Rong Ning was pacing back and forth in her room, which had been locked from the outside. Ever since she had come back home, things had seemed very much off. She was just not able to put her finger on it. The final nail in the coffin was being confined to her room for the past few days.
She was actually much more curious than worried, since now she had enough power to thwart any plans her aunt and uncle had made. Her current cultivation, as seen by others, was only at the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment. But the Ice Luan soul inside her was at the Core Formation realm.
From the time she had started cultivating, she had discovered the Ice Luan spirit residing in her body. This spirit was a separate source of her strength and needed to be cultivated independently. She had raised it to the fourth layer of Core Formation, just two steps behind her grandfather's realm from what she remembered of him.
Someone knocked on the door at that time. "Come in," Rong Ning's voice carried an icy coldness. The door opened, and a young maid in palace attire stood there. She came inside carrying a food platter in her small hands.
"Princess, Her Highness the Empress has told you to eat your fill tonight," the maid lowered her head and said in a small voice.
"Place it to the side," Rong Ning's emotionless voice made the maid flinch, but she followed the instructions nonetheless. Placing the large plate on the wooden table at the center of the room, she rushed out of the room. The door was once again locked from the outside.
Rong Ning sat on the wooden chair and took a look at the things filling the plate. Most of them were things that she used to like when she was here. It seemed like whatever her 'kind' family was planning would soon be implemented. Was her grandfather aware of this and had given his tacit approval?
She brought her hands to her waist and felt the small talisman tucked away safely. If nothing else worked, she still had the protection given by her peak master.
The darkness of the night deepened, and time continued to pass until dawn brought light to the sleeping world. Birds chirped and flew, waking up the silent city.
The next morning, the Rong Empire was filled with a festive atmosphere. Shops lining the central street were decorated with flowers and papers. Roads were swept clean, and people wore their best clothes like it was a festival. The laughter of children added to the lively songs being sung by the women of the kingdom.
A group of carriages carrying the symbol of a blue eagle engraved on their sides arrived at the gate of the well-fortified capital city. One glance at them, and the guards raised the metal doors to let them inside. The long procession moved inside with a deliberately slow pace.
The prince of the Kou kingdom lightly lifted the window of his carriage and looked at the festivities everywhere their carriage passed. Lowering the window after a few moments, he turned back to his grandfather sitting opposite him. "Grandfather, I am feeling a little scared for some reason. Can't we just postpone the ceremony for a later time?"
The old man with a well-kept white beard did not scold the prince. He opened his aged eyes and looked at the young boy dressed in his regal red clothes. "How long do you think I have to live?"
Silence. The young prince already knew the situation of his grandfather. If not for the medicine passed down by their ancestors, he would have already succumbed to his old injuries and died. When they had tried to buy the cure from a well-known sect, the price nearly cost them half their small kingdom.
"Once you are engaged, I will be able to rest in peace," the old man's voice was tired. "I have seen the Rong girl when she was young. If only her parents were still alive, she would have easily laid her claim to the throne with her own hands. Alas, fate likes to play cruel jokes on people. After the passing of her parents, she is now at the mercy of her relatives."
"But wasn't it said that she was accepted as a disciple by the Jade River Sect?" the prince made a puzzled expression. This news had spread even to his own kingdom a few years ago. At that time, a lot of court ministers were eagerly jumping out to form a good connection with the Rong Empire.
The old man shook his head. "If you enter the Jade River Sect, you have to give up most of the advantages and resources you had from outside. The sect rules over a land vast enough that more than a hundred kingdoms like ours come under them. At that time, simply being a swan is not enough. You need to be a phoenix to leave your mark."
The mind of the young prince also raced. "Since the Royal Family has arranged for her marriage in exchange for the breakthrough pill you obtained all those years back, her position in the sect must not be high." He voiced his opinions.
The old man nodded. "Indeed. The two old coots want to get rid of their niece, and her grandfather is in closed-door cultivation after the death of his younger son. But it is still more advantageous for us. After this union, even the ministers back in the kingdom will have no reason to delay your coronation."
The carriage soon arrived at the entrance to the large royal palace. Many maids and servants were lined up in rows to receive the retinue of the Kou kingdom. The one leading them was the Grand Chancellor of the Rong Empire; his long beard extended to his waist, and his body radiated the pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The prince of Kou and his grandfather got off the carriage and were greeted by the chancellor. He led them through large courtyards and several inner gates. Finally, they arrived at the throne room where the Rong Emperor and the Empress were sitting on the dragon throne.
The Kou prince and his grandfather bowed to the emperor, who nodded in acknowledgement. "Bring my niece," the emperor ordered. Several servants went out to carry out his command.
Rong Ning was peacefully cultivating when the door to her room was opened. Several servants barged inside; leading them was her cousin, Rong Meili. "Imperial Father has asked for your presence."
Instead of moving, Rong Ning just looked straight back at her cousin and asked in her emotionless voice, "Why? For what reason has the emperor called for me?"
Rong Meili felt a chill run down her spine. Suppressing her rising heartbeat, she said, "You will know when you get there."
Rong Ning didn't struggle much. She simply got off the bed and followed the group. Whatever happens, she would simply deal with it in her own way. She walked through the familiar corridors she had played around in her childhood. They felt more alien now. The familiar faces here had scattered, taking their warmth with them.
When she entered the throne room, she saw several unfamiliar faces. From their clothes, she inferred them to be from the neighboring Kou kingdom. She bowed toward her uncle and aunt sitting on the golden throne. A clear idea had already formed in her mind about what was going on. She would still give them a chance for now. If they still went ahead with it, the rest would be a history lesson for future generations.
From her right, she felt a strong presence keeping watch over the situation here. She was able to sense it only due to her Ice Luan soul. It could only be her grandfather. Her Ice Luan soul, though below him in cultivation rank, could help her stand against him. She just hoped things would not come to that.
"Welcome back, my niece," her uncle, the current emperor, said with a broad smile in a booming voice that echoed throughout the audience chamber. "I didn't get a chance to meet you after your return. Going ahead, you can join the royal lunch every afternoon."
Rong Ning bowed once again to show her nonexistent gratitude. Looking at her seemingly timid appearance, the empress said in an aloof voice, "Ning'er, the time has come for you to perform your royal duty."
Rong Ning turned her gaze toward her aunt, who didn't notice the chill in her eyes. The empress continued, "You must have already met the prince of Kou in your childhood. He is young, proficient in the governance of his kingdom, and still has not been betrothed to anyone."
"Ehm," the emperor coughed lightly, interrupting the conversation. "Ning'er, what your aunt said is correct. Though you could not achieve much success in the Jade River Sect, you can still accompany the prince of Kou and rule over the Kou kingdom. What are your thoughts on that?"
Rong Ning easily saw through the act performed by the couple on the throne. One acted forcefully. The other pretended to be reasonable and asked for her own views so as to create an invisible pressure. If it was the previous her from four years ago, who still remembered her mother every night and cried; who still had dreams of one day ascending the throne that was her birthright, she would have bent a knee and surrendered to the circumstances.
"What are your thoughts, uncle?" She simply threw the question back at him.
The emperor smiled. "I think it is a good decision for you. Didn't you always want to be a queen? Though the people whom you rule over may change, you will be able to complete the final wish of my late sister-in-law. It will also ally the Kou kingdom with the Rong Kingdom and form a strong front against the surrounding enemies trying to take advantage of us."
"Is that all you want to say?" Rong Ning stared straight at the emperor. When she had fought Tian Yao all those years ago at the sect tournament, she had already stepped into the first layer of Foundation Establishment.
After three years, since her outer cultivation had only advanced by three layers and she did not interact much with the common disciples, it must have made many people think that all her talent was exhausted. That must also be the reason for the brazenness of her shameless uncle and aunt.
"What do you mean by that, my niece?" the emperor's eyes narrowed as he radiated the pressure of a newly ascended Core Formation cultivator. Even the delegation from the Kou kingdom was affected, and the old man had to use his own cultivation to shield the prince. The people all moved back, and the guards in golden armor moved in front.
Rong Ning showed no reaction. After having regular day-long staring contests with her peak master every month for the past few years, she had grown resistant to this kind of external pressure. All she felt was a strong wind that scattered her silky black hair.
Looking at her right, she said, "Grandfather, what are your thoughts?"
The emperor was stunned for a moment. His momentum faltered, and the pressure he exuded was dispelled by another even stronger pressure. A gust of strong wind blew through the throne room. Suddenly, a middle-aged man in flowing white robes was standing in front of Rong Ning. His beard was trimmed and black hair cut properly. He gazed at her with complex emotions filling his eyes.
"What are your views on this matter, Grandfather?" Rong Ning asked again in her cold voice. Her grandfather, Rong Zihan, did not say anything and just stared at her for a few more moments. Nodding his head at something, he said, "You can do as you wish."
"Then I will be taking my leave. I have important matters to handle in the sect," Rong Ning said. She wanted to probe some reaction out of her grandfather. He did nothing. Said nothing more. Rong Zihan just stood in his place, waiting for her to go away.
The main goal of the emperor was to distance Rong Ning from the throne to keep his seat secure. The biggest voice in the Rong Kingdom belonged to his father, who could dethrone him at a moment's notice. If someday he decided that his granddaughter was a good fit for a ruler, he would make it so.
"Father! How could you?" the emperor's face was contorted as he stood up from his throne. Rong Zihan gazed at him and said, "You can stop her if you want."
The emperor's face froze. Was his father protecting Rong Ning, or had he washed his hands of this matter? "Stop her!" he shouted at the golden guards. The guards surrounded Rong Ning, their spears raised and pointing towards her.
Rong Ning looked around her. She raised her right leg and unleashed the Ice Luan soul. A primordial pressure enveloped the hall, suppressing the soul of everyone present. Rong Ning's black hair turned to cyan white in the blink of an eye. As she stamped her raised leg on the ground, a ripple spread out centered around her and threw back the guards. They crashed into the walls and pillars of the hall.
Turning her head, Rong Ning faced her uncle. The emperor felt a chill run down his spine. His knees buckled under the pressure that was mounting with time. The golden throne behind him creaked and broke down piece by piece. His knees hit the ground as he kneeled in front of the girl he had thought of as air. No matter how much he struggled, it was all to no avail.
"You can keep your throne," Rong Ning turned her back on the court and walked out. Suddenly stopping in her tracks, she turned back and moved toward the prince of the Kou kingdom and his grandfather who had horrified expressions on their faces. The old man raised his hands in front of his grandson and gave her a wary look.
Rong Ning didn't mind it. She took out a pill bottle from her storage ring and handed it over. "Due to my family's actions, the Kou royal family has been troubled. This is a small token of compensation from me. I noticed that you seem to have a few hidden injuries from years past. These pills were specially refined by our sect and can help cure it."
As the old man took the jade bottle, Rong Ning walked out of the audience chamber. Exiting the corridor, the sword at her waist was unsheathed and floated in front of her. Stepping onto it, she rose in the air. After determining her direction, she propelled the sword forward.
The hall was completely silent. Rong Zihan did not share their surprise. His connections extended far more than the emperor's. He had a proper idea of what it meant to be selected as an inner disciple on the first day after entering the Jade River Sect. He had gone along with this farce to see his granddaughter after all this time and determine how much she had actually progressed. It seemed like she would surpass him in a year or two at most. It was a good thing worth celebrating.
The Jade River Sect was to the east from here. Rong Ning moved toward the west. She decided to take a break since she was already out. Her hair fluttered in an unbridled mess as her body tore through the air.
The emperor, with a belly full of questions, recovered from the shock and opened his mouth, "Father…" but he didn't even get to finish his words. The protective array surrounding the royal palace was attacked and broken down in an instant. The ceiling of the audience chamber was blasted through as several figures cloaked in black landed in the center of the room.
The fallen golden guards got up and rushed towards the intruders. The hulking figure in black standing at the front stomped his leg. The floor underneath splintered and the guards were once again thrown back. This time they were all knocked out cold. The burly figure eyed Rong Zihan who also stared back with restrained movements.
An array formed below the intruders' feet, and black mist spread from it. Several guards stood in front of the emperor, and the Kou prince was pulled back by his grandfather. The dark mist enveloped the audience chamber, removing everyone's vision. Its special properties even restricted the use of qi for searching purposes.
Rong Zihan didn't move an inch. If his granddaughter gave the impression that she would pass him in some time, the hulking figure was a genuine threat who could easily compete with him. Since these people had not done any actual damage, he also didn't use the secret weapon of the Rong Kingdom.
The people in black searched for some time before quickly retreating. They floated on their flying swords, indicating their cultivation at the Core Formation realm at the least. One of those black figures had also gagged one of the guests and was carrying him with them.
"Quickly go after the…" the emperor pointed at the fleeing people.
"Quiet," Rong Zihan's words silenced the surroundings. He stood on the rubble of the broken ceiling. "Let them go. You won't be able to catch them even if you wanted to." He went back to his dwelling after leaving these words behind.
The black figures stopped just a mile away from the city. Getting off Liu Yue's sword, Xiaomeng threw down the man she was carrying. Bending down, she menacingly asked Pavilion Master Wang, "Where is my money from the sect mission?"
Back at the Rong royal palace, Rong Zihan entered his cave abode tucked away at the corner of the palace. It was surrounded by even more arrays than the whole city combined. As he entered the dark cave, the small spirit stones embedded in the wall lit up the darkness. In front of him, on the shelf carved on the stone walls, lined several wooden carvings of his children and grandchildren.
Sitting at the wooden table at the center, he took out a small piece of wood and a small knife. Remembering his granddaughter's face just now, he started carving her likeness. Grief is not infinite. Time would erode it away. But till then, he had to keep going on. In the silent cave, only the brushing of the metal against the wood was heard.