Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 697: Dividing Forces

Today, Mei Gongzi was still dressed in a silver gown. A flying carriage had already been prepared outside—just a notch below the level of an Emperor's carriage, and pulled by six Pegasi rather than eight. The aura this carriage exuded was unmistakable, a clear signal to every single creature on the Daemon Continent to steer clear.

Accompanying her to the Ancestral Court for her report were only twenty personal guards from the Lion-Tiger clan, along with her head guard, Tang San. No members of the Peacock Demon clan were brought along.

Originally, the queen dowager had suggested she bring the Great Demon Kings from the clan, but Mei Gongzi had told her that these individuals were the foundation of the Peacock Demon clan, so they could not leave the clan's ancestral home. Moreover, the evaluation of the Ancestral Court was not something that could be resolved by strength alone. Bringing Great Demon Kings was futile—no matter how many there were, how could they compare to the Demon Emperors? Since they could not, then it was better not to bring them. Even if she failed the evaluation and something happened, the Peacock Demon clan would still have the strength to recover.

The Peacock Demon clan's council of elders found that her reasoning was sound. Judging from all the information available, including the Ancestral Court's request for her to report early, it was clear that becoming the legitimate lord of Kali City wouldn't be easy. For the Peacock Demon clan, preserving their strength was undoubtedly the best strategy.

Mei Gongzi boarded the carriage, while Tang San stood beside it, this time unmasked.

"Let's go," Mei Gongzi said from within the carriage.

Tang San nodded to the driver, then jumped onto the seat next to him. The Pegasi took to the sky, flapping their wings as they carried the carriage away. The Lion-Tiger clan guards quickly boarded their own flying carriages and followed closely behind.

The queen dowager, along with the high-ranking officials of Kali City, saw them off, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension.

The queen dowager pressed her lips together. Would Mei Gongzi return? Would she come back safely? Would the Ancestral Court allow the Peacock Demon clan to produce another Emperor? No one could answer these questions.

Wang Qing, you schemed and arranged everything before, but did you also pave the way for her evaluation? Whether she succeeds will determine the fate of the entire Peacock Demon clan.

Even if Mei Gongzi failed, the queen dowager could still go to the Ancestral Court as the Grand Elder to undergo evaluation herself. However, the chances of success were even slimmer. The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor might back down for his own daughter's sake, but the queen dowager was not his daughter. If Mei Gongzi was there, that was one thing, but the Peacock Demon clan and the Crystal Phoenix clan were long-time enemies. Why would he help them?

The queen dowager could now only think of a handful of potential allies who might stand with the Peacock Demon clan, and none of them had the power to sway the Ancestral Court's decision.

***

The flying carriage soared through the air, emitting a soft glow that shielded it from strong winds, allowing for a smooth ride.

"Come in," Mei Gongzi called.

Tang San, who was still seated on the driver's seat, smiled slightly and turned to enter the carriage.

The interior of the carriage was spacious, roughly equivalent to a small apartment with a living room and a bedroom.

Gazing at the calm-eyed Mei Gongzi, Tang San bowed slightly and said, "City Lord, what are your orders?"

Mei Gongzi rolled her eyes at him. "I am your big sister. Have you forgotten already?"

"Alright, Big Sister Mei," Tang San replied as he sat down across from her.

Their eyes met, and an unspoken warmth naturally spread between them.

They both knew that the challenges ahead would be incredibly difficult, and that only the two of them could truly face it all. Yet, in this moment, they felt no fear; instead, a sense of ease seemed to settle over them.

Leaning back against the cushions, Mei Gongzi softly asked, "Tang San, have you thought about what we'll do when we return if we succeed in our report?"

Tang San chuckled. "Are you serious? There will be plenty to do. A lot, in fact. You'll need to become an Emperor as soon as possible, and I'll need to work hard to improve my cultivation. I plan to develop at least two paths suitable for human cultivation, starting with the overseas clans. We need to give humans their own cultivation abilities, to lay a foundation for them."

"What paths?" Mei Gongzi asked curiously.

Tang San shook his head. "It's hard to say right now. It'll depend on the insights I gain after crossing the tribulation, but I already have a general direction in mind."

"Speaking of that... I saw some things during my own tribulation. You said we have a fated connection from past lives. Does that mean when I become an Emperor, I'll be able to recover my past life memories?"

Tang San looked deeply at her and said, "That depends on whether you want to recover them."

Mei Gongzi nodded, "I do want to, because I want to know how we were together in our past lives. Those must be beautiful memories. There's actually something I've wanted to tell you these past few days."

Tang San smiled and asked, "What is it?"

Mei Gongzi lifted her head and looked at him with a deep gaze. "Thank you... for coming to find me."

Tang San's whole body trembled, and emotions welled up inside him, nearly overwhelming him. His vision blurred, and his lips quivered slightly, "You... why do you say that now?"

Mei Gongzi moved closer to him, leaning into his embrace. "Because I want you to have more attachment to me in your heart, so that when you face your tribulation, you'll be stronger and braver. If you die, I probably won't survive either. Then we'll never get back to that world you told me about."

Tang San held her tightly, but he couldn't find the words to respond.

Did he have absolute confidence in crossing the tribulation? In truth, there was no hundred-percent guarantee of success; uncertainty always lingered. But at this moment, as he held her trembling body close, his determination to succeed was one hundred fifty percent. He would succeed, because he had to succeed. There was no other way.

They stood like that, quietly embracing each other, for a long, long time.

***

"Let's go over the plan again. We should run through it one more time to make sure everything is in place."

Tang San nodded. "Okay."

The two of them meticulously reviewed and recalculated every step of their plan inside the carriage.

The city lord's carriage sped toward the Ancestral Court. At this pace, they would arrive in just three days. This was the smoothest and quickest route under normal circumstances.

After about a day and a half, the city lord's carriage arrived at Black Dragon City. It was here that one member of Kali City's envoy quietly disappeared.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Tang San took a deep breath, and his gaze grew even more resolute.

In the hour before they parted, they had spent the entire time in each other's arms, so at this moment, her fragrance still lingered on him.

"Little Mei, don't worry. We'll both be fine. This will be our last adventure; once this is over, there will be no more uncertainties."

A faint silver light surrounded Tang San, and in the next moment, he disappeared without a trace.

When he reappeared, Tang San was inside the barrier that concealed the relay array near Black Dragon City. The Spacetime Beacon glowed brightly, activating the relay and initiating the teleportation.

Surrounded by the light of the array, Tang San's figure vanished, disappearing in an instant.

With a flash of light, he materialized amid the glowing array on the top floor of the White Tiger Hotel. Just minutes after parting with Mei Gongzi, he had already arrived at the Ancestral Court—a day and a half away by flying carriage.

Feeling the familiar surroundings and the rich spiritual energy in the air, Tang San's lips curled into a smile.

According to the plan, after he and Mei Gongzi parted ways at Black Dragon City, he was to arrive at the Ancestral Court ahead of time to make some arrangements.

A city lord candidate’s evaluation had three major components, and one had to perform well in all of them. Obviously, no one was perfect, but none of these aspects could be lacking.

The first was strength. To be the city lord of a major city, one's strength had to be convincing enough. Mei Gongzi would need to rely on her own power to pass this assessment.

The second was the approval of the Emperors. She would need to secure the approval of more than half of the Emperors of the Empyrean Dominion to pass this stage.

The third and final step was the recognition of the Ancestral Court. She would undergo a baptism of the Ancestral Court’s will, and if she endured it, then she would gain the Ancestral Court’s blessing.