582 Spirit Dragon Duo Demons
“What is this?!” Prince Qing Cang demanded, pacing the main hall with a fretful expression. His usual enthusiasm for the exotic flowers and herbs decorating his abode had dissipated.
Representatives from all six clans had arrived, each either a clan leader of significant stature or a sect master in person. Such a grand gathering hadn’t been witnessed in decades. Even the palace had sent delegates for a special greeting, but the reason behind this gathering remained elusive.
Adding to his bewilderment, the ‘Spirit Dragon Duo Demons’ Little Spirit Dragon, as portrayed by the six clans’ painters, bore a striking resemblance to his only daughter. Donning the vibrant dragon scales and her face, anyone could be forgiven for mistaking the prince himself for the splendid spectacle.
“Unfair! This is an outrage!” Prince Qing Cang bemoaned, his fat body hunched in despair within the hall.
The guards and maids attending to him dared not even breathe too loudly. His godson, Long Ping’an, shared a similar bitter expression.
“Ping’an, swiftly uncover who’s behind this smear campaign!” Prince Qing Cang ordered, “Spread the word. Anyone providing valid information, no matter how trivial, will be handsomely rewarded! Ten Thousand Gold Rise!”
“Understood!” Long Ping’an immediately bowed and exited the hall with his entourage.
“All of you, leave me be. I need some quiet,” Prince Qing Cang weakly dismissed the rest of his attendants.
Left alone in the now deserted hall, he murmured, “Jing’er, was it truly not you?”
Unexpectedly, a young lady materialized behind him. If Qin Huai had been present, he would have recognized her as the girl he’d crossed paths with during the battle.
“It wasn’t me,” she said calmly, “I’ve been engrossed in my training these days. I’ve yet to attain the fourth-level visceral prefecture realm. I’m encountering a bottleneck.” Her serene voice bore a hint of disappointment.
“If you’ve reached a bottleneck, take a break and do something else. Indulge in delightful cuisine, wear beautiful clothes, engage in entertaining activities. The capital has much to offer. Anything you wish for, I’ll make sure you have it,” Prince Qing Cang suggested, squinting his eyes and flashing a warm smile, a stark contrast to his previous aura.
No one within Qing Cang Palace was aware that their master’s favorite daughter had already advanced to the third level, at only twelve years of age.
“I don’t want to indulge in such pastimes. I only want to train. This way, I can assist Father more efficiently,” Long Jing said, clinging to Prince Qing Cang’s knee, her eyes radiating determination.
“My Jing’er is very considerate,” he responded, patting her back. “For my Jing’er’s sake, I’ll redouble my efforts!”
Following his reassurance, Long Jing vanished without a trace.
Narrowing his eyes, Prince Qing Cang peered toward the palace, musing aloud, “Have I been discovered? Or is it mere coincidence?” His concerns hung unanswered in the air.
That little emperor was about the same age as his daughter. It was plausible that someone was impersonating her. Nevertheless, whoever was cloaked in the colorful dragon scales surely had connections within the palace. Could it be the doings of that elder?
However, his prevailing concern was identifying the Great Spirit Dragon of the Spirit Dragon Duo Demons. The obliteration of all six clans was a feat unheard of since ancient times.
“This world is getting more and more mysterious,” he murmured.
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the imperial capital, a throng of patrons gathered outside the bustling Longevity Building, the queue extending around the corner. Regardless of their opulent attire and noble lineage, they waited patiently, not daring to overstep their boundaries. They even humbly smiled at the manager standing by the entrance.
Their compliance owed to the fact that the Longevity Building was a joint venture of the six royal clans, its larder directly stocked from the clans’ vaults. Alongside delicacies of astonishing value, the establishment offered high-quality medicinal pills, talismans, and life-prolonging treasures. The saying went that there was no treasure you couldn’t buy at the Longevity Building, only treasures you couldn’t afford.
At that moment, a party of over ten people, clad in bamboo hats and long muslin, strolled through the main entrance. The smiling manager stood frozen, then quickly bowed. Neither party exchanged a word throughout the encounter.
Soon after, in a room at the top of the Longevity Building, the group shed their disguises, revealing their identities as the emissaries from the six clans who had confronted Qing Cang Palace.
“Everyone, we’re pressed for time,” asserted a middle-aged man with an almost divine aura.
Everyone nodded in agreement, offering respectful salutations.
“Regardless of the Spirit Dragon Duo Demons’ identities, we mustn’t let this affront slide!”
“Absolutely!” echoed the others.
“They dared to intrude on our white tiger clan’s base? The audacity!”
“I’ve been practicing martial arts for five hundred years and never encountered such insolence!”
The assembly, all elders of various clans who had fallen to Qin Huai’s might, voiced their indignation.
“We must retaliate,” the middle-aged Qilin elder declared.
“But how? You must realize that our six clans have been defeated. Even though I don’t want to admit it, if we were to face off in the spirit bone level once more, the outcome would likely be the same.”