Chapter 11: The Scent of Rebellion
[DING! Warning! Hostile Force Detected: 30,000 Imperial Blood Cavalry approaching Ironwood City. Estimated time of arrival: Two hours.] [System Objective Updated: Defend the City. Humiliate the Crown Prince. Avenge Ye Chen.]
Two hours. That was all the time it took to turn a starving, desperate refugee camp into an impregnable fortress of miracles.
Using my accumulated Shock Points, I didn't just fortify the city walls; I terraformed them. Massive, impenetrable thickets of iron-thorn brambles cascaded down the stone masonry, pulsing with my golden Dragon Qi. The refugees, now bursting with vitality from my system-provided feasts, stood atop the battlements wielding heavy crossbows, ready to die for their new Goddess.
I, however, had no intention of letting them fight.
"System," I murmured, lounging on a newly purchased chaise lounge made of pure white tiger fur, positioned perfectly on the highest point of the city gates. "I want to welcome my dear brother with a proper feast. Give me a grand-scale, nine-grid authentic Sichuan spicy hotpot. Make the broth boil with premium beef tallow, and bring me the finest thinly sliced Wagyu beef, fresh tripe, and tiger prawns."
[DING! Deducting 2,000 Shock Points. Manifesting 'Emperor's Envy Hotpot Set'!]
The air warped, and a massive, ornate bronze cauldron materialized before me, perched over a roaring, smokeless charcoal fire. The thick, crimson broth immediately began to bubble, releasing an aggressively pungent, intoxicating aroma of roasted chilies, numbing peppercorns, and rich bone marrow.
Ye Chen sat beside me, his long dark hair neatly tied back, wearing a pristine white silk robe I had pulled from the inventory. He looked like an immortal descending from the heavens, completely unrecognizable from the crippled, bleeding boy I had saved days ago.
He picked up a pair of jade chopsticks and carefully swished a slice of marbled beef into the bubbling red broth.
"Princess," he said softly, his eyes reflecting the fiery glow of the hotpot. "The Crown Prince, Xiao Tian... he is a monster. He cultivates a forbidden blood-art that absorbs the vitality of those he kills. Please, do not underestimate him."
"Let him come, Ye Chen," I replied, opening my mouth as he gently fed me the perfectly cooked, spicy beef. It melted on my tongue, the heat making my lips tingle. I smiled, my eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "A blood-art is nothing but a cheap parlor trick compared to the true master of life and death."
RUUUUMBLE.
The ground beneath Ironwood City began to vibrate. Dust plumed on the horizon, obscuring the dying sun.
Through the haze of the drought-stricken wasteland, they emerged. Thirty thousand elite soldiers clad in heavy, crimson-black armor, riding massive, demonic warhorses with glowing red eyes. At the vanguard of the apocalyptic legion rode a chariot pulled by four armored rhinos.
Standing in the chariot was Crown Prince Xiao Tian.
He wore gleaming golden armor, his face twisted into an expression of supreme, absolute arrogance. He was holding a jagged, crimson halberd, expecting to find Ironwood City in ruins, ripe for a massacre.
Instead, the legion ground to a halt a hundred yards from the gates, their demonic horses snorting in confusion.
Xiao Tian stared at the massive, glowing green vines enveloping the city walls. Then, his nose twitched. The wind carried the heavy, mouth-watering scent of spicy beef tallow, roasted chilies, and fresh seafood directly into the ranks of his starving army.
I leaned over the battlements, swirling a tiger prawn in my hotpot.
"Welcome to Ironwood City, Your Highness," I called out, my voice amplified by Dragon Qi to echo across the plains. "You're a bit late for dinner, but if you beg, I might let you lick the bottom of my cauldron."
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