CHAPTER 584: CHAPTER 360: GOOD OR BAD NEWS_2

"At last," she said as she walked steadily toward the door, "at last, they’re all here!"

....

In the castle courtyard, there was a massive clock placed in a corner. Standing in the yard was a woman. She could not be described as beautiful. Her face bore a long scar that stretched across it entirely, disfiguring her appearance. The woman stood in the middle of the yard, startled when the loud ringing of the bell echoed beside her.

Moments earlier, the woman had arrived; two guards in the courtyard saw her and announced her presence. As her name was uttered, the bell chimed loudly. Their faces filled with excitement and pride, as they were among the first to witness the arrival of this woman.

"What does all this mean?" the woman asked. Though she was not beautiful, every movement she made exuded grace, her voice deep yet soothing.

"Lady Fu!" Wan Qiao’s voice rang across the courtyard, overpowering even the deafening bell. When Wan Qiao appeared, the guards hurriedly silenced the bell. Clearly, something extraordinary had transpired. It was evident from more than just the chime of the bell—there were expectant smiles, smiles so wide they graced the face of the Single-Horned Jasmine Hawk.

"Lady Fu, I assume you’ve ordered your guards to remain in the camp outside the castle walls?" Wan Qiao asked politely as she strode forward to greet her friend. Hearing the question, the scarred woman nodded. "What is the meaning of this loud bell?" she inquired, curious, as the echo of the loud sound was still reverberating in her mind. Her hearing was far sharper than that of ordinary beasts. Her true form was a shadow-bearing bat, a creature whose reliance on sound and agility made her one of the deadliest among her kind.

"It’s a message for all the Forest Lords," Wan Qiao quickly explained. "A signal to inform them that everyone is now present."

"Oh?" the woman’s face lit up with surprise. "Am I the last one? We wasted no time traveling here; the others must have hurried greatly." Though she said this, her expression showed no concern about being the final Lord to arrive.

"Wan Qiao, find me a suitable place to settle. We can begin tomorrow, regardless of your reason for calling us here." Lady Fu spoke with indifference to the activity around her. Without waiting for Wan Qiao’s reply, she headed toward the castle, leaving the smiling bird behind.

Li Meilin stood in the courtyard, observing everything unfolding before her. Her eyes narrowed, her focus sharpening. She made no attempt to hide herself, knowing full well that concealment was futile against these Saints. Instead, she positioned herself at the right side of the courtyard, silently watching every movement.

The revelation that even the Lords were unaware of the reason for their summons shocked her, yet within her, a sliver of hope grew. Perhaps, just perhaps, the experts had no interest in launching a war. Maybe it was merely the desires of the lower-ranking beasts.

With such thoughts in mind, the woman felt more at ease, calmer, until her tension loosened entirely, leading her to retire to her room. Before visiting Yan Xiaobao to observe his practice, she decided to rest. Her escape from the Divine Domain hinged entirely on Yan Xiaobao and his cultivation. Li Meilin remained steadfast, unbothered by Yan Xiaobao’s disdain for her. She easily dismissed such feelings, but she could not dismiss Wan Qiao’s insistence that she would not leave the Divine Domain until the youth reached King-level. With all this transpiring in the capital—the Lords gathering in one place—Li Meilin felt pressed to depart the Divine Domain, so she could notify the Siban Empire that they were barred from sending delegations here again.

While Li Meilin continued watching Wan Qiao’s interaction with Lady Fu, Yan Xiaobao was initially intrigued by the bell, but he soon dismissed it. He understood that if the matter concerned him, a guard would likely inform him. Venturing out to investigate would undoubtedly invite trouble upon himself. He had not forgotten the eagerness of some guards to see him leave, let alone the desires of certain Lords who hoped for his demise.

Yan Xiaobao recognized how unlikely it was for the Lords to agree with Wan Qiao. He knew Wan Qiao had brought up war matters to the Upper House precisely because of him. It was evident that as long as Yan Xiaobao stood behind Wan Qiao, she had reason to defend him. He also understood that Wan Qiao found relief in General Frozen’s agreement to suppress the matter. If anyone sought to stop Wan Qiao, they would have to eliminate Yan Xiaobao.

For now, his safety depended on the concealment of his existence. Yan Xiaobao hoped few would learn about him before the secret meetings began. Killing him during the secret meetings, in Wan Qiao’s presence, would be impossible. However, assassinating him in his room, while he was alone, was a far simpler feat. Yan Xiaobao hoped he could prove his worth during those meetings and gain the respect of the Lords afterward. If not, he believed Wan Qiao had the capability to protect him.

"Don’t be so despondent," a voice echoed from within. Lan Feng, speaking with the young man, was irritable. "I understand you’re in a precarious position now. In fact, I’m in danger because of your knowledge, but I believe this is for the best."

"As a sacred beast, I wish the world could return to an era where beasts and humans coexisted. But if that’s not possible, then I hope to see equality prevail. By taking over one of their kingdoms, the beasts would at least possess two kingdoms equal to the humans." Lan Feng’s reasoning reminded Yan Xiaobao of Wan Hui. Both beasts were straightforward, honest, sparing nothing in their expression. Nodding, a faint smile curved his lips as his gaze turned to the distant sky beyond the window, his eyes narrowing with resolute determination.

So long as he could ensure his friends’ safety, then so be it. In opposition to the Spanish Empire, Yan Xiaobao cared little. They had already sent multiple delegations into the Divine Domain, and their latest delegation even included a Saint—a clear sign of testing the Divine Domain’s strength.

"Other kingdoms have also sent delegations before, though never Saints," Yan Xiaobao remarked in his Dantian to the Phoenix. "While they know sending delegations every two years is highly risky, their greed propels them forward. I believe it’s fair to send them back their consequences. However, I wish to minimize the harm to innocent lives."

"There’s a way," Lan Feng said slowly, as though pondering. "That woman, Li Meilin—she’s desperate to return to her kingdom. Let her know we’re planning a war, and she will do everything in her power to warn the kingdom. I swear, when the citizens hear of looming beasts capable of devouring their land, they will scatter as fast as they possibly can."

Considering this, Yan Xiaobao slowly nodded. Using Li Meilin would be his best option. But for this, he needed Wan Qiao’s approval. The massive Single-Horned Jasmine Hawk was far less rational than Yan Xiaobao. She held no sympathy or compassion for the lives of those in the kingdom she wished to attack. To her, these people were daily irritants; it was only natural for her and her beasts to feast upon them.

Yan Xiaobao sighed deeply, rising from his bed of refined essence. Now that he had completed another task, he acted swiftly, leaving the room and hurrying toward Wan Qiao’s private quarters.

Reaching his destination, he could hear faint voices within, yet he still knocked on the door. When it opened to reveal Wan Qiao and Lord Pan inside, his face displayed a relieved expression; the latter was someone he had met before. Upon entering the room, Yan Xiaobao bowed in greeting to both Lords.

Yan Xiaobao leaned against the wall without saying a word, waiting for Wan Qiao to summon him forward. The conversation between the two Lords was so hushed that Yan Xiaobao couldn’t discern a single word. Watching them, he quickly realized they were using their power to muffle their voices to an inaudible level. As he continued to contemplate his strategy, Yan Xiaobao remained leaning against the wall, shrouded in shadow, not impatient. He had no certainty as to whether Wan Qiao would allow Li Meilin to leave. Warning the citizens of the Siban Empire and granting them the time to escape was what Yan Xiaobao truly wished to do, but persuading Wan Qiao would undoubtedly prove difficult.

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