Chapter 469: Infiltrating North Kingdom
Three days! Over the following three days, the news of the Hill Riverside battle spread like wildfire throughout the entire Shirine Empire, almost feverishly, akin to a rampant virus. The name of General Wolf Sean once again echoed through the lands of the Shirine Empire, reaching the ears of all its people.
For a moment, the entire nation rejoiced, the entire populace uplifted! They had won! They had actually won! Prior to the commencement of the national battle at Hill Riverside, even the citizens of the Shirine Empire knew that the situation was highly unfavorable for them. The odds of losing were about eight or nine to one, with the hope of winning being exceedingly slim. Otherwise, the citizens within the capital wouldn’t have been terrified and fleeing in advance. However, despite this, General Wolf Sean, once falsely accused by the former monarch King Ron of treason, promptly arrived with the members of the Hall of Swords and the White Army, setting aside past grievances. He managed to turn the tide and single-handedly saved the capital of the Shirine Empire, preserving the fertile lands of the Shirine Empire, as well as the myriad of its people from the ravages of war, safeguarding the nation’s territory from the scorching flames and its people from the threat of death.
The country flourished, the people lived in peace! Without exaggeration, General Wolf Sean, with his great benevolence and righteousness, his act of saving the country and its people, directly became the undisputed hero in the hearts of the Shirine Empire’s people.
Immediately after this wave of gratitude and praise, just when everyone thought that King Roscoe had perished and Sean would naturally ascend to the position of monarch, new tidings arrived: the throne would be succeeded by Julia! Suddenly, a stone caused a thousand ripples. The unexpected news caught everyone off guard, sparking anger in many who mistakenly believed it to be another sinister plot of the royal family, thinking that Sean was once again subjected to unfair treatment, akin to being sniped at and then discarded like a dead animal. Consequently, people across the nation rose up in protests, taking to the streets, rallying in support of Sean.
Helplessly, Sean had to make a public televised speech, outlining the ins and outs of the situation, in order to quell the public’s anger. Simultaneously, this speech further deepened the populace’s admiration for his integrity and rectitude. This speech also marked Sean’s final public appearance within the Shirine Empire. Indeed, three days later, as Julia, donned in resplendent imperial robes, ascended the ninety-five jade steps amidst the support of the members of the Hall of Swords, the White Army, and the generals of the three military forces, to hold the new royal ceremony, Spring, Tim Lewis, the old monk, Ernest Mason… everyone was present, except for Sean, who had never shown himself.
“Mr. Mason!” Standing alone atop the ninety-five jade steps, before the grand hall of the Hall of Throne, Julia, with an extraordinary aura, gazed down upon the vast capital, then lifted her eyes to the picturesque landscapes beyond the city. Julia took a deep breath and silently vowed in her heart, “I will take care of the kingdom you left behind for me!”
“I will wait for you to return here!”
Meanwhile, in a tower within the imperial city, Luna Porter stood by the window, holding a baby in her arms, and gazed into the distance at Julia. She muttered in a deep voice, “I never expected that in the end, the throne would actually be hers.”
With that, she glanced down at the baby in her arms, smirked, and lightly touched the infant’s tender cheek before coldly saying, “Sean, he’s gone, and so should we.”
With that, she turned and left the room.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
It was apparent that Luna Porter had not heeded Sean’s orders and had no intention of changing the baby’s name. Sean Porter… the baby’s name remained Sean Porter.
During these three days, news of the Hill Riverside battle not only caused a tremendous stir within the Shirine Empire but also spread like wildfire within the North Kingdom.
However, alongside the news of the defeat at Hill Riverside, in the North Kingdom, rumors of Lord North’s treason, along with speculations about Lord North intentionally sabotaging the battle and aiding Sean, also proliferated, causing widespread discussions, both genuine and speculative.
In just three days, the once highly esteemed Lord North, nearly as revered as the ruler of North Kingdom, Albert Sitwell, plummeted from grace and became a target for everyone, shouldering the immense blame for the Hill Riverside defeat.
Who would have expected that in the battle at Hill Riverside, within a hundred moves, Sean and Lord North fought to a draw, evenly matched. Yet, after this battle, Sean became a hero of the Shirine Empire, while Lord North became a traitor of the North Kingdom. One positive, onenegative, their fates were as different as night and day.
Even in Plainwater Town, which lay hundreds of miles from the North Kingdom’s capital, various rumors and gossip pervaded the air.
Plainwater Town, while not exceptionally large in size or population compared to other cities in the North Kingdom, possessed a significant reputation. This was due to the presence of not only the influential factions of various families but also two entities that stood above the others: a branch of the renowned Buddha Academy and the legendary secret branch of the Hall of Jade.
The Buddha Academy was a widely known institution throughout the North Kingdom, while access to the Hall of Jade remained exclusive to the leaders of prominent families, shrouded in rumors and secrets.
A city hosting both a branch of the Buddha Academy and a secret branch like the Hall of Jade was a rarity in the entire North Kingdom.
At this moment, Sean found himself in Plainwater Town, having quietly left the Shirine Empire. He had arrived alone in the North Kingdom in order to facilitate his activities and, considering Julia’s recent ascension and her still fragile strength, to minimize the risk to her safety, necessitating the assistance and protection of the members of the Hall of Swords and the White Army.
Moreover, despite the formidable abilities of the members of the Hall of Swords and the White Army, which exceeded the Complete Stage within the Shirine Empire, they were still several levels below the immense power of the Hall of Jade. Bringing them along would only put their lives in jeopardy.
Cecilia was Sean’s wife. Retrieving the Phoenix Gall, rescuing Cecilia-these were personal matters for Sean alone. He hoped not to involve anyone around him unless absolutely necessary.
The reason for choosing Plainwater Town as the first point of contact with the Hall of Jade was because the King of Night had previously mentioned that he had initially been recruited by the Hall of Jade in Plainwater Town, entering their secret branch and narrowly escaping as an experiment, nearly losing his life. The place he had fled from was approximately twenty miles north of Plainwater Town, at Mirror Lake.
In this instance, Sean aimed to start his investigation from the secret branch of the Hall of Jade, uncover their secrets, find a way to infiltrate their organization, retrieve the Phoenix Gall, and search for the whereabouts of his father, Porter Mason.
“Incognito…” In a farmhouse on the outskirts of Plainwater Town, disguised as a young and handsome man through the art of face-changing, Sean sat at the dinner table. Across from him sat a middle-aged couple and a beautiful young girl, and after much hesitation, the middle-aged woman couldn’t help but urge, “Sir, the Steer family is not to be trifled with. We are deeply grateful for your intervention on our behalf as a family, but you…”
“Once you finish your meal, you should leave as soon as possible. The people from the Steer family will arrive soon, and once they do, you won’t be able to escape!” With a worried expression, the middle-aged woman glanced towards the yard.
In the yard, several young men lay in disarray, some injured, some unconscious, and even two seemed to have been killed on the spot.
The perpetrator was none other than Sean.