Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 2)

299 Tangible Benefits

Ye Yang waved to the painter who stood close by, looking very proud of himself. Before anything else, he had to make sure that everyone felt that these competitions were worth their while. Otherwise, which of these demons would want to bother taking part in the future ones he intended to do? At the very least, he had to give this guy his five minutes of fame, hand over a gift, and make a few additional promises. That much was a must.

Ye Yang waited for the other demon to swagger over and gave a faint smile. "What's your name?"

"It's Guan Chen, Your Majesty."

Ye Yang inclined his head. "Congratulations on your win, Guan Chen. With this painting, you have proven that you are the most talented among the best painters in our demon realm, and by a large margin at that."

In a way, this wasn't wrong. This guy wasn't the only one who had come up with the idea to paint a beauty, and even specifically Jin Ling at that. But even among those people who tried to win by this kind of design, his painting stood out. Even Ye Yang had to admit that while he likely wasn't actually the best painter, he was the best one among those who understood to scheme their way to the top. That was also a talent to have.

Guan Chen smiled even more brightly, very clearly enjoying the praise he received in front of the audience. To be the best, for a lot of demons, this held much appeal. And to have such words said by their newly crowned king was even better.

He turned to look at Ye Yang, his gaze brushing over that face. He certainly liked what he saw. If this win could be used to exchange for a spot at his side ... that wouldn't be too bad. Something told him that this man had a chance to have a reign just as long as Jin Ling's or maybe even longer. Why wouldn't he take advantage of it if he was given such a good opportunity?

Ye Yang noticed his gaze but simply ignored it. Anyway, just because somebody had designs on him, he didn't have to accept. As long as he pretended not to see it, it was almost as if it wasn't happening. Instead, he focused on talking up the worth of the competition. "This kind of talent should naturally be rewarded.

"This painting will be exhibited in the palace for the time being to be seen by all that have something to say in the demon realm. Later, it will be transferred to a place that will be specially constructed to display this and similar works of art."

Guan Chen continued to smile but it didn't really reach his eyes. The painting being displayed sure was nice but ... that was hardly a tangible benefit. Anyway, it would be better if he was the one on display in the palace. Otherwise, wouldn't people think of the previous king's face first and forget his in time?

Ye Yang had a rough idea of what was going through his mind but didn't bother saying anything about it. Anyway, he wasn't done yet. "To make sure that you as the artist behind the painting will receive your due recognition, I have a special task for you that ... we will discuss in detail later." He gave the demon a deep look, his lips curving up a little further.

To be honest, he was in a good mood. He had found a person that wanted attention and he just happened to need somebody who could be used as a display rack for his next competition. Why not make use of this person? It didn't require him to be trustworthy or even skilled at anything. Just being there was enough. Not to mention ...

Ye Yang took a closer look at the person and his lips curved up even further. To be honest, this guy was good-looking. He had a beautiful head shape, narrow phoenix eyes in a bright green color, and a pair of beautifully curved, rose-colored lips. His body frame was slender with long limbs and especially his hands could draw some eyes. He was simply perfect for this task.

Guan Chen smiled back, satisfied with the way Ye Yang looked at him. He had no idea what this task was but it should bring him in proximity to the demon king and based on that look just now ... he might like what the other person had in mind. As a result, he hummed and slowly blinked his eyes at Ye Yang. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Ye Yang watched the act and worked hard to keep the smile on his lips. "Needless to say, while honor should be welcome, a tangible benefit is a must. When you come to the palace to discuss this task, I will bring you to the treasury for you to choose something of your liking as a reward. It might just be one item but you have the free choice among everything in there, no matter what it is."

Guan Chen's eyes lit up when he heard that. Of course, being with Ye Yang would benefit him more in the long-term but ... all of that was just a possibility for the future. A tangible benefit right now was indeed more welcome than that. Plus ... who said that he couldn't have both? One of these simply required a little more work on his side but he'd have his chance when he entered the palace to hang the painting and go to the treasury. Ah, taking part in this competition had really been worth it.

Ye Yang gave him a moment to bathe in the attention and happiness of being rewarded before he turned to the audience and took a step forward. "Today, while crowning the victor of this competition is the most important part of the event, I also want to use the opportunity to say a few additional words and answer the question that many of you likely have: Where do I intend to lead the demon race in the future if this kind of fine arts competition is my opening move?"