Chapter Thirteen: Fooling Them with a Cute Act
Using this divine ability, he could change his body at will. This time, to see what was really going on behind the Shangxuan Kingdom, he had turned himself into a little boy. "But my wife..." the two officers said, cupping their hands. If someone washed him up and fed him a few good meals to build him up, plenty of high officials and nobles would be willing to adopt him as a son—or even keep him as a plaything. "Come on, come on, let's hit up Zui Xian Lou." "And if you don't go home, will your sister-in-law be all right with that?" After silently cursing himself, the officer kept smiling until his face nearly split in two. The officer who had made the suggestion burst out laughing and clapped his colleague on the back. The little boy asked timidly. After eating and drinking their fill, the two middle-aged officers left the restaurant together. "Brother, let's take him to the Venerable Mansion first and let the Venerables have a look at him." Bai Qiuran's Spiritual Sense followed close behind, monitoring his every move. The officer smiled as he reached out to take the little boy's hand. "Hm?" The other officer seemed rather henpecked. Then he crouched down, doing his best to put on a kind smile as he held out his hand to the boy on the ground. Smiling, the two men each took one of the little boy's hands and led him toward the Shangxuan Kingdom's Venerable Mansion. But they didn't know that behind them, the ragged little boy was wearing a meaningful smile of his own. A little tipsy and rather annoyed, the two men turned around in confusion, only to see a black-haired, starry-eyed little boy holding a broken bowl in one hand and tugging at the hem of their clothes with the other, looking up at them timidly. After following the two officers into the Venerable Mansion, Bai Qiuran was taken by two maids to a nearby bathhouse. They washed the grime from his body, changed him into a fresh set of clothes, then led him to a small room. "Hey, that wife of mine is probably already asleep with the kid by now." A short while later, someone brought in a table full of food and told Bai Qiuran to stay put and not wander off. Usually, young boys and girls were Demonic Cultivators' favorite offerings, whether for dual cultivation, soul harvesting, or large-scale Blood Sacrifices. "I-is there anything to eat?" "Wait, wait, don't go yet. Look at this kid—isn't he exactly the kind you were talking about? A young boy or girl wandering the streets, with no parents and nobody to take them in?" The other officer nodded. "Once we've delivered him, the two of us can go enjoy ourselves." "Sorry, kid. Uncle didn't see you were just a little boy. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "Of course! I'll make sure you eat your fill!" "Tonight we're going to be the last ones standing. We won't call it a night until we're drunk!" "Hey, no problem!" "Uncles." The officer smiled and said, "We'll even get you warm clothes and a soft bed!" "Please, be kind." Over his three thousand years of cultivation, he had mastered all kinds of divine abilities. There were several that weren't limited by one's cultivation realm, and he had trained them to perfection. The ability to change his body was one of them. "Thank you, Venerable Sima." The little boy stumbled back two steps, his expression timid, then stared at them with frightened eyes. Hearing his colleague's words, the officer who had lost his temper froze. He burped, his face flushed, and swayed on his feet as he looked the little boy over. One officer called out, "For the next few days, the two of us will probably be sent on an assignment somewhere beyond the capital, where there's no village ahead and no inn behind. We'd better take this chance to have ourselves a good time." The officer who had suggested visiting the Red-light District waved dismissively. "When I left, I told her it was official business. We need to save our strength—save our strength, you understand?" Fighting through his pounding head, the officer shook it to clear it a little, then exchanged a glance with his colleague. After the two officers took their leave, Sima Yingbo stood where he was and pondered for a moment. Then he returned to his desk and began working through the documents piled on it. The other officer had clearly wanted to go in the first place. Hearing this, he grew eager at once. "Then... when my wife asks about it, I'll need you to cover for me, brother." The little boy pleaded in a somewhat slurred voice, "Please, be kind and give me something to eat. I'm starving to death." After watching the visitors leave, Bai Qiuran began eating the food as he released his Spiritual Sense to search the Venerable Mansion. He quickly found the two officers reporting to a Venerable. The person they were reporting to was someone Bai Qiuran happened to know: First-Rank Venerable Sima Yingbo, whom he had met once on Mang Mountain. The two men exchanged a knowing grin, then chuckled as they headed toward the largest Red-light District in the Shangxuan Kingdom. Just then, someone tugged at one officer's clothes from behind. The officer whose clothes had been tugged had drunk enough to get a little carried away. For a moment, his mind didn't catch up. Seeing a little beggar tugging at him and keeping him from enjoying himself in the Red-light District, he flew into a rage, yanked his clothes free, and shoved the boy to the ground. "Get lost! Where did this little brat come from? What rotten luck!" But the other officer seemed sober enough to keep his wits about him. He stared blankly at the little boy sitting on the ground, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his colleague. "Who is it?" The officer laughed as he stood up and exchanged a glance with his colleague. The two of them broke into identical, knowing smiles. Though he was dressed in ragged, patched-up clothes, with dirt and dust all over his face, hands, and feet, the boy had an adorable face and delicate features. At the mention of food and clothes, the little boy's eyes lit up at once, and he grabbed the officer's calloused hand. "Th-then I'll go with you, uncles." "Come along. We're officers of the Shangxuan Kingdom. His Majesty has ordered that the people within the capital must have warm clothes and enough to eat. We won't leave you alone on the street." "Come on, Uncle will take you to the government offices and get you a hot meal." "You've done well this time." "It may only be a formality, but that boy is exceptionally gifted, with outstanding natural talent. He's an excellent choice in every respect. With him taking part in the Heaven Worship Ceremony, even the late emperor's spirit will surely be comforted, and the fate of the Shangxuan Kingdom may be turned around. I'll report this to my master. You two have worked hard; go collect your reward." Bai Qiuran heard Sima Yingbo praising the two officers...
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