Chapter 1731. Emperor’s Warning and Returning Home.

To say that their evaluation of Yasenia was being overwritten by almost every other sentence that the dragon woman uttered was not that big of an exaggeration. Yasenia acted similarly to how she did when gathered with Jian Xinlin and her allies. Only, the Shang Family’s allies were mostly their customers or resource providers.

So the characteristics she needed to highlight were different, and the talks focused more on economics and the ability to attract customers and the like. Some of the practices they discussed were very invasive and manipulative, but Yasenia wasn't that taken aback.

With practiced ease, Yasenia agreed with some, while pointing out some of the weaknesses of others she thought were correct. Sometimes seniors corrected her, and Yasenia didn't argue. These were old mules who were hard to convince otherwise of what they’ve been doing for thousands of years.

So, arguing with them would only cause you to look bad, even if you were right.

The best thing to do in these situations was to nod along, ask for examples or their experiences, and smile at their comments with an understanding expression. Of course, being too patronizing would be a problem, so Yasenia sometimes added a comment about how she personally believed otherwise, but she respected the experience and knowledge they shared.

As they spoke, the Emperor rose from his throne.

While the banquet guests were doing their own thing, everyone had at least one eye on the highest ruler. When he stood up, the hall quieted down almost instantly, as if they’d previously practiced it.

The Emperor looked around and spoke. “Lately, there has been activity of beings we thought defeated. I sent my guards to check, and we’ve discovered traces of the worst kind of evil we could encounter.”

He paused here, his tone indifferent. “My ascension is near, and the spot for my successor is still vacant.”

There was a crown prince, but the people did not favor him. The Central Empire always chose its crown prince for strength, potential, and the ability to keep the country stable.

The Emperor continued. “So, the next crisis will be where victors rise, and where losers get forgotten in the annals of history. This crisis is the Evil Source Sect.”

Some gasps appeared in the room. Yasenia was glancing at the families she suspected of being in cahoots with them. ‘Hm… no reaction. But their lack of surprise feels like they are trying to keep up a facade so they don't give away any emotion. Difficult to say.’

The Emperor continued. “From what we know, there is one Evil Heart alive and active, while the rest remain hidden. After we investigated the new ruins, we learned that a group of sealed powerhouses from that time has also been freed. So, they will come back soon. I recommend caution from now on.”

He slowly sat back down and said one last sentence. “I won’t participate unless they attack the Central Capital. There will also be rewards for those who hunt Evil Source Sect members or Evil Hearts. As the successor, it will be either the last prince standing or the one with the most contributions toward the war.”

With those words, he leaned back again and relaxed. The entire banquet became rowdy again, discussing what the Emperor had just revealed. Ancestor Shang glanced at Yasenia and smiled. “It seems that what you told me was real, after all.”

Gazes converged on them. Yasenia nodded lightly, her tone casual. “I would not dare make up something as important as that.”

Shang Qinqin chuckled. “You didn’t even know it was an Evil Heart back then. It’s a shame you didn’t manage to kill it. Nevertheless, you injured it quite severely. I doubt it will come back soon.”

Someone caught on to what they were talking about and couldn’t help asking. “Did Madam Yasenia encounter an Evil Heart?”

Since the Emperor finally revealed it, there was no reason to hide her achievement. It would attract attention, but it was the good kind of attention. “I don’t dare say we are stronger than an Evil Heart. The stars aligned for us, even when we didn’t know about it. It was dormant, quite weakened, and we unearthed it in my nest. Weakened and in my own domain, we could injure it severely. It was a fearsome foe.”

Shang Qinqin smiled and nodded. “It was the first time I saw Yasenia fight; it really surprised me and mesmerized me.”

The Young Ladies nearby looked at her face and felt a pang of envy. ‘Tsk. Just because she is from the Shang family.’

‘To think she has not tied the knot yet with Madam Yasenia. If it weren’t for her surname…’

‘Ugh… I want to be in her position.’

After spending some time with the Shang Family and her circle, she stepped aside and looked around for her dears. Kali was talking with a few alchemists; Evelyn was conversing with others.

‘Oh? Tatyana was talking with that guy for a bit? I’ll ask later.’

The rest of the banquet continued without any more drama. The girls moved to the middle a few times to dance slowly together, and even Shang Qinqin managed to ask Yasenia and get her turn.

After the dance, Qinqin became silent and shy, her face beet red as she fidgeted with her hands. She also tailed Yasenia, with the blush blooming almost every time she glanced Yasenia’s way.

When Yasenia was dancing, some people tried to pick a word fight with the girls, but they all ended up being face-slapped. They’d been following Yasenia for a long time, so they knew exactly how to find and deflect hidden daggers.

Overall, the banquet's ending was a perfect resolution for Yasenia’s group.

As they walked out of the palace, Yasenia was quite surprised. “I had expected the Empress or someone else to do something tricky. It unexpectedly ended up… without problems.”

Evelyn touched her shoulder and sighed. “You say that, but the word battles I’ve gone through have probably shaved off around 100 years off my lifespan.”

She then adopted a mocking tone. “Oh? So you say that the princess is not as important?”

“Ah, so you believe that the masters are not as skillful?”

Evelyn stretched her hands as if she wanted to wring their necks off of blood. “Shut up! So annoying! No, me saying that the dresses are beautiful and not saying they are a masterpiece doesn’t mean that I am mocking the tailor! Ah!”

Yasenia burst into laughter and placed her arm over her shoulder. Evelyn’s face was like a magnet and immediately pressed against Yasenia’s naked sideboob. “Squishy~.”

“Besides those few annoying ones, was the banquet enjoyable?”

“Yes.” Evelyn rubbed her face hard, molding Yasenia’s side breast to match her face. “Dancing with you was really enjoyable as well… I think we had not really danced before, did we?”

Yasenia paused and pondered. “Now that you say it… we have not really danced, have we?”

It was honestly fun, and seeing the girls blush shyly as she danced with them around the floor tickled her heart, too. So she decided she would take them for a dance from time to time.

When they were about to leave the palace, they noticed the large Phoenix Carriage. It was the one that carried the Empress back then. Yasenia’s group ignored it and continued walking, hoping that it wasn’t waiting for them.

A guard approached, and Yasenia almost rolled her eyes.

“The Phoenix of the Empire wants to speak with Madam Dravory. Follow me.”

Yasenia nodded silently and followed the guard, arriving before the carriage. They all performed a courtesy with the proper etiquette and kept their gazes down.

Then, the Empress’s voice reached her from the inside. “You are getting along with quite a few families. I even saw you talk with a few Demons as well during the banquet, didn’t you?”

Yasenia glanced at the carriage after she spoke; the insinuation was glaring. ‘She probably knows about us killing the incubi.’

There was something that confused Yasenia, though. After she raised her head, she asked. “Empress, may I ask what I did so wrong for you to target me to this degree?”

The Empress laughed from inside the carriage. “You really like to act like you don’t know, do you? Never mind, someone as cunning as you, of course, would know how to play with words and act stupid.”

Yasenia came to a conclusion. ‘She is paranoid and a little touched in the head, it seems. Was resisting her punishment that bad? Or is it because she is worried about something else? It doesn’t make much sense…’

“Either way, be careful.” The Empress snorted. “If you don’t want that little secret from spreading, you know not to overstep your boundaries. Now, go. I don’t want to see your face for one more second.”

Yasenia straightened her back and spoke in a calm, almost chilling voice. “Long live the Empress.”

They all turned around and left, taking flight when they stood outside and returning to their family state. Once they arrived, Yasenia stretched and sighed. “Finally back home.”

“Mommy!”

A little bullet swiftly approached from a distance and lunged toward her chest. Yasenia opened her arms wide and caught the little bullet, a big smile on her face. “Baby~! How did my little Aster do, hm?”

Asterion, looking like an eight-year-old child, smiled widely in Yasenia’s arms. “I did great! I am slowly getting the hang of my powers. Also, look!”

Asterion jumped from Yasenia’s arms, which caused our dragoness’s tail to flop on the ground. However, a moment later, her tail stuck up and began wagging rapidly.

Asterion’s body glowed with a golden-blue light, and a moment later, he transformed into a dragon as large as a house cat, falling onto the ground with a flop.

“Ahhh!” Yasenia screamed and flashed forward, hugging him into her arms and squeezing him. “My baby is so cuteeeeee!!!”

Asterion’s dragon form resembled Yasenia’s. However, his scales had golden-tinted edges. On his wings, Asterion bore the image of two suns instead of a Moon and Sun, and his mane wasn't crystal-like but softer, like a horse’s. Unlike Yasenia’s straight horns that swept upward in her dragon form, his were bull-like, curved forward, and incredibly thick.

Of course, thick in proportion. With how small Asterion was, Yasenia could easily wrap her hand around them.

Asterion flapped his wings happily while in Yasenia’s arms. Yasenia smiled happily; for dragons that were born in human forms, this was like when a baby learned to walk for the first time.

“Do you know how to fly with your wings, love?”

Asterion nodded and spread them out. The wings were large in comparison to his frame, and with a few flaps, he started to fly… or he would’ve if Yasenia’s arms were not trapping him in an incredibly tight hug.

Asterion blinked and looked at Yasenia. “Um… Mommy, I can’t fly if you hug me so tightly.”

Yasenia blinked back and smiled. “Really? Such a shame. It seems that you’ll have to stay in my arms for a while longer.”

Asterion: “...”

“Are you asking for kisses? You don’t have to say it twice, hehehe.”

And so, Asterion was smooched by his mom until he began clawing at her face and looking at the others, asking for help. Sadly, each time the girls approached, Yasenia would gently slap them away with her wagging tail.

She would not let her adorable baby go until she was satisfied!