Next, this airship flew back along its original path and arrived at a small town near the Imperial borders. The crew let Qianye and Zhuji off here, where a different airship would take them back to the neutral lands. It seemed Eunuch Yang considered his job entirely done as he never appeared again along the entire journey.

Qianye was all too happy to get some peace and quiet, but he couldn’t help but wonder why Empress Li had said he had done well. Was she referring to the killing of the six-armed giant? That was Nighteye, and besides, no one in the Empire should know about it.

Those major characters loved playing with riddles, never saying things clearly. This was especially true of those who liked to dabble in divination.

While cursing inwardly, Qianye brought out that long box.

Since he couldn’t quite figure out Empress Li’s intentions, all he could do was see what she had given him. Someone of her stature couldn’t be too miserly with her gifts.

The box felt heavy in his hands. As he opened the container, a burst of red light erupted and filled the entire room with a ruby shade.

There was...