Yuna was completely unimpressed and snorted coldly. "Who said I love chicken drumsticks the most?" In truth, what she loved most was the Big Bad—yes, that was it! The Big Bad was the best!
Emperor Augustus frowned slightly. This little wildcat always grinned from ear to ear whenever she held a drumstick—wasn't that proof enough she liked them?
Cynthia Qi, who had remained silent, finally spoke gently. "Divine Beast, even though you are a Divine Beast, His Majesty is still the True Dragon Emperor. Isn't it a bit much to be so rude? You aren't nearly this disrespectful to Lord Dark." This time, she didn't call Ethan Gray 'Demon Lord', whether intentionally or not.
On the surface, her words seemed harmless—just a comment on Yuna's rudeness. But in reality, things were far from simple.
Others might not think much of such remarks, but a monarch would never simply let them slide. Emperors are always suspicious, especially when their rival is someone as intimidating as Lord Dark. Cynthia Qi's words inevitably led people to wonder: if the Divine Beast is so disrespectful to the emperor but acts differently toward Lord Dark, does that mean the emperor is less worthy of respect? Or is Yuna's rudeness actually encouraged by Ethan Gray?
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will eventually sprout—and no one can predict the consequences.
This was clearly an attempt to sow discord!
Cynthia Qi was good at keeping her cool. She seized the opportunity, but didn't rush—her words were vague, not explicit, yet anyone thoughtful would get her meaning.
Unfortunately for her, Emperor Augustus wasn't stupid. He could easily see through such obvious attempts to stir up trouble.
If it were someone else, even if they understood, a knot of doubt would remain in their heart. But Emperor Augustus was an odd one—he didn't care for the throne, and he knew Ethan Gray liked it even less. So Cynthia Qi's scheming was all for nothing.
But from this, it was clear what Cynthia Qi was thinking—she must truly hate Ethan Gray now.
Yuna was brimming with pent-up anger and had nowhere to vent it. She hadn't expected Cynthia Qi to walk right into her claws—how could she not make her bleed a little?
Even though she'd lost her powers, dealing with a woman who had no inner strength was no problem at all.
So, Yuna leapt onto Cynthia Qi's head, one paw gripping her hair bun for balance while the other ruthlessly scratched away.
"Ah..." Cynthia Qi never expected Yuna to lash out so suddenly and was completely unprepared. Pain shot through her forehead, snapping her back to her senses. She hurriedly reached up to yank Yuna off, but Yuna was far too nimble. Each time a hand got close, Yuna struck fiercely, leaving bloody marks behind.
She tried several times, but every attempt ended in pain. Both her hands were soon covered in blood, her hair bun undone, her face streaked with blood. At this point, Cynthia Qi looked nothing like the famed beauty—more like a madwoman!
"Damn beast, get off me!" Cynthia Qi was in so much pain she forgot her dignity. She kept reaching for Yuna while jumping up and down, trying to shake her off. But Yuna held on tight—the more Cynthia Qi jumped, the more her scalp hurt, while Yuna remained perched firmly atop her head.
Still daring to insult her? "That's for sowing discord! That's for coveting the Big Bad! That's for conspiring with that dog emperor! That's for your foul mouth..." Yuna listed Cynthia Qi's crimes one by one, and for each accusation, she delivered a fierce scratch. Cynthia Qi's forehead and cheeks were ringed with claw marks—anyone who saw her might think she was sporting some outrageous makeup!
Yuna was actually showing mercy—she never clawed at Cynthia Qi's eyes.
Emperor Augustus watched with great interest. This battle between woman and beast was thoroughly entertaining. Yuna really was a wildcat—once she showed her claws, someone was bound to suffer. He had no intention of rescuing Cynthia Qi, beautiful as she was; he felt no pity for scheming women, and such a spectacular show was worth the loss of a beauty.
He was thoroughly enjoying the show, but Yuna's shout of "dog emperor" pricked his ears. He couldn't help but twitch his lips—no one had ever dared call him that to his face before!
Though he was annoyed, he didn't get so angry as to kill her and make soup out of her. That was a miracle in itself. This little wildcat was certainly amusing—he'd keep her around for entertainment. Most importantly, she belonged to Ethan Gray, and he didn't want to risk Ethan's wrath over something so trivial.
Being called 'dog emperor' was a minor matter, or at least that's what this emperor thought!
By the time Yuna finished venting, Cynthia Qi was a complete mess. Emperor Augustus didn't pity her at all—he simply stood up and said, "Let's get moving." He reached out to pick up Yuna, but she dodged him.
"This Divine Beast can walk on her own!" No way was she letting the dog emperor carry her!
For the past two days, they'd rested during the day and traveled at night, all to stay ahead of Ethan Gray. Emperor Augustus knew it wouldn't be hard for Ethan to track them down, so he kept moving, hoping to buy a few more days.
Yuna was tossed into the carriage, jostled until she was dizzy and cross-eyed. She missed the Big Bad's embrace terribly.
When they returned to the capital from Penglai Pavilion, the ten-day journey had stretched into over a month, thanks to Ethan Gray's leisurely pace—sightseeing, sampling delicacies, and Yuna had loved every minute. But now, with this frantic escape, there was no food, only a rock-hard carriage to squat in. The more she thought, the more aggrieved she felt. She was so pitiful—when would the Big Bad come to rescue her?
It wasn't that she didn't want to escape—she knew she'd only get lost if she tried. Better to wait for the Big Bad to rescue her than make him search for her all over again. Besides, if she got lost in the city, it might be fine, but if she wandered into the wilderness, she'd starve for sure. At least with the dog emperor, she wouldn't die of hunger.
Cynthia Qi was also in the carriage, now seething with hatred for Yuna, but she didn't dare provoke her again. She could only close her eyes and pretend to sleep, hoping to rest and recover—out of sight, out of mind.