Chapter 3: Sede’s Suspicion

Five days later, the grand audience hall of the imperial palace buzzed with activity.

A multitude of officials crowded around the Black Rock Dragon’s remains, their faces contorted with rage as they clamored amongst themselves.

“Where is the dragon meat? It’s a prime material for reinforcing armor! How could only a mere shell remain!?”

“Though dragon bones are typically beyond the use of common folk, why have even these been plundered!?”

“Lin Na! After all the immense resources we poured into cultivating you, is this paltry refuse all you have to show for it?”

The man, who stood regally upon the throne, merely waved a hand, and the officials who had been berating Lin Na instantly trembled, their complaints dying on their lips as they swiftly retreated to either side.

This was Sede Aharat, the thirty-second heir to the empire’s throne. Known for his inherently cruel nature, he had resorted to all manner of vicious tactics to eliminate his own kin and secure his rule, thus earning his reputation as the most brutal and youngest monarch in the empire’s annals.

“What was the opponent’s cultivation realm?” Sede inquired, leaning back against the opulent throne, his calm gaze reflecting Lin Na’s bowed, kneeling form. “Could the materials be recovered?”

Witnessing Sede’s composed demeanor, the officials felt cold sweat trickle down their spines; they knew this unsettling tranquility, akin to the stillness before a volcanic eruption, invariably preceded his decision to execute someone.

The ten retainers, half-kneeling behind Lin Na, felt beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads, fervently praying that Lin Na would choose her words wisely, understanding that a single misstep could lead to their own demise alongside hers.

‘That old man displayed no discernible aura, suggesting he hadn’t reached the Emperor Realm, yet his power was formidable enough to contend with, or even surpass, a peak Emperor Realm expert.’

‘If Lin Na were to answer truthfully, His Majesty would undoubtedly suspect her of deliberately throwing the fight.’

“Below the Emperor Realm. Irretrievable.”

Upon hearing Lin Na’s terse reply, the retainers’ eyes welled up with tears, and they silently bid farewell to their families, certain of their impending doom.

They had nearly forgotten Lin Na’s notorious brevity; she was known to never utter a second word if a single one sufficed.

To expect her to embellish the story with tales of hardship was utterly ludicrous!

“Below the Emperor Realm? Yet, weren’t you said to have broken through to the Emperor Realm just days ago? With such a disparity in strength, how could you possibly lose?” A minister with a sharp, foxy face sneered maliciously, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Are you certain this wasn’t an intentional act on your part?”

Clearly relishing the spectacle, this minister’s intent was to cast Lin Na into the deepest abyss.

“Tsk.” Sede’s face darkened with displeasure at the interruption, and a surge of furious anger caused veins to throb visibly on his temples.

With a flick of Sede’s hand, a crimson longsword materialized from thin air, and pillars of searing flame erupted, coiling around the offending minister. By the time the inferno subsided, only a pile of ashes remained.

“Exterminate his nine familial generations.”

At this chilling decree, the soldiers outside the hall sprang into immediate action, each moving with a desperate urgency, lest they too be implicated.

To have one’s entire nine familial generations executed merely for interjecting a remark sent a collective shiver down the spines of the other ministers; clearly, any hopes of using this incident to undermine Lin Na were now utterly dashed.

The Ten Prodigies were granted access to all of the nation’s resources, a privilege many coveted, hoping to ascend to such a position and exploit it for personal gain.

Yet, their ambitions were nothing more than pipe dreams.

Sede, inherently suspicious, ensured that anyone admitted to the Ten Prodigies possessed a simple background and a tragic past, making them susceptible to his influence and less likely to betray him.

Lin Na perfectly fit these criteria; her singular, unwavering purpose was revenge, for which she would sacrifice everything, and the empire, in turn, could provide her with every resource necessary for her ascent to power.

Their relationship was one of clear mutual benefit, a precise balance of supply and demand.

Moreover, as a member of the Ten Prodigies, Lin Na steadfastly refused to align herself with any political factions, standing as a rare bastion of integrity among her peers.

Furthermore, her master was Bai Huo, a venerable five-generation court elder and a formidable Saint Realm expert.

From a conventional perspective, Lin Na had absolutely no conceivable reason to betray the empire.

Nevertheless, Sede harbored an inherent distrust for everyone.

“What prompts such a statement?” Sede questioned, his voice cold and sharp.

“This individual’s power surpasses that of my master.”

These words instantly ignited a commotion among the ministers in the hall. ‘Power surpassing a Saint Realm expert? How could that be? Didn’t she just claim he was below the Emperor Realm?’

The Saint Realm represented a transcendence from mortality to divinity, transforming one into a being akin to a demigod. Beyond vastly enhanced strength, it bestowed a lifespan several times longer than that of mortals, rendering them immune to conventional attacks.

With a Saint Realm expert as their bulwark, even a nation as weak as a dog would be safe from easy invasion by hostile powers, for a single such individual possessed the power to overturn any war.

“The Sword Demon Venerable, you say?” Sede mused, resting his hand casually on the imperial headrest and crossing one leg over the other, a subtle sneer gracing his lips. “Heh, so that old undying one still draws breath.”

Lin Na remained silent.

Recalling the crushing defeat of five days prior, Lin Na’s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened. The insurmountable chasm she had faced had plunged her into despair; she had believed herself finally capable of exacting vengeance upon her foe, only to be utterly and decisively defeated.

Noticing the subtle hint of fear in Lin Na’s expression, Sede narrowed his eyes, observing her for a prolonged moment with an intensely piercing gaze.

The retainers, witnessing this chilling exchange, felt their hairs stand on end; they instinctively lowered their heads, terrified of meeting the emperor’s gaze and provoking his displeasure.

“Very well. The credit for subduing the Black Rock Dragon shall be attributed to you. The empire’s prestige must not be tarnished.”

“I should not accept it.”

“Refusal is not an option. You may withdraw.”

“…Yes…”

Once Lin Na and her retinue had departed, a murmur of discussion rippled through the hall as the ministers openly questioned why Sede had not only spared her punishment but had even bestowed credit upon her.

“Let it be known that none of today’s events are to be spoken of outside these walls. Those who defy this order shall be executed.” Sede declared, rising to his full height and sweeping a hand through the air. “Withdraw!”

To dare snatch prey already claimed by the empire, and within imperial borders no less, was tantamount to openly disrespecting their authority.

Should word of this reach the wider world, where would the empire’s prestige stand?

Sede knew full well that the Sword Demon Venerable was not a force to be trifled with. He had grown up hearing countless tales of his prowess, and though he had never met the man, a deep-seated fear had taken root in his heart.

One particular adage echoed persistently in his mind.

‘Provoke this man, and your entire lineage shall be annihilated.’

Sede’s own inherent ferocity was, in some measure, a consequence of this terrifying reputation.

“Elder Hai,” Sede called out into the seemingly empty hall. From behind the throne, an elderly man with a long white beard, reaching past his abdomen, emerged.

“Your Majesty, how may I be of service?” the elder questioned, bowing respectfully and awaiting his command.

This was Haibo, the esteemed chief of the Empire’s Ten Prodigies and a formidable peak Emperor Realm expert.

“You are to personally monitor Lin Na,” Sede commanded, making a swift gesture across his throat, his eyes gleaming with lethal intent. “Should she betray us, no report is necessary; simply execute her.”

Sede’s ascent to the imperial throne was not solely due to his ruthless ambition, but also to his extraordinary intellect. Discerning the subtle nuances of facial expressions was second nature to him.

Lin Na’s earlier demeanor had clearly betrayed a hint of guilt.

Given that the appearance of dragon species had always been unpredictable since ancient times, Lin Na’s account of events lacked logical coherence from the very beginning.

By simply dissecting the matter, an utterly preposterous conclusion naturally emerged.

The Black Rock Dragon coincidentally appeared in Bengbu Village, where, by sheer happenstance, a powerful individual capable of subduing it resided. This same individual, by another stroke of uncanny luck, happened to be Lin Na’s sworn enemy, who not only spared her life after their confrontation but was now being used by Lin Na to deceive him.

Could such a string of coincidences truly be possible?

Was she trying to fool a ghost?

Could the Sword Demon Venerable possess the power of foresight?

Given Lin Na’s singular ambition for power, the likelihood of her secretly hoarding the “Brilliant Dragon Core” and “Crimson Demon Steel Scales” was exceedingly high.

“Understood.”

Haibo bowed in acknowledgment, accepting the command. Yet, from an angle imperceptible to Sede, a wicked smile slowly crept across his face.

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