On the morning of the second day, the sunlight was brilliant, dazzling yet not scorching as autumn merged into winter.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu walked side by side at the front, followed by a procession of officials as they ascended the Southern Gate of the Imperial City—Zhengyang Gate—to await the arrival of the Holy Roppu Empire Delegation.
The Zhengyang Gate watchtower, which had turned into a heap of ruins after yesterday’s great battle, had already been restored overnight by the master of Lingyan Pavilion using time magic.
Now, Zhengyang Gate stood tall and majestic, bathed in the morning sun, showing no trace of the previous day’s catastrophe.
Qin Yu marveled inwardly at the magical abilities wielded by the master of Lingyan Pavilion, and now, she couldn’t help but glance from time to time at the Pavilion Master who was currently marching behind her in the procession.
The master of Lingyan Pavilion was draped in a black robe, dignified and archaic, her golden eyes shimmering with shifting light, and her long black hair cascading down to her waist.
Her features were delicate, her large eyes and long lashes full of youthful vitality, making her seem like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old maiden.
Qin Yu knew very little about the Pavilion Master, not even her name or true strength.
‘I must find an opportunity to learn more about her!’ Qin Yu thought to herself.
With one last step, Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu led the officials up to the top of Zhengyang Gate.
Worthy of being the main southern gate of the Imperial City, Zhengyang Gate was massive in scale—there was still plenty of space for all the assembled officials.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu leaned against the battlements atop the watchtower, peering through the gaps to overlook Yongan City below.
The Imperial City was situated in the far north of Yongan City, its northern wall only a few kilometers from the city’s own northern ramparts.
Directly in front of Zhengyang Gate was a broad avenue called Vermilion Bird Avenue, nearly ten kilometers long and almost two kilometers wide, linking the Imperial City’s Zhengyang Gate with Yongan City’s southern gate—Yongan Gate.
Several east-west roads branched off from Vermilion Bird Avenue, and together with the straight north-south roads, they divided Yongan City into square blocks.
According to the agreement between the Chengji Empire and the Saint Roppu Empire, Lixiertine and her delegation would enter through Yongan Gate, travel down Vermilion Bird Avenue, and enter the Imperial Palace through Zhengyang Gate.
Today, Yongan Gate was sealed, and Vermilion Bird Avenue was cordoned off; the two-kilometer-wide street was cleared exclusively for the Holy Roppu Empire Delegation, while on both sides, crowds of citizens gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Empress and Saintess.
Qin Yu gazed upon the magnificent, bustling Yongan City, quietly recalling the reception plan Qin Ling had set out.
According to the plan, Qin Yu and Lixiertine would discuss the situation in the Southern Continent of the Illusory Realm and negotiate the future relations between their two nations.
In the slightly chilly wind, Qin Yu, clad in dragon robes, stood side by side with Luo Shangyu in her court dress behind the battlements, gazing off into the distance at Yongan Gate.
Behind the two, members of the Imperial Secretariat and the master of Lingyan Pavilion stood in a semicircle.
Behind them were the Six Ministries’ vice ministers, and behind those, the rest of the officials.
***
Around ten o’clock, the heavy blast of a horn echoed through the city, enveloping Yongan City in a deep, resonant sound.
The five massive gates of Yongan Gate slowly swung open, and a convoy of luxurious carriages began to roll into the city from outside.
At the head of the procession were six knights clad in golden armor, mounted on warhorses sheathed in iron barding, escorting the convoy forward.
The carriages themselves were splendidly adorned—their orange-gold lacquer echoing the knights’ gilded armor, glittering under the sunlight and radiating a sacred aura.
Leading the convoy was the Chengji Empire’s Imperial Guards.
“The strength of those six is extraordinary, at least at the seventh-tier Demigod level,” Luo Shangyu murmured, sensing their power.
“They are the Saint Roppu Empire’s Holy Temple Knights. There are only a few dozen of them, but each starts at the sixth tier,” Qin Yu explained to Luo Shangyu.
“Their captain is a Ninth-Tier Demigod.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Lixiertine told me about them last time.”
“Is that so?” Luo Shangyu narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Our Imperial Palace—do we have any Ninth-Tier Demigods stationed here?”
“The only Ninth-Tier Demigod I know of is Kong Shuo, the Ji Xia Academy headmaster. He stays at the academy. But the master of Lingyan Pavilion should also be the Ninth-Tier Demigod, right?” Qin Yu sneaked a glance at the Pavilion Master as she spoke.
“I’ll probe a little.” Luo Shangyu focused her mana, extending her senses toward the master of Lingyan Pavilion.
“Regent, there’s no need to probe. My strength is at the peak of the ninth tier; I expect to break through to the True God level within ten years.”
The Pavilion Master spoke first, her voice cool, tinged with a proud aloofness.
“…!” Luo Shangyu’s pupils contracted in shock.
She had stood beside the Pavilion Master for over ten minutes but hadn’t sensed the slightest fluctuation of mana—proof of an extraordinary mastery, blending with nature itself.
Unity of Heaven and Man—this was considered the threshold to become a True God!
“With the Pavilion Master’s strength, the Chengji Empire is surely safe!” Qin Yu was overjoyed.
“Your Highness overpraises me,” the Pavilion Master replied, a faint smile on her lips.
In the distance, the Saint Roppu Empire Delegation’s convoy had already entered Vermilion Bird Avenue.
Soft flute music arose—the imperial musicians of the Chengji Empire playing a welcoming melody.
Lixiertine rolled down her carriage window, letting a chilly breeze fill the compartment, her youthful fragrance wafting in the air.
“Look! So many people came!” Lixiertine pointed at the crowd outside, speaking to Lumia.
“Indeed, there are more than last year—likely due to that report’s influence,” Lumia replied with a gentle sigh.
After entering the Chengji Empire’s borders, Lixiertine and Lumia had purchased the latest newspapers and, naturally, came across an article discussing their relationship.
Lixiertine seemed unfazed, but Lumia was clearly unsettled by the report.
“We must catch that anonymous informant!” Lumia had raged more than once after reading it.
“By the way, after yesterday’s upheaval, is Zhengyang Gate already repaired?” Lixiertine wondered.
“It must have taken a powerful hand to restore it so quickly,” Lumia explained. “Likely the master of Lingyan Pavilion—they say she’s the strongest Ninth-Tier Demigod alive.”
“I see…” Lixiertine tried to imagine just how powerful a Ninth-Tier Demigod must be.
“But in the year since we last saw her, Qin Yu’s power seems to have grown. It was she who quelled the coup,” Lumia added. “You might not be able to beat her now!”
“That’s fine—if I can’t beat her, I’ve got you! The two of us together can’t lose, right, my dear wife?” Lixiertine nudged Lumia playfully, then suddenly thought aloud, “Speaking of which, has Qin Yu found her sweetheart yet?”
“She has, sister, she has.” Lumia handed over today’s Chengji Empire newspaper, turned to page six, and read the headline aloud: “Secrets That Must Be Said About the Regent and the Crown Princess.”
Lixiertine took the paper and carefully read the article, softly reciting, “…According to an insider in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess and the Regent share the same bed…”
“…Her Highness once publicly hinted that her relationship with the Regent was unusual…”
“…Even more shocking, an Imperial Bodyguard revealed that Her Highness was pinned to the ground by the Regent and admitted herself to be the submissive one…”
“…However, neither the Crown Princess nor the Regent have ever officially announced their relationship.”
“They haven’t made it official? So they’re just friends for now?” Lixiertine concluded.
“That seems to be the case. But knowing Qin Yu, with her shy nature, the fact that she shares a bed with the Regent means she’s truly moved. Maybe she’s just too embarrassed to express herself? Or perhaps too shy to bring it up?” Lumia speculated.
“That must be it. In any case, she’s in trouble with her feelings. As friends, we should help her,” Lixiertine agreed.
“But where do we start?”
“Let’s do this, and then that…” Lumia whispered in Lixiertine’s ear.
***
To the stirring tune of “Ji King’s Breaking Formation Music” played by the musicians, the Saint Roppu Empire Delegation halted before Zhengyang Gate.
Qin Yu waved in greeting to the convoy, and Lixiertine responded by releasing golden fireworks from her staff.
As the ceremonial cannons of the Chengji Empire thundered, the great doors of Zhengyang Gate swung wide.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu led the officials down from the watchtower to welcome the Saint Roppu Empire envoys.
The door of the first carriage opened automatically, and Lixiertine was the first to step out.
Lixiertine wore formal court attire—fitted white trousers that accentuated her slender, shapely legs, pale mid-calf boots sounding resolute upon the ground.
Her upper body was wrapped in a light blue jacket over a white shirt, complementing her long, light-blue hair that flowed past her shoulders.
Lixiertine’s eyes were a similar hue to Qin Yu’s, though paler, matching her hair’s shade.
Behind her, Lumia followed, dressed in a dark blue, knee-length pleated skirt, white tights covering her legs, and a white top with a long white robe exuding a holy aura.
Lumia’s white hair just touched her shoulders, the tips tinged with gold, echoing her golden eyes.
Their beauty immediately drew gasps of awe from those present.
No one in the crowd had expected that the Empress and Saintess of the Saint Roppu Empire would be two breathtaking girls of just sixteen or seventeen!
From the carriages behind, the rest of the envoys alighted one after another, standing behind Lixiertine and Lumia.
“Lixiertine, it’s been a long time!” Despite the formality of the occasion, Qin Yu resisted the urge to embrace Lixiertine after so long apart and instead stepped forward to shake her hand.
“All’s well, Qin Yu!” Lixiertine extended her right hand in return.
The corners of Lixiertine’s mouth quirked up as she watched Qin Yu struggle to keep her composure—so amusing!
Qin Yu shot Lixiertine a look that said, “Behave yourself,” then, holding her hand, she and Lixiertine walked side by side through Zhengyang Gate.
Behind them, Luo Shangyu and Lumia walked shoulder to shoulder, followed by the Chengji Empire’s Imperial Secretariat members and the Saint Roppu Empire’s delegation.
The other Chengji Empire officials dispersed at once, returning to their offices and posts.