Volume Six: Stealing is Robbery - Chapter Fifteen: Returning a Favor for a Plum (Part One)

Chapter 15: Reciprocating a Favor (Part I)

Nearby, Feier suddenly spoke up, "Sister Zixia, didn't we agree that once we saw Fatty, we would go outside to look around?"

Zixia smiled, then turned to Jinger and said, "Your Highness the Little Princess, Feier and I would love to explore Gale Star. I wonder~!"

Jinger quickly smiled and chimed in, "Of course, no problem at all. Gale Star might not have much else that is special, but the scenery is definitely something you cannot see anywhere else. Since the two of you like it, as the host, I will take you around myself."

Zixia smiled and expressed her gratitude, then cast her gaze toward Kuangchi. In the past, if Zixia made a decision, Kuangchi would never object. But today, for some reason, Kuangchi felt a sense of aversion toward Zixia's assertive behavior.

Perhaps it was because of Zixia's attitude toward Anna that had stirred up a feeling of revulsion in Kuangchi.

Kuangchi frowned and said, "You have been floating in space for such a long time, why not rest first? Wouldn't it be better to look around Gale Star in a few days?"

Zixia glanced at Kuangchi, and just as she was about to speak, Feier already chimed in, "I'm not tired at all. I want you to accompany us for a walk outside."

Anna also joined in from the side, "What time is it now? Do people still get tired from sitting in a spaceship? If you don't want to accompany us, then just don't go."

Seeing this stance, Kuangchi had no choice but to quickly say, "Fine, I agree."

Just as the group was about to head out, the voice of the Saber Sovereign suddenly came from behind: "Young Master, come over for a moment. I have something to tell you. It will only take a few minutes, and once we're done, you can go wherever you want."

With that, he even smiled at Zixia and the others.

Feeling somewhat puzzled, Kuangchi quickly walked over to the Saber Sovereign, who pulled him aside. Waving his hand, the Saber Sovereign seemed to set up a soundproof energy barrier before speaking: "Young Master, tomorrow when you accompany Jinger to the imperial palace to retrieve the soul weapon of the Dragon Tongue Dagger, you must remember that at the bottom of the box containing the soul jade, there is a black dragon-head ring. You must find a way to ask for that ring."

Kuangchi was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "Senior, how do you know there is a dragon-head ring in the box with the soul jade?"

The Saber Sovereign smiled and said softly, "Did you think this old man has lived these past few centuries in vain? Do you really think I don't know the origin of this Dragon Tongue Dagger? It's just that the soul weapon has always been treasured as the beloved possession of the Gale Empire's founding emperor, kept in the secret pavilion within the imperial palace. Over the years, I've tried to sneak in more than once, but the security around the pavilion's location is far too strict."

At this point, the Saber Sovereign paused, stared at Kuangchi for a moment, and then continued, "You don't need to know about other matters for now. Remember, no matter what method you use, you must obtain that ring."

Kuangchi thought for a moment, then asked again, "Then what about the Dragon Tongue Dagger?"

Without hesitation, the Saber Sovereign replied directly, "Don't worry about the Dragon Tongue Dagger. Let that girl Jinger do whatever she wants with it. You just need to figure out a way to get that ring. You must remember this."

Although full of confusion, Kuangchi still nodded. Nevertheless, he couldn't help cursing the old fox silently in his heart.

Still feeling uneasy, he finally asked, "Senior, what if they don't allow me to enter that treasure pavilion?"

Without missing a beat, the Saber Sovereign sneered and said directly, "If that really happens, then that little emperor of the Gale Empire doesn't know the proper etiquette at all. When has our Kuang family ever helped anyone for free? If they want our Kuang family to help them, and I even gifted Jinger a quasi-divine weapon—which is practically equivalent to giving it to their imperial family—we haven't spared any good things for his two daughters these past few days either. If he doesn't show you even the slightest token of appreciation, then his century-long reign as emperor has truly been for nothing."

"What if he really doesn't let me in?" Kuangchi asked anyway.

Without hesitation, the Saber Sovereign stated, "There are no 'what-ifs.' You must find a way. If there truly is a 'what-if,' that little emperor can forget about having our Kuang family lift a finger for anything."

After saying this, the Saber Sovereign seemed to realize his tone might have been a bit too harsh, and quickly added, "That ring is extremely important, countless times more important than the Dragon Tongue Dagger. No matter what method you use, you must get your hands on it."

Kuangchi thought it over and ultimately nodded.

Kuangchi, Zixia, Feier, Anna, Jinger, along with the four sisters of the You family and Zixia and Phoebe's four handmaidens—a group of over a dozen people—spent the entire day having a wild time on Gale Star, and then headed straight for the imperial palace.

Jinger insisted on taking Zixia and the others to tour the imperial garden. In the end, Kuangchi went along with the flow and entered the palace as well.

The imperial palace of the Gale Empire occupied what should be one of the most scenic areas on Gale Star. The entire palace was constructed among more than a dozen modest hills, hugging their contours closely. Pavilions, terraces, and towers complemented each other, creating a unique and stunning landscape.

Perhaps due to the presence of Zixia and the others, or perhaps because of Jinger, shortly after the group entered the palace, the Empress of the Gale Empire—Jinger's mother—walked over. With the Empress present, the group moved through the palace as if stepping onto deserted grounds, able to go wherever they pleased. They spent most of the day wandering around the palace grounds. If not for the fact that everyone possessed formidable cultivation bases, just taking in the scenery alone would have been enough to exhaust a person.

That day, the group rested directly in Jinger's sleeping quarters.

Fortunately, the current emperor of the Gale Empire had only two daughters, and the quarters Jinger currently occupied were said to be where the imperial princes used to live. The space was large enough, the rooms were numerous, and the scenery was magnificent. Naturally, the food also suited Kuangchi's palate.

At the very least, it was much better than last time; clearly, the chef this time had carefully studied Kuangchi's culinary preferences, or perhaps Jinger had given special instructions.

Early the next morning, just as Gale Star's star was rising, Kuangchi was awakened by a relentless series of doorbell rings.

Originally, Kuangchi had intended to sleep with Feier and Zixia last night—it seemed Kuangchi hadn't yet consummated his relationship with either Zixia or Feier. However, in the end, through Zixia's intentional or unintentional remarks, a few words had dismissed Kuangchi, and she had even managed to chase Anna away as well. This left Kuangchi extremely annoyed, though it also taught him once and for all which women should never be crossed.

With a displeased expression, Kuangchi climbed out of the palace's custom-made oversized bed, pulled open the door with a sullen face, and discovered it was actually Jinger.

Seeing that Kuangchi had opened the door, Jinger smiled and said, "Fatty, how did you sleep last night? Why do you look somewhat out of sorts? Could it be~!!"

Before Jinger could continue—and assuming it wouldn't be anything pleasant—Kuangchi directly interrupted, "Why are you here so early? Is something the matter?"

With that, he leaped backward, landing far away on the bed, bounced a few times, and then sprawled out comfortably.

Jinger walked up to the bedside with a beaming smile, sat down on the edge of the mattress, and said, "My father wants me to take you over to see him today."

Kuangchi was taken aback. He hadn't expected that old man Saber Sovereign to have predicted everything so accurately, but he still asked, "What is it about?"

Jinger smiled, glanced outside the door, and continued, "I heard you plan to take the eldest miss of the Wu family as your fourth wife, is that right?"

Kuangchi nodded directly. If the emperor of the Gale Empire still hadn't received news of such a major event yesterday, Kuangchi would simply have to abandon the idea of helping Jinger and take her as far away as possible.

Jinger smiled with a hint of desolation, then added, "My sister hopes you can persuade the Wu family to support her. Do you understand?"

Without hesitation, Kuangchi smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course, I already had that thought in mind."

Jinger smiled and said, "Alright, get up then. My father said he wants to give you a few gifts."

Pausing for a moment, Jinger took the Dragon Tongue Dagger from her bosom, stroked it gently a few times, and said, "Your father said he is giving me the soul weapon of this Dragon Tongue Dagger. From now on, I'll have a divine weapon too."

"Giving it to you?" Kuangchi was startled.

Jinger smiled and nodded. Kuangchi thought for a moment and asked no further questions.

As he sat up, he asked, "Jinger, where is that little spirit beast? It feels like I haven't seen it in a long time."

Jinger wrinkled her nose with a smile and said, "I used a few pieces of ant crystal to build it a bathing pool, originally intending for it to soak and relax—after all, ant crystal is good stuff. But I didn't expect it to be just like you; once it soaked in, it refused to come out. Whenever I try to pick it up, it throws a tantrum."

Pausing briefly, Jinger looked at Kuangchi with a strange expression and asked, "Fatty, where is that little turtle?"

Kuangchi smiled and replied, "Same thing. That little creature is currently soaking in my pool, practicing its swimming."

Afterward, Kuangchi merely notified the four sisters of the You family who were staying in the neighboring room, then followed Jinger up a nearby hill.

They boarded a small two-seater airship on the mountaintop, which flew directly toward a steep peak piercing the clouds in the distance, located within the imperial garden of the Gale Empire.

The airship entered a concealed passage along a cliffside, finally coming to a stop deep within the mountain's core.

As the airship halted, Jinger suddenly spoke up, "Fatty, later on, if you see anything you want, just tell my father. It's a rare opportunity to get in here, and since my father is asking a favor of you, as long as you take a fancy to something, he shouldn't refuse."

Hearing this, Kuangchi couldn't help but laugh aloud, and quickly said, "Jinger, what do you mean by this? Is there something you've got your eye on, and you want me to ask your father for it on your behalf?"

Jinger's face flushed red, and she glared at Kuangchi resentfully, snapping, "Can't you just play dumb for once? Are you happy making fun of me?"

Kuangchi hurriedly replied, "I wasn't making fun of you, you're just imagining things."

Jinger then said, "Alright, later you just pay attention to my cues. Whatever I signal to you, you just ask my father for it. The things here are just going to waste sitting around anyway. Wouldn't it be better for us to use them? It's just that my father keeps saying these are beloved possessions of our ancestors and shouldn't be casually taken away. Since we have such a good opportunity, how can we let it pass?"