The banquet ended.
The wine was finished, and every polite pleasantry had been exhausted.
According to procedure, it was time to get down to business: checking the accounts and plugging the shortfall.
"Dragon King." Chen Wei rose, his voice calm. "The banquet has been cleared away, and we've enjoyed the singing and dancing. Shall we move to the inner hall, hold a proper meeting, and discuss how to proceed?"
He had expected Ao Guang to summon the other three Dragon Kings, set out paper, brushes, and abacuses, and haggle with him in earnest.
But that was not what happened.
Instead of calling his brothers over, Ao Guang waved Ao Qin, Ao Run, and Ao Shun away to rest in the rear hall.
"Lord Chen." The old Dragon King approached Chen Wei and gestured for him to follow. "Come with this humble dragon. Once you've seen it, you'll understand."
Chen Wei raised his brows slightly.
No meeting?
So he wanted to lay his cards on the table in private.
Chen Wei gave Xiao Yan and Chu Feng a meaningful glance, signaling them to remain where they were and await orders, then followed Ao Guang into the depths of the Dragon Palace.
One ahead of the other, they passed through corridor after corridor.
By the end, not a single Luminous Pearl remained to light their surroundings. The light was dim, the water pressure oppressive. Only a few nearly spent Merfolk Oil Lamps flickered on the walls.
Ao Guang stopped before the Bronze Gates, placed his hand on a door ring, and pushed hard.
Chen Wei looked up.
Beyond lay an exceptionally spacious side hall, devoid of furnishings. Right in its center yawned a deep pit.
Its bottom was lost from sight, and it stretched a full hundred zhang across the seabed.