“What’s he doing here, to mock me? Or to demand those thousand Holy Spirit weapons?” the Xingwu Emperor said coldly.
“Your Majesty, shall we… let him in?” the commander asked hesitantly.
After a few seconds of silence, the Xingwu Emperor said, “Since he’s here, let him come in.”
“Yes, sir.” The commander bowed and left the hall.
At the palace gate.
Lin Yun stood waiting.
“Lin… Lin Yun? What are you doing here?”
A clear, crisp voice came from behind.
Lin Yun turned to see Jin Yao’er.
“Jin Yao’er, it’s you!” Lin Yun’s face lit up with a smile upon seeing her.
No matter what, Jin Yao’er had helped him in the past.
But because she was the Xingwu Emperor’s youngest daughter, Lin Yun had avoided visiting her during his trips to see old friends in the Xingwu Empire.
It had been a very long time since they last met.
Jin Yao’er quickened her pace and soon stood before Lin Yun.
“What a coincidence! I rarely come to the Xingwu Empire’s palace, and I run into you,” Lin Yun said, looking at her.
“You, a grand eternal being now, probably look down on small fry like us, huh? Have you forgotten about little people like me?” Jin Yao’er pouted.
“Uh, that’s not it. You know things aren’t great between me and your father, so I don’t come around,” Lin Yun said, spreading his hands helplessly.
Jin Yao’er, of course, understood. She had once pleaded for Lin Yun and ended up confined by the Xingwu Emperor.
“If that’s the case, why’d you show up here today? Aren’t you afraid my father will give you trouble?” Jin Yao’er asked, her mischievous charm unchanged.
“Not at all,” Lin Yun said with a grin.
The Xingwu Emperor was no longer his match, so why would he be afraid?
“Tch, don’t talk big. You’d better leave before my father notices you. What if he picks a fight?” Jin Yao’er’s tone turned serious toward the end.
“Jin Yao’er, it’s really fine,” Lin Yun said with a wry smile, spreading his hands again.
“Whatever. You’re the disciple of the Fire Cloud Emperor now. At most, my father might give you a hard time, but he wouldn’t dare do much,” Jin Yao’er said.
Then, she looked up at Lin Yun with her clear, beautiful eyes.
“By the way, Lin Yun, today’s the Heavenly God Palace ranking event, right? All the eternal beings from our Xingwu Empire went. You must have too. How’d you do? I asked some of our eternal beings about your results, but none of them would tell me,” Jin Yao’er asked curiously.
Though not an eternal being herself, Jin Yao’er knew a bit about the Heavenly God Palace.
“Well… do you really want to know?” Lin Yun said, shrugging.
He knew exactly why the Xingwu Empire’s eternal beings wouldn’t tell Jin Yao’er his results.
“Of course!” Jin Yao’er nodded eagerly.
“I’m now ranked tenth on the Heavenly God List,” Lin Yun said.
“Tenth?”
Jin Yao’er froze, then immediately retorted, “You’re bragging! You’ve only been in the Heavenly God Palace for how long? How could you be tenth? Besides, I know my father holds the tenth spot. If you’re tenth, that means you beat him? No way!”
“That’s exactly why your empire’s eternal beings didn’t tell you,” Lin Yun said, shaking his head with a smile.
“You’re full of it!” Jin Yao’er pouted.
Even knowing Lin Yun was a prodigy, she couldn’t believe he’d surpassed her father after just a few decades in the Heavenly God Palace!
At that moment, the commander of the imperial guard emerged from the gate.
“Lin Yun, His Majesty has asked me to escort you inside,” the commander said.
“Alright, lead the way,” Lin Yun replied.
He turned to Jin Yao’er. “Jin Yao’er, I’m off to see your father. We’re friends, so if you ever need help, come find me.”
Jin Yao’er had helped him before, and Lin Yun was someone who remembered kindness, believing even a small favor should be repaid generously.
But with the Xingwu Emperor as her father, Jin Yao’er rarely lacked resources, so she likely wouldn’t need Lin Yun’s help.
With that, Lin Yun followed the commander into the palace.
Inside the palace hall.
The commander led Lin Yun into the hall.
Lin Yun felt a sense of familiarity with the place.
The first time he met the Xingwu Emperor was right here.
Back then, the Xingwu Emperor seemed like a god to Lin Yun. Just a glance made him nervous, and the emperor’s aura could make him feel suffocated, like he was on the verge of death, a mere ant in his presence.
Now, things were different. Standing here again, Lin Yun was calm and composed.
He looked up to see the Xingwu Emperor standing ahead, his back to him.
“Your Majesty, the person has been brought,” the commander said.
“Good, you may leave,” the Xingwu Emperor replied.
After the commander left the hall.
“Your Majesty, if I remember correctly, this is where we first met, isn’t it? If you had taken me as your disciple back then, my life might have followed a different path,” Lin Yun said, unable to help but sigh.
To the Lin Yun of that time, the Xingwu Emperor was an awe-inspiring figure. If he had offered to take Lin Yun as a disciple, Lin Yun would have had no reason to refuse.
But back then, the Xingwu Emperor was only interested in Lin Yun’s little green dragon, not in Lin Yun himself, and had no such intention.
The Xingwu Emperor, still facing away, said coldly, “Lin Yun, did you come here just to say that? Haven’t had enough of mocking me? Or are you here to rub your victory in my face?”
He kept his back to Lin Yun, perhaps too ashamed to face him after his defeat.
Lin Yun gave a helpless smile. “Your Majesty, if you think that, you’re judging a gentleman’s heart with a petty mind.”
“What? Calling me a petty man?” the Xingwu Emperor’s tone grew colder.
“That’s not what I meant. Don’t take it personally.”
Lin Yun continued, “Your Majesty, I’ll be direct. I came today to seek reconciliation. We’re both strong members of the human race, and with the demon clan threat looming over us like a sword, ready to fall at any moment, holding grudges doesn’t help our unity or stability.”
