"Wait... wait!" The King shot to his feet, but when he reached the doorway, there was no trace of Nangong Elder to be seen!

If a Sword Sect master wanted to leave, who in the entire Imperial Palace could possibly stop him?

Even a common person has their dignity, to say nothing of a High-tier Martial Artist like Nangong Elder who had lived for over a century. The fact that he hadn’t turned on His Majesty the King right then and there was already a great show of respect.

Scarcely a moment after Nangong Elder departed, Elder Rong, clad in a cyan robe, approached with a gentle expression and a fluid, graceful gait.

The corners of the King’s eyes grew moist. These two old men had practically watched him grow up, and he’d never imagined one of them would actually leave. His voice choked with emotion as he said, "Teacher, I... I’ve wronged Teacher Nangong. I angered him and drove him away."

Only now did His Majesty the King finally call him Teacher Nangong, not just Nangong Elder. This was, in fact, a well-kept secret. The sword techniques the King cultivated were not the ones passed down by the royal Li Family, but had been jointly taught to him by Elder Rong and Nangong Elder!

In other words, Elder Rong and Nangong Elder were, in fact, the King’s own teachers!

But after so many years in power, the King had gradually grown unwilling to acknowledge anyone as his superior. And so, "Teacher Nangong" and "Teacher Rong" had slowly become "Nangong Elder" and "Elder Rong."

"Teacher, you’re still so kind. Your temperament has always been so gentle. Heh, heh... It’s all my fault..." Before the King could finish, he heard Elder Rong say softly, "Your Majesty, I have also come to bid you farewell. We two old men have remained in this Imperial Palace for many years without a chance to venture out. Our cultivation hasn’t advanced an inch. I fear that if this continues, it won’t be more than a few decades before we two old relics pass from this world for good."

"No... Don’t! Teacher, you can’t abandon me too! You can’t..."

Tears streamed down the old King’s face as he finally wept with both sorrow and a sense of being wronged. "If you leave, my family... they’ll surely abandon me! As long as a member of the Li Family is on the throne, they won’t care who the Emperor is!"

With that, the old King rushed to Elder Rong’s side, grabbed his sleeve, and pleaded, "You have to help me! You can’t abandon me now, Teacher!"

Elder Rong sighed deeply. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, a soft force pushed the King back. "If Your Majesty continues to rule diligently and care for your people," he said, "I believe Ling Xiao would not plunge the common folk into the fires of war by attacking first. Besides, his father, Ling Tianxiao, still holds you in high regard! You haven’t had a complete falling out, so why would they rebel? This is all your own paranoia, Your Majesty! And another thing... regarding the Second Prince, you would be wise not to listen to the slander of petty men and act rashly. Remember, since the Second Prince was able to contact a hidden clan, who’s to say he doesn’t have other plans in reserve? It is the Crown Prince whom you must be wary of. For all these years, despite his ambition, the Second Prince has never intended you harm. The Crown Prince, on the other hand... heh. Since I’m leaving today, I might as well speak plainly. If he was able to poison your heavily guarded food and drink back then, he can do it again now! Therefore, the person you should be guarding against is not Ling Xiao! Stop coveting the secrets he holds; they are not something you can obtain. Well, I have said my piece... Your Majesty, take care!"

As he finished speaking, Elder Rong’s body shot into the sky. The evening wind whipped his robes, making them snap and flutter. He gave the old King one last, deep look, then vanished in a flash.

The King stood there in a daze, muttering, "They’re gone. All gone. Good! HAHA! How wonderful that they’re gone!" He burst into wild laughter. "Ling Xiao, you win! A mere boy like you has scared away my two greatest supporters! Haha! HAHAHAHA!"

The old King’s voice grew hoarse and frail. Finally, with tears streaming down his face, he returned to his bedchambers and went on a rampage, smashing and throwing everything he could. After venting his fury, he collapsed into a chair, gasping for breath, and muttered, "I regret it all!"

News of the King’s outburst soon reached the Crown Prince’s ears. Though he didn’t know what Elder Rong and Nangong Elder had said, the fact that those two Sword Sect masters—who had never once left the Imperial Palace—were actually gone! The news left the Crown Prince stunned, so deliriously happy he couldn’t think straight.

Unable to contain his excitement, he impatiently gathered his core supporters for a meeting, intending to use this opportunity to seize power in one fell swoop.

However, he was met with unanimous opposition from everyone, including Wulan Xiong. Their reasoning was simple: Nangong Elder and Elder Rong may have left, but they could return at any moment.

They had served in the inner courts of the Imperial Palace for years; how could they feel no loyalty toward the King? If the Crown Prince were to make his move now, even if he succeeded, no one would be able to withstand the wrath of two Sword Sect masters!

The Crown Prince wasn’t a reckless man by nature. Their words instantly doused the fire in his heart, and he realized he had been oversimplifying things.

Nevertheless, the departure of the two Sword Sect masters was still a joyous occasion. That, combined with Wulan Xiong having previously angered the King to the point of nearly coughing up blood, put the Crown Prince in a wonderful mood. He immediately ordered a grand banquet to celebrate with his confidants.

...

「In the south, at the Marquis’s Mansion.」

Ling Xiao and his companions were seated together, enjoying a cheerful meal.

The atmosphere in the mansion was peaceful, entirely free of tension. Song Mingyue’s noble bearing and elegant conversation left an excellent impression on everyone.

Ye Zi, however, kept watching Song Mingyue with suspicion. As a former Golden Finger who had spent many years struggling at the bottom rungs of society, she felt something was off about Song Mingyue but couldn’t quite pinpoint what. Besides, the woman was a guest who had brought two Sword Emperor Level experts with her! Ye Zi couldn’t very well walk up and ask, ’Is there something wrong with you?’ If she did that, *she’d* be the one with the problem.

Ling Xiao already had sufficient funds for the initial development of Penzes City. The monthly income from the Beauty Pills, combined with the revenue from auctioning Magic Beast Crystal Cores, was more than enough for him to spend lavishly for a long time to come.

This was largely thanks to Huangpu Yue’s help. The Huangpu Clan’s powerful connections, Huangpu Yue’s endless stream of business ideas, and the Ling Family’s robust supply chain had allowed the Ling Auction House to begin rivaling the Huangpu Clan’s own auction house in just a few short months!

So, during the meal, Ling Xiao expressed his gratitude to Huangpu Yue. She simply smiled and replied, "If we’re talking gratitude, Marquis, then it is I who should be thanking you. My family has now secured the top position in the weapons industry, and you were the one who helped the most! What’s more, I get to use a priceless treasure like the Beauty Pill freely. From that perspective, it seems I’m the one taking advantage of you!"

The reconstruction of Penzes City began with great fanfare. Ling Xiao had expected the commoners to resist relocating to the new districts, but to his surprise, nearly all of them unanimously supported his decree. It went so smoothly that the Vice City Lord, a nobleman named Li Fu, felt a distinct lack of accomplishment.

"It seems I’m destined to live my entire life in the Marquis’s shadow!"

Li Fu remarked to Mo Qing beside him, gazing out at the bustling new city district.

"And you’re not happy about that?" Mo Qing asked with a teasing look.

"You’re trying to trap me!" Li Fu elegantly brushed a speck of dust from his clothes and shot Mo Qing a look. "As a fellow nobleman, you should know better! This is a form of prov—"

Before Li Fu could finish, Mo Qing turned and walked away, having had enough of the man. Once the noble Vice City Lord started on one of his tirades, he was endless. Pretty much everyone was wary of him, especially the other nobles in Penzes City.

"Now that things are quiet with the Southern King and the Imperial Capital has settled down... you’re not planning to go out adventuring again, are you? If you are, can you take me with you this time?"

Ye Zi was speaking to Ling Xiao as they strolled through a forest on the outskirts of Penzes City. High above, clown circled a few times. Detecting no danger, it beat its wings and soared away. The beast would often disappear for days at a time recently. It needed combat to grow stronger; to clip its wings would be to do it harm. Thus, Ling Xiao never worried about clown running wild.

"Going on adventures is certainly a great way to increase your strength," Ling Xiao said softly, plucking a leaf and studying its veins. "But unfortunately, you’re not quite strong enough yet. The place I’m headed this time is truly dangerous."

"By the time I’m strong enough, I might already be old!" Ye Zi said with a pout, puffing out her rosy cheeks. Her long eyelashes fluttered as her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes stared at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao took Vini’s warm, slender hand, marveling at how delicate and smooth it felt. "With me here, how could you possibly grow old?" he said. "When I get back, I’ll teach you... yes, I’ll teach you a Cultivation Technique that will rapidly increase your strength. How does that sound?"

"Why wait until you get back? Can’t you teach me now?"

Vini’s cheeks flushed red. Strolling down the shaded path while holding hands with the man she loved filled her with an intoxicating bliss.

"Er... about that... I can’t teach you right now. It’s a technique you can only practice when I’m with you," Ling Xiao said, looking a little awkward. A thought crossed his mind. ’If the High Priest finds out that her daughter and I... will she be furious?’ Then another thought followed. ’So what if she is? She never fulfilled her duties as a mother, even if there were reasons. From now on, I’ll be the one to protect Ye Zi!’

Vini gave Ling Xiao a curious look, though her thoughts didn’t stray into improper territory. Ling Xiao had always been so reserved and had never once overstepped his bounds. If anything, it was usually her—the Ye Zi side of her—who felt the urge to tease him.

When it came to that sort of boldness, she had him beat by a long shot!

Recently, Ling Xiao had felt a faint stirring within his Mid-Fusion Stage realm, a sign that he might be on the verge of a breakthrough. He was overjoyed. He had intentionally avoided using any Elixirs to raise his level, wanting to build the most solid foundation possible before forming his Golden Core.

’Absorbing enough Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi really does let you advance quickly!’