News of the 11th stage spreads the word of mouth. It quickly permeates Sword Metropolitan just the way I like. As it was the truth and not just some rumor, it reaches the Biron King with no hassle which is ultimately my intention.
The next morning, a government official greets us by the Dragon Inn's gate. The 'envoy' introduces himself as Prime Minister Bao Zeming. His cultivation age aside, he looks to be approaching his sixties, and from his cultivation base, my Mind's Eye tells me that he is in 2nd stage.
Different cultivations offer different lengths of expanded lifetimes, so I cannot really tell his age,
With escorts of 5th-stage soldiers, we arrive at the king's palace. The soldiers escorting us are specifically interesting as I find a familiar energy to them. I also have memories of the Biron Royalty all thanks to old Fu Shi, and it looks like the old Fu Shi did interact with them in a favorable light.
I can tell, just by the essence of the soldiers which stems from one of the cultivation techniques of old Fu Shi radiates from the soldiers escorting us.
I hold Yin Shu's and Lu Gao's hands like what one would expect from a grandfather.
…
In the throne room, Yin Wei decides to not involve his wife. In fact, it was only he who is waiting in the throne room. He had his best soldiers escort the self-proclaimed 11th stage. For all Yin Wei knows, it might be the end of his kingdom.
The world of cultivation is so brutal. In Yin Wei's lifetime, he would need to count on both hands to enumerate all of the recently perished kingdoms in the past century.
Yin Wei can still remember the dreaded days in the past 300 years of a mad 11th-stage cultivator forcefully occupying the Biron Kingdom. If not for a righteous 11th-stage cultivator helping his kingdom at that time, there would never be the Biron Kingdom of today.
To his surprise, the rumored 11th-stage cultivator coming from the throne room's gate is a very familiar person. It was his mentor, old Fu Shi.
…
Coming to the throne room, I find great shock in me to see the king so familiar. "You are Wei, aren't you?" To my question, the king suddenly starts crying. He mans up and resists the tears from flowing. I see the tears comically flowing in reverse as it returns to the king's eye sacs.
However, when Yin Wei sees his daughter who is holding my palm, the hardened king finally breaks and starts silently crying.
"I don't know what I would do if not for you." Yin Wei deferentially bows at me while he removes the crown from his head and leaves it on his throne. The Prime Minister beside me starts panicking.
Yin Wei critically gazes at Bao Zeming, and explains himself. "I cannot treat my mentor and life savior as a king. In this kingdom, he is technically our god!" He righteously says.
I resist admonishing him for haphazardly leaving his crown at the throne seat, but what he says is technically true. If I were the old Fu Shi, I wouldn't admonish him…
Instead, I will laugh.
With a boisterous laugh, I harmlessly pat Yin Wei's back. "Great, great! You are still the same brat I know! It looks like power didn't corrupt you but only refined your character more! Are you still peeking at the women's bath these days?"
I successfully replicate the old Fu Shi's rowdy behavior, from his very gestures and every word.
Yin Wei blushes at my teasing. He weakly defends himself, raising his arms in a comical manner. "Mentor, this is my youngest daughter, Yin Shu! It looks like the two of you have met already!"
I nod all too happy to boast about my players. "Yes, she joined the pilgrim and has now joined my sect! He is great friends with Lu Gao!"
"No way! The princess joining a local sect?" Prime Minister Bao Zeming gasps in shock.
"Wait, who is Lu Gao?" King Yin Wei doubtfully looks at Lu Gao with fatherly wariness.
"Oh, grandfather, don't be like that…" Yin Shu blushingly warns her father.
"Can I see the Royal Archives?" Lu Gao is just honest with his desires.
Each of them has unique reactions. But really? Do they need to be that exaggerated? I don't know about Lu Gao though. I resist the urge to just leave and not join in the skit. I am here for business!
"I am here not for anything big…"
Before I can even say more, the King and Prime Minister echo in their own unique tone. Yin Wei with jubilance, and Bao Zeming with incredulity.
""Grandfather?"" The two crowds at Yin Shu.
I hear their murmuring loud and clear saying the golden opportunity is here! And Yin Shu should accost herself to Lu Gao when they learn I also call Lu Gao my grandchild. It is getting scarier as they start planning Lu Gao's marriage and what dowry they would need. I shiver after I hear the King voluntarily gifting his crown to me.
They are crazy!
I feel so scared I dare not interrupt them. Lu Gao tugs at my robe and looks at me pitifully. With his 3rd stage cultivation, it is impossible for him not to hear what these crazy politicians are up to.
[Personal Messages—
Hyper Blast Super General: Master!! What should I do?
Game Master: I haven't been in such situations. Sorry… (>x<)
Hyper Blast Super General: PLEASE! MASTER! DON'T SELL ME! I AM TOO YOUNG!!
Game Master: I won't sell you or anything, relax! The only way for you is to either accept it or reject it. To do the former is easy. The latter however would require strength as such don't be lazy on leveling up.]
To be honest, I find Lu Gao very weird. He is the kind of kid that would prefer studying to playing. Cultivating with a system leveling up a class looks like a game to me, but Lu Gao is seeing it as labor. In fact, I see him often reading books in the System Library. Most of them are stuff I replicate from my past life.
The crazy thing is… Though Lu Gao loves reading fiction, he doesn't also shy about reading academic work. I cannot still remove in my mind that one moment of Lu Gao reading a documentary article about rabbits. To make it worse, it looks like I have more academic work in my head than I realize.
The most horrid thing about Lu Gao is that recently, he is developing this habit of reading the titles alphabetically since reading the Dictionary in the System Library.
While I busy myself with Lu Gao's uniqueness, Yin Shu, Yin Wei, and Bao Zeming finishes their discussion.
Yin Wei with languid steps approaches me. He stretches his sword to me. "Please, I should return this to you!"
I recognize the Masterpiece-Grade sword as old Fu Shi's treasure. I recall old Fu Shi's memories of him lending it to the young Yin Wei. If I were old Fu Shi, I would receive the sword. As the old Fu Shi is a hoarder of weapons, a very MMORPG logic, I should receive the sword. Though I wish to replicate old Fu Shi, there is just some things I cannot let up.
"No, it is your right. Please don't give it to me. Use it, treasure it, and when it has outdone its usefulness and you already have a replacement, it is either you trade it or hoard it in your collections." I tell Yin Wei. Instead of me having the gamer hoarder mentality, I would prefer others to have this mentality instead.
That way, the closer this world will turn into an MMORPG I desire.
Yin Wei bitterly smiles, but it looks like my words were able to get through to him as he removes the sword from my sight and returns it to his Spiritual Storage.
"Please, tell me what you would like to do. The Biron Kingdom shall offer you its sovereignty and hundred percent obedience…"
I shiver at his words. Yin Wei had no hesitation in offering the kingdom to me.
"No need," I friendly pat Yin Wei's shoulder, and with a typical grandfatherly smile, I console him. "This kingdom cannot be mine. It wasn't yours in the first place. It is the people's kingdom! You still have a lot to learn, you little bastard!"
Yin Wei has that enlightened look on his face and as such, he profusely thanks me, almost kowtowing if not for me stopping him.
"Your wisdom greatly aids me… Thank you, mentor!"
Oh, you make me blush! Let's just proceed with business!