Shang Li shook his head and dismissed the strange thought.
It must have been his imagination. The long march from the borderlands had likely clouded his senses. With a quiet breath he pushed the odd feeling aside and turned back toward Yue Li, a relaxed smile returning to his face.
"Anyway, enough of that," he said casually. "I received word earlier from Lady Rose. She will be the first of our distinguished guests to arrive."
He glanced at Yue Li.
"Do you remember her?"
Yue Li gave a short nod, her crimson eyes lighting up with recognition.
"How could I forget that remarkable woman?" she replied. "I'm glad our closest neighbor and ally will be the first to arrive."
Then she tilted her head slightly and added in a quieter tone,
"But tell me, husband… do we have enough alcohol and meat prepared?"
Shang Li scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"…We do not."
Without another word he waved over a nearby servant.
"Double the kitchen's preparations," he ordered calmly. "Wine, spirits, meat and desserts, everything."
The servant bowed deeply and hurried away toward the kitchens as if fleeing a battlefield.
John listened carefully from his mother's arms.
His enhanced hearing made it easy to pick up their conversation.
Lady Rose…
That had to be Lady Azure Rose, the Sovereign of Wood and ruler of the Lionesses, the ruling sect of the Land of Wood.
The Land of Earth shared two borders: to the west lay the Land of Fire, and to the east the Land of Wood.
From what John had gathered through stories and gossip, Lady Azure Rose was not merely powerful.
She was quite infamous.
She had risen through the ranks of the Lioness Sect through sheer brutality, defeating rivals and consuming their cores to strengthen her cultivation. Eventually she challenged the former Sect Mistress through the Rite of Challenge, an ancient duel that determined leadership.
The battle ended with Rose victorious.
But instead of accepting defeat with dignity, the previous mistress had begged for mercy.
Rose had refused.
Instead, she refined the defeated woman into a pill and devoured her cultivation foundation.
The scandal shook the sect.
Yet when news reached the Emperor himself, he had reportedly apologized personally for the sect's earlier mistreatment of Rose and formally acknowledged her as the rightful Sovereign of Wood.
A demonic cultivator.
And one of the most powerful figures in the realm.
John shifted slightly.
Apparently she was also a close friend of his parents.
Though whenever Yue Li spoke of her, there was always a faint tension beneath her voice.
"Speaking of preparations," Yue Li said suddenly, "That brother of yours, I mean…"
She paused, correcting herself.
"The Clan Head must be a little annoyed you have not met with him yet, no?"
She bit her tongue slightly as she adopted a more respectful tone when referring to Lord Chi Li, Sovereign of Earth and Shang Li's elder brother.
Shang Li waved a hand dismissively.
"He can wait."
His gaze softened as he looked at John.
"I would rather spend time with my wife and son first."
He gently lifted John higher.
"Right, John?"
His voice oozing affection
"Your uncle can wait. I would sooner offend the Emperor himself than waste time with my successor."
He smiled down at the infant.
"Perhaps I'll even let you watch me practice my techniques. See if any of my talents rubbed off on you."
John's eyes widened.
Training?
Already?
He gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Shang Li chuckled.
"Are you sure he will be safe?" Yue Li asked, still uncertain. "Perhaps I should..."
The great doors of the hall slammed open interrupting Yue Li's further protest.
A thunderous voice echoed through the chamber.
"SHANG LI!"
"Where is my welcome committee?"
"Come greet an old friend, you cocky bastard!"
Every head turned.
Into the hall strode a towering woman easily over two meters tall.
She wore bronze and leather armor reminiscent of ancient Greek warriors, layered with practical straps and reinforced plating. Draped across her shoulders was the magnificent white pelt of a lion and in her muscular arms was a helmet decorated with the fangs of lion.
Her physique was powerful and athletic, every movement confident and unrestrained. Sun kissed olive skin contrasted against the dark cascade of her long black hair, which shimmered with a blue tint beneath the lantern light.
Her bright green eyes were vivid as a rainforest canopy.
Her smile was bold and fearless.
Behind her marched a group of women clad in similar armor, warriors of the Lioness Sect.
They were tall, disciplined, and striking in their own right, though none carried the same commanding presence as their leader.
Many of the servants and soldiers present could not hide their astonishment.
Even seasoned warriors found themselves gawking.
Yue Li and Shang Li, however, remained perfectly composed.
John, meanwhile, felt slightly dizzy.
The room suddenly seemed much larger.
And much louder.
So this is Lady Azure Rose
He studied her curiously.
The warriors from the Land of Earth carried the disciplined elegance of Asian armies.
But Rose and her Lionesses felt different.
Wild and Untamed by modesty and concern.
Almost like heroes from a Legends from his home.
John blinked slowly, his mind spinning as he tried to process everything.
This celebratory banquet was going to be far more interesting than he or anyone else expected.