“I’ve been waiting for you gentlemen for a very long time. Did you all have an uneventful trip here?”
Xia Fei looked in the direction of the voice and saw a beautiful female insectoid lying on a comfortable couch, peering at them with a pair of clear and somewhat watery eyes. There was practically nobody else inside aside from her.
The scent of the room was alluring, and this woman was dressed only in a half translucent chiffon gown. Her tender white skin was vaguely visible to anyone, and the two shapely lumps on her chest were a snug fit.
This was a picturesque view of a stunning enchantress lying reposed. The sound, the atmosphere, and that inviting gaze would make anyone’s heart stop. Even Halleh could not help but find himself rooted to the spot.
Xia Fei frowned, his eyes vigilantly examining the interior of the room once as he lightly poked Halleh at his waist.
It was as if Halleh had been roused from a dream, blushing awkwardly as he complimented, “Niece Qingyan is truly growing prettier and prettier by the day.”
Watching the servant leave the room, Halleh brought Xia Fei along as they sat themselves before a coffee table, quietly doing the introduction. “This here is the elite human warrior Xia Fei, killing well over eighteen high-level Sacred Warriors. He’s also the one who managed to get hold of the item that Uti found in the Panhuman Alliance. He’s now a friend of our faction, helping us mount our counterattack toward Uti.”
Qingyan glanced at Xia Fei, but the latter had covered himself up well, so the former could not help but be a little disappointed that she could not make out how he looked.
“This here is our Qing family’s ancestral mansion. All our servants have already undergone strict vetting, so why don’t big brother Xia Fei take off your mask and relax?” Qingyan probed.
Xia Fei shook his head. “I’m fine like this.”
Qingyan casually ran through her long hair with her hand, letting it fall easily behind her to reveal her fair neck as her chest bounced. “I merely want to take a look at you.”
Her voice was delicate and light. Halleh was nearly turning into mush sitting nearby, though Xia Fei simply replied, “Miss Qingyan, you ought to be older than me, so I should be the one calling you big sister.”
Qingyan’s actions abruptly froze, and a flash of slight embarrassment appeared across her face. The seductive and sultry Qingyan would always make insectoids salivate no matter where she went, and Xia Fei was the first male who remained unmoved. Though what made her even more peeved was the fact that he had very discourteously pointed out her older age.
Age was always a sore subject for any woman, and the older a beautiful woman got, the more concerned they were with their age. What they hated the most was to be acknowledged as older, and Xia Fei’s one line was enough to piss her off completely.
Too bad females were truly amazing creatures. The more Xia Fei showed he cared not about her existence, the more it piqued her curiosity.
Halleh finally noticed the strange situation unfolding before him, so he deliberately coughed twice before asking, “Where’s Old Qing.”
Qingyan’s expression changed, sitting herself up. “Tomorrow is mother’s anniversary, so he’s gone off to make preparations. He’ll only be back later this evening.”
Tearing up, Qingyan suddenly bit her lip and bowed to Xia Fei and Halleh. “We’ll still need to depend on you two to help perform the assassination of Uti, uncle Halleh and… Brother Xia Fei. Let Qingyan thank the two of you in advance for your efforts.”
Halleh hurriedly returned a bow, telling Qingyan not to worry.
Xia Fei was secretly curious about this. It was as if Qingyan had become a completely different person, completely serious as her eyes watered, bearing a look of determination which was a contrast to how she had acted before. It made him wonder just what cruel deed did Uti do unto her.
‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’; Qingyan is the consort most doted on by Uti, yet she actually acts like this once she’s no longer near him,’ Xia Fei quietly thought, becoming even more guarded toward this coquettish woman from the butterfly species.
After exchanging a few more words, Halleh and Xia Fei both got up and left Qingyan’s abode.
“What’s with Qingyan?” Xia Fei asked.
Halleh sighed. “It’s a long story. There are plenty of beauties among the butterfly species, and every emperor of the Golden Tent will have a chosen consort from Planet Daewu; this has always been the norm.
“Several years ago, when Uti first succeeded the throne, tradition dictated that he must pick a female insectoid from here. Qingyan was merely twelve then, and her mother Mianmai had just turned thirty, an age where her charm and grace was truly developed. By no means was she inferior to the youthful beauties in their late teens, and she possessed great comportment as a female, too.
“Qingliu was the tribe leader for the butterfly species, which was why Uti stayed in this mansion. One night, Uti had too much to drink and infringed upon Qingyan’s mother’s modesty. Actually, such a matter was nothing to us insectoids, and it would hardly have caused much of a stir. It was part of the insectoid culture for the wife or mistress to be made available for a distinguished guest, not to mention the fact that this was Uti; many of our race would have found it to be a source of pride had it happened.
“But Mianmai was a strong-willed insectoid and ended up hanging herself that night as a result. Two years later, when Qingyan became fourteen and blossomed into womanhood, Uti chose her as his consort and invited her to the Golden Tent, which was how Qingliu saw a meteoric rise in status.
“Others would see this as an honor to the Qing family, but only the father and daughter knew the anguish of everything. They have only been secretly enduring everything all for the sake of getting rid of Uti, which is why Qingyan got so excited earlier.”
Xia Fei nodded. For Qingyan to have been made a consort at the age of fourteen, climbing her way until she became Uti’s cherished woman, the forbearance and scheming she had demonstrated this whole time should not be underestimated.
As night came, Qingliu hurried back and began discussing the finer details of their plan with Xia Fei and Halleh before departing once more.
Now that Qingliu was such an important figure among the insectoids, many important figures came forth to pay respect on the day of his late wife’s anniversary so that they could attempt to get close to him, which did not make his job any easier.
The father and daughter would of course observe the anniversary as well, so it was the day after before dawn when Xia Fei woke up and returned to that room from before.
The room had dozens of beautifully ornate metal boxes around, each of them filled with Qingyan’s belongings. For this infiltration to the capital, Xia Fei needed to leave Vampire behind and hide in a small box.
Hiding himself among Qingyan’s luggage would allow Xia Fei to make it right into Uti’s harem residence, and he would naturally have a better chance at finding an opportunity to kill Uti from inside than trying to patrol for a way in from beyond the capital. Meanwhile, Halleh would be following with Qingliu’s fleet. As a well-known Sacred Warrior among the insectoids, though he did not hold a position in the power structure, he should not have any problem going in and out of the imperial capital just based on his fame alone.
In comparison, Xia Fei would have to bear an even greater risk, but considering that this might very well be the only chance he had to assassinate Uti, Xia Fei had to agree to Qingliu’s request.
Picking out one of the boxes and opening it up, Xia Fei sat himself inside. The box contained plenty of women’s undergarment, and the faint scent they gave off made the mind wander.
Furball did not enjoy being in such an environment, knitting its eyebrows tightly as it refused to enter. Xia Fei had to take out a Purple Heart of Spirit as an offering before he could hold Furball in his arms.
Halleh handed Xia Fei a spatial stone. “This here contains all the food and water you’ll need. There are also a few other things inside as well. Sorry that you have to put up with such circumstances for this journey.”
Xia Fei nodded. “I’ve been to hell and back before, so this box is nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Qingyan finger placed over her lips and then pressed it against the box, leaving behind a not too obvious red mark. She smiled. “Alright, Uncle Halleh, time to go.”
*Slam!*
The room door slammed shut, and everything was quiet inside the box.
This box was not of a man’s height, so Xia Fei found it somewhat cramped to be hiding inside it. Furball was actually able to just sleep through everything, but Xia Fei was unable to find such peace.
“It is very risky. You’ll be in big trouble if the Qing father and daughter sell you out.” Phantom sighed. He had been against this plan to infiltrate the capital by smuggling Xia Fei in from the very start, but Xia Fei did not listen to his advice.
Xia Fei replied, “I’ve already done my own analysis and decided that the chance of being betrayed by them isn’t high.”
“But it’s a huge risk.”
“No risk means no reward; I’m afraid we wouldn’t even have known about the existence of that mystical device of the Golden Tent had we attempted to go about this on our own. In any case, this agreement I’m in has both perks and drawbacks. While we’re taking a risk, we will also be able to get very close to our target.”
Phantom patted his own head. “You’re such an obstinate person, so certain in doing something once you set your mind to it, but have you considered, even if you succeed in assassinating him, whether you can safely escape after or not?”
“Not at all,” Xia Fei honestly answered.
Phantom shut his mouth, no longer saying another word. Xia Fei closed his eyes and rested, only extending out his keen senses to pick up on any disturbances around him.
*Bang!*
The room door suddenly opened as dozens of big and tough insectoid warriors walked in, picking up all the boxes without saying a word.
Xia Fei was exercising his Breath Control technique, sealing his aura completely as he lay inside the box, not making a sound.
Wobbling out of the room, Xia Fei was then tossed behind the back of a small hovercar, and the soldiers drove this car to the spaceport. The escort guards numbered well in the tens of thousands, and there were even plenty of butterfly species insectoids passionately sending the consort Qinyan off. The streets were completely packed.
Qingyan’s ride was an insectoid carrier, and there was also a combined fleet that acted as its convoy. After Xia Fei had ambushed the escort fleet the last time, Uti had stepped up his defenses and taken extra precautionary measures. However, even in Uti’s wildest dream, he did not imagine that his most hated enemy would actually be sharing a voyage back to the capital with his beloved consort, ready to take his life at any time.
“Halt! These boxes need to be checked as well!” called an unreasonable insectoid officer, stopping the hovercar at the entrance of the spaceport.
Xia Fei felt his heart tighten, his finger inches away from his spatial ring, ready to pull out his Celestial Moon and October Flying Snow now that trouble came knocking!
*Slap!*
The soldiers with Qingyan were even more unruly than this officer, for he instantly slapped the insectoid right across his face the moment he got out of the car.
“Open your eyes and look carefully! These are the private belongings of the consort Qingyan! If even a single article within is lost—hmph—you’d better take care of that head of yours!”
The officer in charge of the spaceport’s security instantly deflated, retreating to his corner while clutching his face. The hovercar which contained Xia Fei successfully made its way into the airport and was immediately loaded onto the ship.
The soldiers had all these boxes placed upon the conveyor belt, ready to send them into the cargo hold.
An attendant under Qingyan’s charge came running over, locating that box Xia Fei was hiding in among the dozens of boxes and instructed the soldiers, “The consort has ordered that this box of belongings will be used for the journey back to the capital. Carry it to her bedroom.”
“Understood!” The soldiers hurriedly saluted and transported that box with Xia Fei in it onto a separate entrance.
Phantom was giggling. “Looks like that insectoid shrew has no plans of letting you go.”
Xia Fei knitted his eyebrows. The journey to the imperial capital would take seven days. Did that mean that he had to spend those days sharing a room with Qingyan?
