Behind the bank, in a huge manor, a middle-aged man was sipping tea and looking around. His name was Ming Zhaocai, and it was obvious from his name that he was a member of the imperial family. He was of the same generation as the emperor, Ming Zhaotian.
Although he was a member of the imperial family, he was different from Ming Zhaotian and the others. He liked to manage money and was proud of it. He even wanted to change his name to Ming Zhaocai, but Ming Zhaotian punished him for it. In the end, Ming Zhaotian allowed him to take over the empire's finances and become the finance minister.
Light footsteps could be heard, and Ming Zhaocai turned around to see a young girl. She was pretty and had a smile on her face. She gave off a refreshing and comfortable aura.
The girl walked up to Ming Zhaocai and bowed. "Ah Lan greets Lord Ming."
Ming Zhaocai raised his hand and helped the girl up. He looked at her with admiration. "You're Ah Lan?"
"Yes, I am," the girl said respectfully.
Ming Zhaocai grunted and looked at the girl. "Not bad, not bad. You're only twenty years old, yet you're able to become the manager of the Bank of Wuyun. You must have outstanding ability."
Ah Lan smiled. "You flatter me."
Ming Zhaocai looked satisfied and gestured for them to sit.
"Miss Ah Lan, I'm sure you know why I've come to the Bank of Wuyun," Ming Zhaocai said straightforwardly.
Ah Lan nodded. "Of course. The foreign tribes of the Endless Eastern Sea are invading, and the empire doesn't have enough warships. The Bank of Wuyun is willing to help and provide military supplies to repay the empire for its many years of support."
Ming Zhaocai's eyes lit up. "How much is Miss Ah Lan prepared?"
Ah Lan clapped her hands, and a servant handed a list to Ming Zhaocai. He glanced at it, and his expression changed. He looked at Ah Lan in surprise. "Miss, this is too much."
Ah Lan smiled. "It's not much. His Majesty's birthday is coming soon, so this is a gift from the Bank of Wuyun to His Majesty."
Ming Zhaocai smiled. "In that case, thank you, Miss Ah Lan."
Ah Lan smiled. "It's good that you're satisfied, but it's a pity."
"A pity?
What's a pity? "Ming Zhaocai raised an eyebrow and looked at Ah Lan in confusion.
Ah Lan sighed. "I come from a humble background and a merchant, so I'm not qualified to enter the palace."
Ming Zhaocai smiled and said, "So that's how it is. What's so difficult about that? If you're willing, you can follow me. I can bring you to the palace to observe the ceremony."
Alan was overjoyed. "Really?
Milord, are you willing to condescend and bring me to the palace for a pilgrimage? "
"Hahahaha, there's no need to be so polite. I can even bring you to see Imperial Brother. Imperial Brother spends most of his time on the Central Fate Planet, and he'll only descend on that day. If you're lucky, you might even be able to speak with him," said Ming Zhao with a smile.
Alan hurriedly thanked him.
Before long, Ming Zhao left.
Within the Bank of Wuyun, Lan looked at Ming Zhaocai's back with a solemn expression. Her appearance gradually changed, and if there were any trialtakers present, they would definitely recognize her as one of the top four finalists of the Astral Combat Tournament, Grandini Mavis.
Just as Grandini was about to enter, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air. Countless people walked onto the main road and looked into the distance with reverence.
Grandini was curious. She reverted back to Lan's appearance and walked out of the bank. After asking around, she found out that His Majesty's birthday was approaching, and the top scholar of the written exam was going to enter the academy to pray for His Majesty. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.
What an ancient title, but those who could receive such a title were the elites of the elites. In ancient society, this status was not low.
As the sound of gongs and drums grew closer, the army cleared the way. A man riding a giant astral beast waved to the people on both sides of the road, smiling happily.
Grandini's face darkened when she saw the man, as if she had eaten a dead fly. It was Han Chong. Although his appearance had changed, the feeling that he gave her had not changed. She immediately recognized that this so-called top scholar was Han Chong.
How disgusting. He had actually come to the Shenwu Continent to take the exam.
In the middle of the road, atop the head of the giant astral beast, Han Chong coincidentally saw Grandini as well. A strange look flashed across his eyes, but he smiled warmly and waved back.
Grandini clicked her tongue and then turned around to return to the Bank of Wuyun.
Han Chong smiled as he looked at the Bank of Wuyun, but he did not mind and continued on his way.
On the other side of the capital, the crown prince's residence was not too far from the palace. At this moment, Crown Prince Ming Hao had a nervous expression on his face as he stared at the end of the road. He was not waiting for the top scholar, but rather for an extraordinary woman who had passed down a thousand-year-old legacy and had created the heavenly globe. She was the inheritor of Fate's Legacy.
After the great battle with the outsiders, countless outsiders had descended upon the Shenwu Continent, but no one had been able to detect them. In the midst of the Shenwu Continent's distress, someone who called himself Fate's Legacy had created the heavenly globe to search for outsiders for the Shenwu Continent.
Fate's Legacy was not a sect, but rather an inheritance. No one knew what Fate's Legacy was, but they all knew that it possessed a mysterious divination ability. Even the emperor, Ming Zhaotian, respected Fate's Legacy, but unfortunately, he could not find it.
Ming Hao had not expected Fate's Legacy to suddenly find him.
"Your Highness, there's someone here!" someone cried out. Everyone looked towards the end of the road, where a woman wearing a veil and surrounded by mist slowly approached.
Ming Hao's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly stepped forward.
"Shaoshu greets Your Highness," the woman said gently as she bowed.
Ming Hao was puzzled. "You're the current Fate's Legacy?"
The woman bowed. "Yes. Shaoshu's cultivation is too shallow, so I've disappointed Your Highness."
Ming Hao hurriedly returned the greeting and sincerely said, "Fate's Legacy is too serious. The senior who created the heavenly globe was only a Martial Emperor, but he possessed unfathomable abilities. Fate's Legacy doesn't care about cultivation."
The woman's eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at Ming Hao. "You flatter me, Your Highness. I'm not worthy of the title of Fate's Legacy, so please call me Shaoshu. My real name is Shaoshu."
Ming Hao nodded. "Miss Shaoshu, please enter the Crown Prince's residence."
Shaoshu nodded. "Please, Your Highness."
At this moment, Lu Yin did not know that many familiar faces had appeared in Mingdu. One night passed, and the next day, Lu Yin entered the city and saw the most prosperous city in the entire Shenwu Continent.
Four peaks surrounded the city, five sealing planets hung high in the sky, and a wide moat flickered with waves. Mingdu was a place where the winds and clouds gathered. Nearly half of the top ten on the List of Tempering were in the city, and countless experts had appeared both openly and covertly.
Outside the city gates, dozens of heavenly globes emitted a faint glow. They did not stop for even a second as they continuously released martial power that swept through the city.
The entire city was covered by these globes, and the moment any star energy fluctuation appeared, it would immediately be discovered.
The headquarters of the Ming Constables and the Demon Hunters Society were both located in the city. Even a Hunter would find it difficult to escape once they entered the city.
Lu Yin marveled at the city's prosperity as he walked towards the Ming Constables' headquarters.
Four hours after Lu Yin entered the city, the Reverent King's convoy arrived and entered the city one after another.
Within the carriage, Ming Yan looked outside the curtains with bright eyes, as if she was searching for something.
Ming Zhaoshu closed his eyes and rested.
At this moment, Tang Si's voice sounded out. "Your Highness, the results of the investigation are out."
Ming Zhaoshu opened his eyes. "Speak."
"There's no problem with Yue 'er's ancestral records, but they can only be traced back to eight hundred years ago. There's nothing beyond that."
Ming Yan's expression changed when she heard the question about Yue Xianzi, and she lowered her head.
Ming Zhaoshu frowned. "Is it because you can't find anything, or is there nothing?"
Tang Si was silent for a moment before replying, "I don't think so. Whether it's the local records or the genealogy records, there's no information from eight hundred years ago."
"Have Yue 'er come see me immediately," Ming Zhaoshu said in a low voice.
"Yue 'er's gone," Tang Si's voice was icy.
Ming Zhaoshu was furious. He walked out of the carriage and looked at Tang Si. "What did you say?
She's gone? "
Tang Si lowered his head. "Yes, the results were delivered today. This subordinate went to look for her immediately, but she wasn't with the convoy."
"She was here yesterday, but she's gone today. She really knows how to pick a time," Ming Zhaoshu said coldly. He then looked around and saw many citizens of the city looking over. His expression relaxed. "Alright, let's forget about this matter."
Tang Si looked up. "Your Highness, aren't you going to send someone to capture her?"
Ming Zhaoshu shook his head. "She should be someone from a great power outside the realm. She must have taken root in the mainland eight hundred years ago. She can also change her appearance, so we won't be able to find her. Forget it." He then returned to his carriage.
Ming Yan sighed and smiled. She was rather glad that she had taken a liking to Yue 'er. Although the girl had lied to her, Yue' er was Ming Yan's first friend, which was very rare. Ming Yan didn't have a deep understanding of the thousand-year-old blood feud, so she didn't hate Yue 'er that much.
Ming Zhaoshu returned to his carriage and sat down, looking exhausted. He inadvertently glanced at Ming Yan, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. His daughter was smiling?
Could it be that she already knew Yue 'er's identity?
"Now that His Majesty's birthday is approaching, the Ming Constables, the Demon Hunters Society, the army, and the local experts have all gathered together to search for traces of the extraterrestrials. I heard that even the successor of Tian Ji has appeared. As long as there are extraterrestrials in this city, there is no way they can escape," Ming Zhaoshu said calmly. It was as if he was talking to himself, but also to Ming Yan.
Ming Yan's face paled. "Father, the successor of Tian Ji?
Is he the descendant of Heavenly Secrets who invented the heavenly globe and possesses the ability to divine? "
"That's right. Tian Ji has the power of divination, and no outsider can escape. There's a ninety percent chance that Yue 'er is an outsider, so she'll die without a doubt. That's why there's no need to capture her," Ming Zhaoshu said.
Ming Yan's fingers turned white as she clenched them tightly. She looked uneasy.
Ming Zhaoshu glanced at her and confirmed that she already knew that Yue 'er was an outsider. He shook his head and did not say anything else. He knew his own daughter very well; she was too kind.
However, Ming Zhaoshu did not know that Ming Yan was not just worried about Yue Xianzi. She was also worried about that man, a man that she would never forget.
The Ming Constables were located in a corner of the capital, and it was not very eye-catching. Many people knew that this was the Ming Constables, but no one dared to approach it because of the two ferocious-looking beast statues at the entrance.
They were not real beasts, but they emanated an aura that would cause ordinary people to tremble in fear. They could even create terrifying illusions that could cause people to lose their minds.
Lu Yin walked outside the Ming Constables and looked at the two strange beasts that were made from some unknown material. His gaze grew more and more surprised. Aren't these sourceboxes?
Others might not be able to tell, but Lu Yin could tell that these two beasts were sourceboxes that had been unlocked by someone.