Chapter 417 The Moving Pieces

The convoy arrived half a day later, when the sun started setting in the west. The early spring evening was cold and patches of dirty snow that have yet to melt away could be seen creating a feeling of chaotic change.

The people of the settlement were headed for the Yin Yang Unity Palace, and therefore would stay here only temporarily. And Wu Long also would move out with them and Hua Ziyan in a couple of weeks to ensure their safety and so that the two of them could join the Winter Forest Hunt later.

A part of the escorted women entered the mansion as they expressed their will to become the Wu House retainers. Butler Bang would then choose part of them who were suited for an additional training as his subordinates in his secondary occupation.

Another part of them were women Wu Long selected to be Yu Huan’s Alchemy Pavilion staff, most of them possessing the kind of talent required, and offered the job by him, though they did not require much persuasion as all of the women in that settlement felt a debt of gratitude to him.

He still was determined to provide good conditions and compensation for the work they did, even if they were not after it.

The last two groups who entered the mansion were a small group selected by Shen Min and the group of Tingren Kingdom’s warriors who came here to be trained.

As the newcomers were moving in, Wu Long approached the warriors of Tingren Kingdom who were escorted into the inner parts of the mansion.

“You are safe now, Your Highness. This mansion is covered by a powerful enough formation, so your presence here is concealed”

Wu Long smiled at one of the female warriors, who sighed with relief, and took off an earring which used to be Shen Min’s possession. Her hair turned into pinkish-red and her eyes turned gray with light bluish hue, while her healthy look of a trained warrior changed into that of a still frail and slightly weakly royal lady.

“It must have been hard on the way here, but now you can be at ease, as you are among the people you can trust”

Ye Ling welcomingly smiled, coming into the room as the other ladies of the Wu Household revealed similar welcoming expressions following her lead through the doors.

Princess Cai Yin widened her eyes at the group of gorgeous women, and turning to Wu Long, saw the confirmation of her guess in his eyes.

‘This man is sure something…’

Was her thought as she suppressed a bewildered expression and made a courteous greeting gesture. She was surprised when she realized Wu Long had managed to woo not only Shen Min but Feng Yi as well, but never could have imagined that his abilities and greed were so vast.

A little, silent thought burrowed into her mind at this moment, which she did not give any attention so it sank into the depths of her consciousness without making any ripples on the surface.

“Thank you very much. I will be in your care”

She then made a polite greeting while the ladies greeted her one by one, being careful not to overwhelm her, leaving the introductions to later time.

The main problem for Cai Yin’s health was the stress and her environment in which she could not calm down and relax even for a second. To make matters worse, her paranoia of trusting people which was normal after such a long period of being manipulated, did not give her even a moment of peace.

In that state, no matter what remedy Wu Long brought to her, her condition would revert back as soon as he left, so the only option was to put her into an environment she could relax in.

It would not happen immediately, as she did not know them, but the fact they were Wu Long’s women gave them the credibility which could in time ease her worries and help her find calm by living among them.

She could also receive proper care here, as Wei Lan was excited to cook something that would entice someone that did not have an appetite due to stress. And Yu Huan could constantly supply her with medicine.

This mansion was the ideal place to rehabilitate her health at the same time keeping her safe.

Initially this plan was prepared to move her into the Yin Yang Unity Palace, as Wu Long did not plan to create a temporary base of operations in the Fantian Kingdom, but it did not change much, simply switching out the location.

The earrings gifted to her in the official ceremony were made by Palace Master Lian Zhiqiu while he was in the sect, and he inscribed them with Madam Liang’s illusion arts before meeting with the Princess, creating a disguise artifact that even a Seven Profound Realms cultivator would find hard to discern.

All that remained was to make it plausible for the earrings to always be worn by the Princess in public, which was achieved by making them a symbol of the Imperial protection. Thus her subordinate could wear the earrings without being suspected, posing as the princess while receiving orders from her via a special communication jade which was installed in one of the earrings.

The one chosen for the role was naturally her double which already bore similarities to her appearance, and learned her mannerisms and way of speaking since they were both very young.

The movement of the settlement of the former victims of Supreme Master Pavilion was also the perfect chance for the princess to send people to help with the relocation, allowing her to disguise her presence among them.

When they discussed the plan at the Royal Winter Villa, she was at first reluctant to leave her post as the Royal Princess, bound by her sense of duty to her people, especially now that she was given equal political authority and could actually influence the situation in the country.

But as Wu Long persuaded her by stating that in her current condition she would not be able to serve her country well she could only agree to this measure. Not to mention that she still could communicate and give instructions remotely.

“Honey!!!”

As the others were greeting the princess, Wu Mengqi ran into Wu Long and hung on his neck as the corners of her eyes revealed a glint of wet drops while she rubbed her cheek onto his chest. It was hard to guess whether they were tears of joy from meeting him again, or tears of being wronged.

“Hahaha, there there, Mengqi” .

He chuckled as he hugged her and patted the back of her head in a soothing motion while giving a look to Ye Ling who only shrugged with an innocent smile.

“Hmm, is Mingyu still in the state of enlightenment and contemplation?”

He then turned to Hua Ziyan who approached him and then nodded with a concerned look.

“Don’t worry, it is normal for Dao Cultivators to ponder on the concepts for long without rest. She will be fine”

He gave her an encouraging smile, and as Wu Mengqi finally got satisfied with the skinship, gave her a light kiss, and then took Hua Ziyan into his embrace next.

“Old Yen has already left as per your instructions, Young Master. But, is it safe to let him move alone in these times?”

Butler Bang tactfully waited until he greeted all of his ladies, before reporting to Wu Long. He expressed worry since the man was not the best fighter, and over time there appeared a feeling of slight camaraderie between the two due to serving the same master, and both holding great respect for him.

“Mm, he is still in the shadows, as it seems that Luo Family Patriarch is indeed trustworthy. Plus as far as I can tell, he should at least have the ability to run away even if the opponent is vastly stronger.

His work is important for the future events. You should focus on training his and your subordinates. Though of course you can prioritize yours”

Wu Long nodded, as his look turned to the distance mountain range dividing the continent and serving as the borders of this country that could be seen even from the capital.

“And don’t hesitate to ask for help if it gets overwhelming”

He then turned to the old butler with a smile, to which Butler Bang revealed a grateful but confident grin with a glint in his eyes.

“Hohoho, I am honored by your kind care, Young Master, but this old man has yet to decay so much as to whine because of a little more work”

“Haha, good. Come, I will check your progress with the techniques and skills. Old Yen has almost mastered the scrolls I gave him so I expect you have done so”

“Hehe, this old man may be humble, but would not be a step behind that scoundrel”

Butler Bang chuckled as apart from camaraderie, the two did not shy away from rivalry in who could be of more use to their master as well.

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