SLLBTT Chapter 44
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 44⊱⊷⋇
The large snake, caught in the snow leopard's grip, writhed in alarm, opening its mouth to spew venom toward the snow leopard.
As mentioned earlier, the snow leopard was highly susceptible to fright, but this also meant it had a keen reflex. Consequently, as the venom splattered, it instinctively leaped two yards high, evading the danger.
Seizing the opportunity, the snake swiftly turned, like a gust of wind, and glided into the forest, disappearing in an instant.
The snow leopard, letting out two distressed roars, seemed eager to give chase. However, the Snow Wolf King intervened, "Don't pursue. It's dangerous."
Turning its head, the snow leopard blinked its large eyes at the Snow Wolf King and said, "What's dangerous about a snake? Wildcats in the mountains play with snakes all the time. I don't see the fuss."
Nevertheless, the Snow Wolf King replied, "If you have the time, check on everyone first."
"What happened to everyone?" Liu Jiao tilted its head in confusion, but upon closer inspection, he saw the abbot, monks, guards, and others lying on the ground as if they had fallen into a deep slumber.
Only the snow leopard and the Snow Wolf King remained standing.
The Snow Wolf King explained, "When I struck the memorial tower, a cloud of dust rose. Typically, breaking stones wouldn't generate that much dust. I suspect there's something amiss."
Liu Jiao exclaimed, "So everyone passed out because they inhaled the problematic dust from the broken stones?"
"Yes."
However, the snow leopard shook its head, "But that doesn't make sense! How come I'm unaffected?"
The Snow Wolf King laughed. "Weren't you up in the tree the whole time, only coming down after the dust settled?"
"You... You knew I was up in the tree?"
"Yes, I knew." The Snow Wolf King gently reached out, patting the snow leopard's furry head. It had been a while since he touched the soft fur. The Snow Wolf King found himself reluctant to let go, embracing the large snow leopard and giving it a good rub.
The snow leopard shyly bit its tail.
Quickly transforming back into human form, but now completely bare, the snow leopard was soon draped in the Snow Wolf King's outer robe. Liu Jiao was considerably shorter than the Snow Wolf King, and the oversized robe nearly swept the ground. The sleeves hung loosely, giving a whimsical appearance to the whole ensemble.
The Snow Wolf King led Liu Jiao out of the Northern Pagoda.
As the ancestral tablet forest within the Northern Pagoda was a sacred area, not everyone could enter. The Snow Wolf King brought only a few trusted guards, and on the monks' side, there were also just a handful. The majority of the forces remained outside the Northern Pagoda.
After waiting for a while outside the Northern Pagoda, the group was surprised to see the Snow Wolf King emerge with Liu Jiao. Although most people were unaware of the details, they dared not inquire — except for Censor Xu.
The moment Censor Xu laid eyes on Liu Jiao, he rushed forward like a seagull spotting a hotdog, fiercely declaring, "You're a criminal, how can you appear here? Moreover, what's your identity to be draped in royal robes? It's outrageous!"
Ignoring Xu's interrogation, Liu Jiao exclaimed in amazement, "You... didn't hear anything outside? None of you?"
This only fueled Censor Xu's anger further. "What noise? You demon consort... Take off that royal robe immediately, it's an affront!"
Liu Jiao retorted, "I can't take it off. I'm not wearing anything underneath."
Enraged, Censor Xu seethed, "Demon! Blatant demon!"
Liu Jiao, perplexed, furrowed his brows. "Something's not right. The Snow Wolf King made such a commotion inside, and I screamed so loudly. Didn't any of you hear it?"
Indeed, nobody heard a thing, but they dared not admit it, fearing it might diminish the perceived "power" of the Snow Wolf King and his demon consort.
Censor Xu, thinking Liu Jiao was flaunting the Snow Wolf King's favoritism, trembled with fury. "Shameless wretch!"
The guards observed Censor Xu in silence, feeling it was better to play dumb, as speaking up would likely lead to trouble either way.
The Snow Wolf King furrowed his brow, pointing to a guard. "Did you hear anything?"
The guard hastily replied, "No... but, uh, I've been a bit hard of hearing lately. It definitely isn't because the Great King wasn't making noise or the Beautiful Lady's voice wasn't loud."
The Snow Wolf King turned to look at the Northern Pagoda. When he first arrived, ominous clouds shrouded it, but now the sky was clear, revealing the sun.
The Snow Wolf King speculated, "The assassin probably set up a barrier here."
"Assassin?" The crowd exclaimed. "What assassin?"
The Snow Wolf King explained, "There was an assassin in the Northern Pagoda, and the guards were ambushed, unable to protect me. Only Liu Jiao fearlessly transformed into a snow leopard, and drove off the assassin. However, in the process, his clothes tore, so I gave him my cloak. Doesn't seem like a grave offense, does it?"
Censor Xu's face turned red. "So, that's... what happened. Earlier, when Liu Jiao mentioned you making commotion and him screaming..."
Liu Jiao interjected, "You didn't see. The Great King smashed a stone tower with a hammer. Isn't that loud enough? As for me, I roared when confronting the assassin. Logically, there's no way you couldn't have heard."
Censor Xu, feeling ashamed, mumbled, "So that's how it was..."
"Censor Xu, don't always have such dirty thoughts," Censor Li jeered from the side. "You're supposed to be an educated person."
Censor Xu, blushing, retorted, "I... I wasn't thinking anything inappropriate. Don't make baseless accusations!"
"Alright." The Snow Wolf King halted the bickering between Censor Xu and Censor Li, and selected a few capable guards. "Go inside, carry everyone out for medical attention, but don't disturb anything else. Wait for the forensic expert to inspect."
The guards obeyed and entered the Northern Pagoda.
Censor Xu asked, "Should Your Majesty wait in the meditation room now?"
"No, it might not be safe there either." The Snow Wolf King pondered for a moment, then turned to Liu Jiao. "Where do you live? Take me there."
Censor Xu immediately objected, "Liu Jiao's residence might not be safe either!"
The Snow Wolf King countered, "Snow leopards are highly alert creatures. If he could stay there for so long, it should be secure."
Censor Xu had no further grounds for objection. Liu Jiao then led the Snow Wolf King to his dwelling. Inside, Ah Ye and Da Huangya were playing, but upon seeing the group enter, they hastily bowed and greeted the Great King.
The Snow Wolf King reassured them with a simple "No need for excessive courtesy," leading Liu Jiao into the room.
Despite the crowd wanting to follow, the Snow Wolf King said, "No need to come in."
Censor Xu, fearing another one of the Great King's absurd actions, promptly offered advice. "Great King, in this urgent situation, don't just focus on being with the snow leopard beauty!"
Before the Snow Wolf King could respond, Censor Li chimed in, "The Great King and Liu Jiao probably want to discuss the assassination attempt privately! After all, only they experienced the recent crisis. Censor Xu, since you haven't contributed much, refrain from making lewd comments. And don't baselessly speculate about the Great King's daytime affairs... Your mind is truly quite impure."
Censor Xu, angered by Censor Li's insinuations, retorted, "What impurity... what lewdness... I am an educated man!"
"Enough," the Snow Wolf King interrupted him, pushing the door open and pointing to the image of the Heavenly Emperor in the hall. "The deities are watching. Do you think I would act recklessly? What kind of person do you think I am?"
Censor Xu hastily bowed. "I had no such intentions! I beg your forgiveness!"
The Snow Wolf King said, "Enough of your words. Liu Jiao and I will go inside to discuss important matters. Guard the outside, and when the guards return, report to us."
"Yes," the others acknowledged.
The Snow Wolf King then led Liu Jiao into the hall and closed the door.
Once inside, Liu Jiao realized he was still wearing the Great King's robe. He said, "I should go change first."
"I'll help you change."
Liu Jiao blushed. "Isn't this inappropriate? Having you assist me in changing, wouldn't that be considered 'a great offense,' as Censor Xu said?"
"Don't worry about what he says," the Snow Wolf King dismissed Censor Xu's words, pulling Liu Jiao into the bedroom and helping him change.
Having not seen the Snow Wolf King for several days, Liu Jiao, suddenly exposed, felt extremely embarrassed. After loosening his robe, he shook his large tail and disappeared behind the curtain. "Didn't you mention that the deities watching?"
The Great King laughed from behind the curtain. "Aren't their pictures in the hall? Why would they care about what happens in the bedroom?"
And so, with sweet and gentle words, the Great King coaxed Liu Jiao into doing things that shouldn't be seen by the deities.
After everything, Liu Jiao, weary from kneeling, wanted to rest on the floor. However, the Snow Wolf King lifted him from the waist and placed him on his lap. Liu Jiao held a porcelain bowl, rinsing his mouth with clear water while swinging his head and hair. The Snow Wolf King gently stroked his hair and asked, "Why haven't you cut your hair?"
"I saw everyone in the temple keeping their hair long, so I followed suit. It's probably a rule of cultivation," Liu Jiao said, running his hand through hair that reached his shoulders.
The Snow Wolf King laughed, "Didn't I tell you that you don't have to follow any rules?"
"But the cost of not following the rules is too high!" Liu Jiao shook his head. "I still don't understand how I spent five hundred thousand in just one month!"
"The accounts are there. Anyone can investigate."
"But Da Huangya said he inquired, and the temple's accounts are a mess."
"No matter how messy, someone must have written those accounts," the Snow Wolf King said. "That person will be found and interrogated. There's always an answer."
"Ask who? The abbot?" Liu Jiao thought for a moment and added, "But the priority is to figure out the assassination attempt!"
The Snow Wolf King, about to speak, twitched his ears and instead said, "Someone is coming."
Soon after, a knock echoed through the room.
A guard entered, bowing before the Great King, and reported, "Reporting to the Great King, after entering the Northern Pagoda, we found everyone lying on the ground. They have all been taken for medical treatment."
"Has the dust at the scene been analyzed?"
"We've already called for officials from the forensic department, and they have examined it."
"What about the traces of the assassin?"
"Forgive us, Your Majesty, we couldn't detect any unfamiliar demonic presence. Even with detectors, we couldn't find any suspicious demonic energy."
Hearing this, Liu Jiao frowned. "That shouldn't be the case! This temple is full of humans. We are the only demons here. It should be easy to investigate."
The Snow Wolf King smiled. "Xiao Jiao also understands analysis."
"Why wouldn't I? Isn't this the most straightforward logic?"
The guard added, "In fact, Beautiful Lady Jiao is correct. Currently, military-grade black technology can conceal the traces of demons. It's highly likely the assassin used this technology. But whoever can access and use such tech is probably no ordinary person."
"You're wrong," Liu Jiao said gloomily, "I'm not 'Beautiful Lady' anymore."
The guard, taken aback, quickly apologized, "Forgive me for my inappropriate words."
The Snow Wolf King was about to comfort Liu Jiao when another guard rushed into the room, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Abbot and the Chief Guard are dead!"
"What?" Liu Jiao exclaimed in shock, "How could this happen?"
"This situation is indeed suspicious and must be thoroughly investigated," the Snow Wolf King declared. Leading Liu Jiao, they walked outside the chamber. Upon seeing the Snow Wolf King, everyone outside quickly bowed. The Snow Wolf King continued, "Today's assassination attempt must be thoroughly investigated. Anyone who deserves punishment or death will not be spared. But that's a matter for later. Now, we must first reward those who have diligently protected me."