The third prince set up his camp outside the city of the Crimson Blade, ruled by one of the most powerful nobles in the Blue Sea Kingdom, his uncle and biggest supporter.
He had already amassed just over a hundred thousand soldiers, and the numbers continued to increase as he drew on the great riches received as a loan from the Five Colors Pavilion.
Unfortunately, even this money was running out. With an interest rate of up to fifty percent, the third prince was afraid to ask for more.
"Do you think that's enough, uncle?" the third prince asked the Duke of the Crimson Blade, who was leisurely sipping from a glass of wine.
They were in a large tent, sitting with other nobles around a rectangular table.
"No," the duke shook his head. "Don't expect your brother to gather less than a hundred and fifty thousand n, not now that he has the help of the great sects."
Hearing those words, the third prince gritted his teeth. His hands ran through his long golden hair as an angry expression appeared on his youthful face.
He was already over two hundred years old, but he had never had a headache this bad before.
"We need another loan, at least a few hundred million, enough to recruit others-"
"Your Highness, we have a caravan approaching on the horizon, guarded by at least a thousand soldiers!" A servant suddenly entered the tent, declaring breathlessly.
"Uh?" The prince looked confused at first. He didn't rember expecting any such group, but that soon changed as he rembered sothing.
A chamber of comrce that had recently exploded in growth among the nobles of the south, profiting absurd amounts in the short months since its creation.
The Burning Red Pavilion.
The prince stood up, walked outside and then flew into the air, watching the caravan on the horizon.
Those were indeed the flags of the Burning Red Pavilion, but not only that.
There were also strange banners that he had never seen in his life, but which he briefly recognized from so docunts he had once seen his father sign.
They were the people of the lands beyond the Celestial Blue Sea, followers of a strange goddess.
The prince landed in front of the camp that stretched for miles, waiting patiently until a carriage pulled up in front of him.
After a brief mont, the doors of that carriage opened, displaying two incomparable beauties, but the third prince's eyes barely passed through them.
They were focused on the man who appeared just behind them, exuding a strangely familiar aura.
The prince watched Qingyi for a mont longer before sothing finally dawned on him.
He was the one who had killed the young master of the Wang family, Wang Haoran.
Sensing Qingyi's cultivation, the third prince couldn't help but shudder.
Just five months ago, that young man was capable of killing cultivators of the Enlightened Soul realm while only being at the Ascension realm.
But now, his cultivation had already exploded to the point of reaching the Flowing ridian realm.
In his entire life, he had never seen such rapid growth, comparable even to the geniuses of the Enlightened Sky Empire.
"Is there a problem, Your Highness?" ilin asked respectfully, finally snapping the third prince out of his stupor.
"Not at all, young miss ilin. In fact, it's a pleasure to see you and Lady..." He turned his face to the other beauty.
"Margareth," she replied. "This is our husband, Long Qingyi."
"Oh, so it's young master Long Qingyi." The third prince smiled, offering his hand to Qingyi.
"Please don't be so respectful to this humble, Your Highness," Qingyi said, casting an approving glance at the third prince as he shook his hand.
From the mont they arrived, the third prince focused only on him, barely paying attention to his won.
This look was more like that of a warrior studying the power of another than anything else.
Qingyi couldn't deny that he was pleased with this treatnt. It was rare to find n who didn't stare too much at their wives.
"Right, Miss ilin, Lady Margareth, what do you say we discuss the terms of your support for our cause?"
They both opened their mouths to answer the third prince, but before they could even speak, a crash echoed on the horizon, drawing everyone's attention.
ilin was hit hardest, gritting her teeth.
In the sky, she saw a luxurious flying ship, bigger, faster and more powerful than anything even entire years of the Blue Sea Kingdom's budget could buy.
It was a true colossus of luxury, rare even among the elites of the Enlightened Sky Empire.
It was a personal gift she received from her father when she turned eighteen. It was stuck in the hangars of the Five Colors Pavilion, theoretically undergoing repairs.
Being a gift from her father, she never really bothered to go after it.
Firstly because she was sure that the repairs had stopped, and secondly because she was sure that Tianshi wouldn't be crazy enough to confiscate a personal gift she had received from the Gold King.
But as it turned out, she was very wrong.
With an irritated grunt, she waved her hands and a small talisman appeared in her fingers.
Without hesitating, she pointed it towards the ship and pressed a small button.
The next mont, she saw the eyes of everyone there go wide as the powerful engines sustained by a complex alloy of spiritual arrays shut down.
In a single mont, the colossus went down, flipping on its side.
At the last second, she pressed the button again and the engines restarted, just in ti for a landing that was violent, but insufficient to cause damage to the flying ship.
"Damn it, you crazy bitch, what do you think you're doing?" A hate-filled roar echoed as the ship's door opened, but ilin didn't care.
She decided to fight for herself and solve the problem on her own when her position was taken, and even when her bank accounts were cleaned out.
But that flying ship was a gift from her father, a real gift that he gave her as a birthday present.
She would make Tianshi regret putting his dirty hands where they didn't belong!
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