The Villainous Shizun Is As Beautiful As A Flower

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Shen Liuxiang looked at him warily. “Test what?”

In a hushed voice, Xu Xingchen explained a series of plans, leaving Shen Liuxiang bewildered. “Where did you come up with these ideas?”

Xu Xingchen replied, “From novels.”

Shen Liuxiang asked, “You still read those things?”

Xu Xingchen gave him a glance, his eyelid twitching slightly. “Emperor Father collected so many novels, and one time I got curious and read a few. I found them lowbrow and boring, and I couldn’t understand what fascinated you about them. So, I secretly bought more of them and read while contemplating. Eventually, I concluded that you’re just incredibly mundane.”

Shen Liuxiang: “…”

Xu Xingchen took out a handkerchief and wiped off the ointment from his hand. “Since that’s the case, it’s settled then. I’ll make the arrangements right away.”

Shen Liuxiang wanted to scoff and decline, but a strange sensation seemed to tickle his heart, changing his words at the last moment. “I just have to say that one line?”

Xu Xingchen reassured, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the rest.”

For the entire afternoon, Shen Liuxiang had no interest in alchemy. He wandered around the courtyard instead. As dusk fell, he hesitated for a moment before pulling Zhou Xuanlan out of the cultivation room.

“I promised you earlier, we’ll go to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.”

Zhou Xuanlan initially assumed it would just be the two of them, him and his Master. However, upon arrival, he discovered that Xu Xingchen had been waiting there for a while, securing a corner spot on the ground floor.

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Furrowing his brows slightly, Zhou Xuanlan sensed something was off.

Normally, people of some standing would choose private rooms, but the ground floor was packed with tables, and at this hour, every seat was filled. The clamor could be heard half a street away. The difference between the ground floor and the private rooms upstairs was like night and day.

However, seeing Shen Liuxiang’s nonchalant expression, he didn’t think much of it.

Zhou Xuanlan took his seat, attracting the attention of many. The imposing aura of a Great Demon made the other demon cultivators uneasy, their expressions showing admiration mingled with trepidation.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall grew somewhat strange.

At a table behind Zhou Xuanlan, a man and a woman, both demons, seemed completely unaffected by it all. They remained affectionate, whispering sweet nothings to each other, seemingly oblivious to the surroundings.

Facing away from the hall, Shen Liuxiang removed his mask, casting a quick glance over the table full of delicious dishes. Swallowing back his saliva, he picked up his chopsticks.

“Let’s eat.”

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Just as the words left his mouth, a foot kicked his leg.

Zhou Xuanlan saw Shen Liuxiang’s expression stiffen. “What’s wrong, Master?”

Shen Liuxiang looked at Xu Xingchen, who was glaring at him, then reluctantly put down his chopsticks and turned his attention to the dishes in front of Zhou Xuanlan.

Clearing his throat, he spoke in one go, “I want to…”

“Hey, Lord and Master Shen!”

A surprised voice rang out from behind.

Seeing a figure in the corner of his eye, Luo Yu, who had been heading upstairs, paused in his steps and quickly approached them.

He had thought he would be quite lonely all by himself, and not very enthusiastic about it. When he saw the three people at the table, he felt a desire to join them. However, as a subordinate, he couldn’t possibly sit at the same table as the Demon King. Thus, he cast a pleading glance toward Shen Liuxiang.

Shen Liuxiang’s face showed a conflicted expression. Normally, it wouldn’t matter, but considering he had important matters to attend to later, he hesitated for a while before finally saying, “There’s an empty seat; you can sit there.”

Luo Yu felt overjoyed, cautiously glancing at Zhou Xuanlan and finding no sign of displeasure. Only then did he relax and sit down. But soon after, he realized no one at the table was touching the food, which made him feel quite uneasy.

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“Are we… going to eat?”

Shen Liuxiang nodded, picked up a morsel of food with his chopsticks, and as he was about to eat, the chair under him swayed slightly, making him almost lose his balance.

Xu Xingchen’s gaze turned sharp as a knife.

Shen Liuxiang swallowed a small bite of rice and then shifted his gaze to Zhou Xuanlan. It slowly moved to the plate of food in front of Zhou Xuanlan. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Xuanlan suddenly realized something, “Do you want the fish fin soup, Master?”

He reached out, intending to pass the dish to Shen Liuxiang.

Shen Liuxiang quickly grabbed his hand. “No, that’s not it.”

Zhou Xuanlan looked puzzled, and Shen Liuxiang looked at him, forcing himself to speak, “I want to eat, but I want you to…”

“City Lord!”

Before Shen Liuxiang could finish his sentence, he was interrupted once again.

Everyone in the hall had their expressions change as they noticed the arrival of Wenren Qin, who stepped into the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. They respectfully stood up and bowed to him.

Wenren Qin nodded slightly and looked toward the corner of the room before walking in that direction.

Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes narrowed slightly, while Luo Yu, at his side, looked as though he was facing a formidable foe, not bothering to hide his cautious expression.

“It seems I don’t have a seat.” Wenren Qin’s expression appeared somewhat regretful.

Shen Liuxiang nodded repeatedly, and though he said, “It’s a pity. The four-person table is full, it seems the Seventh Demon King will need to find another place.”

In his mind, he was thinking: Just leave already, don’t come and spoil the atmosphere!

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“No need to find another place,” Wenren Qin said with a smile, suddenly having a chair brought over. “Since there isn’t a seat for me, I’ll just create one.”

As he squeezed his way to the table, the atmosphere shifted from being subtle to strange and eerie.

All the patrons of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion paused their meals, their eyes landing on this secluded little world. Even if they didn’t quite understand what was happening, they sensed something unusual was going on.

The unfamiliar and powerful demon, so composed in front of the City Lord, was clearly not an ordinary individual. Perhaps he had the strength of a Demon King himself.

Encountering such a high-ranking demon was rare, and they had seen two today, seated together at the same table.

Xu Xingchen, however, paid no mind to the distinction between high-ranking and low-ranking demons. His focus remained unswerving—no matter how many people were at the table, his target was clear. He discreetly kicked the chair to get Shen Liuxiang’s attention.

Shen Liuxiang found it unbelievable.

With so many people watching, how could he possibly utter those words!

Xu Xingchen frowned, noticing that kicking the chair didn’t work. He resorted to sending a mental message, “Try it quickly! Don’t let this opportunity slip away. I’ve made all the arrangements!”

Shen Liuxiang’s expression turned stiff as he responded, “I’ll do it another time, for sure.”

Xu Xingchen retorted, “I can see you’re getting cold feet. If he really likes you, your master-disciple relationship will come to an end. You’ll either remain estranged forever or things will turn awry! No, no!”

Suddenly realizing something, Xu Xingchen’s face changed, and he sent another message, “Forget it, maybe he doesn’t even like you. You shouldn’t try it!”

As he finished, he saw Shen Liuxiang blink his phoenix-like eyes, his gaze inexplicably landing on Zhou Xuanlan.

“I want to eat phoenix tail fish fin soup.”

Without delay, Zhou Xuanlan offered the delicate dish in front of him. But to his surprise, Shen Liuxiang still didn’t move; he continued to gaze at Zhou Xuanlan.

Wenren Qin squinted slightly, about to pick up a piece of fish fin soup and place it into Shen Liuxiang’s bowl, when he heard a clear and melodious voice say, “You feed me.”

As Shen Liuxiang spoke, his eyes were on Zhou Xuanlan.

Wenren Qin’s face darkened, and the expressions of others changed as well.

Luo Yu was so shocked that he couldn’t find words to speak. He had been vigilant against Wenren Qin the whole time, feeling nervous, while Shen Liuxiang remained so composed. He even allowed his Lord to feed him.

Was this the courage of Shen Liuxiang, the Lord he served?!

Shen Liuxiang finished his words, and even though he wasn’t one to easily blush, he couldn’t help but feel a faint tinge of red on his handsome face. His eyes slightly shimmered as he looked at Zhou Xuanlan.

Zhou Xuanlan was momentarily stunned. Without realizing it, he picked up a pair of chopsticks and selected the best piece of fish fin soup from the plate, intending to feed his master.

But suddenly, he heard a pair of male and female voices behind him, affectionately teasing each other.

“If you want to eat this, then you don’t need to feed me, but then it means you don’t like me. Hmph~”

“I’ll feed you! I’ll feed you! For you, I have a thousand, ten thousand likes!!”

Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes widened abruptly. In a flash, he understood everything. The chopsticks in his hand trembled slightly.

Shen Liuxiang glanced at the couple, then looked at Xu Xingchen, his face displaying astonishment. In his heart, that fleeting romantic notion vanished in an instant.

Was this the method of testing Zhou Xuanlan?

Was this Xu Xingchen’s flawless and meticulously planned arrangement, waiting only for him to finish speaking?

Are you kidding me?!!!

T/N:

Wingman Xingchen: Yeah don’t worry bro I’ll be suitable

Immortal Shen: Okay I trust you (Immortal Shen’s last recorded words before disaster)