Morey who is speaking, directly released a water mirror, displaying the scene of the furball being torn apart by the magical beast.

The image was somewhat blurry, and many parts were not very clear, but it was still understandable what had happened.

The people around were somewhat shocked. Although the furball was just a pet, someone could be so cruel as to torture a furball like this, which was truly despicable. For a moment, their gazes towards Morey carried a hint of disdain.

But Morey was arrogant by nature, and his reputation was already not that great. This added little to his image.

Morey himself didn't care at all. It didn't matter how others saw him. Even the prince had to tolerate him, which was truly delightful.

Raphael's expression had turned extremely cold, and his azure eyes seemed to be freezing.

Naturally, he could tell that the furball shown in the water mirror was not Shao Ci.

But just the thought that Shao Ci had almost encountered such a situation, and not knowing what had happened to him now, stirred up dark emotions within him, almost breaking free from the restraints of rationality.

The image was only halfway through when the water mirror shattered directly, and the people around felt a sense of relief. They couldn't bear to continue watching.

Morey felt as if his chest had been punched, and he suddenly spewed out a mouthful of blood. He staggered back a few steps, but he was still convinced that Raphael wouldn't dare to kill him. With a smug expression, he said, "That's right, all of this is your fault. You can't even bear to watch a little bit? The situation at that time was even bloodier..."

He stopped speaking halfway when he saw the look in Raphael's eyes, as if he was looking at a dead man. His mouth opened dryly, but he didn't have the courage to say the rest of his words.

"You..." Morey's words came to a halt, and his expression froze. He felt the blood in his body uncontrollably surging in all directions.

Although Raphael had used this move last time as well, this time it seemed to be much more powerful than before, several times stronger. The blood in his body was on the verge of bursting out of his veins. Every part of his body was in pain, and his organs felt as if they were about to explode.

He gritted his teeth and released many fireballs, but these fireballs couldn't get close to Raphael at all. They were completely extinguished before they even got near his body.

Morey immediately let out a scream and struggled on the ground. Although his magical talent was strong, his physical strength was average, and he had never truly experienced any battles. At this moment, he was being tortured at will and couldn't bear it. He immediately begged for mercy.

"Please spare me... It's just... a furball, right? I'll buy another one... for you, no need to... cough, cough... go this far!"

How could an ordinary furball compare to Shao Ci?

Raphael coldly observed the scene and had his subordinates bring several fierce-looking magical beasts.

The people around were shocked and took a few steps back, frightened by the appearance of those magical beasts. They never expected Raphael to do such a thing in public.

Even Raphael's subordinates were shocked and tried to persuade him, saying, "Your Highness, there's no need to go this far." "Yes, that person is a disciple of the Archmage." "If you do this, there might be trouble."

Moreover, this was happening on a busy street. Everyone would witness this!

Even if one wanted to kill someone, it should be done in a more discreet location. Doing it here would completely expose their intentions, right?

Upon hearing the discussions, Morey immediately felt relieved. That's right, he was a disciple of the Archmage. There would be no benefit for Raphael to kill him.

"Take action," Raphael completely ignored the advice of others.

He could tolerate other things, but when it came to Shao Ci, he would never let it go.

As for what others thought, what did that have to do with him?

The guards would never defy Raphael's orders. Hearing this, even though their faces were covered in cold sweat, they immediately released their grip. The magical beasts charged directly towards Morey.

Seeing these fierce magical beasts, Morey fell into panic. He never expected Raphael to actually dare to do such things in front of everyone.

Raphael truly wanted to kill him!

Morey immediately went weak, hastily saying, "Wait, I have one more thing to say—Ah!!"

Before Morey could finish his sentence, the magical beast bit down on his arm. Morey's face turned incredibly pale, and in that moment, he didn't care about much else and spoke rapidly.

"The magical pet isn't dead! I know where it is. If you kill me, you'll never find him in your lifetime!"

Raphael, looking down at Morey with cold eyes, said, "Speak quickly."

The magical beast then released its grip, and after losing half of his arm, Morey was terrified. He immediately revealed everything he knew, and he even swore that he was not lying.

As Raphael watched the person kneeling before him begging for mercy, he suddenly found his past self laughable.

In the past, he maintained a facade with everyone, using any means necessary for that position... But now, he couldn't even protect the people around him. Was it still necessary to be like his past self?

People like Morey, he used to not bother dealing with them. They couldn't harm him, but they could harm the people he cared about.

But now, facing him directly, Morey was the one who ended up scared like this.

Upon hearing that his furball had gone to the forbidden tower, Raphael furrowed his brow.

He knew that a criminal was being held there, but even he didn't know the identity of that criminal. All he knew was that the person was very dangerous.

And because of the powerful magic surrounding the tower, it was difficult for ordinary people to enter. However, Raphael had about seventy percent confidence.

After all, the one who set up the magic formation was the Archmage. Although Raphael hadn't officially become a disciple of the Archmage, he had learned from the Archmage for several years and had studied how to deal with the Archmage's magic.

But deciphering such magic required a lot of time, and during that time, Shao Ci might be in danger inside.

The thought unsettled Raphael, and he looked coldly at Morey on the ground.

"I'll spare your life today."

Morey was immediately carried away by his subordinates, while Raphael hurriedly headed towards the forest outside the city.

　　——

The next day, Shao Ci woke up still troubled by the issue of the food in the Empire.

Eating hard bread like this won't do... He still remembered how his stomach had hurt for a long time after eating that bread yesterday.

Then Shao Ci remembered the last time he used Light Element to create a teleportation array and looked at the powerful magic barrier outside. His eyes lit up.

Then Shao Ci placed a magic array on the window and activated the outside magic. Under the effect of the magic array, the vines outside quickly grew and even extended into the room, bearing some bright red fruits.

Shao Ci's magic array could promote plant growth. As long as the magic array remained, the vines would not wither, and this way, they would have a way to obtain food.

Finally, Shao Ci could relax. Speaking of which, magic in this world is really useful. It would be great if he could continue using it in the future (.

Staring at Shao Ci's actions, Sael's eyes brightened, and he whispered, "Is this magic? Can I learn it too?"

Looking at his expectant expression, Shao Ci couldn't bear to tell Sael that he couldn't use magic. So he changed the topic and said, "By the way, do you remember the stories I told you yesterday? Can you recite them to me?"

Sael nodded, sat down next to Shao Ci, and with a very obedient look, began telling those fairy tales.

It's amazing how yesterday, it was difficult for him to speak, but today he was already fluent.

Seeing Sael's well-behaved appearance, Shao Ci couldn't imagine that he would later do such things.

The original text was from Bryce’s perspective and didn't mention much about the Empire, just some indirect mentions.

In the later part, as Sael grew older and became more powerful, the seal of the Empress became ineffective, and he escaped from the tower.

Of course, the Emperor sent many powerful knights and mages to deal with him, but without exception, all of them died and were controlled by Sael after death, attacking the capital in turn.

The capital resisted for three or four days before finally receiving rescue from two Archmages. Just when everyone thought everything could finally end, the two Archmages were defeated.

One Archmage died directly, and the other Archmage was severely injured, sacrificing decades of their lifespan to escape.

They paid such a price, but in return, Sael was severely injured.

Even though he was injured, the people in the capital couldn't resist him. After all, Sael was the reincarnation of the Dark God. He quickly broke through the city gates and mercilessly killed his father and siblings.

At that time, Sael possessed a beauty that was not like a human, extremely cruel methods, and a fickle personality.

He gathered all the people in the city. Although he could easily kill them all, he chose to spare their lives and made each person take turns telling him a story, but no one could repeat what others had said.

Those who couldn't tell a story or repeated a story would be killed directly by him.

Shao Ci thought that if he had been transported to that time, he would probably have the longest lifespan... After all, any random xianxia novel is tens or hundreds of times longer than the fairy tales in this world.

Speaking of which, the relationship between Bryce  and Sael is somewhat similar to the previous world, but in the previous world, the Immortal Sovereign was just one person from the beginning, while in this world, they have undergone reincarnation.

Only by killing one of them can the other person obtain the divinity of the Dark God.

Of course, Sael was clearly stronger, but in the end, he still lost to Bryce, who is the protagonist.

　　…………

　　……

However, Sael looks perfectly normal now, and Shao Ci wonders what he went through in these few years to become so sickly.

The more Shao Ci looks at Sael, the more he feels sorry for the child. He speaks up, "You did a good job. Is there anything you want as a reward? I'll try my best to fulfill it."

Sael looks at him cautiously and says, "I want... Shao gege to stay with me."

Shao Ci sighs, "Although I also want to stay, I still have to leave."

Sael's eyes dimmed instantly, and he then said, "I don't want anything."

Shao Ci thinks for a moment and decides to make a toy for him.

Of course, the materials here can only be used to make cloth dolls or something similar. Children should like cloth dolls, right? Even though Sael is already thirteen or fourteen... But Shao Ci feels that he is like a child, considering he hasn't had much contact with people all these years.

So Shao Ci starts searching for pieces of torn cloth and thread from various corners. He didn't expect to find these things here... There are even some old clothes, probably left behind by the servants who took care of Sael in the past.

Then Shao Ci starts sewing, and initially, he was quite confident, thinking that it's just sewing a cloth doll, and anyone can do it.

However, soon Shao Ci becomes deeply entangled and starts doubting why he even bothered to sew this thing.

But when he sees Sael's shining eyes, Shao Ci's confidence increases, feeling like he's doing something amazing.

In the end, Shao Ci manages to sew a crooked and lopsided cloth doll.

Shao Ci can't even bear to look at it and feels the urge to just throw the doll away... Giving such a thing to a child would probably cause psychological trauma.

However, Sael is very happy. After receiving the cloth doll, he happily leans over and kisses Shao Ci, then nervously looks at him, saying, "I... I got too excited just now."

"It's okay," Shao Ci reassures him. "Don't worry about these things."

After all the fuss, it's already morning outside.

Shao Ci realizes that it's already his second day here and that he must find a way to go back, or else he won't be able to complete the mission.

At that time, it only took about half an hour or so to ride the carriage, so it shouldn't be too far to walk back... If he encounters any magical beasts on the way, he should be able to protect himself.

Shao Ci made up his mind and stood up, saying to Sael, "I have to leave now, but if there's a chance in the future, I will come to see you."

Sael looked sad and held onto Shao Ci's hand. His pale purple eyes looked at Shao Ci with sadness, and he said, "Shao gege, there's something I want to tell you."

Shao Ci turned to look at him and asked, "Hmm?"

Sael leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

After being kissed by Sael, Shao Ci suddenly felt his vision darken. His body seemed to lose strength, and the next moment, he fell to the ground, only to be caught by Sael.

Looking at the unconscious Shao Ci, a somewhat shy smile appeared on Sael's face. A sickly red color appeared on his pale cheeks as he lowered his head and kissed Shao Ci's lips.

Sael couldn't use his own power, but he could absorb the power of others. Not only that, if he wanted, he could even absorb the life force of others.

Those people, who looked at him with disgust every day, always wanted him to die... Well then, let those people die first.

All the servants who had taken care of Sael quickly fell ill and died.

Even those who were afraid and tried to escape didn't live long.

And after killing those people, Sael could gain a part of their power.

So he knew a lot of things, even about magic, and he knew his own identity. Everything in front of Shao Ci was just a disguise.

But Shao gege was so good to him, he couldn't bear to kill him, and he didn't want him to leave.

If only he could stay by his side like this.

Suddenly, Sael frowned and looked up. The next moment, the door was forcefully pushed open.

And the person who appeared at the door was Raphael. After seeing the scene in front of him, his face turned ugly, and he coldly scanned the room.

Sael felt the blood in his chest surging, and he covered his chest, pressing against the ground. Breathing became difficult for him.

Meanwhile, Raphael held Shao Ci in his arms. This was the first time he had seen Shao Ci in human form since that day.

He carefully used his power to check Shao Ci's body and found that there was nothing wrong, which relieved him. He cast a cold glance at Sael and calmly said, "Some things are destined not to belong to you."

If it wasn't for the trouble it would cause to kill him, Raphael would have killed Sael long ago.

Although Sael's appearance seemed somewhat familiar to him, Raphael didn't pay much attention to it.

Sael's gaze turned cold, but he had no power and could only watch as Shao Ci was taken away.

It took him a while before he finally regained some composure and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

Seeing the extremely ugly cloth doll on the ground nearby, he held it in his arms and murmured softly, "Shao gege... I really like you."

　　——

　　離開了高塔後，拉法爾摸了摸邵辭的臉頰，看著對方那曾經被斯艾爾親吻過的地方，微微皺了皺眉。

　　他不想邵辭的身上有其他任何人留下來的痕跡。低頭就在邵辭的唇上印上一吻。

After leaving the tower, Raphael gently touched Shao Ci's cheek and looked at the spot where Sael had kissed him before, furrowing his brow slightly.

He didn't want any traces left on Shao Ci's body from anyone else. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Shao Ci's lips.

　　…………

　　……

When Shao Ci woke up, he found himself lying in bed, completely devoid of strength. It felt as if all his energy had been drained, and he couldn't even lift his hand.

His last memory was being kissed by Sael...

It was absolutely terrifying. Shao Ci suddenly realized that Sael might be a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he was in deep trouble.

Especially the wings that were pressed beneath his shoulders, they felt sore and numb. Any slight movement caused a strange sensation... Shao Ci felt like he might never be able to sleep lying down again.

Raphael was sitting nearby, his exquisite appearance resembling a work of art. His azure eyes were filled with tenderness. "You're awake," he said.

Shao Ci instinctively asked, "What about the person in the tower..."

"Don't mention those insignificant people," Raphael said. "After all, that place is forbidden. Don't talk to anyone about what happened there."

Shao Ci: "...!" Damn, how can he see others like this?

Then Raphael held his hand, as if making a promise. "I will never let anyone harm you."

Shao Ci: "...Hmm." In reality, others might still pose a threat. He just hoped that Raphael himself wouldn't turn dark in the future...

Shao Ci suddenly remembered the crucial point - he was brought back like this! How many people saw him like this along the way... It was so embarrassing.

"I will take you to see something," Raphael said.

Shao Ci didn't have a chance to say anything before he was immediately picked up by Raphael.

After pushing open the door, the servants outside all bowed. Their expressions showed no sign of surprise, indicating that they had already been shocked when Raphael returned.

Shao Ci: "...!!"

Raphael then carried Shao Ci towards the basement.

Shao Ci immediately felt uneasy. This must be another place of torture. What does Raphael want to do by bringing him here... Could it be that he wants to teach him a lesson? But no matter how Shao Ci thought about it, he couldn't figure out what he did wrong.

Shao Ci felt nervous as they entered the dungeon. Inside, he saw several people hanging, some of whom looked familiar, resembling servants.

These people were covered in injuries, and just looking at them was painful. If one looked closely, they would notice that the magic circles beneath them were slowly healing their wounds, only for the wounds to reopen.

Under such magic circles, those who initially resisted were eventually tormented to the point of unbearable suffering, wishing for death and confessing to everything.

Behind all of this was the involvement of the Crown Prince. He had already placed many people here through Raphael, and Morey had also received help from these people. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for Morey to take Shao Ci away.

Raphael was well aware of this, and he would even have these people spread false information to the Crown Prince. However, since Shao Ci was involved this time, he would never let these people off lightly.

These individuals appeared completely numb, with no light in their eyes.

Shao Ci turned his head, unable to look any longer. He suddenly felt fortunate that he had fainted earlier and hadn't experienced these forms of punishment...

"Take a look, it's these people... They betrayed me and allowed you to be taken away by Morey," Raphael gently touched Shao Ci's hair and said, "Now, these people will receive the punishment they deserve."

There were several guards standing in the dungeon, their expressions subtly changing upon seeing Shao Ci.

They initially thought that His Highness Raphael had kept this person, who was likely a heretic, for some important reason... However, they never expected that His Highness would take an interest in him...

Previously, news of Raphael beating the Holy Mage disciple Morey had spread throughout the capital. Everyone knew how kind-hearted His Highness Raphael was, yet he couldn't resist giving Morey a severe beating at the city gate, all for the sake of a magical creature.

But what Morey did was also quite cruel. People felt that what His Highness Raphael did was quite normal, especially since everyone knew how much he cherished that magical creature.

However, this news had been manipulated by Raphael. Most people thought that Raphael had simply casually beaten Morey, unaware that Morey had nearly become a beast's lunch.

Moreover, it was normal for experts to spar with each other, and there were even more shocking events to come. As a result, this matter was quickly forgotten, except for Morey, who was recuperating at home and seething with anger.

What people were more concerned about was the fact that after hastily leaving the capital, His Highness Raphael didn't return for a whole night and brought back a man the next day... and it was a man...

It should be noted that His Highness Raphael had been completely free of gossip in the past few years, known as the empire's most virtuous and outstanding figure. Countless noble young ladies wouldn't consider marrying anyone else but him.

This incident naturally quickly spread throughout the entire capital, and countless young girls' hearts were broken.

Everyone wanted to inquire about the identity of the man, but they couldn't find any information. Speculations and rumors were rampant, and all sorts of comments filled the air.

Princess Eleanor was furious and immediately wanted Raphael to come to the palace to see her, but he refused. After all, he had to accompany Shao Ci.

This could affect His Highness's reputation, but there was no sign of any action from him. Several guards sighed in their hearts.

Feeling Shao Ci's body stiffening, Raphael realized that the scene might have been a bit too much for Shao Ci... especially considering that he had used a form of punishment on him before.

Now, Raphael deeply regretted it and took Shao Ci back outside.

Once they returned to the room, Shao Ci's body started to heat up. He lay on the bed, panting heavily, feeling uncomfortable all over, especially in the location of his wings. He had an urge to rub against someone.

But the only person beside him was Raphael!

After seeing those people earlier, Shao Ci didn't dare to rub against Raphael anymore.

Raphael had already studied many books on the celestial race and recognized that Shao Ci had entered a growth period. During this stage, the body would become extremely weak, but the rate of growth would be much faster. However, the rapid growth of the wings could cause discomfort.

After going through this stage three or four times, the growth period would come to an end.

He gently stroked Shao Ci's wings, and Shao Ci's body trembled.

The cool touch of Raphael's hand was incredibly comfortable, and Shao Ci instinctively rubbed against it.

When Shao Ci realized what he had done, his face turned completely red with embarrassment. What had he just done!

Shao Ci turned his head and saw the hint of a smile in Raphael's blue eyes. Raphael lowered his head and kissed Shao Ci's wings.

"You're finally growing up."