Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every minister froze.
Lián Xù's eyes shone brightly.
"I want to invest."
The word echoed through the hall.
Dozens of ministers exchanged confused looks.
A few quietly glanced toward one another.
Invest?
At a time like this?
When the treasury was on the verge of collapse?
Several older officials immediately felt a headache coming.
Others became suspicious.
The young emperor had never shown any interest in commerce before.
Could His Majesty have discovered some hidden source of revenue?
A secret mine?
A forgotten treasury?
Some profound economic strategy?
Ding.
A familiar notification suddenly appeared before Lián Xù's eyes.
[Misjudgment detected.]
[Multiple sources detected.]
[+1,200 Misjudgment Points]
Lián Xù blinked.
"...Huh?"
New information immediately followed.
[Reason:]
Court officials believe Host has discovered a hidden investment opportunity capable of resolving the kingdom's financial crisis.
Lián Xù froze.
Slowly—
very slowly—
he looked toward the ministers.
The ministers looked back.
Some appeared shocked.
Some excited.
Others looked deeply moved.
One elderly official was already imagining hidden imperial plans stretching decades into the future.
Lián Xù stared.
"..."
I literally just wanted to feed a money-eating divine beast.
The Minister of Finance, who had only just recovered enough consciousness to remain upright, cautiously stepped forward.
His expression was careful.
Respectful.
And deeply fearful.
"May this official ask..."
He swallowed.
"What exactly does Your Majesty intend to invest in?"
The entire court grew quiet.
Even Lián Wèi turned his gaze toward Lián Xù.
For a moment, the young emperor simply stood there.
A confident smile spread across his face.
The kind of smile that made veteran officials suddenly feel uneasy.
Lián Xù reached into his sleeve.
The ministers unconsciously held their breath.
A secret treasure?
An ancient inheritance?
Some heaven-defying artifact?
Instead—
he pulled out a tiny golden creature.
The Pixiu landed in his palm.
Its round golden eyes blinked curiously.
Its single horn gleamed beneath the morning light.
The tiny divine beast yawned.
Then rolled onto its back.
The court fell silent.
Lián Xù proudly raised it higher.
"This."
The Pixiu waved a tiny paw.
Several ministers stared blankly.
Lián Xù's smile widened.
"I want to invest in my pet."
Silence.
A breeze drifted through the hall.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Ding.
Another notification appeared.
[Misjudgment detected.]
[Multiple sources detected.]
[+700 Misjudgment Points]
"...Again?"
[Reason:]
Court officials believe Host is a reckless, spoiled ruler attempting to squander the kingdom's treasury on a pet.
Lián Xù stared blankly.
"..."
Wait.
How am I getting points from both sides?
One group thinks I'm a genius.
The other thinks I'm an idiot.
The system remained silent.
Lián Xù suddenly realized something.
The misunderstanding economy was apparently thriving.
Nearby, Minister Zhao lowered his voice.
"I knew it."
Minister Liu nodded gravely.
"His Majesty must have discovered some hidden opportunity."
Another minister immediately disagreed.
"Opportunity?"
He pointed toward the Pixiu.
"He's feeding a pet!"
"With state funds!"
The argument immediately resumed.
Lián Xù watched in amazement.
I didn't even have to do anything.
They're farming points for me themselves.
The Pixiu happily chewed a gold coin.
One elderly minister looked as though his soul had just left his body.
The Minister of Finance swayed slightly.
"Your Majesty."
His voice sounded weak.
Dangerously weak.
"You wish to use the kingdom's treasury..."
His lips trembled.
"...to feed... a dog?"
The Pixiu immediately sat upright.
Its golden eyes narrowed.
Offended.
Lián Xù frowned.
"First of all, he's not a dog."
The Pixiu nodded vigorously.
"Second, he's an investment."
The ministers looked even more horrified.
Lián Wèi slowly closed his eyes.
For some reason...
he suddenly felt that today's court session was about to become extremely exhausting.
Meanwhile, the Pixiu happily chewed on a gold coin worth enough to feed an ordinary family for a month.
Nobody noticed.
Except Lián Wèi.
And somehow—
that worried him even more.
The Minister of Finance stared at the young emperor before him.
His face turned white.
Then greener.
Then white again.
His eyes rolled backward.
And he collapsed.
Thud.
The entire court exploded into chaos.
Lián Wèi stood frozen.
The ministers stood frozen.
The unconscious Minister of Finance lay on the floor.
The court descended into complete disorder.
"Minister Zhang!"
"Quick, help him up!"
"Someone fetch a physician!"
Several officials rushed forward while others stood frozen in place, staring at the tiny golden creature perched in Lián Xù's palm.
The Pixiu yawned.
The Minister of Finance remained unconscious.
Lián Xù looked around the hall.
Then down at the Pixiu.
Then at the unconscious minister.
"Did I say something wrong?"
The Pixiu chirped.
Apparently not concerned.
Lián Wèi slowly closed his eyes again.
For a brief moment, he seriously considered retiring.
*********
Far away—
At the northern border of Azure River Kingdom.
The sky was gray.
Cold winds swept endlessly across towering walls built between mountains.
Far beyond the walls stretched vast wilderness.
Dangerous.
Untamed.
The frontier.
Military banners fluttered heavily above the fortifications.
Above them, the kingdom's defensive formation stretched across the heavens.
Invisible at first glance.
Yet whenever sunlight struck it at certain angles, faint ripples of blue light could be seen flowing through the air like currents beneath the surface of a vast ocean.
For decades, that barrier had stood between the Azure River Kingdom and the dangers beyond its borders.
A wall unseen.
A shield unbroken.
Then—
a ripple appeared.
At first, it was subtle.
A slight distortion.
A brief fluctuation.
The sort of anomaly most people would overlook.
But the soldiers stationed atop the walls had spent years observing the formation.
They immediately noticed.
The flowing blue currents suddenly dimmed.
Then brightened.
Then dimmed again.
Buzz.
The air trembled.
The translucent shield overhead flickered visibly.
Like a candle struggling against a storm.
Several soldiers stiffened.
One veteran guard abruptly stepped forward and stared upward.
His face lost all color.
The formation...
It was unstable.
Another pulse spread through the barrier.
This time, everyone saw it.
Blue light fractured across the sky like cracks spreading through glass before quickly repairing themselves.
The sight sent a chill through every cultivator present.
A younger soldier swallowed hard.
"Did... did you see that?"
No one answered.
Because everyone had.
The veteran soldier turned sharply toward a nearby comrade.
His voice exploded across the battlements.
"Quick!"
"Report this to the Battalion Leader immediately!"
The younger soldier's heart skipped a beat.
Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted down the wall.
Boots hammered against stone.
Fear spread silently among the troops.
Because everyone understood what that flicker meant.
The defensive formation was not merely a formation.
It was the kingdom's first line of survival.
And for the first time in many years—
it was showing signs of failure.
*********
At the center of the Imperial training ground—
Lián Hào stood overlooking the horizon.
The morning sun reflected off his azure armor.
His hands rested behind his back.
His expression remained calm.
Yet his eyes never stopped moving.
Watching.
Measuring.
Calculating.
The border had been quiet recently.
Too quiet.
That bothered him.
Footsteps approached rapidly.
A soldier dropped to one knee.
"Your Highness."
Lián Hào did not turn.
"What is it?"
The soldier hesitated.
The hesitation alone was enough to make Lián Hào's gaze sharpen.
Bad news.
"The defensive formation."
Lián Hào immediately looked over.
The soldier swallowed.
"It's flickering."
Silence.
The wind suddenly felt colder.
Lián Hào's expression darkened.
"Explain."
"The formation cores are becoming unstable."
"The spirit stone reserves have nearly been depleted."
The soldier lowered his head.
"Our current stockpile can only maintain normal operation for approximately one week."
Lián Hào's eyes narrowed.
One week.
Not enough.
Not nearly enough.
The soldier continued.
"If we are attacked..."
A pause.
"...perhaps one or two days at most."
Silence.
The enormous defensive formation stretched across the borderlands.
Invisible.
Ancient.
The shield protecting Azure River Kingdom from countless external threats.
Without it—
the kingdom's already precarious situation would worsen dramatically.
Lián Hào looked toward the distant horizon.
Mountains stood beneath gray skies.
Somewhere beyond them—
enemies were waiting.
Watching.
Testing.
Preparing.
"How much?"
The soldier blinked.
"Your Highness?"
"The cost."
Lián Hào's voice remained calm.
"How much spirit stone consumption is required?"
The soldier's expression immediately became awkward.
Then grim.
After a moment, he quietly answered.
The number left the soldier's mouth.
Lián Hào's face froze.
For the first time that day—
genuine shock appeared in his eyes.
The wind swept across the wall.
His expression gradually darkened.
That amount...
Even for the kingdom—
it was enormous.
Too enormous.
The soldier lowered his head further.
"We've already cut expenditures where possible."
"We cannot reduce consumption further."
Lián Hào remained silent.
The formation.
The military.
The treasury.
Everything was connected.
Lián Hào's gaze became strange.
Finally, Lián Hào spoke.
"Gather every consumption record."
The soldier immediately straightened.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lián Hào turned.
His cloak shifted behind him.
The air around him grew colder.
"I need to raise this matter with Minister Zhang and the Regent."
Without another word, he began walking.
His destination was clear.
The Imperial Court.
And completely unknown to him—
the Minister of Finance was currently still unconscious on the floor.