Chapter 40: Return

"Come, sit down." Li Xie sat down, took out two bottles of wine, tossed one to Zeenad, took a sip himself, and then said, "I will continue to help you advance, but secretly! However, your appearance at the top of the Tower of Eternity has already attracted attention. For some time, you must not advance to the rank of a tenth-order dragon, otherwise, the Dragon Clan will definitely take action!"

Seeing Zeenad nodding, Li Xie continued, "Another issue is how to hide yourself!"

"My human form is unknown to anyone. As long as I don't transform into a dragon, no one knows who I am. Unless I encounter a dragon, they can identify my identity based on the unique aura on my body."

Ha! If I don't trick you, I guess after you threaten Duchess Avril, you'll definitely want to kill me to silence me!

Li Xie muttered to himself and continued, "In that case, you will follow me in human form, and I will help you advance secretly! Unless you become a twelfth-order divine dragon, you should never transform into a dragon again!"

Seeing Zeenad hesitate, Li Xie added, "What? Do you want to live in hatred all your life? Besides, revenge is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two. If you really want revenge, you have to learn to endure and wait for the right moment! Do you think you can achieve revenge by simply improving your strength? Hmph! Follow me, and I will help you! And in this world, there won't be anyone else who will help you! Think about it."

After Li Xie finished speaking, he started drinking his wine, waiting for Zeenad's response.

After pondering for a moment, Zeenad finally nodded. "Okay! I'll listen to you for now. But if you dare to deceive me, I'll be the first to kill you!"

Heh heh, it seems I've recruited a giant dragon as a bodyguard!

However, his attitude isn't very good!

Li Xie snorted coldly. "Don't you dare threaten me! You're lucky to have people willing to help you in this world! Who the hell has ever helped me? Either you listen to me completely, or you kill me right now! Otherwise, I'll make sure to not only refuse to help you but also scheme to kill you!"

"You dare!" Zeenad's gaze narrowed into a cold glare.

Li Xie met his gaze head-on. "Try me!"

After staring at each other for a while, Zeenad finally relented. "Fine, I'll do as you say!"

"Good. Just trust me, and you'll find that the world is completely different!" In some ways, Zeenad was actually similar to Li Xie, both being alone and craving a sense of belonging and someone to rely on. So, since Li Xie understood Zeenad's psyche, it was impossible for Zeenad to harm him!

With the giant dragon formally under his command, Li Xie became more energetic and began to plan for Zeenad. "You've already shown yourself at the top of the Tower of Eternity and abducted me. Now, I have to go back, and you have to make it seem like you've been forced out by the Tudor Dynasty. Let the Dragon Clan think you're no longer in Tudor. This way, when the time comes, you'll follow my instructions."

In the Tudor Imperial City, at Earl Xie's Mansion.

Kano, Miaomiao, Lily, and the guards were all standing at the gate of the estate.

Tears streaked Lily's face, her expression full of anxiety. She had just learned of Li Xie's abduction by the giant dragon and was worried about his safety.

Kano and the guards released their demon pets. Kano looked at the hundred guards and shouted, "The master has been abducted by a giant dragon, and it's our negligence! His Majesty forbids us from taking any action, but I can't wait any longer! This time, it's a ninth-order dragon that abducted the master. If we go now, we might also be wiped out by the ninth-order dragon! But how has the master treated us on weekdays? We should be clear about that! We must pledge to follow him to the death! If anyone doesn't want to join us in searching for the master, you can leave now, and I won't blame you! But if you stay, you must protect the master's safety with your life! Now, who wants to leave?"

"Pledge to follow the leader to the death! Pledge to defend the master!"

All one hundred guards stood firm, not one of them faltering, even though they knew they were likely facing a ninth-order dragon, and the greatest possibility was total annihilation!

The little cats on the ground also danced with their front paws, their blue eyes filled with determination: Abducting the Moving Wine Cellar, the consequences would be severe!

"Good! The dragon flew west, so we'll head west! Let's go!"

"Lord Kano, I want to go too!" Lily grabbed Kano's arm.

"Why do you want to go? You have no fighting ability!"

"I... I'll use my body to block!" Lily's eyes were determined.

"Foolish girl, don't sacrifice yourself in vain. Stay at home and take care of the household chores. We'll bring the master back!"

"But..."

"Enough, if we all die, you'll have to stay behind to help us bury our dead!" Kano patted Lily's hand and nodded to her.

"Oh, damn it, Kano! I'm gone for just one day, and you're already trying to flirt with my servant?" Li Xie expressed his displeasure from afar.

Kano and the others immediately recognized the voice's owner. They looked in the direction and saw Li Xie, fifty meters away, wearing a black suit, slightly thin, and with a bald head.

"Master!"

"Lord!"

"Meow..."

The group, including the little cat, ran excitedly over. The guards surrounded Li Xie, with Lily standing in front of him, tears streaming down her face. Kano embraced Li Xie tightly, and the little cat jumped onto Li Xie's bald head, meowing loudly to declare the return of her wine cellar!

"Damn it, your bear hug almost crushed me, let go!"

Kano realized he was too excited and quickly released Li Xie, embarrassedly rubbing his own head.

Li Xie gave him a glare and then walked over to Lily, gently wiping the tears from her face with his thumb. "Why are you crying? I'm back safe and sound."

Lily blushed at Li Xie's gentle gesture, shyly lowering her head and nervously fiddling with her clothes. In a barely audible voice, she said, "Master's safe return makes Lily happy."

Next, what was supposed to be a master's show of airs and the maid's secret approval turned awkward when the single-minded Kano blurted out, "Master, why didn't you die?"

Li Xie nearly choked on his breath. "Are you wishing for my death?"

"No, no..." Kano hurriedly explained, "I meant, you were abducted by a ninth-order dragon, Zeenad, who's known for killing without hesitation. How could you be unharmed?"

"What's a ninth-order dragon?" Li Xie sneered. "Didn't you see what's on top of my head? That's also a ninth-order magical beast..."

Li Xie pointed to the triumphant Miaomiao on his head, waving its front paw with a smirk on its face, showing off its gleaming white fang. It seemed to be saying, "I'm a ninth-order magical beast, mighty and unyielding!"

"And it's now obediently under my command!" Li Xie added, finishing his unfinished sentence.

Miaomiao paused for a moment, then fiercely slapped Li Xie's head with its waving paw, leaving a red paw print.

"Hehe..." Li Xie chuckled wryly, then commanded, "Kano, prepare the carriage. We're going to the palace!"

"Alright!"

Inside the Tudor Dynasty palace hall.

It was already 8 o'clock in the evening, and after dinner, King Mercedes VII remained in the study with Duke Avril and the Prime Minister. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Earl Howard, stood nearby.

"The symbol of the sacrifice—the Eternal Tower—must be rebuilt as soon as possible," Duke Avril declared.

King Mercedes VII nodded. "I entrust this matter entirely to you, Duke Avril. On another note, Your Highness, are you truly unconcerned about Duke Xie's abduction by Zeenad?"

King Mercedes VII had previously conversed with the Prime Minister and deduced that Li Xie was most likely a Divine Descender. Additionally, Vandee Celle had reported that Li Xie had a close relationship with Duke Avril, even appearing intimate atop the Eternal Tower.

Knowing Duke Avril quite well, King Mercedes VII was aware of her complete dedication to the Goddess of Life and knew she harbored no romantic feelings. The fact that she was close to Li Xie only strengthened King Mercedes VII's conviction of Li Xie's identity as a Divine Descender. After all, who besides a Divine Descender could forge such a close bond with a High Priestess?

Despite these observations, King Mercedes VII decided to confirm once again. Li Xie's existence had significant implications for the Tudor Dynasty. Even if he wasn't a Divine Descender, his status as a Divine Presence warranted King Mercedes VII's utmost protection.

"Duke Avril, please rest assured," Duke Avril replied calmly. "Duke Xie is a clever man and will be fine."

"Clever? Even the cleverest would not emerge unscathed from the clutches of Zeenad, a ninth-order dragon known for his ruthlessness," King Mercedes VII retorted.

"As long as I am here, everything will be fine," Duke Avril reassured. "I dare not take him as my disciple..." Realizing her slip of the tongue, she quickly added, "Although Mona is a High Priestess, she has just been promoted and hasn't thought about taking on disciples yet. Perhaps we can discuss it later."

King Mercedes VII chuckled. "That's fine. Let's leave it for another time. Prime Minister, are the Imperial Guards deployed? Zeenad's usual style is likely to involve widespread killing, pressuring Duke Avril to help him advance. We mustn't allow him to disturb the peace!"

Prime Minister Harry Hintel glanced at Duke Avril and smiled faintly. "Everything is in place."

At that moment, a figure approached the study. The person was bald and held a golden plaque—it was Li Xie.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" Li Xie first bowed upon seeing King Mercedes VII.

His sudden appearance left both King Mercedes VII and the Prime Minister momentarily stunned. They exchanged a knowing smile.

"Rise, my Lord," King Mercedes VII got up from his chair and walked over to Li Xie, helping him to his feet. "It's good to see you well. Earl, bring a chair for him!"

Duke Avril couldn't help but smile wryly at the King's actions. Despite her usual lack of interaction with people, she was not naive. She realized she had been drawn into King Mercedes VII's probing, and now, both the King and the Prime Minister likely knew that Duke Xie was a Divine Descender!