"I know I'm handsome, but could you stop staring at me with that sleazy expression?" The man spoke casually, "Or are you thinking about going for another round?"
A faint blush immediately colored the young woman's face. When she thought of everything that had just transpired in the VIP room, where she had been unusually assertive, her entire body felt electrified. Her legs felt slightly weak.
"We’re already within the empire's territory," she said through gritted teeth. "Your current identity is my bodyguard, so you'd better watch your words to avoid being overheard."
The man raised both hands behind his head, reclining in a carefree manner as he whistled. "I'm a bodyguard with personality, so a bit of frivolity is excusable. Remember this, the more something seems out of place, the more real it is. It’s when I'm riddled with flaws that I have none."
The young woman fell silent as she went over their next steps. The Empire's operations within Great Xia had been completely dismantled due to the actions of the man beside her in Haijing City.
Now that Great Xia had officially closed the T232 Cave Beast passage exit, it would take at least six months for the Empire to reestablish contact with their remaining forces in Great Xia. Moreover, she had made sure that only fragments of everything that had unfolded at the Jiepeng Consulate in Haijing City had made its way back to the empire.
However, those fragments all worked to her advantage. She had already begun plotting her return from that moment. And most importantly, she had managed to secure him for her cause. Now, she was confident that she could achieve everything she desired. As the land below grew closer, an unrestrained ambition began to rise in her heart.
She wanted to conquer this land and claim everything it had to offer.
Moments later, the airship landed smoothly at Sapora Base City. The city had been built specifically for the T232 Cave Beast passage. It was a pure transport hub, designed solely for transit purposes, and only had a population of a hundred thousand people. The city primarily served transportation needs, including airship maintenance and ground crew operations. Ordinary permanent residents were scarce.
When the young woman and the man disembarked from the airship, they were greeted by an escort team.
"Miss, you’ve finally returned." An elderly man in a black suit stepped forward with a warm smile.
His snow-white hair and butler-like demeanor exuded an air of elegance, respect, and humility as he bowed in greeting. Twenty burly men in black suits and sunglasses, all emanating a menacing aura that clearly warned strangers to keep their distance, stood behind him. They were all at the peak of the Meridian Expanding Realm. They lined up in two orderly rows, their every movement disciplined and sharp.
"Uncle Okamoto," the young woman nodded politely. "Thank you for your hard work."
Okamoto Jiro bowed once more and replied with a smile, "It is merely my duty, Miss. The master and madam are currently attending an important meeting hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and cannot greet you in person. Once the meeting concludes, they will meet you at the Eastern Post headquarters."
The young woman didn’t bother replying, so Okamoto Jiro turned his attention to the man standing beside her.
"This must be Mr. Shinzu Genshi, whom you mentioned in your letter. Truly impressive. Welcome to the Tsukiha family estate."
His tone remained courteous and polite, but a faint sense of detachment could be discerned beneath the warmth. The man merely grunted in acknowledgment as his gaze wandered curiously over their surroundings.
The vast landing field spanned over a thousand acres. Airships, painted and decorated to resemble various sea beasts, took off and landed in an orderly fashion. Ground crew workers in bright red uniforms moved like the cogs of a massive, well-oiled machine, each performing a small yet indispensable role.
Behind them, other passengers aboard the airship were temporarily held back. The young woman’s distinguished status had granted her the privilege of disembarking first.
"That girl is stunning. She must be from a prominent family."
"Didn’t you notice the emblem on the bodyguards’ suits? They’re from the Sanshang Group."
"One of the empire’s top ten conglomerates? No wonder."
"It’s not so certain anymore. Rumor has it that one of the Sanshang Group’s Saints, Tsukiha Tensō, fell in Great Xia. Their current situation doesn’t look good."
"Then who is this girl?"
"See that white-haired old man? That’s Tsukiha Higashiō, the chief steward of the Sanshang Group. If he’s personally welcoming her, she must be a direct bloodline descendent of the Tsukiha family."
"Could she be the rumored prodigy, Tsukiha Yaiba?"
"Eh? Now that you mention it, it’s entirely possible."
The passengers still aboard the airship whispered among themselves. When the name Tsukiha Yaiba started circulating, their excitement visibly heightened.
She had once been among the Empire's top one hundred high school students. A unique bloodline holder and the most beautiful flower of the Tsukiha family, owners of the Sanshang Group. But she had mysteriously vanished from the public eye for an entire year.
Speculation had abounded. Some said she had been chosen as a divine maiden and had been taken into the temple to serve the gods. Others whispered that she had taken her own life after being unable to bear the scandals of her decadent family. Still others claimed she had gone into seclusion for cultivation after awakening her bloodline.
Whatever the rumors, this prodigious girl who had once captivated the youthful hearts of countless Jiepeng boys had been absent from the public stage for a full year, turning her disappearance into an enduring mystery.
But now, she had reappeared without warning in Sapora Base City, seemingly returning from abroad. This was major news. Many immediately pulled out their portable lightcores to snap photos from afar.
This scene didn’t escape Okamoto Jiro’s sharp eyes. His aged eyes narrowed slightly and a young captain of the bodyguard team strode purposefully toward the airship.