Chapter 338: Establishing Kingship

Chapter 338: Establishing Kingship

Two days later, in Xiao Nanfeng's study in Yongding, Yu'er flipped through the documents on Xiao Nanfeng's table as she laughed. "They all want you to declare your kingship—officials and leaders all over the Eastern Sea, all of them. If you delay any longer, they might swarm you en masse."

Xiao Nanfeng sighed at the thick stack of documents. "Xiang Shaoyin really did succeed at his objective, I suppose. I won't be able to hide things much longer."

"Why not declare your kingship, then? After all, you've already started taking on the Tianshu Empire." Yu'er's eyes crinkled in a smile.

"That wouldn't be difficult. I'm just lacking a queen. Would you be willing to fill that role, even if reluctantly?" Xiao Nanfeng proposed, smiling.

Yu'er flushed red. "Dream on!"

"It's settled, then! Once your mother's back, I'll bring the matter up," Xiao Nanfeng said immediately.

"No, you can't! Don't tell my mother." Yu'er began to panic.

"Why not?"

Yu'er fretted. "You don't understand what my situation's like at home. At any rate, don't tell her. If you do, I'll return home immediately.

"Why?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in surprise.

"You just can't!" Yu'er didn't want to explain things further at all.

"But it would feel rather imbalanced if I were to declare myself king without an accompanying queen," Xiao Nanfeng argued.

Yu'er rolled her eyes. She knew that Xiao Nanfeng was simultaneously joking and trying to probe how she felt, but she still resolutely shook her head.

Xiao Nanfeng teased, "It looks like I'll have to find an opportunity to talk to your mother, then. I won't be able to marry you otherwise!"

"You won't succeed," Yu'er replied, laughing.

"Who knows? Let's wait and see."

As the two Taiqing disciples joked with each other, a woman's voice could be heard outside the Xiao manor. "Yu'er, are you here?"

Xiao Nanfeng and Yu'er both gaped.

"What? My mother's here?" Yu'er panicked.

"This really is a surprise. I was about to find her, but she found me instead..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"Nanfeng, you can't tell her anything. Do you understand? Otherwise, she'd force me to return home immediately and stay far away from you. Don't speak nonsense, you hear?" Yu'er asked anxiously, clutching Xiao Nanfeng's sleeves.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at her in surprise. Yu'er didn't seem like she was joking. Was her living situation that complicated?

"I understand. Let's speak with your mother for now."

He walked out of the study to welcome Yu'er's mother in.

Yu'er's mother's voice seemed only to have been transmitted into the Xiao manor. Outside, they couldn't hear the voice at all.

"King Xiao, there's a woman outside the manor bearing a coffin. We approached her to inquire as to her purpose, but she ignored us. All she did was shout out Immortal Yu'er's name. Realizing that she might be a distinguished figure, we didn't dare to obstruct her and instead reported this matter immediately," one guard began.

"My mother's at the gates?" Yu'er exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng immediately headed toward the gates in front of the manor, Yu'er following swiftly behind.

They quickly saw Han Bingdie standing calmly by the gates to the manor. Indeed, beside her was a coffin. Xiao Nanfeng instantly felt that something was terribly wrong.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" Yu'er exclaimed, stepping forward in surprise.

"It's been ten thousand years, and plenty of cultivators from the Taiqing Immortal Sect have transformed into such lifeforms. However, none among them have successfully been rescued," Han Bingdie asserted.

"Others might not have succeeded, but I will!" Xiao Nanfeng declared.

"Try it if you will. I leave Ku Jiang's coffin in your care. It can protect his physical body for a century, but his soul will never return." Han Bingdie's face might as well have been frost.

"Nalan Qiankun deserves to die," Xiao Nanfeng spat out.

"Ku Jiang tasked me with passing you this right before his death. What lies within appears to be a mysterious will, but a particularly fragile one. It might shatter at a touch. Your cultivation is insufficient to explore it, and I advise you not to attempt to do so forcibly." Han Bingdie passed him a red crystal.

Only then did Xiao Nanfeng discover how complex it was. Given his strength, he would have no choice but to break it open to investigate its contents. If he were to do so, however, the mysterious will within might be destroyed. He carefully kept the red crystal.

"Why would Nalan Qiankun want to fight Ku Jiang? There had to be a reason they had such a serious fight," Han Bingdie asked.

Just then, a figure flew into Yongding, straight for the Xiao manor.

The guards of Yongding were getting ready to intercept him when they realized who it was. Even the Xiao guards didn't stop the figure. Xiao Nanfeng had instructed them not to do so long prior. One of them immediately stepped forward and gave the figure directions toward Xiao Nanfeng's current hall.

"Nanfeng, something's wrong!" the figure shouted at the door.

"Senior Brother!" Xiao Nanfeng said perfunctorily, his mood in a mess.

Zhao Yuanjiao had rushed over from afar.

"Senior Aunt Han, you're here too?" Zhao Yuanjiao gaped at Han Bingdie, still seated in the living room.

He also noticed that everyone had serious expressions on their faces, and they were barely hiding their killing intent. Sensing that something was amiss, he rushed into the room and saw Ku Jiang in his coffin.

"What has happened to Master?!" Zhao Yuanjiao thundered.

"Don't touch his body. Nalan Qiankun was responsible," Yu'er gritted out. She recounted what had happened.

"What? Nalan Qiankun? No wonder he did what he did. He killed my master in order to leave Xiao Nanfeng in dire straits—how dare he!"

"Zhao Yuanjiao, you know why Nalan Qiankun decided to fight Ku Jiang to the death?" Han Bingdie asked.

"It's because the sect master has returned. Nalan Qiankun knows that Master will protect Nanfeng to the best of his ability, so he schemed against Master and caused Nanfeng to lose his most vocal support. Only then would he be able to indict Nanfeng for his 'crimes'."

"The sect master has returned?" Yu'er exclaimed.

"He just did. He paid his respects to the possessions left behind by the Taiqing forefather in the Vault of Scriptures. I explained everything to the sect master, but he said that he had to verify things with Nalan Qiankun as well.

"Isn't he worried that the sect master would hold him responsible for Master's death?" Yu'er fumed.

"Where's the proof?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"What?" The cultivators turned toward Xiao Nanfeng curiously.

"Where's the proof that Nalan Qiankun hurt Master? Based solely on my testimony? If Nalan Qiankun doesn't admit that he hurt Master, and even slanders us, what would we do?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Would he? Is he that malicious?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked furiously.

"Nanfeng, Nalan Qiankun's a schemer. For him to have made such a ruthless move—he has to have been prepared for the repercussions. What if he tricks the sect master and then attempts to deal with you while he has the advantage? Without Master's help, the sect master may not believe our explanations," Yu'er proclaimed.

"Then I'll draft a letter to the world and to the sect master. I'll also need to establish my kingdom immediately, declare it borders, and crown myself king," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Wouldn't that give Nalan Qiankun an opportunity to attack you? Wouldn't it arouse the sect master's suspicions?" Han Bingdie asked doubtfully.

"I can't count on the sect master's attitude. Nalan Qiankun has already made his move against me. I have to immediately found my kingdom and declare myself the righteous in order to fend off Nalan Qiankun's assault," Xiao Nanfeng explained.