Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

“Of course. Countess, we haven’t seen each other since that auction. You even promised to take me to see the Earl back then.”

Qi Mohan said with a smile, "It's a pity that I was too busy with other matters and didn't have time. It's good to see you again today."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhuo paused, turned his head, and met Zhou Yanshu's tense and cold face.

“Earl, how are you?” Qi Mohan approached without anyone noticing. He greeted Zhou Yanshu and said with a smile, “Do you remember me? Hundreds of years ago, I exchanged a few words with you. Back then, I was selling watermelons on the street.”

Zhou Yanshu turned his pupils toward Qi Mohan and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, it's been a long time and my memory isn't good anymore. I don't remember Left Envoy Qi."

Qi Mohan laughed twice: "It's alright, it's normal that you don't remember me. After all, times have changed, and things are different now."

Yu Zhuo sat between the two of them. He looked up at the two people beside him and easily caught the sharp edge they were hiding in the air.

“That’s right.” Zhou Yanshu curled his lips and met Qi Mohan’s gaze. “Things are unpredictable. Who knows what will happen in the future? Maybe one day, Left Envoy Qi will accidentally fall and end up back where he started.”

Qi Mohan narrowed his eyes: "Earl, thank you for your reminder. I have always been very careful."

Zhou Yanshu withdrew his gaze, gave a cold laugh, and made no comment.

Qi Mohan lost interest in talking to Zhou Yanshu. He returned to his seat and turned his gaze to Yu Zhuo: "Countess, you must be tired from your journey. I'd like to toast you with this glass of wine as a way of thanking you for accompanying me on my last trip."

Upon seeing this, Yu Zhuo gripped the wine glass in front of him. Before he could speak, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his thigh.

Yu Zhuo paused, his expression unchanged, and under the guise of concealment, he grabbed Zhou Yanshu's fingers. Zhou Yanshu's fingertips scratched at the back of his hand, a clear warning in his voice.

Yu Zhuo looked at Qi Mohan, who said awkwardly, "Left Envoy, that's a small matter, there's no need for such formality. Besides, I'm allergic to alcohol, so I'm afraid I can't drink this much."

"What a coincidence?" Qi Mohan picked up his wine glass, stared at Yu Zhuo for a few seconds, and said slowly, "That's a real pity. This is a fine wine that I've buried for over ten years. I was hoping you could taste it."

Yu Zhuo didn't say anything more. He gripped Zhou Yanshu's wrist tightly and pinched the soft flesh on his waist without mercy.

Zhou Yanshu immediately sat up straight, turned to look at Yu Zhuo, and said in a low, gloomy voice, "Relax."

"If you loosen your grip, I'll loosen mine too." Yu Zhuo narrowed his eyes. "Hurry up."

Zhou Yanshu immediately pulled his hand back, picked up the wine glass on the table, and took two sips with a displeased expression.

Yu Zhuo chuckled and stuffed the small pill in his hand into Zhou Yanshu's palm. Zhou Yanshu moved his fingers, took it, and put it in his pocket.

Yu Zhuo then sat up straight and looked ahead again, only to find that another person had appeared beside Lin Shuang at some point. The person was thin and wore a military uniform that was out of place among the surrounding nobles.

Seemingly sensing Yu Zhuo's gaze, the person also looked up at Yu Zhuo.

Those pure turquoise eyes came into Yu Zhuo's view, and Yu Zhuo paused—it was Yu Xiangwan.

Yu Xiangwan didn't linger by Shuang's side any longer. He just looked up at Yu Zhuo for a moment before turning around and sitting at the very back.

Species that come from the shore are not allowed to appear in the front row, and Yu Xiangwan only occupied a seat in the back row this time.

Yu Zhuo was still unaware of Yu Xiangwan's purpose in coming here. He had just turned his gaze away when he heard a noise outside.

"Your Majesty has arrived——"

Tamo's entrance was always a grand affair. Even from a distance, Yu Zhuo hadn't seen him yet, but his attendants were already shouting at the top of their lungs from a hundred meters away.

Upon hearing the sound, everyone in the hall lowered their heads and remained silent in their seats, kneeling down to await Tamo's arrival.

Yu Zhuo followed the rules of the merfolk and imitated the postures and movements of the others, his kneeling posture being fairly standard.

Almost everyone inside knelt down, except for Zhou Yanshu, who remained seated in a wheelchair due to paralysis.

Yu Zhuo glanced at Zhou Yanshu, but seeing Zhou Yanshu's indifferent expression, he silently withdrew his gaze.

"Your Majesty has arrived——"

The attendant who was calling out got closer and closer to the main hall. He walked to the door and then knelt down on both knees like the nobles inside.

Yu Zhuo heard a rustling sound at the door, intermittent—like the sound of an animal crawling on the ground.

Yu Zhuo frowned slightly. He glanced at the doorway and saw Tamo riding a green-haired turtle slowly walking in.

The tortoise wasn't a giant turtle that had existed for thousands of years; it was only about the size of a rocking horse that children ride in a park. Even with his legs bent and dangling in the air, Tamo could still move forward while riding on the tortoise's back.

The tortoise moved slowly, taking a full twenty minutes to walk from the gate to the throne in front.

Everyone inside the hall knelt to welcome him, but Tamo remained oblivious, simply sitting on the tortoise shell and letting the tortoise slowly and painstakingly crawl forward.

Yu Zhuo: "..."

The main hall was completely silent, except for the rustling sound of the tortoise crawling.

Everyone who came to the celebration banquet kept their heads down. They could not get up without being given an order, and could only grit their teeth and kowtow to the green-haired tortoise.

"Your Majesty, the victory celebration banquet will begin in two minutes. If the banquet is delayed, please inform us in advance to save us time."

A calm voice rang out in the hall, and everyone tensed up upon hearing it, secretly turning their gazes toward Zhou Yanshu, who was sitting in front.

Zhou Yanshu showed no discomfort whatsoever. He remained indifferent and spoke his mind directly in front of Tamo.

He was the nominal "Earl" of Tamophon, but before that, he had always been the former king.

Tamo sat astride the tortoise shell, his royal robes hanging loosely, and looked at Zhou Yanshu with an ambiguous expression: "What, you can't even wait this short time?"

Zhou Yanshu's expression remained unchanged: "Your Majesty, it's not that I can't wait. It's just that I'm paralyzed and not in good spirits, so I can't stay here for too long. If there's still a long time to go, please allow me to take my leave first."

He had no time to watch the green-haired turtle slowly crawl to the finish line.

Tamo sneered upon hearing this. Seeing that Zhou Yanshu's hand was already on the armrest of the wheelchair, he flipped over and jumped off the tortoise: "Alright, alright, get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Upon hearing the order, everyone in the hall rose from the ground, their faces somewhat grim. After getting up, they returned to their seats and remained silent.

The green-haired tortoise was still slowly crawling forward in the corridor of the main hall. Tamo gestured to the attendants beside him and said, "Are you blind? Hurry up and find a seat for the Holy Earl!"

Upon hearing this, the servants hurriedly stepped forward, took the rope around the turtle's neck, and walked straight towards where Yu Zhuo was.

Yu Zhuo: "..."