Chapter 533 - 532: Prince’s Messenger
Half a year ago, Gu Sewei had written a letter to the Human Empire requesting aid.
After waiting for five months, Gu Sewei finally received a reply.
A certain Prince of the Human Empire was willing to help Fred City, located in the remote Extreme North Icefield, overcome its current disaster.
The condition was that Gu Sewei had to do something for him in return.
As for what that was, the Prince’s Messenger would tell her in person upon arriving in Fred City.
Gu Sewei had been waiting for the Prince’s Messenger to arrive ever since.
Tonight, she was finally informed by the guards that people claiming to be the Prince’s Messengers were outside the city gates.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Gu Sewei flew directly to the city gate.
Her Spiritual Perception swept over the area outside, discovering a dozen or so people standing beyond the gates.
There weren’t many of them, but they were all powerful experts.
The weakest among them was a Tier Five Professional.
’So this is the power of the Human Empire’s Prince’s Messenger Corps. They’re so strong.’
Gu Sewei ordered, "Quick, open the city gate."
The Prince’s Messenger Corps had already been standing outside in the wind and snow for some time.
Gu Sewei dared not slight them and quickly had the guards open the gate.
Normally, the city gate was never opened at night, especially not after the Demonized Creatures began to plague the Extreme North Icefield.
CREAK!
The city gate opened, and Gu Sewei led her Valkyries out to welcome the Prince’s Messenger.
"I’ve kept you all waiting. Please, come in," Gu Sewei said.
"Hello. I am Locks. I have come to Fred City under the command of the Prince of Jade."
The tall man at the front of the group said with a smile.
He was dressed in thin, noble attire, yet his body showed no signs of stiffness or cold, as if he couldn’t feel the freezing temperatures of twenty or thirty degrees below zero in this land of ice and snow.
Hearing this, Gu Sewei quickly introduced herself. "Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency Locks. I am the current City Lord of Fred City, Gu Sewei."
"City Lord Gu." Locks performed a salute.
Gu Sewei returned the gesture. She took a few extra glances at Locks, feeling that there was something strange about him.
However, her hurried scan earlier had confirmed that Locks was indeed the most powerful person in the Prince’s Messenger Corps.
Besides Locks, two other people in the Prince’s Messenger Corps caught Gu Sewei’s attention.
One was a person completely shrouded in a black cloak.
Gu Sewei could barely see their face, let alone discern their gender.
The other was a man in the official uniform of the Human Empire. He looked more like a Prince’s Messenger.
The rest of the group were all fully armed Professionals clad in Armor.
Their faces were obscured, but the grim, murderous aura they exuded was clearly not that of an ordinary Professional.
They were likely elite soldiers from the Empire’s army.
Not daring to be negligent, Gu Sewei quickly invited everyone to the Ice Jade Palace for a reception to welcome the Prince’s Messenger Corps.
The moment she learned of the Prince’s Messenger’s arrival, she had already arranged for their reception.
Gu Sewei had been preparing for this day for a long time.
By the time the Prince’s Messenger Corps arrived at the Ice Jade Palace, the grand dining hall, reserved for honored guests, was already filled with the aroma of food.
Even for the Empire’s most elite soldiers, who had just endured nearly a month of traveling and sleeping in the harsh, open wilderness, the sight of hot food before them couldn’t help but evoke a momentary daze and longing.
However, they quickly snapped back to their senses.
After receiving Locks’s command, they took their seats one after another.
They sat bolt upright. No matter how desperately they craved a bite of the hot, delicious food, they would not move a muscle without an order.
Locks and Gu Sewei conversed animatedly.
He didn’t mention the Prince’s conditions to Gu Sewei. Instead, he kept asking about Fred City and the demon disaster.
It was as if he had forgotten the purpose of his visit.
Although Gu Sewei was very concerned about it, she didn’t bring it up herself.
Over a dozen people sat in the vast dining hall, yet the only voices to be heard were those of Gu Sewei and Locks.
Everyone else was deathly still and silent.
Only when the food on the table was about to turn cold did Locks finally say, "We’ve been traveling for so long, and I’m starving. City Lord Gu, whatever it is you want to discuss, let’s talk after we’ve eaten."
Gu Sewei was speechless. ’Weren’t you the one who’s been talking this whole time?’
She quickly nodded. "Mm."
"Eat," Locks commanded.
Only after he had taken the first bite did the others begin to eat.
Gu Sewei watched the elite soldiers lift the mouth-guards of their masks to eat, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
’These people feel strange.’
’Even soldiers who strictly follow orders shouldn’t feel like machines.’
After finishing their meal, Li Wei and Saint Xi were taking a walk in the Ice Jade Palace.
He saw that the lights were on in the guest reception hall not far away, with maids continuously bringing in hot food.
Li Wei felt a little curious.
’Who could be worthy of such treatment from Gu Sewei?’
After a single glance, Li Wei turned and left.
He was curious, but he had no intention of getting involved.
He had never interfered with Gu Sewei’s administration of Fred City.
Li Wei himself was not fond of socializing or court politics.
"Let’s go. We’ll check out that way."
Li Wei and Saint Xi walked toward the rear courtyard of the Ice Jade Palace.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Locks finally brought up the purpose of his visit with Gu Sewei.
Locks said, "The Jade Prince hopes that City Lord Gu can help him find something."
Gu Sewei’s heart jolted. ’It’s finally time.’
"Please, tell me. If I can help, I certainly will," Gu Sewei said.
Locks said, "As long as City Lord Gu can help His Highness the Prince solve this problem, the issues Fred City is currently facing will be a trivial matter."
He took out an object and said, "When the thing we are looking for is nearby, this will tell us."
Gu Sewei looked at the green, Gemstone-like object in his hand.
She asked, a little puzzled, "What is this? Why is it flashing?"
Hearing this, Locks instinctively glanced down at the Jade Dragon Scale in his hand.
His pupils suddenly contracted, and a look of joy spread across his face. "It’s nearby!"
Gu Sewei was stunned. "What do you mean?"
She quickly realized and asked in surprise, "Are you talking about the thing you’re looking for?"
Locks gripped the Jade Dragon Scale tightly and said, "That’s right. The dragon is nearby."
"Quick! Everyone move out now! We must find it. We absolutely cannot let it get away."
Everyone present immediately stood up and rushed out of the reception hall to search for the dragon’s trail.
Gu Sewei, however, remained frozen in place. "A dragon?"
Locks stared at the Jade Dragon Scale in his hand with a fanatical look in his eyes. "That’s right! What we are looking for is a dragon!"
"A real Giant Dragon! The only dragon in the world!"
Gu Sewei immediately thought of Saint Xi, who was always by Li Wei’s side.
Saint Xi was a Giant Dragon.
’Could it be... that Locks is looking for Saint Xi?’
Gu Sewei’s expression changed slightly as a bad feeling welled up inside her.
Clutching the Jade Dragon Scale that could sense Saint Xi’s location, Locks walked outside.
The closer he got to Saint Xi, the more intensely the Jade Dragon Scale glowed.
Saint Xi and Li Wei were walking along a path in the rear courtyard of the Ice Jade Palace.
Suddenly, she felt a stabbing pain welling up from the bottom of her heart.
The feeling was so intense it took her breath away.
An indescribable sorrow surged from her heart.
"Why are you crying?"