Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming had imagined countless commotions and hadn’t remotely considered one like this. ”What’s wrong with them?”

”Listen first. The four imperatores from Yueling have never had any relations with any man. The fact that they did so all of a sudden and started messing around with some random people is a clear sign of a trap. They’re trying to bait you. All you have to do is to ignore them,” Mu Qingqing said.

”True. I have no time for petty tricks like that,” Tianming said, shaking his head. ”And to think they used to posture as pure and undefiled goddesses. How lame.”

”Exactly! But that doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t mind, their act will all be for naught and they’ll only gross themselves out.”

”Of course I don’t mind,” Tianming said.

Mu Qingqing felt relieved to hear that. ”The talk among people nowadays is also quite nonsensical. Everyone knows that you married the four imperatores to hold them down and humiliate them. It’s not like they’re your real wives. I don’t get why others are making a joke out of you for being cheated on despite knowing that. Some even call you Imperator Green. I’m glad you don’t mind.”[1]

”What?! Imperator Green?!” Ying Huo popped out before Tianming could react and laughed nonstop. ”Hahahahakakakaka! Imperator Green! Get that? Green!”

”If you’re going to die from laughter can you do that in a corner where you won’t disturb anyone?” Tianming choked it and snarled. ”You’re making a bad example as the eldest sibling! Look at your younger siblings. Are they laughing?”

True to its slow nature, Lan Huang suddenly shook and its two dragon heads burst out laughing. ”Hahaha! Imperator Green!”

”Shut up.” Tianming could have brushed it off easily, but he somehow felt really annoyed about a childish matter like this just because his lifebound beasts were laughing.

”Darn it. I really shouldn’t be marrying people I don’t like. Now that they’re messing around and ruining my reputation, it doesn’t feel good at all.” That realization had come to him a little too late.

Mu Qingqing’s eyes widened as she stared at him. ”Huh? Don’t tell me you actually care. It can’t be. It’s not that you actually like them.”

”Enough, stop talking about it.”

”Hey, it’s a pathetic trap. Don’t jump head-first into it. Don’t forget that your skypole stars are no more,” she said, concerned.

Tianming looked down at the black and white stars on his left hand. ”I wasn’t planning on letting my grandparents protect me for the rest of my life. Now that my enemies have made their move, I will respond to them in kind.”

”It’s all about ego for you, isn’t it? You can’t accept anything else aside from being worshiped.”

”Wow, I think you’re growing to really understand me.” He shot a glare at her before storming off after he finished converting ordered power to chaotic power.

Mu Qingqing, left in the pathway, didn’t really know what to make of it. ”What in the world is with him? Sometimes he seems like an ancient, grand ruler, but sometimes he behaves just like an overgrown manchild. He’s so stupid it’s almost cute, sigh...”

She knew how much that ’Imperator Green’ label bothered him. If it really caught on, it might mislead people who weren’t aware of the circumstances of Tianming and the four imperatores.

”Oh no...” When Mu Qingqing recalled the green leaf mark that was stuck to Tianming’s forehead, she grew even more worried. This was a matter that had to be handled properly. Otherwise, it would fester into a troublesome curse. ”It really isn’t easy to deal with those four scorpions.”

If they couldn’t be suppressed even after being married off, they would challenge Tianming more and more and cause an even greater reaction. Not to mention, matters like these were considered marital disputes, so people like Li Muyang couldn’t really intervene. Even if the marriage was one of pretense, it was still an established fact as far as normal cosmic or astral gods were concerned. It was hard to avoid suffering reputational sting.

”If things really get out of hand, the marriage will have to be dissolved. Though, that would make us lose our hard-earned fruits of victory...” Mu Qingqing followed Tianming back to Nullity with worry in her heart. ”We can’t afford to let things go out of hand right now.”

***

The two of them returned to Skyplunder Capital without a word. Though Mu Qingqing wanted to say something, things felt awkward enough that she failed to let the words out. Eventually, they reached their destination.

Tianming’s forty-thousand-meter form made his presence quite obvious. He was now among the most elite cosmic gods in the Realm of Chaos.

”The imperial son has returned!” People came out in droves to see him as if he was their object of worship. No doubt, the cosmic gods of Nullity were on his side, so they wouldn’t be disrespectful enough to use the unflattering nickname. They held the anger in their hearts and expected Tianming to vent it for them.

”Imperial Son, show them!”

”How dare they mess with the wives of our imperial son?!”

”Break their legs!”

Some more reasonable people among the mod sighed with worry. ”Don’t be too certain yet. The imperial son is growing rapidly, but these people stand at the peak of their respective starjails. It’ll take more than this to teach them a lesson.”

”What if Imperator Skyplunder takes action on the imperial son’s behalf?”

”The most disgusting thing about all this is how they haven’t committed any open offense. There’s no good reason for Imperator Skyplunder to act.”

”That’s right! We are in a time of peace. We can’t afford to offend the Adjudicator!”

The crowd’s anger turned into worry. It was something that couldn’t be helped. The four imperatores were the heads of Yueling Starcage, a faction that was still more influential than Nullity. Even though they had married into Tianming’s family, Imperator Skyplunder couldn’t really stop them from meeting friends of their choosing, given their status.

”Either way, now that the imperial son is back, those four wouldn’t dare take the men with them out in public again.”

”How can you be so sure?”

”If you ask me, we should’ve dealt with them long ago. It’s not easy to keep them suppressed.”

Tianming had already heard more than he liked before he even arrived at Kunruler Palace. The incident was quite serious, given how most of Skyplunder Capital was talking about this.

”Let me go in with you,” Mu Qingqing said.

1. A reference to being made to wear a green hat (being cuckolded). ☜