But even though Qiong Qi could be quite impulsive at times, once Yan Ye had announced the sentence, he could only lower his head to his chest, not daring to utter even half a word in his defense.
And the Great Elder didnât feel unjustly treated; on the contrary, he regretted his own impulsiveness, which ended up implicating Qiong Qi and the others. The Great Elder licked his lips and, digging his hands into the tile grooves, spoke with a bit more fluency after the sentencing, âMy lord, I am guilty! It was seeing the special relationship between Your Excellency Beiting Jing and the son of the Emperor Mo from the Nine Provinces Ink Region that I wanted to report to the Devil Queen!â
It wasnât clear whether it was the words âDevil Queenâ that pleased Yan Ye, or the Great Elderâs profound loyalty to Beiting Huang, but Yan Ye actually nodded in approval. His indifferent gaze swept over Qiong Qi and the four guards. He said, âPunishment for the four guards is to be doubled, but the Great Elderâs is to be waived!â
After Yan Ye had finished speaking, he drifted away, leaving Qiong Qi and the others in a state of disarray, unable to understand how their good intentions to prevent the Great Elderâs trivial matter from disturbing their masterâs sleep could somehow still result in punishment.
Punishment doubled! This was going to strip a layer off their skin!
And was the punishment at the Punishment Hall something to be taken lightly? In Yan City, who wouldnât be terrified at the mere mention of âPunishment Hallâ?
Qiong Qi suddenly looked up, casting a grieving glance at the retreating figure of Yan Ye. If they were to die, shouldnât they at least die knowing why? Forgive them for their thick skins and low intelligence, but could they get some advice before he left on where exactly they had gone wrong?
The other three were on the verge of tears, but the figure of Yan Ye flickered and vanished before their eyes. Even if they were foolish, they knew they absolutely could not question their master.
âAh!â
The Great Elder saw the four despairing, heavy, and unmistakably reproachful looks directed at him. He sighed heavily, shaking his head helplessly, âYou four, not having sought female companionship to talk about love, completely fail to understand the emotions between males and females. Since you know that the lord has been unable to let go of the Demon Queen for ten thousand years, you should also know that he would always place everything about her first.â
The four finally had an epiphany, their regard for the old fellow who had followed the Devil Emperor for many years grew profound.
âGreat Elder, you truly deserve to be called wise!â Qiong Qi stood up and bowed to the Great Elder, extremely grateful.
Bi Fang and the other two felt the same. If not for the Great Elderâs enlightenment, they would still be in the dark about their mistake. It seemed that in the future, they must consider the Demon Queen first and the Devil Emperorâs feelings second.
âBut then, who exactly is our master?â On their way to the Punishment Hall, Qiong Qi pondered deeply, becoming even more confused.
Xuan Wu looked at him with disdain, âHow can you still not understand? When the Demon Queen is happy, the master is happy. Of course, everything must prioritize the Demon Queen first. Havenât you seen what happened today?â
âExactly, itâs the Great Elder who really has the skills. Mist Grass, that flattery was really damn satisfying!â Bi Fang still felt a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment. They were headed to the Punishment Hall, while the Great Elder remained to keep vigil. Already skilled in flattery, who knew whether by the time they had healed and returned, the Great Elder would have taken their place by the masterâs side?