Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 169: King, I Want You

Just which lucky lady in my little harem’s going to end up being the last one standing tonight…?

Still, Xia Ya forced down the heat rising in his chest.

Before anything else, he decided to get the real business handled first.

A flick of his will, and a small white Holy Grail materialized before him.

“My esteemed master, what may I assist you with this time?”

Even before Xia Ya opened his mouth, the Sage’s Grail had already projected text across its surface.

Xia Ya thought for a moment. “Tell me everything about that little snake with Blood of Mercury.”

He moved his fingers slightly, sketching with mana the image of the silvery Ouroboros.

“Master, you’ve come into contact with that one?”

Upon seeing the image Xia Ya had drawn, the Grail quivered. “Still, for someone as great as you, I suppose that’s not all that surprising.”

Sensing Xia Ya’s disapproval at its wisecracks, the Grail quickly corrected itself and projected new, serious information:

“To my knowledge, it has had many names—Ritual Serpent, World Python…”

“But its most prominent name is Serpent of Fate.”

“A god renowned throughout the Second and Third Eras… It’s said its Authority isn’t particularly suited for battle, but is directly linked to Fate itself.”

“Through that power, the Serpent of Fate managed to continually avoid disaster. Reportedly, it never took part in the Divine War at the end of the First Era. Because of that, it avoided the fate of most participating deities—either banished back to the Starrealm or falling into the Abyss.”

“Later, during the mythic silence of the Second Era and early-to-mid Third Era, it rose rapidly, establishing its own terrestrial Divine Kingdom and Angelic Bloodline.”

“During the Cataclysm at the end of the Third Era, the Serpent of Fate disappeared again. I’ve heard that several True Gods descended upon the Western Continent in search of it—but all returned empty-handed.”

“As for the Fourth Era up until now, even with my connection to the Spirit Realm, I have found no trace of it there.”

“Master…”

The Grail swayed again.

“As equivalent exchange for that answer, please respond to the following question—”

“Have you come into contact with the Angelic Bloodline – Blood of Mercury, established by the Serpent of Fate?”

“No.”

Xia Ya shook his head. “I think I actually grabbed its real body by mistake. Still have it locked up in my Spatial Pocket. It’s basically your neighbor now.”

The Grail: ?

Xia Ya, without ceremony, grabbed the Holy Grail and shoved it back into the Little Black Room.

Now that he had his answer, Xia Ya took a moment to think, then reached into his Spatial Pocket and pulled out the little silvery serpent.

“Guh… kill me…”

Still the same old line.

But this time, Xia Ya didn’t threaten or bribe it. He simply spoke gently.

“I think I misunderstood you earlier.”

“You showed up at a really unfortunate time, so I assumed you were part of the group of Abyssal Evil Gods trying to descend upon the Imperial Capital and harm my second wife.”

“But now I’ve pieced things together… The Serpent of Fate hasn’t aligned itself with the Abyss in any Era. And you’ve never shown me any hostility either.”

“In other words, we’re not enemies.”

Xia Ya’s voice was calm.

Even though he carried the golden title of Godslayer, he wasn’t so crazed as to slay every god he came across.

He’d clashed with the Twilight Ancient God to save his wife Sylvianna.

He’d fought the Lord of Ashes because the guy literally stomped on his head.

He only attacked the Crimson Moon out of pure self-defense.

From that point on, every Evil God on the Abyssal side had developed a “kill on sight” policy toward him, so of course Xia Ya chose to strike preemptively rather than wait for their schemes.

But when it came to gods on the Neutral or even Order-aligned side, just walking a different path didn’t make them enemies.

Otherwise, he’d have leveled the Holy Theocracy and Church of Dawn by now.

The Serpent of Fate had abstained from the First Era’s Divine War, meaning it likely hadn’t opposed his teacher either.

Later, during the Second and Third Eras, it had built a Divine Kingdom and an Angelic Bloodline. Regardless of intent, it had brought a degree of order and faith to the Era of Cataclysm.

“So if we’re not enemies… then I have no reason to keep you imprisoned.”

“And someone like you, blessed by fate and naturally lucky—killing you might not even yield anything. Might even give me bad luck.”

“That said, if possible, I’d like to make a trade with you. Ask you a few things…”

“Of course, I’m poor. Don’t have many things that might interest a True God like you… except maybe this.”

As he spoke, Xia Ya pulled out the Giant King’s Skull from his Spatial Pocket.

Once the supreme Holy Relic of the Lord of Ashes, it had been mostly drained by Yin during her evolution into a Legendary Species, and later used to open a path through the River of Time. Now, there wasn’t much power left in it—and Xia Ya wasn’t sure how valuable it still was.

Having done all this, Xia Ya sat quietly on the bed, waiting.

The silver serpent looked at the Giant King’s Skull in front of it.

A long moment passed, and then it finally flicked its small tongue and spoke in that ancient, hissing tongue once more.

“The skull of a peak Demigod mythical creature… later transformed into a Holy Relic by the Lord of Ashes, was it?”

“While most of its divinity and faith power is gone… it still holds some reference value.”

“Speak, then. What do you want to ask?”

Xia Ya considered. “I want to know, after the Divine War in the First Era… what happened to my teacher, the Golden Elf Master?”

“I asked the Sage’s Grail about this before, but it was created near the end of the First Era—it has no access to information from before then.”

Hearing that, the silver serpent blinked in surprise.

Its amber-yellow eyes widened. “Did you just say… the Sage’s Grail, and Golden Elf?”

Xia Ya nodded. “Yeah, I’ve subdued the Sage’s Grail to serve me.”

“And the Eternal Page of the Black Tower, Hathaway Zegin, is my teacher.”

“If not for her help, I never would’ve made it this far.”

He tapped his fingers lightly, projecting a wisp of Hathaway’s aura.

This was something Xia Ya had been wondering about for a long time.

At first, he thought his dear Teacher-chan simply had a habit of wandering off, spending decades lost in Dimensional Rifts and the Dimensional Void, rarely returning to the Material Plane.

But ever since he’d requested her help during a Historical Echo of Aisgania from a thousand years ago, Xia Ya had started to suspect something was off.

His Golden Elf Master hadn’t been avoiding the Material Plane out of whim or boredom—

It felt more like some sort of banishment at the law-of-the-world level.

Then, after Xia Ya advanced to the Legendary Seat in Eden, when his spiritual energy had transformed into a Spiritual Ocean and he could observe his soul and mind from a higher-dimensional perspective—

He reviewed his memories from childhood and grew more certain of the truth.

The Golden Elf Mage who took him in outside the Black Tower wasn’t her true body.

More like a projection… or illusion.

He simply hadn’t been able to perceive it back then.

In other words—

At some unknown point in time—maybe one Era ago, maybe three—

His teacher’s real body had been drifting in the deepest reaches of the Dimensional Void, exiled.

Only during rare moments when the barrier between the Starrealm and the Material Plane thinned could she briefly reach out and interfere with reality.

In all those three Eras—thousands or tens of thousands of years of darkness and void—

She could only glimpse the light of mortal life for a moment.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Yet every time Xia Ya asked her about it, that Golden Elf girl would always change the subject, never answering him directly.

Listening to Xia Ya’s sincere explanation, the Serpent of Mercury stared silently at him.

Its amber-yellow pupils slowly contracted into pinpoints.

“The only disciple… of that Golden Elf.”

“And that annoying fake Grail even recognizes you as its master.”

In that moment, the serpent finally understood—if only vaguely—why this was happening.

Why, this time, fate—which had always guided it with perfect precision—

had brought about its rebirth before this black-haired, dark-eyed youth.

Fate does not make mistakes.

All gifts of fate have had their prices marked in secret, long ago.

“I accept the trade.”

“But I don’t need the Giant King’s Skull.”

The Serpent of Mercury stared directly into Xia Ya’s eyes.

“As the price for this exchange, I want to make a contract with you.”

“Contract?” Xia Ya raised a brow. “Not interested in selling my soul.”

In the Transcendent World, there was no shortage of fools seduced by profit who made contracts with Abyssal Demons or Evil Gods.

And their fates were often… ugly.

Take Viscount Lorie, holder of the Sins &Thorns Club—he signed an "equal contract" with an Abyssal demon.

And promptly got scammed, his head blooming like a flower during a game of Russian Roulette with Xia Ya.

“No, not an equal contract. A Master-Servant Contract with the highest level of binding.”

The Serpent of Mercury’s gaze was intense.

“You as Master. I as Servant.”

Hearing that, Xia Ya’s eyes turned solemn.

Master-Servant Contract.

And not just any version—but the highest-tier, strongest-binding form of it. This wasn’t a joke.

It meant total domination, regardless of the difference in tiers or spiritual power—

The Master held absolute control. The Servant could not betray.

If the Master died, the Servant would perish as well.

At any time, Xia Ya could just say, “Self-destruct, Lancer,” and the Serpent would have no choice but to impale itself—

With no command limit.

This was exactly why Beastmasters typically raised their summoned beasts from infancy or as eggs—

Because mature beasts almost never agreed to contracts with strangers.

Even Xia Ya’s contracts with Yin, Flashflash, and Chihong weren’t at this level of binding.

Xia Ya looked calmly at the Serpent of Mercury. “Why would you want a Master-Servant Contract with me?”

True, he had open Soul Pact slots.

Aside from the oddball Fourth Pact with Augustina, his Sixth and Seventh Soul Pact slots were still vacant.

His Sixth had basically been hijacked by that clingy Grail—it didn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.

But his newly opened Seventh Soul Pact was completely unclaimed.

The main reason was: Xia Ya didn’t have a suitable candidate.

With his current level, contracting Imperial-Tier cubs or pet eggs required too much investment. And frankly, even at Peak Imperial Tier, most creatures wouldn’t be of much use to him.

Legendary-tier beasts were too rare—

Even fully grown Legendary Beasts were almost mythical to most Beastmasters, let alone finding one as a juvenile or an egg to contract.

Even empires like the Fresta Empire, Holy Theocracy, or the Noble Alliance—massive powers across the Western Continent—could only cultivate Peak Imperial-tier pets at best.

As for that final step from Peak Imperial to Legendary—

True legends rise without outside aid. The same applied to beasts.

That was the ultimate chasm—only time and fate could bridge it.

Take Isadella’s Crowned Griffon, for example—it spent centuries grinding away inside the Imaginary Zone, burning through endless resources to finally take that step.

And no matter how unfit the Serpent of Fate's Authority was for combat,

no matter how weak it might be in its current post-rebirth state—

It still carried the full Divinity of a True God.

If it dared to offer, Xia Ya dared to sign.

“Because this is a high-stakes gamble. Also… an investment.”

“An investment that might let me survive the Fourth Era.”

The little silver serpent flicked its tongue and curled gently around Xia Ya’s finger.

“As a token of sincerity, I can answer your question first.”

“You were right—your Golden Elf teacher truly was banished to the deepest part of the Starrealm, unable to return.”

“And it all began with the Divine War at the end of the First Era.”

“I didn’t participate in that war, so I don’t know the details.”

“But—if you want your teacher to return from her exile of three Eras—

there’s only one way…”

……

Moonlight as pure as silver spilled through the window, falling upon the white sheets of the bed.

Xia Ya slowly opened his eyes.

【Species Name: Serpent of Mercury (Unique)】

【Soul Pact Status: Seventh Soul Pact (Master-Servant Contract: Xia Ya Egut)】

【Combat Level: 5】

【Species Rank: Mythical Species】

【Beast Skills: Wheel of Fate (Mythical Skill), Fate Rewind (Mythical Skill)】

The contract process went even smoother than Xia Ya had expected—utterly calm, without the slightest ripple.

Staring at the bright-blue system screen before him, Xia Ya’s eyes locked onto that line: “Combat Level: 5.”

Five?

…Six.

That’s Awakening Tier combat level.

To put it bluntly, barely stronger than a rooster. And depending on species counters, it might even lose in a one-on-one.

The newly contracted Serpent of Mercury, now feeling much more affectionate due to the Master-Servant link, paused in surprise.

It noticed its new master staring at it with a hint of pity—

and then Xia Ya gently patted its little snake head.

“So, if I hadn’t picked you up, you might’ve gotten snatched up by a passing eagle and ended up as dinner, huh?”

“Poor little Combat-Level-5 snake.”

…?

I am a dignified mythical being. This is the first time in my entire life I’ve been so insulted!

And what the hell does he mean “snatched up by an eagle”?!

Does he have any idea what it means to control the threads of fate?!

An eagle wouldn’t even see me!

Xia Ya toyed with the little serpent in his palm for a while, just about to take a closer look at those two beast skills…

But then, he heard the sound of high heels stepping up the stairs.

Already?

Xia Ya blinked in surprise. He tossed the indignant Serpent of Fate back into his Soul Pact Space, added a pile of spiritual perception seals, and made it a new Little Black Room.

Although now that he thought about it, while talking with the little snake earlier, he had vaguely heard broadcasted lines from the living room like:

“Mad Slaughter!”

“Tyrant of Ceylan, unbeaten in chaos!”

“Hmph. White Tower? I’ll make sure she never returns.”

“Those who violate the Empire’s borders shall be crushed!”

No idea which of the girls in his fishpond had activated her ultimate technique.

Xia Ya didn’t have to wonder for long—

The footsteps stopped just outside the door.

And then, he saw the silver-haired Empress step inside with a smile, followed closely by the obedient Succubus Princess.

With that, Xia Ya understood the outcome of the card game.

So his childhood sweetheart from the Northern Lands… had become a defeated golden retriever beneath the blade of “Breakthrough General.”

Isadella stood with her arms crossed, looking down at Xia Ya on the bed, a faint arc forming on her flawlessly beautiful face.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Behind her, Diresse had already sat obediently at the edge of the bed.

Faint purple light shimmered and danced around her figure.

As the glow faded, the usually demure and calm Student Council President had already taken on a completely different appearance.

The radiant moonlight spilled through the window, casting soft light on her profile—an enchanting blend of innocence and temptation.

But the most eye-catching were the small white horns protruding between her hair—

The dark wings extending from her slender back that gently fluttered in place—

And the heart-shaped tail swaying beneath the moonlight.

The next moment, a gorgeous and dreamlike Illusion Realm began to spread throughout the room, tinted in hues of pink mist and desire.

Within the hazy fantasy, the newly crowned Empress of the Empire straddled Xia Ya in riding position, staring straight into his eyes.

“I know I’ve fallen behind Little Ai in so many ways. I met you later, ran into you later, even fell in love with you later.”

“Even in the Historical Echoes… Sylvianna was ahead of me.”

“But that only makes me more unwilling to give up.”

She lowered her head slightly, her soft silver hair brushing against Xia Ya’s cheek.

“I’ve never been inferior to anyone in this life.”

“Whether in cultivation, politics, military affairs… or in love—I’m always the one who stands at the top.”

“Since I’ve left no imprint in your past…”

“Then I’ll just have to create more memories in the days to come—memories that belong only to you and me.”

Her breath, warm and gentle, caressed Xia Ya’s neck with a tickling heat.

“So… are you ready?”

“My Black Knight. My Swordbearer…”

“And… my Royal Consort.”

Feeling the warmth pressing softly against his chest, Xia Ya closed his eyes, letting emotion and thought surge in his heart.

Still the dream created by the Succubus Princess…

But this time, the one by his side in the dream was not an illusion—

But real.

“It really is a dream come true,” Xia Ya chuckled.

Then, following that most primal of instincts from deep within—

He reached out in the pink mist of that blooming fantasy, and pulled the silver-haired girl into his arms.

“My King… I want you.”

In his embrace, the Empress gently nodded.

“Okay.”

Night fell, deep and heavy…

(End of Volume II: Thorned Throne)