SLLBTT Chapter 67 & 68
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 67/68⊱⊷⋇
The Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao both felt there was a conspiracy behind this matter, but what it was remained shrouded in mystery, unclear for them to see.
"Regardless, we still need to rescue the Ragdoll Fairy," said Bai Lingling.
From Bai Lingling's tone, it seemed he still believed that the lion cat was the Ragdoll Fairy, facing a perilous situation. At this moment, Bai Lingling had to step forward in the face of danger to save his beloved, without any intention of backing down.
The Snow Wolf King also didn't want to argue, just nodding in agreement. "Indeed, it should be so."
Bai Lingling added, "I believe you didn't kidnap the Ragdoll Fairy. There's something suspicious about the video he sent. Perhaps the real kidnapper forced him to do it. So, I think we can turn the tables."
"How do we turn the tables?" asked Liu Jiao.
"Very simple. Suppose the Ragdoll Fairy sent the video under duress. Then the person pressuring him surely wants me to come and cause trouble for you."
"So," the Snow Wolf King chimed in, "turning the tables means you did come to cause trouble for us indeed."
Bai Lingling replied, "Exactly."
"I suspect you just want an opportunity to beat me."
"That's also one reason."
However, Liu Jiao stood in front of Bai Lingling, intervening, "You can't bully Xiao Baizi!"
Bai Lingling was somewhat surprised. "You actually let this cat address you like that? Quite disrespectful."
The Snow Wolf King responded, "As widely known, once you have a cat, it becomes your master. No need for formalities with the master."
Bai Lingling coldly chuckled. He's showing off again!
"Fine, fine." Bai Lingling rolled up his sleeves. "But if I don't smack you, this act can't continue."
The Snow Wolf King suggested, "You can just lock both of us up."
Although Bai Lingling regretted missing a chance to pummel his elder brother, he decided to give up because he didn't want to hit a cat.
Therefore, Bai Lingling ordered someone to detain the Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao.
People gathering intel near the courtyard witnessed the Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao being confined. They promptly reported back to Master Kongque. While Master Kongque initially wanted to know the species of this Xiao Bai creature, the information wasn't discovered, causing a bit of regret. Upon further consideration, it didn't matter what species Xiao Bai was. Now, having offended Bai Lingling and being detained, even if it were a menace, it couldn't harm the Poisonous Me Company.
In fact, Liu Jiao and the Snow Wolf King enjoyed good food, accommodations, and games in the basement. While playing a game, Liu Jiao glanced at the Snow Wolf King and noticed he was constantly on his phone. Recalling the times in the Poison Department when the Snow Wolf King would glance at documents and then check his phone, he couldn't help but ask, "Great King, are you addicted to your phone?"
"No, I'm just completing government tasks."
The Snow Wolf King was always mindful of his government task points. Naturally, lurking in Poisonous Me Company didn't make him slack off. When the General Manager sent him a virus message before, the Snow Wolf King could easily see through it. With so many confidential documents on his phone, there was no way the General Manager could hack it with a random phishing link.
So, the Snow Wolf King decided to turn the tables and sent him a bunch of inappropriate messages.
After refreshing the backend, the Snow Wolf King frowned upon seeing the newly emerged news.
News circulated from the Snow City, stating that Queen Ming was seriously ill.
The Royal Astrological Observatory stated, "The Great King and Queen Dowager have contracted a strange illness, likely due to the weakening radiance of the 'symbolic Great King and Queen Dowager constellation' in the sky, probably influenced by the radiance of the 'seductive and flashy star.' The current head in the palace is the Sheep Noble Consort. Therefore, the Sheep Noble Consort is likely the embodiment of the 'seductive and flashy star.'"
The Snow Wolf King attempted to send a private message to the Sheep Noble Consort, but received no reply.
So, the Snow Wolf King messaged Hong Huli to inquire about the situation. Hong Huli replied promptly, "There's news in the palace that Queen Ming seems to have captured Leng Jiao."
"Isn't Queen Ming still under house arrest? How could he capture Leng Jiao?"
"Queen Ming suddenly fell ill, and the royal physician claimed it was serious. As Noble Consort, Leng Jiao naturally had to visit. However, just as Leng Jiao sat down in the Qingque Terrace, the Royal Astrological Observatory immediately sent a report, declaring Leng Jiao as an ominous star. Queen Ming said, 'I don't believe Leng Jiao is the embodiment of the 'seductive and flashy star,' but to be cautious, let's send him to the shrine in the sacred hall for purification.' So, they forcefully confined Leng Jiao in the shrine of the Qingque Terrace."
This was an overt act of "house arrest."
Perhaps Queen Ming intended to use celestial omens as an excuse to execute Leng Jiao. Employing such feudalistic and superstitious pretext for an underhanded scheme was a typical court intrigue tactic. Leng Jiao was too young and was caught off guard.
Upon learning about Leng Jiao's confinement, Liu Jiao became anxious. "Will Queen Dowager harm Leng Jiao?"
"Not at the moment," the Snow Wolf King said. "After all, Leng Jiao is in the Queen Dowager's palace. If there's a loss of life — especially the Sheep Noble Consort's life — the Queen Dowager would have to take responsibility."
Liu Jiao remained worried. "But I still fear..."
The Snow Wolf King assured, "It's fine. I can handle this."
Saying that, the Snow Wolf King called his close friend. Bai Lingling received the Snow Wolf King's message and, equipped with a whip and candles, menacingly walked into the basement.
The Snow Wolf King, seeing Bai Lingling's gear, was somewhat surprised. "Why bring a whip?"
Bai Lingling replied, "Isn't this a performance? I want outsiders to see that I'm ready to punish you."
"Forget about the whip," the Snow Wolf King thought for a moment, "What's the deal with the candles?"
"They came as a set when I bought the whip. The seller said it was a matching pair."
The Snow Wolf King hesitated for a moment and then said, "Fine, whatever."
Bai Lingling set down the whip and candle. "You should start screaming. If I'm not mistaken, there's someone outside keeping watch."
So, Liu Jiao began to scream at the top of his lungs, "Meow meow meow meow—"
The Snow Wolf King quickly restrained Liu Jiao's shoulders and said, "By screaming like this continuously, isn't your throat going to hurt?"
Liu Jiao cleared his throat and touched it. "Well, it's starting to hurt a bit!"
The Snow Wolf King prepared a cup of honey water for Liu Jiao and handed it to him. "Just a scream, no need to go all out."
With that, the Snow Wolf King opened the speakers and played "Cat and Dog Wailing.mp3."
Once the audio started playing, the Snow Wolf King turned to Bai Lingling. "I need you to do something for me."
Bai Lingling asked, "What if I refuse?"
The Snow Wolf King didn't respond directly, only stating, "You've probably seen the news. The Royal Astrological Observatory issued a statement describing the Sheep Noble Consort as an ominous star. This is Queen Ming's conspiracy."
"What happened next?" Bai Lingling asked.
"I came up with a solution, a 'poison against poison' approach. If he wants to play with these feudal remnants, we'll go down the path of feudal superstition. The most authoritative place for our country's feudal superstition should be the Temple of the Heavenly Emperor here. Take the high-ranking monk from the temple to Snow City, defend the Noble Consort's innocence, and dispel the accusations."
However, Bai Lingling questioned, "If there's a high-ranking monk, why do you need me?"
"Queen Ming might use force to capture the Noble Consort. His experts from Qingque Terrace are formidable. Additionally, given Queen Ming's seniority as Queen Dowager, it's not suitable for a high-ranking monk to confront him. You, on the other hand, are different. You can argue with anyone, and when arguments fail, you can fight. Currently, there's probably no one in Snow City who can beat you. That's why I feel at ease sending you."
"Why should I help you, and why should I save that sheep? My cat hasn't been rescued yet."
The Snow Wolf King insisted, "The Ragdoll Fairy has been kidnapped, and the blame points towards me and Xiao Jiao. After you leave, they'll likely take actions against us. When that happens, we'll help you rescue your cat as a thank-you for assisting us with the sheep. Besides, recent events here are all related to you. Taking a step back would be beneficial."
"There's another problem," Bai Lingling added, "I am a guardian of the royal family and cannot leave the fief without being summoned."
"That's easily solved," the Snow Wolf King said. "I'll issue a decree in the system."
After contemplating for a while, Bai Lingling agreed, "Alright, I'll help you this once."
With that, Bai Lingling turned and walked away.
The Snow Wolf King also issued a directive in the administrative system to summon Bai Lingling to the capital. After the directive was sent, Bai Lingling received a video call.
The video opened, revealing Queen Ming's face on the screen. Queen Ming appeared healthy with a rosy complexion, speaking energetically and smiling as he addressed Bai Lingling, "Sure enough, just doing this will lift the restriction preventing you from leaving the fief."
Bai Lingling, however, responded, "I've gained Bai Xiaoxiao's trust with difficulty. Don't contact me unnecessarily. If there's anything, wait until I reach the palace, and we can talk face to face."
"Alright, being cautious is wise," Queen Ming said, and then closed the video call.
Not long after Bai Lingling left, Liu Jiao felt anxious in the dungeon. "You said the ones who kidnapped the Ragdoll Fairy would come looking for trouble. Why haven't they shown up yet?"
The Snow Wolf King explained, "Although the video points to us, the kidnappers may not necessarily be targeting us. I think their main goal might still be Bai Lingling. The General Manager suspects us, but due to our privileged status as related households, it's not easy for him to act against us. Hence, he stirred trouble with Bai Lingling."
After pondering for a while, Liu Jiao asked, "So, do we have to stay here?"
"Let's wait and see. We'll leave when it gets dark."
However, before it got dark, trouble knocked on the door for Poisonous Me.
But it wasn't a viper assassin. It was Xiao Xiezi. In his original form, he crawled in from outside and skillfully used its pincers to unlock the door. Liu Jiao stared in astonishment. "You can pick locks too?"
"Of course! It's my professional skill!"
The Snow Wolf King questioned, "How did you come here?"
Xiao Xiezi replied, "You're my big brother. I heard you got caught, so I had to come. Camaraderie is crucial in jianghu!"
The Snow Wolf King expressed gratitude, "Thank you so much."
Xiao Xiezi said, "No need to be polite. Actually, I only dared to come after hearing that Lord Bai and his entourage had left."
"Your presence alone is already touching."
Xiao Xiezi wiggled its scorpion tail, observing the Snow Wolf King playing on the computer. "You can still play computer games even when you're locked up in a dungeon?"
Liu Jiao choked, "Um... yes... it's very humane."
The Snow Wolf King explained, "Actually, we hacked into the Bai Family's system."
Curious, Xiao Xiezi asked, "Why did you hack into the Bai Family's system?"
The Snow Wolf King couldn't be too explicit. He thought about the snake found dead in the Bai Family's residence and the cat stolen by the vulture that ended up there too. It proved that these two individuals could infiltrate the heavily guarded Bai Family's residence. This suggested a security loophole, so he planned to hack into the Bai Family's security system to investigate.
Hacking into the system from the outside wasn't easy, but since the Snow Wolf King was there, he used the excuse of wanting to play games to ask Bai Lingling to grant him access for a bit of operation.
The Snow Wolf King conducted a series of remote manipulations, connecting to Bai Lingling's computer.
"Please enter the account password."
The Snow Wolf King pondered, "What kind of account password would Bai Lingling use?"
Ah, the Snow Wolf King remembered that Bai Lingling wasn't proficient in computer basics, so he immediately entered:
"Username: admin
Password: admin"
As expected, he gained access.
Recent browsing history: Taobao.
The Snow Wolf King clicked on the purchase records.
Recent purchases: Adjustable Training Whip for Dogs with Complimentary Low-Temperature Wax Candles.
The Snow Wolf King then checked the previous purchase record.
Legit Coronation Robes and Royal Seal Set, Instant Shipping – Essential for a Majestic Rebellion and Usurpation