Chapter 216: An Unexpected Reunion

In short, Mae gave me the history of the world since I was previously oblivious about it. First, there were two clans, The Tang Clan and the Yan Clan who are basically Light and Darkness fighting for power. Throughout the years, the Light is losing, or so that's what the Darkness thought.

I heard from Mae that the Sky Kingdom is one of the many kingdoms that are in the Upper Middle Plane. In other words, we're still in the Middle Plane but in its sky. These kingdoms are cultivating talents throughout the years and the Yan Clan has not detected them ever since. For years, both sides grew in power, it's just that the Tang Clan remained in hiding while the Yan Clan was showing off. But then again, right now, the Tang Clan is relatively weak compared to the Yan Clan because they had taken over the Higher Plane where resources for cultivation are more bountiful. And because of that, the Tang Clan has not made any moves against them. They were lying in wait, looking for an opportunity to strike back and reclaim the land in the Higher Plane.

And getting back to the topic, apparently, I'm the King of the Tang Clan, and I inherited it from my dad. I don't get why my parents kept me in the dark but it was probably to protect me. The less I know, the more chances I have at surviving since the Yan Clan are picking us off one by one. They were successful five years ago, however. They managed to turn me into a rabid human, cursed to wander the Lower Planes for a time. If it hadn't been for the System and Hui-ying randomly appearing in my head, then I wouldn't be where I am now. They were the sole reason why I managed to get here in the first place.

As the King, I was given the entire treasury of the Sky Kingdom as if that was a normal thing to do. Mae reasoned out that everyone is basically my possession so I could take anyone as my retainer or my wife. I oppose the idea though since that would be a pain. Mae insisted that having more than one wife would be extremely helpful since the Castle where I'm supposed to live is so big that a thousand people would even feel comfortable living in it.

I'm guessing I should clarify this as well but the Sky Kingdom is a floating island in the sky. I don't know how big it is but the population of the floating island is about fifty thousand or so. 

Our group walked on the pathway with pillars on each of its sides. And every time we meet someone, that person would cup their hands and bow towards me. Some would even go as far as to prostrate themselves as they pay homage to their new king. Somehow, it was all a weird feeling but I didn't complain. Right now, what I need is information, and seeing that Mae and the others are stronger than me are realms higher than me, I have no choice but to comply. Somehow, I have to keep a low profile and gather more information as soon as possible. They may treat me as making but they might have an ulterior motive even though I'm a direct descendant of their previous ruler. Why did my grandfather not say anything about this though. Counting all the risks, he should've at least given me a hint about this. Sigh~

"We're here," Mae announced as countless knights lined up in front of me, each of them wearing identical armors— same as the one that Mae was wearing. Sounds of trumpets and a marching band suddenly erupted into joyous music as confetti was thrown in the air. Natalia and the others stuck close to me but they received garlands made of white flowers and I receive a pseudo-crown made out of the same flower. People cheered and danced on the streets as the bands continued to parade around the knights. This time, the knights were marching in their place, singing with the music of the parade.

Then it stopped.

A man, who was in his late forties or something, came from the side part of the castle. He was wearing the same white armor but I could tell he is one if not the strongest cultivator around. Despite his gaudy appearance, scars on his burly arms and his rugged-looking yet handsome face proved that he had been to countless battles. He wore a pristine white scarf on his neck and his blond hair is tied into what looked like a slick-back hairstyle. And if that wasn't enough, he is at least seven feet tall. Talk about unfairness.

When he realized that everyone was celebrating, he let out a yawn and looked around, finding the cause of the celebration. For a split second, our eyes met, and his face became pale. He then looked at Natalia, Zenith, and the members of the Fourth Battalion, turning his face into a deathly pale of white.

"Young Master!" He shouted as he ran towards me. I don't know who he was but he was oddly familiar. In any case, his rash actions were so uncharacteristic of his knightly appearance but he didn't care. In just a few strides, he was already in front of me, prostrating himself as if he had committed the worst sin in his life. "I formally welcome the Young Master, I had been eagerly awaiting your return. I am glad to see you well and safe." He continued.

"P-please stand up," I called out but to my surprise, he stayed on the ground with his head hard-pressed on it. A few seconds later I could hear a sniffle coming out from him.

"I... I'm glad you were alive. I have received news of your death and it saddened me so. However, I believed that the Young Master is not dead, and here you are. My prayers have been answered, Leader Tang Se will be pleased." He continued. "Rui-rui, er I mean, Young Master, have you come to rule over us? Or are you just stopping by for a visit?"

"Um,"

"Sir Conrad, please don't ask the Young Master too many questions, he still needs to adjust to his new environment. He just survived a horde attack in the Lower Middle Plane so he needs some rest for now." Mae said as she cupped her hands towards the guy. "Um, Young Master, this here is Sir Conrad. He is the leader of the entire Sky Knights and I am just second in command."

Conrad... I think I've heard that name before... where did I—

My mind suddenly showed me a memory from my childhood, one that I almost forgot because of the events that transpired recently in my life. The memory showed my grandfather, talking to a blond man as they shared drinks with each other. I remember him inviting me over for a drink but my grandfather told him otherwise. In the end, he just handed me an insignia, the same insignia of a blue tiger that everyone has on their body. This insignia has been rotting away in my original storage ring for years.

This wasn't the only time that Conrad appeared in my life. I remember being five or so years old back then and throughout the years, he would visit my grandfather from time to time, and they would have a nice long chat over dinner or over a few drinks. My parents joined in over a meal once but that was before they died.

In an impulse, I pulled out the insignia from my storage ring and showed it to Conrad. "Sir Conrad, do you remember this?" I asked, showing him the insignia of the Blue Tiger. Injecting a bit of Qi Energy into it made it glow in a beautiful shade of blue and white. When Sir Conrad looked up, he saw the insignia that was all too familiar for him, making the tears in his eyes turn into a shower.

"Young Master, you were so young back then, do you still remember me?" He wiped the tears off his face but to no avail.

I walked towards him and grabbed him by the arm, urging him to stand up. And once he did, I gave him a tight hug as memories of both my grandfather and my parents resurfaced in my head. Right now, I don't really have any relatives, and Sir Conrad si the closest to one. Seeing him alive and well was a huge relief for me. We may not have seen each other for at least a decade or more now, but that didn't matter. He's family, everyone here is a family. (Well, maybe not, aside from Natalia, Zenith, the Fourth Battalion, and Sir Conrad here, I don't really fully trust everyone here— not like I would say it out loud though.)

"Young Master," He muttered as he returned my hug. I could tell that he was suppressing his strength since he might crush me to death.