The strange odor spread. It merely disgusted the assembled ministers, but when the emperor on the dragon throne smelled it, panic stirred in his heart. In his dream last night, he had been coiled in a giant serpent's embrace, and he had smelled a similar foul, fishy stench.
"State Preceptor! State Preceptor, hurry and protect me! There's a monster in the palace! A monster-"
The emperor's cries briefly silenced the ministers' discussion. Then they looked toward the dragon throne and around them, and the murmuring resumed.
His cries also jolted the equally terrified Han Shiyong awake as though from a dream. Suppressing his unease, he steadied his aura. He had already realized that it had changed. Though he could not smell the stench himself, he understood what had caused everyone's reactions.
"Your Majesty, you say there is a monster in the palace. Has something happened? Please tell me at once!"
Han Shiyong questioned the emperor loudly, drawing everyone's attention over. As he restrained his aura, the stench faded too, naturally shifting their focus to the emperor.
Yet the crown prince and quite a few ministers still glanced about, clearly feeling that what had just happened was unusual.
The old emperor was still shaken. That nightmare had been far too real and left far too deep an impression. Smelling the odor had plunged him into extreme terror.
"State Preceptor, come closer!"
Han Shiyong hurried up toward the dragon throne. Being closer to the emperor soothed his own heart considerably, while seeing the State Preceptor approach also calmed the emperor somewhat. He recounted last night's nightmare.
"Last night, I dreamed that I was alone deep within the palace, with a giant serpent chasing me. No matter how I called, no one came to protect me. That monster knocked me down and coiled