As the sun began to set, Yu Mei's guards and the young man arrived at the castle gates.
As soon as the guards arrived at the castle, they rushed to find Zhang Liang and explain the situation to him. Zhang Liang, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately went to Zenki's office to deliver the bad news.
Upon hearing the news, Zenki wasted no time and immediately summoned the young man to his office, eager to learn more about the situation. He also called for his wives, Meiying and Zhenyue, and their three children, Zhen Yi, Mingliang, and Mengting, knowing that they could provide valuable insight and help in dealing with the crisis.
In addition to his family, Zenki also called for Liu Yong. He knew that Liu Yong's expertise would be invaluable in this dangerous and unpredictable situation.
As the group assembled in his office, Zenki was surprised to learn from Zhang Yitian that Liu Yong was not present in the kingdom. Apparently, he had left together with Liu Wei to find a spiritual blacksmith to craft weapons for his disciples since there was none available in the kingdom. Zhang Yitian had been left in charge of managing his junior's cultivation while he was away.
Zenki began the conversation by introducing himself, "I am Zenki Lee, the emperor of this kingdom. These are my wives, Empress Meiying and Empress Zhenyue, and my children - Eldest Prince Zhen Yi, Second Prince Mingliang, and Second Princess Mengting," he said, gesturing towards his family members as he introduced them. The young man bowed respectfully to each of them.
"Now, I would like to know your name and what led to the attack on your life and the kidnapping of my daughter, Princess Yu Mei," Zenki said, his tone serious and grave.
"Your Majesty, I am Chen Jing, the second prince of the Kingdom of Frosthold," the young man introduced himself before he was interrupted by a sudden wave of killing intent. Furrowing his brows, he scanned the room to find the source of the hostility, and his gaze landed on Zhang Yitian, the young man who had been speaking to Zenki earlier.
Sensing the tension in the air, Zenki quickly addressed the situation. "Zhang Yitian, what is the meaning of this?" he asked sternly.
Zhang Yitian took a step forward and spoke calmly, "Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness. I couldn't help but feel a surge of killing intent towards Prince Chen Jing when he mentioned his identity. Frosthold, your majesty should know my enmity with the nobles and the royal family there."
Zenki nodded in understanding but warned, "Zhang Yitian, as a member of the royal family's court, you must control your emotions and actions. We cannot let our personal grudges affect our judgment and decision-making. Prince Chen Jing is a guest in our kingdom, and we must treat him with respect and hospitality."
Zhang Yitian bowed apologetically, "Your Majesty, I understand. Please forgive my behavior."
Zenki then turned to Chen Jing and said, "Please continue, Prince Chen Jing. Tell us everything that you know about the attack on your life and the kidnapping of Princess Yu Mei."
"Your Majesty, please just address me as Chen Jing. The reason why I was being pursued by assassins is that my older brother, Chen Sheng, is paranoid. Despite my clear statement that I have no interest in the throne and being born out of wedlock because my father had forced himself upon my mother, he still sent assassins to kill us. Although they succeeded in killing my mother, I managed to escape with the time my mother has given me," Chen Jing explained, gritting his teeth in anger and tightly gripping his palms to the point that blood can be seen.
Zenki listened attentively and expressed his sympathies towards Chen Jing's situation. "I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mother, Chen Jing. It's clear that you have gone through a lot," he said, looking at Chen Jing with concern.
Zhang Yitian, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, how can we trust his words? He could be a spy or a liar," he said with a cold tone.
Chen Jing's voice boomed as he swore an oath to the heavens, capturing the attention of everyone in the office. "I swear to the heavens that I have not lied about my circumstances, nor will I ever lie to his majesty Zenki Lee," he declared, creating a solemn atmosphere in the room.
Zhang Yitian was taken aback by Chen Jing's bold move, knowing that if he were to lie to Zenki, even the slightest falsehood, he would be struck by lightning and his soul would be obliterated. "This guy has guts," Zhang Yitian thought, though he still harbored some doubts about Chen Jing's story. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel a newfound respect for the young prince.
Chen Jing proceeded to provide information about the assassins who were pursuing him, "Your Majesty, to the best of my knowledge, the highest cultivation level of the assassins chasing me is Advanced Spiritual Ascending level. Moreover, I do not believe they were Death Soldiers because they did not attack me as fiercely as they could have, even if it meant one of them would be killed in the process."
Chen Jing speculated, "This might be the reason why the assassins abducted Princess Yu Mei, who happened to be closest to them at the time when they heard that the guards were hurrying back. Instead of attacking me, who had just recovered from the floor, they must have thought that abducting Princess Yu Mei would be a better way to succesfully complete their mission."
Chen Jing further elaborated, "The assassin who abducted Princess Yu Mei also informed me that I would be contacted for the exchange. This leads me to believe that someone is still monitoring us, and we must remain vigilant."
"This means we have to make concrete plans to ensure Princess Yu Mei's safety," Zenki pondered, his expression serious.
At that moment, Chen Jing spoke up, declaring, "Your Majesty, I am willing to exchange myself for Princess Yu Mei's safety."
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone processed Chen Jing's words. It was a bold move, and one that surprised not only the royal family but also Zhang Yitian, who had been somewhat prejudiced against Chen Jing up until this point.
"Prince Chen Jing, please don't act recklessly. Let us take a step back and come up with a plan that guarantees the safety of both you and Princess Yu Mei," Zenki advised, all the while pondering, "If only Liu Yong were here, or if Zhang Wei weren't away inspecting the provinces, this would be much easier."
"Your Majesty, I understand the risks of my offer but I cannot just sit idly while Princess Yu Mei is in danger," Chen Jing replied, his voice resolute. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure her safety."
Empress Meiying interjected, "We appreciate your bravery, Prince Chen Jing, but we cannot let you put yourself in danger. We will find another way to rescue Yu Mei."
Zhang Yitian, who had been observing the exchange silently, spoke up, "Your Majesty, with all due respect, I have an idea that may help. The assassins must have a base of operations somewhere. If we can find it, we can launch a surprise attack and rescue Princess Yu Mei."
Zenki considered Zhang Yitian's proposal and nodded, "That is a good idea. We will need to gather more information and plan carefully, but it may be our best chance. Chen Jing, can you help us with any information you may have about the assassins' whereabouts or activities?"
Chen Jing nodded eagerly, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will do everything in my power to help rescue Princess Yu Mei."
Zenki looked at his family and advisors, "Let us begin planning then. We cannot let Yu Mei remain in danger any longer."
Zenki turned to Chen Jing and asked, "Can you hold them off yourself if you get besieged by them?"
"Your Majesty, my current cultivation is Intermediate Spiritual Ascending. Although I may not be able to beat them, I can assure you that I will not succumb to them quickly," replied Chen Jing with confidence.
With that knowledge the group came up with a plan to ensure the safety of both Chen Jing and Princess Yu Mei. "Chen Jing, you will stay at an inn in castletown and wait for contact from the assassins," Zenki explained. "Once they make contact and request the exchange, you will leave the inn with only yourself. The shadow guards will then enter your room and search for any clues that you left behind."
"Once we have the information we need, we will secure the location and send for reinforcements," Zhen Yi added.
"Zhang Yitian and Mengting, as the ones with the highest cultivation currently in the castle, will act as vanguards and accompany Zenki, Zhen Yi, and Mingliang," Zenki continued. "We will not take any risks with the safety of our people."
Chen Jing nodded in agreement, relieved that they had a solid plan in place. "Thank you, your majesty. I will do everything in my power to make this plan successful," he said.
"We are all in this together," Zenki replied. "Let's work together to bring Yu Mei home safely."
Notably, the highest cultivation level among the shadow guards in the kingdom is only at the Beginner Spiritual Ascending level, while the normal guards are at the Advance Core Formation level. This is due to the limited resources of their kingdom in terms of cultivation. Upon realizing this, Zenki consulted with Liu Yong and Lian Yaoshi on how to enhance the martial strength of their kingdom.
This is also one of the reason why currently Liu Yong was trying to find a Spiritual Blacksmith help improve the martial strength of the Kingdom of Avaloria.