Chapter 440: Heavenly Demon’s Eye

"Distribute the food to every soldier," Yun Yuqing instructed her maids after their group entered the detached courtyard.

In a nearby room, Sang Qian secretly sighed, "Even her voice is so gentle; listening to her speak makes one's body go soft. Ah, how fortunate her husband must be, to always be able to embrace her soft body and hear her speak such tender words."

Compared to his son, whose breathing was ragged in the next room, Sang Hong was much calmer. The Princess of Wu was beautiful, indeed, but to a man of his age and resolute mind, she held no great allure.

He, on the other hand, found it a bit strange. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Wu Palace was being overly solicitous this time. Ordinary servants could have delivered the items, yet the Princess of Qi insisted on coming herself. Something was amiss...

The most relaxed person there was Zu An. He lay casually on the bed, watching through the window as the Princess of Wu directed her maids in distributing food. He inwardly clicked his tongue, "That woman has such a slender waist!"

Although her dress style was relatively conservative, it still couldn't hide her graceful and alluring figure. Combined with her captivating beauty and the aura of sacred inviolability she exuded, it was no wonder she had that group of lustful men outside completely enthralled.

At that moment, the Princess of Wu seemed to sense something and glanced in his direction. Then she said to Huang Huihong, "Those imperial criminals should also be fed, shouldn't they? Their fate is tragic enough; we can't let them starve. So, I specifically instructed the servants to prepare some food for them as well."

"Your Royal Highness is truly as beautiful as she is kind-hearted," Huang Huihong remarked.

He discreetly winked, signaling his subordinates to take the food from the maids. After all, it was better not to let outsiders interact with imperial criminals.

Furthermore, one of his subordinates specifically used a silver needle to test the food, and only after confirming it was not poisoned did he give Huang Huihong a reassuring nod.

The Princess of Wu acted as if she hadn't noticed, merely smiling as she asked, "Oh, why do I see some soldiers not eating? Is the food not to their liking? Perhaps I should have the kitchen prepare something else?"

"There's no need," Huang Huihong quickly explained. "It's our rule not to eat the same food simultaneously, to prevent everyone from being affected if it's tainted."

He then awkwardly added, "Your Royal Highness, please forgive us. It's not that we suspect you; it's simply our strict policy."

"I understand. I was too presumptuous," the Princess of Wu said with a slight smile. "No wonder your Embroidered Uniform Guard is so highly praised by the world; you truly are the elite of the elite."

"Your Royal Highness flatters us," Huang Huihong replied. Though his group wore masks that hid their expressions, their body language betrayed their overflowing delight at her praise.

As the saying goes, beauty is a feast for the eyes. Gazing at such a beautiful woman, the soldiers each ate a few extra bites of food.

At the same time, they were immensely envious of Huang Huihong, who was able to converse with her at such close proximity.

Huang Huihong's heart was also pounding fiercely. A faint, noble, and elegant fragrance emanated from her, truly making his heart pound and mind wander.

"Huh?"

Huang Huihong finally realized something was amiss. Every Embroidered Uniform Guard underwent brutal training before deployment. To hone their resistance to female allure, their training often involved beautiful women meant to tempt them, and honey traps were regularly set. If an Embroidered Uniform Guard showed any emotional attachment, they would be immediately disqualified.

It could be said that every Embroidered Uniform Guard was an experienced veteran when it came to beautiful women. As a junior commander, he himself possessed far greater willpower than ordinary members of the guard.

The Princess of Wu was indeed beautiful, like a celestial being, but he shouldn't have been so easily affected.

Just then, a series of thudding sounds came from the side; many soldiers had suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Enemy attack!" A chill shot through Huang Huihong's heart. He quickly reached for his Soul-Snatching Chain, simultaneously raising his other hand to fire a signal arrow to notify Prince Liang and the others.

But just then, a pair of purple eyes suddenly appeared before him.

He had never seen such beautiful eyes. He vaguely recalled them being somewhat similar to the Princess of Wu's, but unlike the sacred and inviolable aura in her gaze, these eyes now held an indescribable, bewitching charm.

In fact, not only he, but everyone in the courtyard saw those beautiful eyes.

It seemed as though the Princess of Wu and her maids had vanished from the entire courtyard, leaving only this pair of purple eyes, beautiful yet dangerous.

From deep within the eyes, swirling patterns suddenly appeared. In that instant, everyone felt their minds grow hazy, then involuntarily succumbed to their pull.

"A demon!" Huang Huihong, an experienced Embroidered Uniform Guard, immediately realized, but it was already too late. His body refused to obey, and he only managed to resist for a moment longer than his companions before plunging into darkness.

Zu An also felt a jolt in his head. He had been admiring the Princess of Wu's graceful figure just moments before.

Suddenly, the beautiful woman before him vanished, and only those eyes remained, dominating his entire perception.

He felt himself on the verge of succumbing to chaos when suddenly, the "Hundred Chirps" mark within his body glowed. It then transformed into a strangely shaped bird that circled his ear.

Invisible sound waves emanated from it, and Zu An's entire body trembled. The giant purple eyes were gone from his sight; everything had returned to normal.

No, not normal. Huang Huihong and the other Embroidered Uniform Guards stood frozen like statues, as if oblivious to their surroundings.

The Princess of Wu, meanwhile, strolled leisurely towards him. Her graceful posture, combined with her exquisite beauty, made her seem like a celestial fairy descending to the mortal world; none of the ordinary mortals around her appeared to even register in her eyes.

A hint of a smile still played on her rosy lips, but unlike her previous aura of sacredness, she now exuded an extreme, seductive charm.

"Good grief, a perfect blend of angel and devil," Zu An muttered, astounded by how quickly her demeanor had shifted.

He also noticed that her beautiful eyes had now turned purple, confirming that the terrifying purple eyes from before were hers.

"I'm doomed, I'm doomed," Zu An muttered, swallowing hard. This woman was clearly after the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. He had originally announced its existence to the world to draw various factions into the competition and alleviate the pressure from the Emperor.

He hadn't expected Huang Huihong and his group to be so utterly unreliable, getting incapacitated with such ease.

That woman's glance earlier seemed like magic, neutralizing all the guards in the courtyard. Even if he weren't currently restricted, he knew he couldn't defeat her. What was he going to do?

As the Princess of Wu approached, she suddenly let out a sound of surprise, stopping and turning her gaze toward Sang Hong's room. "I've long heard of Lord Sang's resourcefulness, and today's encounter proves the rumors true. Despite your cultivation being restricted, you still managed to evade my Sky Demon Eye."

Sang Hong kept his eyes tightly shut, secretly sighing. "I didn't expect to still be unable to hide it from you. The Princess of Wu, whom the world sees as sacred and benevolent, is actually a demon. To uncover such a secret before my demise is not a loss."

The Princess of Wu smiled alluringly. "Is Lord Sang afraid I'll silence you?"

"Wouldn't you?" Sang Hong replied coldly. "Are you truly going to risk exposing your demon identity by letting me go?"

There was one thing he left unsaid: her maids were most likely also demons. With so many demons in the palace, the Prince of Wu couldn't possibly be unaware.

This made his usual low-key demeanor highly suspicious. Colluding with the demon race clearly indicated a grander scheme.

The Princess of Wu smiled. "Indeed, I cannot let you go. However, you are an imperial criminal, and it would be problematic if something happened to you here, so I have a better solution."

As she spoke, she reached Sang Hong's room. Her slender finger touched his forehead, and her beautiful eyes instantly glowed with purple light. Sang Hong groaned, then collapsed unconscious.

"Sleep, sleep. When you wake up, you will forget everything that just happened," the Princess of Wu said, looking toward Zu An's room. "Next, it's our little darling's turn."