As soon as Marcia and Rocky pulled out of the Dragon Master Clan, they received some much-needed
good news from Moira. The members of the Mu Clan she had sent out earlier had successfully
escorted Bryant and the emperor back to the Imperial City. There were some obstacles on the way, but
with the elite forces of the Ximen Clan supporting them on Bryant's orders, the group had already
returned to the Imperial City safe and sound.
Rocky and Marcia rushed back and headed straight to the Palace City.
They met Bryant and the others outside the emperor's chamber. Lena was with them.
"Master! Basil!" Sabina and Lucilla exclaimed as soon as they saw the two enter. They had been
waiting anxiously for a while, and it was obvious that they had been worried sick. Seeing them alive,
the group breathed a sigh of relief.
"Basil, are you okay?" Lena asked with great concern, seeing the wounds on Rocky's body.
"My dear disciple, how are you even standing up straight with those injuries?" Sheridan commented,
staring at the bloodstains all over him. "I would have passed out a long time ago."
"I'm fine," Rocky assured with a smile.
"Did you hand over the spiritual treasure?" Bryant inquired, looking between Rocky and Marcia.
"No." Rocky shook his head.
"Then, how did you..." Bryant asked doubtfully, and then looked at Marcia. From the look in her eyes,
he understood that something must have happened after they left.
Later, he would be surprised to know that the two of them had witnessed an appalling internal war
within the Dragon Master Clan.
"It's a long story. Let's talk about it later. Where is my father?" Rocky asked.
"Resting," Bryant said, looking at the direction of the emperor's chamber.
Rocky nodded and walked in. As he walked into the emperor's chamber, Malcom's warning rang
through his mind.
He was now sure that the real Basil's soul was hidden deep within his body, and it was in the process
of awakening. His thoughts and impulse to save the emperor had been influenced by Basil's soul.
This was another reason why he could no longer unseal the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead, or his
soul would be lost forever.
Rocky was immersed in thought when he heard a shaky old voice. "Is that you, Basil?"
His eyes fell on the huge dragon bed in the center of the resplendent, magnificent chamber. The
emperor lay on his bed. After everything he had been through, he still had a serenity about him, and his
face was much ruddier now, considering how much he had suffered in the past six months, imprisoned
in the Dragon Master Clan.
"Yes, Father," Rocky replied, walking to the edge of the dragon bed.
"Son, why did you have to act so rashly? You shouldn't have taken the risk of breaking into the Dragon
Master Clan just to save me. If something had happened to you again, how could I ever face your
mother?" The emperor scanned Rocky's wounded face with a complicated, yet gratified look in his
turbid eyes.
"You are my father; It is my duty to protect you. For the Holy Dragon Empire and for—" Rocky stopped
on second thought. He knew that it was not really him who had wanted to desperately save the
emperor.
"Never jump into danger like that again, even if it is to save me. I owe you so much already..." the
emperor sighed as his heart filled with unspeakable shame.
"Father, you must have heard about what happened to Alston," Rocky mentioned carefully, narrowing
his eyes.
"Chief Bryant told me that he deserved it. You only did what you had to do. Don't let it bother you. It's
not your fault," the emperor said, waving his hand.
"But still, he was your son." Rocky had thought that the emperor would be at least a little upset about it,
but it seemed that he was more open-minded than Rocky had imagined.
"Forget about it. That chapter of our lives is over," the emperor said with finality. After a pause, he
continued, "Basil, I have been through much peril. Although I survived the ordeal, I am much weaker
now. I wish to abdicate the throne and announce the new ruler. I want you to take over. The throne
would have been yours sooner or later. This is the right time for me to retire," the emperor declared.
Rocky remained silent for a moment, and then refused politely, "You should continue to rule the Holy
Dragon Empire, Father. I'm not suited to be the emperor." He had been through enough trouble
already. Alston was dead, and the emperor was safe. He met Lena again and untied the knot in his
heart. All he wanted right now was to get some well-deserved sleep.
However, Rocky knew that things would not be peaceful for long. The Dragon Master Clan, led by Rex,
would never give up. A more dire situation would befall the Holy Dragon Empire soon enough.
Moreover, with the continuous appearance of the spiritual treasures, the Wild Spirit Land would fall into
more disputes and war. And without the support of the Dragon Master Clan, the Holy Dragon Empire
would become an easy target for the other empires.
So, once he was done with getting enough sleep, Rocky had other plans which were much more
important than being the emperor.
"Basil..." The emperor tried to argue, but Rocky interrupted, "Father, you should rest now. We can talk
about it later."
The emperor hesitated for a moment before he nodded, and slowly closed his eyes.
Rocky stood by his side till he fell asleep and then walked out of the chamber.
Lena, Sabina and Lucilla surrounded him immediately.
"Basil, I gave orders to clean up the Crimson Palace. Let's go back and get some rest," Lena said.
Rocky nodded and then looked at Marcia.
"You may go there first. I have something to talk with Chief Bryant now," Marcia said to Rocky.
"Well, count me out! I need a drink. Disciple, I will see you later!" Sheridan said as he walked away
from them, waving his hand in the air. Alcohol, according to him, was the best medicine for any kind of
wound.
Chuckling silently, Rocky headed to the Crimson Palace with the three women.
Shirley stared at Rocky's retreating back and her eyes shook violently as if she had something on her
mind.
"Shirley, you head back too," Bryant said and then gestured Marcia to follow him. The two of them left
the palace together.
Initially, Rocky intended to have a good rest after returning to the Crimson Palace. However, Sabina
wanted to cultivate with him to help him heal his wounds first.
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