Chapter 159: Iridescent Dragon

The Na Qu Mo He is the Empire's longest river, originating in the Shi Jie Shan Mai, stretching west to east for tens of thousands of li, passing through eleven provinces and ducal territories, and emptying into the Wu Jin Zhi Hai at Mo Du.

The Longshande ducal domain lies in the middle‑lower reaches of the Na Qu Mo He.

Steamships enter the river from Dong Ting Hu and sail downstream; along the banks of the great river there are a dozen or so cities. Each city is virtually the economic or political hub of its province, densely populated, with thriving river transport.

Amid the roar of steam, the ship sails for half a day, leaving Longshande ducal domain and entering the neighboring Bulanburg.

Bulanburg is a province, whose capital Iselek City also sits on the banks of the Na Qu Mo He. It is a city far more prosperous than Longshande, not only vast in area but home to over three million residents—almost three times Longshande's.

Iselek is the most important city in the Empire's central region, bar none.

Across the entire Empire, its size and population rank within the top five. It is the Empire's largest railway and water‑transport hub, linking nine provinces or ducal domains, with a transport network radiating across most of the nation.

Such an important city, far above Longshande in status, naturally hosts a Holy Soul Wizard.

This Holy Soul Wizard is respectfully called the "PurpleFlameDuke", her name being "Magna*Eran".

She, like the Silver Star Duke, is also a woman.

However, Iselek's situation is more similar to Mo Du; the PurpleFlameDuke is not the lord of Iselek and never meddles in the city's governance.

The duke rose to fame very early; before the Supreme Council of Ke Mi Ti Si was founded, she was already a Holy Soul Wizard, and has now been so for over fourteen hundred years.

At the Supreme Council's inception, the PurpleFlameDuke was already a member.

She chose Iselek, yet relinquished only a small portion of tax rights, still allowing the Empire to send officials to govern Bulanburg province and its capital; after centuries of accumulation, a Fu Kong Cheng was gradually erected.

After the Fu Kong Cheng rose into the sky, the PurpleFlameDuke ceased collecting taxes and even voluntarily gave up her ducal title.

Now the PurpleFlameDuke is merely an empty title; people still use it out of habit, and the long passage of time has left it unchanged.

The PurpleFlameDuke is among the most mysterious of the Holy Soul Wizards.

Very few know her origins or what she does daily, and people in Iselek City never see the Fu Kong Cheng in the sky.

The Fu Kong Cheng never opens to outsiders; legend says only the PurpleFlameDuke herself resides within.

Because it has not appeared for ages, Iselek's citizens even suspect the Fu Kong Cheng may have already flown away.

At dusk, Lei En's ship arrived at Iselek, preparing to spend the night there.

Lei En stayed aboard, standing on the deck beneath the sunset glow, admiring the bustling metropolis. The Na Qu Mo He cuts through Iselek, splitting the city in two, with long piers lining both banks where countless vessels constantly arrive and depart.

On the piers, hundreds of thousands of workers are still bustling.

Lei En's eyesight is exceptionally sharp, allowing him to see far; it must be said, Iselek truly is more developed than Longshande.

"What a pity,"

A female voice sounded beside him, "The PurpleFlameDuke actually gave up such a great city; if the duke had chosen Iselek as a domain, the Fu Kong Cheng would have been built long ago."

Lei En turned his head; the speaker was Pan Sir.

She is the captain of the Secret Fire Guard accompanying him to Mo Du, a seventh‑level Elementalist.

Lei En had met Pan Sir before; during the covert report against Sir Ebuli, Pan Sir also took part, though no one was captured in the end.

Each Secret Fire Guard typically consists of five or six members, with the captain invariably a senior Wizard.

The Silver Star Duke commands thirty Secret Fire Guards; each member is an elite trained in the Wu Shi Ta, far stronger than ordinary supernaturals.

Lei En has already met all of Pan Sir's squad members.

Among the other four, one is a fifth‑level Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard, the remaining three are third‑level Wizards—five people in total, all quite formidable.

However, aside from Pan Sir, the other Wizards seem somewhat displeased with Lei En.

Especially the three male Wizards, all young, harbor some hostility; though they conceal themselves well, they cannot escape Lei En's Soul‑Eye.

He needs no thought to know it's simply because of Viola, or resentment at being titled Earl.

Conversely, Captain Pan Sir treats Lei En very well.

During most of the ship's journey, she stayed close to Lei En, fulfilling her duty to protect the Earl of Glamorgan, while keeping her squad dispersed throughout the vessel, vigilant for possible foes.

At this moment, Lei En looked at the plain‑looking woman; she was just over forty, gentle‑tempered, somewhat reminiscent of his mother, Marinda.

"Captain Pan Sir," he said with a smile, "when the duke entered the Supreme Council, the PurpleFlameDuke had already relinquished the ducal title, hadn't she?"

Pan Sir nodded.

"According to Imperial law, the duke could have chosen Iselek as a domain back then; why not?" Lei En asked.

In fact, he could guess the reason.

It's simply the issue of two dukes coexisting: the Empire has seven Fu Kong Cheng, each in a different city; even if the two Holy Soul Wizards are on good terms, they would not tolerate another floating city on their own territory.

One mountain cannot hold two tigers, let alone two mother tigers.

Lei En knew this well; he merely wanted a topic to chat with Pan Sir and get closer.

This seventh‑level Wizard is extremely formidable; the number of Law Seals in her soul exceeds twenty, making her a top‑tier peer, the sort who remains hidden in plain sight.

Lei En can slay a seventh‑level shapeshifting Wizard, yet he cannot guarantee he can definitely handle Pan Sir.

After arriving at Mo Du, he'll still need to rely on her, and she is the Silver Star Duke's eyes and ears placed by his side; befriending her can't hurt.

Pan Sir gave a gentle smile, about to speak, when she saw Lei En's expression shift slightly as he stared toward the piers.

Following his gaze, she saw a witch boarding the ship.

The silver‑clad knight guarding the ship's entrance seemed not to see her at all, offering no resistance as she stepped aboard.

The witch was tall and slender, with loosely waved black hair, pure‑black pupils, clear eyes, dressed in a simple black‑and‑white robe, her posture elegant and upright; her features were rather ordinary, her expression slightly aloof, yet a subtle, hard‑to‑detect pride glimmered in her eyes.

Seeing her, Pan Sir felt a great threat and instantly heightened her vigilance.

At the same time, she thought Lei En's reaction was odd.

What she didn't know was that Lei En's mind was reeling; the witch was not human at all, but a massive dragon!

Not merely a dragon, but an extremely rare legendary breed—the Iridescent Dragon!

Happy Lantern Festival, everyone!

(End of Chapter)