My Beautiful Duchess Wife

When he mentioned that he was a weapon refiner, the middle-aged demon's eyes suddenly lit up. He actually struck up a conversation with Lin Peng right away.

As they talked, he even invited Lin Peng to get into his carriage. He explained that he was also a weapon refiner and was heading to the capital, not to participate in the competition, but rather to join in the fun.

Watching Lin Peng and the others already seated in their carriages and driving off, they all looked annoyed. After delivering Xiao Long to the chariots piled high with treasure, the two of them had no choice but to walk. Lei, on the other hand, continued driving his carriage.

When Lin Peng entered the carriage, he discovered that there was a woman inside. She looked very young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen at most.

However, her figure was exceptionally well-developed. Her curves were perfectly defined, with the right areas rounded out. Her face, which still seemed somewhat childlike, showed great interest as she looked at Lin Peng.

Lin Peng spent a full month forging iron in the abyss. He had a very clear understanding of when the fire was at its peak and when to use it properly.

His magical longswords, while not truly reaching the level of a top-tier grandmaster, were still at the level of a typical grandmaster. Conversations with this weapon refiner revealed their expertise in a great deal.

In just half an hour, Lin Peng actually received a good lesson.

At least, many things that were difficult for me to understand, I immediately understood after this demon spoke them.

The middle-aged demon was also somewhat surprised. Judging from Lin Peng's appearance, he was definitely around twenty years old. However, his insights into weapon forging were exceptionally unique.

Especially in the technique of layering flames forging, he was completely captivated by it. There were many things he didn't even know himself.

The woman, however, stared at Lin Peng with shining eyes. It seemed her interest in him had suddenly surged.

The weapon refiner nodded slightly and stroked his beard: "Not bad, young man. Aside from some issues with the enchantments, there's the magic array. However, we weapon refiners don't need any particularly sophisticated magic arrays. That's the business of magic array masters. But you should still know a little about the standard weapon magic arrays! Hehe... I happen to have a book on standard magic arrays here; take a look."

Lin Peng was taken aback, then overjoyed. A magic circle! Could it be a powerful magic circle like Angelina's? If such a powerful magic circle were engraved on this weapon, it would undoubtedly be like a true divine artifact.

However, hope is good. But when he saw the magic circle book, he was still rather disappointed. He flipped through it quickly, and he already knew some of the things he had learned in the abyss.

Seeing these more detailed annotations immediately made it clear. It's evident that the author of this book put a lot of effort into it. It seems like it should be a handwritten version.

Because, in many places, there were quite a few annotations. With just a little understanding, one could immediately grasp the whole meaning. In just one hour, Lin Peng had actually finished reading the book.

With a smile and a show of respect, he returned the book to the weapon refiner and said earnestly, "Master, I never imagined you were such a senior grandmaster. Please forgive my rudeness earlier!"

Lin Peng was very polite, and his casual and gentle demeanor immediately won the favor of the weapon refiner: "I believe your master is also a master. You only looked at it for such a short time, yet you finished it so quickly. You must have focused on the parts you didn't understand!"

Lin Peng smiled faintly, without giving a further answer.

After all, there are some things that are beyond his control to answer.

Chapter Ten: Puppet

While learning from this top-tier master craftsman, they headed towards the capital. Surprisingly, they arrived in the capital very quickly!

The capital of the Dark Empire is divided into an inner city and an outer city. As the name suggests, the inner city is where high-ranking officials and nobles reside. The imperial palace is also located within this city.

The outer city was where ordinary demons and some wealthy merchants lived. After stopping in the outer city, the weapon refiner took out something that looked like a medal and handed it to Lin Peng. If he needed any help, he could take this token to the Dark Sage Guild for assistance.

Of course, this medal-like plaque carries a lot of weight.

On a small plaque is engraved the name "Zongzi"! A demon who holds a powerful position even among absolute grandmasters.

Even the outer city of the capital is ridiculously large.

Even Fire City seemed rather small compared to the imperial capital. It was at least twice the size of Fire City. After finding a random inn, everyone decided to rest. Of course, Eileen had already headed towards the palace.

Of course, Little Dragon still preferred to sleep on that fiery chariot. It held all the treasure he had collected over the past month. A dragon, of course, could only truly sleep peacefully atop its own treasure.

However, this did cause some trouble.

At the spot where the carriages had stopped, another, more luxurious carriage also came to a halt. It was nearing the time when the crimson moon would disappear. Therefore, the entire Demon Realm, under the current crimson moon, had a feeling of twilight.

A beautiful young woman slowly stepped down from the very luxurious carriage. She paused, then frowned and approached the child as she saw a child slowly climbing onto the carriage.

Upon seeing the child's rosy cheeks, the woman's innate maternal instincts surged. She instinctively wanted to protect the child. However, who was this child? It was a real dragon in disguise.

With a swift movement, he leaped onto the carriage, his eyes warily fixed on the woman whose ears resembled those of a cat. Moreover, a tail clung to the back of her opulent robe.

However, its tail was always curled up, so most people couldn't see it. But what level was the little dragon Yulinier? He was a Demon Emperor-level expert, a true master!

In the Demon Realm, even a Demon Emperor is a formidable fighting force.

The woman seemed to sense something was amiss, and frowned, asking with a strange look, "Why are you on the carriage? Come on, I have some good food here. Hehe, come to my side!"

Xiao Long rolled his eyes, seemingly disdainful: "Food? Humph, of course I'm going to sleep in the carriage, what's it to you!"

As he spoke, he actually climbed into the carriage.

Immediately, the woman's face darkened. Of course, she wasn't angry at Xiaolong, but rather at the child's family. She immediately ordered her servants to search for the carriage's owner.

With the help of his servants, they quickly found Lin Peng.

Lin Peng and Roland were startled by the servant's tone, thinking that Little Dragon had started a robbery. Lei, on the other hand, simply hid in his room and refused to come out, refusing to come out, as if it had nothing to do with him.

In the end, Lin Peng had to step in to resolve the issue.

When Lin Peng arrived at the parking space, he was dumbfounded. A woman who looked extremely alluring was sitting in an extremely soft chair, looking at him coldly.

This chair is definitely made from the hide of some magical beast through special crafting. Just looking at the leather, it's clear that it's not something an ordinary person can afford to sit on.

She pursed her lips slightly, then smiled and said, "Miss, is there anything urgent?" Since they were looking for her, surely they wouldn't have been robbed by Xiaolong, right?

Generally speaking, Xiao Long wouldn't mention my name when he robs people! It seems like it has nothing to do with me. How come... he's sitting right next to my carriage?

Look at those servants; almost all of them are at the level of great demons. Especially that somewhat hunchbacked old man, with his calm and steady eyes, it seems there's nothing he's afraid of.

Moreover, the old man immediately overwhelmed him in terms of presence. However, the old man seemed completely unresponsive. Instead, he didn't seem like a bodyguard at all, but rather like a bystander.

The woman seemed very angry, pointing at the carriage: "I ask you, how exactly do you take care of the child? Look, it's almost dark, and you're letting him sleep in the carriage! What if he catches a cold? Or are you saying this child was a lie!"

Forehead?

Lin Peng froze, completely stunned! He'd been feeling a bit uneasy all along, but he hadn't expected this. "Boss, aren't you being a little too maternal?"

Lin Peng's lips twitched slightly. He took a deep breath and smiled helplessly, "Oh, so that's what it is. Hehe, you can go ask Xiao Long. Actually, he just likes sleeping in this carriage. If you drag him out, he might even fight you to the death!"

That smile, in Lin Peng's memory, should have been very kind. But in the woman's eyes, it was like a demon.

He gave a heavy snort, devoid of any emotion: "You mean, the child asked to sleep in the carriage? Hmph... Do you think I'd believe that?"

Lin Peng looked embarrassed. If it were me, I wouldn't believe it either! The problem is, this kid isn't a real kid, but a giant dragon that's like a miser.

My dear young lady, if you saw a dragon sleeping on a bed of treasure, would you find it strange? Speechless, Lin Peng felt a mix of helplessness and grievance. The little dragon's identity absolutely could not be revealed in this capital. Otherwise, those Demon Emperor-level experts might just slay the dragon...

Suddenly, Lin Peng couldn't bear to imagine what would happen next. He sighed, "You don't need to worry about how I manage the kid. Anyway, he's up there. If you're so capable, try pulling him down!"

With that, he turned and walked away, as if to say, "I can't be bothered with you." The woman's face immediately turned ashen.

Within the family, who would dare speak to him like that? Unless, of course, they were demons who were tired of living. Instantly, a chilling killing intent swept over him.

The servants were all demons dressed in short black robes. However, they were demonized demons, as they didn't seem to have anything particularly special about them.

However, as these dozen or so great demon kings unleashed their auras and surrounded Lin Peng, they instantly drew their long swords from their waists.

A sudden whirlwind swept through the parking area. The flowers and plants swayed precariously. Lin Peng frowned, somewhat annoyed.

He glanced at the old man, who still had his hands in his sleeves and seemed indifferent to everything else, and a smirk appeared on his lips: "Are you going to stop me and teach me a lesson? Or are you saying you've taken a fancy to me! Hmm?"

The teasing words made the woman blush even more. Her face, which originally had a healthy bronze hue, was now flushed; such a complexion was truly rare for a woman.

However, at this moment, it was truly a deep red. His high, round chest heaved up and down, as if some flame might suddenly erupt and engulf Lin Peng.

At this moment, Lin Peng behaved in an extremely lewd manner, even glancing at the woman's chest a few times. He looked like a lecherous demon.

Even so, the old man remained unchanged. He showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever, almost like a true puppet.

However, what Lin Peng truly witnessed was that this old man was indeed like a puppet, being commanded by this woman! Pointing at Lin Peng, she shouted in a trembling voice, "Number One, go! Beat him down!"

Number one?

Lin Peng shook his head, somewhat confused. However, when the old man mechanically moved for a moment, an aura that was definitely at the Demon Emperor level emanated from him.

Then, in a mechanical voice, he replied, "Yes, Miss!"

At this moment, Lin Peng finally understood. It really was a puppet. A puppet? This... is inexplicable! How could such a thing exist?

A puppet of the Demon Emperor level—was it created by alchemy or by other weapon refiners and magic array masters working together? If something like this could really be mass-produced...

Unthinkable!

A Demon Emperor-level puppet! Judging by its aura, it's definitely around the mid-level Demon Emperor level. If they could be mass-produced, wouldn't that mean puppets would dominate the world?

Moreover, those puppeteers are no longer capable of truly conquering this demon realm.

You should know that if hundreds of Demon Emperors all unleash their most powerful attacks at the same speed in one place, such a puppet could definitely accomplish that.

It wouldn't be much of a difference in time, and such power would probably frighten even a peak-level Demon Emperor. Should I run away immediately?

After just a fleeting thought, Lin Peng immediately ran towards the carriage. "Little Dragon must have sensed it already!" Lin Peng thought uncertainly.

Chapter Eleven: Poisoning Outbreak

To Lin Peng's dismay, even though the outside atmosphere had already created a surging current, the little dragon inside remained fast asleep, seemingly unresponsive and dead.

His eyes began to twitch violently, and an unprecedented sense of crisis arose. Xiao Long had definitely been drugged; perhaps even by a master-level pharmacist.

Outside, the woman's voice, filled with extreme anger, rang out: "You bastard, get out here right now. Otherwise, I'll stay here and wait!"

Clearly, the woman still thought Lin Peng was going to use the child as a tool for coercion. Therefore, she actually let the puppet stand outside the carriage, not daring to go any further.

Lin Peng immediately began to examine Xiao Long's eyes closely. Upon seeing them, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.

At this moment, even Xiaolong's blue eyes seemed to be shrouded in a dark aura. Moreover, that dark aura even tried to coil up and attack Lin Peng.

A tiny flame flickered out, and the black mist, seemingly terrified, immediately dissipated, retreating back into the little dragon's body.

Lin Peng frowned deeply, momentarily unsure whether it was poison or some other curse. However, Xiao Long's complexion remained perfectly fair.

The woman, who had been waiting outside for a long time, also seemed to have become suspicious. She had the puppet open the carriage door and saw Lin Peng looking at the child with a serious expression.

The woman became even angrier. In her mind, Lin Peng was definitely threatening the poor child again. Just as she was about to step forward, she suddenly froze. Then, seemingly very wary, she frowned, her anger reaching its peak: "You actually dared to harm this child!"

"What poison? If you were going to poison someone, why didn't you do it before they even realized what was happening? I also want to know, is this poison or a curse?"

Lin Peng's voice was cold; he simply couldn't be bothered to say anything more to this woman. After all, he still had some feelings for Xiao Long.

When that Demon Emperor-level being appeared, he was the one who volunteered to take on the responsibility. Although there was some dragon pride involved, at least he had helped him. He was just that kind of person who clearly distinguished between love and hate. Even Abel at that time was only deceived by Jerry.

The woman was taken aback, then frowned and climbed onto the somewhat iron-blooded chariot. However, the chariot was quite cramped. If Xiaolong hadn't turned into a child, his body alone wouldn't have been able to fit inside.