The news travelled to Yongtein before long and Minister Keigon marched through the Imperial Court with a furious gaze. The hallways were normally quite busy and loud from the various ministers and officials working there, except everyone turned quiet when they saw him. They steered clear out of his way, especially since ten armed individuals followed him, each radiating a terrifying aura. They were the Jun Family's guards and Perception Realm Experts or Masters! No one wanted to court death. Minister Keigon arrived at a certain large set of doors where two Imperial Sentinels blocked the way. Normally, that would have been a deterrent, but he was in no mood to care. The Imperial Sentinels could not stop him as he directly barged into the prime minister's quarters! Prime Minister Pon-Wai was conversing with his ministers when he was rudely interrupted, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
"We can continue this conversation another day. You may go now," the prime minister urged his subordinates. The words were like a heavenly pardon to them as they scurried out. They had no desire to stand between two giants when they fought! Prime Minister Pon-Wai then shifted his eyes over. "To what do I owe the honor, Minister Keigon?"
"Don't play dumb with me. Your family sabotaged my family in the northern battle. What are you playing at?"
"You mean General Tang? I can assure you that his actions did not reflect the Jian Family's will. He will be appropriately punished."
He snorted. "I don't care about one measly general, but because of his little stunt, my family's become a laughingstock. What is the Jian Family going to do about it?"
"You want additional compensation," the prime minister surmised.
"I want command of the Jian Family's army, General Tang's head, and five thousand Gaijindai Ji."
"I can't agree to the first two demands, but I can offer eight thousand Gaijindai Ji."
"Ten thousand."
"Nine thousand. That's my final offer."
"Fine."
Minister Keigon showed dissatisfaction, but he was inwardly pleased. The Xingyuu Empire used a different monetary system than the Alzar Kingdom or the Zino Kingdom. Here, they used a mixture of coinage and paper money. The smallest denomination was Sai Chin, a small copper coin. One hundred Sai Chin could be used to buy a loaf of bread. Conversely, the largest denomination was Gaijindai Ji, which was worth five hundred thousand Sai Chi, the equivalent of five thousand loafs of bread! Multiply that by nine thousand, and one could see how monstrous of a sum that was. Considering the Jun Family lost nothing but their reputation, it was a surprisingly profitable exchange! He really wondered how deep the coffers went in the Jian Family.
"Here, you can take this to the Jian Family." The prime minister passed a paper over with his signature and seal on it. The fact that he could approve such a large sum without notifying either the patriarch or the elder council showed how high his status was in the Jian Family. "Did you have any other business with me?"
Minister Keigon grew solemn. "Yes, I did. It's about the battle in Guanhuang between the Featherwind Sect and the Sword King. Months ago, after the Battle of Liguang, we deemed their sect hostile and stormed Tian Monastery, but they were nowhere to be found. We couldn't find a single trace of them, and they never contacted us again. It was thought that they left the human world. However, their sudden unannounced appearance in Guanhuang poses some serious concerns. We don't know their motives."
"I was going to address this in our next assembly, but you're right. The situation is quite strange. We don't have an agreement with the Featherwind Sect anymore, so they shouldn't have a reason to fight the Sword King," Prime Minister Pon-Wai pondered. "One possibility though unlikely is that their side of the Nine Regrets Reincarnation Vow remains intact. They might still be bound by our original agreement. However, we figured out how to break the vow without backlashing. I would expect that they could do the same. I fear things aren't simple."
"There's the problem of the Sword King as well, and how he performed far beyond our expectations. His presence is another serious threat to our war efforts in the north. We need a plan moving forward."
"Neither the Featherwind Sect nor the Sword King have been spotted since their battle, correct?"
"That's correct."
Prime Minister Pon-Wai drummed his fingers across his desk. "The kingdom is planning something big, but we can't let them seize the initiative. If the Featherwind Sect or the Sword King recovers, then that'll be our undoing. Notify Unit Commander Haea and Lord Fengji to commence an attack immediately. I want them to annihilate the kingdom's forces!"
"I expected this, so I sent that order prior to this conversation."
"I'll be deploying our reserves too. Half of them will support the defense of the frontier provinces, in anticipation for the kingdom's naval invasions. The other half will head north to support Unit Commander Haea. I will be sending the Dragon and Tiger Divisions, five armies, the Jian Family's main army, and the Shui Family's army."
"The Dragon and Tiger Divisions? Are they done with their training?" Minister Keigon asked.
"The results are less than spectacular compared to the Phoenix, Kun, and Qilin Divisions, but they all displayed some degree of Martial Energy. We should have several thousand Half-Perception or Perception Realms at our disposal."
"At this point, we need an Instinct Realm, not a swarm of half-baked Perception Realms." When he recalled the Battle of Liguang, blood rushed up his head. Several thousand Perception Realms ambushed the Alzar Kingdom and the Li Family, yet what was the result? They were completely annihilated! He lost every semblance of expectation and respect after that.
"Perception Realms are useful no matter the era, especially ones that can use Martial Energy. We shouldn't underestimate their potential. Besides, nurturing an Instinct Realm isn't easy. Our candidates are still struggling to take that final step forward."
"We should've pried the method to Instinct Realm from their bird mouths while we had the chance. We don't have enough time to experiment," Minister Keigon clicked his tongue. "You mentioned the Shui Family. Has Minister Daiyuu changed his tune?"
"This is something he gave me this morning."
"The patriarch's seal… He's relinquishing authority of the Shui Family?"
He was stunned. Lord Daiyuu was always as stubborn as a rock, keeping true to his family's belief of neutrality. It seemed like that man would rather die than budge one bit! To be honest, Minister Keigon admired his resolve. It was thus unimaginable to think he would ever change his mind! However, the patriarch's seal was the real deal. It gave them the authority to mobilize the Shui Family however they pleased! What sparked this sudden change in attitude? Minister Keigon had no idea.
"I would like to know the reason too, but this isn't the time to be suspicious. The Imperial Council, the Jian Family, the Jun Family, the Li Family, and now the Shui Family… We can finally wield our full strength!" Prime Minister Pon-Wai smiled brilliantly. The world was at his fingertips!
Elsewhere in the Imperial Court, Lord Daiyuu watched a bird take flight with a downcast expression. He exhaled, "Did I do the right thing, Little Chan? I can't help but think I've made a big mistake. Should we ask for my seal back?"
"No, father… If what they said was true, then we did the right thing!" She gritted her teeth in rage.
"Calm down." He tried to place his hand on her shoulder, but she swatted it away.
"You want me to calm down?" the woman laughed before snapping. "You're always like this! Never making up your mind when it matters, only when it's too late to change anything! I'm sick and tired of your attitude, father! You're a disgrace to our family!"
Lord Daiyuu felt his heart ache. "Little Chan…"
"I'm not your Little Chan! I'm Minister Chan Shui!"
"…You're right, Minister Chan. I'm sorry."
She hugged her knees and whispered, "You're always like this…"
The man speechlessly walked to the window. From here, he saw the entire Imperial Court, Yongtein, and even the Bohuang Lake to the lands beyond. It stretched so far that the distant horizon transformed into a mere line. The world was that vast! Yet, when he saw his reflection in the glass, he felt a bitter emptiness. He was supposed to be the Shui Family's patriarch, the leader of one of the Four Great Nobility Families, yet he was rendered to this pitiful state. When did things become like this? Lord Daiyuu took one final glance at the open sky. The only thing he could do was… to leave it to them. The world was in their hands now!