Chapter 475: Reconciliation at Last

Chapter 475: Chapter 161: Reconciliation at Last

News of Jiang Lan—son of the Prime Minister, husband of the current Emperor Xia, and the titled Feng Jun—personally visiting Immortal Ascension Island soon spread like wildfire among the great Daoist Inheritance Immortal Sects and Noble Families.

To be honest, this took many by surprise. Given Jiang Lan’s esteemed status, taking such a risk so lightly was not something most people expected him to do.

Many began to speculate whether the Prime Minister had other arrangements in play.

Or perhaps there were other reasons?

While the various powers were busy speculating, Jiang Lan, led by the Fourth Prince, was already on his way to his pre-arranged residence.

At the welcome banquet, the Fourth Prince was the picture of sycophancy. If not for Jiang Lan’s special status as the husband of Emperor Xia, they would have arranged for the young women of their clan to keep him company and pour his wine.

During the banquet, the Fourth Prince talked exclusively about the local culture and customs of Immortal Ascension Island, never once mentioning the Demon Abyss.

Jiang Lan, for his part, was in no hurry to press the issue. He hadn’t actually come to Immortal Ascension Island to investigate the Demon Calamity in the first place.

The eruption of the Demon Calamity was not something that could be stopped by mortal hands.

Even if the Ancient Three Saints of old were to walk the earth again, they couldn’t possibly stop it. The Demonic Qi, having accumulated over countless ages, had already reached a truly terrifying level.

Furthermore, the depths of the Demon Abyss connected to an Otherworld Plane, and the Demon Race creatures within were beyond number.

The Demon Abyss was now like a dam with a crack already formed. In the past, the Ancient Three Saints had used numerous methods to patch, seal, and block that opening, thereby resolving the Demon Calamity.

But as eons passed, more fissures had appeared around that original gap, expanding and spreading into deeper planes of spacetime. The moment the dam finally burst, the breach would be far greater than ever before.

The scale of the impending Demon Calamity would far surpass that of the era of the Ancient Three Saints.

Stopping it was futile.

Whether the Barbarian Race caused destruction or not, it would have little real impact on the final Demon Calamity.

Of course, Jiang Lan would never say any of this to Emperor Xia. ‘After all, I still need to put myself in harm’s way, curry favor, and take the opportunity to snatch the Free Ancient Talisman from the depths of the Demon Abyss.’

Naturally, the banquet was a joyous affair for both host and guest.

After it concluded, Prince Zhong promised to compile all the records of recent changes in the Demon Abyss by the next day for Jiang Lan to review.

Jiang Lan gave a slight nod, feeling no sense of urgency.

‘I’d originally thought these people would pay lip service while secretly obstructing me, and I might run into some trouble. But ever since I left the War Flying Ship and saw the Fourth Prince personally welcoming me with a large retinue, I realized… he has likely been threatened and intimidated by someone.’

‘As for who could have done it, that was a no-brainer.’

‘Jiang Ruxian must have learned of my destination from Emperor Xia and followed me. With her unfathomable power, tearing open the Void to arrive here before me would have been a simple matter.’

‘And right now, Jiang Ruxian is somewhere in this very mansion.’

“My Lord, I have had your sleeping quarters prepared.”

The banquet concluded after 3:00 AM, at which point the Fourth Prince respectfully took his leave, careful not to disturb Jiang Lan’s rest.

As for Ao Yin, Kong Xuan, and the others, they were given rooms in a separate courtyard to rest.

They had been quiet and taciturn for the entire journey. Unless Jiang Lan gave them a direct order, they would not speak up or ask questions. Their pride and arrogance were plain to see.

Although he had subdued them with a show of force when they first met, deep down, they still refused to accept his authority.

Jiang Lan, however, couldn’t care less. ‘I have plenty of time to break them in and make them obey.’

‘Especially Ao Yin, the Princess of the Dragon-man Race.’

“My Lord, please follow us.”

A young woman in a palace gown, her figure lithe and graceful, led the way with a Golden Lamp in hand.

She was followed by several other young women dressed in the same manner, their hair tied up in buns. They carried an Incense Burner, robes and towels, and trays of fruit, preserves, and tea.

The bedchamber was enormous and lavishly decorated in gilded red and gold. Around the bed, hanging draperies billowed like clouds of mist.

Deeper within was a bath carved from bluestone, shrouded in a hazy mist from the rising steam, making it look like a paradise on earth.

Jiang Lan knew Prince Zhong’s intentions with a single glance, but he wasn’t bothered. ‘When it’s time to indulge, one must indulge.’

‘This was all routine for him by now.’

Attended to by the young women, he quickly changed into a robe and slipped into the bath.

Petals with a clear, calming fragrance floated on the water’s surface, making it easy to relax.

He rested his arms on the edge of the pool, leaning forward with his head propped on his forearms. He closed his eyes. The past few days of travel and planning had left him mentally drained and weary.

The young women removed their outer robes, leaving them in just their undergarments, and slipped into the pool as well. They positioned themselves behind him and began to gently massage his shoulders.

Gazing at the skin of his back—fair and translucent as jade, with an almost crystalline glow—the young women felt their faces flush. Beneath the water, they squeezed their legs together slightly.

Having had his foundation reforged by the Immortal Embryo Creation Dew, Jiang Lan’s physical body had long ago achieved a purity comparable to the Innate—flawless, like heaven’s most perfect masterpiece. It constantly exuded a natural, fragrant Dao Rhyme.

A single bite of his flesh would be enough to extend a mortal’s life.

With their shallow cultivation, the young women didn’t understand what this all meant. All they knew was that the man before them, Jiang Lan, was the most handsome man they had ever laid eyes on.

A single glance was enough to make them blush. No wonder the Empress of Great Xia had named him her Feng Jun.