After getting out of the forest, Ashen looked at Fanrong from the corner of his left eye, asking politely: "Lady Fanrong, should we part our ways here? We are out of the forest now, and I believe you can travel back to your tribe on your own, right?"

Throughout their journey, Fanrong and Zhu Loyan had kept quiet.

Fanrong had been busy pondering over how to ask Ashen to join her side and support her despite not having anything to offer in return.

She couldn't just rush things since this could be the very moment that would decide her future.

Gaining a powerful ally such as Ashen was not something to be taken lightly, and hence, she had to be careful not to offend him.

Ashen could very well be offended by misunderstanding her as asking him to become her subordinate. That was the last thing she would want.

It was only after she heard Ashen's voice did she realize that they had already come out of the forest and she could no longer hesitate.

She had to appear confident while asking this question. No one would want an ally they couldn't respect. Moreover, she had little to offer to Ashen, which made her more restless.

"Lord Huan Tian... May I ask what you plan to do after we part here?" She asked, hiding her clenched fist, which was an involuntary action she took while gathering up her courage to ask this question.

This was the approach she had come up with after pondering over the problem. She was going to first probe Ashen's intentions and interests before making her offer.

Ashen understood her reasons for asking such a question as he recited the answer he had already prepared with a smile:

"Lady Fanrong, though I don't know why you're asking such a question, but just to quench your curiosity, I'll answer. I'll go to the Zhuji Tribe's main palace and reveal my identity as the Beast Sovereign's Successor. With the power of my identity, I plan to gain the support of the Zhuji tribe and then exact revenge upon the Xue Mo Tribe."

Ashen had intentionally left some holes in this answer for Fanrong to exploit and take advantage of.

And as he had expected, Fanrong instantly replied by pointing out the supposedly better plan:

"But Lord Huan Tian, don't you think there are some problems with this plan?"

"Oh? And what are they?" Ashen asked, acting surprised and curious by her question.

"First, how will you prove that you are the Beast Sovereign's successor? And even if you prove it, do you think the current matriarch will readily recognize you as someone of higher status than her? She might say that she doesn't know about any rule that gives you a higher authority on the Zhuji tribe than her, despite being the Beast Sovereign's successor. She is an emperor realm cultivator after all. She might even decide to eliminate you, fearing that you will covet her throne."

Ashen widened his eyes, acting as if he realized something from her words.

"Hmm... your words do make sense. Even if the Beast Sovereign has given me higher authority over the Zhuji tribe, that rule wouldn't be of any use if no one is going to follow it. Moreover, someone as powerful as the matriarch can easily go against such a rule."

"Yes, Yes, that's correct!" Fanrong was excited to see that everything was going as she wished. She felt closer to her goal of getting Ashen's support.

"So? What do you suggest I should do?" Ashen asked, knowing full well what she would suggest.

"Lord, you shouldn't express your desire to gain the support of the Zhuji Tribe. You should hide your intentions till you either advance to the emperor realm or gather enough support on your own. There is also a better way..." She smiled, taking a pause.

"You should borrow the influence of someone else..."

Ashen acted as if he didn't understand the meaning behind her words:

"Borrow the influence of someone else??"

Fanrong nodded: "Yes, my lord. As the princess of the Zhuji tribe, I have a lot of influence on my tribe. So if it were me who was to suggest going against the Xue Mo tribe, the tribe wouldn't be so against it then."

"Oh? Do you mean you're going to use your influence in my favor?" Ashen questioned skeptically.

"I'd like to do so, my lord, but my influence doesn't extend to that level right now; however, if you were to support me and help me become the crown princess and the successor to the tribe, I'll make it happen," Fanrong explained.

"But wouldn't that take too long?" Ashen asked the obvious.

"Yes, my lord, but... revenge is a dish best served cold."

"Hmm..." Ashen acted to ponder for a bit before nodding in agreement: "Alright, let's go with your plan."

Fanrong couldn't help but reveal a joyous smile. If it wasn't for Ashen being present, she would've likely jumped in ecstasy.

She excitedly suggested: "Then, lord, why don't we hire a flying ship to my palace? It would be faster and easier since there are some tigers in your army that cannot fly."

Ashen nodded, showing his agreement to her suggestion.

With his huge army of tigers, Ashen traveled to the nearest Flying Ship port with Fanrong and Zhu Loyan.

Seeing the huge army of tigers and an unknown King realm cultivator, many were suspicious; however, the presence of Princess Fanrong lessened their suspicions.

In the port, Princess Fanrong hired a flying ship entirely for themselves. Via this ship, it was only a matter of hours before they reached the princess's palace.

The princess's palace was just a few minutes away from the Main Matriarch's palace. Of course, there were many other palaces and mansions for other important people of the tribe. These were collectively known as the inner capital, where the elders and royals of the Zhuji tribe resided.

At the gates of the inner capital, they were stopped for checking, but upon finding out that the ship was hired by the princess, it was allowed entry without any checking. Read full story at novelꜰire.net

Soon, the ship descended in front of the Princess's palace as the servants of the princess palace appeared to welcome the princess; however, as the passengers of the ship descended, the servants were left shocked.

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(A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)