CHAPTER 556: CHAPTER 556. OREDOLIA’S ENVOYS

In the king’s private training hall, Huang San and Yang Li were training together. They did this often before the Ancient Ascension Trial. During those days, Amon instructed Yang Li and Huang San to practice in private, so they weren’t disturbed by the others. He reasoned that their elements matched one another, and it was better for them to focus on cooperating.

Huang San was at first hesitant about the prospect of working together with Yang Li. He had no problem with the girl, but she was not exactly a sociable person. As expected, their first few days of training were filled with awkward silence.

But as they spent more days together, Yang Li started to open up to Huang San. Huang San himself was someone with experience interacting with different kinds of people, so long as she didn’t ignore him, he had no trouble conversing with her.

After he became the king, there was no point for them to practice together anymore. His cultivation was now also higher than hers. Yet, after Amon proposed that Yang Li stay with him, they found themselves going back to their previous routine of training together.

They were currently resting after a training session, or at least Yang Li was. Huang San’s higher cultivation allowed him to possess a greater reserve of aether. She ran out of energy before he did. While she rested, he showed her his new weapon. His new weapon was the Lightning Scepter, which he picked up after they defeated Huang Zhan.

The scepter crackled before unleashing a streak of blue lightning that hit a target dummy. The dummy turned into ash after getting hit.

"What do you think?" Huang San asked Yang Li.

"Not bad," Yang Li answered.

"Not bad? This is a low-tier runic weapon, for goodness’ sake. You can’t find many such weapons in the world."

"I have rested enough. Let’s continue our training," Yang Li said.

"All right. Let’s continue." Huang San stored the Lightning Scepter in his space ring.

The two did a little spar before jumping into the air. They cruised the air with a matching speed. After their speed was perfectly synchronized, Yang Li executed Flame Lance. Her S-level affinity enhanced the resulting lance, making it longer and larger than usual. Huang San, who flew behind her, lashed a barbed whip into Yang Li’s flame lance. The lance suddenly grew even longer. It was also no longer rigid. It lashed side to side like it had turned into a whip.

It lasted only a while, though. The flame dispersed, and only Huang San’s barbed whip was left. The two ended their arts and landed.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t reduce the intensity of my aether enough to match yours. My art ended up swallowing yours," Huang San said. Throughout their training, they failed more than they succeeded. Performing elemental support when their cultivation levels were too different affected their success chance.

"No need to apologize. I am the one who is too weak," Yang Li replied.

"That... That’s not what I meant," Huang San said.

"No need to feel bad about it. I am frustrated with my shortcomings, but I won’t give up. I will get stronger yet!" Yang Li declared.

Huang San’s eyes were fixed on Yang Li. She wasn’t especially beautiful, but that was more because she never cared about her appearance. She never used make-up, never made any attempt to tidy her hair, and never wore decent-looking dresses. But behind that boorish-façade, Huang San could see that she could be beautiful if she put a bit of effort into maintaining her appearance.

However, that was not the reason her gaze was on her. He couldn’t pull his eyes off her because he couldn’t help but feel that she resembled his mother. Her mother was also a civilian. She was the only one among his father’s wives who was not a noble. He had witnessed his mother go through untold ridicule and discrimination in the palace due to her status. Yet, his mother never let all that bring her down. Her spirit remained high, and she strived to become better than Huang Ti’s other consorts. That’s how he and his mother enjoyed a measure of favoritism from Huang Ti.

Yang Li noticed Huang San’s gaze, which caused him to look away.

There was a turmoil within Yang Li’s eyes, but it lasted only a moment. Her eyes were resolute again when she said meekly, "What I regret is I can no longer be useful to you..."

Hearing that, Huang San quickly said, "That is nonsense! You will always be useful to me. Uh, I mean..., I might not need your protection anymore, but I always value your presence. The mental support you provide me with is invaluable. Just for you to be by my side, I feel like I can do anything. I... I need you."

The two looked at one another. The turmoil in Yang Li’s eyes returned. Huang San interpreted it as her struggling with her feelings, the feelings that Amon indicated to him a few days earlier. He was correct about the struggle, but was wrong about the reason why she struggled.

"If... If it makes you feel better, I... I don’t mind having you by my side...," Huang San stammered.

"I don’t deserve Your Majesty. Your Majesty surely has many female suitors," Yang Li said.

"On the contrary," Huang San said. "I might seem easy going, but I never truly spend that much time in courting matters. Most of my times are spent on kingdom concerns..."

The two stared at one another again. The turmoil in Yang Li’s eyes was gone again. Their two heads slowly came close to one another.

"Your Majesty!!"

A voice interrupted them. Lao Zen rushed into the training hall with an urgent look.

Huang San and Yang Li moved away from one another once they heard the voice, but Lao Zen still picked up on the awkwardness between them. "Uh... Did I interrupt something?" He asked.

Huang San laughed dismissively while waving his hand. "Is there an urgent matter?" Huang San asked.

"Envoys from Oredolia have come to visit," Lao Zen informed.

"Oredolia?" Huang San was surprised by the news. "Why didn’t they inform us properly before they visit?"

Lao Zen shrugged. "Considering what is happening with the world now, I don’t think anyone bothers with proper etiquette anymore."

"Where are these envoys?" Huang San asked.

"They are waiting in the guest hall," Lao Zen answered.

Huang San turned to Yang Li and said tenderly, "We will continue this conversation another time."

"I will accompany you to meet this envoy," Yang Li offered.

Huang San smiled and welcomed the offer. The two walked together to the exit. Lao Zen raised his brows and looked at them inquisitively.

*

Amon was in the Grand Barrack when he heard the news about the envoys from Oredolia. He was finalizing the paperwork for his troops’ departure. He had gathered enough supplies for the march.

He stopped what he was doing and headed to the palace. When he entered the guest hall, Huang San had not arrived. The envoys were there, accompanied by Hua Rong. The envoys were people he knew.

"You are...," Xin Jingsao felt like he recognized Amon but couldn’t be certain. Amon’s appearance had changed considerably, so it was understandable. Xin Jiangsao’s appearance had also changed, though not as much as Amon’s. He looked more mature now.

By his side was his master, Xin Dhaije. The older envoy also found Amon familiar but couldn’t tell exactly when they had ever met.

The two were the envoys sent by Oredolia the last time. Their tasks and positions had not changed since then.

Amon responded to Xin Jingsao’s questioning expression by saying, "How is your left arm?"

Xin Jingsao was confused by the question, but recognition soon dawned on him. "You... You are that asshole from before! No... No! It’s impossible! Your cultivation..."

Xin Dhaije was at first bewildered by his disciple’s reaction, but he also realized Amon’s identity after a while. The same as Xin Jingsao, he was also shocked by Amon’s cultivation level. Amon intentionally didn’t use his concealment art.

"Are you truly the brat from before?" Xin Dhaije asked.

"If you mean the one who broke your disciple’s arm when he tried to show off, then yes, I am that brat," Amon replied.

"Impossible! How are you an Intermediate Spirit Stage already?!" Xin Jingsao exclaimed. He was always proud of his cultivation speed. His cultivation level was higher than Amon’s when they first met. Now, he was a Peak Mystic Stage while Amon was already an Intermediate Spirit Stage. How could he believe it?

He turned to his master and asked for confirmation, "Master, is he truly an Intermediate Spirit Stage?"

"... he is," Xin Dhaije answered. He was also rattled. Because he had met Amon before, he knew for sure that Amon was young not only in appearance but was truly young. For someone so young to have a cultivation so close to him, it was depressing.

"So, what is the purpose of your visit?" Amon asked.