Chapter 345: Welcome and Goodbye

~~~

“Again,” Liu Jin says.

Feng Hao closes his eyes. He is sitting cross-legged on the floor surrounded by multiple flames, each one no larger than a candlelight. They started with one. Then Liu Jin made Feng Hao split it in half, then again, and again, and again.

Currently, their number is trying to be eight thousand one hundred ninety-two.

“It is hard, Elder Brother,” Feng Hao says. Sweat shines on his brow, not because of the heat but the strain. “It’s too many. I can’t-”

“Focus,” Liu Jin cuts him off. “If you doubt yourself, it will never happen. It is your power. Control is not merely a suggestion. It is an absolute necessity.”

Feng Hao takes a deep breath. His Qi sharpens as he tries to heed Liu Jin’s instructions. The seals on his body tremble, but there is no risk of them breaking. Before they left Imperial Cloud City, Feng Hao’s parents sent men to finish the sealing process that had been interrupted by Feng Zhi. As long as those are in place, Feng Hao’s cultivation will not advance.

Slowly, each one of Feng Hao’s flames begins splitting in half. The process is irregular. Some of them, Feng Hao gets right immediately. Others threaten to destabilize and fizzle out, but Feng Hao barely manages to avoid that. Several minutes go by, and Feng Hao has almost completely succeeded in doubling the number of flames under his control.

Liu Jin lifts a finger.

A small spark of purple flashes through the flames.

The effect is instantaneous. Feng Hao’s concentration is broken, making the flames destabilize and pop like fireworks. The effect cascades throughout the room, unleashing thousands of small explosions. Feng Hao barely has time to cry out in surprise before his whole body is engulfed by light and smoke.

Liu Jin waves his hand to clear out the smoke. He has not a single hair out of place. Even his robes are clean. By contrast, Feng Hao is covered in soot. The young child breathes heavily as he glares at him.

“Why?!”

“You were not focused,” Liu Jin says.

“I was splitting over four thousand constructs simultaneously!” Feng Hao yells at him. It was an act that would have been unthinkable a few days ago, but explosions have a way of loosening one’s tongue.

“You failed at splitting four thousand ninety-six fireballs simultaneously,” Liu Jin corrects him, making him flinch. “You only managed half that number. The rest you did by hundreds, dozens, and then twos and fours. Not only that, but you allowed your concentration to falter at the first interruption. Only two dozen fireballs required your active control when I interrupted. The rest you simply needed to maintain. You failed.”

Feng Hao flushes in anger and shame.

“You didn’t tell me you would interrupt!” Feng Hao counters weakly.

Liu Jin does not need to answer right away. Instead, he merely raises an eyebrow. Feng Hao’s blush grows as he realizes how silly his objection is. Only then does Liu Jin speak.

“When you leave these walls and fight your own battles, will you complain when you’re caught in an ambush? Will you tell your would-be assassins to come back after sending a letter of challenge? When you’re in the middle of a battle and someone sneaks behind you, will you cry about the unfairness of it?”

By this point, Feng Hao’s face is doing an extremely good approximation of a tomato.

“I am not saying this to be cruel,” Liu Jin says. “I am saying this because you will one day hold the Eternal Flame in one hand and the Crimson Cloud in the other. So much power demands control lest you be controlled by it instead. Imagine if this had happened in the heat of battle. If, instead of trying to control a simple ball of fire, what you had in your hands was an attack with the full might of a completed Inheritance?”

He waves his hand at the soot-covered training room.

“Do you think the damage would have only been this?”

Feng Hao does not answer. He does not need to. They both understand well enough. The power Feng Hao will one day have will be enough to sunder entire countries. When that time comes, he cannot afford to make any mistakes. One merely needs to look at the battle between Feng Gui and Meng Yue to understand that. Those two are not known as the most restrained of people, yet that their battle failed to spread beyond the Crimson Cloud Arena other than a few ripples in time speaks volumes.

Feng Gui and Meng Yue have had centuries to hone their craft. Feng Hao does not. If it weren’t for the seals on his body, his cultivation would already be on the higher levels of the Earth Realm. Perhaps even higher than that. Already, his normal flames are more gold than orange. He’s an alarmingly powerful child.

And yet, he’s a child still.

Liu Jin’s face softens. He walks over to Feng Hao and gives him a pat on his shoulder.

“Come on,” he says. “Let’s end it here for the day. Go clean up.”

“What?!” Feng Hao is immediately on his feet. “But I am still conscious.”

It is genuinely worrying that is the standard Feng Hao holds himself to, but Liu Jin supposes he’s partially to blame for that. Feng Hao’s tutors in the Eternal Flame Clan praised him too much and pushed him too little. Facing actual challenges and finding himself wanting is a novel experience for the young prodigy, one he likes a little too much.

“You are,” Liu Jin says. “That is the point. We arrive at our destination today. I’d rather you be awake for it than not.”

“I see,” Feng Hao says. He tries not to sound disappointed, but he cannot help himself. “I understand, Elder Brother.”

Liu Jin sighs.

“One spar. How about it?”

The large grin on Feng Hao’s face is all the answer he needs.

~~~

Grand Storm City is the capital of the Storm Dragon Empire. The city is divided into nine sectors, each one starting near the Storm Dragon Palace and going all the way to the city walls. Each district has a park at its center, and canals made with subterranean reservoirs run between the district borders.

At Minister Chu’s insistence, most houses and buildings are made out of Imperial Blackwood. Not only is the material incredibly durable and abundant in the Empire, but it also allows the city to project a uniform aesthetic, almost as if the whole thing were an extension of the Storm Dragon Palace.

As the palace flies over the buildings and houses, some of which are still under construction, the people step outside and cheer for their Emperor. There are even some who climb to the rooftops and wave.

“I am confused,” Xiao Shuang says as the palace finally lands. She and many others are in the highest room of the palace, watching Grand Storm City through the windows. “I was not aware of the existence of this city.”

“I am not surprised,” Liu Jin replies. “It did not exist until around two years ago.”

When his uncle was Emperor, the Grand Storm was active at all times. It created an impenetrable defense that left the area around the palace as nothing but a vast wasteland. However, the Grand Storm was no longer required after Liu Jin took over.

“It all began with the nobles,” Lu Mei says, smirking. “Those who didn’t rebel were very nervous about their status with their new Emperor. That necessitated several visits to the palace to assure him of their loyalty and support. Those constant trips grew tedious, so they began building residences around the palace. All with the proper approval, of course.”

“Merchants came around the same time. The Five Blessings Group, in particular, wanted to set up a branch close to the palace,” Liu Jin says. “People started moving in soon after.”

In particular, there were several normal citizens who needed to be relocated after the civil war. Either because they lived in Murong Bang’s terrible territories or because their cities and towns suffered due to the Fleshcrafter’s creatures. Sometimes both. Minister Chu soon realized the opportunity before them and spearheaded the city’s developmental project. The man had a gift for it, being responsible for several projects in Rumbling Thunder City. The opportunity to build an entire city from the ground up was one he thoroughly relished.

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“Amazing!” Feng Hao says, looking out the window. “I also had no idea about this!”

“That’s natural, Little Cousin,” Feng Zhuo says, messing with his hair. Feng Hao immediately tries to get out of his reach. “I sent reports, but I doubt my Uncle and Aunt bothered to keep you updated on the situation.”

Feng Hao pouts. Meanwhile, Xiao Shuang turns towards Bai Wen, a questioning, almost accusing look on her face.

“I also sent reports,” Bai Wen protests, somewhat flustered. “I did not hide this, Little Sister. If you did not know, I imagine it is because our masters did not see a good reason to discuss it. After all, and forgive me for saying this, Your Majesty, it is only a city.”

Only a city.

Liu Jin smiles. From the perspective of the Four Great Sects, Grand Storm City truly is nothing more. The city is not home to any powerful Sect or prestigious school. The majority of the nobles who have residences here are simply not worth speaking about, and the civilians are all thoroughly average people. If not for General Nie Dan and the Storm Dragon Palace, this entire city would not even be worth a footnote.

And yet, it is a city. Small, but growing. The people are happy and healthy. Work is plentiful, and new opportunities appear every day. Some of the soldiers who retired after the civil war have even opened schools.

A storm does not need to start with large booming thunder. Sometimes, a single drop of rain will do. The rest will follow in time… provided there is time, that is.

Liu Jin will make sure there is.

“Do not worry, Big Sister Bai. No offense was taken,” Liu Jin says, walking to the front of them and turning around to face them. “It is my pleasure to welcome you all to our capital, Grand Storm City. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

~~~

“Your Majesty! It is so wonderful to see you!”

Minister Chu all but runs into the throne room to greet Liu Jin. He looks much the same as when he was still City Lord Chu, although some might say he has lost a bit of weight with all the running around he does these days.

“First of all, congratulations on your victory!” Minister Chu says after bowing. “Not only is the prize money for winning a welcome addition to the Imperial coffers, but your performance has surely raised the standing of our country in the eyes of many. It is a fantastic achievement, Your Majesty! We have a grand victory feast prepared! The cooks merely need to move back to the palace. You will love the entertainment! By the way, Duke Gong has raised the price of grapes in his territory. I recommend-”