The Royal Palace was like an arena and looked just like an ancient Roman colosseum. It was round and surrounded by concentric tiered seats. At the center was a square ring about fifty meters wide and long and built of marble, and the gaps between each stone seemed seamless. Even a sip of paper wouldn’t fit between each stone, and it was as smooth as a mirror.
At this moment, Xiao Luo, Ghost, and Duck Emperor were at the center of the ring. The seating area was brimming with over five thousand citizens of Baiyue Nation, and there were no vacant seats available. Funing and Grand Master were in the grandstand above the masses with a bird’s-eye view. It was as if they were overlooking every single living being.
There was a frying pan in front of Xiao Luo with a blazing fire just beneath it. The oil in the frying pan was already simmering, white fumes rising from its surface dauntingly.
“What’s the first test? Hurry, spill it out. Don’t waste our time. We’re in a hurry!” Ghost was eager to find out what the test was and couldn’t wait to get through it.
Duck Emperor shook its head and sighed. “Little girl, I’m seriously worried about your IQ. Even if you use your butt to think, you’d be able to tell it has something to do with this frying pan in front of us.”
“Into the frying pan…” Xiao Luo thought to himself. “Indeed, even if you used your butt to think, you couldn’t miss it.”
Duck Emperor then explained to Ghost and spoke confidently, “Can you see this frying pan here? They have already heated the oil inside. The first test has to be about deep-frying. Throw some wild animals or ingredients into the frying pan and fry them, and then finish the food as fast as you can. I’d say the aim is to see who can eat the fastest and the most.”
After hearing that, Xiao Luo was at such a loss for words that he almost fainted.
“Oh, if it’s an eating competition, then this girl here will never lose! I’m the best at anything related to eating,” Ghost replied, holding on to her small red umbrella with her apricot eyes glimmering.
THWACK!
Xiao Luo did not hesitate to smack Duck Emperor on his head. He rolled his eyes and said, “Did you say you were worried about Ghost’s IQ? Your IQ isn’t any much higher either. Keep your mouth shut if you know nothing and stop trying to fool Ghost.”
“Screw your ducking grandfather! Go***mn brat, why did you smack my head? You’ve messed up my hair. Don’t tell me I’m wrong. Are we not competing to see who can eat faster?” Duck Emperor stared at him with a pair of round and angry eyes.
Competing to see who can eat faster?
Xiao Luo was angry but found it funny at the same time. He then gave Duck Emperor another smack on the head. “You sure have a big heart.”
“A scholar would rather die than be humiliated. Go**mn brat, you better not smack my head again. If you don’t believe me, how about we make a bet?” Duck Emperor was, at heart, a duck with a temper. Since he was constantly being bullied by Xiao Luo, he felt now was the time to make an epic comeback.
“Bet your *ss!” Xiao Luo said gruffly.
Then he added, “If we aren’t competing to see who can eat the fastest, then I’ll pull out all of your feathers, throw them into the frying pan and fry it. What do you mean a scholar would rather die than be humiliated? I haven’t given you a good beating in a couple of days, and you’re already behaving like a spoiled kid.”
Duck Emperor no longer had the guts to argue with Xiao Luo. It slowly flew into Ghost’s pocket. A feeble voice was heard coming from inside the pocket, “Fine, you’re the big brother.”
Looking at the cowardly Duck Emperor, Ghost couldn’t suppress a giggle.
In the grandstand above, Grand Master stared icily and sneered, “Standing at the precipice of death, yet still unaware of their predicament! Truly they are fools!”
“Don’t keep us guessing anymore. What’s the first test about? Make it clear,” Xiao Luo bellowed, lifting his head upward.
Grand Master’s eyes glowered with indignation. It was unacceptable that his man dared to speak with her in such a disrespectful tone. She gnashed her teeth with hatred, then quickly calmed herself, and said, “As you can see, there is a frying pan with heated oil in front of you. The first test is for one of you to jump in. If any of you can stay in there longer than one burning joss stick without dying, then you will have passed the test.”
“Huh?”
After hearing that, all the Baiyue Nation citizens gasped. They were sure that Grand Master intended to take this man’s life. Jumping into a frying pan of hot oil would turn them into human jerky, and this method of death was extremely cruel.
“Into the frying pan? Screw her ducking grandmother! Does she have to go to this extent?” Duck Emperor was so scared that he gulped.
“Grand Master Mother…”
“Funing, I’ve already agreed to give in. This is the best I can do.”
Funing wanted to say more, but Grand Master stopped her by raising her hands. She stood firm on her intentions.
Grand Master shouted down to Xiao Luo and Ghost, “While you’re in the frying pan, you’re not allowed to use true inner force. Once I detect any true inner force being used, then you will fail this test.”
“That won’t do. What’s the difference between jumping in and just killing them outright?” Funing shouted.
She couldn’t just sit still. Sure, they could not use true inner force, but even if they could, staying inside a frying pan with boiling oil for the duration of one burning joss stick was more than enough time to kill anyone. Probably not even a Martial Emperor could survive that.
“There’s a difference. At least they have a chance to live if they go inside the frying pan. If left to me to finish them, then there’s no chance they would survive,” Grand Master retorted.
She was an experienced person. Funing was nothing compared to her, so she couldn’t argue with her. After Xiao Luo’s death, the venom of love within Funing would be gone along with the man. Not only were they abiding by the law, but also she’d be able to protect Funing. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
“Isn’t your request a little too much?”
Xiao Luo furrowed his eyebrows and glared back at the grandmaster. All he wanted was for both sides to be safe and to leave this place without incident. Everyone would be happy. But it didn’t seem like Grand Master had the same sentiments.
“Too much?”
Grand Master laughed coldly. “You people will have to pass the three tests if you want to live. This is the law of our land. You don’t have a choice.”
“Go***mn brat, ignore this demonic witch. If you listen to her, you’re going to be so f****ng dead!”
Duck Emperor was angry as well. Not being able to use true elementary force was bul***t. Not even a Martial Saint could survive it with nothing but their bare skin.
“This girl here can give it a try,” Ghost said with pouted lips.
Upon hearing that, Duck Emperor was shocked. He flew out and touched her on the forehead. “Do you have a fever, little girl? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
“I’m not spouting nonsense. She said that we’re not allowed to use true inner force, but the people from the Sucking Blood Clan have a different body build. It’s based on ‘spirit,’ and my ‘spirit’ is yin. Not even the magma from the erupting volcano in the Dark Forest can harm me. This frying pan is nothing at all,” Ghost said.
Eh…
Duck Emperor was stunned.
Xiao Luo was a little worried. “Can you do it?”
“Don’t worry, Senior Luoluo. Though I might be unreliable, I assure you I can do this,” Ghost replied with a nod of her head. “But I have a request.”
“What request?” Xiao Luo furrowed his eyebrows.
Ghost put on an adorable smile on her pretty face. She walked toward him and whispered in his ears, “When I’m back from the frying pan, don’t call me by my name anymore.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Baby Ling!”
“Baby Ling?”
“That’s right! That will show we have an intimate relationship,” Ghost said and giggled.
