"There might be sothing of interest to there as well..." Phoenix muttered quietly, nearly letting Yan Xiaobao miss it. "What are you interested in?" he asked curiously. "Rember how you need to balance Yin Yang Energy. Alright, if we’re lucky, he might consu so dicinal dicine or pills, and if we’re really fortunate, we might even discover sothing tied to Ancestor World Power."
"Honestly, don’t think about it now; just make sure you can join when they leave." Lan Feng remarked as he pondered all the potential treasures they might miss. "Being granted entry is good, but there will be countless traps and dangers inside. If the Third Prince perishes in this tomb, then no one will be able to bla you," Lan Feng’s voice grew quieter, yet those words made the blood within Yan Xiaobao’s body burn with excitent. For the Third Prince, the tomb seed a fitting resting place, and as he thought about it, a subtle smile appeared on his face. Then, he shifted his attention from his internal thoughts to their surroundings.
The King had been intently observing the expression of the young man by his side. At first, he noticed a lack of interest, which shocked him completely, as everyone who knew about the tomb beca electrified with excitent. In fact, they often started breathing heavily, their eyes widening, nearly salivating. The young man’s face, however, bore an indifferent expression.
That indifferent deanor soon shifted, replaced by a frown. As he deliberated, his eyes seed to grow sharper. Seeing this, the King stayed silent while observing the expert in front of him. He hoped the young man would accept his invitation. He desired that the young man earn the favor of the Royal Family and personally his trust.
The frown disappeared quickly, reverting to the sheer ruthlessness that typically marked his face. As more and more ministers joined the discussion, the conversation grew lively. The room was filled with booming voices, yet the King remained silent, sitting back in his chair. The three individuals mainly observed and tried to follow everyone’s argunts, doing their best. Occasionally, the King leaned toward his daughter and the white-haired young man to exchange monts of levity. "So believe, because this may be the final resting place of a Saint and is located within our Kingdom, we don’t need outside assistance; however, given that we lack the number of Saints we desire, it’s wiser to invite experts from other parts of the world. That way, we can at least obtain sothing from the tomb and survive." The King sighed and glanced at the debaters before sinking back into his chair. "But my perspective is nearly irrelevant now. I’m too old, too frail, and essentially voiceless in this discussion. For now, the three brothers are clashing with each other. They will decide how we handle this matter moving forward," he sighed again, and his indifference toward the issue had clearly been perceived by Yan Xiaobao.
Unsure of what to say, Yan Xiaobao remained silent for a while before lazily stretching. "I’ve heard my good friend, Lord Rong from Liluo City, supports His Highness," he remarked casually while glancing around the room. "But I’ve also heard His Highness has issues with his son. Tell , was there ever a Queen?" he asked with a curious gaze as he looked at the Princess.
The mont the question was posed, the King sent a peculiar look toward the young man. No matter how hard he stared at the young man’s face, though, he couldn’t find a trace of reasoning behind the question.
"Rumors about the beautiful Princess have spread worldwide. Even prior to my arrival in Muchuan City, I had heard tales of her beauty. For a woman to display such elegance, never being perceived as manipulative nor engaging in Royal Family affairs, requires astonishing self-control," Yan Xiaobao mused aloud. His words struck the King’s ears like a thunderbolt.
"We’ve never had a Queen before," the King stamred while staring at Yan Xiaobao. Upon hearing the answer, the young man didn’t press further. Instead, he rely shrugged, concluding the conversation, "That’s unfortunate."
While the King tried his utmost to forget what the young man had said, a hint of confusion crept onto the Princess’s face. Slowly, she began to gently graze the armrest with her fingers, as though the words had unsettled her deeply.
The Princes continued their discussions for two to three hours before finally settling down. Once they stopped speaking, the other ministers seized their chance to remain silent as well. Occasionally, certain ministers shouted about stopping other experts, claiming it was futile. No one dared interrupt the three Princes.
As they approached the throne, Yan Xiaobao gazed at them with a curious eye. He knew they had made their decision. Finally, the Third Prince spoke.
"Respected Royal Father, we’ve decided to invite the families of Muchuan City and the Royal family of Moon Province to join our expedition. We made this decision because this is most likely a Holy-level Tomb. A tomb of this level must be brimming with enormous energy. From what we’ve heard about the seal inscription at the cave’s entrance, we’ll require assistance. We believe that whatever is hidden within was sealed with blood essence to remain concealed for as long as possible. Thus, we think relying solely on our strength would be insufficient to survive within the tomb."
"If this is the decision you’ve made, I will heed your request. Issue invitations to the families you wish to invite. We’ll venture into the unknown tomb six months from now."
"Six months?!" a minister exclaid in shock. "Your Highness, six months is far too long! Other families might easily get ahead of us!" he shouted, forgetting his place. It was only after speaking that his face turned pale as he bowed apologetically to the King.
"Let them try," the King chuckled lightly. "We need six months to prepare to unlock the inscriptions of the tomb. The families of Yuelong Province also require those six months to arrive here. If anyone wishes to try on their own, let them. Their endeavor will court death."
Listening to the King’s voice sent shivers down the ministers’ spines. Even the Princes hadn’t expected their father to speak so decisively. He was not often blunt, especially now that he knew his reign was nearing its end. He understood that it was only a matter of ti before one of his sons replaced him. Yet even so, he remained proud of his old bones.
Yan Xiaobao obtained what he wanted during his visit to the Royal Family. Bowing toward the King and the Third Prince, he quickly exited the room. On his way out, however, he handed the mory Stone to the Third Prince. When the white-haired man left the hall, the Third Prince accepted the mory Stone and nodded back at Yan Xiaobao.
But before he could make it into the corridor, a soft hand rested on his arm. Turning around, he felt as though he was drowning in the endless beauty of the dark eyes gazing at him. It took him a second to realize the Princess stood before him.
"My Lady, how can I assist you?" he asked with a faint smile on his face. Inside, he smiled even more, pleased that the woman had fallen for the bait he had earlier thrown.
"You speak as if a woman could rule a Kingdom," she comnted coldly, but without disdain. Known for her aloof deanor, the Ice Queen was famous in Muchuan City for rarely initiating conversations with n unless it concerned matters of the Kingdom. Yet here she was, personally blocking Yan Xiaobao, her dark eyes fixed solely on the man before her. Though she seed arrogant and detached, her words carried no contempt.
"In Chenyuan, gender is irrelevant," Yan Xiaobao said with a shrug. "What matters is how strong a person is and how skillful they are in undertaking their tasks." Yan Xiaobao shrugged again. His words made the Princess furrow her brows. He paused briefly before continuing, allowing the lady to fully digest the information she’d been given.
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