Elder Jia led Hai Bo Dong and Xiao Yan smoothly through the heavily guarded Imperial City, finally arriving at a quiet courtyard within it.
Elder Jia sat on a stone bench in the courtyard and poured each of the three a cup of fragrant tea. Looking at the steaming tea, he said, "All right, tell me why you have come, Hai Bo Dong. You caused such a huge commotion just now on purpose, didn't you?"
Elder Jia and Hai Bo Dong's relationship was rather complicated. The two had known each other for decades and were like old friends. However, as the guardian of the Jia Ma Imperial Family, Elder Jia was naturally wary of the powerful noble faction Hai Bo Dong represented within the country. Thus, the moment Hai Bo Dong appeared, Elder Jia could not help wanting to know his purpose.
"Hehe, Old Man Jia, after all these years, you really have not changed at all." Hai Bo Dong laughed before speaking.
"I, the Ice Emperor, have been gone for far too long. It is time to announce to the empire that the Ice Emperor has returned."
"Hehe, so many people from all those families saw it tonight. By tomorrow morning, the entire Imperial Capital will probably know that I, the Ice Emperor, have returned safely." Hai Bo Dong chuckled.
"Heh. You old man." Elder Jia rolled his eyes speechlessly.
"However, your strength seems to have improved considerably since before your disappearance. You are already nearly my equal. You broke free from the seal so smoothly, and your strength has risen so quickly. Could it be that your sealing was fake? Did you truly submit to Medusa and obtain some benefits from the Snake-People Tribe?" Elder Jia mocked him without mercy.
Although, based on Elder Jia's decades of understanding