Chapter 544: Chapter 544 : (Extra) Jiang Muchen’s Love Story (28)
From antiquity, enmity between foxes and wolves has been ingrained in the natural order.
While the competitive fire burned fiercely among alphas, a similar spirit of rivalry, though perhaps more subtle, compelled omegas to see each other as adversaries.
Omega foxes hated omega wolves, and vice versa*.
Smelling the scent of omega foxes on Jiang Muchen was enough to drive away Liu Chengjiu’s appetite.
But Jiang Muchen, this blockhead of an alpha lion, of course, did not notice Liu Chengjiu’s aversion.
"Thank you," he said when Liu Chengjiu dropped a grilled fish into his bowl.
"Mm."
Liu Chengjiu struggled to disperse the furrow between his brows.
Meanwhile, Liu Chengyun, who naturally smelled the same scent, couldn’t stop himself from asking, "Y-Your Highness, were you spending time with the foxes...?"
Not any other fox but omega foxes.
A corner of Liu Chengjiu’s mouth began to twitch in irritation.
"I guess you can say that," Jiang Muchen replied nonchalantly.
A burning question lingered on the tip of Liu Chengjiu’s tongue, but he remained silent. Jiang Muchen was his benefactor, and it felt inappropriate to question the company he kept.
It’s not like they were in a relationship.
If anything, what they had was a mutual agreement, where both sides upheld their end of the bargain.
After lunch, Liu Chengyun excused himself. The light mood at the dining table abruptly shifted, replaced by an uncomfortable tension between the alpha lion and the omega wolf.
"So... There’s something I need to tell you," Jiang Muchen started after he cleared his throat.
He pulled out the dual-cultivation manual out of his sleeves and slid it across the table for Liu Chengjiu to look at.
"Unfortunately, as per my Little Uncle’s assessment, you do not possess any innate talent for cultivation. On the other hand, I need to marry a cultivating omega. Basically a Golden Lotus, more or less."
"..."
The dual-cultivation manual bore the sigil of Ling’an Palace.
The fox clan.
"Thankfully, Ling’an Palace has the solution to my problem. You see, they customarily conduct dual-cultivation between alphas and omegas to enrich the omegas’ spiritual power. Should those omega foxes be dedicated to cultivating, the path to achieving the status of a Golden Lotus lies clearly before them.
So, uh, before I continue, I think we need to go through our deal one more time."
If Jiang Muchen was leading a conversation with Xie Jianyu, an expert in all aspects of cultivation, the latter would definitely be able to connect the dots even without having Jiang Muchen spell everything out for him.
Unfortunately, Jiang Muchen was conversing with Liu Chengjiu, who knew nothing about cultivation.
He didn’t know what innate talent was, let alone dual-cultivation or Golden Lotus.
What he understood from Jiang Muchen’s words just now was that Jiang Muchen needed to marry a Golden Lotus, that Liu Chengjiu was not as good as the omega foxes, who had the potential to become Golden Lotuses.
In other words, Jiang Muchen wanted to retract the offer he made him a while ago.
A blizzard of despair raged through Liu Chengjiu’s heart, leaving it barren and desolate.
In his desperation, he failed to catch what Jiang Muchen said next. His mind was wiped blank, he did not know what to think.
Apparently, Jiang Rufeng was right.
He should not delude himself with unnecessary emotions.
For Jiang Muchen, he did not mean anything. He was just a means Jiang Muchen used to assert his independence from his mother, a battle of wills played out on a grand stage.
Why should he be surprised?
His entire life, no one had ever regarded him as a person with his own wishes and feelings.
Jiang Muchen was no different from all those people.
He should consider himself fortunate that the Imperial Consort offered his help in time, allowing him to tread another path in life, and at the same time giving Jiang Muchen the freedom he needed.
"... Liu Chengjiu? Did you hear what I just said?" Jiang Muchen narrowed his eyes at the omega sitting before him. The entire time he talked, he had the feeling that Liu Chengjiu was not listening to him at all. The omega seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, whatever they were.
Upon hearing Jiang Muchen’s call, Liu Chengjiu raised his head and looked up at Jiang Muchen. By then, all traces of dejection and sadness had vanished from his eyes, replaced by an aura of profound tranquility.
"Your Highness is most wise," he said. "In that case, this servant believes that it’s best to terminate the agreement we had."
Jiang Muchen gaped at Liu Chengjiu’s face in astonishment.
He could hardly believe his ears.
Apparently, he was wrong about Liu Chengjiu.
Now that he thought about it, it all made sense.
Of course.
Any idiot would choose to be happy.
Jiang Muchen was ashamed of himself. He was such an arrogant, insensitive jerk. He was no better than Zhang Fengxi, he noted to himself bitterly.
Just who did he think he was? The Heavenly Emperor? The ruler of the three realm?
Liu Chengjiu was indeed indebted to him, but he would never go as far as sacrificing his happiness just to pay off his debt.
No one would.
Despite being an omega, Liu Chengjiu had his own aspirations and dreams. Yet, Jiang Muchen, consumed by his own desires, nearly destroyed Liu Chengjiu’s life and happiness.
"I see."
Jiang Muchen regained his composure after a while. He was devastated by Liu Chengjiu’s choice, but he was also secretly relieved. Thankfully, they talked before they performed dual-cultivation with each other. Thankfully, it was not all too late.
"In that case, let me talk to the Wuyang Palace Master. I will leverage my position to guarantee your and your brother’s return to Wuyang Palace. No one will be permitted to inflict any harm upon you."
But Liu Chengjiu merely shook his head meekly.
"Thank you, Your Highness, but I plan to go somewhere else."
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Author’s note :
*Do you all remember when Shi Qingyue reported Liu Wenyuan to the Heavenly Empress and the Empress did not hesitate to punish Liu Wenyuan?
Yes, that served as an illustration of the discord that existed between omega foxes and omega wolves.
