Chapter 84: People Emerging from the White Jade Palace

Manny City lies to the north against the Sunset Mountains, with the Kanlis Desert to the west and the Bering Sea to the south. It is ten times the size of Juhua City.

This city, capable of housing millions, rivals the size of some small nations. Its wealth far surpasses that of many small countries, and even some empires. And it is merely the location of a branch of the Continental Trade Association.

At one in the morning, Manny City was still brightly lit. From the air, the entire city looked like a dazzling jewel, with a massive white jade building in the center.

White jade is a precious material on the Continent of the Gods, known for its pure, translucent quality, hardness, and temperature-regulating properties. It is the most prestigious building material. Even the wealthiest individuals in the empire might only afford a bed or chair made from it, highlighting their riches, as a single piece of white jade furniture can cost around a billion gold coins! No one would dare to dream of using white jade as a primary building material, except for the Continental Trade Association!

All residences of the Continental Trade Association's presidents are made of white jade, known as the "White Jade Palace."

From the air, the White Jade Palace is cross-shaped. At the intersection of the cross stands a twenty-meter-high pyramid-shaped tower, with a flag at the top— a white field with a red cross, the emblem of the Continental Trade Association.

"Sir, Manny City is no longer part of any nation. Here, national identity and status are not valued, only money and power matter. Also, Manny City is full of hidden talents; we need to act cautiously." Fan Di Se, worried that Li Xie might act presumptuously, briefly explained the situation in Manny City.

Li Xie nodded, understanding Fan Di Se's point. In Manny City, his title as duke and lord of three cities didn't grant him the ability to command the winds and rain. His tenth-tier Sword Saint and ninth-tier dragon companion couldn't behave arrogantly here. In the middle of the night, it would be unwise to think of waking the branch president.

"Let's go down and find a place to stay for the night. We'll visit the branch president in the morning."

The next day, Li Xie didn't rush to visit the branch president at dawn. Instead, he strolled around the vicinity of the White Jade Palace in Manny City, only heading towards the palace near noon.

This was to avoid the embarrassment of being turned away if Sandor Kochis was still sleeping. After all, while Li Xie might be a lord of three cities and a grand duke in the empire, Manny City was ten times the size of Juhua City! In terms of territory alone, Li Xie's grand duke title needed a "small" prefix here.

Entering the "Van Gogh Manor," with the White Jade Palace at its center, was different from what he had imagined. There were no guards visible at the residence of the branch president of the Continental Trade Association!

Apart from the pavilions and buildings within the manor that exuded a subtle Chinese elegance, it wasn't until reaching the front of the White Jade Palace that Li Xie saw two guards standing outside the arched gate. Along the way, he encountered only a few servants tending to the gardens.

At the main entrance, Li Xie happened to run into a group of twelve people entering through another gate. Leading them was a man with a peculiar look, sporting a handlebar mustache. Li Xie instantly recognized him.

"Dogged Prince! Long time no see!" Li Xie laughed heartily, delighted to see an old acquaintance. The prospect of potentially extorting some gold coins made the reunion even sweeter.

Prince Gerhardt, upon hearing Li Xie's shout and seeing him in person, immediately tensed up. By the love of the gods! How could he run into this guy here? He couldn't help but wonder if that thing...

Gerhardt's eyes darted around, scrutinizing Li Xie from head to toe. Not seeing the blue beast of misfortune, he relaxed a bit. Yet, the man before him still made his heart pound with anxiety.

This was the man who had humiliated him, stripped him of his gold, and returned from his mission empty-handed.

Seeing an enemy face-to-face can be especially vexing, particularly in a place outside the domain of the Tudor Kingdom. Under normal circumstances, Gerhardt would have immediately ordered his followers to thrash Li Xie. However, recognizing Zennard standing beside Li Xie, a tenth-tier Sword Saint, he knew his own followers, most of whom were only sixth or seventh-tier, with the strongest being an eighth-tier, were no match.

So, he had to swallow his pride.

"Hmph!" Prince Gerhardt forced a smile, "Indeed, long time no see, Duke Xie!"

"Heh..." Li Xie walked over and joined him towards the gate. "I recently moved to Juhua City, which is even further from your Great Sun Kingdom. I often think of you, Dogged Prince. When will you come to visit Juhua City? I'll cover all the expenses."

"Thank you for the kind offer, Duke Xie, but this prince is very busy and has no time for leisure. How about you visit our Great Sun Kingdom instead? I promise a warm welcome with endless hospitality and gold."

"Well, I am quite busy too, but the mention of wine and gold perks me up. How about this: I'll take the wine and gold first, and we can discuss the visit later. Hand them over."

What!

Could he be any more shameless?

Prince Gerhardt realized he was at a loss for words against this man with the insidious smile. Since he couldn't find a retort, he decided to ignore him, quickly ascending the steps to enter the White Jade Palace, only to be stopped by the guards.

"Stop!"

Prince Gerhardt did not dare to assert his noble status here. With a forced smile, he took out two transparent crystal cards from his space ring and said, "I am here to discuss business with President Kochis. I would appreciate it if you could introduce me. These are my..."

Before he could finish, one of the guards slapped the crystal cards out of his hand, looking down at Prince Gerhardt with disdain. "Get lost!"

"You!" Prince Gerhardt was furious but didn't dare to say more. He stood aside, feeling awkward and unable to decide whether to leave or stay.

Li Xie raised an eyebrow and, with a tone of cold sarcasm, said, "It seems the Continental Chamber of Commerce's president is too amiable, to the point where even his dogs dare to bully the guests, making decisions on behalf of their master and turning guests away."

Li Xie's words were not to defend Prince Gerhardt but because he was genuinely displeased with the two guards. If they could treat Prince Gerhardt this way, they could certainly treat Duke Li Xie the same. He saw them as lackeys abusing their power and felt no need to be polite. Since he had to see President Kochis and couldn't meet him without entering the White Jade Palace, he might as well cause a commotion to draw Kochis out.

However, the two guards merely gave Li Xie a cold glance before straightening up again to continue their duty as gatekeepers.

Li Xie was somewhat surprised. These guards, who dared to insult Prince Gerhardt, should be bullies abusing their power. A few taunts should provoke them into a reaction. Why were they now so diligent and committed to their posts?

Just as Li Xie was about to make another sarcastic remark, Van der Sel pulled him aside and whispered, "Sir, these two are tenth-tier Sword Saints!"

This statement caused Li Xie's retort to die in his throat. Astonished, he asked, "Really?"

Zennard also nodded, "No doubt about it!"

Li Xie couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.

These two masters were dressed merely as guards, essentially gatekeepers!

If even the gatekeepers were tenth-tier experts, and there were two of them, it suggested that the Continental Chamber of Commerce must have many more tenth-tier experts. This, in turn, implied that their attendants might even be saint-level masters.

"The Continental Chamber of Commerce's branch president, having tenth-tier Sword Saints as gatekeepers, indeed surpasses the empire! No, the empire is not even in the same league!" Li Xie couldn't help but sigh.

Van der Sel shook his head slightly, "Sir, while the Continental Chamber of Commerce's overall strength is higher than the empire's, they certainly don't have the power to make tenth-tier experts mere gatekeepers, much less have them watch the door."

Li Xie was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Van der Sel replied in a grave tone, "I suspect that the true master of these two is currently inside the White Jade Palace."

Van der Sel's words were not deliberately whispered, so everyone nearby could hear clearly. Both Prince Gerhardt and Li Xie were equally shocked, while the two guards' expressions grew even more proud.

At this moment, three figures emerged from the White Jade Palace, walking in an orderly manner.

The foremost person wore a purple brocade robe and strode forward with hands behind his back. His face was indistinct, making it difficult for Li Xie to clearly discern his features. However, his aura alone, as he approached, made Li Xie feel the urge to step back.

In fact, except for Li Xie, everyone, including Van der Sel and Zennard, took two steps back involuntarily.

Casually exuding an aura that could repel even tenth-tier experts, who was this person?

To his right, slightly behind him, walked a middle-aged man with a slightly stooped posture, a kind smile on his face. Dressed in a gray robe, he exuded an ancient Chinese scholar vibe. Despite his slight plumpness, he seemed approachable and emanated a distinct scholarly aura.

Bringing up the rear was a figure clad in black, expressionless but with eyes filled with visible respect. Observing him deliberately adjusting his pace to maintain a distance from the person in the middle, it was evident he was a well-trained servant.

The positions of the three were clear at a glance. The one in front reached the doorway and stopped, his gaze landing on Li Xie, the only one who hadn't stepped back.

To Li Xie, his face seemed like frosted glass, yet Li Xie could keenly feel his gaze piercing into his mind like two needles, causing a momentary headache. It quickly dissipated, leaving only a lingering sense of annoyance.

He knew it was this indistinct figure who was causing trouble.

"How should I address you?" The man surprisingly addressed Li Xie first, his tone tinged with some astonishment.

The discomfort caused by his gaze irritated Li Xie, and his tone was less polite than usual. "When asking others, one should introduce oneself first. This seems to be basic courtesy!"

This remark greatly angered one of the guards standing by the door, who immediately barked, "You're asking for trouble!"

He seemed poised to attack, but the indistinct figure made a noise of acknowledgment, startling the guard into stepping back. Then, in a calm tone, the figure said, "I am Olyante Nepchun, the Lord of the White Fang Sea."