Chapter 351 The Way Forward 1 (1/2)
”Child?” Lady Seph furrowed her brows in displeasure while Shin's face furiously blushed. ”Shin's still a child! Why are you even discussing this matter now?”
”Ara? You haven't planned his future?” The Saint of Time was mildly surprised. She assumed that the Himmel Empire would have one or two girls lined up for Shin to procreate and leave a line of spectacular genes for themselves. Fortunately for Longyu Tian, Lady Seph hadn't planned that far.
'If that's the case, should I plant some Longyu Clan girls by his side? Judging from Shin's story, he has lost his first love and has yet to recover. If I can use someone to capture his heart, won't he leave the Himmel Empire of his own accord? Would Ying'er be suitable? No, she's almost twenty-five… Wait does Shin like older or younger girls?'
The Saint of Time. A Spirit Saint that had washed her hands off all mortal affairs. A Saint that would even spit in the Himmel Empire's Emperor's face if she really wanted to. That very same lofty Spirit Saint was now planning the sex life of a mere Spirit Core cultivator.
”Saint of Time… That's a condition that I'm not willing to accept.” Saint Firebird instantly saw through the conniving Spirit Saint's plan.
If Shin had children and had to raise them in the Lantis Republic, it would make sense for him to stay in the nation for extended periods. Once his children got assimilated into the culture and life of the Lantis Republic, Shin would become more attached to the archipelago rather than the Terre Continent. Eventually, the little patriotism that he had for the Himmel Empire would vanish, and Shin would ultimately become a Spirit Saint that lives and breathes for the Lantis Republic.
”If Shin were to have any children, it should be on Himmel Empire grounds.”
A vein popped in Longyu Tian's forehead. She had laid down straightforward terms, and yet the Himmel Empire wasn't willing to accept. ”And why would I let you do that? The Lantis Republic has the best resources to offer when it comes to raising a Scion of Water! Shin's children would be well-served in our country.”
”What makes you think that a child of Shin's would awaken the Sovereign Koi?” Saint Firebird replied with fervour. ”Let's say he mates with our Empire's Kanari, won't his children awaken something else other than the Sovereign Koi?”
”...” Shin's face continued to flush. His lips pursed and eyes quivering, the young boy couldn't take it anymore. Why the hell were two Spirit Saints arguing about his sex life?!
”I'm sorry, can I say something?” Shin meekly raised his hands. As much as he wanted to look away from the angry stares that were sent his direction, the boy felt like he needed to get a word in, or else the misunderstanding between the two Spirit Saints would continue to intensify.
”I don't plan on getting married or having children. My main focus is to concentrate on the Black Masks and obtaining immortality.”
It wasn't strange for Spirit Users to remain celibate all their life in the pursuit of greatness. The monks from the Shaolin Temple were the best examples of that. They abstain from almost all of the world's greatest pleasures and continue to become Spirit Emperors and Spirit Venerates regularly. Thus, it wasn't strange for Shin to want to pursue that path. Unfortunately, the two Spirit Saints had different plans for him.
”Shin. I know that you're still heartbroken over the loss of Ariel, but your future is important. Having a family is an essential part of being alive. To have the urge to protect the child you create, to leave the world in a better state than it was so that their future is secure, that is an essential desire that would aid in your cultivation as well.” Longyu Tian sweetly explained. ”You don't have to rush into a relationship right now. Just wait until you're in the Lantis Republic. I'll explain everything to you then.”
”Hey! I said I didn't agree with the last condition!”
”Instead of arbitrarily deciding my disciple's own freedom to procreate,” Lady Seph did her best to hold back her anger, tightening her fists and biting down on her lower lip didn't work though. Her voice was thick, and each word was enunciated. ”Let Shin decided on his own personal life. We don't have any right to decide any of this for him!”
”Lady Seph has a point.” Prince Koshaku spoke out in protest as well. For the Himmel Empire, the ideal situation was for Shin to marry someone of considerable lineage and to leave children behind where the Himmel Empire could use to tie him down. However, ultimately, it was up for Shin to decide. ”The boy has the freedom to choose whoever he wants to settle down with. History has shown that forcing someone into love or marriage typically leads to undesirable consequences. Furthermore, he's just sixteen. Let's just wait until he's in the Spirit Spectre stage before we bring this matter up again.”
”Hmmm… Whatever.” Longyu Tian shrugged her shoulders as if she had given in to the demands. However, god knows what diabolical plan she had concocted up in the depths of her soul.
”I agree with the terms that have been laid out. The Lantis Republic will provide a hundred thousand troops as promised, and we will participate in whatever activities that pertain to the Black Masks. The Grand Council did want me to tell you this though. If you're trying to attack the Black Masks through the ocean route into the Uncharted Wilderness, the Lantis Republic won't comply. It's far too dangerous after all.”
”Finally, we agree on something.” Seeing the light that was at the end of the tunnel, Prince Koshaku beamed happily and walked over to the Lantis Republic representatives. Extending out his right hand, the Royal hoped to end the fortnight-long standoff with a smile. ”For now, let us seal the negotiations with a verbal agreement. Peace?”
”...” Zhangyu Yaoguai waited for Longyu Tian to give the signal before he stood up and accepted the handshake. ”Peace.”
”Good! We have finally reached a true milestone in human history!” Through this handshake, the Summit truly came to a close. The Lantis Republic, the Himmel Empire, the Kori Federation. The triad of superpowers that dominated the lands had finally merged to form an Alliance that would take on the Black Masks.
The following hours became the most hectic time in the history of the Summit. Now that the Himmel Empire and the Lantis Republic had finally sought peace, there was now a bunch of paperwork to be completed. Leaders from the Kori Federation, Blacksmith's League, Mercenary Guild and Healer's Association all gathered together to iron out the details of the agreement and finally sign the first ever Alliance treaty.
A shared intelligence agency had been formed and was headed by the Guild Leader of the Mercenary Guild. A central weapon and armoury hub was created by the Blacksmith's League to help facilitate the distribution of ammunition to combat the Black Masks. The Healer's Association was also given permission to open up Healing Wards in any strategic locations that would expedite the recovery of the fallen soldiers. And finally, a strategic council was formed where each entity got a vote each to decide on future operations, and the same representatives that participated in the Summit were all offered a seat on the table.
Things moved so quickly that no one slept a wink as the contracts were drafted and completed in the middle of the night. There was a slight hiccup in the process when it came to choosing a figurehead to represent the Alliance as none of the trio of superpowers were willing to abscond that seat. However, when the Spirit Saints found out about the issue, they directly ordered the most neutral person for the job, the Healer's Association Head, Raphael, to claim the seat as the top person for the Alliance.
The commotion continued on through the bright moonlight and into the dawn of a new day as if signifying the advent of a new beginning for mankind. Just like his seniors, Shin had barely slept as he spun around on his bed for the entire night. He had got what he wanted. A chance for baptism in the Celestial River and a dual-citizenship with both the Himmel Empire and the Lantis Republic. However, it didn't come with no cost.