บท 21: Frozen Solid
Jiang Yao nodded at the information center's attendant. He then reached out his hand and a few gold bars appeared within. These bars were handed to the clerk who had spoken before, and in return, he received a small map.
Luo Xiao looked curiously at the map. He had read many books, and some of them had details on geography, but none of them were as detailed or beautiful as this map in front of him.
Seeing the curiosity on Luo Xiao's face, Jiang Yao chuckled and handed the map over to the younger boy.
Accepting the map, Luo Xiao opened it up with reverence. Looking over it, he was brimming with curiosity, unable to contain his excitement.
Jiang Yao had never seen such genuine excitement and interest on Luo Xiao's face before, so he was very entertained by the sight.
“Your Highness! This map is very valuable!” the clerk exclaimed with shock when he saw that Jiang Yao had just handed it over to Luo Xiao as if it was some sort of toy, but Jiang Yao just shrugged his shoulders.
“I have already memorized it,” he said after glancing at it for a moment, “might as well let my dear Xiaoxiao have some fun with it instead.”
“Your dear Xiaoxiao?” The attendant almost choked when he heard how Jiang Yao referred to Luo Xiao, however the moment he said the words, his blood froze. His heart beat rapidly, and at that moment, it was as if death loomed above him.
“Who said you could talk?” Jiang Yao asked, his face displaying the ferocity he was so famous for. One could see the recklessness and evil that this prince from the Tiansong Kingdom was so notorious for present in his eyes.
“For-forgive this lowly one!!” The clerk sputtered in fear, truly shocked to the core. He had heard many things about this Seventh Prince of the Tiansong Kingdom, but he had forgotten the rumours when he saw the friendly and gentle demeanor he had shown since he arrived.
That was until he misspoke. Now he felt as if he had been submerged in a frozen lake. He could not help but shiver uncontrollably, and his eyes were wide open in fear.
“He is my Xiaoxiao,” Jiang Yao said in a low voice, “don’t you ever mention his name or call him dear. If you do, your life with have a tragic end.”
While they talked, Luo Xiao had paid no attention to them, in fact, he hadn’t heard anything because Jiang Yao shielded him with a barrier. He hadn’t even noticed anything because he was so busy looking at the map. Although he couldn’t hear anything, if he had lifted his head, he would’ve seen that something was going on, but he didn’t.
The attendant from the information center was fearful all the way to his bones. He looked at Luo Xiao with incredulity. Who was this young boy to make the Seventh Prince behave in such a way?
“I hope you will hold your tongue concerning what happened just now,” Jiang Yao said as he retracted the barrier around Luo Xiao and reached out his hand.
He took the map from the younger boy who pouted slightly, an expression which caused Jiang Yao to snicker. Seeing Luo Xiao’s reactions he couldn’t help but ruffle the younger boy’s hair. “You can look at it later,” he said, and Luo Xiao nodded as a smile sprang to life on his face.
Like usual, Luo Xiao and Jiang Yao’s hands found each other as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Luo Xiao’s face flushed slightly because he realized that he too had reached out to take Jiang Yao’s hand and that he didn’t oppose the feeling of holding hands with the older man.
The red hue that had spread across his face made him look adorable. Seeing this, Jiang Yao felt his heart quiver as he fought against the urge to take him into his embrace and hug him tightly right then and there.
Although he could actually do so if he wished, he knew that it would embarrass Luo Xiao so much that he would be grumbling about it for a while. It might even cause him to oppose their lovers act because he was too embarrassed, so he held back.
But the attendant within the information center was used to observing people and things. He noticed even the slightest change in a person so, when he saw the gleam in Jiang Yao’s eyes and the gentle smile on his face, he was shocked.
He was even more shocked when he saw how Ling Mo behaved as if this were natural. From this, it seemed as if they had been behaving like this for a long time.
The attendant cleared his throat and looked at Jiang Yao with apologetic eyes. “Your Highness, I need to converse with Marquis Ling for a moment,” he said.
“That’s fine,” Jiang Yao said as he dragged Luo Xiao out of the room. After he left, his voice drifted inside, “But if I hear you talking about me or my relationships or hear you conspiring to spread such things, then I won’t give your organization any face and will personally level this branch to the ground.”
Jiang Yao’s last words frightened the attendant so much that he started trembling again. He had indeed planned on getting some information from Ling Mo about this young man by their side, but now he seriously doubted it was worth the risk.
Ling Mo looked at the attendant with undisguised dissatisfaction when he saw that he dared not say a thing. Instead, he found a small scroll from his robes and placed it in the hands of the attendant.
“Deliver this to the Fourth Prince. Do not open the scroll and do not attempt to read what it says. Make sure he knows that the scroll is from me!”
Although Ling Mo was far from as frightening as Jiang Yao, he still had some fame. Therefore, the information center accepted the task.
As they left the room, Jiang Yao looked at the two of them with a slight smile on his face. His smile was anything but friendly and seeing this, Ling Mo felt his heart tighten.
They had been in a secure room that was protected with inscriptions and formations that blocked one’s senses from the outside, yet Jiang Yao seemed to know exactly what had been said inside.
Luo Xiao had turned his attention back to the intricately detailed map with brilliantly shining eyes. He was filled with excitement, as he saw how vast the world was. This was a simple map covering the Chengzi Empire, but it was very detailed and made with beautiful colors.
Mountain ranges were depicted on the map as well as rivers and lakes which were drawn beautifully. Even creatures were meticulously depicted on every part of the map and the forests were drawn with thousands of small trees.
The characters were written with golden letters, and the quality of the map was truly very exquisite. The information center dared not give Jiang Yao a low-quality map.
In fact, they had not expected that Jiang Yao would actually take the map with him, they thought he would scan it and then give it back, but who would have thought that he would gift it to his companion?
The map was incredibly expensive. Such a detailed map was only obtainable by the highest ranking powers in the Chengzi Empire, so gifting it away was enough to make their hearts ache.
However, the attendant dared not say anything about it. He already understood Jiang Yao's ruthless nature and he knew that if he brought it up, then he was just asking for a beating.
“Let’s go,” Jiang Yao said with a long glance at Ling Mo and the attendant from the information center. His glance seemed to peer into the depths of their soul, and it was clear that he was going to do something before he shook his head and smirked.
Luo Xiao just nodded his head obediently. He gently wrapped up the map and gave it back to Jiang Yao who waved his hand, causing it to vanish.
Luo Xiao was not surprised. He knew that the embroidered bag that Jiang Yao carried around was a treasure that could hold much more than what seemed possible.
Having his hand held by Jiang Yao, the two of them left the information center, followed by Ling Mo. Walking out, Ling Mo’s eyes glistened and he was very excited. If the letter he sent reached the Fourth Prince, then he would finally get revenge. Best of all, he would not even have to lift a hand. The Fourth Prince would personally take care of Luo Xiao as a way of weakening Jiang Yao.
“Say Xiaoxiao, if someone wished to harm me and you knew about it, would you stop it before they could hurt me, or leave them for a bit and play with them given you had the strength to do so?” Jiang Yao suddenly asked causing Ling Mo’s expression to freeze when he heard the question.
“I’m weak,” Luo Xiao said with a shrug of his shoulders, “so such a situation won’t happen. But if I did have the strength, why not take care of things right away? Although you might enjoy toying with people, that’s just not my style.”
“So you suggest that I uproot the weeds and get rid of them completely?” Jiang Yao asked with a smile, and Luo Xiao frowned. Why did it sound like that was what he wanted him to say?
“Okay, don't forget that this is your choice,” he said. Right after, he grabbed Luo Xiao by the waist and shot back towards the information center.
With Luo Xiao in his arms, he charged into the place they had visited before and waved his sleeves. The temperature in the establishment instantly dropped to such a degree that everyone became sluggish and weak.
As Jiang Yao shot forward, heads rolled one after another as people lost their lives.
“Your Highness! What is the meaning behind this?!” a fat man said as he came rushing down the stairs, his body making flapping sounds as his fat slapped against itself. Sweat beaded his forehead as this extremely short burst of exercise had sapped all his strength.
“You want to know?” Jiang Yao said with a sneer, “Then ask the one who is sending a message to the Fourth Prince the moment I left the building! I said no one was to inform anyone about my companion, and yet, he dares to do so the moment I walk away! Is this how you treat me?!”
Luo Xiao’s face was filled with discomfort as he saw people turn into ice sculptures in front of him, but when he heard Jiang Yao’s voice, he understood that this fearful demon was actually acting on his behalf.
Although Luo Xiao was unaware of who the Fourth Prince was, Jiang Yao was completely aware of the problems that would arise, should news of Luo Xiao be brought to his ears.
The words Jiang Yao spoke caused the fat man to pale and he looked around the room. “Why not just punish the one man in question? Why destroy our whole information center branch in the Chengzi Empire? Are you declaring war with our continent-wide establishment!?” he said.
“Don’t try to threaten me with your information gathering center’s prestige,” Jiang Yao said with a snicker, “Even if those old goats at the head of your center came to meet me, they would bow their heads. I am here to take revenge because he didn’t listen! So, I will eradicate the entire branch here in the Chengzi Empire!”
Having said this, he waved his sleeve, and in the entire center, every living being within a hundred meters of where he stood were turned into ice sculptures. This was done with a single wave of his hand.
Luo Xiao held his breath. This was ruthless on an entirely different level! The power to do what he did was in no way simple!
“Are you scared?” Jiang Yao asked with a tender voice as he looked at the stunned Luo Xiao who he held with a tight arm wrapped around his waist.
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