When Rocky returned to the hall, Lena, Sabina and Lucilla were laughing and talking, putting aside the
crisis they had gone through to the back of their heads. The entire hall was filled with their chirps.
Rocky smiled and remembered the saying—"Two is company, three is a crowd."
"Basil! Where is Erica?" Lena walked up to him and wrapped her hand around his intimately as soon as
she saw him come in.
"She's gone," Rocky replied.
Sheridan coughed from beside them. "Please behave yourself, Your Royal Highness! There are people
coming and going. Aren't you worried that people will find out?"
"I don't care! Lucilla abandoned the chief position of the Cao Clan for him. Why can't I do the same? I'll
stay with Basil from now on. I am no longer the Witch!" Lena replied casually. To her, nothing was more
important than being with Rocky now. Although she was the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, she
couldn't restrain her feelings for Rocky after having gone through so many ups and downs with him.
"If you refuse to take up your position as the Witch, I'm afraid I'll be seen as a sinner of the Holy
Dragon Empire." Rocky shook his head and waved his hand to refuse her idea.
"Basil is right. The chief of the Cao Clan is by no means the same as being the Witch. Please think
carefully before you act, Lena," Lucilla said in a sisterly tone, smiling at her.
"You are right, but if it weren't for me, Basil wouldn't have experienced so many setbacks and
hardships. It's all my fault," Lena said, still blaming herself for what she had done. If she had forgiven
him back then, everything that followed would never have happened, and Basil wouldn't have had to
suffer through so many narrow escapes. Yet, he had risked his life again to save her. She didn't want to
waste any more time staying away from him.
"That has nothing to do with you. It was all Alston's fault. Please don't blame yourself, Your Royal
Highness," Sabina comforted. Her beautiful eyes turned cold as she thought of what Alston had done.
Even though he was dead, Sabina still couldn't restrain her hatred for him.
"Let bygones be bygones, Lena. Although Alston did frame me, it is still true that I hurt you. That was
our fate. We need to move on since we're all safe and sound now. Don't worry about the past
anymore," Rocky said in a sincere tone, looking directly into Lena's eyes.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded in relief, "Okay, I won't. You're so sweet, Basil." They all had
to move on, and she wanted nothing but to stay with Rocky for the rest of her life. The grief and pain
she had experienced would wither away and be gone with the wind soon.
After the fierce battle and the continuous challenge to his body limits, Rocky was completely
exhausted. Although he wanted to stay with them, the three women strongly suggested that he get
some good rest. Having no other choice or the strength to get involved in a war of words with the
ladies, he gave up and went to the room they had arranged for him.
Relieved and tired, he slept through the day and didn't realize that it was alright late in the night.
Rocky was still adjusting his breath and energy circulation to heal himself when he sensed a sudden
strong aura rushing towards him. His eyes flew open, and were just in time to see a figure in black robe
approaching him.
"Are you here to kill me?" Rocky recognized the figure. It was the spiritual master of the Dragon Master
Clan who had helped Alston in defeating him, and the same one who had taken Alston's soul in the
end. Rocky jumped out of the bed immediately and the Evil Flame engulfed his body. Although he was
still injured and his spiritual power had not recovered yet, he was not about to get himself killed here.
On the contrary, he was hoping to get some information from this spiritual master, who was bound to
know the answers he was seeking. He might know where his father was and why they had taken him
away.
The figure approached him slowly. "I didn't think that you would be the one who inherited the Holy
Dragon Bead. Alston kept it from us, and we thought that you were dead. That's why we had to choose
him. If we had learned that you were still alive, we wouldn't have turned to him. He was useless!" the
figure in the black robe said in a low, hoarse voice.
"I don't care what went on between you and Alston. I only have one question for you. Does my father's
disappearance have anything to do with your Dragon Master Clan? Is he dead?" Rocky asked,
dreading the reply.
"We never planned to kill him. We only wanted him to abdicate the throne and make Alston the
emperor. But we didn't expect Alston to be so cruel as to want your father dead," the figure said with a
snicker. Rocky froze, but the figure continued to speak. "But I have good news for you... Your father is
very much alive. Of course, if it weren't for us, he would have died a long time ago. You should be
grateful to our clan for saving his life." The two of them moved in a circle around the room, wary of
each other. Rocky remained silent, while the figure spoke again. "Shall we make a deal? Find the
spiritual treasure sealed in the forbidden area of the royal family and bring it to us. If you do so, we'll set
your father free."
"Is this what you wanted Alston to do as well? You wanted him to bring the spiritual treasure to you?
Why? What's so special about the treasure that you would bring such chaos to get your hands on it?"
Rocky asked, eyeing the figure carefully.
"It will not do you any good to know too much. Even if you hadn't defeated Alston, I would have killed
him sooner or later. Half a year passed, yet he still couldn't find the way to the forbidden area of the
royal family. He was useless, and my patience had run out. But I reckon you are smarter than him, and
your father seems to trust you more. So maybe, you will know how to enter the forbidden area. Once
you bring the spiritual treasure to the Dragon Master Clan, your father will return to the Holy Dragon
Empire safe and sound. Don't let me down, or you will never see him again." Saying so, the figure
disappeared.
Rocky rushed out of the door, but the figure was long gone.
Early the next morning, after a whole night's discussion with the royal elders, Bryant and Lance, Marcia
finally returned to her mansion.
The moment he learned that she was back, Rocky went to her study to meet her.
"Where are Lance and Chief Elvis? Why didn't they come back with you?" he asked when he saw that
only Marcia was there.
"General Lance is on his way back to the Crimson Dragon Group and Chief Elvis led his clan members
back to their home. When news of Alston's death spreads far, our rival countries will take this chance to
break through our borders. We should be ready for them," Marcia replied casually.
"So, they all went back?" Rocky murmured, a little absentminded.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Marcia asked when she noticed Rocky's frown.
He then told her about his conversation with the figure in the black robe the previous night. Marcia's
expression changed quickly.
"So, His Majesty is imprisoned in the Dragon Master Clan now?" she asked, taking in this new
information. Although it was disheartening that the emperor was imprisoned, it was good to know that
he was still alive.
"That's what he said, but I'm worried that this could be another conspiracy of the spiritual race," Rocky
answered with a deep frown.
"So, what are you going to do now?" she asked, tapping her fingers on the table.
"Even if what he said is true, to get my father back, we must find the spiritual treasure sealed in the
forbidden area of the royal family. Alston couldn't even find a chance to step into the forbidden area, let
alone find the spiritual treasure. Getting in there is a huge problem for us too," Rocky analyzed and his
expression became grimmer.
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