Breakthrough!

Eastern Palace, Imperial Palace

The Empress, Crown Prince and the Third Prince were seated around a table in the crown prince's chamber. On the table were what looked like old worn out scrolls, pill bottles, and a small wooden box.

"What's all this, mother?" Xi Ziyun was the first to grumble, after the empress had dismissed all the servants waiting on them.

"These are cultivation scrolls and prowess enhancing pills from the Dawn Empire. My brother sent them to me. Why should Li Ruang's son be the one to reap all the benefits of the coming banquet?"

"But we can't cultivate, mother," the crown prince objected.

"Who says you can't? There are other methods of awakening cultivation talent," the empress pushed one of the scrolls to the third prince, who loosed the rope binding it.

"Essence Transfer Matrix," Xi Ziyun read aloud, "transfer of cultivation essence from one person to another,"

"What?!" The crown prince exclaimed, "that is possible?"

"Of course," the empress answered him. "We just have to find some cultivators who will transfer their essence to you, and Ziyun; and a matrix practitioner to help create and hold the matrix,"

"But which cultivator would agree to that? Cultivation essence is worth more than even a person's life blood!"

"Do they have to agree?" The empress countered coolly, "what matters is if you and Ziyun want to do it. Don't tell me that you don't know Li Ruang's ambition. Have you not heard that she plans to give the eighth princess to the Tian Empire's second prince, who is engaged in a battle for the throne against his brothers? It's very likely that the second prince of Tian will become their next Emperor. Do you know what that means got Li Ruang and her son? And even, put him aside. That son of a concubine, with his mother dead, still managed to survive and become successful, earning a place in court. Who knows what his support is? In all this ruckus concerning the Si Lak Mercenaries, he hasn't interfered much. He even gave up his chance to shine over to the fourth prince. But I know why he made this move. He doesn't want to be targeted by us,"

"Yes," the crown prince agreed, "and he has succeeded in that. All our attention has been on the fourth prince. If Huazing successfully gains the support of Sword Saint Tao He, won't my position be threatened, mother?"

"It will be threatened," the empress said ominously, "and that is why you and Ziyun must become cultivators. Leave the rest to me after that,"

"That's why mother is the best," Xi Ziyun smiled widely.

***

Li Zhenming put off informing his family about the emperor's bestowal until the last minute. Madam Li, at first, was ecstatic that her daughters would receive princess mandates, until she heard Sword Saint Tao He hiss.

"What kind of trashy empire is this?" Sword Saint Tao He did not care that he was also from Phoenix Empire, "what trashy mandate are they giving our Grand Chief? Do they really want to give us face? Then they should just hand over the imperial throne,"

"Grand Chief, are you going to go?" Shadow Claw Jun Ru turned towards the decision maker instead.

"Grand Chief, are you going to go?"

Li Sihan stroked Little Bun's fat cheeks. She opened her mouth unconcernedly and asked the baby.

"Little Bun, do you want to go?"

The baby cocked her head to one side.

"Bun-Bun yeet?" she cooed. Li Sihan glanced up at her father to answer the question.

"Uh--? Yes?" Li Zhenming felt a headache coming on.

"Bun-Bun go!" The baby cackled victoriously, and black lines appeared on everyone's forehead. Except Li Sihan, of course.

"Summon the cook here for me,"

"Ah--?" Li Zhenming was a little shocked. Did the yama want to bring along her own cook to the palace?

"Yes, call him here. What's up with the food he makes? Little Bun is never satisfied,"

Everyone: "...." So that was it.

"Erm, Grand Chief," Tao He scratched his beard, "based on my knowledge of babies, I don't think it's the cook at fault,"

Li Sihan looked up at Tao He, waiting for more information.

"The thing is, the young miss knows that she'll get food whenever she asks for it, so she always does,"

"Yeet! Yeet!" Little Bun was largely aware that the conversation was still centered on food, and she didn't see any of it coming in, so she clamoured, jumping up and down on Li Sihan's knees.

"So you mean to say," Li Sihan said slowly, "that she has become a glutton?"

Tao He, feeling what seemed like a sword at the back of his throat, smiled bitterly and nodded.

"Yes, Grand Chief,"

Li Sihan turned her eyes to the baby and examined her at length.

"She doesn't seem very fat to me," she said at last.

Everyone: "...."

"When she's twice this size, I'll stop indulging her," Li Sihan decided eventually, "so that banquet thing is tomorrow evening, right? Tao He, go into town and buy some dresses for Little Bun and I to wear,"

"Shouldn't I do that instead?" Madam Li asked nervously.

"Uhh-- you might not know our Grand Chief's tastes. Let my junior do it instead," Jun Ru smirked as Tao He shot a glare in his direction.

"What junior? I'm three times your age, spindly lad!"

"But you're still stuck at Martial Sage," Jun Ru goaded, "I don't even know why you're called Sword Saint-- what Sword Saint? You're no Saint,"

Martial Saint, was the highest cultivation prowess one could achieve on the continent. Lower ranks were Sovereign, Overlord, Sage (which was currently the peak for most cultivators), Lord, Grandmaster, Master, Skills and Practitioner.

"I'm a Saint when it comes to sword skills," Tao He argued grudgingly.

"Tsk," Jun Ru turned his head away and said nothing more. Such was the atmosphere in the Li family, as opposed to the Imperial Palace, over which, now at the eve of the banquet that would have prodigies from the Si Lak Mercenaries as guests, a feverish air hung due to overwork. Consort Ruang was running helter skelter alongside the eunuchs and palace maids, workers from the Foods Office as well as those from the Office of Imperial Entertainments, making sure everything about the banquet, from the table arrangements to the drapes, was in favour of her Huazing. The Empress allowed her without comment, and even mildly encouraged her gleefully. It was not without reason. She was the happiest woman in the world, and a thousand consorts and concubines couldn't disturb her bliss! Her Zimin and Ziyun had become mid-rank Martial Practitioners after draining the essence of about a dozen cultivators. Even though it had affected their aura and made it slightly sinister, as if they had drunk blood, what about it? Were the Si Lak Mercenaries some nice monks? Why was everyone so afraid of them? Was it not because of their highly sinister auras? Her sons would blend in just fine!

The fourth prince emerged from closed door cultivation towards midnight. Consort Ruang and his sister, Xi Huan, were waiting outside his cultivation room, and hurried to him at once.

"How is it? Were you successful?" Xi Huan, the eighth princess, asked her elder brother anxiously. The self satisfied smile on Xi Huazing's face answered her question.

"Great! Big brother, this is really good!" Xi Huan was estactic. The Consort Ruang also heaved a sigh of relief.

"You're a Martial Practitioner now. If all goes well with your Master tomorrow--"

"It will go well, mother!" Xi Huan hastily interrupted.

"Yes, yes! All will go well. That will mean that your status had gone up another notch. Once Ru Ziyan becomes the Emperor over at Tian, we will be able to make our move for you to become this empire's crown prince,"

"Mother," Xi Huazing sneered lightly, "haven't you realised that there are more important things than becoming crown prince? Haven't you seen the arrogance of top experts like the Si Lak Mercenaries ? Even the emperor is nothing in their eyes. Don't you wish for me to become someone like that, mother?"

Consort Ruang has taken aback.

"What do think becoming Sword Saint Tao He's disciple means? Don't you know already? Six years ago at the foot of Mt. Tian, did those seniors give our Phoenix Imperial Family any face? Was I not subjected to the same test as everyone else? Did Sword Saint Tao He even come down the mountain at all? Was the next thing we heard not that he had left Mt. Tian, and abandoned all his disciples to join the Si Lak Mercenaries? Mother, the prestige of a cultivator surpasses that of any royal family or noble family. Mother, let me tell you my ambition: I want to become someone like Master. Look what lengths we're going through in order to please him now. Are you looking down on me and thinking I can't achieve it?

"No, no! No, I'm not saying--" Consort Ruang was still drinking in this new idea. It was true, the prestige.... What riches would the mother of someone like Sword Saint Tao He enjoy.... And that would pave the way further for Huan...

"Alright, son. Mother will support you,"

"Big brother, you know I'm always on your side," Xi Huan also said, "if you need anything, I'll talk to Brother Ziyan for you,"

"Of course, Huan is the best," Xi Huazing smiled at his sister, "I've let you and mother worry so much. Let's all get some sleep now,"

"Sure, sure," Consort Ruang felt okay in her heart now. Her son was a Martial Practitioner. His Master would formally acknowledge him tomorrow. She would finally be able to surpass the empress, whose own sons could not cultivate! Li Ruang went to sleep extremely contented that night.