Hidden genius: Black belly snake

Tang Zen saw the commotion and finally decided to step in. "ENOUGH." He bellowed.

"Stop beating around the bush, Consort Yue. What are you doing here at this time of the night?"

Tang Yue hissed as her gaze mockingly lingered on the Serpentine Emperor.

Though he didn't openly curse at her like her dear father, the man's words made it exceedingly clear that the respect he was giving was for her current position and not herself per se.

"I am just passing through. As for what I am doing, that's none of your business."

"Damned brat. Don't you even know how to respect your elders? Didn't the Emperor ask you things properly?" 

Tang Yue's father howled, unable to digest the pies Tang Yue was serving him tonight.

"Enough. Tang Shen. I am talking, aren't I?" The Emperor hissed.

"Consort Yue, I will ask this again. Does his highness, the Crown Prince know that you are here?"

He quickly came to the main point. He didn't want to argue with an unreasonable person who was determined to kick up trouble.

Tang Yue grinned. "So what if he does and what if he doesn't? Who are you to stop me and ask these questions?"

"Heh. Do you even have the capability to verify my answers? What is the point of this time waste?"

"Unlike you fools, I have things to do. So I will be leaving now." Tang Yue chuckled mockingly and prepared to leave.

Tang Zen frowned, his eyes locked onto the harpy on Tang Yue's shoulders. 

This was the main reason why he was dealing with this annoying conversation.

He had never seen the creature on Tang Yue's back and he was worried if the damned girl was getting into some sort of trouble.

Not that he cared about Tang Yue, he simply didn't want her to drag the entire Serpentine kingdom along with her.

"Tang Yue. You better be sure about your actions. Actions have consequences and don't let yours affect our entire clan."

"Heh. So what if it does?" Tang Yue snickered. "Why don't you send over a few more of my sisters and have them prostitute themselves to the elves?"

"I bet that they would definitely smoothen the situation. Ha Ha."

"After all, my sisters probably are extremely talented. Like mother like daughter right?"

Tang Zen sighed, without responding to her obvious taunts, but Tang Yue's father raged uncontrollably.

"Why are you trying to reason with her brother? I should have known this before!"

"This little slut is just like her mother. A disgusting and unfaithful traitor." Tang Shen sneered, knowing exactly which buttons to push.

Tang Yue who was about to leave, immediately paused.

"What did you just say? My mother is a traitor? You filthy excuse for a man. You have no right to even talk about her."

"She sacrificed everything for this godforsaken Kingdom and you don't even have the slightest idea about it. Ptui."

"Heh. I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. After all, that is your intelligence level."

Tang Yue then looked at the Emperor and calmly spoke, word for word. "You want to know the truth?"

"I am leaving with a prisoner who I personally released from the elven prison."

"Your Crown Prince doesn't even know about it. If he comes to know, he will be extremely angry."

"He might even wipe out the entire Serpentine Kingdom."

"And you know what? I sincerely hope that he does so."

"Good luck." Tang Yue chuckled, her voice extremely ruthless and icy.

Her emerald eyes gleamed under the moonlight, not even a shred of warmth within those cold deep orbs.

She hissed as her long forked tongue flickered in and out, and then turned around to leave, once again continuing her journey without missing a single beat.

"Your highness! Should we stop her? Should we attack her and try to delay?"

"She might be at the Saint realm, but so are we. And we have the advantage in numbers."

"We can definitely do it."

The Generals standing near Tang Zen and Tang Shen immediately started to make a move.

But before they could take another step, the Emperor raised his hand. 

"Leave it be. This is not our fight. Let's not get involved."

"Why brother? Maybe we will get a reward if we capture that bitch and send her back to the elves."

"Shut up. And keep quiet. Haven't you already done enough?" 

"Thanks to you and your daughter, our entire royal family is humiliated." 

"Did you think that I am foolish enough to not know everything that goes on here?"

"First go and control your wife and daughters. Then you can come and lecture me about how to handle my affairs." He coldly harrumphed and left.

The royal Generals as well followed him without saying another word. 

They all knew that Tang Zen was a very astute and capable leader and they obeyed him without question.

So they silently followed behind him, leaving Tang Shen alone to stare at the disappearing figure of Tang Yue.

"Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!!!" The man howled, venting out all his pent-up rage.

He could now only lament his stupidity. He didn't have the sense to take care of this weed when he had a chance and now it was too late.

"Damn it." Tang Shen cursed and angrily returned back to the serpentine palace as well.

After he left, Xander who was still trying his best to hold back his laughter, chuckled in amusement and continued following Tang Yue.

"This girl! She acts like a good girl but her tongue is very vicious." He grinned quietly.

"But where are you heading to, my dear?"

Xander sighed and observed Tang Yue from a distance.

When she first rescued the dwarven girl, he didn't care, but when Tang Yue had set free the harpy, how could he still not care?

More than anything, he was curious as to what Tang Yue wanted to do with the harpy!

He already knew that Tang Yue was capable of absorbing other beasts' strengths and affinities.

So he decided to follow her and see if Tang Yue was going to eat the creature and then gain its skill.

"Did she really think that I wouldn't notice?" Xander chuckled in amusement.

In fact, if she had asked him, he would have readily agreed, without even asking for an explanation.

But it seemed that the girl was determined to keep this a secret from him?

"Why does she still not trust me???" Xander twisted his mouth in displeasure.

However, he couldn't understand one important thing. Why was she coming out this far?

He thought that Tang Yue would probably stop in the middle of the wilderness and devour the harpy.

So why was she heading out this far?

Were these all additional steps to evade his eyes? Xander tossed his hair back and chuckled.

But as time ticked by…

The amusement on his face reduced bit by bit. 

Tang Yue had not only crossed the elven borders but she had also crossed the Serpentine borders.

In fact, she was currently nearing the shores of the vast ocean.

Xander suddenly stopped, as a small thought popped in his brain.

"Is she perhaps…?" The man's entire figure shuddered and he fully came to a halt.

His demeanor turned serious and his crimson eyes narrowed.

"Tang Yue," Xander shouted, making the woman who was running in front of him freeze in her tracks.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Tang Yue cursed and turned around. 

She had almost reached her target destination, only to be stopped by this fellow at the very last minute.

Did he have to be so dramatic???

"Old man, why are you so useless? Can't you at least warn me beforehand?" Tang Yue cursed inwardly.

"He was just silently following, so I let it be." He answered as a matter of fact.

Tang Yue could only sigh in annoyance at his carefree attitude. 

"Fine. Fine. I will deal with this myself." Tang Yue hissed in anger.

Among other things, she was currently extremely pissed off at Xander. 

This was also why she had lashed out at her heartless family, against her better judgment and usual policy of ignoring and not engaging idiots.

Every time she thought back to how the harpy had been imprisoned and shackled, she felt her body burn.

The weak indeed did not have a say in their fate but to torture someone to that extent?

"What do you want?" Tang Yue's voice thundered. She dropped the harpy on her shoulder down on the ground.

The creature awoke from the sudden disturbance and stirred from its stupor. It had somewhat recovered and was now able to breathe freely.

Tang Yue however, did not pay any attention to that. Her eyes were on the man in front of her.

"You already know what I want." 

Xander's thin lips parted and the man mumbled solemnly, wondering why his firecracker snake was so angry with him.

He racked his brain but he couldn't come up with an answer.

He really hadn't done anything to warrant this sort of treatment. 

Even now, he wouldn't have intervened if Tang Yue hadn't headed for the ocean. 

Were women always this troublesome or did he just have the worst luck??!! Xander was dumbfounded.