“Generally, they have to dispose of the zombies once the trial ends, precisely to prevent the corpse kings from being taken away by the Neohuman Alliance” Bronsen added, “But Sigmund did not do so, and Barudar defected as well, so the Empire ruled that it was a case of collusion.”
Lu Yin nodded and didn’t ask further questions. The Mathers Family were old Zishan subordinates, but he had just arrived at the capital and didn’t have the clout here to help Sigmund. The man could only pray for himself.
He thought of Silver, feeling sure that the youth was somehow related to this Neohuman Alliance. Was he a corpse king himself? He didn’t feel like one. Silver had left at Genma Space Station, which made Barudar’s defection all the more suspicious. However, he quickly dismissed it from his mind. Even if he knew the truth, he couldn’t say anything. Sigmund hadn’t been given a moment’s chance to explain himself before he was judged to be guilty of treason; it might have had something to do with the Zishan Family. This conspiracy was different from the probing of Raas. It had bloodlust that even Explorers couldn’t avoid.
It took two hours of travel across the Zenyu Star for Lu Yin to reach the royal palace. Every tower pierced of the center of the Empire’s authority pierced into the skies, its dignified appearance stunning him even from miles away. Xu San’s lips trembled as he gazed into the distance; to him, it seemed like this was a palace that had swallowed the heavens and was coming for him.
“There are thirteen gates to the royal palace, guarded by each of the Thirteen Imperial Squadrons. The main gate is called the Grand Astral Gate, guarded by the First Squadron. His Imperial Majesty ordered me to bring you in through it,” Bronsen informed him deferentially.
Lu Yin nodded and got off the vehicle, looking up at the palace that stretched into the skies and pulsed with so much star energy that onlookers shuddered. Xu San had to remain behind at this point; he was not qualified to enter. The fact that he’d come so close was already a testament to Lu Yin’s title.
The royal palace was enormous, taking twenty minutes of travel from the Grand Astral Gate to arrive at the royal court. Lu Yin saw many peculiar details of the Empire’s culture along the way, with carved columns and jade buildings illustrating countless stories. The technology clock seemed to wind back further as he traveled into the palace; by the time he was at the court, he even suspected that he’d arrived in ancient times.
Bronsen bowed towards the royal court and gestured for Lu Yin to proceed, waiting outside himself. Taking a deep breath, Lu Yin sensed the enormous fluctuations of star energy all around him and walked in step by step. He came to a stop right outside.
“Come in.” The Undying Yushan coughed twice before raising his head with a smile. All the courtiers within stood rooted in place seriously, with only the captains turning around to look outside with curious gazes.
Lu Yin entered the royal court, feeling the world change with one step. Indescribable pressure descended from the sky, turning everything in sight an ashen gray while the ground buzzed him deaf. His eyes narrowed at this imposition of absolute powerhouses, watching the air twist as threads seemed to connect the heavens to the earth. His organs started to ache and his vision turned blurry, the star energy within refusing to budge.
It was at this point that the courtiers turned to look at the doors, all sorts of expressions on their faces. Dignity, ridicule, pride… A native had shaken off his mortal coil and transformed into King Zishan who existed above the masses; this was something they could not accept. The pressure came from all of them; it wasn’t intentional, but simply a combination of their displeasure. The entire court wanted to throw him out.
Lu Yin slowly felt dizzy and his fingers trembled, the figure of the Emperor slowly vanishing in front of his eyes until he almost couldn’t endure it anymore. He grunted and bit his tongue, tearing open the flesh of his palm with his nails until fresh blood dripped to the ground. It was this pain that awakened him, giving him the strength to raise a leg and step forward once more, entering the hall completely. The pressure suddenly disappeared like the tide, replaced with looks of amazement. It was no mean feat for a mere Sentinel.
Up at the front, the Crown Prince smiled, while the Second Prince’s lips curled as well. The blind, bald man among the captains nodded imperceptibly, while The Undying Yushan laughed from his position at the head of it all, “Come closer!”
Lu Yin huffed and raised his head to match the Emperor’s gaze with a solemn expression of his own. He stepped past each of the courtiers, then the captains, finally stopping at the same row as the princes, “Lu Yin pays his respects, Your Imperial Majesty.”
The Undying Yushan smiled and was about to speak, but he coughed a few times and immediately drank some water, “Call me Royal Uncle.”
Lu Yin bowed, “Yes, Royal Uncle.”
The Emperor nodded, “You have spent so many years outside, it must have been difficult.”
“Thank you for the concern, Royal Uncle,” Lu Yin replied respectfully.
“Royal Brother, His Imperial Majesty has always remembered the Zishan Family. Where have you been all these years? Why wasn’t there any news? And who named you Lu Yin?” Dorren had many questions.
Everyone looked at Lu Yin. The Great Yu Empire had been investigating him ever since his bloodline was verified, but inconceivably, they couldn’t find anything. They were the foremost power in the Frostwave Weave, but couldn’t investigate a single individual’s background. It left them quite curious about him.
Lu Yin had already prepared his answer, “I’ll be honest, I’ve lost my memory. The only thing I could remember was this name; if anyone doesn’t believe me, they can feel free to search my mind.”
The Crown Prince hurriedly waved it off and laughed, “That is too much to ask for, Royal Brother. Your identity as the successor to The Undying Yushan has been verified; regardless of what happened earlier in your life, the Great Yu Empire will always be your strongest supporter.”
“The Crown Prince is right, Little Yin. You can remain at ease in the Empire and take over the Zishan crown; bring it to glory,” the Emperor said brightly. Lu Yin nodded and bowed.
“Royal Father, have we settled Royal Brother’s accommodations? If not, your son is willing to arrange them,” the Second Prince spoke for the first time.
The Undying Yushan smiled, “Little Yin’s accommodation need not be arranged by others. The Zishan Residence is his home.”
Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. “Your Imperial Majesty, no, the Zishan Residence holds a lofty position within the capital. It is not only a representative of the Zishan title, but also the glory of the Great Yu Empire and His Majesty The Undying Zishan’s achievements. Even if we give it to the new King Zishan, we should wait until he’s matured.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty, please reconsider.”
“Your Imperial Majesty, please reconsider.”
…
Lu Yin felt the pushback rather bizarre. These people had to be mental! It was just a residence, why did they have to debate it like it was a matter of life and death? The Emperor seemed to agree, thumping against his throne in anger, “I have already given my word, do you want me to go back on it? I have not passed yet, it isn’t your turn to make my decisions.”
“We plead for Your Imperial Majesty’s forgiveness,” the courtiers paled. The princes similarly bowed.
Lu Yin glanced around him and noticed that the few strange-looking people remained still. Eh, there was even a little girl?
When he had first walked into the royal court, he had already noticed these strange people. There were a total of seven of them; one was two meters tall and jet-black from head to toe. The next had red hair and a stern face, the third emitted a frostiness all over, and there was a short, blind, bald person. Another wore a big white coat and looked like a scientist, while the next was excessively good-looking and seemed even more gentle than Xia Luo. Last was the petite little girl. A total of seven people that had rather striking looks stood quite close to the front, behind only the Crown Prince and Second Prince. He guessed that these were captains of the Thirteen Imperial Squadrons, holding the most power here.
“What are you looking at, have you never seen a pretty girl?” The delicate-looking girl glared at Lu Yin, who turned away speechlessly. Even if they didn’t want to attract attention, these people would draw gazes anywhere. This was especially true of the bald man, whose horrific appearance was second only to Seruzen’s.
The dainty little girl saw Lu Yin turn away and was pleased. She proudly puffed up her chest and raised her head.
“Alright, the court is dismissed, I am tired. Crown Prince, Second Prince, Little Yin, stay behind,” the Emperor shook his hand lethargically. The courtiers withdrew quickly, and the girl glared at Lu Yin again before leaving herself. Lu Yin didn’t care; a little brat like that could be called a captain?
The Undying Yushan brought the trio into the palace’s garden, where the air was fresh and there were many varieties of plants that Lu Yin had never seen. It was fortunate that he had lived in the greater universe before for a while, even in the Innerverse, so this wasn’t too strange.
Perhaps the Emperor was getting older, but he dragged the trio over and started reminiscing about old times. He recalled past times as they toured the gardens, leaving Lu Yin quite helpless. He wasn’t a Zishan in the first place, why would he have the time to hear this old man’s stories? But the Emperor had already set his mind, and even the princes couldn’t escape. They were forced to listen to his rambling for three whole hours.