Chapter 63: The Peerless Beauty Revealed as a Demon

King Zhou’s expression darkened as he pondered for a moment, then turned to Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, who looked puzzled, and asked, “Grand Tutor Wen, do you have a general named Su Hu under your command?”

Wen Zhong nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty, there is such a man under my command. Why do you ask? Has Su Hu committed some offense?”

“Ah, he has committed no crime, only... There is a matter concerning him. Never mind—for now. I will speak to you about it in detail another time. Grand Tutor Wen, go and fetch Su Hu for me at once. The sooner, the better.”

Seeing King Zhou’s urgency, Wen Zhong, despite his many questions, understood the gravity of the situation. “Rest assured, Your Majesty, I shall make the arrangements immediately.”

“Good. Go quickly—I am waiting to see him.”

Su Hu? Su Daji?

The teacher had warned him: it was his infatuation with Su Daji’s beauty, yet that very Su Daji had been possessed by a thousand-year-old fox spirit.

How terrifying must a fox spirit be after a thousand years of cultivation?

How could I, the king, have fallen for such a creature? To be so bewitched, to lose myself so utterly, to neglect state affairs, and ultimately bring about the ruin of my kingdom.

How detestable! Not just ordinarily detestable, but truly hateful.

I am rather curious to see Su Hu’s daughter, Su Daji, to see just how stunning, how peerless, how breathtaking she truly is.

How could such a fox spirit ensnare me so completely?

As he waited, King Zhou could not help but smirk coldly to himself.

...

Su Hu was suddenly summoned with great urgency, told the king wished to see him at once.

Fresh from the training grounds, sweating and not yet changed from his martial attire, Su Hu barely had time to splash water on his face before hurrying to the palace.

Along the way, Su Hu heard of a great upheaval at court—a matter that had shaken the entire capital. Senior officials Fei Zhong, You Hun, Bo An, Ji Sui, and others had all been thrown into prison, awaiting execution after the autumn.

This event had sparked panic among the officials. The sudden turmoil left everyone anxious for their own safety.

Now, with the king summoning him so urgently, Su Hu could not help but wonder if he had committed some grave error.

He had wanted to consult his superior Wen Zhong, but the matter was so sudden that even a cup of tea was a luxury.

Thus, Su Hu hurried into the palace.

“Your servant Su Hu greets Your Majesty. Long live the king!”

Su Hu knelt on one knee—a warrior’s salute, markedly different from the scholars’ ceremonial bows.

He waited, but King Zhou did not immediately bid him rise, simply watching him in silence.

He appeared to be in his early forties, with a dark complexion and a tall, imposing build—undoubtedly an outstanding general.

Su Hu remained kneeling, not daring to rise without royal permission. Was this some kind of test? Had he truly done something wrong?

His mind raced as he reviewed his actions, searching for any misstep.

“Su Hu, is it? You may rise.”

After a long silence, nearly a quarter of an hour, King Zhou finally spoke.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Su Hu stood tall and straight, his gaze unwavering and sharp—a true soldier’s bearing.

Excellent.

King Zhou was pleased with Su Hu’s upright and imposing presence. Yet, thinking of how Su Hu would later rebel, he felt as if he had swallowed a fly—disgusted and nauseated.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. At last, King Zhou could not restrain himself and thundered, “Su Hu, do you know your crime?”

“Your Majesty... I... Your servant knows of no crime!” Su Hu trembled.

What crime could he have committed?

He thought carefully; as far as he knew, he had done nothing wrong. If any of his soldiers had erred, that was possible, but unlikely, for he maintained strict discipline in his ranks—far stricter than most generals.

Having thus reassured himself, Su Hu felt a little calmer, his expression barely shifting before settling back into composure.

A man fit for high command.

King Zhou was secretly pleased, but the matter of Su Daji soon dampened his spirits. “Su Hu, I have a question for you. You must answer honestly. If you dare conceal anything from me, I will have your head.”

Su Hu quickly clasped his hands in salute. “Your Majesty, ask whatever you wish. I am an honest man and will answer plainly.”

“Good! I appreciate speaking with forthright men like you. But... this question may seem a bit abrupt. Do you have a daughter named Su Daji?”

Su Hu’s heart skipped a beat. How did the king know about his daughter?

Thinking of his beloved child, Su Hu’s heart grew heavy.

When his daughter was born, strange omens appeared in the sky, even causing widespread fear among the people.

He had kept this secret for years.

Later, a wandering Taoist divined her fate.

The divination said: “The child is fated for entanglements in love, born beautiful as a flower, peerless among women, yet doomed to solitude and hardship—a harbinger of misfortune.”

Those words pierced Su Hu’s heart like a thousand arrows, casting a shadow over him ever since.

Because of that prophecy, he had kept his daughter sheltered like a captive creature, never allowing her to leave the house. Her only world was the small family courtyard.

Ah!

Thinking of his daughter brought only tears of bitterness.

“Ahem... Su Hu, I’m asking you a question—why are you lost in thought? Answer me at once,” King Zhou demanded, his brows furrowing in displeasure.

Su Hu hurriedly replied, “Your Majesty, I do indeed have a daughter named Su Daji. She is still very young and has never stepped beyond our gates. May I be so bold as to ask how Your Majesty came to know of her?”

He had always kept his daughter hidden, even the servants closest to her carefully chosen—so how could...

A daughter at home, unmatched in beauty, fated to bring calamity.

The saying goes: “A beauty too perfect becomes a curse.”

Each time he recalled those words, Su Hu’s heart ached as if cut by knives.

Why should his daughter be condemned to such a life from childhood? What fault was it of hers to be born so beautiful?

Why must fate be so cruel to her?

Su Hu’s pain was plain to see, and King Zhou took it all in.

Hmph!

The teacher was right—this Su Daji, it seemed, had indeed been possessed by the thousand-year fox spirit.

Since that was the case, it would do no harm to see the girl—see just how alluring, how peerlessly beautiful she truly was.

But only to look, nothing more.

The teacher had given instructions: send the girl to his estate, let him deal with the fox spirit who would bring disaster to Shang.

Whether she lived or died would be for the teacher to decide.

Having made up his mind, King Zhou spoke at once: “Su Hu, I have a rather forward request. Never mind how I learned of your daughter. I wish to see Su Daji immediately—make the arrangements.”

“Your Majesty, please—no!” Su Hu cried, stricken with terror as a chill swept up from his feet.

All these years, he had feared this very day. No matter how he tried to hide her, to protect her, in the end, nothing could keep fate at bay.