A king's joy
She knew an Instinct Realm could probably see through any lie she made, so she purposefully misworded her statements. While it was true that the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf culminated in the death of eight thousand soldiers from two people from the Featherwind Sect, it did not paint the full picture. The battle mainly took place over the open waters, which meant their numbers were more of a hindrance than a benefit. They could not effectively engage the enemy. And by sinking one of their ships, the Featherwind Sect could eliminate several hundred people at once! Therefore, it was more accurate to say that their enemies attacked their fleet of ships, rather than the soldiers directly. Impressive, but not as impressive as 'defeating eight thousand soldiers head-on' as she implied.
Her third tactic was the principle of reward. Dangle a carrot and they might grow suspicious and reject it. They might also demand more, thinking that they deserved better. However, threaten to take it away, and their attitude would change, thinking that they lost a golden opportunity. They would grow to appreciate and accept their position. This was Elizabeth's secondary goal. Although the Alzar Kingdom genuinely needed the Sword King's help, she could never say that. The Sword King would grow arrogant, demand more, and exceed her control. He would no longer act as she wished! An uncontrollable and unpredictable Rank 3 King in their ranks was far more dangerous than any Featherwind Sect could be! It could be a catastrophe! She needed to properly control him and only then could he become a powerful deterrent against the empire. She sighed, not particularly proud of her scheming. It was underhanded, but necessary. She had a duty to protect everyone here!
Unfortunately, Elizabeth severely underestimated an Instinct Realm's sensitivity because he could instinctively sense her emotions and thoughts! It was not to the point of truly reading her mind, but he felt her hesitation, conflict, and fear. It was enough to guess what she had in mind. The man snorted. How dare she plot against him? How dare she look down on him? He hated schemers the most! Half-tempted to decline based on that alone, he inspected the heavenly principles again. After he met her, an invisible connection appeared between himself and Elizabeth. It was like another star illuminated in the dark sky. He was disappointed since this was still not the good fortune he previously sensed. Where was his opportunity supposed to be then? The Sword King weighed his options when he suddenly frowned. Something was wrong!
"Could I hear your response, Sword King Sin?" Elizabeth asked.
"Shush," he grunted.
He closed his eyes, fully extended his perception, and searched his surroundings. Everything was revealed before his gaze! However, this only deepened his frown further. Sir Winstin, Lady Mingyu, and Cardinal Hui might be nearby, but they did not prompt this feeling. There were also no more hidden enemies or dangers nearby. If so, then why did he feel this way? Unwilling to ignore this feeling, he strengthened his perception with his energy. It stretched into the immaterial again, as he showcased the power of the Instinct Realm! There! Martial Energy condensed around his feet, causing him to disappear and reappear somewhere else at high speeds. It was practically teleportation! Before Elizabeth could ask, his hand snapped forward and caught something. A soft frightened squeaking came from the dangling brown mouse. His frown deepened yet again because this mouse seemed normal in every way. There was no way this little creature could warrant any concern. There must be something else.
Soon, he noticed a tiny hint of Martial Energy lingering on the mouse, tiny enough to almost miss with his Instinct Realm senses! He was inwardly shocked. He never imagined that something could avoid his detection this closely! Not to mention… this Martial Energy thread utilized a highly refined technique he had never seen before. It was more delicate, meticulous, subtle, and profound than any of his Cloud Sea Style techniques. It far exceeded what his three disciples could accomplish. No… He might hazard to say it exceeded even his understanding of Martial Energy! This was why he was shocked. Very few people knew about Martial Energy, much less mastered it. As an Instinct Realm, he could confidently say he had the greatest mastery over Martial Energy of anyone alive now yet, whoever did this was likely superior to him!
Elizabeth stood up, outraged over the Sword King's rude behavior. She was about to demand him to stop when two swords were drawn on her neck. Hidek and Lanar had sensed the awkward atmosphere from their master and pre-emptively struck! A second later, Sir Winstin barged in with Royal Guards and Grand Knights, surrounding the two disciples and the Sword King. Negotiations instantly broke down! Hidek and Lanar continued to hold Elizabeth hostage, while awaiting their master's orders. Elizabeth gestured to the knights not to escalate unnecessarily. They had plans in case things turned for the worse, but she hoped they would not come to light. Meanwhile, the Sword King ignored the commotion, plucked that tiny thread of Martial Energy out, and inspected it closer. He could faintly tell it came from far away.
"Stay here," he told his disciples before jumping out the tall window.
Martial Energy glowed under his every step as he propelled himself across the rooftops. His silhouette was a mere blur to the bystanders below, while he executed step after step. It looked like he danced on moonlight! Cloud Sea Style: Moon Flash! He raced across the Yunyun Stronghold at breakneck speeds! At the same time, he noticed more Martial Energy throughout the city. How had he not noticed before? It was unthinkable! His curiosity burned. He wanted to find out who was responsible! The Sword King jumped off the city walls, landed in the farmlands, and continued towards the distant forest. Every thread of Martial Energy seemed to converge in this direction! He reflexively drew his sword and prepared his Cloud Sea Style. If they were hostile, he would defeat them!
Eventually, he stopped where the Martial Energy intersected and looked around. Endless white snow decorated the vast expanse in silent picturesque majesty, but nothing else besides that. Unleashing his True Perception yielded the same result. It was as empty as could be! He did notice a very slight warmth though, which hinted that someone was here not too long ago. They probably noticed he was coming and fled. This deepened his frown for the third time into an ugly grimace. Ever since he became an Instinct Realm, his perception transcended to a frightening level. He could effectively perceive entire cities at once. Combined with his mastery over Martial Energy, practically nothing could escape his sight anymore. So, to be defeated in this manner, without even catching a glimpse of the one responsible, it was a huge slap to the face! It was a first for him!
Uproarious laughter suddenly filled the empty forest. Like a child finding a new toy, it was filled with genuine joy and jubilation! Normally, that innocent ecstasy would fade with age. Things would become predictable, if not boring. The world would become gray and stale. Perhaps this was what people called adulthood? Rarely would someone experience that unparalleled satisfaction again. However, the Sword King was truly feeling that sensation now! Instead of fuming that someone surpassed him in Martial Energy or escaped from his grasp, he laughed and laughed like a man gone mad. He loved it! When he finally became an Instinct Realm, he thought that was the end of his growth. He thought he would never progress again. However, this encounter told him one thing… His journey was not over yet! He could still grow stronger! That was why he loved it! The Sword King could tell one thing: this was his good fortune!
Boom! He stepped off the ground with meteoric force and blasted the snow sky-high. It looked like a white volcanic eruption. In the air, he breathed the fresh air and smiled. This was what they called being alive! Whoever was responsible for this, he would thoroughly drag them out by the roots and uncover their secrets. That was his goal! Backflipping in the air carefreely, he was like a shooting star as he soared across the heavens towards the Yunyun Stronghold. After everything was said and done, only a few minutes passed. Covering that vast of a distance showed how fast he moved! With a gentle hop, he smoothly returned to Elizabeth's room where his disciples and the Royal Guards stood staring. They were half-wary and half-curious about what happened. They could clearly sense his newfound joy.
To everyone's surprise, he then declared, "Princess Elizabeth, I'll agree to your offer!"