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The Origami Master who betrayed the Emperor doesn’t seem like a very good topic to discuss.....

Chen Qing looked at the other party with some astonishment, not understanding why the other party would bring up this topic.

"Young Lord Chen must not misunderstand," Chen Baifeng said with a smile. "I am not saying that this lord has any relationship with the Origami Master. After all, we noble families never approved of such a demon controlling the security of the Imperial Palace from the beginning. It’s just that the Origami Master’s abilities were too formidable, and His Majesty trusted him too much, leaving us no choice. "

"Then..... what does the lord mean?" Chen Qing was immediately puzzled.

"I only mean to say that before the Origami Master came, the security of the Court, the work of the Origami Master, was the responsibility of this Lord Gu," said the elder.

Chen Qing’s heart skipped a beat at these words. He looked over and immediately saw that the lord being introduced was wearing a mask, dressed in purple, and his attire was quite different from that of other scholarly nobles.

It wasn’t just his attire that was different; in all other aspects, too, he stood out—his aura and even the distance he kept. It was easy to see that the group of Magicians from the Imperial Court seemed to have some aversion to him.....

Responsible for the Origami Master’s work?

The Origami Master was an existence capable of monitoring the entire Capital City on behalf of the Siao Family’s Emperor. Even if this one couldn’t do the same as the Origami Master, his capabilities must be remarkable. Who exactly was he?

"Is the elder’s surname Gu?" Chen Qing ventured.

The other party nodded, showing no intention of speaking.

"Gu Ying....." Chen Baifeng assisted with the introduction. "Lord Gu Ying is one of the ten great Court Magicians, and his position has never changed. For twenty years, he has served as the Magician of the Black Tortoise position in the Court."

Gu Ying?

Chen Qing rapidly recalled that name..... it sounded familiar!

When had he heard it?

With high spiritual power, there was an advantage; memories that were momentarily elusive could be quickly accessed and retrieved with a mental probe.

Soon, he remembered.....

It was mentioned by Shen Qi!

"Lord, do you have an advance list of who is being sent from the Capital City?"

"I don’t think so....," Chen Qing had replied. "But even if I had a list, it wouldn’t be useful to me since I don’t recognize them. Why? Are you familiar with those noble families from the Capital City?"

"Familiar is an overstatement. Actually, I’ve had very little interaction with them.

I haven’t paid attention to the Capital City for a long time.

I’m not sure which of the old fellows are still there or who are now the leading powers.

After all, my techniques are greatly feared.

As soon as I leave Jiangnan, I’m a target for surveillance, which really can’t be helped. "

Chen Qing: "...."

"However, there is one person..... if the lord encounters him, be careful."

"Who?"

"Seems to be surnamed Gu, called Gu Ying!"

"Oh? To have caught your attention, who is he?"

"Someone who greatly suppresses me...."

"Suppresses you? How so?"

"The lord must have heard of the Earth Fiend Sorcery, right?"

"Err.... you make it sound like I’m some bumpkin. How could I have not heard of it?"

"Then has the lord heard of the four taboos within the Earth Fiend Sorcery?"

Chen Qing was stunned at that moment. The Earth Fiend Sorcery, compared to Big Dipper Sorcery, had a heavier malevolent aura and the techniques it involved were more dangerous. Therefore, according to his original design, Earth Fiend Sorcery was, in fact, a Forbidden Technique.

Especially when later versions developed, and Earth Fiend Spirits could be summoned, every Earth Fiend Sorcerer had the power to destroy a nation.

Within the Earth Fiend Sorcery, there were the so-called four taboos, but he had not heard of them.... These NPCs, they even knew how to categorize things better than himself....

"It seems the lord has not heard of them. Then, lord... have you ever heard of Zhulong?"

Chen Qing: "...."

Returning to the present, Chen Qing understood looking at that person why he would be ostracized. Why would the Imperial Court... send someone with such dangerous techniques here?

While he was pondering, there came a commotion from afar. It was a mass of black mist carrying a ship roughly the same size as Chen Qing’s own. Without needing to look, Chen Qing knew it must be the Princess Royale arriving.

--------------------------------------

"A ship from the Imperial Court?"

Princess Siao Mingxue was currently sitting at the front of the deck, watching the ship that had arrived before her, also somewhat puzzled.

The notice from Chen Qing was sudden, and she had been somewhat flustered, handling the defense preparations and various tasks within a single day.

Even with the fast-moving ship Chen Qing had provided, she was still the second to arrive.

The key point was that it was a ship from the Imperial Court.....

The Imperial Court had to travel by land, first reach Nanming Prefecture, then rent a ship to come here.

After all, the entire West Sea and Jiangnan were no longer under the actual control of the Imperial Court.

It would be impossible for the Court to have a ship in this region, and with all the scheming among the nobility and the monster’s considerations within the Imperial Palace, logically speaking, the Court should not be the fastest to respond after receiving news of the early opening of the Dragon Palace.

But the fact of the matter is just so....

This inevitably led Princess Siao Mingxue to wonder, was there some secret collusion between Lord Chen Qing and the Imperial Court?

Or was there some other reason?

About two hours after the Princess’ ship arrived, the ship carrying the undead from the West Sea also arrived. Unlike the Princess’ discreet arrival, as soon as the West Sea ship approached, a sky-covering black fog enveloped the area like dark clouds, tinging half the sky black.

Perhaps it was due to the great commotion, or perhaps the very aura of malevolence that encircled them was what goaded the flood dragons. Soon enough, the flood dragons in the waters opposite began to grow restless.

The commotion caused by the agitated creatures was anything but small; waves piled upon waves, causing the entire body of water to become chaotic.

Princess Siao Mingxue looked at the figure on the opposite ship, the monster she had struggled against for two years, "Would it not be better for the senior to show some restraint?"

The black fog on the opposite ship dispersed, revealing the same mild-mannered face, dressed in the attire of a scholarly warrior.

Elder Shen bowed with a modest expression: "Apologies, I just wanted to test whether these creatures would indeed stay put."

The Princess turned back and felt a chill in her heart. Countless lantern-sized eyes stared intently in their direction, chilling the air instantly. Even someone as powerful as she felt her legs go weak under the gaze of thousands of such monstrous creatures.

He truly dared to test them.

If these monsters were to actually break out of their confines, they would likely devour them in an instant!

She could not think of anything in this world that could stop this horde of creatures. Thousands of flood dragons... The very absence of life all along their path revealed that these awakened beings... would bring destruction upon the world!

With these thoughts, everyone instinctively fell silent, not speaking, as they awaited the arrival of the last faction.

About another two hours passed, and Duke of Wei’s ship also arrived.

The Duke of Wei personally led the team, and the main members also stood alongside him on the deck.

Princess Siao Mingxue looked over and was surprised. She had speculated which two key figures the Duke of Wei might bring, but she hadn’t expected these individuals...

Aside from the Duke of Wei himself, two others of ducal status stood by his side—Bai Sang, head of the Bai Family, a renowned warrior already famous throughout the Central Plains even when Princess Siao Mingxue was but a child.

Her brother had made great efforts to court Bai Sang’s support for their family.

In terms of seniority, Bai Sang even surpassed the Duke of Wei.

However, he was not known for his leadership.

The main members of the Bai Family were more of battlefield warriors, top-notch fighters.

If she had to name a few warriors she was not confident of surpassing, Lumings would be one, her brother another, and Bai Sang of the Bai Family. .. would be yet another.

She had assumed that if the Duke of Wei came personally, then this individual... would surely remain to defend the North. After all, without her brother able to take action, there were hardly any within the Imperial Court who could match Bai Sang in martial prowess!

The other, even more unexpected for Princess Siao Mingxue, was a man clearly in his prime—a man she had taken note of long ago.

Duke of Yue: Xiang Tianyu!

This family, too, was once a martial arts powerhouse, renowned throughout the land. Before the establishment of Great Jin, the reputation of the Xiang Family far exceeded that of both the Siao and Lu families, especially in the former dynasty where the Xiang Family was a pillar of support!

Rumours even circulated that they were descendants of King Gui Xiang, although without evidence. Nonetheless, the family, because of this, was ostracized by the Royal Family during the disorderly era of demons and monsters.

The Xiang House, known for its fierce and unyielding spirit, outright rebelled, and it’s said that the former dynasty sent thirteen feudal lords to subdue them, to no avail, as it resulted in the loss of 600,000 elite troops!

Such a rebellious and prestigious family rallying to her brother was an outcome Princess Siao Mingxue had not anticipated.

It’s also why, since the rebellion in the North began, they have managed to win consecutive battles. Besides the Duke of Wei’s lauded command, the support of several capable allies was key.

Xiang Tianyu assumed the role of head of the Xiang House after the sudden death of the previous head.

The extent of his combat capabilities was unknown to the Princess, for the Xiang Family has always been shrouded in mystery with little information about the inner members exposed to the outside world.

Their offspring, even when joining the military, did so with extreme discretion—particularly the new Family Head, for whom intelligence was difficult to gather.

Xiang Tianyu wasn’t much older the Weichi Peng, a mere three to five years at most. Theoretically, even with outstanding talent, considering someone like Weichi Peng, already considered a rarity in a thousand years, his growth would’ve been limited by time and at best, he would reach the level of Weichi Peng.

Even if he had reached Super First Rank, he was probably still some distance away from the true apex.

Young talents like him should, by all accounts, stay home to preserve the foundation of their family, just as the Bai Family did, and send older generations instead.

But Princess Siao Mingxue remembered that there were several seniors in the Xiang Family, all of notable strength.

Now that the Family Head had arrived personally, was it an opportunity Xiang Tianyu couldn’t pass up, or was it an overconfidence in his own abilities?

"Lord Chen Qing, aren’t you going to welcome me?"

From afar, the hearty voice of the Duke of Wei spread throughout the vicinity.

Lord Chen Qing’s ship quickly approached, and after a moment’s thought, Princess Siao Mingxue stepped onto Lord Chen Qing’s ship and stood beside him.

This display of intimacy caught the representatives from several factions by surprise.

Lord Chen Qing was also taken aback by the Princess’ sudden approach. After subtly signaling Ghost Doll to refrain from getting too anxious, he looked towards the opposite side, preparing to exchange pleasantries. But when he saw the appearance of an elder standing beside the Duke of Wei, he froze.

Lord Chen Qing thought himself accustomed to various situations given his experiences, but even he appeared somewhat disconcerted at this moment.

The scene was simply too eerie.

"Duke of Song?"

Standing beside the Duke of Wei, the only elderly person dressed in the Academy Sorcerer’s robes, elegant and refined, was almost the spitting image of Duke of Song Liu Yu, as remembered by Lord Chen Qing!