Yue Yang made no move to report his arrival at Silver Maple City’s lord’s manor.
For three full days, he remained in Silver Maple City.
Nobody knew what he did during those three days. He’d sent Steward Duli back to Star Diamond Castle as well. Only on the third day, as the sun was drawing toward the horizon, did Yue Yang finally arrive at the lord’s manor, present his fate card to confirm his identity, and request an audience with the city lord.
As a noble — and one holding a baron’s title with a castle and domain to his name — the guards naturally couldn’t afford any discourtesy.
Beyond that, Silver Maple City’s lord came out in person to welcome Yue Yang, making a show of his warmth.
The Silver Maple City Lord was an elderly man with a snow-white beard that hung to his chest, wearing long robes and carrying a dragon-headed cane. He looked more like a wise and learned scholar than a city ruler. Human Valley did have a nominal emperor, but that figure held no real power whatsoever — a puppet emperor whose only function was to affix stamps and bestow titles on various lords, reminding Yue Yang faintly of the Zhou Son of Heaven during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period: a name without substance. The true power in Human Valley rested with three feudal kings and several princes, and the Silver Maple City Lord was one of those princes with genuine authority — commanding over ten thousand elite soldiers and tens of thousands of slave-soldiers, his influence ranking among Human Valley’s top five.
For a figure of such power and standing to come out in person to receive a young new lord with great ceremony said something about how deliberately he cultivated relationships with those around him.
Not just toward Yue Yang.
It was equally a signal to everyone around the young man.
“Young man, the moment I saw you, I liked you from the bottom of my heart. You and your mother share the same excellence — a pity she sought a higher realm and had no interest in making her mark here. If she had stayed, a new queen would have risen like a brilliant star. I find I like you more than my own sons — those disappointing creatures, best left unmentioned. You, though — young and exceptional as you are — you strike a chord with me right away. Come, come, young man, I’ve had a banquet prepared. I mean to welcome Silver Maple City’s new lord and new noble with the most distinguished ceremony possible. Please, sit — here, at my side. Yes, you’ve earned that right. For exceptional young people, I always give everything I have in my support. Young people are what I love most in this world.” The Silver Maple City Lord played the part of a benevolent elder to perfection — white-haired yet seemingly ageless — gesturing for Yue Yang to take the honored seat beside him.
“While I’m deeply grateful for your kindness, noble etiquette tells me I should sit in the seat appropriate to my own rank.” Yue Yang politely declined, and under the murderous-envious gazes of everyone present, he absolutely was not going to be foolish enough to actually sit beside the Silver Maple City Lord.
First, it was plainly a test — seeing whether the young man was arrogant and ignorant of his own station.
Second, sitting beside the City Lord would earn him not one benefit, while making enemies of every one of the Lord’s favored inner circle.
Better to decline this show of surface favor than to become everyone’s target.
Did the Silver Maple City Lord genuinely like Fourth Sister’s elder sister that much?
Yue Yang doubted it considerably. From the various information he’d gathered, the City Lord most likely harbored something much closer to hostility toward Star Diamond Castle’s previous master — that is, Yue Yang’s nominal mother, Fourth Sister’s elder sister, that woman of incomprehensible mystery.
At minimum, the relationship was not warm.
Nobody with any desire for power wanted someone so exceptional building a completely independent stronghold on their territory.
Nobody wanted two townships in their area of jurisdiction handed over to someone else’s control.
Even a person with no ambition whatsoever couldn’t accept that.
Let alone someone like the Silver Maple City Lord, whose drive for power and territorial expansion was self-evident.
A friendly face on the surface didn’t mean the same underneath. If the City Lord had genuinely been so magnanimous, why had White Sand Town’s sea monster and Black Rock Town’s bandit problem gone unaddressed?
So regardless of the smiling welcome and whatever darkness might lie beneath it, Yue Yang wasn’t going to trust this man easily — especially not someone with life-and-death authority over others. He’d once heard it said: no merchant is generous, no politician is clean, no one with real power is merciful. Trusting those who held authority above you was no different from negotiating with a tiger over the use of its own skin.
Of course, he couldn’t openly antagonize the man either.
This was Human Valley.
Force solved nothing here. Every problem had to be addressed with “wisdom.”
Throughout the banquet, host and guests drank and talked with apparent cheerfulness, the surface a picture of harmony.
Until the banquet was nearly over and a middle-aged man at the third seat to the City Lord’s left suddenly rose. This man had a pale complexion, sharp eyes, and thin lips like a blade — the look of a shrewd strategic mind if there ever was one.
Earlier, the City Lord had briefly introduced him to Yue Yang as one of Silver Maple City’s council advisors, a man called “Fan.” This Advisor Fan had even toasted Yue Yang with a seemingly friendly smile not long ago. Nobody anticipated that near the banquet’s end, he’d launch a calculated ambush. He first bowed to the City Lord, then raised his cup toward Yue Yang in an apparent toast: “Just now, speaking as one of the council advisors, I extended the highest respect and welcome to the new master of Star Diamond Castle. We sincerely hope that more fresh noble blood will join our ranks — and a fine lord such as the Star Diamond Castle’s new master is exactly the kind of ally we’ve dreamed of. In truth, I expressed identical goodwill to the previous master of Star Diamond Castle — had she not been so eager to leave in pursuit of a higher realm, our relationship might have grown considerably closer.”
Yue Yang heard this and immediately felt something was wrong.
Anyone who dared speak to him like this in this setting was an adversary wearing a friendly face, and no amount of surface politeness could conceal the bone-deep greed of someone who wanted to swallow him whole.
Was this red-robed Advisor Fan an enemy of Fourth Sister’s elder sister?
To have waited until the banquet’s end before striking — this man’s capacity for restraint was impressive enough in its own right.
“I wonder what guidance the esteemed Advisor might offer a newcomer junior such as myself?” Yue Yang was no stranger to challenges, whether they came through force or a battle of wits.
“As a close neighbor, and given the longstanding friendship between our sides across generations, I’ve heard that the Baron of Star Diamond Castle has recently encountered some difficulties. Having just returned from your studies to assume the castle, you immediately face a sea monster and bandits — genuinely inconvenient. On top of that, the Baron still needs to complete your study trials before formally taking over your lordship duties. During the minimum three months of study, it would look poor to completely ignore your domain’s problems — yet equally, Star Diamond Castle’s new master hasn’t formally assumed authority. Given that, if the Baron would accept a neighboring friend’s helping hand, I would be happy to send personnel at no charge to eliminate the sea monster and bandits, thereby maintaining peace in our shared area.” Advisor Fan struck the pose of a living saint.
“That’s generous of you. This really is welcome news.” Yue Yang responded mildly — no anger, not even an outright refusal.
“While the neighbors are certainly close, sending Advisor Fan’s personnel into the Star Diamond Castle’s jurisdiction does seem to run contrary to established rules.” Someone immediately rose in objection, protesting this business of marching forces into another person’s territory.
This person wasn’t driven by any sympathy for Yue Yang being bullied by Advisor Fan. He was concerned that once such precedent was broken, someone with less power than Advisor Fan could equally find themselves on the receiving end.
Hence the firm opposition.
Several more council figures rose in turn, each speaking up for their own interests.
Some in favor, others fiercely opposed — both sides lobbed arguments at each other, each trying to protect their own position to the maximum extent possible.
Yue Yang watched them all with cool detachment, saying nothing, as though the matter had nothing to do with him. The Silver Maple City Lord, watching this from his seat, felt a flicker of something unusual cross his thoughts. This newcomer had too many things about him that were out of the ordinary.
The complete absence of ego-driven reaction, for one thing — in a proud young man, that was exceptionally rare.
The composure in the face of provocation, for another.
Yue Yang’s self-possession and control of manner was entirely beyond what the City Lord had anticipated. He’d expected Yue Yang to explode with fury the moment he heard Advisor Fan’s words — or at the very least show some color of anger. After all, someone was openly angling to invade his property. A young man in that position had every reason to react. And yet, strikingly, this young man carried on as though nothing had happened, seemingly deaf to the provocation, his position deliberately ambiguous — neither confirming nor flatly rejecting.
What exactly was this young man thinking?
Had he seen through the layers of calculation within the calculation?
Another person rose to address the City Lord — a black-bearded elder sitting in the first seat to the City Lord’s right. He smiled with calm authority and began, “Ever since Silver Maple City was established as a free city-state, our member territories have stood united. In ten thousand years, we have never seen internal strife among ourselves. It is precisely because we never waste energy on internal friction that we have been able to hold our ground and continue to develop in the face of many powerful adversaries. Let us first thank Advisor Fan for his earnest concern — it is exactly this spirit of loyalty, of standing by one’s allies, that has carried us through to today. However, the rules established by our predecessors ten thousand years ago — those time-honored traditions — are not things we should alter lightly, lest we set ourselves on the wrong path. No exceptions should be made. We praise Advisor Fan’s goodwill, and we also want to assist Star Diamond Castle’s lord, the Baron, with the temporary difficulties in his domain. I hope all present will voluntarily extend a hand of friendship. Helping our allies is also helping ourselves — the more allies we have, the more united they are, the stronger our city-state becomes. I have a suggestion here, perhaps somewhat rough in its current form: perhaps each of us could contribute some effort, gathered temporarily under the City Lord’s banner, to help Star Diamond Castle’s master at no charge and resolve this small difficulty — a token of encouragement to our new colleague before he completes his studies and formally assumes his lordship.”
“Agreed — with the City Lord leading, this is the best possible outcome.” Someone immediately liked this solution and voiced support.
“It must be the City Lord who takes charge.” Others chimed in.
“I agree as well.” Only Advisor Fan remained. His expression darkened, but unable to stand against the consensus, he had no choice but to force out a smile and nod along.
“But who leads the actual expedition? If it’s still Advisor Fan, I’m firmly against it.” Someone noticed this gap and moved quickly to shut Advisor Fan out, preventing the greedy man from using the opportunity to his own advantage.
“Hmph.” Advisor Fan gave a cold laugh. His scheme had been foiled, and he had no interest in making himself look worse by pressing further.
“Shall I suggest someone?” The bald elder sitting in the first seat to the City Lord’s left raised a measured hand. “Why are you all struggling over this? There’s actually an ideal candidate — I’d been planning to ask him to escort a shipment of treasures to ‘Sky Capital’ for me, but if Star Diamond Castle’s matter is more pressing, he might as well take command of this first and see how he does.”
“Who is it? Who are you talking about?” Everyone at the table was curious.
“Who else but the City Lord’s tenth son, Zhonghua, just returned from his studies.” The bald elder laughed heartily.
“……” Hearing that name, Yue Yang suddenly understood the entire chain of events. So that was how it fit together. Fortunately, the figure appearing in Silver Maple City was neither the Heavens-Splitting Demon Lord nor Ji Wuri — that would have been considerably more troublesome.
Everything afterward fell into place quickly. With the assembled dignitaries unanimously approving the proposal, the designated commander was immediately summoned — Zhonghua. As for Yue Yang’s opinion as the Star Diamond Castle’s master, the assembled group conveniently ignored it entirely. Well enough — a newcomer noble who’d just joined and hadn’t yet completed his study trials or formally assumed his lordship had limited say in the matter.
Besides, Zhonghua was the Silver Maple City Lord’s tenth son, recently returned with outstanding marks from the trial completion. Rumor had it that among all the returning challengers who’d finished their trials, Zhonghua had placed second overall by an overwhelming margin — second only to the so-called once-in-a-millennium genius, the Sky Capital Prince Ji Wuri.
With that kind of reputation and strength, commanding a simple bandit-suppression operation was more than adequate.
Zhonghua was brought out.
Imposing in bearing, commanding in presence — truly a man of rare caliber, and no wonder he was considered the City Lord’s most outstanding son. The moment he appeared, his charisma swept the room, and the female attendants who’d accompanied various lords in particular stared with glazed admiration. As for accepting command of the bandit suppression, Zhonghua declined with modest humility several times over, saying he’d only just returned from his studies and was unworthy of such responsibility — but in the face of the assembled group’s insistence, he reluctantly accepted.
He immediately pledged to do his utmost in leading the mission and not to disappoint the confidence placed in him.
He further assured Yue Yang personally that the march would not burden the local population, that all logistical needs would be fully supplied by Silver Maple City, and that the new master of Star Diamond Castle would not need to spend so much as a single crystal.
“And the Baron’s opinion?” The Silver Maple City Lord had been watching with a quiet smile throughout. Only once everyone was done did he turn to ask Yue Yang.
“My deepest thanks to the City Lord and to Count Zhonghua for their generous assistance. These are matters within my domain — as their lord, even before I have fully assumed governance, responsibility still falls to me. Star Diamond Castle is happy to contribute one hundred Heaven Crystals toward the cost of this bandit-suppression effort.” Yue Yang applauded naturally, expressing his welcome. His smile was entirely genuine, coming from the bottom of his heart — because the person standing before him was Zhonghua, not Ji Wuri or the Heavens-Splitting Demon Lord. What made him even more quietly pleased was this: for reasons of mutual suspicion or otherwise, Ji Wuri apparently hadn’t shared information with Zhonghua. So Zhonghua didn’t recognize him at all, and had no idea that Star Diamond Castle’s previous master had been a Sky Tower warrior.
Whatever Zhonghua speculated about Yue Yang’s identity, he would never guess the truth.
Which was why Yue Yang smiled so easily.
When Zhonghua came over to toast him, he asked with seemingly casual curiosity, “Fellow reincarnated challenger — where do you come from, brother? You look faintly familiar, somehow.”
“Faintly familiar” was a pretext. Zhonghua knew nothing about Yue Yang — he was simply probing. Yue Yang smiled and raised his cup in return. “I wouldn’t presume to say. Count Zhonghua’s reputation precedes you far and wide — I’ve long known your name. As for my own background, my family’s standing doesn’t bear mentioning while I’ve been traveling, and I’d rather not embarrass myself speaking of it, lest I invite ridicule.”
Zhonghua, as the Central Divine Hall’s Hall of Light Master, had placed himself second only to Ji Wuri in his own estimation of who might eventually claim the divine realm — and now he’d caught an anomaly worth noting. He wasn’t inclined to drop his questioning easily.
Someone who could walk in and inherit a castle from the start wasn’t an ordinary person.
This had to be the scion of some great family from the Upper Heavenly Realm, simply keeping a low profile to avoid drawing competitive attention, which was why he was declining to name his family or sect.
After being pressed several more times, Yue Yang put on the expression of someone reluctantly yielding and leaned close to Zhonghua’s ear, speaking a few quiet words.
The effect was immediate — Zhonghua’s face shifted to one of complete enlightenment, full of acknowledgment, followed swiftly by a warm, eager smile and several enthusiastic nods. “Brother, as long as Zhonghua is in Silver Maple City, no one will touch your Star Diamond Castle. Advisor Fan is just a minor nuisance — the ones destined for greatness are those of us who have reincarnated here. Brother, if we join forces — combined strength from both sides — never mind Advisor Fan, even that arrogant crowing Ji Wuri could potentially be brought down by us. With your family’s backing behind you and myself as an internal ally, the Upper Heavenly Realm has always been where the likes of us belong. That’s all I’ll say for now — look to Zhonghua’s sincerity in what follows.”
Zhonghua walked away from Yue Yang looking like he’d just eaten a full pot of spinach, face glowing.
He’d originally come intending to maneuver against a newcomer’s domain.
But now he wanted nothing of the sort — because he’d discovered this newcomer was a hidden gem, and the family power standing behind him was a force in the Upper Heavenly Realm too substantial to shake. Gaining this person’s friendship, securing his assistance, would give him a meaningful edge in his long-running competition with Ji Wuri.
Anyone with half a brain knew which mattered more — whatever happened in Human Valley, or everything that awaited them in the Upper Heavenly Realm afterward.
Besides, Zhonghua had no great confidence in claiming the Divine Codex himself. His real purpose here was to obstruct those who might — Ji Wuri above all.
With this family connection and this young man’s full support, much of what lay ahead in the Upper Heavenly Realm could shift in ways no one presently expected.
Of course, the immediate priority was earning this young man’s genuine trust.
The other side was clearly on quite high alert.
As they parted, Zhonghua walked Yue Yang to the door, hinting several more times at his own ambitions lying outside Human Valley rather than within it, and promising to support Yue Yang however he could if the opportunity arose. To this kind of pledge, Yue Yang naturally received it graciously. “Count Zhonghua, everything in Human Valley is ultimately a trial. My elders always said one comes here to refine one’s understanding — to read people’s hearts, observe their intentions, taste the full range of human experience — only then can one truly understand what it means to be ‘human.’ Whether one’s circumstances are comfortable or arduous, it makes little difference to me. Achieving the realization quickly and leaving this realm is my true goal. So how much honor I accumulate here is of little concern. As for cooperation — yes, that would be welcome. Working together is always better than going it alone. But Ji Wuri is no ordinary figure, and I can’t promise anything at this stage without consulting my elders first. Once things are settled, I’ll give you a definitive answer, Count Zhonghua.”
If Yue Yang had agreed on the spot, that would have made Zhonghua genuinely suspicious.
A decision this significant obviously required family consultation.
Zhonghua’s main goal wasn’t immediate alliance — it was building a solid foundation for a future one. He’d been laying groundwork against Ji Wuri for years; a little more waiting was nothing. As long as this scion of a powerful Upper Heavenly Realm family was willing to work with him eventually, it amounted to half a victory already. And once this young man was seen on the same side as Zhonghua, Ji Wuri would notice — and even if the young man tried to deny any alliance, Ji Wuri wouldn’t believe him.
So for now, it was like getting someone on a boat.
The moment they were aboard, you raised the sails and started sailing. Even if they realized this wasn’t quite the direction they’d wanted to go, there wasn’t much to be done about it.
At parting, both men wore smiles, both projecting an excellent mood.
Both with their own private calculations.
Neither revealing a thing.
But Yue Yang felt confident that his own smile was the one that would last to the end. Because the sharp-minded Count Zhonghua, for all his cleverness, had no idea he was looking at the Sky Tower’s new-generation Prison Emperor — and had instead made the mistake of assuming he was the heir of some mysterious Upper Heavenly Realm family.
(End of Chapter)