Chapter 498 – Beast Emperor’s Secret

　　Edited by: Molly

　　The fox minister slapped the table and stood up. “Such impudence!”

　　Wan Yitong shrugged. “A man and a woman alone; if you later run out with messy clothes and make a fuss, who can tell what truly happened?”

　　Even after being so offended, the Beast Empress smiled frankly, revealing two rows of white teeth. “Little Cubs, this Empress also disdains little cubs who still smell of milk. This Empress has already done her courtesy just now. If you all speak any more nonsense, don’t blame this Empress for getting rough.”

　　Wan Yitong asked, “You even intend to use force?”

　　The Beast Empress chuckled. Her red lips were very charming. “If it weren’t for your special identities, this Empress would have knocked him out and carried him away. Where can I get so much free time to waste talking with you?”

　　Yan Tianhen. “…” So that’s why he felt like something was strange just now.

　　His dad used to say that the beast clan’s empress was a tigress, in all senses of the word.

　　Yan Tianhen’s heart trembled a few times as he smiled. “My Shixiong was just joking. Empress is noble and clean in character, so this Prince is naturally very assured.”

　　Beast Empress sneered, and the atmosphere suddenly changed. “Come with me.”

　　They walked into a secret room.

　　Array formation diagrams were hung all over the room. They were surrounded by inlaid illumination pearls, so it didn’t seem dim. As soon as the Beast Empress closed the door, she sighed. “Originally, I wanted to settle in private and didn’t want anyone outside to know, but you chanced upon this matter. It seems that this is fate — I want to ask for a Nine Ranks Return Soul Pill, I wonder if Your Royal Highness will agree.”

　　Yan Tianhen raised an eyebrow. “You’re asking me? I don’t have any Divine-level pills in my hands. Empress thinks too highly of me.”

　　The Beast Empress swept Yan Tianhen with a sharp glance. “If you really don’t have it, then I’m afraid that today, this Empress will have to offend her superiors.”

　　“How will you offend your superiors?”

　　The Beast Empress replied, “Run out with messy clothes and shout ‘indecent assault’.”

　　Yan Tianhen, “…”

　　Indeed, women can’t be easily provoked.

　　“This will sound strange, but it is true.” The Beast Empress frowned slightly. “It’s in Baiya’s nature to like wine, so he agreed to an appointment with an old friend and went to a banquet. When he came back, he woke up every day and told me that in his dreams, an immortal invited him to drink wine, and someone would send the wine to the palace on that day. After drinking it, Baiya said it tasted the same as the one in the dream. I thought this matter was strange, so I sent someone to investigate, but the drinks really had no problems, so I was a little relieved. I wanted to track the source of the wine, but the wine was sent through a box, and we simply couldn’t find the origin at all. I didn’t expect that after a while, a problem would actually occur. His Majesty slept for longer and longer, and seemed to be addicted to the dream world.” The Beast Empress showed sadness and remorse when she spoke. “I should’ve seen the clues earlier, but in those days, I had already long since ignored him because of other matters. By the time I discovered the problem, he was already in a deep slumber and wouldn’t wake up!”

　　Yan Tianhen’s expression changed a few times. Finally, he said with a heavy voice, “If this is the case, then it’s useless for you to find me.”

　　The Beast Empress paused, then asked urgently, “Why?”

　　Yan Tianhen explained, “Because this is definitely not something that can be solved by the Nine Ranks Return Soul Pill.” After looking at the stunned Beast Empress, he continued, “It’s not the first time I’ve heard about the condition you mentioned. Many people in the Royal Heavenly Capital went into their dreams and never woke up, even now. Furthermore, they can’t find the reason.”

　　The Beast Empress gasped, then immediately seemed to have caught a lifeline and asked a series of questions, “Who are they? What did they dream about? Do you have any good methods to alleviate this? Since this matter is not unique to my Southwest Land, can we share resources and find a way to resolve it together?”

　　Yan Tianhen knew that she was anxious, but anxiety was not the solution.

　　After all, this had been going on for a long time. At that time, Yan Zhonghua and You Ming even made a special trip to personally check the situation, but the problem was really incredible. Even the two of them could not find out anything. They just didn’t expect that the head of the white tiger clan, the famous Beast Emperor of the Southwest Land, also encountered this incident.

　　Yan Tianhen first appeased the Beast Empress and then asked, “How long has it been since the situation transpired?”

　　The Beast Empress sighed, and she also knew that she had been too impatient before, so she calmed down and said that it had been more than seven years.

　　Yan Tianhen was shocked. “Seven years? No one found out that the Beast Emperor was fake for seven years?”

　　The Beast Empress said with a wry smile, “Members of the white tiger clan are naturally free and unrestrained, and usually, no one will disturb anyone else; they will all simply mind their own business. The Emperor is the same. He usually won’t summon anyone, so I had the fox minister act as the Emperor, so that he wouldn’t be easily discovered. However, three years ago, I found that some people in the tiger clan were getting more and more restless, and they beat about the bush and indirectly asked me many times if something had happened to my husband. I knew more or less which part had become exposed…However, it’s also hard to say.”

　　The Beast Empress didn’t speak too thoroughly; she just gave a vague summary. To tell the truth, the nine Divine Clans all had their own borders. Although they were supposedly subordinate to the Royal Heavenly Capital’s Yan family, in reality, they had actually gone their own way for a long time by self-governing. In their hearts, no one believed they were below anyone else, and they all looked after their own interests. In reality, the Yan family’s relationship with the tiger clan Fu family was actually average. If it weren’t for the Beast Empress’s worry that Yan Tianhen would pass on the information after returning, which would lead to the capital’s deepening doubts about Southwest Land and result in someone being sent over to inquire about the situation or secretly impede the Southwest Land’s workings, then the Beast Empress wouldn’t even be willing to tell him the entire story.

　　That was why she was willing to share this.

　　But this didn’t mean that she was willing to let outsiders intervene in internal clan strife.

　　Yan Tianhen had stayed in the Royal Heavenly Capital for a long time over the years, so naturally he knew the gravity of matters. Since the Beast Empress didn’t want to say, then he didn’t want to know.

　　After all, knowledge about certain matters would only invite trouble.

　　Yan Tianhen said in a roundabout way. “Status and authority are tempting ah.”

　　The Beast Empress nodded, having obviously thought of the same thing as Yan Tianhen. “Yeah.”

　　Yan Tianhen thought of something again and suddenly started to gossip, “Speaking of which, how many main branch members does the tiger clan have?”

　　The Beast Empress gave him a look, then replied, “I’d estimate ten to twenty.”

　　Yan Tianhen was dumbfounded. “You can give birth to so many?”

　　“What are you talking about?”

　　Yan Tianhen clarified, “What I’m talking about is the legitimate direct branch.”

　　The Beast Empress calmly responded, “I am also talking about the number of legitimate heirs. The tiger clan has always judged the legitimacy of an heir based on inheritance. Anyone who can awaken the ancient White Tiger Emperor’s bloodline can become part of the Fu family’s main branch. We demonic beasts are different from you humans.”

　　Yan Tianhen rubbed his head. “So that’s it ah. Then let me ask Jiejie another question. Has Fu Yu awakened more or less of his bloodline than his peers?”

　　“I’m in the same generation as your father, yet you’re actually calling me Jiejie?” The Beast Empress felt incredulous, but being called ‘elder sister’ was very lethal to a female demonic beast, and the Beast Empress’s mood improved a lot.

　　Yan Tianhen chuckled. “All the beautiful girls are ‘Jiejie’.”

　　As expected, the Beast Empress became even happier. “Then what about the ugly ones?”

　　“Then they’re called whatever they should be called.”

　　The Beast Empress smiled. “You’re young, but you have a glib tongue.”

　　Yan Tianhen said, “I’m only telling the truth.”

　　The Beast Empress felt that Yan Tianhen was more and more cute, so she was a little jealous of You Ming. “When I see you, I keep thinking about how good it would be if I can also have a son.”

　　Yan Tianhen blinked. “Then have one. I believe that the Beast Emperor will definitely wake up. Besides, you are female, so it must be much easier to give birth than my dad.”

　　Back when You Ming was giving birth to Yan Tianhen, he expended so much effort that Yan Zhonghua became determined not to let You Ming experience this kind of suffering ever again.

　　The Beast Empress glanced at Yan Tianhen faintly. “Now you don’t understand again. The spiritual white tiger clan is the king of all beasts. We inherit the White Tiger Emperor’s bloodline. But I wonder if you’ve ever heard of the rumors about the mother being devoured — if a tiger cub with an innate divine bloodline that has been recognized by the White Tiger Emperor’s soul is born, it will devour its mother. His Majesty won’t allow me to conceive children because he is afraid an accident will happen.”

　　Yan Tianhen’s expression looked like he had learned something today. He couldn’t help but say enviously, “You and the Beast Emperor really are in love with each other.”

　　A hint of sweetness appeared on the Beast Empress’s face. “Aiya, he is too narrow-minded. Think about it — tiger cubs with an innate divine bloodline haven’t been seen for tens of thousands of years. How can they be born so easily?”

　　Yan Tianhen, You guys are clearly white tigers, so why do you insist on feeding me dog food?

　　The Beast Empress probably became saddened after she thought of the Beast Emperor. Her smile lessened considerably, and she asked, “What are you bringing up Fu Yu for? Do you know him?”

　　Yan Tianhen thought, How can this prince know such a scummy fellow? “We have some conflict,” Yan Tianhen replied vaguely.

　　“Conflict? You’re not here to pick a quarrel with Fu Yu, are you?”

　　Yan Tianhen answered, “Of course, but if Jiejie thinks highly of him, then I won’t kill him.”

　　Unexpectedly, the Beast Empress smiled. “Pick a quarrel with him? Good ah. Picking quarrels is good. Just because you called me ‘Jiejie’, I won’t pursue this matter any further as long as you don’t kill him.”

　　Yan Tianhen, “…”

　　After thinking about it, the Beast Empress added, “It’s also no big deal if you really do kill him. In any case, there are many main branch heirs in this generation. One death won’t change much.”

　　Yan Tianhen. “…” It seems that Fu Yu hasn’t been getting along well here.

　　Ever since people in the clan probed for information about the Beast Emperor’s situation, the Beast Empress no longer held great affection for these main branch heirs. Moreover, she felt that the reason why those brats thought about the throne was because they were too idle all day long and had nothing to do. She felt that someone should come to their door to pick a fight and distract their attention.

　　“Does he have a high possibility of inheriting the throne?” Yan Tianhen asked.

　　“Fu Yu’s inheritance ranks eighth.” The Beast Empress said, “He just knows how to interact with people and get along. His strength is not comparable to that of the heirs before him.”

　　Yan Tianhen asked, “Then what if he marries the peacock family’s main branch?”

　　The Beast Empress side-eyed Yan Tianhen. “Ever since the West Phoenix Monarch disappeared, the Divine Parasol Mountain Range has been occupied by the peacock clan. Right now, the head of the peacock clan is temporarily assuming the position of ruler of the West Land, and there are forces supporting them behind the scenes. There are rumors now that peacocks want to become the new Divine Clan and replace the phoenix.”

　　“So, does Jiejie want to say that Fu Yu’s chances have increased?” Yan Tianhen asked.