Chapter 568: The Flower Lord is Very Off

Asuka glanced at Ye Wenxin a few times before asking, “May I know what kind of demon you are, Lady Wenxin?”

The question, as casual as asking someone’s name, would likely become the most common query she’d face here. Ye Wenxin’s distinctive ears left little room for mistaken identity. With a grin, she returned, “What do you think, Lady Asu?”

Ye Wenxin lightly touched her tall ears. Asuka observed her carefully and then ventured, “Could you be… a donkey demon?”

Ye Wenxin fell silent. Suddenly, she understood why players were often confused whether Arknight’s Amiya¹ was a rabbit or a donkey. Despite her unmistakable features, Asuka had somehow pegged her as a donkey. Yet, the way she said it almost felt like a hint. It made Wenxin wonder if Asuka could actually be an Earth compatriot.

“I’m a rabbit demon.” Ye Wenxin bowed reservedly to Asuka, not daring to joke around. Asuka’s face fell. “Oh, my apologies, I have made a mistake.”

She gave a formal apology with a practiced smile. Ye Wenxin felt awkward but managed a small smile in acceptance. Asuka, however, was stubborn. She kept apologizing until Ye Wenxin verbally forgave her.

Ye Wenxin felt mentally weary. She realized Asuka was the type of person she found challenging to deal with, like Fairy Fengya. It was straining to keep interacting with her.

Yet, Asuka remained blissfully unaware. She gave Ye Wenxin a meticulously formal tour of the palace grounds, even pointing out and naming each animal they passed.

The other envoys had already taken their leave. Only Envoy Hua Ju stayed with Ye Wenxin. She gave Ye Wenxin a sympathetic smile, knowing that a day was bound to go to waste upon running into Asuka.

Ye Wenxin had no choice but to listen on. She spotted guards sparring in the distance. Lacking the ability to cultivate, they relied entirely on demonic beasts to fight for them.

“The Beast Taming Garden had raised these demonic beasts since young. Once the training is complete, they’re sent as combat power for the Hundred Flowers Dynasty.”

Due to human limitations, the dynasty’s military strength relied heavily on these beasts. Some lucky individuals might even gain spirit beasts as lifelong companions.

A beast’s memory would be wiped each time it changed masters. Any lingering sentiment towards its former master might lead to rebellion. It was all new to Ye Wenxin. However, she could sense the inseparable bond between this dynasty and their demonic beasts.

There was a hint of pride in Asuka’s tone, a clear satisfaction in the dynasty she served. The envoys had given Ye Wenxin a similar feeling, too.

They wandered around until the sky darkened. Ye Wenxin finally snapped out of the sea of infodump. She suddenly remembered she was supposed to be meeting the Flower Lord. Yet, it seemed that an entire day had passed without her seeing anyone other than Asuka and Envoy Hua Ju.

“When will the Flower Lord be available?” Ye Wenxin couldn’t help but ask. Although slightly displeased at being interrupted, Asuka still responded courteously, “The Flower Lord is quite busy today, so I was asked to host you, Lady Wenxin.”

Ye Wenxin nodded, letting go of the Flower Lord’s matter. The group intended to head to dinner when they noticed a crowd nearby. Palace guards and attendants alike huddled together, cheering excitedly.

“Just like that, Your Eminence!”

“The Flower Lord is invincible!”

The supposedly ‘busy’ Flower Lord’s title suddenly came out of the crowd’s mouths. She turned to ask Asuka what was going on. However, Asuka had darted into the crowd at remarkable speed.

Her usual refined persona was gone as she pulled someone from within.

Intrigued, Ye Wenxin watched closely and spotted a woman draped in a tiger-skin cloak. Three parts striking, seven parts captivating, she stood at a towering height of nearly 1.8 meters (5’11). At a glance, she seemed like a strong, aggressive character.

From appearance alone, Ye Wenxin didn’t think she could get along with her.

Ye Wenxin silently wished this imposing woman wasn’t actually the Flower Lord until Asuka spoke up, confirming the woman’s identity.

“Your Eminence, how can you present yourself like this!”

“It’s just a little sparring, no harm done,” the Flower Lord replied, her voice deep and magnetic. She carelessly let one shoulder remain exposed, revealing a plum blossom tattoo. Those around seemed used to her behavior.

The Flower Lord dashed all of Ye Wenxin’s expectations of her.

Ye Wenxin had encountered all sorts of powerful women: the indifferent Fairy Fengya, the graceful and extravagant Long Qingyue. But this was her first time meeting someone who gave off a female gang leader vibe.

The Flower Lord was less of a refined ruler and more like a female bandit mixed in with the Martial World. However, her exceptional good looks offset any roughness and accentuated her charisma.

Women like this seemed to have a natural magnetism towards other women. Ye Wenxin noticed several maidservants gazing at the Flower Lord with adoration while Asuka reprimanded her with discontent.

The Flower Lord, however, paid no attention to the scolding. Spotting Ye Wenxin nearby, she called out, “Newcomer? Bring out your demonic beast. Let’s have a quick spar!”

Aware of rumors about the animal accessories, she didn’t figure Ye Wenxin was an envoy sent from Liu City. With hands on her hips, she looked ready to take on Ye Wenxin’s demonic beast in close combat.

Ye Wenxin forced a smile, about to explain that she didn’t have any demonic beasts. Envoy Hua Ju leaned over and whispered, “Lady Wenxin, why not bring out those cuties from earlier? They’re sure to win the Flower Lord’s favor.”

Hua Ju saw this as an opportunity to let the furballs showcase their adorable charm, so Ye Wenxin could connect with the Flower Lord.

Actually, not even Ye Wenxin knew the furballs’ combat abilities. Considering the white furball’s good temperament, she gently tapped the ground. The white furball immediately appeared.

It seemed to be the Flower Lord’s first time seeing a summoning method outside of spirit pet rings. Looking at the adorable the white furball, she couldn’t resist picking her up.

But before Ye Wenxin could give any command, the Flower Lord’s overbearing aura scared the furball. She raised her paw, sending the Flower Lord flying.

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Footnotes:

1. 1. For those who haven’t heard of it before, Arknights is a gacha game with tower defense element set in a ruined, dystopian world. It’s extremely popular in China. Amiya is the protag and literally the face of Arknights.
   
   Anyways, there’s a meme that circulated after the CN community mistook her for a donkey girl because of her ears. That was back when the game just released. She’s later confirmed to be a bunny girl.
   
   Source (Ctrl+F or find in page ‘donkey’):
   arknights.fandom.com/wiki/Amiya/Trivia
   
   Also. Arknights is called 明日方舟 (Ark of Tomorrow) in China. Asuka’s kanji is 明日香. Might not matter much, but I just want to put this out there. ↩︎