Chapter 40: A Royal Coincidence

The main street remained a bustling tapestry of carriages and people.

People gathered in small groups, their lively chatter filling the air.

This vibrant spectacle struck Lu Yuan as utterly novel.

After all, the customs and traditions of this alien world were vastly different from those of the cultivation realm.

The small shops lining the streets always offered an array of peculiar and whimsical goods.

“Uncle,” little Merlin chirped, “have you been cooped up at home for so long that merely stepping outside today makes you feel as if a lifetime has passed?”

Lu Yuan nodded slowly. “Indeed,” he confirmed.

This was the unvarnished truth for Lu Yuan, who had, after all, lived an entire life anew.

Merlin glanced at the perpetually bustling market, finding it somewhat uninteresting. She then pointed towards a towering structure vaguely visible in the east. “Uncle, that must be the Imperial Palace, right?”

Following little Merlin’s gaze, Lu Yuan discerned a cluster of majestic, otherworldly towers and grand edifices.

“I suppose so,” Lu Yuan replied, though he harbored a degree of uncertainty himself. Lei Yin had never actually visited the Imperial Palace either, only knowing its general direction.

After carefully discerning the direction, a disquieting premonition stirred within Lu Yuan.

Was that not precisely the location where he had plummeted from the sky after regaining his cultivation that fateful day?

Within that very building, Lu Yuan had encountered a “Princess” who had been entirely unclothed.

Hmm?

A princess?

“Merlin,” Lu Yuan inquired aloud, “just how many princesses does this kingdom possess?”

“Why do you ask, Uncle?” Merlin’s face became laced with suspicion, her beautiful, large eyes fixated on Lu Yuan’s expression. “You’re not harboring any… peculiar thoughts, are you?”

‘Peculiar thoughts?’ Lu Yuan had no idea what she meant, but he certainly felt a growing sense of unease. “Just a casual inquiry,” he managed to say.

With two lives behind him and a poker face honed by a millennium of arduous cultivation, Lu Yuan’s expression was utterly inscrutable to little Merlin.

Little Merlin pondered for a moment. “There are probably a dozen or so who can be called princesses,” she mused.

Beyond the king’s own daughters, the title of princess was also bestowed upon the daughters of certain high-ranking officials.

For instance, Lei Yin’s former girlfriend, Secevi, was one such ennobled princess.

Consequently, a considerable number of women in this kingdom bore the title of princess.

Lu Yuan gently stroked his jaw, his gaze filled with uncertainty.

Surely, it couldn’t be such an uncanny coincidence?

No, it truly shouldn’t be. When he first encountered that “little princess,” Lu Yuan had extended his divine sense, conducting a cursory scan of the surrounding structures.

The area where she was located had been devoid of any guards or attendants.

For the kingdom’s most cherished little princess to be without guards or retinue was utterly illogical.

Therefore, Lu Yuan had concluded that the “little princess” he met then was likely the daughter of a high-ranking official, much like Secevi.

Secevi, however, had never particularly enjoyed being called a princess.

“Uncle, are you perhaps hoping for some good fortune?” little Merlin’s faint voice drifted over, “You have quite the lecherous grin on your face.”

Lu Yuan frowned slightly. Why was it that every time the name Secevi came to mind, his thoughts became unusually muddled?

Was it due to the influence of his host body… Lei Yin’s memories?

In the distance, several splendidly dressed individuals were engaged in casual conversation.

“Hey, hey, have you heard? About that tremendous boom the other night?”

“Ah… I heard about that too. Apparently, a white whale was struck down and fell right into the Imperial Palace…”

“A white whale? Was it truly a white whale? Isn’t that a King-tier magical beast?”

The content of their casual conversation immediately captured Lu Yuan’s attention.

A white whale? So, the magical beast he had slain earlier bore this name? The magical beasts of this world seemed markedly different from the demon beasts of the cultivation realm.

He had never detected the heaven-defying demonic energy characteristic of demon beasts. Instead, they radiated only a primal, savage, and tyrannical aura.

King-tier? This seemed to be the classification of power within this alternate world.

There were four known tiers: low, mid, and high preceding the King-tier. Whether any ranks existed beyond the King-tier remained unknown to Lu Yuan.

In theory, the King-tier represented the highest known echelon of power.

To what extent was it powerful? It had taken a full-powered sword strike from Lu Yuan, at his Mahayana cultivation stage, just to slay it.

By the former standards of the cultivation realm, such a feat would equate to possessing the strength to overcome the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.

“A King-tier magical beast! Who on earth possesses the capability to slay such a creature?”

“Hahahaha, haven’t you heard? The King has already posted a decree! The Princess has returned. This time, it was none other than Her Royal Highness who personally struck down a white whale that had coincidentally flown over the capital!”

“The Princess? Which Princess, you ask? Why, the Eldest Princess, of course! Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess has been away for three years, and who would have thought she’d accomplish something so monumental immediately upon her return!”

“How truly formidable! Heaven bless our kingdom!”

“Speaking of which, haven’t white whales always roamed the outer territories? Why did this one venture so far inland this time…”

Lu Yuan ceased listening to the remainder of their conversation.

Lu Yuan had initially worried that the magical beast he’d slain, plummeting directly into the Imperial Palace, would cause him considerable trouble. He never imagined that someone would have already handled the aftermath for him.

He couldn’t help but let out a silent, wry chuckle.

“Lei Yin! So you’re here!” A girl’s voice called out Lu Yuan’s name from behind him.