Chapter 267: Tell Me

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“Your Majesty, I have considerable doubts.”

“Your doubts are noted,” Liu Jin replies, “as is the fact that you now feel so comfortable disagreeing with me. I am proud of you, but please, move faster.”

“At once, Your Majesty!”

“And don’t raise your voice to try to get us caught. It’s beneath you.”

The way Lei Kong flinches tells Liu Jin his guess hit its mark, but Liu Jin does not think badly of him for it. Though it has been a little over two weeks since Liu Jin woke up, he has yet to fully recover from merging with the Storm Dragon. Even taking a few steps causes him to feel tired. That is why Liu Jin has been spending most of his time in his room, leaving only to attend meetings.

He is not supposed to secretly leave the palace in the middle of the night.

If Liu Jin and Lei Kong were to be caught, several people would have many unkind things to say about what they are doing, but Liu Jin is not too worried about that. It does not matter how slowly Lei Kong walks or how many times he pauses to adjust Liu Jin so he doesn’t accidentally fall off. Lei Kong might not have realized it yet, but it is no mere coincidence that they have yet to encounter a single person on their path.

Liu Jin is of Qing blood. If he tells the Storm Dragon to make it so they will not be found, they will not be found. Out of everyone in the palace, General Nie Dan is the only one with the power to notice them, and his lack of interference implies his tacit approval.

At least, that is how Liu Jin is choosing to interpret it.

Eventually and with much delay, Liu Jin and Lei Kong reach their destination. It is a spot only a few miles away from the main building, thus still within the Storm Dragon’s sphere of influence.

Xiao Nan is there.

A Renegade Realm cultivator represents a severe threat. As such, Xiao Nan is allowed to stay near the palace but not inside it, and even that kindness is only extended to him because General Nie Dan is here. With him present, any potential rampage of Xiao Nan would end very quickly and decisively.

That does not stop those in the palace from being wary of Xiao Nan, and rightly so.

“Are you sure, Your Majesty? You might have known him before, but…” Lei Kong trails off, visibly struggling to find a gentle way of saying it before giving up. “He’s a Renegade, Your Majesty. They are mad. You know this.”

“As I recall, you spent several days talking to one.”

“And it was a very terrifying experience!”

Liu Jin chuckles.

“It’ll be fine, Lei Kong. Let me go. I can walk on my own from here.”

Though his face is full of doubt, Lei Kong eventually relents. He helps Liu Jin stand on his own feet, looking ready to grab him at any second should he stumble. He almost ends up having to do that, but Liu Jin regains his balance in time and motions him to stop.

Testing his balance by shifting his weight from one foot to another, Liu Jin gives himself a little nod and begins walking. The strain added by the Earth Realm makes even the simplest movements difficult. In his current state…

The word reckless could probably be used somewhere.

“Elder Brother, it has been a long time.”

“You should not have come here, Little Brother.”

Xiao Nan looks much better than he did during the battle. He has cleaned himself and been given new robes. However, his Qi remains erratic, a warning to others to stay away.

Liu Jin smiles and sits down next to Xiao Nan. Reaching into his spatial pouch, he takes out a bag of sweets and offers them to Xiao Nan.

“Elder Brother, if you did not wish me to visit you, you would have left already.”

The smile on Xiao Nan’s face is a tired one, but it succeeds in reminding Liu Jin of simpler times.

“To be seen through so thoroughly, I am going to lose face if you keep talking, Little Brother.” Something shines in Xiao Nan’s eyes as he takes the offered sweets. He blinks, and it goes away. “You have grown so much… Part of me still thinks I am dreaming.”

Liu Jin feels something shining in his eyes, too. Unlike Xiao Nan, he’s not as successful at blinking it away.

“Many things happened after Eastern Port City fell, Elder Brother… I… I thought you were dead…I didn’t know what to do. I made so many dumb decisions. So many mistakes…”

“Hey, none of that, Little Brother,” Xiao Nan says, wagging his finger from left to right. “What unreasonable standards are you using to judge yourself? I see before me a proper young man who is already in the Earth Realm with a spirit that’s as unshakeable as any mountain. If dumb decisions and mistakes led you to become this, then clearly children around the world should be taught your mistakes so they might repeat them.”

Liu Jin can’t help but smile. It really feels like he is back in Eastern Port City again.

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“Besides,” a teasing grin appears on Xiao Nan’s face as he happily bites down on his sweets, “Should the ruler of a nation really talk so harshly about himself? What will his subjects think?”

Liu Jin groans.

“Even you, Elder Brother?”

“Can you blame me, Little Brother?” Xiao Nan laughs and shakes his head. “I am not even that surprised about it. I always knew Doctor Liu was a spectacular man.”

Liu Jin’s head dips a little. “He really was.”

“I am sorry.” The smile on Xiao Nan’s face dims. “You must miss him terribly. Your master as well.”

“It happened years ago,” Liu Jin says.

“That does not mean it has stopped hurting,” Xiao Nan points out. “Other than the two of us, did anyone else…?”

“Xiao Fang was not in the city, so he’s still alive,” Liu Jin says. “Su An’s situation… It is complicated, but she might be alive. There were some other survivors who were rescued when they were on their way to being sold but for the most part… most people died that night.”