How Did the Reborn Empress Become My Bootlicker? - Chapter 38:

Chapter 38: Whetstone. Melting the Iceberg, Confident Murong Bai

“Good news? What good news could there possibly be…” Murong Bai’s face was dark. What he wanted most now was to make that guy named Su Yuan suffer. But with Shangguan Meng protecting him, he had no way to touch him at all.

Murong Xiao raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curving with a half-smile, “Watch your attitude, brat.”

Because of his dual personality, Murong Bai held a very special position in the Murong family. Murong Bai himself had inherited the family’s SSS-rank Talent, Ghost Spirit. He was a fairly decent genius. But compared to his elder brothers and sisters, there was still a gap.

What truly earned him his current status was the other personality inside him—one who had mastered Ghost Spirit Weaponization and possessed the rare Rakshasa Body. That was the real genius the family valued. As for Murong Bai himself—in the eyes of the Murong family’s decision-makers, he was, to put it bluntly, just a vessel.

In the Murong family, strength reigned supreme.

Murong Xiao was very polite to that other personality, but when it came to Murong Bai himself, he had very little patience.

“Tch.” Murong Bai scoffed inwardly, but on the surface, he gave his third brother an apologetic smile, “That brat just got on my nerves. Please cut me some slack, brother.”

Murong Xiao glanced at him coldly, “Shangguan Ru just called me. Said Shangguan Meng has given in. From now on, you can go trouble Su Yuan—but only on your own.”

Murong Bai frowned, then quickly relaxed, a mysterious smile appearing on his face, “That Shangguan Meng… she’s using me as a whetstone for Su Yuan?”

Murong Xiao crossed his arms and looked amused. His disappointing little brother might act tough but wasn’t completely blind. He said lazily, “This is already considered good news for you. At least now you have a goal. It’s better than having nowhere to vent.”

Murong Bai sneered, “I lost to him today only because I just awakened. Give me a bit of time—without anyone else helping me, I’ll beat him until he’s kneeling and calling me daddy!”

“A nobody from some backwater… Shangguan Meng wants me to be a whetstone? She better not blame me if I grind that blade of hers to pieces.”

Murong Xiao shrugged, “You know how Shangguan Meng is. She might say you can mess with him, but breaking arms or legs is probably still off-limits. Beating him up though? Should be fine.”

Murong Bai understood all that. But this was already an unexpected surprise. He looked out the window. A wicked smile surfaced on his usually sickly face, “Isn’t Shangguan Meng one of the four Pillars of the Extermination Bureau? She usually takes on the most dangerous missions, right? It’d be great if something happened to her one day…”

Murong Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly but didn’t respond.

The Extermination Bureau—directly under the Twelve-Man Council of the Great Xia Empire—was feared even by noble families.

After a while, Murong Xiao asked about Murong Bai’s school transfer.

“By the way, Dad’s been pressing me. Have you decided which school you’re transferring to?”

Murong Bai had, of course, made up his mind.

Every time he went somewhere new, he would search local forums or school websites to see if there were any beauty rankings or campus belle charts.

While resting in bed, a name caught his attention—Xu Anyan.

An ice-cold beauty who never smiled at any boy… Tsk, tsk. That was exactly the kind of girl he liked best. The perfect candidate to cultivate contrast and emotional shifts.

Talent, aptitude, family background, wealth, experience… Compared to the local guys in this small place, Murong Bai felt like he completely crushed them.

He believed that just a bit of charm from him would be enough to melt that iceberg.

Thinking of this, he revealed a confident smile, “Lan City No.1 High School. I’m going to Lan City No.1 High School.”

…

Great Xia Education Bureau.

Inside the Director’s office.

Shangguan Ru looked playfully at Murong Xiao in front of her, “Murong Bai wants to transfer to Lan City No.1 High School?”

“Why? Not allowed?” Murong Xiao replied with a careless air.

Without Shangguan Meng present, no one could restrain him. As for Shangguan Ru—she was the only reason he’d come to Lan City with Murong Bai.

The Murong and Shangguan families had been allies for generations. Although their elders had never made it official, they were subtly encouraging Murong Xiao to pursue Shangguan Ru.

“Of course he can.” Shangguan Ru retracted her gaze, her eyes flashing with a hint of mockery.

Murong Bai transferring to Lan City No.1 High School meant he’d be attending the same school as Su Yuan. Her elder sister had already decided to treat Murong Bai as Su Yuan’s whetstone during this phase. If the other party wanted to run up and get close, all they could do was wish him luck and hope he didn’t get beaten too badly.

“Oh right,” she added, “Murong Bai must come in person for the transfer paperwork. No one else can handle the certification on his behalf.”

Murong Xiao raised an eyebrow and licked the lip ring on his lips, “He’s still lying in bed. How’s he supposed to come?”

“Well, then you’ll have to carry him over~”

A sudden voice made Murong Xiao freeze. The playful smile on his face instantly vanished.

Shangguan Meng…

Is she a ghost!?

He was a 6th stage powerhouse, yet he hadn’t sensed her arrival at all!?

Shangguan Meng skipped cheerfully to stand beside Shangguan Ru, holding two skewers of grilled sausages. She handed one over, “Here, try this. That granny at the corner down the street makes amazing ones. I’ve had them several times already.”

Shangguan Ru: …

Her sister was a complete foodie.

Though to be fair, those sausages were indeed delicious. She also often bought them from that granny.

…

Right now, Shangguan Meng looked just like a sweet and innocent little glutton.

Who would’ve thought that she was one of the four Pillars of the Great Xia Empire’s Extermination Bureau, with countless strong enemies’ blood on her hands?

At the very least, Murong Xiao admitted to himself—if he hadn’t known who she was, he definitely wouldn’t have recognized this legendary Nether Witch…

“Hmm?” Shangguan Meng tilted her head and looked at Murong Xiao, blinking, “Are you staring at me?”

Murong Xiao quickly looked away, “No.”

“Hmph…” Shangguan Meng turned back.

Murong Xiao had just begun to feel relieved.

The next second, an immense force slammed into him, sending him flying straight through the office’s floor-to-ceiling window and out of sight.

The broken glass was wrapped in Source Energy, neatly landing in the trash bin without scattering.

Shangguan Meng glanced casually at it, “That window wasn’t expensive, right?”

Shangguan Ru replied, “Not expensive.”

Shangguan Meng nodded, “Good. I don’t know why, but whenever I see people from the Murong family, I just want to hit them. Maybe their faces are just asking for it.”

Shangguan Ru burst out laughing, her beautiful eyes also showing a trace of envy. She truly admired her sister’s free and unrestrained lifestyle.

At that moment—

“Hey, don’t you like grilled sausages?” Shangguan Meng was left holding only an empty stick. Tilting her head, she stared at the untouched sausage in Shangguan Ru’s hand.

“I—” Shangguan Ru had just started to say she hadn’t had a chance to eat it yet.

“Swish!” The sausage was already back in Shangguan Meng’s hand. Her eyes crinkled in a bright smile, “Then I’ll help you finish it!”

Shangguan Ru: …

Then why give it to me in the first place?

…

By evening.

Shangguan Ru received a call.

The weapon custom-made for Xu Anyan had arrived.

“Give it to me.” Shangguan Meng, bored in the office while flipping through last month’s manga, jumped up and volunteered. “Xu Anyan and little Su Yuan live together, right? I’ll go check on his hand too.”

Shangguan Ru had no objections.

Except—

“Sis, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why do you call Xu Anyan by name but call Su Yuan ‘little Su Yuan’?”

Shangguan Meng thought about it, then replied seriously, “Because he beat up someone from the Murong family. That makes him my ally, so of course I have to sound closer to him!”

Shangguan Ru said, “Good reason.”

“Now I have a question too.”

“What is it? You don’t know their address?”

Shangguan Ru was ready to send the Xu family address to Shangguan Meng.

“Nope.” Shangguan Meng shook her head, grinning brightly, “My question is—why does it matter to you what I call him?”

Shangguan Ru, danger.