Li Xinge said nothing.
The hall was dead silent; one could hear a needle drop.
Li Xuanxian remained in his kneeling posture.
He understood.
This clansman was giving him a show of force.
Li Xinge looked at Li Xuanxian's respectful bearing.
A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, gone in an instant.
He spoke indifferently.
"Rise. Have a seat."
Li Xuanxian quietly let out a breath of relief.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
He straightened up.
He glanced at Li Xinge.
Only then did he sit down.
This overlord of the south.
He was even younger than Li Xuanxian had imagined.
Li Xinge leaned slightly forward, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
"The Duke of Zhenguo is a pillar of Great Zhou, while the Li Family and Great Zhou are now like fire and water. I am curious—what brings you here at the risk of your life?"
Upon hearing this, Li Xuanxian thought of the purpose of his visit.
He drew a deep breath.
He cupped his hands toward Li Xinge.
"Your Highness, I have come for only one matter."
He paused.
"To seek our roots."
Those two weightless words made the Great Elder's expression change sharply.
Even ripples stirred in Li Xinge's eyes, which had been as still as an ancient well.
Yet he said nothing.
He merely waited for what came next.
Li Xuanxian gathered his words.
His expression became more solemn than ever before.
He looked straight at Li Xinge.
In a deep voice, he said, "Your Highness, my branch of the Li clan and Your Highness's branch of the Li clan have always shared the same ancestry and the same origin, passed down in one unbroken line!"
Having said that.
Li Xuanxian quietly observed Li Xinge's reaction.
But to his disappointment.
Li Xinge did not show