Chapter 121: Best Friends!

"I do not wish to marry!" Yang Ye gritted his teeth and stated.

He did not want this matter to disrupt his plans. He mused that if it came to the worst, he would simply have to leave Blue Star. That, however, would be a great pity. Within the main clan's star domain, the weaker one's strength, the fewer resources one was allocated. It was impossible to say how long it would take to make the Huaxia clan powerful under such conditions.

"Hmm?" Blue Star Shenyuan looked at this daughter of his with surprise. In his impression, Blue Star Chensha had never dared to defy his wishes. Yet, a trace of gratification stirred in his heart. As a powerful figure, he did not care for timid or submissive children. Blue Star Chensha had previously been just that, which was why he had disliked her.

"This matter is not without room for maneuver. If you can defeat Shenhe Yuhao, the engagement can be annulled," Blue Star Shenyuan said indifferently after a moment of silence.

Shenhe was a prominent surname of the main clan. Naturally, the man named Shenhe Yuhao was a member of that clan. To maintain their rule, the main clan employed marriage alliances to keep close ties with powerful clans outside their own.

"This daughter understands," Yang Ye replied flatly.

Blue Star Shenyuan nodded and turned to leave. As for the two lash wounds on Blue Star Chensha’s back, he did not ask a single word. Watching him depart, Yang Ye let out a long breath in his heart. Fortunately, he hadn't been found out.

"Your Highness!" As Yang Ye walked out of the main hall, a beautiful middle-aged woman appeared before him.

Yang Ye glanced at her and said coldly, "Steward Ban Rou, what is it?" This woman was a steward in the palace, responsible for the selection and assignment of handmaidens.

Ban Rou smiled and said, "Your Highness, this old servant wishes to ask: what became of Shao Xing and Ai Li? Their life talismans have shattered."

Life talismans were artifacts closely linked to a practitioner’s vitality; if one died and their true spirit dissipated, the corresponding talisman would shatter. Although Yang Ye had killed Blue Star Chensha, her true spirit remained intact, which was why the life talisman had not broken. Otherwise, Yang Ye would never have dared to impersonate her.

"That matter?" Yang Ye replied dismissively. "They were undisciplined and had illicit relations with the guards, so I had them dealt with."

Ban Rou was not surprised. For a master to give away or execute a handmaiden was a very common occurrence in the palace. In truth, these handmaidens were not of low birth; many were daughters from noble families on Blue Star. But in the eyes of the royal family, those noble clans were no more than ants.

"This old servant understands. I shall select new handmaidens for Your Highness immediately," Ban Rou said respectfully.

Yang Ye nodded slightly and turned to leave. "Safe travels, Your Highness!" Ban Rou bowed as he passed.

Yang Ye descended the stone steps one by one. At this moment, he longed to return to Blue Star Chensha’s palace. Impersonating someone else was inevitably nerve-wracking. Furthermore, he truly disliked being in a woman’s body. This physical form was constructed entirely from Blue Star Chensha’s bloodline, controlled only by Yang Ye’s consciousness. If he were to have a menstrual cycle, it would be a truly awkward affair.

Thinking of this, he paused. Then, he realized that the women of Blue Star did not have such cycles. That was a relief!

"Thirty-Seventh Sister, have you just come from seeing Father?" Suddenly, a man in white walked toward him and asked with a smile.

Yang Ye glanced at the young man. Information about him immediately surfaced in his mind: Blue Star Yao, the ninth son of the King. He was just as lecherous as Blue Star Shuo—all the men of the Blue Star royal family were like that. Blue Star Yao was even worse than Shuo in this regard, as he did not even spare his own sisters. Because of his exceptional cultivation talent, such incidents had been hushed up by Blue Star Shenyuan. However, Blue Star Chensha was aware of it and held a deep hatred for this brother. Blue Star Yao was at the late stage of the Star God realm and looked as if he would soon breakthrough to the Star Sovereign realm.

Yang Ye said nothing, wanting no part of this person. However, Blue Star Yao walked right up to him and reached out to stroke his chin. Yang Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he grabbed Blue Star Yao’s hand. Seeing his sister hold his wrist, Blue Star Yao wore a lewd expression.

*Bam!*

With lightning speed, Yang Ye delivered a fierce kick to Blue Star Yao’s crotch. Faced with this strike, Blue Star Yao had intended to dodge, but found it was already too late. His eyes widened, a sharp hiss escaped his lips, and his body doubled over like a shrimp.

"Hmph!" Yang Ye snorted coldly and walked away. As a man, he knew that pain all too well. Given Blue Star Yao’s cultivation, he would not be permanently crippled, but that agony would be etched into the depths of his soul. The guards standing by the steps could not help but squeeze their legs together as they watched.

"Sss... sss..."

Blue Star Yao gritted his teeth, inhaling sharply, watching Yang Ye depart with a gaze full of hatred. Meanwhile, Yang Ye was thinking about whether to find an opportunity to kill this fellow; playing a woman was far less convenient than playing a man. Yes! That was a pleasant thought to settle on.

Yang Ye soon returned to Blue Star Chensha’s palace. The corpses of the eight handmaidens had been removed, and the blood in the hall had been cleaned. Over a hundred beautiful handmaidens stood in neat rows, waiting for the Princess to make her selection. Long Xiaoqing sat on a chair, munching on a fruit native to Blue Star.

Seeing the Princess return, the minor steward who had brought the handmaidens bowed respectfully and invited Yang Ye to choose. Yang Ye scanned the room and casually picked eight. Given Blue Star Chensha’s current status in the palace, she could only select eight. The chosen ones remained, while the others were led away. The eight handmaidens, having just heard about the execution of Shao Xing and the others, were trembling with fear.

Yang Ye asked for their names: Manshu, Longyan, Bayun, Tengxing, Shushu, Yixing, Shuli, and Yatong. Once he knew their names, he waved them off, ordering them to serve in the outer hall and forbidding them from entering the inner hall without an order—only Xiaoqing was allowed in there.

"Your Highness, is everything alright?" After Yang Ye and Long Xiaoqing returned to the back of the hall, she asked curiously.

"There is a troublesome matter..." Yang Ye explained about the arranged marriage.

Long Xiaoqing could not help but burst into laughter. Yang Ye felt incredibly awkward. This woman was actually mocking him! He leaned over and gave Long Xiaoqing a fierce kiss on the cheek.

"Husband~" Long Xiaoqing stopped laughing, looking at Yang Ye with a shy expression. Desire stirred in Yang Ye, but he realized with frustration that he could do nothing, so he reached out to tickle her instead. Long Xiaoqing erupted into giggles.

Outside, the eight handmaidens heard the laughter and felt a mixture of envy and a strange sensation. *Could it be that this brutal Princess... prefers women?*

Just then, a lady-in-waiting approached, handed a blue invitation to one of the handmaidens, and said, "This is an invitation from the Thirteenth Princess of Tianyuan. She requests the presence of the Thirty-Seventh Princess at her banquet."

Yang Ye heard the voice from outside. The Thirteenth Princess of Tianyuan, a royal princess of a neighboring star, and a close friend of Blue Star Chensha... all this information flooded into Yang Ye’s mind.