bookpub Chapter 179 The Blossoming Union
Chapter 179 The Blossoming Union
Chapter 179 The Blooming Lily
Grandma Mag's butt!
Geb emerged from the hot water, a cloud of white mist perfectly concealing his private parts.
Gebu was delighted to see the beautiful Xilian, but halfway through, a rather unsightly old elven woman suddenly appeared.
Moreover, this old peacock has become even more aged than before. Before, it could be said that it still had some charm, but now it can only be described as being in its twilight years.
It's only been a few days? How come he looks this old?
Gebu's first reaction was to use Shadow and Invisibility to escape, but seeing the dazed woman still in the pool, he couldn't bear to leave her there. He had dragged her into this gamble, and now that things were going wrong, he couldn't just run away with the chips; it was such an unethical thing to do.
"Old elf Deng—Madam, you can't make false accusations in front of Her Highness the Princess. I've never seen you before." Gebu grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around himself, covering his private parts before the white mist dissipated.
"Is that so? You didn't say that in the basement of the Pharmacy." The old lady said with a hint of malice, her eyes narrowing into slits.
"What basement? When have I ever crawled into your basement? I'm a respectable halfling, I never take that kind of work."
"Hmph." Lady Peacock wrinkled her nose. "No matter how glib you are." The woman respectfully turned to Princess Xilian beside her and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, as long as you allow me to use some methods on him, he will immediately be exposed. What I promised you will then fall into place naturally."
Princess Hilian had already reached the stone platform beside the bath. With the help of servants, she applied some kind of mud paste to her face. Seemingly uninterested in the argument between Peacock and Gebu, she didn't even turn her head, saying calmly, "No, I won't allow you to use any means in the Silver Moon Corridor. Tonight is supposed to be my once-a-year time of joy, but one by one, you keep intruding into my ball, testing my patience."
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness—" Peacock immediately lowered her head and said humbly, her obsequious manner disgusting Gebu. The old woman secretly raised her eyes, glared at Gebu, and then squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "But—"
“No buts,” the princess said softly, interrupting the peacock without room for argument. “I don’t care what grudges you have—the witch hunter Gascoigne begged me for your protection, but don’t think that church hound carries any weight with the Rose Royal Family. The only reason I’m listening to your story is because of what you promised me.”
"The person you seek is right before you. Give me that book before my mask completely dries, and you'll have a chance to live, Gray Raven Spirit." The princess's voice was icy cold. "Otherwise, I will make you and your minions vanish from this city forever."
The old elven woman's face turned ashen, her already relaxed features sinking to the depths of the sea.
Upon hearing this, Gebu suddenly calmed down.
Oh, so you've also staked everything on gambling with your life here with the princess.
Gebu didn't know what the peacock and the princess said, but from the few words they exchanged, he could roughly guess that the peacock had told the princess about some treasure it possessed.
What could that treasure be?
"That book."
The Book of Sand?
After thinking it over, the only thing that could interest the Crown Prince of the new kingdom was this divine artifact.
But how did the peacock know that?
Gebu's mind raced. He realized that Peacock and Vulture had somehow moved aside, so Vulture must have told Peacock about the Book of Sand.
Those two old guys are really bad!
Peacock's own strength was far less than before, so she could only ask Princess Xilian for help and capture Gebu—in exchange, she promised the princess the Book of Sand.
Then she took the manticore venom herself and reconciled with the golden-masked man. A clever plan, old Peacock Deng.
Geb had figured it all out. The bathroom was warm, but the halfling couldn't help but shiver.
From the moment I stepped into this ball, I walked into a huge trap set by the peacock!
However, the peacock overlooked one crucial detail despite its meticulous planning.
The Book of Sand is not with Gebu now!
Fortunately, Gebu was cautious and handed the dimensional bag to his magical pet before going upstairs, where it flew outside the window to wait for orders.
In other words, no matter how much the old woman interrogated him, she couldn't conjure the Book of Sand from the naked Gebu. As long as he held on, there was nothing she could do.
Without the book, there was no leverage, and Peacock couldn't explain himself to Princess Xilian. But then things took a turn for the better.
At this moment, Gebu noticed the swordswoman in the bath, her face tense. She stared intently at the malevolent old elf, one hand covering her chest, and stood up, eager to fight, as if she were about to burst out of the water at any moment and fight Lady Peacock to the death.
"Don't rush—let me negotiate," Geb transmitted to the swordswoman. Hearing the halfling's words, the swordswoman felt a little relieved, but she didn't let her guard down.
Geb calmed down and walked along the edge of the bath to Mrs. Peacock, looking up at the old woman.
Lady Peacock looked down at the halfling. Although she looked old, she was not kind at all, and her eyes were full of undisguised ruthlessness.
"Gebu, if I had known this day would come, I should have killed you and your mentally challenged accomplice at the market."
"I don't know what you're talking about, elf," Geb said to Peacock without backing down. "But looking at your age, instead of staying home and enjoying your retirement, you're always scheming and plotting. You might just die suddenly."
"Don't think I can't see through your disguise, you little beast!" Peacock scolded. She suddenly took a step forward and reached out to grab Gebu's face. But Gebu reacted quickly; how could he let the old elf woman succeed? He took a step back, causing the old woman to miss her target.
Gebu put his hands on his hips, knowing in his heart that the peacock couldn't do anything to him, and watched the person in front of him perform with a calm and detached expression.
The peacock's movement just now didn't hurt Gebu much, but the old lady almost fell over, and she was furious with impotence.
"I suggest you have some self-respect, old lady," Gebu said coldly. "This floor is slippery. If you slip and fall, there will be blood everywhere. Will Her Highness still be able to soak in this pool?"
"————" The old elven woman reached for her waist, as if to take something out, but Geb's eyes were quick and he caught sight of a corner of a magic scroll.
Oh, by the way, this old elf lady can copy magic scrolls!
A sense of unease crept into Gebu's mind, fearing that Lady Peacock might use some kind of illusion-dispelling magic. Before she could pull out her hand, he quickly said, "Hey, I'm warning you! Her Highness the Princess said no underhanded tricks! Are you trying to frame me?"
Magic scrolls are magic too—this is, after all, the territory of the Holy Church of Obak. Whoever unleashes magic first will be branded a heretic.
Gebu was far more skilled at dancing in shackles than the peacock.
Lady Peacock realized this, and she forcibly suppressed her anger. She glared fiercely at Gebu, then turned her eyes and bowed to the princess's back.
"Your Highness, this man is a dangerous wizard—I cannot expose his disguise, but there is someone who can," Peacock said in a hoarse voice, her tone very restrained. "I request that you allow the witch hunter Gascoigne to come and subdue this wizard."
Huh?! You can't handle it yourself, so you ask your old flame to stand up for you?
Old lady—you bastard, don't you have any sportsmanship?!
Upon hearing this, Gebu lost his temper. He was both angry and afraid of Gascoigne. Not only had this guy wiped out the Broken Tooth tribe, but he had also followed him all the way to the capital of the New Kingdom. Was he crazy?!
Facing Peacock, Gebu was confident. He knew that Peacock was a schemer and that his own combat ability was average—this could be seen from the level of her magic scroll copying. This girl didn't know magic, and in her current state, she was even less likely to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
If things get out of control, Geb can use magic, and with the swordswoman's skills, they might be able to fight their way out.
But once the witch hunter arrives, he can easily break through my first and second-level spells with a wave of his hand. Then I'll only face certain death.
Old lady, if you leave me no way out, don't blame me for fighting to the death!
Gebu quickly relayed a barrage of messages to Peacock: "Peacock, if you expose my mask, your secrets will be revealed as well. I know everything about your agreement with the Golden Mask. I am a heretic, and what are you?"
"Colluding with wizards, manufacturing poisons, smuggling medicines, and colluding with enemy countries—any one of these crimes is enough to get you killed multiple times over!"
"Come on, let's barbecue together over the same bonfire! Who's afraid of who?"
Peacock paused for a moment, then finally revealed a sinister smile. In her mind, she replied to Gebu: "What do you think I have left to lose? The golden mask took everything from me. Look at me now!"
"And all of this is because of you, you wretched goblin! You had to show up in my basement at that exact moment—and steal the manticore that should have been mine! Goblin, today you've fallen into my hands, and I'll kill you! The vultures will skin you alive—"
"You don't need to threaten me, Peacock. If your old, failing eyes could still see, you'd know the book isn't on me. Even if the vultures kill me, you'll get nothing!"
After delivering the message, Gebu pointed provocatively to his naked body, indicating that he had nothing on his body.
"You can't hide things too far away. Witch hunters have plenty of ways to strip away your disguise and get your words out of your belly."
"Do you think Princess Hilian would allow such barbaric behavior to happen before her eyes? How much time do you think you have left, Peacock?"
After the message was sent, Peacock's reply was delayed. Gebu narrowed his eyes, watching the old woman's reaction. The two stared at each other, locked in a tense silence for a moment.
"Doffin, come here and sit next to me," Princess Hiran called from the side, placing her hands beside her and patting the stone platform.
The woman hesitated for a moment, and Gebu nodded to her. The woman then stood up from the pool somewhat shyly, took a towel to wrap around her body, and quickly walked to the princess's side, sitting down a seat away from her.
"Come a little closer," the princess said softly, but it sounded like a command.
The swordswoman only leaned in a tiny bit, and Princess Hilian turned her head, dipped her fingertip in some mud, and dabbed it on the swordswoman's nose. The mercenary instinctively flinched, but when she saw it was just mud, she froze, somewhat embarrassed, and closed her eyes, letting the princess work on her face.
While the two women were exchanging passionate words, Gebu and Kongque finally broke their silence.
"I know what you want. I can make a deal with you, Peacock," Gebu transmitted, staring intently into the woman's eyes. "Didn't you make a contract with the Golden Mask? I made that contract item for you—of course, you already knew that, which is why you took the risk."
"As you can see, the poison isn't on me; I've hidden it somewhere in this corridor. Let's make a deal—the poison in exchange for my freedom."
"Hmph, do you think I'd still believe you now?"
"You have no choice, Peacock, and neither do I. Either we die together, or we compromise. You can give up your golden mask, and I can leave here alive."
How do you plan to trade?
"Tell the princess that you have found traces of the Book of Sand. As insurance, I will stay here, and then my companions will take you to find the poison. After that, you can disappear. I will find a way to escape on my own." Gebu carefully inserted these words into Peacock's mind. This plan ensured Peacock's safety to the greatest extent (from her perspective) and was the best solution Peacock could obtain in this situation. She had no reason to refuse.
Of course, Peacock didn't know that the swordswoman wasn't taking her to a treasure trove, but rather to a trap she had set for her.
"Next, and this is the most important point," Geb said, "we absolutely cannot involve the witch hunters. Otherwise, neither of us will be able to escape."
The peacock fell silent again. Undoubtedly, beneath her aged exterior lay a shrewd and clever spirit. She was weighing the risks of the plan.
Thinking about it carefully, the witch hunter was hunting him down for the Book of Sand. He might not know about the pact between Peacock and the Golden Mask—no, he definitely didn't! This vulture is so stubborn and conservative. If he discovers that his old flame is having an affair with an Imperial wizard, he will definitely kill Peacock without hesitation.
In this respect, Gebu and Peacock are on the same side—while they may use each other, Baldy is not Peacock's friend; he simply doesn't know she's an enemy yet.
After a moment of silence, Peacock gave Gebu a disdainful look, then nodded with a constipated expression, indicating her tacit agreement.
“I don’t think we need to involve the witch hunters,” Geb said, putting on a convincing act for the princess. “While I may not be the person you’re looking for, I did acquire a strange book by chance—perhaps that’s the source of all this misunderstanding.”
"Judging from your appearance, you don't seem like a dangerous wizard, but more like an arrogant and foolish bastard. That book is a forbidden item of the church, and I suggest you hand it over immediately. Witch hunters never show mercy, but Her Highness the Princess might show you mercy." Peacock suddenly changed her tune to cooperate with Gebu, her change of expression was outrageous.
"I spent a fortune to get that book," Geb said, following Peacock's lead, a regretful expression on his face. "I thought this sacred relic of the Holy Church would provide protection for the Rose Knights' trial journey, but it seems it has only brought us trouble—I'm willing to offer it to the esteemed princess as a gift. Doffin, if you don't mind, perhaps you could follow this elderly elf lady to that place to retrieve what we've hidden?"
Dove turned her head, her face, covered in ointment, filled with confusion. Geb gave her a look, and the woman quickly agreed, though she didn't know what she was agreeing to.
"Your Highness, if you don't mind, I'll go with this young lady to retrieve the book—in the meantime, you'd better not let this halfling out of your sight, lest he's lying."
"You can go and get it, elf. For your own health, I hope you haven't made a mistake," the princess said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Dove got up to leave, but Helena grabbed his wrist.
"But let the halfling go with you." The princess turned half her face to look at Doffin, a slight smile on her face. "I enjoy this lady's company more than his."
Ah, this.
Gebu slapped his forehead—oh, so this princess isn't planning on letting Doffin go?!
What to do? !
Doffin looked at Geb with pleading eyes again. The halfling thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, stepped forward, and suddenly said, "I'll be right back!"
Then he walked towards the locker room without looking back!
Good luck, Dove!
Let the lilies bloom freely in the bathroom tub!