarely fool his eyes. After two years of dealings with him, Little Luo Xu knew how difficult he was to handle. If Ming Zhuo were truly a Baiwei warrior, even without dual blades or the Baiwei insignia, subtle habits in his gaze and speech would have betrayed his past.

"Even if you've guessed that I'm Ming Zhuo," Ming Zhuo said bluntly, "how can you be sure that the other version of you would call me 'Lord' instead of 'Ming Zhuo'?"

"I guessed," Little Luo Xu reasoned. "There probably aren't many who would call you Ming Zhuo. As for the most common form of address, it could only be 'Lord.' After all, you're an Imperial Lord, and no one dares to call you by your name, let alone the ruler of the Six Prefectures." Feeling he had regained some ground, he smiled and asked, "So, what do you call me? Luo Xu?"

"I call you 'Little Dog,'" Ming Zhuo said casually, "I've never called you by your full name."

"Ah?" Little Luo Xu pretended not to hear, clutching his chest and frowning. "…Suddenly my heart hurts again. You should ask the big one if he's bullying you!"

"I'm me, the Little Crown Prince is the Little Crown Prince," Ming Zhuo said coldly, watching as Little Luo Xu pretended to have a heart attack. "Even if he sold and refined the Little Crown Prince, it would have nothing to do with me."

"Not long ago, you said you wouldn’t let anyone kill or harm me," Little Luo Xu said, leaning against Little Luo You as if he were about to collapse. "How can it not count after just a few hours?"

Ming Zhuo leaned down slightly, the strange fragrance from his collar overwhelming him. The closer he got, the more his gaze resembled that of a wicked cat eyeing a small fish, as if Little Luo Xu’s pain wasn't enough to satisfy him. "If the big one knew you were framing him like this, he'd definitely hang you outside like a flag."

As soon as Ming Zhuo appeared, the brilliance of all the hall's jewels and jade dimmed. Even though Little Luo Xu had not fully understood it yet, when that face drew near, he couldn't help but panic, saying, "…You don’t care, even if this hurts me to the point of death…"

Little Luo You twisted its body, causing Little Luo Xu to fall to the ground. He clutched his chest, looking aggrieved. The beast's tail drooped limply from his collar as if it had lost its spirit, slumping down dejectedly.

"I can't ask the big one anything. Whatever I say, he won't hear it." Ming Zhuo raised a finger and summoned a fire talisman from the air. He ripped it apart and blew it toward Little Luo Xu. "Lift your head so I can get a better look."

The fire talismans of the Heavenly Sea were known for their mystical effects and were originally used for healing. Ming Zhuo had picked up a pile of them along the way and kept them in his sleeve, tearing them apart for fun—he wasn't cold at all. Each time he ripped one, it seemed like mere idle amusement. Had Little Luo Xu looked back, he'd have noticed the ground was littered with the ashes of fire talismans where he'd been sleeping.

The fire talisman ignited with a faint crackle, casting a weak light and blowing a wave of warmth across Little Luo Xu's face. As their eyes met, Little Luo Xu suddenly said, "Luo You!"

Little Luo You nudged Ming Zhuo's leg, the powerful black panther gently bumping into him. Seizing the opportunity, Little Luo Xu grabbed Ming Zhuo's wrist and, with a deft move, ducked under his arm as if trying to dive into Ming Zhuo's embrace.

"Looking for a knife?" Ming Zhuo asked, grabbing Little Luo Xu’s beast tail. "Quite bold of you."

The silver beast's tail, along with the cloak, was lifted, but beneath it, nothing—Little Luo Xu had pulled off a golden cicada shedding its shell!

Little Luo Xu, moving swiftly, took his chance and struck at Ming Zhuo. Just as his hand reached Ming Zhuo’s collar, he paused, as if remembering to be polite, and lightly tapped instead: "Banishment."

A silver light flashed on the ground, and a "manji" symbol began to form—

Ming Zhuo, without mercy, struck Little Luo Xu’s forehead and then hooked his foot, tripping him. The "manji" symbol on the ground had barely formed before he wiped it away beneath his heel.

"Still pretending to be heartbroken in front of me? Don’t you know what it means for evil to beget evil? This is what it means," Ming Zhuo said, flexing the chains on his fingers and throwing the cloak over Little Luo Xu. He slowly repeated the outrageous words spoken by the one who was now absent, "Even if you curse me a hundred or a thousand times, it won’t work."

"You’re not a warrior, so what do you want with my sword?" Little Luo Xu pushed the cloak off him, neither too proud in victory nor too upset in defeat. "The sword's so heavy, keeping it will only weigh you down. Why not return it to me? I—"

His body suddenly flipped twice, wrapped tightly by the cloak like a silkworm. The young Imperial Lord’s expression changed, but he forced a smile and spoke gently, "Gēgē, listen to me—"

Little Luo Xu was dragged along the ground by his feet, carried by Ming Zhuo. Being young, Little Luo Xu knew Ming Zhuo wouldn’t kill him, so he nodded vigorously, gritting his teeth as he said, "When we grow up, we’ll at least be friends. If you won’t return my sword, fine, but to treat me like this… Ming Zhuo! Luo You!"

Little Luo You brushed its tail across his face, and Little Luo Xu blew away the black panther's fallen fur, grumbling, "It hurts so much. Ming Zhuo, you really don’t care about me!"

Ming Zhuo ignored him, sniffing the air as he searched for the source of the strange fragrance. His gaze swept toward the door, where darkness loomed. Perhaps it was just an illusion, but ever since Little Luo Xu had killed Yafu, the sky here had never changed.

"So sweet that it’s foul," Ming Zhuo muttered to himself. "Wenle, you’re about to fall too."

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