Chapter 277: The One You Should Worry About

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For every occasion, there is a protocol, a set of rules that must be followed. Lady Dai Jie showing up unannounced to the doorstep of the Eternal Flame Clan, though far from the norm, is still within the bounds of decency. However, now that Lord Feng Gui has opened the doors of the Eternal Flame Clan to her, she cannot simply leave. The Eternal Flame Clan is not some cheap hovel, and Lady Dai Jie is not a mere messenger that can be dismissed without even a passing glance.

Lady Dai Jie has been welcomed by the Eternal Flame Clan. Thus, she must enjoy the hospitality of the Eternal Flame Clan for a few days.

It is the way of things.

A residence inside the compound has been provided for her. It is modest yet elegant. More importantly, unlike the rest of the Eternal Flame Clan, it is not dominated by the color red. The floors and furniture are made of polished wood, and each room is decorated in earthy tones, giving the house a quiet, soothing atmosphere. Dai Jie finds herself tempted to sit by one of the windows and open a book.

Alas, there is no time for that yet.

She already has a guest.

“Lord Feng Shang,” she greets the man as he approaches her porch, “I was not expecting you.”

It is not, she realizes as she speaks, the real Lord Feng Shang. Rather, it is one of Feng Shang’s soul fragments fashioned to look like himself. It explains why she failed to notice his approach. Even now that he is right in front of her, it is hard for Dai Jie to sense his presence.

“Why come to me like this?” She asks, both puzzled and slightly intrigued. “I am but a guest here. If you wished to discuss anything, you merely needed to summon me, Lord Feng Shang.”

“My wife is not particularly fond of the Divine Frozen Palace, Lady Dai Jie,” Feng Shang replies, as composed and serene as always. “I could not fail to greet someone of your stature, but I also saw no need to trouble my wife.”

Hence, the soul fragment. People notice where an Emperor goes, but they are considerably less likely to take note of a simple fragment, especially one as impressive as the one before her.

However, impressive or not, the fact that Lord Feng Shang has decided to meet her like this causes Dai Jie to feel a slight sense of trepidation. No one looking at her would notice, of course. She has trained too much to present herself as anything less than perfectly poised.

That does not mean she is.

Lord Feng Shang’s presence here is a hint of something she has long suspected, a picture she has carefully assembled over the course of several decades ever since that incident. The month Feng Shang and her dearest older sister spent together, isolated from the rest of the world.

“Lord Feng Shang is a man of unquestionable character,” Bai Lianshi told her the one time she asked her about it. So angry and so cold had been her aura at what Dai Jie tried to imply that Dai Jie never once brought up the subject with her again.

Even now, Dai Jie does not know, not with certainty. However, Feng Shang does not know she does not know. Still, this timing… The scandal it could cause…

For the first time in nearly a century, Lady Dai Jie has very little idea of how to navigate a conversation.

“How has Lady Bai Lianshi been doing?” Lord Feng Shang asks at last.

The ever-composed, ever-graceful Lady Dai Jie tries her best to keep her usual gentle smile even as she tries her hardest not to cough blood.

~~~

“Elder Brother!”

Liu Jin smiles as Feng Hao dashes out of Lady Ling’s mansion and catches him in a hug. It is far more affectionate than Feng Hao usually is, but it has been quite some time since they last saw each other.

He must have missed him a lot.

“Why did it take you so long to visit?” Feng Hao asks him. The child tries to sound angry, but the joyous grin on his face cannot be contained. “It’s been weeks since you returned. Elder Brother!”

“I apologize, Young Master,” Liu Jin says, rubbing Feng Hao’s head. “Many things happened in the Storm Dragon Empire, and I did not wish to complicate things for you or your family before making everything clear before the Eternal Flame Clan.”

“I heard about that!!!” Feng Hao says as he lets go of Liu Jin. “Elder Brother is Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire, right?! How did that happen? Elder Brother, you have to tell me!”

“Patience, Little Light,” Lady Ling says as she walks out of her mansion. As usual, she is dressed in fine silks and adorned with jewels. Several servants trail behind her. “Emperor Qing Jin must talk with me before he can regale you with tales of his heroic deeds. You can spend time with your instructor later.”

Liu Jin cannot stop the amused smile on his face. From Emperor to Instructor in one breath. Lady Ling is far too skillful. A different sort of man might feel offended, but Lady Ling spoke like that precisely because she knew he wouldn’t.

“It is best if you do as your mother says, Young Master,” Liu Jin says, patting Feng Hao on the back. When he sees the child is torn between protesting and obeying, he adds, “There will be plenty of time to share stories later. There might even be time for us to spar.”

Feng Hao’s face is almost blinding. It makes Liu Jin feel incredibly guilty about taking so long to visit.

“I’ll definitely show you how much I have grown, Elder Brother!”

There is really no need for that. Liu Jin can sense how much Feng Hao’s cultivation has advanced. Already Feng Hao has gone from the First to the Sixth Level of the Spirit Realm. He’s not that far off from the level of a Core Disciple, and Liu Jin suspects the only reason he’s not there yet is that his tutors have been holding his growth back out of concern for him.

Still, Liu Jin waves and says, “I look forward to it,” as Feng Hao returns to Lady Ling’s mansion.

Liu Jin and Lady Ling are left alone.

“Shall we go in?” Lady Ling asks him.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Of course,” Liu Jin says.

Few words are needed after that. Lady Ling guides Liu Jin to a room he has already visited many times. It is where they always have tea whenever he comes to visit. In less than a minute, the servants have everything ready for them.

It takes five whole minutes after that for either of them to say anything.

“I do not appreciate being lied to,” Lady Ling says.

“Under the circumstances, I did not believe it wise to be upfront about my identity,” Liu Jin says, taking a small sip from his tea. It is not poisoned. “There was no guarantee anyone would have believed me. At worst, I’d have looked like an opportunistic scoundrel.”

Not that keeping his identity a secret had stopped people from thinking of him as such.

“Oh?” Lady Ling arches an eyebrow. “You will not claim you never technically lied?”

“What point would there be?” Liu Jin shrugs. “Whether a lie left my lips or not, the truth is I wanted to keep my heritage hidden, and I did so until it was no longer viable.”