Wu Long and his two companions sat in a modestly but still well decorated guest room, and soon, a woman with pinkish-red very wavy hair and gray eyes with a very slight light blue hue entered the room, though there was a little pause before she entered as she first confirmed the people inside even if several attendants who knew Wu long and Shen Min from before have already checked multiple times as they waited.

Unlike the previous times they met, there were not that many attendants around her as she walked, and only a few bodyguards who stopped without entering the room.

While she still looked beautiful her face showed signs of fatigue as her hair lost some of its luster and her skin was pale. There were also meticulously hidden, but still visible to Wu Long’s eyes signs of stress, lack of sleep, lack of rest and even malnutrition.

Her figure which was miniature and elegant to begin with looked even more fragile as a result. As if she would crumble from a light push or could be blown away at the lightest gust of wind. She slightly weakly smiled at the familiar sight of Wu Long and Shen Min, a glint of joy appearing in her weary eyes.

“I am blessed to see you again, my benefactors”

“Judging by the situation you have been driven into we have not brought you much happiness with our past actions, Your Highness. So I hardly deserve that title”

Wu Long showed a subtle, encouraging smile.

“Hahaha, it seems you know the situation, although, I cannot say I am surprised. However, being awake in chaos is much better than being asleep in that same chaos. Some say ignorance is bliss but I don’t think so”

She chuckled.

“I am happy to see you again, Your Highness. And please do not call me a benefactor either”

Shen Min said with worry in her eyes as she same signs Wu Long did.

“You have bloomed like a heavenly flower, Shen Min. I am happy to see that”

Cai Yin chuckled as she saw Shen Min’s beauty become even more pronounced, as being with her beloved man made her almost glow. The first time Princess saw this beauty was when she was in the depths of despair, which partially caused her to empathize and stretch out a helping hand so this transformation was quite striking.

What truly made the difference were Shen Min’s emotions which Cai Yin as a Soul Cultivator felt like fluctuations of soul power. This sensitive and accurate perception was a sign of a very rare and very high talent even among those who were born suited to be Soul Cultivators.

She has once already envied the beauty before, but now it was apparent just how much happier she became.

“It is thanks to Your Highness’ help that I was able to meet the fortune”

Shen Min talked unusually warmly, as she only did so with Wu Long or her two closest friends, causing Feng Yi to widen her eyes at this scene.

“And, I believe we are meeting for the first time…”

“Ah, pardon my manners, Your Highness. Fantian Kingdom’s Army Commander Feng Yi, pleasure to be in your Royal presence”

Feng Yi placed a hand on her chest and slightly bent her waist forward.

“Oh, so you are the renowned General Feng’s daughter. I wondered with those fiery features… it is my pleasure, Commander Feng. Please be at ease since you are a guest, and I assume are not visiting me in your formal capacity.

Besides, because red hair are rare in these lands it is believed that General Feng shares some ancestral roots with our royal family.

Though red hair appears only sporadically in our line and it is of different tone, and there are no records of lineage to prove it so it is mostly just talk of those in our family who wanted to poach the renown warrior from the neighboring Kingdom”

Cai Yin smiled at the formal way the beauty met her, recalling an amusing connection point to ease the mood.

“Hahaha, Father told me about those rumors once”

Feng Yi lightly chuckled as well, conceding to the soothing voice of the Princess.

“Well, it is somewhat formal visit as well though”

Wu Long chimed in and Cai Yin raised her eyebrows in surprise, gesturing toward the sofas the three sat on before for a more detailed talk.

As they took their seats, the Princess noted that Feng Yi and Shen Min both sat next to Wu Long on the same sofa, the distance being quite intimate with both of them. She could also feel Feng Yi’s strong emotional bond with the man who sat in between them, and silently became astonished at the ability of this man to get two women with such beauty and talent.

‘But then again, I cannot deny that strength is one of the most attractive qualities of a man in our world, not to mention his smarts, and pleasant character. There is also his undeniable looks…’ 𝘦.𝘤𝘰𝑚

“Khm”

She looked at the three before her, but then caught herself on a thought she did not expect. Wu Long only continued smiling while the Princess lightly cleared her throat.

“We came here because we have more to discuss about your situation. You see it is partially our fault you are in this difficult situation, and apart from feeling responsibility for that we have vested interests in helping you. The Imperial Edict issued this morning is only the first step”

Wu Long went straight into the topic, and Cai Yin’s eyes expressed her shock at the revelation. But as Wu Long continued to explain the more intricate situation of what was happening behind the curtains, her shock only continued to rise.

She silently listened, not interrupting and only the look in her eyes betrayed the intense storm of interchanging emotions inside her.

“Heh, I knew there was more to it than met the eye, but did not realize just how bigger the picture was than I imagined…”

She finally sighed with a self-deprecating smile, the tiredness in her voice instantly becoming much more apparent.

“It is something you could not have known so please do not beat yourself over it, Your Highness”

Shen Min said with some encouragement, causing a light grateful smile to appear on the lips of the princess.

“Min’er is right, Your Highness. The sheer scale of things happening is not something a princess of a Kingdom should be expected to know about. And knowing it would not have helped you, and rather only ensured your doom before we could interfere.

I would rather argue that you have done quite well in your circumstances with what means you had”

Wu Long lightly spoke, in a tone that let her know that it truly was simply beyond her means to know all that information.

“But then… why are you telling all of that to me now?”

“Because by cooperating with us, there are ways you can influence the situation in our favor.

First, we needed to ensure your safety, which is what the Imperial Edict was partially about. And next, we will add a person who can keep you safe even if the other side tries to sneak a relatively higher force to eliminate you.

Now, however, before we can discuss our further plans and strategies, there is something we must do as a first priority”

Wu Long chuckled at the end, as Cai Yin questioned him with her eyes.

“It is to ensure your well-being”

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