"The head of the North Wind organization in East Land...?" Tiran muttered under his breath, running his hand over his smooth chin as he pondered. Before setting off, Xiaomo asked him to go to Luojing to find the head of the North Wind for information. If Xiang Ling hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten about it.

This worked out perfectly, since they were already in Luojing. Most importantly, Yuan, that guy, had also come here, indicating a high probability that Aya was in this city as well.

"What?" Xiang Ling heard Tiran's muttering.

"Oh, I suddenly remembered something, so I plan to go see someone too." Tiran waved a hand, "You wouldn't mind, right?"

"I'm sorry, I refuse. Given the current situation, I think we should go see that person together. My two younger brothers might strike anytime before I'm ready," Xiang Ling didn't seem too pleased with this prospect, "Who are you going to see?"

"The head of the 'White North Wind' assassin organization in East Land." Tiran showed no intention of backing down, stepping forward to meet Xiang Ling's gaze with determined eyes, "Whether you plan to refuse or not, I must go on this trip."

She was well aware that her goal in East Land was to find the dumb dragon. Ultimately, helping Xiang Ling seize the throne was just one of the paths. Even if things went smoothly for Xiang Ling, there was still the advantage of turning the tide in the internal war in Milania. She wouldn't miss any chance to obtain information related to Aya.

Xiang Ling, used to being dominant, clearly wasn't too pleased with Tiran's direct refusal. Although she didn't show much emotion, Tiran could still sense some anger between her brows.

"Don't forget we are in a cooperative relationship; I'm not a subordinate who must obey your orders," Tiran reminded, "I'm helping you to find Aya, it wouldn't be right to give up on other information for your preparations."

It was the truth; who knew if Xiang Ling's two brothers would cause trouble again in Luojing. Tiran definitely had to gather information first.

"Fine, consider this me repaying you for holding off two wild beasts at Yanmen Pass for me," Xiang Ling didn't prolong the standoff, weighing the options and then relenting, "But once my two younger brothers make a move, you must come to the palace immediately."

"Oh, I almost thought someone was calling me daddy, too bad I'm not a father." Tiran opened his left hand near his ear as if listening attentively.

Silence.

Silence.

Continued silence, it was so cold, Mad just feels chilly.

Tiran and Xiang Ling faced each other as if they had fallen into an awkward silence that seemed to last for a century, like Chi using all his power to freeze himself.

"Playing a pun and a bad joke, I apologize! Let's call it even, alright! If worse comes to worst, after rescuing Aya, I'll lend you one night!" Unable to tolerate Xiang Ling's disdain (according to Tiran), Tiran turned and ran.

As she ran off, Xiang Ling, still watching the princess's back, remained silent, neither speaking nor reacting, but instead seemed quite puzzled as she contemplated for a while.

A pun?

Huh? Was it about 'fine' and 'daddy'?

"Hehe..." On the bustling street, a girl dressed as a swordsman suddenly covered her mouth with both hands and let out a suppressed giggle.

Well, that probably covers being fully focused on battles and strategy; her neural pathways understanding the joke might be a bit underdeveloped?

Splash!

Aya suddenly yanked on Jojo's back collar in front of her, pulling her back to her side, then swiftly turned and slipped into the side door's shadow to hide.

Just as they hid in the doorway, a fully armed patrol of palace guards passed by the front intersection. If Jojo had walked out without any caution just now, he would have been spotted immediately.

"Phew... it was a good idea to have you with me, Aya," Jojo patted his chest in relief, exhaling deeply.

"Tsk, you were the one who insisted on dragging me along..." Aya said disdainfully.

It had to be said that the size of the Imperial City Palace was a bit outrageous, especially compared to the royal castle in Milanía, which was not that big. Besides, the two of them had to avoid the patrolling palace guards.

Nevertheless, they had arrived near the central axis, according to Jojo's description this was where the three main palace halls and the priestess tower were located, and beyond that was the emperor's sleeping palace. Whether they were looking for the Prime Minister or Seer, they couldn't go wrong here.

Aya jumped in place next to the crimson walls, relieved to see a flat square paved with ivory-white stones on the other side of the wall. They had finally made it here safely.

"Right, that's the square you mentioned. Where should we go next?"

"Um... should we check out the three main halls first? If the morning audience is still ongoing, Grandpa Wu should be there... Oh, but if he's not, I have no idea where his study is for handling affairs..." Jojo fell into a dilemma.

"Anyway, we have to go over there, right?" Aya crouched a bit deeper this time and effortlessly jumped over the not-so-high wall, landing steadily on the other side.

Impressive, everywhere was white stonework, smooth and even, with the joints between the stones on the ground hardly visible... This vast square paved with the same kind of floor to some extent also showed the national strength of Weschu.

—Although one could say they were in a hurry to show off their wealth, other countries really didn't have this capability.

Aya couldn't help but be tempted to touch the tiles, wondering what kind of stone it was. He hadn't seen it much in the West; he didn't know if it was valuable.

With such a large area, it shouldn't be a problem to pry a few pieces for himself, right?

"Hey, Aya, you're not thinking of prying up the tiles, are you?"

Jojo's voice softly echoed from behind.

"Cough, no, you're mistaken." Aya quickly straightened up, turning around to see Jojo gracefully descending from the wall and landing lightly.

"By the way, I've been wanting to ask since last night, what's the principle behind you floating down from the wall? I didn't feel any airflow or anything."

"Ah? You mean this?" Jojo paused, and the violet-blue phantom behind him materialized, "I was being supported by a Stand, and I can fly too, just a bit slower, not as fast as sword flying."

"Can this thing still be used like that? Newton's coffin board would be shattered into eight pieces... Oh, who's Newton?"

Aya refocused his gaze ahead; they were now between two grand halls, with white marble steps leading up to the magnificent halls above.

"Let's hurry on, this place is too open. If a guard patrol comes, we'll have nowhere to hide."

"No need to worry about that. The guards usually don't come to the central axis under normal circumstances. Only during ceremonies are officials and guards allowed passage. It's usually under strict guard, except for the palace guards, other guards can only patrol the perimeter. Anyone who dares to enter faces certain death."

Jojo proudly raised his thumb.

"You can skip the last sentence, thanks!" Aya almost cried, "Maybe I shouldn't follow you to meet the Prime Minister after all. At this rate, you might not even be able to save me with your words."

"Sigh, let's hurry and go... If you speak about attending the court, I think I can hear a lot of voices coming from that great hall," Aya pointed to the left, just behind that great hall stood the towering Miko Tower.

"Wow! Aya, you are really handy!"

Jojo's eyes sparkled.

Upon hearing this praise that once came from a certain white-haired flat-chested princess, Aya's eyes twitched involuntarily, "Please sincerely praise me for my skills thank you!"

"Come on, don't mind it~" Jojo stuck out his tongue and pulled Aya towards the great hall.

"However, it's a bit strange... Even though there's court in session, why didn't we see many imperial guards outside just now..."

"Doesn't that seem odd?" Aya ran alongside.

"Well... hard to say," Jojo shook his head, "Maybe we got lucky, just happened to come across a less guarded spot."

"Is that so?"

Aya didn't pay much attention, since if Jojo said it's fine, as an outsider, he was even less clear about it.

As they reached the hidden corner of the white jade steps under the great hall, Aya also realized something was off.

"Jojo, you mentioned there were palace guards here earlier, right?"

Aya confirmed with Jojo that he didn't mishear.

"Yes... Ah." Jojo peeked inside, only to find that although there were faint voices inside the great hall, there wasn't a single palace guard around the perimeter.

While in some ways this made it easier for the two of them to get closer and confirm if Prime Minister Wu was present, this unusual situation was indeed somewhat unsettling.

Aya and Jojo approached the back of the great hall, and looking through the windows decorated with gold leaf, they could clearly see the ongoing court session inside.

The distinct attire differences between civil and military officials among the courtiers lined up could be seen, with a military official in the center reporting something, but due to the obstruction of the dragon throne and the steps below, part of the scene facing them couldn't be seen.

"Indeed, at a time like this, only Lord Wu can still preside over court sessions."

Jojo's heart finally settled, whispering softly.

Indeed, as Jojo described, the current Prime Minister, Wu Shengchen, was sitting in the top left position of the dragon throne, listening to the report of the military official in front of him and constantly pondering the next steps.

The military official was reporting the latest news sent back through the messaging talisman from Yanmen Pass, including the battle report after the victory at Yanmen Pass and the issue of compensating the fallen soldiers.

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince below the dragon throne were restless, and that troublesome Marquis Ling, after resolving the issue with the nomads, couldn't bear the loneliness and returned. Although the surface was peaceful, as the person currently in charge of government affairs, how could he not be aware of the turbulent undercurrents in Luojing?

As the current Prime Minister and an old servant serving three generations, Wu Shengchen deemed himself worthy of his name. While he might not be able to claim the title of "saintly servant," he was definitely a loyal servant who devoted himself wholeheartedly.

How to ensure the continuation and prosperity of this country was the first thing he considered.

The current situation was undoubtedly a hurdle for this country, and how to pass through this smoothly was something he, as the one currently steering the ship, must consider.

The crux of the matter lies in His Majesty falling ill. If His Majesty can recover, the problem ceases to exist. But from the reactions of the celestial observations these days and the imperial physicians, the situation doesn't look promising.

He must prepare for the worst-case scenario...

And just then.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Three dull yet rhythmic knocks.