Chapter 429 - Leave!
The unambiguous reaction from the crowd made the Captain even angrier but he knew they didn't stand a chance if they tried to fight it.
"Can you hear it? I think the crowd is against it," Xuefeng said happily, shrugging as if it wasn't his fault. The truth was, the Captain dug his own grave by fighting against him with words.
The Captain didn't say anything, stepping cautiously as the ice beneath their feet was really thin. He didn't want hurt Royal Family name by accident. Unfortunately, his men were not that smart as him.
"This doesn't change anything!" the man behind him called out, acting like his right hand. "Organizing such a big event in the capital without Royal Family's permission is a criminal offense!"
The Captain wanted to stop him from talking but it was already too late.
"So you want to arrest me now? Whoa, Royal Family. Is this what you really are?" Xuefeng asked with a frown, showing his anger for the first time. "And here I thought that Royal Family has any good left in them. I was wrong."
He didn't stop at it but turned to the crowd and called out with passion and injustice crying from his expression.
"People! Can you see it?! They are trying to arrest me! All I wanted to do is bring change! Change for all the women in this world! And what Royal Family does? They want to take it away from you!"
He pointed at the Captain and his group who were already getting red from the accusations and continued.
"They want to stop us cause that will only bring them loses! Can't they be more shameless than this?! Not caring about our loving daughters, our caring wives and us, men, who want to see our beautiful women happy and sexy every single day!" Xuefeng cried out with power, moving the men of the crowd.
"YEAH!"
"Women! How many times have you been to the tailor shop, looking at the mediocre dresses which not only cost fortune but also take weeks to make?!" He switched to the beautiful sex, aiming into their problems.
"ALL THE TIME!" the women in the crowd called out with one voice.
"Men! Is this what you want for your women?! Royal Family wants to close our shop and silence the revolution in fashion! Recall the smiles of your women while watching the event! Will you let Royal Family ruin their happiness?!" Xuefeng asked once again, his voice getting stronger and stronger.
"NO!" This time every single men joined in the cry, showing their stand.
"Lies! This is pure slander!" the Captain countered his words, shouting out to public but Xuefeng didn't bother with him.
"All they want are profits! Not caring about us! The people! Their greedy mouths fed with golden spoons have never enough! This show is an example! Right when we present you with a great collection, they come here to arrest and shut it down! We can't let that happen!" Xuefeng raised his fist to the sky as he yelled.
"WE CAN'T!" Both men and women joined, raising their fists to the sky.
The Captain was officially horrified, looking at Xuefeng as if he was a scary beast. He gained the crowd's voice in just a few sentences, acting like their leader.
He still had to grit his teeth and try to fight back else Royal Family reputation would be completely ruined.
"You are the same!" He shouted. "Don't lie about profits! Your business also needs them! Will you give away your goods for free?! All you say now is your evil strategy to ruin our reputation!"
Some people actually paused, thinking that they were being tricked by Xuefeng but he quickly corrected their thoughts.
"Wrong!" Xuefeng denied firmly. "I gave away ten million Spirit Stones! How dare you assume I value money more than people's happiness?! If Royal Family doesn't only think about profits, go do the same!"
Cough!
The sheer thought of throwing away ten million from his pocket made the Captain choke. It couldn't happen as he didn't have this much on him but even if he did, he would never do that.
"Just as I thought!" Xuefeng responded to his silence and began his finishing move.
"To prove my words, I would like to give you all my promise that each piece of our collection will be affordable for all! With our great designs, we could sell all products at high prices and they would still sell well," Xuefeng said honestly, many confirming his words with nods.
If their pretty dresses had the same prices as those from Royal Family tailor shops, people would definitely line up to buy them.
"You probably wonder why we would do that?" Xuefeng asked, answering for them right after. "It's cause we care about every woman, no matter rich or poor. Now you won't need to save up for months to buy a mediocre dress. This is my promise to you, my dear women. I hope each of you will finally feel pretty, getting what you deserve."
He looked at the crowd with a loving gaze, one he would only show to his wives. It wasn't a surprise that in combination with his words, he melted women's hearts.
The Captain was already speechless, knowing he lost any support from the crowd that he had left. The best choice for him was to leave before the situation gets worse. Just as he thought about it though, planning to turn around and run, Xuefeng faced them.
"I have never thought Royal Family would be like this. I'm disgusted. Leave!" He ordered as he glared at them.
He didn't even need to do anything for the crowd to react similarly, chanting in one voice.
"LEAVE!"
"LEAVE!"
"LEAVE!"
The pressuring energy from the crowd left them no choice but to disappear quickly.
At the same time, Riu who was already prepared for that, called out as the chanting stopped, "The problem seems to be solved! I would like to finally announce that Liu Clan Clothing Pavilion is open!"
Chapter 430 - Wu's POV
"Mom and Dad were right…" Wu muttered to herself, staring at the majestic Xuefeng who supervised the crowd from above. "There are no other men like him…"
She couldn't help but acknowledge that he was a smart man by manipulating everyone so easily. Not only did he gain the crowd's recognition but also ruined Royal Family's name which was exactly what he was after.
Just as she was in her thinking zone, the people around her began to go crazy. "The shop is opening! Let's go!" They cried out seeing the doors to the shop opening and many rushed, trying to be in the first batch to enter.
People pushed each other, trying to get ahead of the other which forced her to fly above the crowd. She already expected the chaos but it was beyond describing. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed it.
Wu saw Xuefeng's frown and immediately call out, "I know that everyone wants to buy your favorite pieces today, but due to the high demand, not everyone will be able to visit our store today. If we see anyone creating trouble, they will be banned from shopping in our stores."
On top of his shocking words, he flew all the way down near the shop entrance, hovering above the people to even further discourage anyone from misbehaving.
It was quite obvious that a few million people would never fit into the store of this sizes but a reminded was still required. Once everyone did something, others would follow which created chaos.
Even though he said it clearly, there were still some who didn't want to comply with his orders. Wu saw him extend his hand in the direction of the crowd and five people were lifted out of mass.
"Were my words unclear?" He asked sternly, his voice hitting everyone, finally making everyone halt. It was clear that the guards didn't let anyone inside despite the shop's opening.
"N-no…" The five people replied fearfully, not expecting Xuefeng had such powers.
"This is my final warning. If we see anyone pushing and cutting in the queue, I will personally ban them for life from all our stores. Did I made myself clear?" he warned, making an example of the five people.
"Y-yes…" the five nodded with their heads lowered, looking ashamed. Xuefeng didn't say anything else, throwing them somewhere at the back with no chance of entering the shop today.
"All I want is a pleasant experience for everyone. Respect each other just as you respect yourself. In the next few days, we will be opening tens of shops throughout the Capital so everyone will be able to enjoy our collection. Just be patient," Xuefeng explained, returning to his warm character and gave the signal to the guards who finally began to let people inside.
'I need to talk to him…' Wu thought, her desire to increase with each minute. She knew that Xuefeng wouldn't stay in the sky whole day and would soon leave the rest to the guards so she left, flying away to the edge of the Main Square with less people. She hoped to catch him on his way back to the Liu Clan's Palace.
Just as she expected, a few minutes later, Xuefeng left the scene, flying in her direction. Despite his absence, the crowd didn't go wild like before. Getting his word that there would be more stores in the couple more days, those who were not in a hurry simply started leaving, preferring to go when it was less crowded.
She was already in the sky, waiting for him to reach her when a few girls from the crowd decided to approach Xuefeng before she had her chance, forcing him to halt. She didn't know why but her heart got uneasy when she saw all girls were young and beautiful.
Before she knew, her body was already flying up in Xuefeng's direction, hoping he will see her. The lady fortune seemed to be on her side as he spotted her right after she showed up.
She waved at him, curious on what he was talking about with the girls and to her surprise, the pretty girls turned around in her direction to check her out. At that moment, Xuefeng seemed like he excused himself and flew towards her, clearly prioritizing her. Her undecided heart warmed up.
"Manager Wu, what are you doing here?" he asked with a bright smile, stopping in front of her.
"Just Wu is fine," she said, willing to be more casual with him. "Aren't you busy? I don't want to disturb you."
"I'm fine with Wu. We are already friends after all." Xuefeng naturally agreed with the naming, finding it even better and replied, "I'm heading home now so I am not particularly busy. My plans were already changed by the event."
"Mhmm… but what about the girls behind you?" Wu asked curiously. "Did you tell them something about me?"
"Them?" Xuefeng pointed with a slight head tilt. "They said they are my fans and wanted to chat. You appeared in the perfect moment. I told them I actually have business with the beauty behind them."
"So that why they looked at me strangely. They probably thought they are better company than an old auntie like me, ha ha," Wu joked at herself, not expecting Xuefeng to momentarily get angry.
"What are you talking about? Auntie? You are still a beauty in your prime. If you say you are old one more time I won't talk to you again. Humph," Xuefeng scolded, making Wu really happy.
She didn't know why but getting into the mood, she asked shamelessly as if asking for more compliments, "Am I really…? Do you find me pretty…?" Wu regretted it afterward, wanting to slap her forehead yet Xuefeng didn't mind the question, nodding.
"I find you really pretty. If anyone thinks otherwise they are either blind or gay," he said confidently.
"Thank you." Wu replied sincerely as she put a strand of her brown-hair behind her ear, a bit of rosy color appearing on her cheek. "Can I accompany you on your way back to the palace? I have something I would like to talk about."
"Of course, it will be my pleasure," Xuefeng nodded and folded his wings, using his cultivation to fly next to her. It would be hard with how big his wings were.
Just as she was about to speak, he smiled and read her mind, "I guess you want to talk about the clothing brand that we created?"
She wasn't even surprised and nodded, turning back into businesswoman, "Yes, with the demand this big, there is no way Liu Clan can supply the whole capital on your own. I want you to outsource some of the work to Trade Union. You will need large workforce of qualified workers to handle so much tailoring. We can provide that together with all necessary materials."
"Sure, but our main tailor will be responsible for managing everything. The quality has to be kept," Xuefeng agreed, making his own demand which Wu naturally accepted. "Of course."
"Then it's a deal. You can talk to my father about the details. I don't think I will be able to handle it. I'm quite busy with my own training recently. Aside from Alchemy and Crafting, I still need to improve my cultivation. I don't plan to stay here for long," Xuefeng said honestly, not lying to her.
"Oh…" Wu opened her mouth as a sudden thought crossed his mind. She wasn't in a hurry and Xuefeng plans gave her an idea.
"Can you tell me when do you plan to Ascend to Heaven's Realm…?"
Chapter 431 - Continue
"Hmm, I don't really know but no longer than four years from now on. I have something I need to do in Heaven's Realm before that time. The faster I go the better," Xuefeng answered, wondering why she asked. "Why? Are you planning to Ascend too any time soon?""Mhmm, Trade Union is an a corporation spreading throughout all Realms. I will definitely find more opportunities once I Ascend. Was just wondering if we can see each other there," Wu explained, suddenly stopping her flight. They arrived near the Liu Clan Palace which would mean their separation. "I will definitely ask about you when I visit Trade Union there and make you my manager once again. Hopefully we can Ascend around the same time," Xuefeng said happily, knowing it would be hard to find a women as responsible and capable as Wu. For some reason, Wu shivered, looking down. "Right… You are right… I will of course always be your manager," she said quietly, her face covered with hair as she looked down, acting as if she was wiping her eyes. Xuefeng immediately noticed that something was wrong and asked worried, "Did something happen?""Sorry, something got into my eyes and I can't get it out," Wu explained as she lifted her head. Her eyes were already red from too much rubbing. Xuefeng couldn't let her suffer like that and approached her, gently holding onto her face. "Let me see. Don't move," he called out, looking straight into her black pearls. He first carefully wiped her tears caused by the rubbing before scanning in search of the intruder in the form of dust. "I can't see anything…" Xuefeng muttered after a while, finding nothing. He couldn't feel her hands placed in his hips but he didn't mind, thinking she was supporting herself to stay steady. "Maybe check the second one…" Wu proposed, squeezing his hips as if she was in pain. "Nope, still nothing," Xuefeng shook his head again. "Maybe its gone already." "Mhmm, probably," Wu nodded, smiling at him. "Or maybe it's cause I didn't sleep well last night. I might be too tired." She stopped tearing up so Xuefeng thought she was alright and let go of her face. "You should go home and rest then," Xuefeng suggested, fixing one strand of hair for her by putting it behind her ear. "Okay, now you are ready to go." He didn't think too much of it but she started staring at him, acting as if she was in daze. "Is there something on my face?" he asked, touching himself yet she only smiled. "No, you are still as handsome as before," She finally replied, getting ready to leave. "I will settle everything with your father. Have a nice day Xuefeng." She flew for more than a meter when Xuefeng reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Wu, wait for a moment," He called out. "Yes?" "Can you close your eyes for a second?" he asked mysteriously, holding her hand and she complied. To cheer her up, he decided to gift her something only he could give. "Please, don't resist when I enter inside you," he warned her before he did anything. "Wha—" Wu frowned when she heard him but then blushed the moment Ling inserted her Fate Qi into Wu's body, heading towards her Spirit. There was a slight resistance at the start but she didn't block Ling in the end. "Alright, done. With a better talent, it will be easier for you to Ascend later," he said happily, letting go of her hand. She looked as if she didn't know what to do but then she dove into his arms. "Thank you…" Wu said sincerely squeezing his body tightly. "It's nothing," he brushed it away, knowing it was all Ling and they finally separated for good. "I will get going then. My girls are probably waiting to eat together with me. Rest well."There was a couple of complicated emotions visible on her face but it was easy to mistake it for just being speechless. He wouldn't mind chatting more with her but he already left for a while. He still had the appointment with Lisa for another lesson for which he was already late. He didn't know that all he needed to do is kiss her and she would be his but now the entry barrier would be much higher for him.———At the same time, the news of Royal Family's failure on the Main Square finally reached the Ruler of the Realm's ears. He naturally didn't take it well, cursing and smashing things around his palace. "Call for the Captain of the City Guards! Now!" he yelled at his servants who quickly scattered away. No one wanted to face the angry Ruler but they didn't have a choice. The middle-aged man, the same one who led the group earlier came into the room a moment later and his heart sank, seeing the Ruler angry. He knew his chances of survival were low. "Can you tell me what the fuck happened?! I clearly said to avoid any conflicts with that Xuefeng and what did you do?! You argued with him and got played like a kid, disgracing Royal Family's name!" The Ruler showed no mercy and etiquette as he scolded. The Captain knew it was all his fault, even if it was his men who did it. Defending himself at that moment would only hurt him even more. "First we the whole Royal Family in the border city and now this," Ruler of the Realm called out as if blaming him for everything. "Millions of women will now think we are against them! Do you have any idea what does it mean?!"The Captain wanted to ask what but he stopped himself, staying quiet. Too bad the Ruler didn't explain further, already fed up with it and gave him the choice. "Either you find a way to fix it or your head will roll." Gulp. The Captain swallowed his saliva but thankfully, he didn't come empty handed, knowing what awaits him. "The whole matter blew up cause of that young man's accusation that Royal Family only cares about profits. We just need to show that we care more about the people. That Xuefeng gave out Ten Million Spirit Stones to the crowd and how much respect he got from that. We just need to give more to people and your Majesty's position will be stronger than ever," the Captain proposed, awaiting the Ruler's decision with his head bowed. "Continue." ,
Chapter 432 - Xiao Wen's Proposal
Guys! Sorry about last chapter. There was a bug on Inkstone Webnovel and my chapter got corrupted, turning into one big plain text. I was too sleepy to even check so I only saw it this morning. It's already fix for anyone who suffered reading it yesterday. I should have checked beforehand. My bad. Enjoy the latest chapter <3
———
As Xuefeng flew back to the palace, planning to enter through the balcony, Ling finally couldn't hold herself back. 'Xuefeng, you are such a dummy sometimes,' she admitted, disappointed with Xuefeng.
'What did I do?' Xuefeng was momentarily confused, halting in front of the balcony.
'How can you still not read women's emotions while having so many wives?' Ling asked, not understanding him.
'What? Is it about Wu? Did I say something bad?" he realized he might have misspoke but scanning his previous conversation, he didn't find anything.
'If it was anyone else, I wouldn't care but Wu is special. She is actually smart and can help us plenty with her business mind. You already have so many wives so one more won't change anything,' Ling explained, knowing Xuefeng was a dumbo when it came to reading women's feelings.
Hearing her words, his eyes widened. 'Wu likes me…? Aren't you mistaken? I think I would have noticed. We just mutually respect each other I think. Maybe thats why you would thi—' Xuefeng muttered, picturing Wu in his mind but then Ling cut him off.
'She gave you so many signs, didn't you see it? Asking if she is pretty, hugging you tightly, squeezing your hips as she held you and she even teared up when she realized she is only a manager for you. She covered it by saying something got into her eye and wanted to leave it at that, giving up on you but then as you held her, I could feel her heart beat faster. You gave her hope again only to crush it by not doing anything,' Ling laid it down for him to elementary parts.
Only then did Xuefeng began to understand it, feeling stupid. How could he not see it. The look she gave him right after they separated was an obvious signal.
'Why didn't you tell me earlier…? I could do something with it,' Xuefeng asked, feeling bad. He probably hurt Wu with how he acted. He could be more tactful.
'You already did the damage and if I told you, it wouldn't help anyone. You would only make it worse,' Ling replied. 'For now don't do anything. It not like you have feelings for her so it will be awkward for you if you meet her now. The truth is, even if you doesn't love her now, she can still be your women and join our group. You never know if any feelings get born in the future.'
'Okay. Before I do anything, I will discuss it with the girls first. I can't be selfish anymore,' Xuefeng decided, landing on the balcony. Even if Ling was right, he couldn't decide it for himself. He was not alone anymore.
Xuefeng opened his room and to his surprise, all his girls were still laying on the bed, snuggling into each other. They were already awake, chatting and giggling. It warmed his heart to see everyone getting along with each other and he couldn't ask for more.
"Xuefeng! You are back!" Yiren called out, seeing him by the balcony and quickly stood up, running up to him to welcome him with a warm hug. "You were away for so long…"
He embraced her, picking her up and she wrapped around him like a bear, not letting go. "There was an event that I had to manage. My father opened a grand clothing shop and millions on people came for the show. Though, I only came when it ended so I couldn't see it. I hoped I can record it for you girls," he explained as he carried Yiren to the bed, sitting on the edge.
"It's okay, we were having a nice chat with each other so we were not bored," Xiao Wen assured him, leaning over for her own sweet kiss.
"Oh, what did you talk about?" Xuefeng asked curiously, hugging the naked body of Xiao Wen as well.
"About the future," Xiao Wen revealed, snuggling into his chest next to Yiren. "We decided that we should intensify our training. If we don't, we will have a hard time catching up with you."
"That's a good idea," Xuefeng nodded, wanting their growth the most. "But aren't you already training hard? Don't be so hard on yourself."
"Yeah but I'm thinking about something different. Me, Yi and Tianshi already have a Fate Spirit but the others doesn't. How about we use the Fate Organization to get some abilities and a few more Spirits for Wuying, Shan, Yiren and Nuwa?" Xiao Wen suggested. "I'm thirsty for some action so it would be a nice opportunity for us."
Hearing her, Xuefeng forgot about Wu issue for a moment, getting intrigued with her proposal. "Can we actually bring everyone inside the Fate Organization Realm? I thought only Fate Holders can enter inside."
"Technically its not allowed and anyone who does it will be killed but will that apply to us as well?" Xiao Wen asked rhetorically as she smiled. She knew that the Fate Organization leader cares about Xuefeng so they wouldn't do them anything.
'Will we be able to extract a few more Fate Spirits?' Xuefeng asked in his mind and Drakos replied, awaking from his slumber, 'Yes. There shouldn't be a problem. We just can't support the Spirit for long so it's best one connects with it right away.'
"Alright, we can do it. But lets wait for Nuwa first. It would be good to have her near in case we need to fight," Xuefeng agreed in the end. Without Nuwa it would be too risky.
"Okay, then its settled. We will go tomorrow. I can't wait to visit arena once again," Xiao Wen said happily, hugging him. "Nuwa said she will arrive today so there shouldn't be a problem."
"Mhmm. Now that we have this out of the way, I wanted to talk—," Xuefeng began, thinking they could talk about Wu's case but he was disturbed.
Yiren reacted from something, her eyes brightening and she looked outside the balcony. "Mom is back! I can sense her!" she cried out happily.
She pulled away from Xuefeng's chest and hopped out of the bed, wearing only her white panties. She walked to the balcony, trying to spot Nuwa in the distance and spotted countless dots flying towards the Capital.
"Shall we go and meet them?" Yiren asked excitedly, happy to meet her fellow clan mates. She hoped that her best friend would be coming or maybe her Auntie.
"How about we wear something first? This sight should be only reserved to Xuefeng, don't you think?" Tianshi proposed as she touched her breasts and pressed them against Xuefeng's chest, claiming Yiren spot.
"Of course!" Yiren called out as she ran back towards the bed and halted, recalling that Xuefeng wanted to say something. "Xuefeng, what did you want to talk about? Sorry I cut you off."
"Ah, we will talk about it later." Xuefeng shook his head. "Go get ready and we will all go greet Nuwa."
Now that Nuwa came back, he wanted to hear her opinion as well.
"Yes!"
Chapter 433 - Nuwa's POV - part 1
Coming back to her kingdom, Nuwa already had her own plans. She wanted to fully connect the two worlds and bring both her race and Xuefeng's Clan to another level.
Naturally, she had to be cautious with her actions. If the people from the outside world learn about Holy Land, they would flock over and try to get inside. The situation would be even worse if they learned about Fate Stones that endlessly appeared. They wouldn't have any peace left.
To protect their people, she could only use the best control tools at her disposal.
Fear, manipulation and deception.
She had to inflict fear into both Humans and Elves, making them wary of each other by manipulating them with different deceptions. It sounded wrong but once she loses the control, everything will turn into a mess. She didn't want to see chaos once she is gone either.
"This must to be larger," Nuwa muttered as she came out of the well in her bathroom, acting as the exit point for the Holy Land. "We will need to rebuild the whole Palace for that."
She dried her blond hair and clothes with a bit of Fire Qi before fixing herself in front of the mirror. 'Do I look cold and bitchy enough?' She asked herself in her mind, the usual smile she wore around Xuefeng gone. The Queen's vibe emanated from her.
Nuwa didn't bring her standard Elvish outfit but rather the dress Xuefeng bought her, wanting to show off new style to Elvish girls. It was a simple summer dress, having all white top with a colorful flower design at the edge of her skirt.
Getting out of the bathroom, she looked around and saw that nothing changed, bringing her nostalgia. The usual peace this small Hidden Realm had would be gone soon. She didn't want to do it but it was necessary, knowing that she will be leaving for good in a few years.
Just as she wanted to approach the doors, someone opened them for her. It was Tangwei who was caring a vase of flowers to place it on the small table. She almost dropped it when she saw Nuwa.
"Queen! You are back!" Tangwei called out, quickly placing the flowers down before bowing to her, bright smiles appearing right away. "Everyone was asking about you Queen."
"Let's greet them then. I have a couple of announcements," Nuwa nodded, not wasting time anymore and walked towards the doors. Tangwei could only follow after her patiently.
"Oh," Nuwa stopped as she recalled. "Note down to call for the designer. We will need to remodel the palace today."
"Yes!" Tangwei agreed, not asking any questions.
Nuwa gathered Palace guards and ordered them to gather all citizens to the main square for her speech. It was naturally a lengthy process as there were many flying islands which they had to visit so Nuwa used that time to claim the revenue from the auction house and listen to Tangwei's updates.
Afterward they brought a designer to the palace who frowned hearing Nuwa's request.
"I want to remodel the whole throne room and nearby apartments into a giant place which would act like a lobby and guarding spot for the tunnels. I also want to enlarge the entrances for a better access," Nuwa ordered, already having it all planned.
The old elf wasn't the one who built the palace but he still felt pain from hearing about destruction. It was a marvelous piece of architecture which he didn't want to ruin. Naturally, he couldn't argue with the Queen.
"My Queen, when do you want to have it done?" he asked politely.
"Today," Nuwa said firmly, not giving him a way to say no. "It has to be done by today. Get as many workers as you need."
"Hmm…" the old elf looked like he was counting stuff and finally said confidently, "I can be done by evening if I have at least ten masters of Earth Element. They need to be experienced with building through."
"Alright. Start right away." Nuwa agreed and patted Tangwei's head. "Tangwei will assist you with everything." The girl in her opinion was really capable and didn't mind to leave her some managing roles.
"Yes, Queen," Tangwei and the old elf replied at the same time.
"Are there any specifications of—" the old elf wanted to ask for details but he got disturbed when a Royal Guard entered the throne room.
"My Queen, the people already gathered and everyone is waiting," he notified. "Should I tell them to wait?"
"No, I'm leaving right now." Nuwa shook her head and left with him after one sentence. "Ask Tangwei for any questions. I already talked about the concept with her."
Almost the whole race gathered on the main plaza with some hovering in the sky as there was no place to land for them. A small place was left in the middle where the podium was created but it was reserved for Nuwa.
Once the elves saw her, they immediately cheered but she stayed calm, landing without everyone staring at her. Her mother was already there, closing her restaurant to join the announcement as well.
"We can talk about everything later in detail," Nuwa said as she hugged her mom and received a nod from her. Both knew some things should be kept hidden to the general public.
"My People!" Nuwa called out, her voice reverberating throughout the plaza. Everyone quietened down, knowing they wouldn't be called by the Queen if the message wasn't important.
"I would like to share a secret that Royal Family has been hiding from you all for a while," Nuwa began, already making everyone hooked with first sentence. What was more interesting than royal secrets?
"As you already know, there is another world outside of ours from which one person is chosen every twenty five years. We recently discovered that there is actually a way to enter and leave our world however we wish," Nuwa exposed, shocking everyone around her.
People started chatting between themselves but they quickly stopped, realizing the queen was waiting to continue.
"Some of you might have already guessed but the products that our auction has to offer actually come from the outside world. I brought them back here after visiting it a few times. Its an amazing world with far bigger land than you can ever imagine," Nuwa teased, suddenly making everyone excited. "But there is a catch."
The excitement died down, knowing it couldn't be this good. Many enjoyed the artefacts that auction sell so they can only imagine there could be many dangers in that world as well.
"I have one good and one bad news. I will start from the good one. I plan to connect both worlds and allow some of you to follow me. You will be able to witness all the new things we have been missing while being closed in our small realm," Nuwa described, causing a massive eruption of cheering. Even through this was their home, it was really small. Knowing there was another world they could explore was like a heaven's gift for them.
"But there is a bad news too," she added when the crowd calmed down. "Humans who live in the outside world find our Fate Stones as a precious treasure. Once they find out we are not lacking them here, they will do anything to break inside and steal everything. Most humans are greedy and they will gladly kill all of us just for a few of those stones. Because of that, it's risky to go out."
Just as she thought, this silenced everyone, not expecting their stones would be this valuable. If what Nuwa said was true, it would be a catastrophe once someone leaked this news.
"I don't want that to happen which is why I will start from bringing outside only trusted men. Hope you can understand my decision."
Chapter 434 - Nuwa's POV - Part 2
Nuwa looked at the reactions of her people and realized that not many shared the fear she wanted to achieve. Many elves felt proud that they have something that humans don't.
Nuwa face darkened as she released her pressure throughout the plaza too temper them. "I don't think everyone realized the severity of the situation. Humans who seek Fate Stones are the best experts from the best. Not only they are strong but have the number advantage as well. Once they find out about our Hidden Realm and see our beautiful women, not only will they take away our treasures but also enslave your wives, your daughters and even mothers. This is definitely not an easy decision to make," she said sternly, making everyone turn quiet.
"Does anyone have any questions?" Nuwa asked, finally making most of them wary of humans at the very least. No one wanted to gamble the lives of their family. Male Elves were not scared of anyone in battle but when it came to women, not many of them actually knew how to fight. Living in a peaceful world, they focused more on raising their kids and supporting their husband instead.
No one spoke for a little while until one burly man finally spoke what everyone wanted to know. "My Queen, why are we risking then? We live in our place without much dangers. Shouldn't we cherish it instead and live happily?"
If their actions could easily endanger the peaceful lives of their families, many would rather not do anything. Nuwa already expected a question like that so she had an answer prepared.
"Let me ask you, who wouldn't want to explore the broad outside world after knowing there is a way to enter it? Many foods to enjoy and many beautiful sights to enjoy. The only danger is us. If any of us decides to betray their own race and side with humans, the whole race will be destroyed," Nuwa warned them, cutting straight to the point.
The elves looked around themselves, wondering if they knew anyone who would betray their race. Some were pretty offended by getting a look from others more often than the others. This was exactly what Nuwa wanted. Not only wary of Humans but also looking after their own comrades and watching their hands. She couldn't observe and check everyone so the best method was make them watch after each other.
"I hope this subject is settled. Tomorrow morning, any male elf who mastered at least four elements and already have a family of his own can come to the palace to join the operation. They will receive thousands of Spirit Stones as compensation for their participation," Nuwa announced, causing some to whine and some to cheer.
Spirit Stones were much scarce compared to Fate Stones and one could only exchange them in the auction. To receive thousands of them as a salary was a great lure for many who decided to learn this element. They could kill two birds with one stone. Satisfy their curiosity by exploring the world and earn money at the same time.
"Those who still didn't master four elements, don't worry, I didn't forget about you. From today onward, you will be able to exchange one Fate Stone for ten Spirit Stones of the same quality. Once you improve, you will also get a chance to follow me outside," Nuwa assured the majority of the crowd who momentarily began to cheer.
The Storage Rings they bought were really handy and the weapons powerful. The only drawback was Spirit Stones which they lacked. With better exchange, they wouldn't need to worry about it anymore.
"Long live the Queen!"
"Long live the Queen!"
"Long live the Queen!"
People cheered for her yet she quickly lifted her hand, signaling them to stop.
"Go back to what you were doing. Those who wish to join me tomorrow morning, I hope you can spend the rest of the day with your families. As always, family is the most important. This is an order." Nuwa commanded, getting a quick response.
"Yes Queen!"
Being done with the crowd who began flying away towards their homes, Nuwa glanced at her mother, wanting to speak with her but she only smiled and asked simply, "Do you need me to follow you or should I stay here and take over your job?"
"The latter…" Nuwa replied with a bitter smile, hugging her mother. "Sorry Mom."
"Ah, it's okay. I already expected this would happen sooner or later. I am only sad I won't be able open my restaurant often. Being a Queen again will take most of my free time," Auntie sighed, already used to her leisure life.
They flew back to the palace and auntie suddenly asked, "How much time left till I won't be able to see you guys again?"
Nuwa already knew that her mother would figure that out from the clues so she wasn't surprised. "Less than four years," Nuwa replied honestly.
"I want to see my granddaughter once again before you guys leave for good," Auntie demanded, looking forward. "I want to give her a taste of my kitchen for the last time. I know she loves it."
"Mhmm, I promise…" It was easy to say it but for some reason Nuwa got emotional and halted mid-air.
She grew up in this place after all. It would be sad to never visit it again after Ascending to Heaven's Realm. She knew that her place was next to Xuefeng but a piece of her would always stay here.
"Mom, he is really worth it. I never left like this before and no matter how many times I look at him, I can't help but smile. I love him," Nuwa confessed suddenly, breaking her cold mask with a soft smile, thinking of Xuefeng.
"I know my dear," Auntie acknowledged it with a nod and gave Nuwa one more motherly hug which she returned.
Pulling away after a moment, Nuwa was back to her calm Queen's mask and said casually, "Let's go to the Palace. There is still a lot we need to settle."
———
The next day, exactly three hundred Adult male elves appeared in front of the palace, ready to join Nuwa in her adventures. They didn't know what they can expect but that's what was exciting about it.
Nuwa didn't give everyone a token to pass through the portal but instead created ten of them and gave them to her most faithful Royal Elf Guards. They became the captains of ten groups, each having thirty people under them.
The process of bringing everyone inside was troublesome as she had to first bring inside one person, that person could then go back, knowing what was their destination and bring another two people. This way after fifteen trips back and forth, they captains were able to bring all of their members to the outside world.
Naturally, Nuwa took Tangwei with her, planning to make her the main person responsible for the whole trade between two places. Just as Yiren, She also had her mouth wide open the first time she stepped on the soft ground and saw the lush forests. The other elves were not better.
"Whoa… My wife won't believed me when I describe her this sight…" One of the Captains muttered in disbelief but Nuwa didn't give them too much time to sightsee.
"This is not a visit but a mission. Follow me," Nuwa ordered firmly, bringing them back to order.
"Yes Queen!" The three hundred men called out at once, sounding like a trained army and spread their wings to catch up with Nuwa.
When they moved towards the capital in this busy for everyone day, everyone flew out of their way, fearing the invisible pressure the army created. The Royal Guards who protect the gates gulped when they saw it but still blocked their way.
"Pass or identification please," the Royal Guards called out calmly, trying to not show any signs of intimidation. After all, there were around three hundred adult warriors with wings made from elements and cultivation that even he, a peak sage couldn't see through.
"We are from Liu Clan! Open the gates or my army of three hundred Monarchs will do it by themselves," Nuwa ordered coldly, not respecting anyone belonging to Royalty party. He voice resounded loudly, spreading to the ears of many who waited to enter the Capital, watching them from the ground.
Hearing her words, everyone almost choked and the guards quickly opened the gates for them. They already expected them to be Monarch stage and Nuwa only confirmed it for them. Nuwa was sure they would spread the news about this very quickly which is exactly what she wanted.
They moved unhindered through the Capital's air space, receiving many looks until they finally reached the Liu Clan Palace. Just as she expected, a welcome party came out to greet them. She didn't care about her appearance as she suddenly increased her speed tenfold and momentarily appeared in front of the group.
She didn't hesitate and dove into the only man's arms, hugging him tightly as if she didn't see him for a long time.
"Xuefeng… I missed you…" She muttered into his ears, not letting go of him and enjoyed as his hands wrapped around her back. The words she wanted to hear found their way into her ears.
"Welcome back my love."
"Xuefeng… I missed you…" She muttered into his ears, not letting go of him and enjoyed as his hands wrapped around her back. The words she wanted to hear found their way into her ears.
"Welcome back my love."
Chapter 435 - Just Girls
Xuefeng had a lot of questions but he didn't let go of her, leaving that for later. Yiren also wanted to give her mother a hug but seeing she was busy, Yiren moved onto her second best target.
"Tangwei! You came," Yiren called out as she extended her arms for a hug which her childhood friend accepted.
"Yiren, you have been visiting such magnificent world and you never brought me with you. I'm mad at you now," Tangwei complained despite having a smile on her face and squeezed Yiren even more.
The army of Elves behind them were already used to Tangwei and Yiren's friendship so it wasn't a surprise but the hugs and kisses their Queen received were a precedence. They all stared at them but Nuwa didn't care. She wouldn't be changing how she acted with Xuefeng for anyone.
"Did you miss me?" Nuwa asked happily, not showing any signs of her previous expression. For the man in front of her, she took off her mask that they have rarely seen.
"Mhmm, of course. As a matter of fact, we were talking about you not long ago. There is something I wanted to ask you all so we waited for you," Xuefeng replied, giving her another kiss and let go of her so she could be greeted by others as well.
One by one she received a welcome hug from all the girls, before Nuwa turn back to her army, her face back to normal. "Everyone, this is your King and my man, Liu Xuefeng. All of those women in front of you are my sisters. Their word is like mine," she called out with power, making everyone lament in their hearts. What they would do to have the Queen use soft voice with them as well.
They didn't lose respect for Nuwa while watching their silly behavior, knowing it was only reserved for Xuefeng, now their king.
Before they could do anything, Xuefeng preceded them. "There is no need for any courtesy. Just treat me like you treat your brother," he said with a light smile.
They didn't seem to hear him as all of them still bowed and replied, "Yes King."
Xuefeng didn't want to bother with them, knowing they wouldn't listen anyway so he turned to Nuwa with more important matters. "I already informed Xiao Family guards that you will be coming but we still need to settle their quarters. I didn't expect you will bring so many of them," Xuefeng informed, glancing at all the skilled warriors she brought. He could already guess it would be enough to increase their overall strength.
"It shouldn't be a problem. There is a lot of space left," Nuwa said while glancing at all the terrain and empty houses. Tang Family left behind them thousands of homes which were waiting to be filled. There were few hundred of them only in the palace territory but they had much more terrains available.
"Mhmm, not a problem at all. Even if you brought the whole Clan here, we would still find a place for them," Xuefeng assured her. "Let's go then."
"Wait, there is something I need to share. I might have spread the news that three hundred Monarchs belongs to the Liu Clan. I thought it will be good for us," Nuwa admitted while rubbing his hands with her thumbs and she received a reaction she wanted to see.
"It's alright. You can do anything that you think is right. Just tell me afterward so I know," he replied softly, holding her hand firmly. "I think it's actually good that they misunderstood."
"Oh, I wasn't lying. They should be all Monarchs based on human standards. Though, instead of Spirit Qi, they mastered other elements to their peak," Nuwa revealed, shocking Xuefeng.
"Wait, so we actually have three hundred Monarchs? Does that mean that Yiren is also a Monarch already?" Xuefeng tried to connected the dots.
"Oh, of course. I thought you know that already. Though, she still need to Master Spirit Element so she currently has five at the peak. If she wanted to ascend right now, it wouldn't be a problem," Nuwa explained, patting Yiren's head who already finished chatting with Tangwei. "Naturally, she is bad at fighting so she still has a lot to learn."
"That great Yiren. I didn't expect you to be first," Xiao Wen called out, seeing how happy Xuefeng was and added, "We will definitely catch up shortly."
"Hehe," Yiren only giggled, enjoying all the praises and Nuwa's pats.
"If that's the case, it would be best to hide our strength only to strike with the enemy unprepared but I guess everyone would find out sooner or later," Xuefeng commented, not complaining as it was already too late to change anything.
Turning to Wuying, the one with the most experience in directing the guards, he asked her helplessly, "Can I entrust you in taking care of the new recruits? I realized I know nothing related to it."
"Of course, I was the one settling Xiao Family guards anyway. Was waiting when you will ask," Wuying easily agreed and glanced at Nuwa. "Shall we?"
———
In the last two days, Liu Clan's name spread through the Capital like a wildfire. First it was Xuefeng's and Ruler of the Realm's confrontation. Then Xuefeng beat one of the top experts with one strike. At that point, only Xuefeng was famous while the Liu Clan was still too small to be noticed by anyone.
Only when the Clothing Brand Shop was opened could it be Liu Clan success but it was still far from being a super power so not many bothered with it, thinking it was Xuefeng's credit.
When the third rumor began to spread, people finally realized how powerful this new Liu Clan was. To become a top family, there only needed to be one Spirit Monarch as a leader. Based on the new rumors, Liu Clan had it three hundred. The difference in power was too big. When Xiao Feng heard it, he almost choked and immediately came to see it for himself.
To his shock, aside from his own experts, there were new characters flying in the Liu Clain's air space, protecting it from any intruders. He immediately recognized the origin of those warriors and wasn't surprised anymore. He already knew that Xuefeng had a way to enter inside so it was only a matter of time before he bring them outside.
"Wu? You are talking about that manager?" Nuwa asked with her eyebrows raised as they finally gathered in their room and began talking. "It's not like I have an opinion about her but I know one thing. She is a tigress. Do you really want to keep so many tigresses in the same room who fight for the same male?"
"You make it sound like I can't handle you all. Anyway, that wasn't the case. I want Wu to belong to our group as she can be really useful for us but Ling said she has feelings for me. That is why I came to discuss it with everyone," Xuefeng explained, leaving the decision to them.
"Let me guess, she showed you some signs yet you didn't notice anything and almost hurt her feelings," Xiao Wen called out sarcastically, finding the situation familiar.
"Cough, something like that," Xuefeng confirmed while clearing his throat.
"I don't mind. She is clearly capable and would be a nice addition to our group," Tianshi expressed her opinion and others followed as well.
"I don't mind either."
"I'm fine with it."
"We can invite her for a meeting so we can test her. Only us girls. What do you think?" Xiao Wen proposed and Nuwa's eyes brightened.
"Let's do it then."