Chapter 337: A Bureaucrat’s Double Standards

At the very top level of the hunting arena, in the largest of the private booths, a lively banquet was in full swing, with wine cups clinking and conversation flowing.

At the center of the booth stood three round tables, laden with an array of exquisite delicacies and fine jade wine jugs.

The booth had three walls, each adorned with a grand landscape painting, intricately inlaid with gold threads.

In the corner, two elegant attendants draped in sheer veils sat with their lutes, playing one enchanting melody after another without pause.

At the main table, only three people were seated.

One was an elderly man with a long white beard, clad in a wide battle robe of muted colors that carried an indescribable aura of authority. Though his hair and beard were entirely white, his presence exuded a sense of aged yet unwavering power.

Another was dressed in a deep purple official’s robe, embroidered with a dragon and phoenix on the chest, with ocean and river patterns at the hem. He wore a black gauze cap, a clear indication that his rank in Great Wu’s government was anything but low.

The last man had a gaunt face, narrow eyes that flickered with cunning, and an unmistakably shrewd demeanor.

He wore a gold hairpin, a robe woven with golden threads, jade-inlaid golden boots, and even a pair of gloves made entirely of finely woven gold threads.

“Lord Mi, you demons certainly value integrity. Even in such a humiliating matter, you still abide by the rules of a bet.”

Upon hearing this, the golden-clad Mi Youfu pointed to the formation before them and laughed. “Grand General Zhong, that tanuki demon clearly wasn’t acting out of true conviction.”

“He lost a bet, and it must’ve been to someone overwhelmingly powerful—someone he couldn’t afford to offend. That’s the only reason he’s honoring it despite the humiliation.”

“If the other party were weaker than him, I bet he wouldn’t just break the agreement—he’d even turn things around and settle the score outside the hunting arena.”

The elderly, white-haired man lifted his wine cup and drained it in one go, chuckling. “Lord Mi, just call me Old Zhong or General Zhong. I’m no longer a grand general.”

Mi Youfu clutched his chest dramatically. “To me, Mi Youfu, you will always be the great general who swept across the land!”

“Haha, you flatter me! You flatter me!” General Zhong waved a hand, but his wide smile made it clear that he quite enjoyed the praise.

“Regardless, let’s drink!”

Mi Youfu raised his cup and turned to the demons seated at the adjacent table. “Come, let us toast to General Zhong!”

The sound of chairs scraping against carpets echoed as the demons stood up, lifted their cups, and, in perfect unison, declared, “A toast to General Zhong!” before downing their drinks in one gulp.

This toast made General Zhong beam from ear to ear, grinning so wide it nearly reached the back of his head.

At the same time, the middle-aged man in the deep purple robe feigned annoyance. “Lord Mi, this is quite unfair. Why only toast to Old Zhong? Is my position as Minister of Justice too lowly for a toast?”

“No, no, no!”

“Minister Ma, nothing of the sort!”

Mi Youfu hurriedly refilled his cup and led his demon subordinates in offering a toast to Minister Ma as well.

Simultaneously, at the left-side table, where a group of officials dressed in court robes and black gauze caps were seated, they wisely stood up as well—first to toast the minister, then the general.

For a moment, the entire banquet hall was steeped in the rituals of courtly drinking, with laughter and smiles all around.

Once this “toasting ceremony” concluded, the guests returned to their seats, speaking in hushed tones while drinking and enjoying their meals.

At the main table, Mi Youfu chuckled. “I heard that recently, two princes of Great Wu set out in search of immortals for the throne? Do either of you have any news on them?”

“No,” General Zhong replied. “Their whereabouts are well hidden, but based on the timing, they should have reached that immortal sect by now.”

After a pause, he added, “However, I believe that the Fifth Prince will undoubtedly emerge victorious in the end.”

Mi Youfu nodded. “That’s right! That’s right! The Fifth Prince has Hongmei, the demon cultivator, by his side. Her strength is no small matter.”

“She is one of Flood Dragon Emperor’s most trusted subordinates!”

“Ah, let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Minister Ma waved a hand. “Political struggles at court are nothing compared to the pleasures of Eternal Slumber City.”

“To be honest, if not for the Fifth Prince, I would have long since resigned from my position as Minister of Justice, focused on managing the hunting arena, and cultivated in peace to extend my lifespan.”

Without the position of Minister of Justice…

Without the Fifth Prince, who had ties to the Flood Dragon Emperor…

Who the hell did he think he was?

Did this old fool really think that just because he was given a little face, he could run the whole show?

Sneering inwardly, Mi Youfu maintained a natural smile and said, “By the way, how are the two of you progressing in your Body Refinement technique?”

“Still in need of demon blood?”

“Of course!”
“Definitely!”

Minister Ma and General Zhong answered in succession.

Both of them had obtained a Body Refinement technique from Mi Youfu called Blood Refinement.

The method was simple—so long as they had enough demon blood, they could soak in it and apply it daily to strengthen their bodies and even prolong their lives.

However, this technique required increasingly potent demon blood. In the beginning, the blood of weaker demons sufficed, but now that they had reached a certain level of mastery, they needed the blood of demons with at least a hundred years of cultivation.

Even though Eternal Slumber City was a city of demons, Mi Youfu and the others couldn’t just go around slaughtering demons for the sake of these two officials’ training.

Fortunately, they had the Hunter’s Arena—where demons died in combat every day, ensuring a steady supply of suitable blood.

“That Black Hand that Hua Erniang just killed was a particularly unique spider demon. Her blood might help you both become immune to all poisons—and even grant the ability to secrete venom.”

As soon as Mi Youfu finished speaking, the Minister and the General could barely contain themselves.

“Give it to me!”
“I want it!”

Seeing their reactions, Mi Youfu put on a troubled expression.

“Both of you practice the same Body Refinement technique, so you should understand that Black Hand’s blood is only enough for one person…”

“How about this? You each name a price, and whoever bids higher gets it—this way, no one loses face.”

“Agreed.” Minister Ma nodded, then gestured to the old general beside him. “General Zhong, please go first.”

General Zhong pondered for a moment before replying solemnly, “One county’s worth of people—will that suffice?”

Instead of responding immediately, Mi Youfu simply cupped his hands and looked toward Minister Ma.

Minister Ma hesitated briefly before uttering two words:

“Two counties.”

At those words, Mi Youfu remained silent, but General Zhong’s eyes widened. Staring intently at Minister Ma, he spoke with meaningful emphasis.

“Minister Ma… two counties’ worth of people? Where exactly do you plan to get them from?”

“Aren’t you afraid that the court will find out?”

Minister Ma waved a hand dismissively.

“General Zhong, I won’t be taking them all from one place… Besides, as Minister of Justice, my duty is to handle criminals. Sending these convicts to Eternal Slumber City is simply an innovative legal reform, reducing the burden of housing prisoners across the empire.”

Hearing this, General Zhong clasped his hands together and laughed.

“Ah… A bureaucrat’s double standards—you truly understand how to wield them, Minister Ma. Fine, I’ll yield the spider demon’s blood to you.”

“Ha!” Minister Ma let out a hearty laugh, returning the gesture. “Many thanks for your generosity, General Zhong!”