Chapter 803
Chapter 803
Shen Lang returned to his room. The entire affair had felt exceedingly strange from the start. He could tell that this Duchess Dipas was indeed a chaste widow who guarded her private life with extreme strictness. Of course, this was likely not because of any particularly high moral or virtuous standards, but rather a simple lack of interest in such matters. So why, then, did she suddenly need a lover? And a handsome man from the Eastern world, at that? What exactly was this sacred ritual? Considering the large-scale army that had recently entered Jadeite Gold City and the fact that she was still relentlessly recruiting an army of able-bodied slaves, she was clearly preparing for war. Who was she preparing to fight? The Witch Empire? If so, what did this sacred ritual have to do with the coming war?
Shen Lang sat on the balcony, reading by the bright light of several candles. Suddenly, the entire fortress fell silent, and in an instant, every light went out. It wasn't just the fortress; Jadeite Gold City was in the same state. Several maids approached without a sound and extinguished all the candles beside Shen Lang. Normally, Jadeite Gold City was a city of extravagance, brightly lit even at night. Though there was no electricity, candlelight alone was enough to turn the city into a sleepless spectacle. But now, the entire city was plunged into absolute darkness, as if by a sudden blackout.
Dong, dong, dong, dong.
The great bells tolled once more, but this time the sound was not urgent. Instead, it was sacred and resonant. Soon, Shen Lang witnessed a ship approach the docks, its occupants disembarking silently and entering Jadeite Gold City. Who were they, to move with such secrecy yet command such an imposing presence? The entire city had extinguished its lights to welcome their arrival. They walked slowly toward the fortress on the mountaintop. All were clad in red cloaks and carried torches, making them look like walking flames.
Were they priests? Soon, the fortress gates opened, and after the mysterious priests entered, everything returned to normal. Jadeite Gold City once again became a city that never slept, illuminated by countless lights. The candles in the fortress were relit, studding the night with glittering points of light, making it breathtakingly beautiful. It was as if the priests' visit had never happened.
* * *
The next day, in Duchess Dipas's study.
She had changed into a red dress that matched her fiery hair, a truly captivating sight, like a blazing flame. The garment was tailored to fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves even more than before. A necklace set with a red jewel that descended to her chest made the pale valley between her breasts all the more alluring, enough to make one's mouth water. The woman was truly a bewitching beauty.
“The examination is about to begin. My loyal Taren, are you ready?”
As Duchess Dipas asked, the middle-aged eunuch Taren produced a sharp, peculiar little knife from his sleeve. It was the kind used for castration.
“Don't you worry. I'm very fast. I won't let you suffer for long.”
In that instant, the handsome men from the East, including Shen Lang, felt their eggs shrink once more. To be castrated immediately upon failure—it was too cruel an ending.
Duchess Dipas addressed the three men.
“Perhaps you think I am making a mountain out of a molehill. Why must the losers, the failures, be castrated? It is to prove my will and my purity. Only then can this be said to have been conducted with sanctity.”
What kind of bizarre logic was this?
“Now, I will begin the first test. I want you to answer this question. What is fire? Let's have Lord Gonam, the centennial noble from the Eastern world, answer first.”
The handsome man on the left, Gonam, stepped forward and, without a hint of negligence, performed the courtesies of a Seirun Dynasty noble.
“It is my honor, Your Grace. If you ask what fire is, you are my fire! Your beauty is enough to set the entire world ablaze.”
Duchess Dipas smiled faintly at the handsome Gonam's answer. Her smile was bewitching enough to steal one's soul. Then, her gaze shifted to the handsome man on Shen Lang's right, Jingo.
“Fire is the sun and the stars.”
His answer was actually quite profound. After all, the vast majority of stars were indeed stellar bodies, certainly blazing with ferocious flames. Duchess Dipas's gaze turned to Shen Lang.
“Mr. Cho Jungcheon, what do you think fire is?”
“Fire is a state of plasma. Just as there are solid, liquid, and gaseous states, fire is the fourth state.”
Ugh! The others stared at Shen Lang.
‘What in the world was that answer?’
Hearing Shen Lang's response, Duchess Dipas's face remained impassive.
“Second question. If you become my consort, what will you give me? What can you do?”
Lord Gonam, the centennial noble from the Eastern world, said.
“I will compose poetry for you, play the zither, paint, and sing for you.”
Next, Jingo spoke.
“I will share your burdens. When you confide in me, I will offer rational advice at crucial moments.”
Dipas's eyes turned to Shen Lang.
“I… What can I do?”
Shen Lang thought for a moment. He originally wanted to say he was exceedingly skilled in a certain area, but a man shouldn't deceive himself, should he? After a long pause, Shen Lang answered.
“I am good with my tongue.”
‘Ugh! The shame of it all. A disgrace to all handsome men of the East. As expected of someone from a brothel.’
The two handsome men beside him pinched their noses and edged away from Shen Lang again.
‘You scum, you have brought shame upon the people of our Eastern world, shame upon our ancestors. Why didn't a degenerate like you stay in an Eastern brothel instead of coming across the sea to make a fool of yourself? Do you have any idea how much damage you've done to the dignity of our people?’
Just as expected, upon hearing Shen Lang's words, Duchess Dipas's face tightened slightly, and she even clenched her fists a little.
“Third question. Do you believe there are gods in this world? If so, draw his or her image. If you think not, you may say so.”
Gonam said.
“Of course, there are gods in this world. To me, you are a goddess.”
With that, Gonam began to sketch a portrait of Duchess Dipas. His skill in painting was so exceptional it could have been hung in the Louvre. Jingo also answered.
“Gods exist for those who believe and do not exist for those who don't. They reside in the minds of men.”
Several answers instinctively formed in Shen Lang's mind. The visit from the priests last night, Duchess Dipas's attire today—various signs indicated that she was a believer in a fire god. In the legends of the Eastern world, the fire god was Zhurong; in the Western world, it was Hephaestus. According to the ancient texts Shen Lang had read, the fire god of the ancient Eastern civilization was a dragon, while the Western one was a hellhound. In any case, all sorts of strange answers surfaced in his head. Soon, Shen Lang was given a sheet of white paper, on which he drew a single dot. A dot that was barely there. Dipas asked.
“Mr. Cho Jungcheon, do you believe in gods? What have you drawn on the paper?”
“It is the singularity. It encompasses all things in the universe, including nothingness and infinity. If there is a god, then this would be the god of all gods.”
At his answer, the other two men scoffed.
‘Isn't that answer a bit too pretentious? It's the same as saying nothing at all. Such arcane posturing is useless in a place like this.’
Duchess Dipas held a crystal ball in her hand, gently turning it over as she fell into thought. A deathly silence descended upon the room. Those who failed would be castrated and made into eunuchs, so this was a judgment that would decide their fate. Thus, although Gonam and Jingo were confident in their answers, they couldn't help but be incredibly tense. After a few minutes, Duchess Dipas opened her beautiful eyes and said.
“Mr. Cho Jungcheon, I don't know if that is truly your name, but congratulations. You have won. From this day forward, you are my consort.”
Hearing this, the other handsome men's faces changed drastically.
‘How is that possible? That Cho Jungcheon is of lowly birth, and his answers were like piles of dung. Why did he win? Only those of noble birth like us are fit to be with the Duchess. Besides, he said he grew up in a brothel. Isn't he the most despicable person in the world?’
“Your Grace, this is unfair. Unfair!”
Duchess Dipas waved her hand lightly, and several guards entered, pinning the two handsome men, Gonam and Jingo, to the floor. The middle-aged eunuch Taren stepped forward and took out his exquisite little knife.
“No. No. Your Grace, please let us go.”
“This is unfair. Unfair! Aargh!”
Taren flicked his small hand, his technique exquisite. Before one could even get a clear look at his hand, it was all over—truly the work of a professional. Two wretched screams echoed, and the world now had two more eunuchs. The sight was so excruciatingly painful that even Shen Lang, who was just watching from the side, felt his scalp tingle. He, too, enjoyed castrating others, but watching this scene was by no means comfortable.
“Trust me. You will soon grow to love this life.”
The middle-aged eunuch Taren declared, then immediately dragged the two newly made eunuchs away.
* * *
Only Shen Lang and Duchess Dipas remained in the study.
“Your name is not Cho Jungcheon. I do not know your language, but my eunuch does. He thought about it for a full three hours before finally figuring out the name's meaning. You are very clever, but you lack reverence. To mock others at every turn... you are far too arrogant.”
Having said her piece, Duchess Dipas took out a piece of paper. On it were written three characters. It was likely what the eunuch Taren had written for her. The characters could be read as Cho Jungcheon, but they could also be read as Lin Dan Da.
‘Damn it, are you people that bored? Spending hours analyzing a fake name I pulled out of thin air? And you even figured out its mocking, hidden meaning.’
“You dared to be disrespectful to me, so you deserve to be punished. If you think your eggs are so big, why didn't you cut one of them off?”
“I can't do that. It would anger another deity.”
“Which deity?”
“Santa Claus.”
Unfortunately, such jokes did not yet exist in this world, so Shen Lang's attempt at humor fell completely flat. Duchess Dipas walked over to Shen Lang, and two servants entered the room carrying a mirror.
‘Such a large bronze mirror? What a shame the Celestial Commerce Guild hasn't expanded its business to the Western world. They could have made a real fortune.’
Duchess Dipas looked at her and Shen Lang's reflection in the mirror. Their height, build, and even their temperaments were a good match; they looked like a perfect pair.
“Make your preparations. In two days, we will hold our wedding.”
With that, Duchess Dipas turned and left. Shen Lang's head began to ache.
‘A wedding? Wasn't this about recruiting a male plaything or a lover? Why go as far as a wedding? This was getting stranger and stranger.’
The incomparably beautiful Duchess Dipas was thirty-one this year and had been a widow for a decade. In those ten years, she had clearly remained chaste. Even if she were to remarry, she could have chosen from countless nobles of the Seirun Dynasty. There was no reason to choose a man from the Eastern world with an unknown background. What on earth was she up to?
“Darling, since we're to be husband and wife, may I come to this study to read?”
To Shen Lang's question, Duchess Dipas replied.
“I see. But there is a better way. For instance, I could have the study moved to your room.”