Chapter 219: This Person Can Be Dealt With!

“Oh… So you want to enjoy the benefits of Fairy Island while not wanting your subordinates to be overly influenced, huh? This Holy Monarch seems quite greedy.”

Hearing Miss Vilyric’s slightly sharp truth, Mu Ze shook his head helplessly once more.

“You shouldn’t bring this up in front of His Holy Monarch. He’s quite proud and has a strong desire for control; you could say he’s a born ruler who can’t tolerate anyone out of his grasp. I know Miss Vilyric isn’t afraid of him, but could you at least give him a little face on Mu’s behalf?”

The black-haired girl remained noncommittal.

“Respect is mutual. My actions depend solely on the attitude of His Holy Monarch… Let’s not discuss this. Before meeting Shangguan Qiuming, can you tell me what you know about him?”

Sensing the girl’s unwillingness to yield, Mu Ze sighed slightly and nodded.

“I can’t say I understand His Majesty completely, but I’ll try to mention some useful content…”

The Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch, Shangguan Qiuming, behind this somewhat feminine name, is an already legendary figure.

Unlike the other three kingdoms, Dongyuanzhi Kingdom has had only seven Holy Monarchs since the first, and the reigns of the second to sixth Holy Monarchs lasted from decades to over a hundred years. Only this seventh Holy Monarch, Shangguan Qiuming, has ruled for nearly two hundred years until now.

Among all four Holy Monarchs in history, excluding the first four, Shangguan Qiuming has had the longest reign, and even now he is still incredibly youthful, showing no sign of decline.

His true strength remains a mystery. As a Holy Monarch, Shangguan Qiuming rarely has the chance to act publicly, which is why he has not been ranked among the “Top Hundred of the Ancient Spirit Realm.” However, his ability to survive and maintain control for nearly two hundred years, without aging, says quite a bit.

With some scattered historical evidence, Shangguan Qiuming has already been noted in the “Top Hundred” as an exceptional figure, even considered possibly on par with the first Eastern Holy Monarch, having broken through to certain realms beyond “Same Longevity.”

Aside from his inherent strength, the seventh Eastern Holy Monarch, Shangguan Qiuming, is also very talented in governance. He values talent, strengthens agriculture, bolsters the military, and is deeply concerned about the people’s livelihoods in his territories. Not only does he crack down hard on corruption and embezzlement, but he also leads a very simple life, having hardly undertaken any projects related to pleasure in his two hundred years of rule, earning him the recognition as one of the wise Holy Monarchs.

His existence is also one of the vital reasons why Dongyuanzhi Kingdom maintains its overall national strength at the forefront among the four countries.

Everything Mu Ze shared was already known to Vilyric.

For a ruler who has held the throne for a full two hundred years, to say they have no pride or dignity would indeed be strange. In other regions, without the presence of Fairy Island, this person could very well be excessively idolized, leading to a cult of personality.

All I hope is that he can be easy to deal with; he may not be a good person, but he is undoubtedly an excellent ruler. Unless absolutely necessary, Vilyric doesn’t want to create conflict with him.

“We’ve arrived. His Majesty should have just returned; it seems he was in a routine meeting. Allow me to inform him first, and I ask you both to wait outside for a moment.”

Leading the two girls to the entrance of a magnificent hall, Mu Ze was just about to speak with the guards when a sudden authoritative shout erupted from within!

“How outrageous! These insignificant pests are utterly arrogant! Do they really think our Holy Sect is afraid of them!!!”

“?”

The two girls, having just steadied themselves, exchanged confused looks. But Mu Ze’s expression darkened, as if he had anticipated something.

“The worst-case scenario has happened… It seems war is truly inevitable. Please wait a moment.”

He stepped forward quickly, flashing an item before the guards who intended to block them. Surprised, they hurriedly put down their weapons and respectfully stepped aside, allowing Mu Ze to walk straight into the depths of the hall where the Holy Monarch was.

Before long, he returned alone, looking serious as he rejoined the two girls.

“Thank you for waiting. His Majesty has agreed to meet with you and has already gone to the reception room.”

Vilyric nodded, her curiosity piqued.

“Were they having a meeting inside? What on earth happened?”

Mu Ze shook his head with a complicated expression.

“Let’s allow His Majesty to explain it to you. Please follow me.”

After moving down the corridor a bit further, Mu Ze brought them to an unguarded outdoor room, opened a small door, and entered first.

Inside the ancient-style cozy room, three figures were already waiting.

At a low table were several cups of fragrant tea.

The two young men standing on either side of the table were familiar to Vilyric; they were the dual-colored glowing-eyed top disciple, Shangguan Hong of the Sacred God Sect, and a strangely named girl who had once been called “Xuan Shu” with her black tail braided. Seeing the Priestess and the others arrive, both shot them similar but slightly differing warm smiles.

And between the two stood a man in a blue and gold robe, his silver hair held back by a crown. Vilyric had only seen him from afar a few times and had never interacted with him up close.

The Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch, the true ruler of this vast kingdom.

He was strong, stronger than Mu Ze, and from the restrained yet still palpable overwhelming aura emanating from him, Vilyric immediately made a judgment.

This guy has actually reached the Pseudo-God realm?

Perhaps he still falls short of the Peach Blossom Saint, who has reached the peak of “Transformation,” equivalent to a true demigod, but he is certainly not weaker than the strongest Bone Immortal among the Seven Demon Lords.

Reaching a level beyond what mortals can fathom is an insurmountable chasm for humans. To attain the Pseudo-God realm as a human requires both fortuitous encounters and exceptional talent. Even so, aside from the exception of the Nameless, it’s almost impossible for normal people…

That said… it seems the Four Holy Monarchs carry bloodlines from the Four Holy Beasts. The former West Holy Yuan Qianqiu indeed reached the Pseudo-God level, but did this come without any cost?

“Your Majesty, they have arrived.”

Mu Ze’s timely remark interrupted the Priestess and the Eastern Holy Monarch’s silent exchange of gazes. Shangguan Qiuming nodded, and the one guiding them closed the door, naturally stepping behind him.

To Vilyric’s surprise, the Holy Monarch didn’t present himself with the air of a national sovereign or require them to bow or kneel, simply raising his hand expressionlessly as an invitation.

“Please take a seat.”

He was surprisingly more approachable than expected; I thought he would be in a bad mood after that enormous shout…

The Priestess didn’t hold back, sitting down directly on the soft cushion opposite him at the low table, while Miss Xiao Kong stood behind Vilyric, just like Mu Ze.

Upon witnessing this, Shangguan Qiuming subtly raised an eyebrow without saying anything further, directly moving onto the topic.

“Miss Vilyric, and Miss Xiao Kong… am I correct?”

Oh dear, he didn’t call her “Miss Vilyric”? This person can be dealt with!

“Should I feel honored that the Holy Monarch remembers my name ~?”

“Hehe…”

The Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch simply smiled lightly, his demeanor nearly a world apart from the authoritative figure outside.

“You are too modest, Miss Vilyric. Baihong and Yinmao, you are both the top contenders in the current finals; there are hardly any in Xingyuan City who haven’t heard of your names. How could I be an exception?”

Nodding slightly in acknowledgment, the black-haired girl did not respond to the compliment, merely waiting in silence for him to continue.

Indeed, Shangguan Qiuming soon proceeded.

“I have received reports regarding the events in the west of the city. The other party is indeed extremely arrogant and has been plotting for a long time. If possible, I hope to establish a cooperative relationship with both of you to tackle this threat together.”

“But before that, there is still something I want to confirm.”

“Mm-hmm ~?”

Ignoring the black-haired girl’s somewhat casual raised eyebrow, the ruler of the Eastern Yuan Kingdom, who has reigned for two hundred years, revealed a meaningful expression.

“Miss Vilyric, how do you view this country and the Ancient Spirit Realm?”

“Or to put it more clearly, are you our friend?”

   

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