Heavens' Laughter-Chapter 127: Thief

The 1st Princess raised a hand, signaling them to stop talking. Her crimson eyes softened as she turned her attention to the child.

The little girl flinched and pressed herself closer to the evil man’s side, unsure of what to expect.

Feng Shen immediately shifted his expression, adopting a pitiful look as he clung to the little girl protectively.

"Your Highness," he said, his voice trembling with expertly feigned emotion:

"These men would turn away a father and his starving child! We’ve been wandering for days, with no food or water. Please, have mercy on us!"

The 1st Princes’s gaze lingered on the young man for a moment, her sharp instincts sensing something off about him.

Still, her compassion won out. She glanced at her personal guard, who stepped forward. Your next chapter is on novelbuddy

"Your Highness," the personal guard began, her voice low but firm, "we must ensure the safety of the camp. We can’t allow—"

The 1st Princess raised her hand once more, silencing the personal guard.

She offered a small, reassuring smile to the little girl, who avoided her gaze but seemed slightly less tense.

"Everyone deserves a chance at life," the 1st Princess said gently. "Let them in. We’ll make room for them."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately nodded, unwilling to go against their princess’s orders.

Feng Shen bowed his head deeply, hiding the sinister smirk tugging at his lips. "Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you so much. You’re truly a saint," he said, his voice dripping with false gratitude.

He then gently nudged the little girl forward, his voice insistent. "Hey, say thank you to this nice young woman," he coaxed with a slight motion of his hand.

The little girl hesitated, still trembling, but she forced herself to look up at the princess.

Her voice was small, barely above a whisper. "Thank you very much," she said, her head bowed, her gaze downcast.

The 1st Princess’s heart tightened at the sight. ’Damn guards’, she cursed inwardly. ’They scared a child!’

Her expression softened as she knelt down to meet the girl at eye level.

"It’s okay," the 1st Princess said gently, her hand reaching out to stroke the child’s cheek, offering her a comforting touch. "Everything will be fine now. I promise you."

After a moment, she stood up; her gaze turning away from the little girl as she straightened herself.

"Now if you excuse me…" The 1st Princess sighed quietly as she turned to walk away.

Her personal guard trailing closely behind.

’This is going to be a huge pain to deal with,’ she thought bitterly.

The personal guard knew she’d be chewed out for allowing the camp to fill even further…

Behind them, Feng Shen’s eyes gleamed with amusement. He tilted his head back slightly, casting a smug look toward the two guards at the entrance.

His smirk was deliberate and full of mockery.

The guards stood frozen for a moment, realizing they’d been outmaneuvered.

But before they could muster a response, Feng Shen casually walked past them, the little girl still in tow.

Not even sparing a glance at the guards, he strode forward.

The guards watched him go, but they knew they were powerless to stop him now.

The 1st Princess had already given her consent, and that was the end of it.

And so they stood silently.

Inside the camp…

Feng Shen looked around. Suddenly, a soft growl was heard.

His gaze dropped to find the little girl clutching her stomach, her face tinged with pink.

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The sound of her hunger had been unmistakable, and she quickly glanced up at him, mortified.

"I-I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to make such a noise!" the little girl stammered, flailing her hands in embarrassment.

Feng Shen couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, shaking his head. "If you’re hungry, why didn’t you say anything?" he asked.

"Um… I—…" The little girl, her head hanging low, muttered, "I didn’t want to bother you with such... trivial things."

There was a hint of resignation in her voice, as though she had long ago accepted this silence as a way of life.

Feng Shen smiled, his teeth flashing as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ah~ You’re clever." His voice was laced with amusement, appreciating her quick grasp of things:

"Well, for being so obedient and smart, I suppose it’s only fair to get you something to eat. Follow me."

They both began walking toward the small stash of food.

Feng Shen could sense the unease around him as they neared the last remaining box, with a few sad fruits left.

The little girl looked up, a hint of happiness on her face.

However, before she could say anything, a voice came…

"You filthy commoners! Resorting to stealing? Shameless!" The young man’s voice rang out with disdain as he stormed toward them, his face twisted in irritation.

His finger pointed accusingly at both. "Shame on you! I won’t let this go unpunished!"

Feng Shen’s expression remained calm, his eyes narrowing just slightly as the young man began drawing attention.

"Guards!" The young man shouted, his tone demanding action.

The sound of armored feet quickly approached as two guards appeared, weapons drawn, ready to respond.

Feng Shen sighed as he turned to the little girl, his hand still gripping hers lightly, and spoke with exaggerated calmness.

"Well, I guess we have ourselves a little troublemaker, don’t we?" He looked back at the young man, who had a smirk plastered on his face, no doubt thinking he’d already won.

The guards, looking stern, surveyed the situation.

They exchanged glances, unsure of how to handle this.

One of the guards raised a hand to silence the murmurs of the crowd.

Before one guard could open his mouth…

"You dare accuse someone of theft without cause?" Feng Shen’s voice dropped to a low, almost taunting tone.

"Sir, please calm down. We’ll sort this out…" The guard finally spoke up, hesitant to take sides immediately.

He knew the camp was already teetering on the edge of a civil divide between the commoners and the elite.

The guard didn’t want to fan the flames of conflict further, so he remained quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to approach the situation fairly.

But before he could gather his thoughts, the young man stepped forward, his voice rising. "This commoner was planning to steal! It was obvious! He was heading straight for the box of food!"

The young man turned to the guard, his tone smug and self-righteous.

"I’ve done a good deed by stopping a thief! I deserve a reward! More food, perhaps!" he demanded, his chest puffed out with pride.

The guard, his grip tight on his weapon, took a deep breath and turned to face the young man. "Please, sir, calm down. Let me do my job," he said, trying to maintain control of the situation.

He then motioned to the other guard, signaling for him to lower his weapon as well.

"Now..." The guard turned his attention, his expression serious:

"Please understand that honesty is highly valued in my eyes, and it will greatly influence how lenient we are in this matter. Now, tell me, were you attempting to steal some food?"

The guard raised an eyebrow, carefully observing, watching for any signs of deception — any change in his words, tone, or body language.

But Feng Shen remained completely still, his face impassive.

Then, with a subtle shift in his demeanor, he conjured a few tears in his eyes, his voice softening:

"My daughter was only looking... She’s been starving for days... but we would never steal. She simply wanted to see the food."

Feng Shen glanced down at the little girl and gave her a slight shove on the back, a silent cue.

The little girl, quick to understand, immediately began to play her part.

She let out a soft sob, clutching Feng Shen’s leg. "Daddy, I just wanted to look at the food... I’m sorry. I got us in trouble!" she wailed, her voice trembling with guilt.

As the scene unfolded, the crowd began to stir, their sympathy growing for the duo.

Murmurs and voices started rising, echoing the same sentiment.

"How could they accuse such a small girl and her poor father?" someone whispered.

"Yeah! They were just looking!" another voice joined in. "Of course, someone from the elite would accuse a commoner like us!"

More people began growing angrier and more vocal, their frustration mounting.

Soon, more guards arrived, trying to quell the rising tension.

But their efforts were in vain, the crowd growing more restless by the second.

Just as it seemed the situation was about to spiral out of control, a familiar, commanding voice cut through the noise.

"Everyone, quiet!" the voice rang out, and instantly, the crowd fell silent.

All eyes turned as the 1st Princess made her way through, flanked by her personal guards.

The crowd parted in reverence, giving her a clear path.

The 1st Princess stopped, her eyes scanning the group before resting on the father and the little girl. A smile tugged at her lips:

"Hmm? What’s this? It’s you two again! Well, that was quick for us to meet again!"