Chapter 194: Dock Negotiations

Lei En was training in the training hall, feeling great, when Xika Lius pushed the door open.

"Boss, I have your letter," the tall Maku Raga man said, clutching a letter and handing it to Lei En.

Lei En stopped casting, took the letter, and asked, "Who sent it?"

"Ms. Panxi asked me to pass this to you. She said a guy riding a lion‑griffin dropped the letter from the sky and then flew away," Xika Lius sneered. He wasn't present when the griffin arrived; otherwise a single spear thrust would have guaranteed the target couldn't escape.

The letter had already been opened and inspected by Panxi, and there was no problem.

Lei En unfolded the paper, read it once, and furrowed his brows.

To his surprise, the letter was from Marquis Jiliu Sona, who, on behalf of the Mo Du aristocrats, wanted to negotiate with him. The meeting place was Yangshui Port within his domain, and the time was today.

The wording of the letter was very courteous; not only Marquis Jiliu himself, but also lords and representatives of other families would be present.

They were awaiting the Earl of Glamorgan's arrival at Yangshui Port.

Seeing that title, Lei En felt a bit surprised—had the Mo Du aristocrats already acknowledged him as the Earl of Glamorgan?

Just yesterday these people were eager to kill him; today they made a complete 180‑degree turn, from arrogance to deference, which put him on guard.

After a moment's thought, Lei En concluded the letter's contents were likely genuine and not a trap.

According to his plan, he would set out after noon, retake Yangshui Port, and even if Marquis Jiliu and his party hadn't invited him, he would still go to the port.

It was only unexpected that the Mo Du aristocrats suddenly wanted to negotiate.

"Xiliya."

Lei En called out, and Ao Xiliya's figure materialized in the air.

Xika Lius, standing nearby, widened his eyes at her appearance. He, his clan, and the senior officers of the Dragon Stone Mercenary Corps, who had been around Lei En all day, knew there was a powerful spellcaster secretly protecting Lei En, and now they finally saw her.

From Lei En, Xika Lius symbiotically received a fragment of Truth Willpower, sharpening his perception; he instantly sensed a dangerous aura on Ao Xiliya.

"This lady must be a legend!"

Ao Xiliya ignored Xika Lius's curious gaze, took the letter, read it, and a look of doubt appeared on her face.

Given her knowledge of the Mo Du aristocrats, she would not easily forgo such a huge benefit.

Yesterday at Sea Bridge Port, their scheme against Lei En had failed, but that didn't mean they had no other means.

They could still summon more legendary transcendants, far more than three.

Unless…

Ao Xiliya locked eyes with Lei En, and Lei En said, "They already know about my connection with Master Anxi."

Only this reason could explain the Mo Du aristocrats' shift in attitude.

For many years, the Mo Du aristocrats dared to oppose the Duke of Silver Star, largely because of Master Anxi's backing.

Now that they realize Master Anxi may be on the opposite side, they are probably scared stiff.

Within the Empire, no one wishes to become an enemy of the two Holy Soul Wizards.

"Have the Mo Du aristocrats visited Master Anxi?" Lei En asked.

"Since the day you were ennobled as the Earl of Glamorgan, they've been trying to see the Master," Ao Xiliya said. "But the Master declined, using magical experiments as an excuse, and hasn't shown up for almost a month."

Lei En nodded, his gaze falling on Ao Xiliya's face.

"Could it be that you exposed it?"

"Impossible!" Ao Xiliya shook her head immediately, stating confidently, "Below Holy Soul, no one can see through my invisibility technique. Even the Master sometimes can't detect my presence; otherwise he wouldn't have sent me to protect you covertly."

"So powerful…" a barely perceptible amused glint flashed in Lei En's eyes.

Ao Xiliya let out a light hum, "You don't believe?"

"I do," Lei En smiled, though he had long known Ao Xiliya's invisibility had two forms.

One is the Five Rings Invisibility Technique, which she commonly uses, derived from the spells mastered by the mage profession;

The other is her innate spell as an Iridescent Dragon, called the Rainbow Light Cloak, which is an extremely powerful protective spell that can deflect most physical and energy attacks while also manipulating light to achieve total invisibility.

The Rainbow Light Cloak is a Supreme Element; ordinary Insight or Mystic Eye cannot pierce it.

However, regardless of the type, under Truth Willpower nothing can hide.

Lei En usually disguises himself well; even when he sees Ao Xiliya, he pretends not to notice, not even casting a glance.

Seeing doubt arise in Ao Xiliya's mind, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Since you couldn't have exposed yourself, the issue must lie with Master Anxi."

"When he was tracking Ruin Anseram, he probably didn't conceal his identity, right?"

"I guess the Mo Du aristocrats got the information from Master Ruin."

Ao Xiliya nodded in agreement, saying it was the most likely scenario, "I'll contact the Master right away." With that, her figure vanished.

Lei En could only wait.

Whether to negotiate with the Mo Du aristocrats was not up to him; the decision rested with Master Anxi.

From his perspective, being able to negotiate was best, freeing him from the role of bait.

In reality, regardless of a peace talk, his bait had already lost its purpose; after the Mo Du aristocrats learned of his connection with Master Anxi, they would only become more cautious and would not dare act recklessly against him.

In less than five minutes, Ao Xiliya returned.

"How did it go?" Lei En asked hurriedly.

"The Master agreed to let you negotiate," Ao Xiliya whispered. "However, the Master has one condition: whatever terms you reach with the Mo Du aristocrats, you must continue investigating them by any means. Once that is done, the Master will formally accept you as a disciple."

Lei En understood immediately.

If he reached a settlement with the Mo Du aristocrats, Master Anxi's prior arrangements would be wasted, and he would have given away a piece of the Earl of Glamorgan's domain for nothing.

Now sending him to investigate turns him from bait into a strike force, effectively cutting losses in time.

Lei En knew he had no choice and immediately agreed, "I agree."

He promptly gathered his troops and set out for Yangshui Port.

Yangshui Port lies on the southernmost coast of the Glamorgan domain, bordering Paradise Bay, about a hundred li from Azure High Fortress. The party sprinted along a main road flanked by endless farms and plantations.

After a little over an hour, they arrived outside the port.

Even though he was sure it wasn't a trap, Lei En cautiously let Ao Xi Li Ya go a step ahead to scout the harbor.

When Ao Xi Li Ya returned and confirmed there was no problem, the party entered the harbor.

Yangshui Port is a deep‑water good harbor focused on cargo, with very few passengers, so its foot traffic is far less than Sea Bridge Port.

At a glance, Lei En saw the harbor still operating normally.

On one open pier, a large crowd waited, and the harbor patrol had blocked the pier, preventing anyone from approaching.

Many people sensed that something big was about to happen and watched curiously from a distance.

When people saw Lei En leading a large force into the harbor, they erupted in a clamor, thinking the clash that occurred at Sea Bridge Port yesterday would replay today.

Lei En rode his dragon‑horn warhorse, slowing as he approached the pier.

In the middle of the open area stood a large table set with wine and tea, chairs on both sides, and seven people were already seated.

Lei En's gaze swept over the seven, and he recognized three of them.

The Marquis Ji Liu sat in the center; to his left was a middle‑aged woman, beautiful and dignified, wearing an elaborate noble gown with an anchor‑shaped pendant around her neck, presumably the lady lord of the Pumoer family, Countess Kailin.

The fire of faith in her soul showed that the countess was a follower of the Storm Lord, a ninth‑rank Storm Priest.

To the Marquis Ji Liu's right sat an elderly man.

He appeared at least sixty, with thinning hair and a wrinkled face; even his splendid robes could not hide his age, and when he saw Lei En, his expression darkened with hostility.

Lei En sensed his stare and involuntarily furrowed his brow.

The other four included a familiar face, Rosa Logus, and Viscount Stoynde himself; the Legendary High‑rank Sword Saint was absent.

The remaining three Lei En did not recognize at all.

From their attire and seating it was clear they were not lords but family representatives, three noble houses that do not border the Earl of Glamorgan's domain, with limited interests.

After deducing, Lei En confirmed that the old man to the Marquis Ji Liu's right must be the Earl of Atrank, Piri No Aiden.

Behind these lords and nobles stood their family armed forces.

A detachment of twenty heavy‑armored knights from the Torbe family; over thirty uniformly dressed spearmen bearing a gray hawk emblem on their shoulders, identical to Piri No Aiden's crest; more than twenty male naga wielding tridents, standing on serpentine tails and covered in smooth green scales; and, most conspicuous, several gryphon riders.

At that moment, everyone's gaze fixed on Lei En.

He raised his hand, halting the silver‑clad knights and centaurs, and guided his dragon‑horn warhorse forward, with only Ai Mi Li Si riding on centaur leader Zhuo Ao's back and thirteen Extreme Warriors following behind.

As the distance closed, the opposing mounts were within arm's length, and the atmosphere grew tense.

The Marquis Ji Liu rose, and the others could no longer remain seated.

Lei En's eyes flickered as a wild thought sprang to mind.

If he now drew the Lambo spear for a sweeping volley and let the thirteen Extreme Warriors charge, perhaps he could take these people down in one strike.

In that case, every problem would be solved.

"No, there must be important figures watching from the shadows; Master Anxi would never permit me to do that."

After great effort Lei En suppressed his impulse, stopping his dragon‑horn warhorse ten steps from the table; he stayed mounted, looking down on the Mo Du nobles with a smug smile, and arrogantly asked, "Gentlemen, are you here to pay me compensation?"

"It's so late… please give me a ticket, any ticket, I accept all comers!"

(End of chapter)