Chapter 388 - Return to the Empire

Chapter 388: Chapter 143: Return to the EmpireThree days had passed, and Lei Shan’s forces seemed to have been prepared long ago, retreating very rapidly. The three Dukes had no way to track them down.

Moreover, Lei Shan’s departure released a large number of ownerless planes within the Alliance, and countless nobles set their sights on these riches. If not for the mediation of the three Dukes, internal warfare would have probably already erupted.

Lu Hong responded with a cold laugh; these were a group of greedy ignoramuses, taking away Lei Shan’s territories yet in the end, they might lose their very lives in the process.

Duke Nuoshan dragged his weary feet back to his residence and, seeing the carefree Lu Hong, couldn’t help but get irritated. "Speaking of which, you’re still the champion Marquis of the Alliance. Now that internal strife is simmering, you’re not even standing up to speak!"

"Hey hey, you know full well my identity has long been exposed. If I step up to speak now, what if I’m cursed as an imperial lapdog?"

Nuoshan paused for a moment, then his tone softened, "I know, I just wanted an excuse to curse at you, afraid I won’t have the chance later."

"Heh, old fox." Lu Hong laughed and joked with Nuoshan, this was not the first or second time.

After a while, Nuoshan couldn’t help but ask again, "Are you really leaving?"

Lu Hong nodded, "The crisis with the sea race is not yet over, and the Empire is still in danger. As a Baron of the Empire, how can I remain aloof from this matter?"

"Understood." Nuoshan patted Lu Hong’s shoulder. "I’ll have the Raven send you off."

After ten days of hard travel, the Raven quietly took Lu Hong to the border between the two nations.

Because of the change in the Alliance’s attitude, there were no longer any troops stationed at the border. Even the Empire, due to tight military strength, had reduced its forces, leaving only a legion of less than a hundred thousand men stationed there.

Seeing the Raven rushing from the border, the Imperial army was startled. What? Was the Alliance about to wage war on them?

Xie’an received the news and quickly came out of his tent; following his command, a hundred thousand men stood at ready in solemnity.

The Raven found it somewhat amusing. "You Imperial folks are really timid."

"Nonsense. You wouldn’t be afraid if Bai Ling came looking for you for no reason?" Lu Hong gave the other party a glance.

"True." The Raven nodded. If he had been an Imperial officer, he too would have felt uneasy about the sudden visit of an opponent’s strong figure.

Then he stopped ten miles away from the Imperial garrison: "This is as far as I go."

Lu Hong gave a fist salute, "Thanks."

The Raven smiled, "Come back when you have time, the Eagle Alliance will always welcome you."

After bidding farewell to the Raven, Lu Hong strode towards Xie’an.

At this moment, Xie’an was utterly bewildered. What was going on? The Raven just dropped off a person and left?

Watching the masked man approach step by step, Xie’an immediately shouted, "Halt! If you take another step forward, you’ll be violating the alliance treaty between our two nations!"

It was then that Xie’an’s Deputy General recognized Lu Hong and hurriedly said, "General Xie, this masked person seems to be the newly-promoted champion Marquis of the Alliance."

"Champion Marquis?" Xie’an’s brows furrowed. What was the champion Marquis doing at the border alone?

Still, since the other party was a Marquis of the Alliance, Xie’an gave a few quick orders and then walked out of his tent alone to meet Lu Hong.

"May I inquire, what brings the champion Marquis to visit the Empire?" Xie’an’s tone was low; with internal strife and external threats facing the Empire, he was sure the Marquis’s visit boded ill.

"General Xie, take another look at who I am." Saying this, Lu Hong removed his mask and smiled at Xie’an.

"Y,, Yiyengen Baron?!" Xie’an stammered, how could this be? Wasn’t the Baron giving speeches deep in the heart of the Empire? How could he come from the Alliance side? And escorted by the Raven?

"How about it? Think I’m a fake?" Lu Hong also felt this was hard to accept for anyone else and said, "In that case, I’ll just wait here. You quickly report to Great Emperor Konstantin and tell him I’ve returned."

"Well,, well, please wait." Xie’an nodded and immediately returned to send an urgent military dispatch to the Empire.

In less than three Hours, Konstantin replied: bring back Yiyengen Baron at once and send an escort to bring him to the Continent of God’s Grace.

"Is it really Baron Yiyengen?" Xie’an was both astonished and amazed. It was said that the champion Marquis single-handedly thwarted the Alliance’s plan to invade the Empire, and this young champion Marquis turned out to be an Imperial Baron? How explosive would this news be once it got out? If the Alliance learned of this, wouldn’t they be mind-blown? Question their existence?

What Xie’an didn’t know was that the Alliance had long been aware.

Without further delay at the border, Xie’an dispatched two Deputy Generals, who escorted Lu Hong through several plane transfers, heading towards the Continent of God’s Grace.

"Baron, once we pass through the Puso Plane, we will have covered about half the distance," the Deputy General said, standing in front of the portal, looking somewhat exhausted at Lu Hong.

In just seven days, they had undergone dozens of transfers, and the two Deputy Generals were already completely worn out.

"Puso?" Lu Hong had some recollection of this plane: "Isn’t this close to Umbra?"

The Deputy General nodded: "Yes, but Umbra isn’t on our route to the Continent of God’s Grace."

"Let’s do this," Lu Hong thought of some unresolved matters, so he said: "We’ll make a stop at Umbra first, I have some things to take care of. It will be a good opportunity for you to rest and recuperate."

"Alright." Both Deputy Generals also breathed a sigh of relief. High-intensity transfers were simply too much for them, and if Lu Hong didn’t call for a stop, who knows, a few more plane transfers and they might just faint.

Stepping foot on Umbra again, it didn’t take an hour before a throng of officials hurriedly approached.

At the same time, a beautiful figure galloped forward on a horse, stopping steadily in front of Lu Hong.

Lu Hong squinted at her: "How have you been during this time?"

"Mhm," the woman’s cheeks reddened slightly as she nodded: "I thought I might never see you again."

"Let’s go, take me to see your father, the King."

Mounting a white horse brought by the soldiers, Lu Hong and Princess Chen Xi entered the Imperial Palace of the Cang Kingdom together.

"Hahaha, Baron, please come in," the King did not receive Lu Hong in the grand hall, but directly in his study. His attitude towards Lu Hong was clear, no different from before.

"Your Majesty, how have you been recently?"

"Alright, I suppose. The Empire has had its share of difficulties, and they can hardly attend to our minor plane. Overall, it’s relatively stable," the King nodded, but Lu Hong still detected some issues in his words.

"What’s wrong? Is Umbra facing a threat?"

"That’s right." Just as the King was about to speak, Princess Chen Xi interrupted: "It’s the Disaster Church. With the Empire threatened by the Sea People, the Disaster Church increased their forces in Umbra. They nearly wiped out Nuoshan Kingdom and dealt quite a blow to the Cang Kingdom. Furthermore, the elves are retaliating against us after failing to open their relics."

The Disaster Church was still causing chaos, and the elves had also meddled. Lu Hong realized that the Seven Kingdoms of Umbra also had a difficult existence.

"I came thinking to see if I could help you deal with the Disaster Church, but now it seems the chances are slim," Lu Hong shook his head. The Seven Kingdoms of Umbra were all suppressed by the Disaster Church; his power alone was not enough to influence the outcome of a plane’s wars, not to mention when he could fulfill the promises made back then.

The King appeared to comprehend the underlying reasons and said: "Baron, you’re referring to the contract you signed with the Lord of Qingxiao City, Kato?"

"You know about that?"

Upon mentioning this person, the King expressed regret: "He’s dead, fell during the war against the Disaster Church. I was there just before he died, and he told me about the contract and unilaterally dissolved it before his death. The Disaster Church in Umbra is powerful, and he didn’t want to see you bound by the contract and choose death."

The cost of unilaterally dissolving a contract was enormous, likely hastening Kato’s demise as well.

Free from the contract, Lu Hong felt not relieved but even heavier in heart.

"What exactly is the situation with the Disaster Church now? I want to see if I can be of help," Lu Hong felt he wouldn’t be at ease unless he personally put down a group of the church’s followers.

The King shook his head: "There are no followers of the Disaster Church in Umbra now."

"What?" Lu Hong was taken aback: "How could that be?"

"They’re hiding somewhere unknown, probably in another plane, ready to pass through the portal and launch a surprise attack on Umbra at any moment," Princess Chen Xi explained: "That’s also the most troublesome part about them — there’s simply no way to launch a defense."

Indeed, a realm was simply too vast to defend completely, and the Disaster Church was cunning, always striking at the weakest points.

Nuoshan Kingdom had been victimized while aiding the Shate Kingdom, exploited by the Disaster Church through such an opening, striking their nest. Thankfully, the King of Nuoshan was not in the capital at the time.

"This will be tough," Lu Hong frowned. Without locating the hideout of the Disaster Church, the issue couldn’t be resolved.

"Baron, the matter can be solved if the Empire is able to extricate itself from the threat of the Sea People and coordinate the resources of the Empire’s Unyielding Throne," the King spoke earnestly: "Then the Disaster Church will have nowhere to hide. The elves and the Disaster Church dare to attack Umbra relentlessly because the Empire is currently too strained to act."

The King’s meaning was clear, and Lu Hong nodded: "I understand, the Sea People’s problem must be resolved quickly."

The King shook his head regretfully: "Difficult! The Naga Queen, how can she be dealt with?"

The Queen? Lu Hong laughed softly. In another half a year, it would be her time to die!