NOVGO.NET Chapter 1082 - 1082: The wife Reunion
Ai Ping froze in place, her lips parting as disbelief washed through her. The Han clan… enslaved by blood oath… and to her name. She had endured years of humiliation, abandoned as the illegitimate daughter of the emperor, left to oversee a village of chained slaves. Yet in a single night, the tides had turned.
She swallowed hard, her eyes glistening. At the top of the steps stood Kent—white robes unblemished, hair flowing in the morning wind, his expression steady as though the collapse of a dynasty were nothing but routine.
Ai Ping walked forward, her steps measured, her body trembling despite her composure. When she stopped before him, she bowed deeply, voice breaking. “Golden Heir… I… I cannot believe this. You have given me a gift greater than life. The Han family, their wealth, their legacy… all beneath me now. I owe you everything.”
Kent looked at her with calm eyes, no pride in his expression. “No need.” His tone was even, but his words cut through the crowd like truth carved into stone. “You gave me a chance when I needed one. This is only balance.”
Ai Ping’s throat tightened. Memories of the day she had shown him kindness—when he asked just for a spot in Royal Academy. She never thought her favor would change her fate entirely. Tears welled in her eyes, but she pressed her lips and nodded firmly.
Before more could be spoken, the air changed. A sudden vibration rippled through the ground, the wind thickened with salt and spirit energy. The sky above the range shimmered with scales of light, and a wave of spiritual beasts parted like a tide.
Then came the procession.
The Sea Clan had arrived.
Dozens of naga warriors, their bodies armored in coral scales, marched with solemn rhythm. Behind them, attendants carried colossal chests on floating jade platforms, each chest carved with sigils of the deep. Waves of aura poured out of them—pearls glowing with moonlight, shards of coral that pulsed with divine light, teeth and bones of ancient sharks that radiated killing intent.
The crowd gasped, their voices cracking with disbelief.
“The Naga Clan’s treasure hoard!”
“That pearl… it’s a Coral Spirit Moon Pearl! I thought all were lost!”
“That bone… no, that’s an Ancient Shark Clan relic, its aura alone could kill lesser cultivators!”
Even the Syndicate elders, seated high in their reserved pavilion, leaned forward in shock. They were the wealthiest men alive, their coffers deep as mountains—yet even they had never laid eyes on such riches in one place.
At the head of the procession, the envoy of the Naga Clan bowed low before Kent. His serpentine voice hissed with reverence. “Our patriarch, in honor of the Golden Heir, sends these gifts, gathered from the Coral Spirit Clan and the Ancient Shark Clan, to serve as tribute to your rising star. The sea itself bends in respect.”
Gasps echoed again through the spectators. Never before had the proud sea clans bent to a land warrior.
Kent’s face remained calm. He neither bowed nor showed surprise. He merely inclined his head once, as though accepting the sea’s natural tide.
At his side, Fatty Ben could no longer contain himself. He waddled forward with a wide grin, slapping his belly. “Heh! Now this is how gifts should look. Move, move—I’ll take care of these.”
With practiced ease, he summoned his storage ring, sucking up the treasures chest by chest. Each time a box vanished into his ring, his grin grew wider, his chins shaking with delight.
“Ah, perfect size. Oh-ho! Another chest, yes, yes, bring it here—Kent, brother, you see? They truly know how to flatter!”
The crowd murmured, half in envy, half in amusement.
Meanwhile, Kent turned from the treasures, his gaze sweeping over his people—his wives, Ai Ping, Fatty Ben, and the silent Han family still kneeling, too broken even to lift their heads. His voice rang out, steady, commanding.
“In two days,” he declared, “we depart.”
The words struck like a bell. Depart—to where? To what end? None knew. But the certainty in his tone brooked no doubt.
The crowd trembled, whispers rushing like wildfire.
“In two days… he moves again!”
“Wherever he goes, storms will follow.”
Ai Ping bowed her head again, her heart beating wildly. The Han family shuddered, their fate sealed.
Kent, calm as ever, turned to withdraw into his residence, his robes flowing like tidewater retreating to the sea. His wives followed in silence, Fatty Ben humming behind them, and the onlookers still whispered about what they had witnessed.
It was then, at the edge of the courtyard, that Kent stopped.
For beyond the crowd, two figures had appeared. They stood quietly, yet their presence pulled at him with invisible threads. One was a slender woman in simple robes, her eyes swollen with tears, her hands clutching her chest as though to keep her heart from shattering.
Bai Qi—Kent’s wife, whom he had left behind before going to Immortal Living Pool. She had been sheltered under another’s roof, waiting, yearning, enduring in silence.
Beside her stood the second—calm, dignified, her aura refined, her gaze lowered with grace. Lin Lin, the famed alchemy genius, mistress of profound formulas and divine pills. She had protected Bai Qi during Kent’s absence, giving her refuge when the world was hostile.
For a long moment, Kent said nothing. The world itself seemed to still. Then his lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. He stretched out his hand toward Bai Qi.
“I thought of coming for you next,” he said, his voice calm but carrying warmth that only she could feel.
At his words, Bai Qi broke into sobs. She could no longer hold back the years of waiting, the nights of longing, the pain of separation. With a cry, she rushed forward, running into his arms. Her tears soaked his chest as she clung to him like one afraid he might dissolve into mist.
Kent’s embrace was firm, steady. One hand stroked her hair gently. “You endured. That was enough,” he whispered.
Lin Lin stepped forward then, bowing her head in respect. Her voice was quiet, yet filled with dignity. “Golden Heir, as I promised, I kept your wife safe within my halls. Today, I return her to you, whole and unharmed.”
Kent inclined his head, his tone even but weighty. “Lin Lin, your favor is not forgotten. A time will come when your kindness is repaid beyond measure.”