From that day on, it became a regular sight for Wu Long, Hua Ziyan and Luo Mingyu to spend some time in discussions. Though it didn’t replace the time he spent with Luo Mingyu and Nie Xiwang discussing Dao, or the time he spent with either one of them separately, it was just an added new routine.

—

In the afternoon Wu Long received reports from his subordinates collected and organized by Butler Bang.

One of the peculiar ones was that there were clashes intensifying in the city between the three Major Sects around Wei Dynasty, the same three that were vying for power on the Soft Meadow Continent over the control of the Battle God’s Cradle World Stone.

The Sects were located in different directions, in the regional areas around Wei Dynasty, and had only small city headquarters here. But even relatively small numbers of Sect members in the city managed to clash.

“Heh, it seems we’re starting to see smoke rising”, Wu Long chuckled, as it started to look like the day they would need to go back to the Soft Meadow Continent in order to make it in time for the main event there was slowly coming into sight ahead.

He also received detailed information about the Kai Family’s hired artisans and branch families, which was now easier to obtain when they had more funds.

He went through it to get a rough idea of who he was going to deal with when Kai Huoshi organized a meeting.

And at this time, Butler Bang came with a small note that was brought to the inn.

Wu Long nodded, and departing alone, after some time arrived at the shady bar he once visited, its atmosphere remaining the same.

Proceeding to the far off table, he sat across a man with a sulking expression.

“I can’t believe you didn’t think of my position at all when pulling that stunt”, Chen Hui grumbled.

“I did think of it. If I thought you’d be in jeopardy do you think I would’ve left you like that? You make me out to be some heartless bastard”, Wu Long smiled.

“As if! How would you know if I’ll be okay, especially after what you did and said?”

“Haa~”, Wu long sighed, seemingly surprised he had to explain, “The 5th prince still has to show results to the Emperor regarding the trade routes and elimination of a long-time threat to those trade routes, the pirates. If they don’t have me, they have to pin the achievement on someone they do have on their side, in which case the only viable option is you. They need you to take credit, and by association take credit themselves. If I showed even a modicum of concern for you at that time, they’d at least give you a hard time, perhaps even tried to use you against me, but you got away basically scot-free with a bit of finger-wagging from the two advisers, right?”

As Wu Long was talking the look in Chen Hui’s eyes began changing as he finally realized why he was indeed only given a few harsh words for bringing in someone like Wu Long, by the two government officials, and let go to continue his duties.

“So you did think of me”, his eyes slightly watered with an emotional expression as he looked at Wu Long who slightly shook from that sight.

“Sure… it’s the same reason I am not in danger of their meddling right now. They simply can’t risk doing anything against me, so that this whole thing doesn’t blow up before they made their report to the Emperor. Just remember, that for both of us, it’s basically a time-limited deal. Once your use as the credit-taker is done, then you’ll really be in danger, and my peace and quiet will also end”, Wu Long reminded Chen Hui who widened his eyes.

“Shit, just my damn luck to get entangled with you”, the captain cursed as an expression of anxiety appeared on his face, and then quickly made a remark as if in passing, “ah, no offense to you”, followed by indiscernible mumble about some ‘unlucky star’ and ‘should’ve never talked’.

“It’s always like this when you’re dragged into palace intrigue, you should’ve expected this when you were summoned for a separate secret mission related to the battle of succession”, Wu Long shrugged with an amused smile.

“How was I supposed to know? I always was careful not to butt into things above my pay grade”, Chen Hui retorted, adding in a slightly sulking manner, “And I thought it was finally a chance to get promoted to lieutenant… I’ve long since reached the cultivation realm and sparring record requirements”

“To get promoted you have to know how to kiss the ring, and pick the right hand at that, Captain Chen”, Wu Long chuckled, “You were chosen exactly because you are too straight-laced and won’t try to use the mission to butter up to another prince, as well as to an extent disposable because you’re not part of their faction, just a pawn in it”

Chen Hui grabbed his head with both hands with a light groan.

He then turned upward to look at Wu Long from under the brows, “You really know this stuff well. Are you sure you’re not some kind of banished royal?”

“Heh, yes I’m sure. It is just an observable pattern”, Wu Long smiled, and then asked, “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet”, Captain Chen spoke in a depressed voice, not sure what to make of it.

“How about trying to serve another prince?”, Wu Long suggested.

“That did occur to me, but who is going to take in someone who served under their rival? And would any of them be different?”, Chen Hui shook his head.

“What about the 9th prince? He might take you in just to spite the 5th”, Wu Long chuckled, as Chen Hui narrowed his eyes, as if asking ‘are you kidding with me right now?’

“And die even earlier? The 9th prince might be safe from other princes himself, but he can’t protect anyone. That, even I know. There’s a reason he doesn’t have any subordinates besides his bodyguards who are really subordinates of… someone higher. You are an exception because he protects your legal status as a guest of the palace, so because of a technicality he can do something for you, but not out of having power”

Wu Long noted that Chen Hui chose to not mention the Empress even in this kind of discreet conversation, making another suggestion “Fleeing to another Dynasty might be an option”

“The moment I try, I will be caught and thrown into some dungeon until the annual report to the Emperor. There’s only one sky port in this city, which is strictly controlled, remember? They’ll just quietly execute me after the report and be done with me”, Captain Chen’s voice became more and more depressed as he rejected Wu Long’s suggestions, even more acutely realizing how dire his situation was in the process.

“What about marrying a princess and ruling with her as Emperor Consort? Though most of the ruling will be done by her…”

“Ok, now you are just making fun of me-…”, Chen Hui looked up from the dirty table top to look at Wu Long sitting across, but froze as he saw a dead-serious look in the latter’s eyes even though his tone was light, and there was a smile on his face.

“I’m not”, Wu Long shrugged, “As far as I know a princess in this country can only claim the right to inherit the throne if they are married, but their marriage is in the purview of their mothers, who have sons in the battle of succession, so they’re either married off into other Dynasties, or are kept unwed until one of the princes wins the battle of succession”

“Don’t be ridiculous”, Chen Hui shrugged this preposterous suggestion off.

“Take some time to think about it, you still have some time until the report to the Emperor”, Wu Long chuckled, rising from the table, “And if I were you, I’d consider it seriously”

He lightly tapped Chen Hui’s shoulder on his way out, with the words “I’ll be in touch when you’re done thinking” causing the latter to turn and stare with a strange look at Wu Long’s figure receding into clouds of smoke filling the bar and eventually disappearing in the dark passage leading outside.