The desire to live ultimately overcame the fear in his heart. After a night of reflection, the Lizardman finally made up his mind—he was willing to leave with Serena Feng.
Before leaving, the Lizardman emphasized again: If he cannot adapt to life outside, he asks Serena Feng to do as she promised and bring him back.
There are still things left unfinished here. If he must die, he hopes to complete those tasks first—then, even in death, he would have no regrets.
"Agreed." The Lizardman's condition was no trouble for Serena Feng. All the help she gave him was simply because he had first helped them with his kindness and sincerity.
That's how it is between people. When you help someone within your ability, most won't remember it. But when you owe someone a favor, it weighs on your heart, and you look for any chance to repay it. Serena Feng was just like that.
With the Lizardman leading the way, they made it out faster and more smoothly. Serena Feng even took the opportunity to gather some poisonous flowers and herbs to bring back for Dr. Marcus Guile. As for the other overlord in the fissure—the giant serpent—they never ran into it. Their luck really was quite good.
According to the original plan, once they retrieved the Heaven-Son Sword, Prince Nolan should have returned to the Capital to stabilize the people's hearts. But plans can't keep up with changes. For the Lizardman's safety, they had to take him to Jiangnan first, so Dr. Marcus Guile, the Valley Master, and Serena Feng could join forces to treat his viral illness.
No one knew how long this would take. Not wanting to delay Prince Nolan, Serena Feng suggested, "Let's split up. I'll take the Lizardman to Jiangnan, and you return to the Capital. The Capital needs you to hold down the fort."
As soon as they surfaced, they contacted the shadow guards. While they were searching for the Heaven-Son Sword, much had happened outside.
After Chu City was defeated, it received military support from Prince Evan, allowing Chu City to catch its breath. Dorian, however, was caught between two armies and is now stuck in a stalemate, unable to break free anytime soon.
Northlyn and Eastlyn have both won and lost battles. Even though Eastlyn can block Northlyn's advance, it can't drive them out for now. What's more, Northlyn has recently changed tactics and slowed its offensive.
Princess Serenity of Northlyn sent a secret letter to Prince Nolan, reporting that Northlyn had received a large supply of resources. Even without Eastlyn's provisions, Northlyn won't lack food for a while, and they won't withdraw their troops from Eastlyn either.
Southlyn may be riddled with internal strife, but when it comes to Eastlyn—the fat prize—Southlyn has managed to unite, eager to send troops and claim a share.
Only Lyndaria has brought good news. Reinforcements are still delayed, so Princess Royal Helena holds the upper hand. At this rate, give her another month and she'll break into the Imperial Palace.
According to Prince Nolan and Crown Prince Titus's plan, they will let Princess Royal Helena storm the palace—ideally forcing the Emperor to abdicate or killing him—then mobilize the main army to quell the unrest.
By then, all the blame will fall on Princess Royal Helena, the Emperor will have lost his power, and Crown Prince Titus can ascend the throne without a shred of infamy.
Of course, that's only if Crown Prince Titus wants the throne. If he doesn't, then they'll try to spare the Emperor's life and simply strip him of his authority.
After all, nobody wants to be the emperor of a fallen nation. Crown Prince Titus knows all too well about Prince Nolan's ambitions; there's no way he'd crown himself at such a crucial moment.
Beyond the Four Kingdoms, the Nine Cities are also stirring. Tyre City has already moved against the Phoenixfield-controlled Shandong Circuit. Fortunately, Serena Feng prepared for this—Victor Phoenixfield will take Tyre City; it's only a matter of time. But...
Southlyn will never sit idly by as Eastlyn attacks Tyre City. With Tyre City acting as a buffer, Southlyn didn't need to send extra troops. But if Tyre City falls into Eastlyn's hands, Southlyn will be uneasy. When that happens, it will be much easier for Eastlyn to attack Southlyn.
Aside from Tyre City, Han City and Reed City are also stirring, but from start to finish, only Jade City and Cloud City have no intention of dipping into these muddy waters. The two city lords, wise and cautious, keep themselves detached and uninvolved.
With the world so chaotic, Ninth Royal Uncle has no time to go to Jiangnan. Serena Feng’s proposal for them to split up is the best solution.
Even now, the Phoenixfield Clan can keep moving without Serena, but without Ninth Royal Uncle, many things simply can’t turn, or can’t turn safely—too many people have divided loyalties.
There’s no help for it. The power in Ninth Royal Uncle’s hands is simply too tempting, and far too many people want to take his place.
Country and throne, love and loyalty—there’s no need to say which weighs more. Ninth Royal Uncle only hesitates briefly before accepting Serena’s suggestion and orders an escort to take her to Jiangnan.
In these war-torn times, Jiangnan is the only place untouched by fire. Of course, this isn’t a special favor for the Former Crown Prince or Prince Colin—it’s because Jiangnan’s tax revenue accounts for a full third of Eastlyn’s treasury. As long as Jiangnan stays prosperous, Eastlyn can keep fighting indefinitely without worrying about supplies.
“Awooo…” As soon as Ninth Royal Uncle leaves them behind, Snow is the first to protest. In Snow’s eyes, Ninth Royal Uncle is abandoning them—he’s too cruel.
Serena can’t explain to Snow what it means for Ninth Royal Uncle to have his own life, that he can’t always be with her, that he needs his own space. She simply tells Snow: Feng Jin is in Jiangnan.
Awooo… Snow magnanimously forgives Ninth Royal Uncle, no longer holding a grudge for being left behind.
Because she’s bringing the Lizardman, Serena wants to avoid complications. They ride hard the whole way, and with Ninth Royal Uncle drawing off most of the spies’ attention, Serena’s journey to Jiangnan is smooth and uneventful.
Unlike the poverty and desolation elsewhere, Jiangnan remains a land of music and feasting, rich and prosperous. The outside war doesn’t touch it at all.
“Luxury and abundance—this really is a paradise.” Although the war hasn’t directly struck Eastlyn’s commoners, heavier taxes have made life harder everywhere. Only the people of Jiangnan seem unaffected.
Only Jiangnan’s people seem untouched.
“That’s just how Jiangnan is. Even if war came here, they wouldn’t worry. War is about land and money, and they can afford to pay. As for who rules, they don’t care. Whoever controls Jiangnan will treat it as a treasure basin and make sure it thrives. If you want silver, you’ll need these wealthy families.” Prince Colin personally comes out to greet Serena, afraid she’ll be barred from entry again like last time.
Serena nods in understanding. “You’re right. Ordinary people don’t care who’s emperor—they care who lets them eat and live better.”
As long as there’s no foreign invasion and the emperor isn’t a tyrant driving the people to ruin, it doesn’t matter to commoners whether the throne is held by the late emperor’s son or grandson. They don’t have the time or interest to care what the emperor’s name is.
For ordinary people, worrying about who’s emperor is far less important than tomorrow’s harvest. Aside from idle gossip over meals, people only care about what affects their own lives.
Ordinary folk are like this, and so are the wealthy families of Tianhuang. Right now, Prince Colin’s biggest concern is…