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He shook his head and said slowly, "Go… bring… bring me… my medicine…"

Sighing softly, Miranda Joy helped him lie back down, then turned to the table and picked up a porcelain bottle. She uncorked it and tilted it slightly.

Only then did the man\'s eyes brighten. He opened his mouth wide, a look of intense longing in his gaze.

As a drop of green liquid flowed into his mouth, his complexion immediately became rosier. The only thing that seemed off to Dean Bruce was that the man\'s vitality didn\'t recover at all!

An ordinary person wouldn\'t have noticed such a detail, but Dean Bruce had absorbed the Spring of Life, making him extraordinarily sensitive to changes in life force.

What\'s more, the purplish hue on the man\'s lips became even more pronounced, giving them a strange, almost sinister appearance.

Dean Bruce narrowed his eyes. The more he interacted with the people of the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital, the more doubts he had!

"Ah…" The man exhaled deeply, gently pushing Miranda Joy aside as he sat up straight in bed. With a serious expression, he said, "It\'s truly unexpected that the Magic Guild is willing to lend its assistance at this time. I am sincerely grateful for your arrival!"

"I am Prani Joy, and I offer you my most heartfelt thanks!"

After all, Prani Joy was still the king of an empire. Although he expressed his gratitude verbally, there was still a trace of skepticism in the way he looked at Dean Bruce.

There was no helping it—Dean Bruce looked far too young.

So young that it was hard to believe he was truly an Elder of the Magic Guild!

Dean Bruce remained calm and said, "There\'s no need for thanks. I have my own reasons for coming here. I just hope that Your Highness will be cooperative."

"Of course." Prani Joy clenched his fist and spoke in a low voice, "These strange occurrences have been giving me a terrible headache. My body is severely weakened, and I can only briefly recover my strength through the use of medicine. If you can resolve this matter, Elder, I will surely reward you generously!"

He paused, then turned to Miranda Joy and said, "Go and summon all the ministers of the realm. Tonight, we will hold a grand banquet to welcome this esteemed Elder!"

Prani Joy glanced at Dean Bruce and added softly, "I hope you won\'t refuse, Elder. May I ask your name?"

"Dean Bruce. And this is my disciple, Nicholas William."

After calmly stating his name, Dean Bruce did not decline the invitation to the banquet. He, too, wanted to meet more people and learn as much as he could about the Empire of Lane Cloud.

Simply interacting with these people had already raised too many questions in his mind. He needed to gather more information before making any judgments; otherwise, it would be too easy to make mistakes.

Prani Joy smiled and said, "The Empire of Lane Cloud welcomes both of you. After such a long journey, you must be quite weary. Miranda, please arrange two of the finest palace residences for them to rest."

"There\'s no need. We have accommodations outside," Dean Bruce immediately declined. He intended to collect more information and only connect with the royal family as needed, but he had no intention of staying within the palace.

If the perpetrator in the shadows turned out to be someone within the royal family, staying in the palace would be akin to walking into a lion\'s den.

"This…" Prani Joy hesitated for a moment but didn\'t press the issue. He nodded and said, "Forgive the slight. When I recover, I\'ll host you both properly."

"Your Highness, please rest well. We\'ll take our leave for now." Dean Bruce bowed slightly and, with Nicholas William, exited the room.

Almost as soon as the two of them left, Prani Joy\'s face turned deathly pale once again, and his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

Miranda Joy sighed, shook her head, and carefully re-corked the porcelain bottle before placing it back on the table.

"Is he really an elder of the Magic Guild?" Prani Joy asked in a low voice. "He\'s far too young! Be cautious, and don\'t let yourself be deceived!"

Miranda Joy replied, "It\'s possible he\'s an old monster who\'s changed his appearance. His power is formidable. With him here, we might actually have a chance to resolve this matter."

Prani Joy narrowed his eyes and asked, "You saw it with your own eyes?"

"I did," Miranda Joy confirmed with a nod. "The pressure from his magic was nearly on par with that of the branch president of my division."

Prani Joy whispered, "Capture him and use his power to resolve this situation as quickly as possible."

Miranda Joy hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Have my two elder brothers still not returned?"

Hearing this, Prani Joy closed his eyes without responding.

A trace of mockery appeared on Miranda Joy\'s face as she continued, "The capital is in such turmoil, and even though they\'re the most favored, they\'ve made no effort to come back. Now, it\'s me who attends to you day and night, yet you still intend to hand over the succession rights to them?"

Seeing that Prani Joy remained silent, Miranda Joy didn\'t push the matter further. She tidied up everything on the table before stepping out of the room.

Dean Bruce and Nicholas William were standing quietly outside, and as they waited, they had also observed and memorized the patrol patterns of the palace guards.

Creak!

The door swung open, and Dean Bruce turned to see Miranda Joy stepping out. Without preamble, he said, "Where are the surviving livestock kept? I want to take a look."

Instead of replying immediately, Miranda Joy closed the door behind her and then spoke respectfully, "Elder, that place is filthy and reeks terribly. I suggest you don\'t go there; it might offend your senses."

"…"

Dean Bruce glanced at her but didn\'t press the issue. Instead, he nodded and asked, "Were you present for this entire incident, from start to finish?"

"Not exactly," Miranda Joy replied softly. "I\'ve been cultivating at the Magic Guild branch all this time. It wasn\'t until the situation escalated that I rushed back to take care of my father. I sincerely hope, Elder, that you can help our Empire of Lane Cloud through this crisis."

Dean Bruce continued questioning, "Do you have any siblings?"

"I have two elder brothers. They are commanding troops outside the capital and have yet to return," Miranda Joy replied, looking a bit puzzled. "Elder, do these questions have anything to do with the strange occurrences?"

"It\'s hard to say," Dean Bruce responded with a calm expression. "What if all of this is part of a scheme orchestrated by your two brothers to seize the throne?"

"Huh?" Miranda Joy froze for a moment, then quickly waved her hands. "Please, Elder, don\'t joke about such things. Our Joy family would never do something like that!"

"It\'s just a theory, don\'t take it too seriously," Dean Bruce said flatly, his suspicion toward the royal family growing stronger.

The more someone denies something, the more likely it is that there\'s a problem.

"Would you like to take a short rest, or perhaps take a look around the palace?" Miranda Joy asked respectfully.

Dean Bruce replied casually, "Have someone show me around the palace."

"As you wish."

Miranda Joy bowed slightly, then led Dean Bruce and Nicholas William to a group of patrolling soldiers. In a stern tone, she ordered, "You will escort these esteemed guests around the palace and then bring them to my quarters. Treat them well. If there\'s any hint of negligence, you\'ll be held accountable!"

As soon as Miranda Joy finished speaking, the group of soldiers immediately dropped to one knee, bowing to Dean Bruce and Nicholas William.

Miranda Joy then bowed to Dean Bruce herself and said, "Elder, I hope you understand. I must take my leave for now."
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"Go ahead." It wasn\'t until Dean Bruce nodded that Miranda Joy turned and left. This scene left the soldiers visibly stunned, exchanging glances filled with confusion.

After all, this was a grand empire, and the palace was vast, containing various types of buildings. Many areas were permeated with strong magical fluctuations, making it nearly impossible for Dean Bruce to pinpoint the location of the surviving livestock.

There was nothing he could do. His true rank was lower, and he didn\'t possess the kind of magical artifacts needed to see through the magic arrays scattered throughout the palace.

Realizing this, Dean Bruce decided to stop wandering aimlessly and instructed the group of soldiers to take him directly to Miranda Joy\'s palace quarters to rest.

He needed to conserve his energy to prepare for the banquet later in the evening and whatever events might follow.

Dean Bruce didn\'t believe for a second that Prani Joy\'s intention in hosting a banquet at such a critical time was merely to welcome him. There was undoubtedly some ulterior motive—and likely some trouble as well.

Upon arriving at Miranda Joy\'s palace, the soldiers guided the two of them to the main hall, where they were offered tea and refreshments before the soldiers withdrew.

Nicholas William looked around, and once he was sure they were alone, he couldn\'t help but show a look of puzzlement. He asked in surprise, "Teacher, didn\'t you say you didn\'t want to have much contact with the royal family? Why did you come to the palace and even agree to attend the banquet they\'re holding for you?"

"That banquet isn\'t really being held for me," Dean Bruce replied calmly. "At the banquet, each of us will have our own agenda. The king wants to use my presence to reassure the many ministers in the capital, while I want to use the opportunity to pressure him and ask more questions. After all, the more information I have, the more accurate my judgment will be."

As he spoke, Dean Bruce glanced at Nicholas William and shook his head slightly. Although the young man was filial and not lacking in magical talent, his mind was still too naïve.

As the young master of a city, he had been exposed to all sorts of power struggles since childhood. He should have had a deeper understanding of these matters, but based on what he had seen on this journey, Nicholas William seemed remarkably simple-minded.

"Each of us has our own agenda?" Nicholas William\'s expression tightened, and he said coldly, "Does the Empire of Lane Cloud harbor ill intentions toward us? Should we act preemptively?"

"Wandering the world isn\'t all about fighting and killing. Sometimes, combat is not the best solution."

Dean Bruce spoke softly, "I think the Empire of Lane Cloud is about to put on quite a show for us."