bdsm-fiction 170. The Royal Request
170. The Royal Request
Xiao Yan walked back to his residence with light steps. Although it was within the Black Mountain Fortress, Xiao Yan's status was so special that he, Yang Lingyan, Queen Medusa, and the others all had decent resting places within the Black Mountain Fortress. The strong have privileges everywhere, even in the military.
Before Xiao Yan even approached his room, he had already used his soul power to detect three auras outside his room.
Xiao Yan had already noticed one of them, but he didn't seem to notice anything unusual and walked directly towards the three of them.
"Is Elder Jia waiting for me?" Xiao Yan asked first.
The old man standing in the middle was dressed in yellow, with white hair and a youthful face. He was none other than Jia Xingtian, the leader of the Jia Ma royal family and a peak Dou Huang.
Although Xiao Yan and Jia Xingtian did not have a direct relationship, they had interacted during the Yunlan Sect battle and the previous war, so Xiao Yan still showed his elder a certain degree of respect.
What truly interested Xiao Yan were the two women standing next to Jia Xingtian.
The woman on the left wore a purple robe embroidered with silver patterns. Her exquisite features, influenced by her royal upbringing, exuded an innate noble air. A purple sash cinched her slender waist, perfectly showcasing her figure. She appeared to be a year or two younger than Xiao Yan, with a slight smile on her pretty face, radiating elegance and tranquility. However, when their eyes met, Xiao Yan noticed a mischievous glint in this seemingly ladylike girl's watery eyes. Clearly, she wasn't the quiet type she appeared to be. Since his arrival, her gaze had been fixed on him, as if seeking some answer.
However, the girl was clearly a little afraid of Jia Xingtian, and did not rush to Xiao Yan to ask him directly.
The woman to Jia Xingtian's right was clearly a bit older than the girl, her tall figure perfectly accentuated by a blue brocade robe. The two women shared some resemblance, but unlike the girl's mischievous charm, the woman on the right possessed a distinctly mature air; her beautiful eyes exuded a natural allure. Alongside this undeniable feminine charm, Xiao Yan sensed a commanding presence; this woman was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
"They are my great-granddaughters, Yaoye and Yaoyue," Jia Xingtian introduced.
Xiao Yan nodded in greeting to both of them; just by looking at them, he knew they were no ordinary people.
"Old Jia, you didn't come here just to introduce me to these two princesses, did you?"
Hearing Xiao Yan's impolite reply, Yao Ye, who was standing nearby, also raised her eyebrows slightly. She was about to speak when Jia Xingtian stopped her.
Instead of answering Xiao Yan's question, Jia Xingtian countered with, "I wonder what Elder Xiao's opinion is of the Jia Ma Empire?"
"I was born here and grew up here." Although Xiao Yan found Jia Xingtian's attitude a bit strange, he still answered truthfully.
However, there was another half-sentence he didn't say: Xiao Yan's only true concern was the Xiao family, which was no longer within the Jia Ma Empire. As for any sense of national honor, Xiao Yan felt it was rather weak; his actions today were merely a series of coincidences.
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's answer, Jia Xingtian's face lit up with joy: "I wonder if Elder Xiao would be willing to become the Lord of Jia Ma?"
Xiao Yan was taken aback when he heard Jia Xingtian's question. He knew that Jia Xingtian must need him to do something if he was waiting for him at night, but he did not expect that it would be such a heavyweight question right from the start.
Seeing Xiao Yan's condition, Jia Xingtian pressed on, saying, "Although the royal family is somewhat weakened today, they are still the true masters of the Jia Ma Empire! With Elder Xiao in charge, both the Yunlan Sect and the Snake-People Tribe have no choice but to obey orders! With the victory in this great war, the Jia Ma Empire can expand its strength in a short period of time. Given Elder Xiao's age and strength, as well as his relationship with the Heavenly Serpent Palace, the Jia Ma Empire will become one of the leading powers in the Northwest Region in less than ten years."
As Jia Xingtian spoke, he became more and more emotional. Xiao Yan could even see the blazing flames burning in Jia Xingtian's eyes, a true yearning for the future of the Jia Ma Empire.
"And ten years from now, Elder Xiao will undoubtedly be a Dou Zong or even a Dou Zun expert. His strength and power will be terrifying!"
Upon hearing Jia Xingtian's plan, Xiao Yan suddenly asked, "Then why does Elder Jia want to hand over the royal family to me? If he does, the Jia Ma Empire will belong to the Xiao family."
Xiao Yan astutely pointed out the part that Jia Xingtian had deliberately omitted. Jia Xingtian paused for a moment, then continued, "The empire belongs to the capable; I have only one condition!"
Xiao Yan saw that Jia Xingtian was deliberately keeping him in suspense, but he remained silent, waiting for Jia Xingtian to continue.
Jia Xingtian was slightly embarrassed, but he still continued, "My two great-granddaughters, Yaoyue, are already third-grade alchemists at the age of eighteen, and Yaoye is now the commander of the Empire's 50,000-strong army. If Elder Xiao is willing to take charge of the Jia Ma Empire, both of them will become your wives."
Upon hearing Jia Xingtian's introduction, Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Ye a few more times. The strength of Yao Ye's soul power had already led Xiao Yan to conclude that she must be an alchemist. However, he hadn't expected that Yao Ye, who was only a few years older than him, could become the commander of a legion of 50,000 men.
Xiao Yan's gaze led Yao Ye to misunderstand, and seeing Xiao Yan's slightly outrageous behavior made Yao Ye somewhat annoyed with him. However, before setting off, Jia Xingtian had repeatedly given her instructions, so Yao Ye didn't react much.
Instead, seeing Xiao Yan's gaze, Jia Xingtian felt reassured and continued, "I have only one request: that the future heir of the Jia Ma Empire be the child born to the two of them."
Upon hearing Jia Xingtian's final request, Xiao Yan finally understood. Jia Xingtian was offering all sorts of benefits in order to continue the royal family's control over the Jia Ma Empire in another way.
Although the future heir is surnamed Xiao, he still carries their family blood, which is obviously a lifeline for the precarious royal family of the Jia Ma Empire.
However, under Jia Xingtian's expectant gaze, Xiao Yan still shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Jia. But I have no such intention, and I will not stay in the Jia Ma Empire. I will leave in a few days."