Chapter 49: A gift for the Chen Family.

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: A gift for the Chen Family.

In fact, everyone in the Throne Hall already knew the truth about what had happened in the eastern region.

The reports had arrived weeks ago even.

They knew about the demons hidden within Blue Cloud Mist City, the formation connecting the city to the Blackmoon Demonic Kingdom, and the three demonic High Lords who had crossed through it.

They knew that all three had been killed, and more importantly, they knew that it was the Chen Family who had killed them. The reports were as clear as the day.

The major cultivation families were afraid, yes. But they doubted the Chen Family, with such power, would be interested in them.

And from that, they knew one thing. The Royal Family was not afraid of the Chen Family, but they were wary of them.

Especially Zhao Tianqiong.

For an entire month, the Chen Family had waited without receiving a single delegation from the Imperial Court or the Royal Family. No representatives had been sent to congratulate them, investigate them, or even formally acknowledge their existence.

That silence had not gone unnoticed, and the major forces within the capital understood exactly what it meant.

The Royal Family was wary of the Chen Family, especially after the Chen Family had suddenly revealed three High Lords.

Three.

That was not a small increase in strength.

One additional High Lord could completely change the balance between two great forces, especially when that force was a family that had remained powerful for centuries.

If the Chen Family truly possessed three High Lords while the Royal Family possessed only two, then the difference was not simply a matter of adding another powerful cultivator to the battlefield.

It meant that if the two families ever entered an all-out war, the Royal Family would be facing an opponent with a decisive advantage at the highest level of cultivation.

No matter how many Foundation Establishment cultivators the Royal Family possessed, they could not simply make up for the difference.

A single High Lord could suppress numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators.

And the Chen Family had three.

The Royal Family had spent countless centuries establishing itself as the supreme ruling family of the Great Yan Kingdom. Its position had survived generations of kings, wars, internal conflicts, and countless powerful cultivation families.

Naturally, the sudden appearance of a previously insignificant family with three High Lords made them uncomfortable.

Especially when there was a possibility that the Chen Family had been hiding its true strength all along.

Nobody knew how many secrets the family possessed.

Nobody knew whether those three High Lords were truly the entirety of its strength.

And that uncertainty was perhaps more frightening than the three High Lords themselves.

The major families understood this.

The Imperial Court understood this.

Even the Royal Family’s silence had already given them the answer. They were afraid of what the Chen Family might become.

And now, standing within the Imperial Throne Hall, the Imperial Court representative had finally said aloud what everyone else had been carefully avoiding.

"So you aren’t going to credit the Chen Family for the demons’ retreat?"

The Zhao Family representative immediately fell silent, his body trembling slightly as he cast a worried glance toward the throne.

Zhao Tianqiong was still sitting silently upon the throne, occasionally shifting his hand to support his chin as though he were lost in thought.

However, the princes and princesses standing within the Throne Hall clearly did not share the same calm. They hurriedly lowered their heads.

Seeing their reaction, almost everyone in the hall immediately followed suit.

Even the Zhao Family representative who had spoken moments ago lowered his head, his expression tense.

No one dared to speak, and the silence stretched on for what seemed like forever.

One breath at a time, then another, then another.

The atmosphere became increasingly heavy as everyone waited for the person upon the throne to speak. Finally, after what seemed like a long time, Zhao Tianqiong slowly lifted his gaze.

"Then, how do all of you suggest we should proceed with the Chen Family?"

A silence settled over the Throne Hall after Zhao Tianqiong’s question.

No one immediately dared to answer.

Then, from among the Imperial Court officials, an elderly minister slowly stepped forward and lowered himself into a deep bow.

"We will follow His Majesty’s decision."

His voice was calm and respectful. And as if it was a magic spell, the words seemed to break the tension. One official after another stepped forward, bowing their heads.

"We will follow His Majesty’s decision."

"The Imperial Court will follow His Majesty’s command."

"We will obey His Majesty’s arrangements."

Soon, the representatives of the major cultivation families also followed.

"The Ye Family will follow His Majesty’s decision."

"The Lin Family will do the same."

"The Su Family has no objections."

"The Qin Family will obey."

One by one, the voices filled the hall until there was no longer anyone willing to offer a different answer.

Zhao Tianqiong remained seated upon his throne, his expression unreadable as he listened to everyone acknowledge his authority.

The decision concerning the Chen Family had effectively been placed entirely in his hands, "So... I made the decision. If anything goes wrong, the blame would also fall on me, no?"

Zhao Tianqiong’s gaze shifted toward the representatives of the four major cultivation families and the rest of them, his eyes narrowing slightly as though he had already seen through their intentions.

The four families had been unusually quick to place the decision in his hands.

They did not want to make the choice themselves.

After all, if the Chen Family and the Royal Family eventually came into conflict, they would rather stand at the side and watch than become the ones who had pushed either side toward confrontation.

And perhaps more importantly, the four major families could not deny that part of them wanted to see what would happen if these two enormous forces finally collided.

The Royal Family had ruled the Great Yan Kingdom for centuries. The Chen Family had suddenly revealed three High Lords.

Two great behemoths now stood on opposite sides of an uncertain situation, and everyone in the hall understood that whatever happened next could change the balance of power within the kingdom.

Naturally, the four major families wanted to see which direction this confrontation would take.

But none of them were foolish enough to say it aloud. Zhao Tianqiong looked at them for several breaths before slowly leaning back against his throne.

"So that’s what all of you intended. No wonder none of your families dared to send your patriarchs to today’s meeting."

"Fearing that the smiles on your faces might be too obvious for me to see?"

Zhao Tianqiong smiled, his eyes narrowing.

As his words echoed, no one answered. The representatives of the four families simply lowered their heads, maintaining respectful expressions. They had already said what they needed to say.

Zhao Tianqiong remained silent for several breaths, his fingers lightly resting against the armrest of his throne.

Then, suddenly, he laughed, as though he found the situation rather amusing.

"Hahaha!"

His laughter echoed throughout the entire Throne Hall, catching everyone off guard.

The princes and princesses raised their heads slightly, while the ministers and representatives of the major families exchanged confused glances.

Zhao Tianqiong shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"You all really think too much, too much I say!"

His gaze swept across the hall before settling once again on the representatives of the four major cultivation families.

"So what if the Chen Family has three High Lords?"

His fingers lightly tapped against the armrest.

"Who said two tigers cannot rule the same mountain?"

The hall became completely silent.

Zhao Tianqiong’s smile widened.

"I’m an arrogant ruler, not a foolish ruler. There’s a difference."

He paused before continuing.

"Besides, if there are two tigers on the mountain, perhaps it simply means there are too few rabbits to hunt."

Several people exchanged glances.

Zhao Tianqiong leaned back against his throne, his expression relaxed.

"The Great Yan Kingdom is not so small that it cannot accommodate another powerful family."

He paused before continuing.

"If the Chen Family truly possesses the strength we have heard about, then perhaps having another tiger within our territory is not necessarily a bad thing."

Zhao Tianqiong’s gaze shifted toward the Qin Family representative.

"How about you, Qin Family? How do you feel about the Chen Family?"

The Qin Family representative’s expression immediately stiffened.

"Your Majesty, I have no opinion on the matter."

Zhao Tianqiong smiled.

"Is that so?"

He leaned back against his throne, his gaze becoming slightly more meaningful.

"Among all the major forces and families in this kingdom, only your Qin Family’s hidden strength can somewhat stand on par with our Zhao Family."

"Especially that dying old man. I wonder whether he has died yet?"

The Qin Family representative remained silent.

Zhao Tianqiong’s smile widened slightly.

"Now, now, tell me."

"Wouldn’t you think that if the Chen Family were to trouble the Zhao Family, it would benefit your Qin Family?"

The words caused the atmosphere within the hall to subtly change. Some of the ministers lowered their heads in thought, while the representatives of the four major families remained silent.

Zhao Tianqiong’s gaze eventually moved away from them and toward the princes and princesses standing below the throne.

His eyes slowly passed over them before settling on one of his daughters.

Slowly, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Zhao Linger."

His voice was noticeably softer than before and the young princess looked up in surprise.

"Come here, my dear."

Linger hesitated briefly before stepping forward.

"Yes, Father."

She began walking toward the throne, her graceful figure drawing the attention of several people in the hall.

She wore a long white dress embroidered with delicate golden patterns around the sleeves and hem, while her long black hair flowed down her back, held together by a simple jade hairpin.

Her features were delicate and elegant, with clear eyes, a fair complexion, and soft lips that gave her a naturally gentle appearance.

There was a quiet beauty to her that did not need extravagant jewelry or heavy makeup to stand out.

Her footsteps echoed softly across the vast hall as she approached the throne. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped and respectfully bowed.

"Your Majesty."

Zhao Tianqiong looked down at his daughter for several seconds before his expression softened considerably.

"Raise your head, Linger."

The princess slowly lifted her face.

"You don’t have to be so formal with your father."

Linger’s expression softened slightly as she straightened herself.

Zhao Tianqiong smiled.

"I have a task for you to complete."

He paused before asking gently,

"Are you willing to do it?"

Linger tilted her head slightly, a curious expression appearing on her beautiful face.

"A task?"

"Yes."

"What task, Father?"

Zhao Tianqiong’s smile remained as he glanced toward the representatives of the major cultivation families.

"Since the rest of the major families here were expecting our Zhao Family to go to war with the Chen Family..."

His gaze swept across the hall. Several representatives immediately became nervous when his eyes passed over them.

Zhao Tianqiong simply smiled.

"Naturally, we have to prove them wrong."

He turned his attention back to Linger.

"Don’t you hate people who try to sow discord when the stability of the kingdom is already so fragile?"

Linger thought about it for a moment before nodding seriously.

"Yes, I hate them."

Zhao Tianqiong smiled.

"Good."

He leaned slightly against his throne before continuing.

"Then you will go to the Chen Family as the Royal Family’s delegation."

Linger’s eyes widened slightly.

"You will represent our Zhao Family and formally acknowledge the Chen Family’s status."

Zhao Tianqiong’s smile deepened.

"I will personally write the decree."

He paused, allowing the words to settle throughout the hall.

"From this day onward, the Chen Family will be recognized as the... Lord of the Eastern Region."

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere within the Throne Hall subtly changed.

Everyone understood what Zhao Tianqiong was doing. This was not merely an acknowledgment. It was a direct response to the people who had been waiting for the Royal Family and the Chen Family to clash.

Instead of confronting the Chen Family, the King was openly granting them authority over the eastern region.

A few people could not help but secretly laugh. Some quickly covered their mouths or lowered their heads, afraid that their amusement would be noticed.

The representatives of the four major families, however, remained completely silent. Their expressions had become rather complicated.

Zhao Tianqiong did not bother looking at them again and he simply turned his attention back to his daughter.

"Can you handle this task?"

Zhao Linger nodded seriously.

"Yes, Father. I will."

Zhao Tianqiong smiled faintly before turning his gaze toward the side of the Throne Hall.

"Zhao Lianyu."

A figure stepped forward from among the Imperial Court officials. The veiled woman walked gracefully toward the center of the hall before stopping and cupping her hands respectfully.

"Your Majesty."

"You shall escort my daughter to the Chen Family’s grounds in the eastern region."

Zhao Tianqiong’s expression remained calm as he continued.

"Bring several more guards with you as well, and make sure..."

His gaze slowly swept across the representatives of the major cultivation families.

"...nothing goes astray."

The meaning behind his words was clear. His eyes lingered on the representatives for a brief moment before he smiled.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhao Lianyu bowed respectfully.

The meeting did not end immediately after Zhao Tianqiong assigned the task to Zhao Linger.

There were still several important matters that needed to be discussed.

The first was the situation at the southern border.

With the demonic forces becoming increasingly active there, the Imperial Court could no longer rely solely on the forces stationed at the front line. After several ministers exchanged their opinions, a new order was proposed.

From this day onward, every major force within the Great Yan Kingdom would be required to send reinforcements to the southern front.

Cultivation families, sects, independent cultivators, and other forces under the kingdom’s authority would each have to send at least one of their strongest cultivators to assist the Imperial Army.

The number of additional cultivators would depend on the size and strength of each force. And Zhao Tianqiong went all out, demanding more people from the major forces and greater contributions of resources from them.

Everyone understood what he meant, and the expressions of the representatives from the major forces couldn’t help but darken.

Naturally, this decision caused some discussion within the hall.

Some representatives immediately expressed their willingness to cooperate, while others remained silent for a little longer, clearly considering the cost of sending their strongest cultivators into a battlefield where demons were already attacking in large numbers.

In the end, however, the decision was passed.

The kingdom could no longer afford to allow its strongest forces to remain scattered throughout its territory while the southern front continued to deteriorate.

Another matter concerned the strengthening of defensive formations throughout the kingdom.

The Imperial Court would provide formation materials to several important cities and strategic locations, while the major cultivation families would be responsible for contributing additional resources and formation masters where possible.

Cities along the major routes would also receive additional patrols, especially those located near regions where demonic activity had recently been reported.

The ministers also discussed the transportation of spiritual resources to the southern front.

Pills, spiritual herbs, weapons, armor, formation materials, and other supplies would have to be transported continuously to prevent the frontline cultivators from running out of resources during prolonged battles.

Several merchant organizations were therefore ordered to cooperate with the Imperial Court, while cultivation families with large spiritual herb fields were encouraged to increase their production.

There was also discussion regarding the investigation of possible demonic infiltrators within the kingdom.

After what had happened in Blue Cloud Mist City, nobody could afford to assume that the demons were confined to the southern border.

The Imperial Court would increase its investigations into suspicious disappearances, unexplained deaths, unusual movements between cities, and organizations whose behavior had changed without explanation.

The decisions continued one after another.

By the time the final matter had been discussed, several hours had already passed. Eventually, Zhao Tianqiong looked across the Throne Hall.

"That will be all for today."

The ministers and representatives immediately bowed.

"We obey, Your Majesty."

The meeting had finally ended.

The representatives of the various forces began leaving the Throne Hall one after another, each carrying their own thoughts about the decisions that had just been made.

Before Zhao Linger left, however, Zhao Tianqiong called her back.

"Linger."

She turned around.

"Yes, Father?"

Zhao Tianqiong reached into his storage ring and took out another storage ring. It was simple in appearance, without any extravagant decorations, but a faint golden glow surrounded its surface.

He held it out toward her.

"This is a gift for the Chen Family."

Linger accepted it with both hands.

"A gift?"

"Yes."

Zhao Tianqiong nodded.

"Make sure to give it to them personally."

Linger looked at the storage ring curiously before slipping it onto her finger.

"Understood, Father."

She poured a trace of spiritual energy into the ring to inspect its contents.

And the moment she saw what was inside, her eyes widened and her mouth slowly fell open.

Inside the storage space were mountains of spiritual stones piled together like small hills. Boxes of spiritual herbs filled one section after another, many of them being rare materials that she had only seen in the Royal Family’s treasury.

There were also countless bottles of pills, precious refining materials, high-quality spiritual artifacts, and various treasures carefully packed into separate containers.

The sheer amount of wealth inside the storage ring left even Zhao Linger speechless.

Her eyes sparkled.

"Father is totally going all out on this expedition..."

Zhao Tianqiong smiled faintly.

"Of course."

He looked at his daughter.

"If we are going to acknowledge the Chen Family, then we should at least show them enough sincerity."

Linger nodded repeatedly as she continued staring into the storage ring.

"That’s... a lot of sincerity."

Zhao Tianqiong chuckled.

"Now go and prepare."

"Yes, Father."

Linger carefully stored the ring away before leaving the Throne Hall. Not long afterward, she returned to her residence to prepare for the journey.

Her room was spacious and elegantly decorated, with pale curtains hanging beside the windows and delicate furniture arranged neatly around the room.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the various items that Zhao Linger had already spread across her bed.

She packed clothes, pills, spiritual stones, food, a few books, and several bottles of spiritual medicine.

Even a small jade box containing some of her personal belongings.

Zhao Linger moved around the room, picking up one item after another and carefully placing them into her storage pouch.

She paused before looking at another object.

"Should I bring this as well?"

She picked up a small box. Behind her, Zhao Lianyu stood quietly with her arms folded, watching the princess move around the room.

After watching her for several breaths, she finally spoke.

"Princess, there’s no need to bring so much."

Linger turned around.

"But we’re going all the way to the eastern region."

She looked at the pile of belongings covering her bed.

"What if we need something?"

Zhao Lianyu glanced at the bed.

"You have enough supplies there to survive for several months."

Linger blinked.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Zhao Lianyu pointed toward the bed.

"You have enough clothes for several changes, enough pills to treat most minor injuries, enough spiritual stones for the journey, and enough food to feed several people."

She paused before adding,

"And you are also bringing three different books."

Linger looked down at the books.

"I might get bored."

Zhao Lianyu stared at her silently. And linger quietly picked up another item.

"Then I’ll bring this too."

"Princess."

Zhao Lianyu sighed, "We are going to visit the Chen Family, not move there."

Linger looked at her for a few seconds before laughing softly.

"Fine."

She reluctantly placed the item back down. And when the imperial envoy saw this, she couldn’t help but shook her head.

"Besides, the Royal Family has already prepared everything necessary for the journey. You don’t need to worry about food, transportation, accommodation, or protection."

Linger nodded.

"I know."

Her hand instinctively touched the storage ring containing the King’s gift, "But Father personally entrusted this task to me. Plus, it is my first time going this far."

Her expression became slightly more serious.

"I don’t want to make any mistakes."

Zhao Lianyu’s eyes softened slightly.

"You won’t."

Linger looked at her.

"How do you know?"

"Because His Majesty would not have chosen you if he did not trust you."

Linger smiled faintly.

"You’re right."

She looked around the room once more before finally placing the last few necessities into her storage pouch.

"There."

She clapped her hands lightly.

"I’m ready."

Zhao Lianyu glanced at the still half-filled bed.

"You are?"

Linger nodded confidently.

"Yes."

Zhao Lianyu looked at the pile again.

"...At least you left half of it behind."