Chapter Ninety-One: The Imperial Capital Without War, Part 4

"Magic pet? Hmph!" Chiyan suddenly raised her hands high, casting her flaming scythe into the air above her head. She then began to spin rapidly, her hands dancing as the massive scythe whirled in a spiral along with her graceful, enchanting figure.

The fiery red scythe, her long crimson hair, and her flame-colored light armor made her appear like a brilliant red flower in full bloom, drawing the surrounding air into a vortex of red wind. "It’s a pity, but you won't have the chance to summon your magic pet!" The scythe’s rotation accelerated, eventually forming an impenetrable disk of fire. With a dragon’s roar, she lunged toward Andor with speed that the naked eye could barely track.

Under normal circumstances, Chiyan would have waited for Andor to summon his pet before deciding the victor—such was the pride of the dragon race. But today was different; removing Andor as quickly as possible was the direct order of Rudi III. For the sake of the Empire's interests, Chiyan abandoned her sense of honor, unleashing her full power in a bid to kill him in a single stroke.

However, Chiyan had overlooked one thing: Andor did not have his magic pet by his side, which meant he had to summon it through a spatial rift. For most mages, summoning a pet through a spatial rift would temporarily weaken the beast's power and require significant time. Therefore, Chiyan was confident she could kill Andor before the rift fully opened.

But Andor was a God-tier Necromancer, and his magic pet was, naturally, the undead remnant of a magical beast. Would an unfeeling undead creature fear the depletion caused by a spatial rift? And how much time would it take for a creature with ghost-like speed to pass through?

*Clack!* Andor’s expression remained unchanged as he watched Chiyan’s scythe fly toward him. Suddenly, a massive dragon skull thrust out from his chest! To be precise, it was the skeletal skull of a giant dragon. With a snap of its bone-white jaws, it crushed Chiyan's scythe into fragments!

A Ninth-Tier Bone Dragon!? Praise the Goddess of Life! Chu Tian suddenly understood why Andor had said that Chiyan’s opponent was his magic pet.

A Ninth-Tier Undead Bone Dragon Mage! This was Andor’s true strength—a level of power that even Barbosa in his prime could not hope to reach! The strength of a Bone Dragon was in no way inferior to a living dragon of the same tier, and now, Chiyan was weakened.

First, he had provoked Chiyan, then used the opportunity to cast a curse to weaken her magic. Once she was compromised, the Bone Dragon alone could hold her off. And afterward? Andor, the Ninth-Tier God-tier Necromancer, would be free to kill Chu Tian.

Praise the Goddess of Life! Andor’s target was me! Chu Tian was horrified. Even though Andor knew his identity had been exposed, he had dared to come alone, all to kill the Empire’s most powerful priest! If Chu Tian died, there would be no one left to treat the horses of the Caesar Cavalry, and his ability to counteract viruses against high-tier magical beasts would be lost. Without Chu Tian, the Res Empire’s army could treat the Caesar Empire as if it were nothing.

Usually, Chu Tian was protected by a multitude of magic pets and guards, and for his own safety, he never easily walked into dangerous situations. But today, Chu Tian had created an environment where he was isolated, and in doing so, he had delivered himself straight into Andor’s hands!

*Crack!* That was the sound of Chiyan clenching her fists. Her hair stood on end, transforming into leaping flames. She hovered in mid-air, her hands dangling at her sides, the muscles in her face twitching. With a voice as cold as ice, she shrieked, "Andor! Are you declaring war on the noble dragon race?!"

Chiyan was thoroughly enraged. If Andor’s insults toward Kanas had only made her angry, this Ninth-Tier Bone Dragon was a challenge to the dignity of the entire dragon race. To a necromancer, a Bone Dragon was a dream pet, but to dragons, it was a supreme humiliation! The bones of their ancestors and kin were being forged into weapons! No dragon could ever accept such a thing.

The Bone Dragon’s body continued to emerge from the void, and Andor, illuminated by the pale, eerie aura of the creature, burst into maniacal laughter. "Hahahaha! If you’re all dead, how will the Dragon Emperor ever know that I forged a Bone Dragon?!"

Andor had spent thirty years bowing and scraping in Caesar. Although his cover was blown, he could finally reclaim the dignity of a supreme master of the continent. "Kill her!" Andor pointed at Chiyan, issuing the command to his pet.

By now, the Bone Dragon’s body had fully manifested in the hall. Its stature, over ten meters tall, was in no way inferior to Chiyan’s true form, and the previously enclosed hall was torn to pieces as it struggled to contain the giant creature.

"Elder Kuban!?" Chiyan seemed to recognize the Bone Dragon. Even though only its skeleton remained, the aura it exuded could not be hidden. This Bone Dragon was none other than a Ninth-Tier dragon elder who had been dragged to his death by the flesh and blood of the Caesar Cavalry in the Battle of Quarry Fort thirty years ago! No wonder his remains could not be found after the war—they had been stolen by Andor!

"Vladino, take care of yourself!" Chiyan’s expression grew grave. The Bone Dragon’s strength in life had been superior to hers, and although it was now a construct, she had been weakened.

*Aooo!* Chiyan let out a clear, sharp dragon roar and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, a massive red dragon descended, ferociously pouncing on the Bone Dragon!

Praise the Goddess of Life! This is big trouble! Chu Tian was dumbfounded. A simple mission had now become impossibly difficult. Chiyan had actually reverted to her true form! Everyone knew that a Ninth-Tier dragon would only reveal its true form when facing a life-or-death enemy!

The red figure and the pale white bones intertwined, flying higher and higher until they were out of sight. It was clear that Chiyan was intentionally luring the Bone Dragon into the sky to fight, so as not to cause collateral damage to Chu Tian.

"Vladino, heh heh, now it’s just the two of us left." Andor returned to his persona as the kind, amiable old man, walking slowly toward Chu Tian. "You enjoy doing business, don't you? How about we talk about a deal?"

Suddenly, the sound of an arrow whistling through the air cut past Andor’s ear and struck the wall outside the hall. Anna had begun her attack.

"Haha," Andor didn't even flinch, letting the arrow pass by. "What, is that all the skill the Night Hunter has? You actually missed?"

"Praise the Goddess of Life!" Chu Tian squinted and smiled. If Andor wasn't killing him immediately, it meant he still had a use for him, which made things easier to manage. "What kind of business does Mr. Andor wish to discuss?" *Let's talk business slowly, then. But once my pets arrive, whether or not we continue talking won't be up to you.*

Chu Tian was now regretting why he had stationed his magic pets so far away, leaving only the fastest ones to protect him.

"Are you waiting for your magic pets?" Andor gave an amiable smile and brushed off his robes. "Oh my, Vladino. Haven't you noticed? My butler, Dirk, didn't come with me today, did he? And what about the Imperial Guards disguised as mercenaries? Why haven't they reacted yet?" As he spoke, Andor stretched lazily and laughed. "I also forgot to tell you: Dirk’s true strength isn't that of a Sword Saint. He is a Ninth-Tier Sword God!"

Andor’s implication was clear. Chu Tian realized his pets probably wouldn't make it. *Dammit! If a single hair on my pets is harmed, I will never let you go as long as I live!*

"Ninth-Tier Ancient Saint Priest, Your Highness Vladino!" Andor slowly recited Chu Tian’s title and bowed with the standard etiquette of a noble. "I now represent His Majesty Tyrant of the Res Empire to extend an invitation: please, serve as the Prime Minister of the Res Empire!"

Prime Minister!? Chu Tian was stunned. Praise the Goddess of Life! It took him a long moment to process this: Andor was trying to recruit him! It turned out Andor wasn't here to kill him, but to make him work for Res!

Seeing Chu Tian’s silence, Andor smiled gently. "At the same time, His Majesty Tyrant will grant you the rank of Prince." As he spoke, Andor glanced at Selina, who was looking bewildered. "You know, the nobility system in Res is much more flexible than in Caesar. Once you become a Prince, you can possess thousands of miles of territory and recruit your own army freely..."

"Vladino!" Selina looked at Chu Tian nervously. The price Andor offered was too tempting; she suddenly lost confidence in Chu Tian.

Chu Tian narrowed his eyes and remained silent, head bowed. He knew that what Andor said was likely true, because he was worth that price! What did Caesar rely on to become the continent's strongest power? Chiyan and their warhorses! And what were Chiyan and the Unicorn warhorses? Magical beasts! And Chu Tian? A veterinarian!

Possessing high-tier magical beasts meant the opportunity to dominate the continent—this was the consensus among all the monarchs of the land. Although Chu Tian didn't have the strength to kill high-tier beasts, he could keep them alive!

An immortal army of magical beasts! Besides Chu Tian, who else on the entire Fantasy Beast Continent could do that?

Furthermore, Chu Tian was not just a veterinarian. To gain Chu Tian was to gain the Ninth-Tier mutant Thunder Eagle, Apache! A Ninth-Tier beast—that was the dream of every monarch on the continent!

"Ancient Saint Priest, Imperial Prime Minister, Prince Vladino! Heh, are you satisfied with these titles?" Andor continued to tempt him. Suddenly, he pointed at Selina, staring at her peerless beauty. "Your Highness, are you reluctant to leave Princess Selina? Please rest assured, as long as you serve His Majesty Tyrant, all the princesses of the Res Empire can be yours..."

Praise the Goddess of Life! Chu Tian’s heart raced, but his face maintained its usual "holy" expression. Moreover, he gripped Selina’s small hand tightly, giving her a sense of security.

"What, are you still not satisfied?" Andor saw the intimate gesture between Chu Tian and Selina, so he raised the stakes. "Very well, I will tell you His Majesty Tyrant’s bottom line!"

Andor looked at Selina with disdain; he believed that what he was offering was far more attractive than a single woman. "In addition to the previous terms, as long as you marry a princess of Res, have the princess's offspring serve as your heirs, and can guarantee your loyalty to His Majesty Tyrant, then..."

"Ah!" Selina had already realized what Andor was going to say, and her face turned deathly pale. Having received a royal upbringing since childhood, she was all too familiar with this kind of maneuver...

"As long as you do these things!" Andor said decisively, "His Majesty will allow you to establish your own empire within your own territory, affiliated with Res!"

Death, or becoming a founding monarch—this was the choice now laid before Chu Tian.