Double Agent Pangolin

It was night, cloudless, with stars scattered across the sky.

The bright moonlight poured into the emperor's bedchamber like flowing water, slightly dispelling the oppressive air in the room.

Xu Lanqing stood before the bed, watching the emperor sleeping upon it. A bright yellow quilt covered the emperor, revealing only a sickly pale, aged face.

When he arrived, the gravely ill emperor had still been discussing matters with the prime minister, the minister of military affairs, and other high-ranking officials of the empire.

He would cough twice after every sentence, and even a decision that should have been easily made took two or three times longer than usual.

He had waited quietly outside, but by the time the ministers had all left and he entered, the emperor had already fallen into an exhausted sleep.

After staying inside for a while, he left the palace hall together with the imperial physician who had been nourishing the emperor's body.

"Elder Sun, how is it? Can my father's illness be cured?" Xu Lanqing asked the imperial physician walking beside him.

The imperial physician known as Elder Sun was an old woman with white hair and a youthful complexion, whose full name was Sun Yuhuan.

She was not only the highest-ranked healing-type Soul Master in the imperial palace but also the chief alchemist of the royal family.

It was she who had delivered Xu Lanqing when he was born.

"As long as he rests his mind, avoids emotional agitation, follows the medication, and has his body nourished every day, he will be fine for another dozen years or so," Sun Yuhuan said kindly.

"Cannot it be cured completely?" Xu Lanqing pursed his lips.

"It is difficult."

Sun Yuhuan shook her head and sighed: "Given the emperor's condition, ordinary medicine has a negligible effect; it can only serve to alleviate the symptoms."

Xu Lanqing pondered for a moment: "What if there were heavenly treasures or even immortal-grade medicinal herbs? Could it be cured then?"

"That, one could try."

Sun Yuhuan nodded, but the next moment she shook her head again: "It is just that the heavenly treasures stored in the palace that could be of use to the emperor have already been used up, which is the only reason we were able to pull him back from the brink of death.

There are no more spare treasures, and even if we were to go looking for them, it would depend on luck and time."

"I understand."

Xu Lanqing turned his head and saw the Ice Empress waiting in the garden. He said to Sun Yuhuan:

"I have troubled you with my father's affairs, Elder Sun. I shall take my leave now."

"It is no trouble at all, it is what I ought to do. Go on," Sun Yuhuan waved her hand.

Xu Lanqing walked toward the Ice Empress.

The night was quiet and filled with clusters of flowers. Bathed in the cold, peerless moonlight, the Ice Empress looked like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting, causing the vibrant flowers surrounding her to lose their luster.

"You've been waiting a long time," Xu Lanqing said with a smile.

The Ice Empress shook her head, her sky-blue eyes calm.

"You aren't in a hurry, but I imagine the Ice Emperor and the others are likely burning with impatience. It would be best to go back and let them out quickly, lest they take their anger out on the Undead Plane," Xu Lanqing said with a smile.

The Ice Empress nodded; she was also somewhat eager to see the Ice Emperor.

A moment later, Xu Lanqing arrived at the palace where he resided.

He beckoned to the two guards standing outside and let the Ice Empress go in first.

The guards glanced at the Ice Empress and then immediately lowered their heads. One should not ask what one ought not to know; it was best to just do one's own job.

Watching the Ice Empress's back, he said to the guards: "Which of you knows how to craft a storage ring?"

"This subordinate knows," the guard on the left replied.

"Good, come, do me a favor."

Xu Lanqing said to the two with a chuckle: "As for you, go tell the chef to make something delicious, and make plenty of it."

"Yes," the two guards bowed and said.

Suddenly, Xu Lanqing thought of something: "Oh, right, don't make anything with bear or scorpion."

Inside the hall, the Ice Empress's mouth twitched, and her calm heart felt a ripple of emotion.

Looking at Xu Lanqing as he walked in, she couldn't help but ask: "Have you eaten those before?"

Xu Lanqing was stunned for a moment, then said decisively: "No, absolutely not. I was just worried they might mess it up and ruin your mood."

Then he immediately said: "Alright, I will let them out now."

His pitch-black eyes quickly turned gray. The bright hall became filled with a cold yet sacred aura, and Xu Lanqing traced patterns in the air with his index finger.

The Ice Empress watched this scene with curiosity; it was her first time seeing Xu Lanqing use this ability.

Before long.

The tracing was complete, and Xu Lanqing returned to his original state. A six-pointed star formation appeared in front of him, and amidst the flickering light, the figures of the Ice Emperor and Xiaobai appeared.

The Ice Emperor's vision blurred, and she realized she had returned to the real world.

The first thing she saw was Xu Lanqing, and the anger in her heart surged uncontrollably. Her willow-leaf eyebrows arched, and she shouted:

"Xu Lanqing!

Why did the Ice Empress suddenly disappear? Where did you take her? If you don't give me an explanation today, I..."

As she spoke, Tengteng stepped forward and grabbed Xu Lanqing by the collar, a fragrant scent wafting toward him.

However, the next moment, before Xu Lanqing could even speak, she sensed something and turned her head to look behind her.

"Snow Maiden!"

Ice Emperor looked at Snow Maiden with eyes full of surprise, then shoved Xu Lanqing aside, turned, and threw herself into Snow Maiden's arms, burying her head in her chest as their two delicate bodies pressed together.

Xu Lanqing watched with an envious expression.

Xiaobai also shouted "Mom" and lunged forward, but before he could get close, he was swatted away by Ice Emperor.

He could only stand to the side with a look of grievance.

Ice Emperor's voice was filled with concern:

"Snow Maiden, how did you get out? You disappeared so suddenly before, I was worried to death. Let me see, are you hurt or anything?

..."

"Alright, I'm fine." Snow Maiden pushed Ice Emperor away, a helpless smile on her face: "You, your temper is still so fiery and impatient."

Then, she recounted everything she knew about what had happened.

Hearing this, Ice Emperor pursed her lips and said to Xu Lanqing: "Thank you."

"So you actually know how to say those two words?" Xu Lanqing laughed.

"Hmph."

Ice Emperor turned her head, presenting her fair profile to him, signaling that she couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind.

At this moment, footsteps sounded from outside.

"Your Highness, the dishes are ready." The guard's voice followed.

"Mm, put them on the table."

"Yes."

Although the guard was somewhat surprised by the two additional people, he still performed his duties faithfully.

The empty table was soon filled with dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious, leaving only the center empty, presumably for the main course yet to arrive.

Xiaobai couldn't help but drool at the sight.

Following the guard was a thin chef, who held a steaming pot of chicken soup in his hands.

The chef smiled as he placed the chicken soup in the center of the table and said: "The dishes are all served, Your Highness, please enjoy them while they're hot."

Just as Xu Lanqing was about to nod, a crisp voice rang out abruptly.

"Wait!"

Ice Emperor glanced at the chicken soup, then stared at the chef and said coldly: "This chicken soup has been poisoned."

To think someone would use such low-grade poison right in front of her; it was nothing short of a blatant provocation and insult.

"My lady, you must be joking." The chef's face showed no trace of panic as he smiled: "Eat while it's hot, I won't disturb you any further, I'll be going now."

With that, he turned to leave.

"You aren't going anywhere." Xu Lanqing spoke up.

The guard immediately blocked the doorway, cutting off the chef's path.

The chef turned around and scanned the group standing by the table, all of whom were looking at him with cold expressions; the atmosphere turned frigid.

His smile didn't fade: "Your Highness, you don't actually believe this lady's nonsense, do you?"

"I do, I believe it very much." Xu Lanqing said calmly.

Ice Emperor nodded slightly, thinking that at least this guy had some conscience.

"Your Highness, why, why do you like to joke around too?" The chef continued to smile.

Xu Lanqing ladled a bowl of chicken soup and placed it in front of him, smiling faintly: "If you didn't poison it, then drink this bowl of chicken soup."

The chef looked at the chicken soup, then at Xu Lanqing, and still smiled:

"Your Highness, this chicken soup is extremely precious; it was made from a thousand-year-old Seven-Colored Brocade Chicken. It should be for you and your guests to drink first. As a mere chef, how could I possibly drink it?"

"Seeing how hard you've been working, what's a bowl of soup? If you don't drink it..."

A cold glint flashed in Xu Lanqing's eyes: "...then it means you really did poison it."

"This, this isn't right, which guest is trying to frame me today?"

The chef's smile grew strained. He looked at the group and pointed at Ice Emperor: "It's this lady who wants to frame me, right? Fine, I'll drink it, I'll drink it."

He stepped forward, his hand trembling slightly as he held the bowl to his lips: "Drinking soup, what a wonderful thing."

With that, he downed the chicken soup in one gulp.

The chef patted his chest and said with an expression of enjoyment: "Not too salty, not too bland, the taste is truly excellent. Your Highness, look, isn't everything fine? Drink up, drink while it's hot.

Your Highness, you have to lead the way. Once you drink, everyone else will dare to drink. Drink, why aren't you drinking?"

Watching the group's indifferent and cold expressions, his body began to sway. Suddenly, he lunged forward and slammed his hand onto the table, causing the chicken soup to splash out of the pot.

With a ferocious expression, he roared, "Damn it, why won't you drink? Drink, drink!"

As if he could barely hold himself up, he swayed and stumbled backward.

"Not drinking, you're not drinking, are you?"

The storage ring on his finger flashed, and a one-meter-long Class 8 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell suddenly appeared.

He surged with soul power and said frantically, "Not drinking? If you don't drink, I'll blow you all to hell!"

"None of you will drink, right? You're all afraid of death, aren't you? Let me tell you, if you don't drink, don't even think about leaving here alive!"

Xu Lanqing stopped the guards from moving, watching the chef with a calm expression.

With Ice Empress and Ice Emperor by his side, how could he possibly be afraid?

The chef held his head high, looking at everyone with contempt: "Since you've already figured it out, I won't play along anymore."

"I am the renowned right-hand man of the Third Prince and a dual-agent for the great Star Luo Empire."

"Codename—Pangolin!"

With that, he snatched the white chef's hat off his head and slammed it onto the ground.

"The previous assassination was arranged by me, and the poison in this chicken soup was also put there by me."

"But if I drink this soup, I'll definitely die, and if you don't drink it, you won't get to live either!"

He tilted his head back, his voice impassioned, his eyes filled with fanaticism: "Lord Duke, Your Majesty, my mission is complete! Hahahaha!"

As soul power poured into the Class 8 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell, a ferocious force was about to erupt.

Standing beside Xu Lanqing, Ice Empress flashed her eyes, and an invisible chill invaded the Class 8 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell, freezing its interior instantly.

"Hahaha..."

The laughter came to an abrupt halt; Pangolin looked at the unresponsive Class 8 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell, his face filled with bewilderment.

Then, he looked at Xu Lanqing and gritted his teeth, saying, "Damn it, playing dirty, are you? Let's just do this!"

He hugged the shell and prepared to charge at Xu Lanqing.

But he didn't make it more than a few steps before he stopped, bright red blood slowly flowing from his mouth as the shell fell from his arms to the ground.

His face flushed red, filled with pain and unwillingness, his palms pressed against his stomach.

"Thud."

He knelt on the ground, drops of blood hitting the floor, before finally collapsing onto the cold tiles, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Xu Lanqing curled his lip: "Bad luck, he even got my floor dirty."

He then said to a guard: "You, go and tell my third brother."

"Yes!"

The guard glanced at the corpse on the floor and left, still in disbelief.