A Meeting Without a Fruit Platter Is Incomplete!

"Don't be too nervous about attending the Royal Court meeting for the first time. Everyone's pretty easy to get along with."

"Warfarin, are you sure your Lord of the Royal Court is really easy to get along with? I don't quite believe you."

Dukare's achievements were renowned even in Sarkaz history. Judging by the story, he clearly wasn't an easygoing man.

"Probably... Anyway, talk less and do less. It'd be best if you could take a look around and come back." Warfarin carefully straightened her man's collar and gave him a meticulous warning.

Although she still didn't know what secret Huang Cao held, she believed in her own choice.

In her eyes, if anyone could make all of Sarkaz better, Huang Cao had a greater chance of doing it than Theresia.

"Don't worry. I'll be going there, and if they don't need me for anything, I'll just eat the fruit on the table. She probably only dragged me along to make up the numbers."

Huang Cao had never met Theresia in his current identity, so going there to become familiar faces wouldn't hurt.

His power might be somewhat lacking against high-end units, but the other side absolutely had no way to deal with him.

Even if he encountered danger, at worst he could simply remove his body's restrictions and go down fighting with them.

In short, the advantage was mine!

Besides, if nothing happened after I went there, I could just stuff myself with fruit. Unless the Royal Court meeting didn't even have a fruit platter...

"I know you're very capable, but you still have to be careful. I lived for so long and finally found you..."

Warfarin didn't know what she was feeling. She kept thinking that this scene resembled the Hongmen Banquet from a Yan Country story.

Huang Cao comforted Warfarin and rubbed her head.

"If something really happens, the news you hear won't be that I was stopped."

"Then what will it be?"

"The Heavens are Dead, Yellow Heavens Shall Stand!"

"So why is Theresia using a Rhino Beast to pick me up?"

After saying goodbye to Warfarin and Kaitian Cat, Huang Cao walked to the entrance of his territory.

He then discovered that a Rhino Beast carriage had already been waiting for quite some time.

Compared with the Rhino Beasts of Siergrag in the story, the breed in Kazdel was more imposing and carried a stronger ferocity.

"It may be to express how much importance she places on you. Long time no see, little Mr. Huang Cao."

At that moment, a gentle and seductive voice came from behind the carriage curtain. Lamian lifted her black skirt with both hands and gracefully stepped out of the carriage.

Two Banshees were driving beside her.

"Sister Lamian, long time no see."

Looking at the stunning woman before him, Huang Cao was momentarily lost in a daze.

Since leaving Banshee River Valley, Huang Cao and Lamian had frequently corresponded, but they had never met again.

"You've grown quite a bit taller since then." Lamian was also filled with emotion.

When the boy had mistakenly entered Banshee River Valley ten years ago because of a snowstorm, he hadn't even reached her shoulder. Now, he was half a head taller than her.

Seeing that the boy hadn't suffered, Lamian's worried heart finally relaxed.

Actually, the carriage had been sent by Theresia to pick him up. After all, the two of them were close friends, so he deserved some preferential treatment.

Although the grain Theresia had borrowed more than ten years ago still hadn't been returned.

Huang Cao's territory wasn't particularly close to Banshee River Valley, but if she took a detour, she could still pass by and visit him.

Before attending the Royal Court meeting, Lamian had wondered whether she could drop by and see him.

As it happened, just as she reached the area near Huang Cao's territory and was preparing to announce her arrival, he rushed out from inside.

"There's actually a maze formation at the entrance to your territory. It seems Mr. Huang's Originium Arts aren't simple either."

"Would you like to come in and take a look? Perhaps my territory is even more scenic than Banshee River Valley?"

Huang Cao said this with a smile. The other party was clearly curious, but that feeling was quickly concealed.

"It's getting late. If we delay here any longer, I'm afraid we won't make it to the meeting in time."

"I brought some food in the carriage. The journey to the Royal Court is long and will probably take two days."

Two days? So this Rhino Beast was actually that slow?

If I ran at full speed, I wouldn't even need two hours.

Huang Cao had originally planned to reach Kazdel's capital ahead of time and see whether he could poach some talent from Theresia.

But since Lamian had taken the initiative to invite him and had even gone out of her way to detour and see him, refusing would waste her goodwill.

"Let's go. I also happen to want to ask how the sisters in Banshee River Valley have been doing all these years."

"I'd also like to ask what I need to pay attention to when attending this kind of meeting. I've never attended one before."

Along the way, Lamian and Huang Cao chatted and laughed like old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.

Yet for some reason, Lamian kept feeling that the young man before her seemed to have distanced himself from her.

He wouldn't even sit a little closer.

Could it be that my appearance has aged a lot over the past ten years? But I'm still young...

Lamian fell into deep doubt. A trace of reproach appeared in her gaze as she looked at him.

Realizing that he might have been misunderstood, Huang Cao immediately explained.

Huang Cao didn't know what else he could do. Besides, their current distance was already quite close. Any closer, and their thighs and shoulders would be touching.

He couldn't control anyone who took the initiative to press against him. Human thoughts were strange and varied, and who knew what they were thinking?

But if he couldn't resist flirting around outside, everyone knew what happened to Brother Cheng.

If he attracted too many romantic entanglements, given his current recovery ability, being torn apart would involve more than just five pieces.

Hearing this, Lamian revealed an auntie-like smile and began gossiping about who that girl was.

Had he abducted one of the young women from her valley?

After all, when Huang Cao had first arrived in the valley, he had been modest and polite, had a genuinely handsome appearance, and possessed a pair of skillful hands.

He had truly been the valley's most popular man. However, everyone knew that Lamian was joking at this moment.

If someone had gone missing from the valley, how could she not know?

"Although the sisters in the valley are all beautiful, I still like my Warfarin."

"Warfarin? That girl's name sounds quite nice. Where does she live? What race is she? If she's from Leithania, you'll have to protect her properly."

Lamian offered her advice happily, though there was also a trace of worry in her voice.

She wasn't a conservative woman. Her advice had only been well-intentioned. After all, among the multinational coalition, Leithania was currently the only one still harassing Kazdel.

Huang Cao gestured for her not to worry. "Warfarin is also Sarkaz. Her race is Blood Demon."

Blood Demon...

That was acceptable, at least. Lamian nodded.

Although the Blood Demon race had a poor reputation among the local Sarkaz, that reputation wasn't related to their conduct. It was related to combat.

From Huang Cao's description, that girl's personality was probably fine. She wasn't a battle maniac and should know how to live a proper life.

At least compared with the other races, Blood Demons could truly be considered the best candidates for marriage.

Undead Spirits didn't even have bodies. Communication was difficult enough, let alone falling in love.

With the Shapeshifter Collective, dating one was equivalent to dating countless others. It was impossible to reach a unified opinion, and meeting the requirements for marriage would mean satisfying countless people.

As for the Corpse Eaters, supposedly the women of that race were difficult to pursue, rivaling even the Banshees.

There'll be another update this afternoon. Please vote if you can, and thank you, everyone!1

Chapter 47: A Meeting Without a Fruit Platter Is Incomplete!

The Rhino Beast pulled the carriage along in fits and starts for an entire day. After entering the urban area, it traveled for another stretch before the two companions finally arrived at Sarkaz's central district.

Lamian was somewhat shocked to return to Kazdel's capital.

Why did this place still look the same as it had ten years ago?

Huang Cao didn't react much. After all, people died here at any time, and once the deceased's memories returned to the Originium, he could share them.

Therefore, he knew the outside world—especially Kazdel's development—almost inside out.

"The Royal Court meeting... Sister Lamian, I have a feeling that going there this time will probably be a waste of time."

"Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that way. How could a national crisis be solved by a single meeting? Besides, I don't think Theresia can produce a complete plan all at once either," Lamian said.

However, as a citizen of Kazdel, Lamian considered the Demon King's orders absolute. No one could oppose them.

Unless their ideals truly diverged. But by then, the Demon King would essentially be a figurehead.

"Huang Cao, what do you think Kazdel's way out is now? The sights along the way make me feel so sad."

Lamian looked at the ruins outside the carriage window.

After the war ended, Theresia had held a Royal Court meeting while distributing rewards according to merit.

It was at that meeting that the current Six Heroes had been established. She had also seen these ruins back then.

Ten years had passed, yet the ruins were still here. Only the scavengers inside them had disappeared.

The war outside had ended, but internal reconstruction had yet to begin.

Lamian knew how difficult Theresia's situation was. If she had been the Demon King, the country probably wouldn't have fared any better.

It was like wanting to make the country better but lacking the ability to do so.

Wanting to serve one's country but being powerless to do so—what greater sorrow could there be?

Therefore, so long as Theresia didn't treat her own people as tools during the coming Royal Court meeting and her policies weren't too outrageous, Lamian was willing to support her.

Working together with all her strength was already the fullest extent of her duty to the country.

"What about you, then, Huang Cao? I want to know what you think of Kazdel."

"I don't have much of an opinion, but I firmly believe that change is never the achievement of one king alone. Likewise, the destruction of a country isn't entirely... After all, the external environment is also an important factor in a country's operation."

If Theresia possessed her own ability, Kazdel's current condition couldn't be called wealthy, but it could at least be described as having enough food and clothing.

Huang Cao really could reverse Kazdel's hunger single-handedly.

But what would happen after he did? The Sarkaz might not necessarily obey his commands. They would only treat him like a sucker.

Besides, Terra's land was different from the ancient world he had once lived in. The people here generally had strong spiritual pursuits, which might have something to do with the Pre-Civilization.

In short, people were complicated no matter what world they lived in. One couldn't view humans with the mindset used to observe animals.

At present, the only people truly and absolutely loyal to him were probably the residents of his own territory.

This was especially true of the younger generation born in Eden. They had barely come into contact with the Demon King from childhood onward.

What they heard every day were stories of their lord's great achievements. Even the gifts they received during festivals were personally handed out by their lord.

The older generation might still hold a little awe for the Demon King, but the new generation of Sarkaz only knew that there was a Demon King. They had no idea what the Demon King had actually done.

Almost everyone also knew that the land they lived on was so fertile entirely because of Huang Cao.

Huang Cao had only restricted others from learning about his territory. He had never restricted the people in his territory from learning about the outside world.

So who was doing a better job was obvious.

As they spoke, the towering Demon King's Palace, which also carried an air of dilapidation, came into view.

In this ancient yet magnificent palace, countless Demon Kings had once been crowned, and countless Demon Kings had died.

Theresia, will you be the next one?

Huang Cao was extremely curious about what impact his arrival would have on this world.

Teresis, will you become the greatest enemy standing in my way?