Chapter 103 – The Little Snow Ferret No Longer Ran Away (04)
The longer the Northern Emperor and Jianmu conversed, the longer Immortal Lord Hanyue shamelessly remained seated, refusing to leave as long as he wasn’t explicitly told to.
Many high gods in the Divine Realm were unaware of the internal affairs of the Netherworld. The reason the Northern Emperor didn’t share such information with them was twofold: first, they lacked the necessary abilities and wouldn’t be of any help; second, the situation beneath the Rift changed constantly, and even he had no absolute certainty. It would be unnecessary to spread outdated information and risk causing panic among the gods.
Unfortunately, Immortal Lord Hanyue failed to understand the Northern Emperor’s careful considerations. He remained convinced that the emperor was scheming to seize the position of Divine Realm Administrator, using his lack of major achievements as an excuse to suppress him.
Just as Hanyue was lost in thought, a soft and youthful voice came from outside the hall.
“Brother Jianmu, Xiao Bobao and I discovered something in the south…” Bai Mo spoke as he entered, but the moment he spotted a guest seated beside Jianmu, his excited, cotton-soft voice came to an abrupt halt. His snow-white, delicate face was flushed from running, his bright, watery eyes glistened, and his slightly unsteady breathing only made him appear all the more lively and charming.
Noticing the presence of an esteemed guest, the little snow ferret quickly restrained himself, his tone carrying a hint of apology. “Brother Jianmu, I didn’t know you had a guest. My apologies for the interruption—you may continue your conversation.”
With that, he gave a slight bow to both the Northern Emperor and Immortal Lord Hanyue. The former smiled and made a subtle gesture in the air as if offering an unseen hand of courtesy. The latter, however, was utterly captivated by Bai Mo’s fleeting glance—so much so that half of his body went numb. Before he realized it, he had actually risen to his feet and was stepping forward to help Bai Mo up.
A flash of displeasure crossed Bai Mo’s face, but considering that openly expressing it might embarrass Jianmu, he merely sidestepped Hanyue’s outstretched hand without making any extra movements.
“Brother Jianmu, since you and your esteemed guest have important matters to discuss, I won’t disturb you any further.” With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait, don’t go!”
Hanyue had no idea what came over him, but before he could stop himself, he reached out to grab Bai Mo.
“What do you think you’re doing?” The boy’s sharp reprimand rang through the hall as he flicked his sleeve, shaking off Hanyue’s touch.
Bai Mo was not an unreasonable person, but the way Hanyue looked at him—it was disturbingly familiar. He had seen that kind of gaze before, the sticky, lingering stare of a scoundrel.
It wasn’t exactly identical, but it was close enough. Naturally, Bai Mo felt disgusted. In contrast, the Northern Emperor’s refined etiquette—merely making a polite gesture without truly touching him—was practically the standard of noble conduct.
“Little ferret, come here,” Jianmu called.
The boy immediately darted forward, his steps light and quick, and threw himself into Jianmu’s embrace.
“Brother Jianmu, my clothes are dirty,” Bai Mo muttered, looking down at his garment in distress.
This was the very first outfit Jianmu had bought for him when they visited the mortal realm after the Kyushu barrier was lifted, and now, some random man’s filthy hand had touched it. How infuriating!
Even if the little snow ferret didn’t complain, Jianmu had no intention of letting Immortal Lord Hanyue off the hook for harassing his beloved. However, at this moment, soothing his sulking little ferret was far more important than dealing with Hanyue.
“Bring a basin of water,” Jianmu commanded. Immediately, a flower and grass spirit, having taken human form, entered with a basin of warm water.
Under Hanyue’s puzzled gaze, Jianmu lifted the boy onto his lap, pressed a kiss to his flushed, anger-tinged cheek, and then carefully dipped the sleeve that Hanyue had touched into the warm water, scrubbing it clean with great care.
This action wasn’t particularly harmful—but it was deeply insulting. What did it signify? It meant that, in Jianmu’s eyes, Hanyue was nothing more than trash. Bai Mo’s sleeve had been tainted by trash, so naturally, it needed to be cleaned.
As for why he wasn’t simply changing into a new outfit? Well, Lord Jianmu quite enjoyed trampling over the dignity of certain oblivious individuals. Hanyue liked to revel in his position as the administrator of the Divine Realm? Simply allowing him to stay was already an act of generosity—did he really think Jianmu tolerated him out of fear?
The Northern Emperor, a fellow doting husband, merely smiled at Jianmu’s actions. The moment the young master of the Netherworld had called out “Brother Jianmu,” anyone with a shred of awareness should have understood the situation. But some people, it seemed, were willfully blind. Oh well—getting humiliated was their own fault.
Hanyue was utterly mortified. Never in his life had he imagined that one day he would be treated as so repulsive that even a mere touch from him would be considered disgusting. Though he forced a smile, inwardly he was cursing Jianmu for being so petty.
Meanwhile, the little snow ferret remained obedient and composed. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to interact with these two guests, so he simply decided not to bother at all. After all, as long as his dear husband was around, he knew he would never suffer a loss.
Xiao Bobao, noticing that Bai Mo had been gone for quite some time, shifted her perspective to look over in his direction—and oh wow, the Northern Emperor was here too!
“Mo Mo, this is the Northern Emperor I told you about! Isn’t he incredibly handsome? He’s the most powerful high god in the entire Divine Realm!” Xiao Bobao’s admiration for the Northern Emperor was as vast and unceasing as the flowing rivers.
The young man turned his head and saw the man whom Xiao Bobao had referred to as the Northern Emperor. With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a face as refined as jade, and a tall, elegant figure, he exuded an air of natural grace and charm.
He was one of only two men Bai Mo had ever found so striking that he couldn’t look away. The first, of course, was his dear Brother Jianmu. But between the two, he still much preferred his own beloved husband—gentle, refined, and endlessly considerate.
Sensing Xiao Bobao’s presence nearby, the Northern Emperor, who had been gazing out the window, turned his head just as Bai Mo was studying him. Their eyes met for a brief moment.
The young man hesitated slightly before offering a polite greeting. “Your Excellency, Northern Emperor.”
“The Young Lord of the Netherworld is too courteous,” the Northern Emperor replied.
This brief exchange was enough for Immortal Lord Hanyue to grasp the youth’s identity—he was none other than the long-lost Young Lord of the Netherworld.
With the decline of the Netherworld, now that the restrictions had been lifted, the fastest way to regain its former standing would be to ally with one of the Six Realms. As the saying goes, leaning against a great tree provides ample shade.
Historically, the Netherworld had been on good terms with the Divine Realm and had once joined forces to seal away ancient demonic beasts. It was only natural for the Netherworld to seek allegiance with the Divine Realm now.
Realizing this, Immortal Lord Hanyue’s earlier embarrassment vanished entirely. He could almost imagine the young lord calling him Xianjun in a soft, sweet voice, his snow-white face lit up with a gentle smile, choosing to align the Netherworld under his leadership.
“Ahem, ahem…” Immortal Lord Hanyue coughed lightly, adjusting his tone to sound appropriately surprised.
Completely ignoring the towering Divine Tree at the head of the room, he fixed his gaze on the young man who had just finished washing his sleeve. “I am Immortal Lord Hanyue, the newly appointed administrator of the Divine Realm. I was unaware of your esteemed identity as the Young Lord of the Netherworld just now—please forgive my rudeness.”
Revealing his identity was a calculated move. In his dealings across the Six Realms, those who recognized his status typically treated him with deference. He expected the young lord to be no exception.
After all, the youth had been so respectful toward the Northern Emperor, and since he himself held great power, wouldn’t that mean the young lord would be even more inclined to curry favor with him?
His delusional self-satisfaction was utterly nauseating.
The little snow ferret turned to look at Jianmu, blinking his large, watery eyes.
This guy is so annoying. Can we kick him out?
Naturally, anything his little ferret wanted, he could have.
Jianmu signaled with his eyes and even gave the little snow ferret a slight tweet.
Receiving the go-ahead, the little snow ferret showed no restraint. This was the perfect opportunity to test out the sarcasm techniques he had observed from the Night God’s mannerisms.
“Oh~ so you’re Immortal Lord Hanyue. Truly, hearing about you is nothing compared to seeing you in person.”
The young man’s flattery filled Immortal Lord Hanyue with pride. He glanced at the Northern Emperor out of the corner of his eye, only to see the latter sitting there indifferently, sipping his tea without any reaction.
Hah, keep pretending.
The Young Lord of the Netherworld was clearly much warmer toward him than toward the Northern Emperor.
Now this is someone who understands how things work, someone who knows who the real ruler of the Divine Realm is.
The Night God’s collection of mannerisms and quotes had only been acquired thanks to Xiao Bobao pulling some strings with the Empress.
Otherwise, how would they have dared to spy on a High God? Naturally, if the Empress knew, the Northern Emperor did as well. He wasn’t sipping his tea to feign composure—rather, he was holding back his laughter.
After all, he had to at least give a certain self-proclaimed administrator of the Divine Realm a shred of dignity. Otherwise, that one would start sulking again.
“Oh, so the Young Lord of the Netherworld has heard of me as well? And what exactly have they been saying?” Lacking praise in his life, Immortal Lord Hanyue desperately sought validation—especially if it came from the mouth of a youth he had taken a liking to. That would surely be exquisite.
The little snow ferret smiled slightly, his soft pink lips parting as he spoke. “I picked up these stories while traveling with Brother Jianmu. Alright, let me begin.”
“They all say that Immortal Lord Hanyue’s face is so grand, it must stretch for thousands of miles.”
Immortal Lord Hanyue: “?” A sudden sense of foreboding crept over him.
“You ascended to High God at such a young age—born on the ground but yearning for the heavens, a mere mortal dreaming of becoming an immortal.”
“You speak so elegantly and smoothly, as if your lips have been coated in laxative oil.”
“You maintain yourself well—your skin is thick, your skills impressive, rivaling even the might of a wall.”
“And your figure? Plump, but not greasy.”
“His assets are abundant—two grand buildings, one facing north, the other south. Not a single one faces east or west.”
Jianmu & the Northern Emperor: “……” Hold it in. Hold it in. We mustn’t laugh.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA…”
The two great beings had remarkable endurance and managed to stifle their laughter. Xiao Bobao, on the other hand, had no such restraint, collapsing to the ground in hysterics.
“S-Sorry, Mo Mo, I usually don’t laugh.” Except when I can’t help it—HAHAHAHA!
As expected of the host she had chosen—absorbing new knowledge at lightning speed! Just look—Immortal Lord Hanyue’s face was as black as coal.
Hanyue prided himself on his status. Having ascended and immediately been selected as a Divine Realm administrator, he believed himself to be above at least half the other deities. Yet now, he was being mocked without a single curse word by the little snow ferret—his tone eerily similar to that of the infuriating Night God. The memories of past humiliations at the Night God’s hands resurfaced, and whatever goodwill he had felt toward Bai Mo instantly turned to disgust.
His gaze darkened as he shot Bai Mo a venomous glare—only then did he notice that the youth’s hand was still entwined with Jianmu’s. No wonder they’re getting along so well—two of a kind, like rats and snakes conspiring together.
Jianmu didn’t miss Hanyue’s look, but Bai Mo’s sparkling eyes were fixed on him, wordlessly begging for praise. He had no time to entertain Hanyue.
“Mo Mo is amazing. You’ve already mastered another way of speaking so quickly.”
To Jianmu, everything the little snow ferret did was praiseworthy.
“Netherworld Young Lord, you’ve gone too far!” Hanyue exploded, slamming his hand on the table with a deafening bang.
The youth tilted his head, as if puzzled.
“Young, well-maintained, elegant speech, wealthy assets—aren’t these all compliments? Besides, I only repeated what I heard… Why are you yelling at me?”
The little snow ferret looked aggrieved and burrowed into the man’s embrace, his voice pitifully wilted.
“Brother Jianmu, did I say something wrong…?”
That’s right, I’m tattling right in front of you. What are you gonna do about it?
Jianmu knew Bai Mo was faking it, but he simply couldn’t stand seeing even the slightest trace of grievance on the youth’s face. His brows furrowed, and his expression turned ice-cold.
“If Immortal Lord Hanyue doesn’t like what we have to say, then get lost.”
Jianmu no longer bothered with politeness. With a wave of his hand, a powerful gust of wind swept toward Hanyue. He wasn’t even given time to resist—it wrapped around him alone and whisked him away.
As for where the wind would take him? That depended on when it decided to stop.