Chapter Six: The Troublesome Miss Phoebe (Part One)

After hearing Kuang Chi's words, Zixia couldn't help but burst out laughing as well. "Fatty, you really went too far this time. Those three professors did nothing to provoke you. The Imperial Academy’s entrance exam has been the same for tens of thousands of years. How can you blame others just because you made a fool of yourself and didn’t know about it?"

Hearing Zixia reproach him, Kuang Chi grew annoyed. He distinctly remembered asking someone beforehand because he didn't know about the test. If he recalled correctly, it was a certain someone who had refused to tell him.

At that thought, Kuang Chi shot Zixia a fierce glare. "Look who's talking! Wasn't it you who refused to tell me beforehand? And didn't you forbid Youxin and the others from telling me, too?"

Seeing Kuang Chi genuinely upset, Zixia hurried to comfort him with a smile. "Alright, don’t be angry. What’s done is done. Your family treasures you like a precious gem, so they won’t make things difficult for you. Let them take it up with your family."

"What do you mean, ‘treasure me like a precious gem’? Zixia, why do I feel like you’ve been mocking me a lot lately?"

Zixia laughed even harder at his protest, wrapping an arm around Kuang Chi as she spoke. "That’s not my invention! If you want to blame someone, blame your grandfather. He said it himself, right in front of the Emperor. He declared you’re the Kuang family’s darling, and if anyone dared harm you, the whole Kuang family would make sure they paid dearly, no matter the cost."

She paused, then added with another laugh, "So now, everyone calls you the Kuang family’s Precious One."

Zixia found it hilarious, but Kuang Chi could only manage a wry smile. Being called the Kuang family’s Precious One didn't quite feel like praise.

Noticing that Kuang Chi was still sulking, Zixia quickly changed tack. "Alright, enough sulking. Let people talk all they want. If anyone dares mock you to your face, don’t be polite—after all, injuries are part and parcel of noble duels."

Kuang Chi knew precious little about the rules of noble duels. As he thought back, he realized that except for a bit of freedom in that small town where he grew up, he’d spent all his time either cultivating in Kuang Martial City or stranded on the far side of the universe. He had never learned anything about noble customs in the small town, nor had he had the chance to in Kuang Martial City.

Just as he was about to ask more, Zixia changed the subject. "Fatty, that whip earlier—that was your Divine Martial Beast, wasn’t it?"

Kuang Chi nodded. Zixia’s eyes lit up. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen your Divine Martial Beast before. Summon it—I want to have a look."

Before Kuang Chi could reply, a small flower popped out from behind his neck. There was nothing he could do about it; these days, he had absolutely no control over the flower—it came and went as it pleased.

The little flower promptly greeted Zixia, "Little Flower greets Mistress! Mistress, you are so beautiful!"

To Kuang Chi’s astonishment, his Divine Martial Beast had learned to flatter people. Zixia, for her part, was so shocked to see a talking flower that she stared in disbelief for a moment.

After a long pause, Zixia exclaimed, pointing at the little flower, "Fatty, is this really your Divine Martial Beast?"

Before Kuang Chi could answer, she continued, "It’s adorable!"

It seemed the flattery had worked. In truth, ‘adorable’ hardly described the little flower, with its plain, bald face and ten or so oddly colored petals. If there was anything remarkable about it, it was only those petals—their hues were certainly peculiar. As for its face, it was perfectly ordinary, almost androgynous, and not cute in the least.

Zixia even reached out and patted the flower’s face twice. "Fatty, your Divine Martial Beast can talk! That’s incredible!"

"Is a talking Divine Martial Beast really that unusual?" Kuang Chi asked, puzzled.

"Of course! Especially for a Plant-type Divine Martial Beast. Plant-types are actually extremely powerful and always have unique abilities, but they lack brains and have such low intelligence that controlling them is a real challenge for their hosts. That’s why Plant-type Divine Martial Beasts are so poorly regarded. But a Plant-type that can talk, that has a brain? As far as I know, such a thing has never existed in all human history. Yours is the first," Zixia said, still marveling.

After chatting for a long while with the little flower, Zixia concluded, "Your Divine Martial Beast is a secret weapon. Everyone thinks you possess the weakest Plant-type, so you can easily use it to outwit others. You must keep its abilities a secret."

Kuang Chi had always been secretive about his Divine Martial Beast. Up to now, only the Phantom Thief, Zixia, and himself knew that it could speak. Previously, his secrecy stemmed from embarrassment, but now it was purely strategic. The extraordinary ease with which he’d whipped the three professors had made him realize his Divine Martial Beast was truly a treasure.

The next morning, Kuang Chi was roused by Youxin. As soon as he was awake, she announced, "Young Master, Miss Phoebe is here. She’s waiting for you in the drawing room."

Kuang Chi glanced out the window—it was barely dawn.

Phoebe Karaji was remarkably beautiful. At least to Kuang Chi, her features were even more pleasing than Zixia’s by a fair margin.

However, the way Miss Phoebe Karaji looked at him made Kuang Chi distinctly uncomfortable. It was as if she wasn’t seeing him as a person, but rather as a pig.

The utter disdain in her eyes did not just offend Kuang Chi; even Zixia’s face grew stern. After a long silence, Zixia finally introduced him. "Miss Phoebe, this is the one you were looking for." She emphasized, "He is your fiancé, Kuang Chi of the Kuang family."

Phoebe’s temper was as fierce as her reputation suggested. With a snort, she declared, "I have never acknowledged him as my fiancé. I’m only here at my grandfather’s command to see what he looks like."

With that, she turned on her heel and strode out without so much as a backward glance.

Apparently, closing doors was not among Miss Phoebe’s habits. Staring at the wide-open door, Kuang Chi felt a strange heaviness in his chest. Just as he was about to speak, a young man suddenly swept into the room.

The newcomer immediately caught Kuang Chi’s eye with his waist-length golden hair. Despite the cascade of locks, his strikingly handsome, masculine face made his gender unmistakable. As Kuang Chi took in the man’s features, his golden hair, and his tall, powerfully built frame, he couldn’t help but feel the sting of envy.

Ah, votes...