Luo Ren led him to meet his father.
At that moment, the king, wrapped in thick clothing, stood at the palace entrance, rubbing his hands and breathing warm air into them as he waited.
The weather was quite cold, and Su Sheng was somewhat surprised that the king was willing to wait outside the palace to greet them.
Luo Ren walked over and briefly introduced him to the king, describing him as a friend who had helped him, thoughtfully omitting any mention of his identity.
The king’s hair was white, but his eyes were sharp. He turned and smiled at Su Sheng, who nodded in return and offered a soft greeting.
They were led into the palace, where pristine white marble pillars carved with intricate patterns stood alongside rows of bright floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched down a seemingly endless corridor.
Nearby, the king chatted cheerfully with Luo Ren, occasionally interspersing their conversation with a few jokes.
Upon reaching the anteroom, the king invited them to sit before picking up a wine jug and pouring a cup for each of them.
It was then that the conversation truly began.
Although the king sat there with a smile, occasionally rubbing his hands or chuckling in an effort to appear relaxed as he asked Luo Ren about the Silver Star Orchid, Su Sheng noticed the king’s stiff posture, as if he were facing not his own son but a terrifying presence.
Su Sheng pondered this.
Beside him, Luo Ren took out the Silver Star Orchid, his smile warm, but in a place Su Sheng couldn’t see, he shot a cold glance at Luo Fei, as if warning, “Take it, and use it well to treat Mother.”
King Luo Fei trembled as he took the Silver Star Orchid, swallowing hard before saying, “Yes, yes, Gr-”
The moment that word was about to escape his lips, the temperature around them plummeted to freezing, and his heart felt as if it had been squeezed tight. Terrified, he immediately corrected himself, mumbling, “Ah, good, good.”
The king turned away, discreetly wiping the sweat from his forehead.
That had scared him. How could he have forgotten in his nervousness…
Beside him, Luo Ren lightly tapped his wrist, as if receiving some message, and chuckled softly. “Apologies, I have something to attend to. I’ll step away for a moment.”
After Luo Ren left, King Luo Fei turned his attention to Su Sheng, finally having the chance to properly observe this young Saint.
This newly appointed Saint was indeed extraordinary, whether in appearance, demeanor, or magical prowess, the previous Saints paled in comparison. No wonder he had caught the Demon King’s eye.
But what a pity, what a pity, he had angered the Demon King. Luo Fei admired his courage but sympathized with the fate that awaited him.
For anything the Demon King set his sights on, no matter how fiercely it struggled, would ultimately and without exception submit to him.
Sighing almost imperceptibly, he was about to make an excuse to leave when a clear, pleasant voice echoed through the air.
“Your Majesty, what are you sighing about?”
Startled, he turned to meet the Saint’s probing gaze. The moment their eyes met, he should have immediately denied it or made an excuse, but he couldn’t help but freeze, astonished by the Saint’s keen observation. Even though he had adjusted his expression the moment their eyes met, ensuring nothing seemed amiss.
“Isn’t the queen’s recovery a joyous occasion? Why sigh instead?”
Luo Fei tensed but managed a smile, shaking his head. “My sigh wasn’t for the queen.”
Norton showed a look of great interest: “Oh? What is it? Can you tell me? Perhaps I can help you.”
Luo Fei said, “It’s nothing major, just that the lion in the back garden hasn’t been eating much lately, and I’m quite worried about it.”
A lion?
Su Sheng was taken aback, then thoughtfully said, “I see.”
Having failed to probe for any results, Su Sheng wasn’t discouraged. He picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.
Silence fell over the hall. Just then, Luo Ren returned and immediately walked over to Su Sheng.
King Luo Fei smiled and said, “Luo Ren, take good care of your friend. I’m going to check on the queen.”
Luo Ren turned and asked with a smile, “You’ll be staying in this castle for a while. To help you avoid getting lost, how about I show you around?”
After traveling for so long, Su Sheng was already feeling a bit tired and was about to decline. But when he looked up, he saw Luo Ren holding a wine glass in one hand, his eyes smiling as he looked at him. The words of refusal suddenly wouldn’t come out.
The corners of Luo Ren’s lips lifted slightly, his pair of azure-blue eyes filled with undisguised anticipation as he looked at him. Su Sheng’s heart softened inexplicably, and as if possessed, he actually agreed.
“Alright.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Luo Ren grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the palace’s back garden.
The scent of fresh grass brushed against his face. Leaning back on the bench, Su Sheng rested his hand on his forehead, watching until he unknowingly closed his eyes.
Beside him, Luo Ren smiled and quietly cast a wind-blocking spell. The howling wind in his ears immediately vanished.
“Norton, if you’re tired, just sleep. Thank you for accompanying me for so long.”
Luo Ren’s voice came through faintly. Su Sheng wanted to respond, but he was already too sleepy to even bother yawning.
In his sleep, Su Sheng suddenly felt a tickling sensation on the side of his cheek. He opened his eyes slightly to find Luo Ren right in front of him.
Startled, he leaned his neck back, only to realize his entire body had gone numb when he tried to lift his hand. Awkwardly rubbing his eyes, he asked with displeasure, “Luo Ren, what are you doing?”
Luo Ren’s body retreated slightly, his voice carrying a hint of laughter like a gentle breeze brushing past his ear: “I’m helping you shoo away the mosquitoes.”
“Mosquitoes?” Su Sheng was taken aback, looking skeptically at the tightly sealed magical barrier surrounding them. “Can mosquitoes even get in here?”
“From the grass,” Luo Ren said without batting an eye.
Su Sheng suspected Luo Ren was lying to him, but what reason would he have to lie?
He couldn’t figure it out.
Suspiciously, he glanced down at his feet, only to find that the magical barrier had indeed enclosed a patch of grass below. He was left speechless.
No longer concerned with what Luo Ren was doing, Su Sheng stretched, stood up, and began walking back.
Luo Ren followed from a distance, asking, “Where are you going? There’s still a family banquet tonight.”
Su Sheng paused in his steps, turning back to say calmly, “I know.”
…
That evening, he had dinner with Luo Ren’s family and returned to his room. Lying in bed in the quiet of the night, the events of the day suddenly flashed through his mind.
It’s nothing major, just that the lion in the back garden hasn’t been eating much lately, and I’m quite worried about it.
Su Sheng sat up, prepared a sobering magical potion for himself, picked up something from the table, then pushed the door open and walked out.
The long corridor was silent and empty. He quietly followed the route from earlier in the day to the back garden and found the lion enclosed by a fence.
The lion was dozing off but perked up and stood when it saw him approaching.
Su Sheng took a rough glance and noticed that the lion was plump and round, with a glossy, sleek coat, nothing like an animal that had been starving for days. He then took out a piece of meat and waved it in front of the lion, observing how its eyes followed the meat wherever it moved.
What a glutton, he chuckled softly to himself. He put the meat away, having gotten his answer. There was no need to take any further risks.
Returning to his room, he lay down and stared at the ceiling light, his thoughts drifting far and wide.
He pondered many things. He couldn’t understand why the king would tell such an easily exposed lie, nor could he decipher the meaning behind that look in the king’s eyes, a mix of pity and admiration, or so it seemed.
And everything here, why did it all feel so eerie?
Su Sheng closed his eyes, unaware that a pair of eyes was watching him intently from the darkness.