"I will arrange that. You have just recovered from a severe injury, and you need time for a rest. Don't
worry about those things. Just take care of yourself. I will see you at night," Lena said, nodding to
Rocky as she left.
"A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first. A person in a favorable position gains special
advantages. Wish to have a closer relationship with Lena after tonight... I must ask Lena to persuade
His Majesty to cancel the engagement. I will never marry that flat-chested girl..." Rocky said. To cancel
the engagement was the most important thing on his mind right now.
Meanwhile, something happened in the Mansion of General Ximen, which was close to the west of the
Imperial City.
The Mansion of General Ximen looked like a small city, grand and magnificent. The high bright red wall
circling the mansion was too long to see the end. Within the red walls, the infrastructure was flawless,
including roads with bridges across the few streams that ran through the mansion. At this hour, the
pavilions, and towers dotting the beautiful landscape cast long shadows. Those close to the rivers
reflected in the water.
In the mansion, people were hurrying to and fro. On the east of the mansion was the training field
where hundreds of disciples from the Ximen Clan were absorbed in their rigorous martial arts training.
They went about every part of the training regime with such passion and intensity as if they were in a
real battle.
In the middle of their session, a big greenish shadow appeared in the sky above them, like a giant
monster. Its sudden appearance clouded out the sun as if heavy clouds had just gathered threatening a
torrential downpour. Reacting quickly, the disciples separated into two groups and stood in two lines,
watching the giant green figure descend on their training ground.
Suddenly, the green shadow began to shake. Flapping its four wings fiercely, like giant fans, it raised a
small sandstorm that swept the whole field.
It took quite a while for the storm to abate.
The huge green shadow zoomed into clear view, where everybody could see what it looked like exactly.
It was a massive dragon that would form a small mountain and was enough to cover one-third of the
training ground. The tail alone was so long and thick enough that it could whack down a dozen men in
one fell. It had five heads, which it kept jerking around, stretching and wiggling up and down or from
side to side. Now and then, the monster would growl, releasing a fierce jet of turbid gases like an old
engine. Scales all over the dragon's body dazzled in sunlight.
In the dazzling light, two strangers showed up on the ground, a heavyset man, accompanied by a
young lady. They had mysteriously appeared alongside the dragon. Both probably dropped down from
the green shadow that had terrified the disciples earlier. As the burly man walked around, one could tell
he was a very high ranking spirit manipulator.
"Your Excellency!" All the disciples of Ximen Clan got down on one knee and acclaimed reverently,
their voices reverberating through the whole field.
They quickly recognized the man as Bryant, one of the three Great Generals in the Holy Dragon
Empire. The three generals were very powerful, with countless accolades to their names and a section
of the army behind them. But among the three, Bryant was the most powerful, ranked at the Immortal
Stage, which was a rare achievement in the whole empire.
Although Bryant was over sixty now, he looked like a man in his forties, thanks to a cultivation of the
Immortal Stage. He had a broad forehead and sharp eyes like a tiger that seemed to bore holes
through whatever he was looking at. From the way he carried himself, there was no mistaking; he was
a man used to calling the shots wherever he went.
General Bryant, the legendary warrior of Holy Dragon Empire. He seemed to announce his presence,
even without saying a word.
Beside him stood his granddaughter, Shirley.
Shortly after the ritual of the Holy Dragon Empire, General Bryant had left the Wild Spirit Land, taking
his granddaughter on pilgrimage for her spiritual transformation. She must be the only one in the whole
of the Holy Dragon Empire, who was privileged to have a big shot accompany on the cultivation.
"Grandfather, could you let out the Rain Fairy we captured just now?" Shirley said excitedly. As usual,
she was dressed like a boy, but her voice was as feminine and enchanting as it could ever be.
"Kid, don't worry. This is for you undoubtedly. Are you worried that I would take it away?" Bryant said
slowly with warmness in his eyes. Even though he seldom smiled, he looked amiable now.
Shirley curled her lip and blinked her beautiful eyes, staring at her grandfather with a sense of pride.
Seeing her eagerness, Bryant shook his head. Then he lifted one hand slowly, from which suddenly a
crack of Magic Spiritual Space formed in the air, letting out a spiritual beast. Unlike anything the
disciples had ever seen, the creature's bodily form was almost transparent. It was a kind of miniature,
dragon made of glass, but without wings, and its limbs were like those of leopard. As it began to move
around, its body started to drip water, as though it was a sculpted piece of ice.
A rain fairy, they reckoned. Although spiritual beasts usually started off at the lowest grade of spiritual
refinement, they would grow to the nine-star level, which was their peak point. Ranked the 18th for its
talents among all kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts, Rain Fairy was famous for its unique defensive
ability and was very rare. Only to be found in very cold areas, under the ice, it was much more difficult
to capture, compared to the other spiritual beasts at the same level. It was impossible for anyone below
a cultivation base of Divine Stage to catch such a rare spiritual beast.
But for Bryant, that was a cinch.
The disciples of Ximen Clan kneeling down watched it in envy. After all, spiritual beasts were the dream
of every spirit manipulator.
Meanwhile, the elders of Ximen Clan came forward to welcome Bryant back. They bowed to Bryant,
then carefully broached a difficult subject, "General, something has gone bad..."
After he heard what the elders said, Bryant's eyes turned cold but he still looked calm. He stepped
forward without a word to say.
The elders of Ximen Clan followed him at once.
"You send the Rain Fairy to my room, and get someone to take good care of it." Shirley commanded
some disciples of Ximen Clan.
Gladly, the disciples nodded and took the fairy from her so that she could follow the elders and Bryant.
Straight away, Bryant and the elders went to the meeting room.
Bryant took the front seat in the meeting room, ready to have them update him.
The elders and Shirley also took a seat. "What makes you so panicked?" he asked.
"News just came in from the palace that His Majesty has granted marriage for a prince," an elder in
purple gown replied.
"Grant a marriage? That is not a problem, is it?" Bryant waved his hand, dismissing them. That was not
a serious matter. What was so special about the emperor granting his son, who was of age permission
to marry?
"But the problem is that His Majesty wants his son to marry a lady from the Ximen Clan," the other
elder in white gown said.
Bryant looked not very surprised. "Um, that means my clan? Our clan again? So who is the lucky lady
from our clan that has been chosen by His Majesty? Is it my elder brother's last-born? She's single, and
she is turning 25 this year, old enough to get married. If she is chosen, my elder brother would be
perfectly okay with that. He'll be more than happy. But my younger's firstborn too is the same age, and
single as well." Among the older generation of the Ximen Clan, Bryant was the fourth born. However,
none of his brothers was as talented as him. So on merit, Bryant became the leader of their clan. "Urr...
His Majesty wants to grant a marriage for Miss Shirley..." the elder in purple gown said seriously.
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