CHAPTER 509: CHAPTER 509 : (EXTRA) THE DETHRONED CROWN PRINCE (9)

When Xie Jianshen agreed to go with them, the Jiang omegas were almost beside themselves with glee.

Stupid Palace Mistress! They mocked him in their hearts. One simple mention of him being a "dragon prince" and he thought that he could easily rule over the lions!

How simplistic!

How arrogant!

Truth be told, burning curiosity for their underhanded dealings was the only reason Xie Jianshen agreed to go with them.

After all, scheming was as ingrained in the omega world as the scent of blooming nightshade flowers permeating the perimeters of Shuiran Palace ground at night.

It had nothing to do with clan affiliation. Born and raised in the Golden Dragon Palace and having to deal with these scheming creatures day by day, Xie Jianshen knew the only way to navigate these treacherous waters.

It was by facing them head-on, unflinching in the face of their machinations.

Xie Jianshen was prepared for something grand. Probably rounds of torturous challenges.

He might not escape unscathed.

He might sustain a lasting wound, leading to an earlier demise before he reached his hundredth birthday.

He might fall into a vegetative state for months.

...

No, that wasn’t good.

He still had his weekly outing with his mother, and he did not plan on skipping even a week.

Thus imagine Xie Jianshen’s disappointment when he was led to the lions’ enclosure instead, and all he had to do was "make the lions bow" before him.

Additionally, he was given a fresh stack of thorny mustard* to aid him in domesticating the big cats.

Xie Jianshen had to use every bit of self-restraint in his body not to "domesticate" the Jiang omegas by slapping them silly with the stack of thorny mustard in his hand.

Unfortunately, the Jiang omegas let out a very important piece of information. The lions had yet to be fed in the morning. At the moment, Xie Jianshen looked like a very delicious, juicy piece of red meat, oozing with sweet blood. Not even a full carriage of thorny mustard could save him.

News of Xie Jianshen being whisked away to the lion enclosure reached Jiang Rufeng hours later, after the Palace Master returned from spirit hunting with Zhang Zhiyuan, the Longjing Palace Master.

"What did you just say???"

The attendant fell into a deep kowtow upon hearing his liege lord’s raised voice.

"This servant is useless! This servant is careless! Your Highness, please punish me for my incompetence!" he wailed out loud.

Jiang Rufeng’s heart hammered against his ribs. With a flick of his sleeves, he propelled himself forward, his feet barely skimming the ground in a desperate sprint towards the lion enclosure. A whirlwind of terrifying possibilities spun in his mind, each one a potential nightmare born from this unforgivable lapse.

As bloodcurdling shrieks pierced the air, erupting from the lion’s domain, Jiang Rufeng dug deeper, pushing his speed to its limit. He arrived in a heartbeat, the sight before him slamming into him like a physical blow. The Shuiran Palace Master froze, his breath catching in his throat at the scene of utter chaos.

"Oh, you are back."

Xie Jianshen perched atop the stone wall that encircled the lion enclosure, one leg dangling carelessly over the edge.

Jiang Rufeng gave him a puzzled look before he spotted the source of the bloodcurdling cries.

The omegas of the Jiang family, their hands bound tightly behind their backs, were being ushered into the lion enclosure one by one.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Rufeng asked.

"I am educating the omegas from the Jiang family," Xie Jianshen responded with a casual tilt of his head. "No need to thank me."

There, in the heart of the enclosure, stood his cousin, a terrified scream ripping from her throat. She was being forced along a preordained path, each agonizing step bringing her closer to the snarling lions that flanked her. Their hungry gazes fixated on her, low growls rumbling deep within their chests. Their tongues lolled out, each swipe across their sharp rows of yellowish teeth a grotesque display of their predatory anticipation.

"Cousin Rufeng!" she cried out in terror when she discovered Jiang Rufeng towering over the lion enclosure. "Please help me! Your wife... your wife is trying to kill me!"

"Are you going to save her?" Xie Jianshen asked pointedly. His demeanor suggested a picture of absolute composure, but Jiang Rufeng could see the restless flutter of his wife’s long eyelashes and the minute trembling of his lips. If Jiang Rufeng did not know better, he might suspect that Xie Jianshen was about to break into tears.

Additionally, he could smell blood on Xie Jianshen.

Gently, Jiang Rufeng put his arms around the omega dragon from behind and cuddled him close to his chest. He then shifted his gaze and beamed at the poor cousin who looked like she was about to lose her soul with every step across the lion enclosure.

"Good for you for displaying our lion clan’s boundless courage, Cousin!" He hollered in a cheerful voice. "I am sure that my wife -- the Shuiran Palace Mistress -- cannot help but admire all the omegas from the Jiang family!"

In the end, Jiang Rufeng’s arrival -- early or late -- had little effect on Xie Jianshen’s unorthodox lesson plan for his new in-laws.

Once they returned to the palace, Xie Jianshen retreated to his private quarters and Jiang Rufeng followed behind him.

The dragon prince’s foul mood did little to deter him, thus Xie Jianshen was forced to personally throw Jiang Rufeng out of his courtyard.

"I will leave as soon as I dress your wounds," Jiang Rufeng explained with a placating smile.

A frown creased Xie Jianshen’s brow as he subtly tucked his right arm deeper into his sleeve."I don’t know what you are talking about," he snapped.

With long strides, Jiang Rufeng closed the distance between them, yanked Xie Jianshen’s wrist free, and revealed four long crimson gashes marring his beautiful skin.

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Author’s note :

*Aka catnip.

Xie Jianshen : *slaps the author with catnips*

Author : AAAAAHHH SAVE ME JIANYUUUUUUU~

Xie Jianyu : *not born yet, still happily playing in the Garden of Passing Souls*