The room fell abruptly silent, like a freeze-frame. Everyone froze in utter shock at his question, taking a long moment to pull themselves back to reality.
The same advisor mustered a smile that quickly turned ugly. "W-What a bad joke, Your Highness. You best be careful now—your reputation is at stake here."
Lanling remained unfazed. He held his cold, piercing gaze as he met their disbelieving stares, curling one side of his lips into a smile that betrayed the bloodlust honed through both mental and physical combat. Tapping his fingers against the table, he narrowed his eyes with a maddening delight.
"You heard me. I don't care." His voice teetered on abyssal, its sharpness cutting straight through the hearts of his listeners. "I want the whole world to know that Aetheris, the so-called Heart of Summoning, was nothing more than skin and bones licking the soles of the most disgusting man in Qiyuan's history."