Inside a grand white hall were very important people gathered for a supposed short conference. However, because of their differences in ideas, the conference took longer.

"There were movements around the barrier. None knows why the barrier is suddenly breaking, but this certainly does not tell a good news."

Everyone else agreed, but a certain prince had been sitting in the center, not saying his regards for the matters. He seemed quite spaced out, but it did not make him look any worse. In fact, he looked more humbly alluring, certainly not haughty. Maybe that was why the others inside the room did not question him and his actions.

"It's just a break in the barrier. No one's inhabitting their fortress. Certainly, with the safety of Lotus Pier, no monster will be unravelled. What's there to fear?"

Hearing the unending discussion about to turn into a minor arguement, and possibly, into a major crack in the the two kingdom's long treasured truce, Marquis Lan Qiren intervened.

"It's not the fear," he began and everyone went silent. Even the pristine prince in the center raised a steady gaze. "Have you forgotten the despair in the memory they left?"

An elder in his grand golden robes straightened. His eyes hardened as he inhaled sharply. Then he sighed out, like a deflated balloon.

"Then what should we do? It's not in our place to decide for these. Even as the head right hand elder of King Jin Zixuan, I cannot make any comments regarding this," he stated before leaning back with a hint of helplessnes.

Everyone suddenly turned their heads to the pristine prince, the prince as pristine as the pristine walls. His naturally kind and composed expression broke into a small smile that had to be blinding but was looking a little confused.

"Xichen," Lan Qiren confirmed.

Lan Xichen was at a loss for words. Ever since long ago, he had never been consulted by these elders as they would tremendously speak amongst themselves to discuss this and that. He was never bothered that they would deliberately ignore his presence; rather, it was him who desired that these fellows act as if he was invisible than talk to him. This had to be the first time they actually asked him.

If it wasn't even that important, he would have considered skipping as that was what he usually did. He rarely ever attended conference meetings but today, his uncle used all his power as a family member to get him to go. He didn't know it would be this serious that was why he went along. If he only knew... .

Everyone else noticed his silence and the expression that would switch from calm to serious. One elder in gray and yellow robes felt a small irritation from that reaction.

"Prince Lan, Your Highness, as you are supposedly the next King, it is just right to consult you about this. And may we so kindly remind you that this is no beating around the bush matter. We highly expect you to make a grave decision, please."

In other words, he meant, Don't be lazy! Do your job right and stop fooling around. It wasn't really what he wanted to convey, but he was not as nice with words as well as he was someone from Nie Kingdom, one prominent for their strength and ruthlessness. They do not sugar coat.

All the other younger Marquis, Dukes and Barons held their breaths. Only the elders aside from Lan Qiren were able to keep their calm. One person, three seats away from the person infront of Lan Xichen spoke out timidly. All eyes snapped to him and all of their thoughts revealed one single word.

Wimp.

"B-Brother Lan Xichen."

They had no idea if this good for nothing young King could even understand that the atmosphere has gotten a little thicker, wether it was from Lan Qiren or Lan Xichen, though the prince seemed calm and unaffected.

As everyone else know, the Nie kingdom's people can be quite the rough and dangerous type but there always had to be an exception. And to say that it had to be their young King is quite disappointing. Needless to say, they had always viewed him as the shame of their kingdom.

The elder who spoke earlier shook his head again. He couldn't take this pristine prince's silence any longer. Even though Marquis Lan Qiren shot him a warning gaze, he had shaken it off.

"Your Highness," he began, "we think it's time that such matters from the past should be let go of now. Just because we haven't been calling for you before didn't mean we don't need you. Being a prince means holding responsibilities and personal issues should be held in a different place. Your grieving for Jin Guang-"

"Silence!"

Everyone's eyes grew wide. Lan Qiren, who had slammed the table looked awfully mad. His usually monotonously serious demanor gained a fiery color. His face was red and his eyes were sharp as he scanned the room. It was as if all of Lan Xichen's anger grew on Lan Qiren and not himself.

The elder from Nie Kingdom pursed his lips and retreated. Though his eyes were hard as he stared at Lan Xichen, he knew that he crossed the line.

Lan Xichen's expression morphed into something more serious, very much unlike his congenial smile. The prince they were used to was suddenly gone.

"Brother Xichen... ," Nie Huaisang hesitantly called out when he had seen the change.

Lan Xichen lifted a sharp gaze and the people inside quietly gasped amongst themselves when they made out an indifferent person. He could have been mistaken as the Second Prince of Lan Kingdom, Lan Wangji, if he were to remain expressionless.

"You!" Lan Qiren pointed a finger. "Just because Lan Kingdom did not have a ruler didn't mean you can insult its prince!"

The Nie Elder tensed up and was about to stand up to defend himself but a softer voice amongst the table of men unexpectedly spoke out.

"Duke Nie. It's disrespectful to fight with another elder!"

To everyone's surprise, the three of them began to argue back and forth. The main focus, however, was on Nie Huaisang. This good for nothing headshaker of a King actually stood up for something for the first time.

"Huaisang, uncle, calm down," Lan Xichen spoke up when the situation began to heat up. He'd been thinking, and these people were not wrong. He sighed then continued, "Indeed, it was I who had been negligent therefore, I will try my best to sort things. For now, I will set out for Lotus Pier."

It happened so fast when the prince, Lan Xichen stood up and walked out. Where? Was he really going to Lotus Pier? Who knows.

The three arguing gentlemen calmed down, no, were frozen in shock. They slumped on their seats and pondered over what just happened.

Lan Qiren was the first to recover. He shot the elder a sharp look before leaving the conference hall.

The rest who had been left in a daze finally sobered up before falling stiff as they stared at each other. With their hosts gone, what were to happen now? Of course, they have to be respectful and stand up.

"Apologies, Your Majesty," Edler Nie whispered as he approached his king with a bow.

Nie Huaisang nervously glanced at the man then repeatedly shook his head before rushing out. The people who had just began to change their views about him had dark lines on their faces. This... Nie Huaisang, still a good for nothing headshaker. What were they expecting?

What they saw earlier must have been just some illusion.