Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)-Chapter 55: You are a sick old man

"Damn," he swore. He had forgotten who he was messing with. Just when he was about to curse this god to the high heavens the darkness lifted. He found himself in a large, luxurious military tent. In front of him was a grand mahogany table with maps unfurled and scattered across its surface. To his left was a shiny gold armour hanging neatly on a stand, accompanied by a sheathed sword. Red and yellow lanterns cast a warm glow, illuminating the tent.

Xiang Yu hadn’t yet figured out where he was or what he was supposed to do. He picked up an unsealed letter on the table and began to read it. It was from a princess of an enemy state, requesting an alliance through marriage between the two states. She spoke of her love for the enemy country’s crown prince and her desire to marry him to bring peace between their nations.

He smirked, calling out to the old man in his mind. "What’s the situation in this world?" he asked as he leisurely leaned against the table, his curiosity piqued.

The Heavenly Emperor was sitting on his throne, rubbing his temples as he felt a headache coming on from dealing with this troublesome half-blood. He had never been this disgraced and disrespected in his entire life. He was pretty sure he was left with a bald spot on his hair from the aggressive patting.

When he heard Xiang Yu’s voice the headache seemed to throb even more. If he could go into these worlds and get his son back he would but he was a god and couldn’t interfere. He could have assigned someone else to handle Xiang Yu, but he couldn’t trust anyone with this task. Besides, his wife would kill him if he did.

"This world is relatively simple," he began, his voice weary. "It’s a plotline filled with intricate palace drama. Peng Xiu, in this world, is the daughter of Emperor Peng of Yige country and a deposed Empress who tried to kill a concubine’s son. Because the Empress was pregnant, the Emperor didn’t kill her. Instead, he sent her to the borderlands, forbidding her from returning." Xiang Yu listened intently the smile on his face growing sinister.

"When she gave birth, the deposed Empress refused to send her newborn daughter, Peng Xiu, to the capital. She lied, claiming her daughter had passed away so she could keep her. Peng Xiu was raised by that mad woman, filled with hatred for her father and the concubine. She desired revenge, but the only way she could achieve it was by marrying the young General Han, who had been defending Yige from the barbaric enemy state, Zhen."

Xiang Yu smirked, finding the situation intriguing. "A fierce general and his princess in distress. The girls would love this story."

The Heavenly King continued his tale, his voice a low murmur. "When the deposed empress died under suspicious conditions, Peng Xiu began to implement the plan she had been plotting for years. She developed alliances and commanded a private mercenary force, a gift from her maternal grandfather."

"She had been writing letters to General Han for years, professing her love and desire to marry him. But despite her heartfelt words, General Han never wrote back. Undeterred, she wrote a letter to the Emperor, revealing the truth that she was not dead like her mother said. The Emperor, relieved and overjoyed by this news, invited her to return to the palace. However, she was a strategist. She claimed she did not know the way and requested that the Emperor send someone to escort her. She desired a grand return, led by none other than General Han himself.

At the same time, she had been writing letters to the Crown Prince of Zhen country, expressing her admiration and desire to marry him. Intrigued by the mysterious princess, the Crown Prince decided to visit her. But when he arrived, she resisted his advances, leaving the Crown Prince confused and enraged. Feeling betrayed by her apparent deceit, he kidnapped her and took her to his military camp."

The Heavenly Emperor paused, his eyes glinting with anger. He couldn’t believe the worlds he created to sustain the divine realm would be used to trap his son. His voice grew more intense as he continued to recount the events. "Before she was kidnapped, she managed to send an urgent letter to the Emperor, claiming she had been taken by the barbaric Crown Prince of Zhen. The Emperor, alarmed and furious, immediately commanded General Han to rescue the princess from the barbarians.

General Han being ever so loyal set out on his mission. He confronted the Crown Prince of Zhen in a fierce battle, ultimately killing him and rescuing her. The journey back to the capital was fraught with challenges, but the bond between her and General Han grew stronger with each trial they faced.

Upon their return, the Emperor, grateful for Peng Xiu’s safe return and impressed by General Han’s bravery, issued an imperial edict decreeing that she would marry General Han. With General Han now firmly in her grasp, her power grew exponentially."

"With her newfound influence," the Heavenly King continued, his eyes narrowing, "she orchestrated the deaths of her father and his favoured concubine. She then slowly poisoned the only crown prince of Yige, eliminating any threats to her ascent. She became the first empress, but her reign was marked by infamy and cruelty."

The Heavenly Emperor paused, his gaze distant. "At the end of the plotline this world returns in time and it starts all over again like a rinse and repeat."

Xiang Yu’s eyes glinted with a menacing gaze, his aura cold and unyielding. "The solution is simple," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "I will kill her and fix this problem once and for all."

The emperor of heaven shook his head, his expression grave. "You can’t kill her. If you do, the plotline will reset, and you will be back where we started. You need to find a way to prevent Han Xin and Peng Xiu from being together and foil her plans without resorting to murder."

Xiang Yu tsked in annoyance. All his life, he had solved his problems with violence, but now this old man was telling him not to use that method. Which method was he meant to use then? "Fine. Then tell me, who am I in this world?"

The old man hesitated before answering, "You are the unfortunate Crown Prince of Zhen."

Xiang Yu’s face twisted in disgust. "You mean I am the barbaric crown prince? You do know we are twins, right? This is sick. You are a sick old man man for arranging this body for me."

The King, who had been scolded, almost rolled his eyes. "It was the only way to get you close to her. Now, focus on a solution before Han Xin arrives there to rescue her. You need to outsmart her."

Xiang Yu’s malicious grin returned, albeit with a hint of reluctance. "Fine, I will think of something. Just tell me where the twins are."