“What?! He is back!?” Madam Ya exclaimed. Finally, the man she had been missing had come back. She was thrilled.
“I have been told that Hero Li Bai is about to come into the city. I have already ordered the Guard to welcome him,” the eunuch said.
“Great! I want to meet with him as soon as possible!”
“Yes, Madam Ya!” the eunuch said. He then left to make preparations for welcoming Hero Li Bai.
Madam Ya hurriedly walked away and stopped in front of a mirror. She checked to see if her make-up was still fine. She then put on a different outfit. She was full of hope, but she was also quite nervous.
Although it had only been a year, she was still worried that she might look older or not be as beautiful as she was before. Still, she could not wait to see him again so that they could once again create poems in the pavilion of the garden under the shining moon.
…
Meanwhile, the maid who told Madam Ya about the few young men from overseas hurried away from the palace. The young, pale-skinned men were at the top floor of a building, enjoying the view. The maid walked inside and met them on the top floor.
“I have told Madam Ya that you want to see her, but she still has not agreed! Also… Hero Li Bai has returned.
The young men were not surprised at all. In fact, they just laughed.
“This Madam Ya is the kind of woman that I like best!” a man in a red sweater joked. “I am sure I will enjoy myself later.”
“I knew our Second Master would like her!”
“That woman thinks she is safe as long as she is under the protection of the so-called Exploding Heavens Faction. I think she is just being naive. The Exploding Heavens Faction is just a bunch of bullsh*t as far as I’m concerned.”
“The Fourth Master and his accomplice have already sneaked into the Guard. He is going to meet that Hero Li Bai.”
“Great! Tell the Fourth Master to bring him here. I want to teach him a lesson and make him watch us play with Madam Ya.”
“We have been so lucky. That hurricane that hit us led us straight to this city where everyone is just so feeble and weak.”
“I had always thought that the Five Elements Mountain was supposed to be magnificent. I never thought it would be like this. I can’t even feel the Spiritual Qi here. When we return, we can bring our people back here and turn this place into our private garden.”
“We can make the men here our slaves. As for the women, well, I think we will enjoy ourselves here very much.”
The young men began to laugh.
The maid had always known that these young men were not kind people, but she never thought that they were so ambitious and daring as to talk about conquering the Five Nations in broad daylight. She discreetly backed away, trying to make a break for it.
Suddenly, a huge shadow flashed in front of her. An enormous snake-like thing was standing in front of her. Her eyes were wide with astonishment.
What on earth is this?!
She screamed. All at once, she was shrouded in the creature’s body, preventing her from escaping the top floor. The group of young men began to laugh.
“Hahaha, young lady, where are you trying to go? Stay here and make us feel comfortable.”
Their laughter echoed throughout the room…
…
Meanwhile, outside the Imperial City…
Xu Que and his peers were now inside the city. Xu Que was still disguised as Sun Wu Kong, but his Thunder Illusion Body now had the appearance of Hu Ge.
The Guard was familiar with Hu Ge’s face. They also knew that if Hu Ge was here, Li Bai must also be present.
As soon as the members of the Guard saw Hu Ge, they all backed off and made way for him. After all, since the Exploding Heavens Faction had taken control of the city, the Guard’s job was to simply take care of the city for them. That was why they were all so submissive.
“Out of my way!” Hu Ge yelled.
A guard hurried over, got off his horse and knelt on his knee.
“Hero Li Bai, welcome back!”
Xu Que smiled. The Thunder Illusion Body walked forward.
“You brought the carriages? Then take us to the palace right now.”
“Yes!”
The kneeling guard did not dare to hesitate. Although no one had any idea why Hero Li Bai brought the Mysterious Clan to the Imperial City, they could do nothing but to do as they had been told.
The members of the Mysterious Clan felt a bit awkward with everyone staring at them. Su Ling’er, however, was very calm and looked very charming with her snow-white furry tail moving up and down.
As soon as the Mysterious Clan filed into the ten prepared carriages, they started towards the palace. Xu Que, Buttface, Su Ling’er, and Su Xiao Qi were all riding in the first carriage.
This was the first time that Su Xiao Qi had ever seen a city inhabited by humans. She had never been to a place with so many ancient and magnificent buildings. Astonished by the scenery, she was looking out the carriage window with the curiosity of a little child.
“What’s that smell?” Buttface suddenly asked.
“What smell?” Xu Que said, turning around to look at him. “You farted, didn’t you?!”
“Nonsense! I never fart! I smell men from the Sea Tribe!”
“Sea Tribe? You even know the smell of the Sea Tribe?” Xu Que asked in surprise.
He had heard about the Sea Tribe before. The Sea Tribe was a bunch of Demonic Beasts that lived out at sea, just like the Dragon Tribe did. Xu Que had always lived among the Five Nations. He had never gotten the chance to sail the seas and meet these foreign tribes.
So why have they come here, for heaven’s sake!?
“I was once attacked by the Sea Tribe. That’s why I came to the Five Nations. Of course I am familiar with the smell,” Buttface said angrily.
“Oh right! Now I remember you telling me about you being the offspring of the Demonic Dragon and getting attacked by the Sea Tribe. Why did they attack you anyway?”
“Because they want to get my bloodline. They want to drink the dragon’s blood.”
Xu Que knew that Buttface was lying, so he did not respond.
“As far as I am concerned,” Su Ling’er began, “there are seas in the Five Nations, but I am sure that there aren’t any Sea Tribes in those seas. Are you sure you can smell this “Sea Tribe?””
“You call the water regions in the Five Nations seas? They look more like lakes to me. Of course there aren’t any Sea Tribes inside the Five Nations,” Buttface said arrogantly. “I think they must come from overseas. On the other side of the East Continent, there is a huge sea. That is where they come from, I think.”
“Tell me where these guys are!” Xu Que said.
Buttface moved his nose and pointed afar with his claw.
“Right there!”