“W-What… What did you say?” Kanari’s beautiful face contorted over the Cikai Mirror that Shin was looking into. Her jaw was hanging while her eyes were dilated. She couldn’t believe the words that came out of her husband’s mouth.

“We have solid intelligence that the Black Masks are targetting Saint Firebird’s life,” Shin repeated his subject sentence, though not in an enthusiastic manner. “I have notified the Imperial Emperor about the information, so you don’t have to worry too much about the man’s safety.”

“How can I not be worried?!” Kanari screamed. “Master’s life is in peril, and you want me to stay calm?!”

It was quite a ludicrous ask. Kanari was the former heiress of the Highgarden Duchy, and her ties with the only Spirit Saint that lived in that region was rather tight. Not to mention, the Saniela Family had ties with Saint Firebird’s own bloodline, tying them down even before this current generation was born. In her youth, the Duchess of Highgarden herself had been the beneficiary of Saint Firebird’s wisdom and overall protection. And it didn’t stop at her generation.

Back when Kanari was really young, her mother would teach her the art of governance. In contrast, her Master, Saint Firebird, would show her the cultivation arts. Yes, there were an array of mentors that were in Kanari’s childhood. Teaching her martial arts, etiquette, and many other skills that would make the heiress a great leader. However, the one that genuinely imprinted himself into Kanari’s psyche was Master and beloved Uncle… Saint Firebird.

To a certain extent, Kanari treated Saint Firebird the same way Shin treated Lady Seph. They more than just acquaintances… They were family.

So… How could Kanari remain calm when there was a known threat to Saint Firebird’s life?

“Relax, that’s the whole reason why I’m contacting you now.” Shin did his best to calm his wife down. “Saint Althea and Saint Thor are headed straight towards the Himmel Empire to protect Saint Firebird if need be. Saint Atossa and Aunt Tian would be heading back to the Lantis Republic to deal with the threat on the Heigui Clan.”

“There’s a threat on the Heigui Clan? In our borders?!”

“That’s right,” the Prince of Water sighed. “That’s the other reason why I’m calling you. As you know, I’m not just the Master of Guardian Sword. Above that, I’m the Prince of the Lantis Republic. I can’t just abandon the Lantis Republic to defend Saint Firebird.”

“T-That… I know that...” Shin’s beloved Princess raised her voice, seemingly wanting to argue, but she quickly changed her mind. As someone who came from high birth and was slated to inherit her position, Kanari knew exactly how Shin was feeling. Noblesse oblige, that was the rule that had been ingrained into her mind from a tender age. Thus, Kanari couldn’t really fault Shin for putting the interests of the Lantis Republic over his own.

Though, Shin wasn’t done speaking. Sensing his wife’s sadness, the Prince of Water dropped his tense expression and got into one of love. “Don’t do that...”

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“Do what?”

“Your pout… You know that I can’t leave you alone after you show me that face.” Shin dropped his shoulders all while keeping eye contact with Kanari. “Also, you know me… I’m not going to let anyone close to me perish. And that includes anyone close to you, Kanari.”

“Wait! Are you saying...”

“Yes, you silly. That’s the main reason why I’m contacting you today.” Shin smiled. “As my deputy leader, you have the authority to take control over Guardian Sword. I want you to bring, Isadore, Elrin and half of Guardian Sword to the Himmel Empire.”

“Shin that-!” Kanari half-leapt up in joy, ready to give her husband a virtual kiss. However, a chilling thought came into her mind the instant she was on her feet. “But… What about the kids? I can’t just leave them all alone...”

“The kids will stay with me in the Lantis Republic, under the protection of Celestial Island and the Eight Clans. I should be reaching the shores by evening, giving you ample time to bring the necessary manpower together. If you are still worried, I’ll ask Saint Jingyu to watch over them before I arrive.” As if he had prepared an answer sheet beforehand, Shin smoothly answered all of Kanari’s questions, considerably calming her down in the process.

“S-Shin… I don’t know what to say...”

Shin watched the touched expression of his wife with a warm face. “Look, I know how much Saint Firebird means to you, and I’m sorry I can’t be the one to protect him, but hey! You can most certainly go to put your mind to ease. There will be a few Saint-levelled beings there to protect him as well. Saint Althea and Saint Thor… Not to mention, the Himmel Empire itself has three Spirit Saints! Saint Firebird himself, Saint Viacan, and who could forget… the mightiest Spirit Saint of them all. The Himmel Ancestor. Nothing will happen to Saint Firebird, I assure you.”

“... Thank you, Shin.” Kanari smiled brilliantly.

“Haha, no need to thank me. You’re just doing what you need to do.” The Prince of Water chuckled. “Alright, I need to hang up now. There are a few more calls I need to make before I need to rush back to the Lantis Republic.”

“Okay,” Kanari sadly waved her husband goodbye. “Stay safe, I love you.”

“I love you too...” Shin gave the woman a simple wave, and the Cikai Mirror broke its connection with a static screen. With a huge sigh, Shin threw his back onto the wooden chair and gazed up at the cracked ceiling.

“Hah… Being a husband sure is tough...” Shin thought out loud.

“Mmmm… Humans sure have complicated relationships.” An aged voice echoed out from Shin’s side. The familiar Azure Dragon Lord, who had long transformed back to his human form, laughed as he took his Lord’s side. “Mmmm… I never had to talk too much with my mate. After we have done the deed, we went our separate ways. She raised the children while I continued on with my duties as the Lord.”

“Dragons and humans have totally different social structures, Zishen. We can’t compare them at all.” Shin scoffed. Humans weren’t dragons, and dragons weren’t humans. For dragons, it was commonplace for the male to simply disappear after mating. After all, what good was he when it came to raising a family, particularly in the Azure Dragon Clan. Everyone was a family member, and it didn’t matter if a child had parents or not. It was a completely different social structure that any humans were used to.

“Anyway, have you notified the Lantis Republic of the threat on the Heigui Clan yet?” Scratching his forehead, Shin casually changed the subject.

“Mmmm, they were notified.” Zishen nodded.

“So, how did the Heigui Clan react? Since the Black Masks’ goal is to kill the elderly Spirit Saints, I imagine that Senior Heigui Zhengkang is their true target.”

“Mmmm, is it?”

“What’s the matter?”

“Mmmm… Nothing… It’s just, the Saint of Shells was present when I notified them, and he seemed oddly calm. He wasn’t anxious in the slightest.”

“That’s nothing. Senior Heigui Zhengkang is a seasoned man, he must have weathered through countless of tribulations before. He was probably not...” As Shin was about to finish his sentence, a light popped out of his mind. He thought about it for a while before his entire body began to break out in cold sweat.

“N-No… No that can’t be...” Shin had a really bad hunch, one that was horrible enough to shake him to his core.

“Mmmm? What’s the matter?” Zishen shot Shin the same question he was asked.

“I… We’re heading back to the Lantis Republic right now! There’s no time to waste!”