Cen Qing’s reaction was too strange.

He was about to be reduced to a pawn in a political marriage, a mere sacrificial offering, yet he offered no resistance. Instead, he accepted it with such composure and calmness that it was downright unusual. Gorod’s feelings were incredibly complex.

It was like punching a bag of cotton—he couldn’t muster any strength at all. This displeased him greatly, and a vague sense of unease began to stir within him. He kept telling himself he was being overly suspicious; a son with no power or influence was destined to cause no trouble whatsoever.

“You may leave,” he said.

“Your Majesty, are you certain you haven’t forgotten something?” Cen Qing did not leave as he had hoped.

The young prince abandoned his previous deference, folding his hands in front of him—his left palm pressed against the back of his right hand—and fixed his gaze directly on the throne.

His piercing gaze swept across the hall, locking with Gorod’s eyes in a direct confrontation, without the slightest flinch.

“You expect me to make sacrifices for the vampire clan, yet offer me no reward in return?” He let out a derisive snort, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Is this the character of the King of the vampire clan? Truly eye-opening.”

“How dare you!” Zuona finally found an opening to speak and immediately snapped, “You insolent good-for-nothing! You should be grateful to His Majesty for granting you freedom, not spouting such nonsense here!”

Cen Qing ignored her, not sparing her a single glance.

He simply stared at Gorod, not missing a single flicker of expression on his face.

“Your Majesty, I am awaiting your response.”

“What do you want me to say?” Gorod looked at Cen Qing, his demeanor still nonchalant, though his gaze had grown serious. “If I don’t give you anything, are you going to defy my orders and refuse the marriage alliance?”

“It’s not out of the question.” Cen Qing’s reply was ambiguous.

“You cannot bear the consequences, Lanxi, my son,” Gorod said in a deep voice.

“You’d do well to call me Cen Qing—the name my mother left me.” Cen Qing remained neither servile nor arrogant, showing not the slightest concern for the other’s threats. Zax’s heart tightened.

He glanced cautiously at the king, gauging his mood, then shifted his gaze to the queen, signaling her to remain calm. He then addressed Cen Qing: “Your Highness, as His Majesty the King’s eldest son, you ought to fulfill your duties. Are you really going to stand by and watch the kingdom fall into crisis without lifting a finger?”

Cen Qing raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you questioning me?”

“No, I am reminding you.” Zax stood on the moral high ground, openly coercing Cen Qing. It was a despicable and shameless act—twisting the truth to force the other party into self- sacrifice.

Meanwhile, he positioned himself in a position of invulnerability, all while seizing the opportunity to curry the King’s favor.

“You have no right to remind me, much less offer me advice. You’re a filthy villain—your words and deeds make me sick.” Cen Qing had no qualms about publicly exposing Zax’s true colors.

He despised this petty villain, this scheming traitor, and saw no need to play along with him.

Not wanting to waste any more time on him, he took the wooden box from Moli, turned his gaze back to Gorod, and made his demand bluntly: “I can accept the king’s command, but I must also reclaim what belongs to me.”

“What belongs to you?”

“The lands, jewels, and gold coins left by my mother, as well as the maidservant who’s been imprisoned and the knight who’s been exiled.”

“You are too greedy.” Gorod’s expression darkened slightly as he roughly pushed the beauty from his lap. She fell to the ground but dared not make a sound, hastily scurried to the side, fearing the king’s wrath might be directed at her.

“I only wish to reclaim a portion, not everything—that hardly qualifies as greed.” Cen Qing spoke with hidden meaning, unconcerned with issuing threats or provoking his opponent. “I believe you know better than anyone what I am rightfully entitled to.”

“I won’t give it to you.” Gorod was beside himself with rage. In his fury, he crushed the armrest of his chair; fine wood shavings trickled from his palm, scattering like mist onto the floor. “You’d better behave yourself. I’ll grant you a title so you won’t have to walk barefoot into the Snow Domain. As for the rest, it doesn’t belong to you—you’d best give up your delusions!”

In contrast to Gorod’s fury, Cen Qing remained composed and steady throughout.

“Your Majesty, if this marriage alliance is of the utmost importance, it will not be I who makes concessions.” He cradled the wooden box in one hand, his icy fingers brushing along its edge, pressing down on the intricately designed clasp. “You should sober up.” 

“What did you say?!”

“Unless you have another candidate in mind, you’d do well to seriously consider my demands.” Cen Qing shook his head and sighed, as if mocking the other man’s failure to see reality.

Gorod let out a cold laugh, his eyes turning bloodshot. “You’re too naive to think you can make demands of me like this.”

“As everyone knows, the Lord of the Snow Domain is a tyrant who wields the sword at the slightest provocation. It may be difficult to please him, but it’s all too easy to anger him.” Ignoring Gorod’s sarcasm, Cen Qing flashed a smile, his sharp fangs peeking from the corners of his lips. “If I’m destined to lose everything and my life is headed toward despair, do you think I’d just sit idly by?”

The rebel forces in the borderlands were already keeping Gorod on his toes.

Compared to these disorganized rebels, the Snow Domain army was invincible and far more difficult to withstand. If Cen Qing was determined to lead everyone to their deaths, Gorod truly had no recourse.

“Don’t you care about the kingdom?” Gorod asked in a low voice. 

“Your kingdom isn’t mine,” Cen Qing said, wagging his finger.

Don’t try to use these things to blackmail him.

To be perfectly honest, the king before him, his queen, and the many ministers were all his enemies. He certainly wasn’t going to give up his money just for the sake of an enemy’s kingdom.

“Either agree to my terms, or kill me right now.” Cen Qing made it clear he was issuing a threat, leaving no room for negotiation. “Of course, you could also replace the queen,” he glanced at Zuona with a malicious grin, “and make one of your illegitimate sons legitimate again. But if you do that, the state letter will have to be resubmitted. Changing your mind overnight—what do you think the Snow Domain will say?”

Either agree to his terms or kill him. It was a choice between two options; there was no other answer.

Though clearly the weaker party, Cen Qing remained calm and composed. 

Thanks to the memories from his past life.

The so-called “extermination of nine clans” could be presented in a completely different way, delivering a unique shock to these vampire clans. Gorod’s face was as still as water.

Cen Qing’s threat had come out of nowhere, cutting off all his retreat and leaving him in a bind, trapped in a desperate situation. Since seizing the throne from his first wife and ascending to the royal throne, few had dared to offend him so brazenly.

Lanxi—no, Cen Qing—that was the name the woman had given him. He had succeeded.

“Are you certain you wish to challenge my authority?” Gorod’s voice was heavy with anger. His large hand gripped the high-backed chair, sending splinters flying that quickly piled up on the floor.

The beauties in the hall were thrown into a panic.

They were anxious and tried to move further away from the throne, hiding themselves in the shadows, but to no avail.

A red-haired beauty was the last to hide.

Unable to escape the steps before the throne, a massive hand clamped around her neck. Her fragile neck was squeezed tight; she was like a frail bird, utterly powerless to save herself.

There was a crack—the sound of bones snapping.

The beauty ceased struggling, her arms and head drooping limply. Her thick, curly hair hung like a waterfall, falling in disarray before her eyes and obscuring her dull, lifeless gaze.

The flame of life was extinguished in an instant.

This scene was not uncommon; most in the banquet hall were used to it.

Bearing the reputation of a wife-killer, he had the kingdom’s nobles and ministers bowing and scraping before him; no one could expect Gorod to be in a good mood. As long as he didn’t go berserk too often, it was a blessing in itself.

Thud!

The dead woman fell to the ground, her long skirt spreading out like a vibrant flower.

Her honey-colored skin lost its luster, cracking inch by inch, starting from her fingertips.

Her body withered rapidly, like a droplet of water drying up, reduced to dust in the blink of an eye. All that remained were her magnificent robes and the jewels scattered across the fabric.

A few dazzling gems sank into the dust, their surfaces veiled in darkness, just like the life that had slipped away. Gorod flexed his fingers a few times, his shadowed gaze piercing toward Cen Qing, making no attempt to hide the murderous intent in his heart. Danger was just a breath away, and Moli was about to step in front of Cen Qing.

Suddenly, an arm swept across her path, and a tall figure stood before her. Jet-black hair fell over the shoulders, and the gem on the hair tie glinted faintly, drawing Moli’s gaze and causing her to lose her focus for a moment.

“My son, my proud eldest son.” Gorod descended the steps, sweeping across the floor like a dark cloud. The soles of his shoes crushed the spread-out skirt, instantly sending a cloud of dust into the air.

The beauties scattered in panic, huddling in the shadows by the walls, clutching each other’s arms and trembling with fear. Zax stepped aside, not forgetting to give the queen a meaningful glance.

Zuona was arrogant and domineering, yet she knew when to speak and when to keep her mouth shut—preferably without making a sound.

Ignoring the crowd, Gorod strode directly toward Cen Qing. The ring of power on his hand glowed red, and a blood skull coalesced behind him, its visage hideous and terrifying.

Cen Qing met his gaze, neither flinching nor looking away. A smile curled at the corners of his mouth. Contrary to Gorod’s expectations, he did not bow his head; instead, he stood his ground, his tone even more defiant: “Your Majesty, I am not provoking you. In fact, I am threatening you, and I hope you understand that.”

A gasp echoed from Zax and his sister.

Both Zax and Zuona wore expressions of utter shock, unable to believe what they had just heard. A threat?

Was he threatening His Majesty the King?

“I could kill you.” Gorod reached out, his hand closing dangerously around Cen Qing’s neck. Cen Qing remained motionless—not because he was frightened, but because he had no intention of dodging.

With his neck gripped and his throat constricted, he tilted his chin slightly upward, his icy eyes locked on Gorod, the other man’s face clearly reflected in his pupils.

The two were almost the same height.

But Gorod was more muscular, making Cen Qing appear even more slender in comparison. The young prince’s features were largely inherited from his mother’s side.

Fair, smooth skin, soft features, and handsome facial features. Raven-black hair and eyes as dark as the night.

A century had passed, and faced with the bloodline he had deliberately forgotten, ancient memories suddenly resurfaced, crashing into Gorod’s alcohol-addled mind.

“Gorod, you deceived me.” 

“Deception comes at a price.”

“I curse you; you shall fall into eternal misfortune.”

“Greedy soul, vile life—you shall be utterly cast aside, whether in life or death, to eternal solitude. You are destined to be shrouded in suspicion and betrayal, abandoned by all, until you go mad in despair and fear.”

Gorod’s pupils trembled slightly, and his fingers clenched violently. “Zhu Yin!”

In an instant, Cen Qing’s face merged with the person from his memories.

The passion, betrayal, entanglements, bloodshed, and fear of the past surged through his mind—it seemed none of it had ever truly faded away. Gorod’s eyes turned crimson as a terrifying blast of energy erupted, swirling from the soles of his feet and causing the building to shake violently.

The windows and doors emitted ominous creaking sounds.

The crystal chandelier swayed back and forth, the pendants beneath the lampshades clattering against one another as hooks snapped and fell one after another. Large crystals and pearls plummeted from mid-air, crashing onto the floor in a relentless cascade.

Irregular shards scattered, reflecting the two figures facing off and spreading a vast expanse of distorted light and shadow.