Chapter 338: Establishing Kingship

Two days later, in Xiao Nanfeng's study in Yongding, Yu'er flipped through the documents on Xiao Nanfeng's table as she laughed. "They all want you to declare your kingship—officials and leaders all over the Eastern Sea, all of them. If you delay any longer, they might swarm you en masse."

Xiao Nanfeng sighed at the thick stack of documents. "Xiang Shaoyin really did succeed at his objective, I suppose. I won't be able to hide things much longer."

"Why not declare your kingship, then? After all, you've already started taking on the Tianshu Empire." Yu'er's eyes crinkled in a smile.

"That wouldn't be difficult. I'm just lacking a queen. Would you be willing to fill that role, even if reluctantly?" Xiao Nanfeng proposed, smiling.

Yu'er flushed red. "Dream on!"

"It's settled, then! Once your mother's back, I'll bring the matter up," Xiao Nanfeng said immediately.

"No, you can't! Don't tell my mother." Yu'er began to panic.

"Why not?"

Yu'er fretted. "You don't understand what my situation's like at home. At any rate, don't tell her. If you do, I'll return home immediately.

"Why?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in surprise.

"You just can't!" Yu'er didn't want to explain things further at all.

"But it would feel rather imbalanced if I were to declare myself king without an accompanying queen," Xiao Nanfeng argued.

Yu'er rolled her eyes. She knew that Xiao Nanfeng was simultaneously joking and trying to probe how she felt, but she still resolutely shook her head.

Xiao Nanfeng teased, "It looks like I'll have to find an opportunity to talk to your mother, then. I won't be able to marry you otherwise!"

"You won't succeed," Yu'er replied, laughing.

"Who knows? Let's wait and see."

As the two Taiqing disciples joked with each other, a woman's voice could be heard outside the Xiao manor. "Yu'er, are you here?"

Xiao Nanfeng and Yu'er both gaped.

"What? My mother's here?" Yu'er panicked.

"This really is a surprise. I was about to find her, but she found me instead..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"Nanfeng, you can't tell her anything. Do you understand? Otherwise, she'd force me to return home immediately and stay far away from you. Don't speak nonsense, you hear?" Yu'er asked anxiously, clutching Xiao Nanfeng's sleeves.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at her in surprise. Yu'er didn't seem like she was joking. Was her living situation that complicated?

"I understand. Let's speak with your mother for now."

He walked out of the study to welcome Yu'er's mother in.

Yu'er's mother's voice seemed only to have been transmitted into the Xiao manor. Outside, they couldn't hear the voice at all.

"King Xiao, there's a woman outside the manor bearing a coffin. We approached her to inquire as to her purpose, but she ignored us. All she did was shout out Immortal Yu'er's name. Realizing that she might be a distinguished figure, we didn't dare to obstruct her and instead reported this matter immediately," one guard began.

"My mother's at the gates?" Yu'er exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng immediately headed toward the gates in front of the manor, Yu'er following swiftly behind.

They quickly saw Han Bingdie standing calmly by the gates to the manor. Indeed, beside her was a coffin. Xiao Nanfeng instantly felt that something was terribly wrong.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" Yu'er exclaimed, stepping forward in surprise.

"Xiao Nanfeng greets Senior Aunt Han." Xiao Nanfeng stepped forward and bowed.

Han Bingdie ignored Yu'er for the moment. She took a deep breath as she turned toward Xiao Nanfeng. "Let's talk once you've brought the coffin into the manor."

"Mother? What are you doing with a coffin?" Yu'er exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng's sense of foreboding grew stronger as he noticed the seals on the coffin that blocked any spiritual detection.

"Of course." Xiao Nanfeng picked up the coffin.

The guards stepped forward, intending to help, but Xiao Nanfeng waved them off.

The group of cultivators walked swiftly into the Xiao manor, where Xiao Nanfeng carefully set down the coffin. Han Bingdie's face was cool and calm, though killing intent seemed to lie deep within her eyes.

"Mother, is this coffin occupied?" Yu'er asked.

"Senior Aunt, who lies within this coffin?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, worried. He was almost certain he didn't want to know the answer.

"Open it and have a look," Han Bingdie commanded.

Xiao Nanfeng and Yu'er pushed open the coffin to see a familiar figure lying within.

Xiao Nanfeng cried out, "Master?"

"Master? How could it be? Nanfeng said that Master was going to return shortly. How could he have died?!" Yu'er fretted.

"Don't touch him! Ku Jiang isn't fully dead yet," Han Bingdie immediately stated.

Xiao Nanfeng's hand, which had been reaching out for his master, stopped short.

"Senior Aunt, what happened to my master? I saw him two days ago within the red moon illusory realm. How could he have ended up in such straits?" Xiao Nanfeng asked urgently.

"A few days ago, he entered a meditative state and stepped into the red moon illusory realm. This morning, when I sensed that his lifeforce was rapidly draining, I understood that something had gone badly wrong. I immediately revived him, and he arduously opened his eyes. With his remaining spiritual power, he condensed a red crystal and told me to hand it to you. Then, he entered this vegetative state."

"Could something have happened during the altercation between Master and Nalan Qiankun?" Xiao Nanfeng blanched.

"His spiritual power has been completely drained. He must have suffered an intense battle. Tell me about what happened."

Xiao Nanfeng immediately recounted what had happened within the red moon illusory realm.

"Nalan Qiankun? Has he grown that strong?" Han Bingdie frowned.

"Senior Aunt, you said that my master isn't fully dead. Could you explain what you meant? Can he be saved?" Xiao Nanfeng pressed.

Han Bingdie shook her head. "Your master has fallen. His body is comatose; I sealed his physical body with this coffin, and I can guarantee that it won't decompose for a century, but his soul will never return."

"What do you mean?"

"All spiritual avatars that die in the red moon illusory realm will transform into red-furred lifeforms in that realm. Your master's soul has likely done the same."

"What?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"Ku Jiang's yin body is exceptionally strong. Given what you said, he must have fought Nalan Qiankun for over a day. The fact that even Ku Jiang perished means that, even if Nalan Qiankun is still alive, he must be heavily wounded. The two of them likely hurt each other grievously."

"What should we do now? Senior Aunt, is there any means by which I could save my master?" Xiao Nanfeng fretted.

Han Bingdie shook her head. "A comatose man might as well be dead."

"No, that's not right! As long as I can find the red-furred lifeform that he transformed into, I'll surely be able to rescue him!"

"It's been ten thousand years, and plenty of cultivators from the Taiqing Immortal Sect have transformed into such lifeforms. However, none among them have successfully been rescued," Han Bingdie asserted.

"Others might not have succeeded, but I will!" Xiao Nanfeng declared.

"Try it if you will. I leave Ku Jiang's coffin in your care. It can protect his physical body for a century, but his soul will never return." Han Bingdie's face might as well have been frost.

"Nalan Qiankun deserves to die," Xiao Nanfeng spat out.

"Ku Jiang tasked me with passing you this right before his death. What lies within appears to be a mysterious will, but a particularly fragile one. It might shatter at a touch. Your cultivation is insufficient to explore it, and I advise you not to attempt to do so forcibly." Han Bingdie passed him a red crystal.

Only then did Xiao Nanfeng discover how complex it was. Given his strength, he would have no choice but to break it open to investigate its contents. If he were to do so, however, the mysterious will within might be destroyed. He carefully kept the red crystal.

"Why would Nalan Qiankun want to fight Ku Jiang? There had to be a reason they had such a serious fight," Han Bingdie asked.

Just then, a figure flew into Yongding, straight for the Xiao manor.

The guards of Yongding were getting ready to intercept him when they realized who it was. Even the Xiao guards didn't stop the figure. Xiao Nanfeng had instructed them not to do so long prior. One of them immediately stepped forward and gave the figure directions toward Xiao Nanfeng's current hall.

"Nanfeng, something's wrong!" the figure shouted at the door.

"Senior Brother!" Xiao Nanfeng said perfunctorily, his mood in a mess.

Zhao Yuanjiao had rushed over from afar.

"Senior Aunt Han, you're here too?" Zhao Yuanjiao gaped at Han Bingdie, still seated in the living room.

He also noticed that everyone had serious expressions on their faces, and they were barely hiding their killing intent. Sensing that something was amiss, he rushed into the room and saw Ku Jiang in his coffin.

"What has happened to Master?!" Zhao Yuanjiao thundered.

"Don't touch his body. Nalan Qiankun was responsible," Yu'er gritted out. She recounted what had happened.

"What? Nalan Qiankun? No wonder he did what he did. He killed my master in order to leave Xiao Nanfeng in dire straits—how dare he!"

"Zhao Yuanjiao, you know why Nalan Qiankun decided to fight Ku Jiang to the death?" Han Bingdie asked.

"It's because the sect master has returned. Nalan Qiankun knows that Master will protect Nanfeng to the best of his ability, so he schemed against Master and caused Nanfeng to lose his most vocal support. Only then would he be able to indict Nanfeng for his 'crimes'."

"The sect master has returned?" Yu'er exclaimed.

"He just did. He paid his respects to the possessions left behind by the Taiqing forefather in the Vault of Scriptures. I explained everything to the sect master, but he said that he had to verify things with Nalan Qiankun as well.

"Isn't he worried that the sect master would hold him responsible for Master's death?" Yu'er fumed.

"Where's the proof?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"What?" The cultivators turned toward Xiao Nanfeng curiously.

"Where's the proof that Nalan Qiankun hurt Master? Based solely on my testimony? If Nalan Qiankun doesn't admit that he hurt Master, and even slanders us, what would we do?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Would he? Is he that malicious?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked furiously.

"Nanfeng, Nalan Qiankun's a schemer. For him to have made such a ruthless move—he has to have been prepared for the repercussions. What if he tricks the sect master and then attempts to deal with you while he has the advantage? Without Master's help, the sect master may not believe our explanations," Yu'er proclaimed.

"Then I'll draft a letter to the world and to the sect master. I'll also need to establish my kingdom immediately, declare it borders, and crown myself king," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Wouldn't that give Nalan Qiankun an opportunity to attack you? Wouldn't it arouse the sect master's suspicions?" Han Bingdie asked doubtfully.

"I can't count on the sect master's attitude. Nalan Qiankun has already made his move against me. I have to immediately found my kingdom and declare myself the righteous in order to fend off Nalan Qiankun's assault," Xiao Nanfeng explained.