96: Chapter 88: The Pig Butchering Scam in the S-Rank Dungeon

Beneath the Deer Terrace, colossal bronze gears churned like tireless steel behemoths, each engagement emitting a grating, muffled thunder.

As the boundary marker was mercilessly crushed, this mobile fortress plunged headlong into the blood-red sea mist.

The surrounding daylight was instantly sucked away, leaving only a dense, impenetrable darkness that tightly enveloped the speeding behemoth.

"Creaaak—"

In the rear hall of the Star-Plucking Tower, two obsidian gates, ten meters high, slowly slid open under mechanical traction.

The darkness was violently torn apart.

Thousands of ever-burning lamps, rendered from mermaid fat, lit up in neat rows, their flames flickering and emitting a sickly sweet, nauseatingly cold fragrance. Under the light, a magnificent hall paved with vermilion gold and built with white jade was starkly revealed before the three, exuding a primitive wildness that was suffocating.

"This is the Investiture of the Gods Banquet?" Lin Sa raised an eyebrow, habitually rubbing the hilt of the dagger at her waist, though her steps didn't falter. "The interior design style is certainly ostentatious."

Pei Duo stepped onto the thick crimson fox fur carpet, flanked by hundreds of heavily armored Black Guards.

As she approached, these elite soldiers, usually ruthless killers, knelt in unison like a harvested wave of wheat.

The clang of armor echoed in the vast hall, maximizing the metallic texture.

"We welcome the Eldest Princess—!"

The shout was like thunder, shaking the dust from the hall's ceiling.

Pei Duo's expression was blank, her gaze as calm as if she were strolling through her own backyard.

She walked straight across the hundred-meter white jade corridor, leading Xu Mo and Lin Sa up the nine-tiered jade steps, and settled herself onto the bronze main seat carved with ferocious Taotie patterns.

In the hall, the dull sound of bells and drums abruptly turned rapid and cheerful.

Hundreds upon hundreds of scantily clad merman female slaves flooded in like a tide, carrying luminous goblets larger than human heads. The platters held grotesque, unknown exotic beasts, instantly filling the entire hall with the decadent atmosphere of a 'pool of wine and forest of meat.'

"This kind of setup, even the First Emperor's procession wouldn't get this treatment," Xu Mo stood behind and to the side of Pei Duo, pushing up his wire-rimmed glasses.

Just then, the empty space before the hall twisted, and a dark red figure materialized out of thin air.

Daji had changed into a dark red, gold-threaded nine-tailed sacrificial gown, its ten-meter-long hem dragging a gorgeous trail of blood across the red carpet.

With every step she took, the golden bells on her ankles jingled, and the soul-stealing demonic aura practically overflowed the screen.

Behind her knelt the dense assembly of Shang Dynasty nobles. These NPCs, supposedly untouchable within the instance's settings, now had their foreheads pressed against the floor, wishing they could bury themselves into the floor tiles.

"This humble one, leading the officials of Great Shang, pays respects to Your Highness,"

The fake Daji bowed, her skirt spreading out like a blooming red spider lily.

After the salute, she rose, personally taking a jade pitcher from a waiting maid. With a flick of her fingertips, she poured a cup full of wine glowing with a faint green luster. Then, with delicate steps, she glided up the steps on her knees, holding the luminous goblet, and presented it before Pei Duo.

"This wine is called 'Ten Thousand Spirits Lure.' It was brewed by this humble one using rare treasures gathered from the four seas; every drop took a hundred years to mature. Today, Your Highness graces us with your presence, so I specially brought this out for you to honor us with a taste."

An extremely cold scent, reminiscent of deep-sea rotten flesh but forcibly masked with high-end perfume, instantly pierced Pei Duo's nostrils.

Pei Duo narrowed her eyes slightly but did not reach out to take it.

As the sister 'richly nurtured' by the Underworld Son of Heaven, she instinctively resisted anything that looked like nuclear wastewater.

The scene became extremely awkward for a moment.

The nobles below didn't dare to breathe, fearing that if the Eldest Princess was displeased, she might simply eliminate them all.

Daji's hand holding the cup stiffened slightly, a flicker of imperceptible anxiety crossing her eyes, but her smile remained fixed: "Your Highness?"

"The wine is fine wine," Pei Duo rested one hand on her chin, her tone languid, carrying an air of casual arrogance. "However, this Princess is a bit weary today and it is not suitable to drink."

Her gaze shifted, landing on Lin Sa beside her, who was staring at the wine cup with shining eyes.

"Lin Sa, isn't this exactly what you like? It's yours."

Upon hearing this, Lin Sa's eyes instantly lit up. Without being polite, she reached out and took the luminous goblet: "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness! Hey, this color looks potent; the alcohol content must be high!"

After speaking, she brought it to her nose and inhaled rapturously, but she didn't drink immediately. Instead, she carefully tucked it into her personal spatial storage like a treasure: "Good stuff like this should be saved to pair with a late-night snack."

Daji's mouth twitched slightly.

Damn it, why isn't this girl playing by the script?

But after all, she was a thousand-year-old fox, and her control over her expression was flawless.

"Her Highness's consideration for her subordinates is a great virtue," Daji quickly recovered, moving smoothly past the awkwardness. She clapped her hands abruptly and shouted, "Since Your Highness doesn't wish to drink, let's change the entertainment! Bring out the main courses! Change the formation!"

As long as she could stall these people and prevent them from discovering that the Deer Terrace had deviated from its course, whether they drank or not was unimportant.

A vast expanse of brilliant purple mist instantly filled the hall. Hundreds of dancers utilized top-tier maya illusions to project a sky-obscuring 3D holographic image in mid-air.

In the projection, a terrifying phantom stepped on a black dragon and wielded a rule-enforcing longsword, emerging from the void. With one swing, the ten-thousand-foot-tall main temple of the Aztec instantly shattered into dust.

It was the recorded footage of Pei Fei's 'execution scene' during the God War.

Even though it was just an illusion, the supreme pressure belonging exclusively to the Underworld Son of Heaven instantly swept across the entire scene, producing an effect of dimensional reduction.

"The Underworld Son of Heaven is above!"

Those noble NPCs were so terrified they nearly lost control of their bodily functions, each one shaking as if suffering from Parkinson's.

Lin Sa stood to the side, watching this visually impactful 'blockbuster.' The dagger she had been gripping under her cuff was silently retracted.

"Still gotta rely on big brother," Pei Duo looked at the arrogant figure in the screen. The slight unease in her heart instantly vanished. "With this great Buddha guarding us, any ghost or monster in this instance that isn't brain-dead won't dare to cause trouble."

With this kind of nuclear deterrence, no one truly dared to act presumptuously.

But in that moment of relaxation, Lin Sa frowned.

The white marble floor beneath her feet transmitted an abnormally warm vibration. It didn't sound like the friction of mechanical wheels, but rather... the breathing of some slumbering giant beast.

Just as she was about to give a warning, Daji began her second performance.

This time, she didn't offer wine again. Instead, she directed attendants to bring forth a stream of bizarre delicacies and rare mountain foods. She even took the stage herself, performing an extremely intricate 'Heavenly Demon Dance' full of ritual.

"Continue the music! Continue the dance! Entertain the Eldest Princess!"

Daji's voice was sharp and fervent. With every step she took, it seemed to land precisely on a node of some bizarre formation.

The hall was filled with extravagance and revelry, clinking glasses and mingling, resembling an endless carnival.

Pei Duo leaned back on a white tiger-skin couch, watching this S-rank Demon King exert herself to please her, feeling utterly content.

Is this the joy of 'showing off one's brother'? It's absolutely superb!

However, no one noticed.

Under the cover of such noisy background music, and guided by Daji's dazzling dance steps, the formation of the entire Deer Terrace was quietly reversing.

On Pei Duo's chest, the black jade pendant that was originally hidden in her collar was beginning to dim in luster.