Chapter 530: Fish and Net I (1/2)

Chapter 530: Fish and Net I

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The millennia old Su City was now in a period of instability. Rumours of the King's passing were hotly discussed amongst the common people. No one knew who started the rumours, but it was now circulating around the city. Sun Sieha's return to the capital yesterday seemed to bring some truth to the rumours. Everything that was happening seemed to be related to this unconfirmed news.

Prince Sun had rushed to the Royal Palace soon after he reached the capital yesterday, and had not left since. The people of Eastern Cloud loved their King, Ze Sieha, father to Prince Sun. Ze's reign was transparent and efficient. Under his rule, the country had prospered and grown stronger, threatening to topple Southern Land's position as the strongest country in the world.

By midday, the Royal Palace finally made an official announcement of the King's passing. The people mourned. Citizens of Su City put whitebell flowers on their person as a sign of grieving. Everywhere on the streets, the people looked mournful, wearing a tiny whitebell flower on their chest.

It was a busy and chaotic day. The new King would ascend the throne on the same day as the former King's passing, as was Eastern Cloud's tradition. There was no dispute on who should inherit the throne, as Sun Sieha was the only Prince and heir. He would lead his people and continue forward.

The people were sad, but they were also hopeful for the future of their country. No one doubted the capabilities of Prince Sun, or rather, His Majesty the King. He was widely respected by those in the army and the government, and also the common people.

Nonetheless, not everyone shared this optimism, especially the older government councillors. The old King was kind and merciful, but the new king was entirely different. He had served in the military when he was young, and even today, still had control over a majority of the country's armies. He was stern and decisive, with very little hesitation for violence and killing. Besides, his ruthlessness was a cause of wariness for the councillors.

After Sun Sieha was crowned King, the instability in Su City gradually dissipated. Su City reverted back to its daily hustle and bustle, unhindered by the sudden change in power, just as the old King had wished for.

On this seemingly ordinary day, a new era of ruling had begun.

Ye Chong wondered the streets of Su City, with Ba Luomeng as his guide. Trailing behind him was his only student, Kristen, and the Level 8 shooter who had been assigned to him, Sha Ya.

Ever since witnessing the fierce battle that day, Kristen behaved like a completely different person in front of Ye Chong. She was obedient and never acted arrogantly in front of Ye Chong again. Ye Chong was unused to her mannerism at first, but since Kristen would be less likely to cause trouble this way, he chose to let her be.

Kristen's quietness, Sha Ya's seriousness and Ye Chong's characteristic indifference made them look like the coldest trio ever existed.

How long had it been since Ba Luomeng acted as a tour guide? He could not recall exactly, but it might be 20 years ago, or was it 30? To ensure that his honoured guests were satisfied, he had even brought along a younger servant, Man, with him. He had not felt like leading the tour himself at first, since he was already quite old, but in the end he could not get over worrying about the guests, and went along with them.

Perhaps because the strict, old butler was with them, Man started off being a little awkward. However, he slowly opened up and spoke with more enthusiasm and humour. Kristen giggled at his antics, narrowing her eyes into a smile. Even the ever serious looking Sha Ya could not help but smiled. Man was just over 20 years old. He had a strong body and a witty character. Growing up in the streets of Su City, he was familiar with its every twist and turn, making him the best tour guide one could hope for.

Ye Chong found something strange about the place. There were rarely any aircrafts in Su City. Upon inquiring, he found out that the area above Su City was restricted airspace. All aircrafts must land or take off at the landing field outside the city. If they entered the city's airspace by mistake, they could well be shot down by the city's aerial defence system.

The first thing to do was to find a place to settle down, only then can Ye Chong plan his future in earnest. He had a rough idea of what to do, but there were many details that he needed to think on. Without Mu/Shang by his side, there was no one else to help him. He must take care of everything himself.

Sun Sieha's former Royal accommodation was not uncomfortable, but Ye Chong thought it safer to find a place of his own.

Ba Luomeng may not be an outstanding tour guide, but his status in the community of nobles and aristocrats was unquestionable. Soon, he was able to gather a list of people who were interested in selling their house or land.

Ba Luomeng did not cross the line of his duties. He only asked Ye Chong for details the property such as house and land size, but not the purpose of his venture.

”I have what you asked for,” Ba Luomeng bowed respectfully and reported, ”You had asked for a wide piece of land, and a quiet and peaceful environment. There are many manors like these around Su City. There are currently 13 who were interested in selling. Here are the top three. If you think they're not suitable, please wait for a few days as we will have more information by then.

”The first manor is located south of Su City, right beside a river with an excellent view. It belongs to the Count of Sware. Price estimate puts it at around 50 million. It's about a hundred kilometres from Su City. The second manor is located at the border of Su City. The house was built by a sculptor, then sold at a high price to Sir Bikki. It has a rather unique architecture, with a valuation price of about 80 million.”

Ba Luomeng took a quick glance at Ye Chong, saw him listening intently, then cleared his throat and continued, ”The third one is located to the north of Su City. It is the furthest away, at about 300 kilometers from the capital. The land area for this manor is also the largest. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and is the most affordable of the three. You can purchase it for about 15 ao. Besides, you will also gain ownership of the land around the manor, which is about 25 square kilometres in area.”

Good views, pleasant architecture and the like did not interest Ye Chong. In the end, he chose the third one. Being the furthest from Su City, it would also allow him to stay as far away from the complicated place as possible.

From the books he read, he understood that the capital would always be complicated. He was not weak and helpless now, but he still needed time to figure out ways to fight against his enemies.

From the games that he had played with Mu/Shang, Ye Chong learned that if he stood out before making sure he had the strength to back his play, failure would be a very likely outcome. Instead of doing that, he should focus on lying low and finding more effective ways to best his enemies.

Once, Ye Chong had fought in a very straightforward and simple manner. With his superior combat skills and Mu/Shang as his backup, he had managed to survive more than a few close calls.

As Ye Chong grew more experienced, he became more appreciative of strategizing. The one event that truly convinced him of this was when he had to lead his fleet to survival. Whether it was in real life situations or in the game that Ye Chong played with Mu/Shang, he had to force himself to change his methods. One would always grow fastest when through actual experience.

There must always be room for change. Ye Chong did not have a rigid mindset. He had realized that there could be easier ways to tackle the same problem. This realization helped him a lot. Whenever he was facing a problem, he would always ask himself if there was a better solution to it.

Nevertheless, despite his continuous personal growth, Ye Chong's innate personality made him inclined towards more aggressive methods.

…

When Sun Sieha finished with Ba Luomeng's report, he broke into a smile. He immediately gave the order for Ba Luomeng to assist with Ye Chong's purchase.

”Now this is definitely not on me, it's all your doing,” Sun Sieha thought to himself. He had been vexed by the problem of controlling Ye Chong, but now he just felt like laughing out loud. Behind him, a map laid open, showing the location of Ye Chong's manor of choice. Close beside it was a marking that represented a military camp.

…

Ba Luomeng received his orders from Sun Sieha and worked even more cautiously. He had only been giving a routine report to the King. He could understand how busy His Majesty must be right now, newly ascended to the throne, with many important matters to see to. Hence, when Ba Luomeng received a direct order from Sun Sieha , he was very much surprised.

”See to it immediately.” The order was simple, but as a long time servant of Sun Sieha, Ba Luomang could tell that His Majesty placed great importance in this matter.

Once again, he was struck by curiosity of the honoured guest. Who was he, to warrant so much attention from the King?

Ba Luomeng worked efficiently. He completed all the necessary paperwork for Ye Chong's purchase on that day itself.

As the actual buyer of the manor, Ye Chong could appreciate deeply how very much more expensive the manor was compared to houses in Yedda City. Fortunately, the deal included the 25 square kilometres of land around the manor.

The owner's gratefulness having completed the transaction seemed a little odd to Ye Chong.

All of this was too unfamiliar to him. He could barely understand how a transaction worked. Besides, Ba Luomeng's demonstrated expertise convinced Ye Chong that he should just let the butler deal with the matter.

Now that he owned a house of his own, Ye Chong did not want to stay in Sun Sieha's place any longer. He, Kristen, Sha Ya and the manor's former owner bid farewell to Ba Luomeng and flew off to the property of interest.

Since he could not use Celest, Ye Chong had to fly with Sha Ya in her fighter once again. Kristen had her own fighter, but it was far inferior compared to Sha Ya's fighter.