487 At the Dragon Empire


    After a while;


    Shang Wei bowed to Shang Fu and Lan Jingyi, bidding them goodbye, "We will meet again, Father, Mother."


    As he turned around to walk away, Lan Jingyi spoke as she looked at her son''s back, "Your Majesty, why didn''t you ask him to pursue the power? You always wanted him to seed you." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It''s the choice he made," Shang Fu shook his head with a sigh, "During the final round of the trial, he was the one who gave up and let Shang Jun ascend the throne so that there would be stability in the empire. His choice also turned out to be right. How could I ask him to choose the path of betrayal, just because he was frustrated with his job?"


    "The one with power and the support of the people has the right to seize the throne, Your Majesty,"mented his wife. As he looked at her with a bit of surprise, she further said, "There is stability in the empire but I don''t think the people love Shang Jun as much as they do Xiao Wei or you when you ruled thend. They were merely afraid of him due to his harsh punishments and he ruthlessly crushed the rebellions without trying to negotiate, or so the maids say."


    "But, that kind of Emperor is what thisnd needs. A softie like me who would put the lives of soldiers and my people above the reputation of the Empire won''t be able to live up to our ancestors, Dear," Shang Fu expressed his support for his sessor, earning a frown from his wife instead.


    She wanted to argue with him, thought of revealing to him how he was duped by Mark but didn''t do so for the sake of keeping her son''s secret.


    In the end, she could only forcefully let out a smile and grabbed his arm, "Whether you are a good ruler or not, let the people decide it for themselves after they experience the ruling of your sessor." After a brief pause, she said, "By the way, I forgot to mention. Xiao Jiao appears to be at the doorstep of her breakthrough to the 8-circle realm. She might return sooner than we expect."


    "Eh? 8-circle realm? Already?" The former Emperor was stunned by the news. "But, she just entered 7-circle just a few weeks ago." His mind couldn''tprehend the fact that his 15-year-old daughter was going to achieve cultivation that takes decades for genius cultivators.


    Lan Jingyi couldn''t help but let out a chuckle as she saw her husband''s expression, "Your Majesty, our daughter is the daughter of heaven. She isn''t someone you canpare with mortals. All she required is a worthy guide and she met one now."


    A few weeks ago, Lan Jingyi found Shang Jiao training with the guardian beasts but she didn''t meet her in order to not disturb her training and of course to protect her own secret. Then, she returned to the pce, telling her husband that their daughter found a master and started her training. Giving him an excuse that this mysterious expert doesn''t want anyone else to be involved, she put away Shang Fu''s worries. As for how she got in contact with the fifth princess, Lan Jingyi simply lied that she had done it with the help of Lan Jing, her paternal uncle who was currently serving the Ouyang Dynasty in the Eastern Sun Kingdom.


    Back to the present, both of them discussed various things about the princes, including the possible whereabouts of the missing eldest prince as the arrest warrant was issued on him regarding several charges that have witnesses. While Shang Fu was under the impression that the Yuan n was backing him because of the former Empress, Lan Jingyi believed that sects or secret organizations might have been involved.


    Then, they discussed the marriage of Shang Wei. There are many prospective brides avable for him and it is difficult to choose one as political marriages often involveplex situations. During the talk about the princes, Lan Jingyi felt the urge to see her son, but since she couldn''t say that, she brought up the topic of the rumors about Song Yun''s death. She wondered out loud whether they could visit the neighboring kingdom to visit Song Yue and console her.


    Shang Fu felt weird when he heard that they should go and meet Song Yun''s wife who was living with her maternal family. Why would they travel hundreds of kilometers to meet with the girl who abandoned her homnd? Not to mention, he was the prime reason Song Yun was forced to run away and live in disguise. Well, atleast that was what he believed, and hence, her suggestion didn''t make sense to him.


    But then, as Lan Jingyi told him how she was bored by staying between four walls all day and wished to go on a vacation outside of their empire, the former Emperor thought for a bit and agreed to stop at Lunaris city for a day before they resume their journey to the Dragon Empire.


    Two dayster, both of them boarded Amara, the giant flying stingray with a four-room house somehow built on top of its body with its foundations prating the beast''s skin and attached to its nerves.


    However, they weren''t alone. Song Tai and Chen Xiao (Song Yue''s mother) were also tagging along with them; the former tagged out of concern for Shang Fu''s safety as no soldiers wereing along, and thetter was offered a ride so that she could meet her daughter and also confirm the rumor of Song Yun''s death.


    Little did they expect that by the time they arrived at Lunaris City after a day of traveling, Mark and others would already leave for the Dragon Empire.


    As Song Yue also tagged along with Mark, the three of them could only briefly meet up with the King before they resumed their journey the next day while leaving Chen Xiao as a guest at the pce. Nevertheless, Lan Jingyi was happy to find out that her son was doing fine and well. She was rather proud of the timing of her wish. Perhaps, the entire universe is helping her to reunite with her son?It''s what she felt after hearing that Lu Zhen returned just a few days ago after going missing for more than a month.


    Originally, they were scheduled to move at ater date, but after hearing the news about the letter sent to King Shen Niu, Mark changed his ns using an excuse so that he wouldn''t meet them.


    As a result, before the giant flying stingraynded at Lunaris, Mark and the others boarded the spider-ship (transformation of the divine throne) and flew toward the other side of the world at hypersonic speeds as if he were in a hurry to reach the destination.


    Despite such speed, there was no sort of sonic boom. It traveled as silent as a ray of light, slicing through the air like a hot knife through butter.


    Within 4 hours, they had already reached the shores of the Dragon Continent just as Mark informed them before they boarded the vehicle. From there, it took another 25 minutes to reach their destination.


    Intending to grab the attention of potential customers as well as unknown enemies, he reduced the spider-ship''s altitude to as low as 200 ft from the ground once the Imperial city of Dragon appeared in his sight. Mark also reduced its speed to that of ordinary flying beasts.


    Just as he expected, it alerted every passerby on the way. Most of themoners living in the outer sector of the city panicked and some couldn''t help but run for their lives.


    It goes without saying that the news of an unidentified flying object reached the imperial pce.


    The spider-shipnded in the front yard of the most luxurious hotel in the city best known for selling the Elixir of Eldervine, an expensive wine costing 11,000 gold coins per 80 ml cup.


    As Mark and hispanions stepped out of the vehicle, they were greeted by one of the employees, who offered to escort them to the reception area. However, Mark refused it and asked to bring the hotel manager to them.


    Sylvandria and others looked at Mark, wondering what he was trying to do. But, after witnessing his actions back in her world, the former high priestess felt that her soon-to-be husband had something in his mind.


    Her suspicions became evident when the employee politely said that the hotel manager was busy conversing with an esteemed guest at the moment and wouldn''t be able to meet him. He apologized for the inconvenience while ncing at the manticore standing with the guests.


    In response, Mark took a nce to the side and asked Sylvandria, James, and Steve to release their auras, but just mild enough. It was so that the other twodies remained unaffected.


    Just as he wanted, the hotel manager quickly rushed out of the hotel without letting Mark and the others wait for even a minute. The job was done and Mark was satisfied, thinking that this incident would now create a rumor with the help of the employees or the other guests at the hotel.


    What he had not taken into ount is the fact that the aura release of three supreme beings not only alerted the hotel manager and the guests but every true expert currently living in the city, including the ones at the imperial pce. Usually, it should be a good thing and make his ns be easier, but the timing was so early that it had the opposite effect.