Chapter 9: A New Facade

Master Mian once said: deceiving ten people is lying, deceiving a hundred people is being a fraud, deceiving millions is being a charlatan, and deceiving countless people is being a god!

As for whether it's the birth of a charlatan or a god, for now, it seems that Li Xie doesn't even qualify as a charlatan, at best he's just a scavenger who's a little better than a beggar.

Of course, appearances can slowly change, but his use of the word "charlatan" has angered the three present!

Even the Emperor, even the Left Minister, even the Marquis! The faith of the Tudor dynasty and even the entire continent of Gods is not a tool for the ignorant to exploit! Their faith is devout and pure! Because many things require the radiance of gods, they must be devout, even fanatical believers!

To speak of charlatans in front of believers is simply inviting trouble!

Feeling the anger in the eyes of Emperor Mercedes and the others, Li Xie realized this and quickly laughed it off, saying, "By the grace of the Earth God! I mean, I am the representative of the gods in this world! Yes, a god-descended master! Your Majesty, your humble servant Li Xie will certainly achieve the status of a god-descended master and serve the Tudor dynasty, no, the Tudor Empire, and Your Majesty faithfully!"

"By the grace of the Earth God!"

Finally, Emperor Mercedes dispelled the anger in his eyes and smiled. He took out a gold medal from his waist, one side engraved with a cross-shaped emblem, the emblem of the Tudor dynasty; the other side had the words "Seventh" belonging to Emperor Mercedes VII. Handing the gold medal to Li Xie, Emperor Mercedes said, "Seeing this gold medal is like seeing me. This gold medal is bestowed upon you! Kevin, take Li out and clean him up. We have a banquet to attend later."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Li Xie accepted the gold medal, his face beaming with joy. Is this the legendary "get out of jail free" card? Even if it's not, he's now a big shot by the Emperor's side. It's time to make waves and blossom in glory!

Escorted out of the secret chamber by Marquis Rein, Li Xie was then led by a court etiquette official to the bathhouse, brimming with excitement about changing his appearance!

Meanwhile, back in the secret chamber, Emperor Mercedes VII looked at the two men and spoke solemnly, "What do you both think of this man?"

Having spent the most time with Li Xie, Marquis Rein replied first, "This man is a bit clever, but seems lacking in ambition and easily contented. He's timid and suspicious, but not malicious. Based on his speech, he seems to be someone who repays kindness and is easy to control with favors."

The Left Minister, Harry Winter, shook his head beside him. "Kevin, although you have many loyal subordinates, there are not many who can share your burdens. Do you know why? Your desire for control is too strong! You've overlooked the potential of your subordinates!"

"Yes!" Marquis Rein didn't show any dissatisfaction with the Left Minister's reprimand. Instead, he respectfully agreed.

Nodding, the Left Minister continued, "An individual destined to become a god-descended master is not something a dynasty or even an empire can control! What we want is for Li Xie to serve us willingly and sincerely! It's time to give him an identity, a legitimate and inconspicuous one! The welcoming ceremony just now, even if you two put on a show, is bound to arouse some speculation."

After speaking, the Left Minister gave Marquis Rein a stern look, leaving Marquis Rein feeling frustrated: damn it, Kano!

"Right, what the Left Minister said makes sense. It's time to give him a legitimate identity to live in the capital and serve the dynasty wholeheartedly!" Emperor Mercedes VII's eyes gleamed. "I don't just want his service, I want his heart!"

In the palace bathhouse, Li Xie still had no idea that there was someone who loved him so deeply, wanting not only his service but also his heart!

"Oh my, it turns out I can enjoy the life of an emperor one day, at least in the emperor's bathhouse!"

This was a fully enclosed bathhouse, with walls adorned with murals and reliefs; crystal oil lamps hung from the dome, illuminating the space. In the center was a bath, three meters wide, five meters long, and approximately one and a half meters deep, with a shallow water area. On one side of the bath stood three half-meter-high stone lions, from whose mouths water gushed into the pool; on the other side were three open-mouthed carp, letting water flow out to keep the pool perpetually fresh.

Li Xie sat in the shallow water area of the bath, scrubbing himself with the gold medal bestowed upon him by Emperor Mercedes VII. He estimated that he had never imagined such a thing in his life, especially considering the supreme power this piece of gold held in Tudor!

Happiness came so suddenly that it made one's bladder swell.

"Ah..." Li Xie shivered with pleasure, a flower blossoming on his face. "As the red person by the Emperor's side, hehe, I'm going to be a great charlatan and deceive the world. Ha-ha! Hey, you, come in here, please."

A palace maid entered the bathhouse, her nose twitching slightly, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes as she bowed expressionlessly. "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

The reason the palace maid addressed Li Xie as "Your Highness" was not because his identity as a "legendary summoner" was public knowledge, but because when he was escorted to the bathhouse by the etiquette official, he was carrying Emperor Mercedes VII's gold medal!

With this gold medal, Li Xie was supposed to enjoy imperial-style service, with at least eight palace maids and four eunuchs waiting by the bath. However, Li Xie had dismissed them all.

The reason behind it was said to be that Emperor Mercedes VII was afraid of assassination attempts, and bathing was when he was most vulnerable. Therefore, those who could serve by the bathhouse had to be carefully selected. Palace maids were required to wear thin veils, making their entire bodies visible to the naked eye, while eunuchs were only allowed to cover their groins, and even then, in a thong-shaped garment! There was no need to explain why the eunuchs were sent away; after all, a dangling thong in front of Li Xie was something he couldn't tolerate.

As for sending the palace maids away, it seemed unreasonable. After all, each palace maid was carefully chosen for their exceptional physique and appearance, especially in their revealing attire, which set the heart racing! As a man, could one bear to send them away?

However, despite being twenty-two years old, Li Xie had only ever masturbated, played video games, and never been to the battlefield. He had no idea what it felt like to enter or leave a woman, still a virgin in every sense of the word! Even though he had a loose tongue due to his long-term experience of living off scraps, he was temporarily unable to accept the embarrassment of being served by several naked beauties and thus expelled them all.

Now, with the palace maids summoned again, Li Xie's excitement had subsided. He had intended to admire them again, to stimulate himself, but seeing the slight disdain in the palace maid's expression, Li Xie lacked any interest in her!

He thought to himself: Ignorant fools! Don't forget that you're serving me!

This inexplicable anger made Li Xie, who had previously been polite to the palace maids and eunuchs, become indifferent. He said coldly, "Go, find me a barber, quickly, or you'll suffer for it!"

As he spoke, Li Xie didn't forget to flash his gold medal a few times, typical of someone using his position to intimidate others.

The palace maid responded hastily and left. In just a moment, a palace barber was summoned. Perhaps due to the disdainful look in the palace maid's eyes, Li Xie realized that these lowly servants actually looked down on him. He didn't bother being polite to the newcomer, commanding him with a tone of authority, "Shave my head bald, and if you cut me, your head will follow suit!"

The reason for shaving his head was also that Li Xie had no choice. His hair had not been washed for a long time, and it was difficult to shave due to the cold. Now it had clumped together, forming a mass that couldn't be washed out, so it had to be shaved first!

This was why the palace maids and eunuchs looked down on him. With this clump of hair, and almost turning the bathwater into a dirty black, he looked like a beggar! Although the palace maids and eunuchs were the lowliest existence in the palace, they still served members of the royal family. How could they possibly accept a beggar like him?

Even the barber, upon seeing Li Xie's hair, furrowed his brow. However, under the gleam of Li Xie's gold medal, he could only tremble as he shaved Li Xie's head.

Master Meng once said: Don't neglect your appearance. Even if you lack charisma, you can still dress yourself up to be charming and attractive. You'll find that you immediately exude charm and depth, because eighty percent of people in the world only see appearances.

After washing away the dirt, shaving his head, and putting on the clothes sent by the palace maid, Li Xie, dressed in luxurious attire, was completely transformed!

Thick eyebrows, clear eyes, a straight nose, slightly upturned lips, a chiseled face, and a well-fitted Western-style suit complemented his height of six feet. Except for the lack of hair on his head, who would think he wasn't a handsome young nobleman?

Of course, that's assuming he doesn't speak!

"Goodness me! Damn! I didn't even know I was handsomer than the male models in magazines! It's all because of my background causing trouble, huh! If I had a rich old man as my father, grandma, I bet even goddesses would bow down before me! But hey, that kind of life isn't far off now, hahaha!"

Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Li Xie couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Next, under the guidance of the etiquette master, Li Xie toured the palace. During this time, Emperor Mercedes VII didn't summon him, allowing him to roam freely.

New things always capture people's curiosity. Li Xie wandered around, not feeling bored at all. With the etiquette master respectfully serving by his side, he felt extremely comfortable. Time flew by quickly, and before he knew it, it was evening. Only then did messengers arrive from Emperor Mercedes VII, informing him that the palace banquet was about to begin!

Li Xie was led to a hall where a long table was set with food. Servants surrounded it, and the nobles of the kingdom had already taken their seats, leaving only one spot vacant—the platinum chair at the end of the long table.

Li Xie was seated in the third chair to the left of the vacant seat at the end of the long table. The Marquis of Laine sat above him, followed by the Prime Minister.

Before Mercedes arrived, Li Xie was the most conspicuous figure in the room. There were two reasons for this: firstly, Li Xie was too unfamiliar, and he sat in a high position. In fact, after Li Xie cleaned up and shaved his head, none of the dignitaries who had seen him before recognized him as the beggar they saw at noon! Secondly, Li Xie's bald head was too eye-catching. The barber had made his head too shiny, and under the light of the crystal lamp above, as the only bald head present, it was hard not to attract attention.

Mercedes VII strode in with a retinue of servants. Even before the emperor spoke, the ministers and nobles all stood up, bowing and shouting in unison, "We, your humble subjects, pay homage to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live long and prosper for ten thousand years!"

Only Li Xie, the Marquis of Laine, and the Prime Minister remained standing without chanting the slogan. The three of them had bewildered expressions: What's going on? Has the protocol changed?

As subjects, it was always important to please the emperor. Apparently, these ministers and nobles thought that Li Xie's etiquette earlier was impressive enough, so they all followed suit, hoping to please Mercedes VII at the banquet. This soon became a trend throughout the entire continent of the gods and was hailed as the highest etiquette for meeting the emperor.