Chapter 1092: Where Did I Screw Up?
Chapter 1092: Where Did I Screw Up?
Seeing that he had now returned to his true appearance as Tang San, Mei Gongzi finally let out a long sigh of relief, even though she had been confident all along.
Tang San looked at her and said with a bitter smile, "How did you figure it out? I really don't think I exposed any flaws. I originally planned to win the championship today, defeat you, and choose you right away. That would've been the safest plan. I never thought you'd go all in and risk your life. You scared me half to death."
"Hmph, serves you right. I couldn't reach you all these days; do you know how anxious I was? If I didn't beat you up, it wouldn't have calmed my anger," Mei Gongzi snapped.
"Then how did you recognize me?" Tang San asked with an apologetic smile.
Mei Gongzi replied, "It was Grandpa. Yesterday, when Second Grandpa tried to persuade me to consider you, I refused. But Grandpa fully supported me. That's when I began to suspect something. I went back and thought through the previous matches and every time we'd talked, and I grew increasingly certain. Because I know you well. You never do anything without absolute confidence. And anything you promise, you'll do your best to deliver.
"You promised you'd participate in this tournament, so you definitely would. If you had lost, you'd have contacted me right away and found another way. But you never contacted me, and I know you wouldn't have gotten into trouble during the matches. There's absolutely no way you'd get beaten by a Golden Wolf or whatever. So after I calmed down and analyzed everything, I concluded that you had to be among the ones who made it through.
"The deeper into the tournament you went, the more abilities you revealed, as if you had endless trump cards. That made me suspect it was you. It seemed unbelievable, but I thought… isn't that the exact point? If even I couldn't figure it out, then others definitely couldn't. Today, I burned my life essence to strike you once more to confirm it. Part of it was to see whether you would let me harm myself, and the other part was to let the Asura Sword get into contact with you. Even though the strike landed on your shield, in that moment, the sword sensed your aura up close and confirmed your identity. It was a pretty simple tactic, really: If it was you, then the Asura Sword would not have harmed you, and if it was the real Jin Miaolin, then… well… too bad for him."
Tang San sighed. "So it was the White Tiger Demon Emperor who gave me away. Yes, only he knew my true identity. Sunborne told me once that three can keep a secret if two are dead; seems like he was pretty spot on, wasn't he? Anyway, please don't be mad anymore. The Battle for the Throne was the focus of the entire continent; if I had revealed my identity to you, then during the competition or if we faced each other, or if I was pushed into a tough spot by another competitor, as it happened with Xu An'yu, I was afraid you might give something away. I wasn't really afraid of others noticing, but the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor is something else. He controls the continent's fortune, and his perception is tied to that fortune. Since our fortune is connected, even a tiny slip-up could have exposed me."
"Hmph!" Mei Gongzi turned her head away, still upset, though she gripped his hand a little tighter.
How could she not understand that Tang San had been under far more pressure during this competition than she had? He couldn't use his strongest abilities and still had to win; it was incredibly difficult. And in the later stages, he had even eliminated powerful enemies on her behalf to ensure she wouldn't face Xu An'yu, clearing the way for her to become a Crown Princess.
Tang San also gripped her hand tightly, then looked across at the two mothers who still hadn't recovered from their shock. His face was bright, and for the first time in a long time, he gave a completely carefree smile. "The most difficult part is behind us. From now on, no one can decide our fate for us. And when we become Emperors, that will be the moment we ascend to the heavens."
Mei Gongzi looked at his radiant smile, and the anger on her face finally faded.
Yes, both of them were proper Emperor seeds now and properly engaged too. The greatest danger had passed.
"What should we do next?" Mei Gongzi asked Tang San.
Tang San replied, "You should return to Kali City as soon as possible. Things should be almost ready on that end, so you can start preparing for our people's migration overseas via teleportation. Wait for me there."
Mei Gongzi instantly grew anxious. "You're not coming with us? We're parting again?"
Tang San said, "Hey, hey, don't worry. I may not go back with you, but I promise I'll teleport to your side every day, even if it's just for a short while. The thing is, I can't leave the Ancestral Court just yet, at least not in an official capacity. Next, I need to handle the matter of establishing the Blue Gold Tree elders' dispatch. That'll raise my standing in the Ancestral Court. After all, when I undergo my Emperor's Tribulation in the future, it'll cause a massive commotion and be quite dangerous. I'll need help from other Emperors to succeed. So, I still need to maintain the Jin Miaolin identity.
"At the same time, I'll also dispatch Blue Gold Tree elders to the Skytree Realm to help humans enhance their life energy. That's an essential step for setting a proper foundation. That Celestial Pillar I won at the auction is also very important for the same reason; I believe that I can commune with it and extract some information from it that would be beneficial to humanity as a whole. Once I finish these tasks, I'll head to Kali City openly and officially marry you as Jin Miaolin. Then we'll build up strength and prepare for the tribulation to become Emperors."
"There's no need to rush the tribulation, is there? You're both still young—take time to build a solid foundation. I've heard an Emperor's tribulation is extremely dangerous," said Su Qin.
Tang San shook his head. "At this point, it's not about building foundations; we just need to follow the right opportunity. My tribulation will be different from others'. I can only succeed when the timing is perfect. Little Mei has fused with the Asura Sword, so she faces a similar challenge. We'll most likely have to face it within a year."
Su Qin's heart clenched. "Only a year? That soon?"
Tang San nodded. "Don't worry, Auntie. I'll make thorough preparations. With this Lifebond Necklace, I should be able to undergo the tribulation together with her, so we can support each other."
Su Qin was about to say more, but Luo Qingzhu spoke first, "Sister, what are you still worried about? He brought my dead husband back to life. He managed to become Jin Miaolin and fooled all the Emperors, even becoming the most sought-after city lord. And he's now an Emperor seed, as a human. If he did that, then what can't he do?"
Right now, Luo Qingzhu felt her worldview had been completely overturned. As she thought back over everything Jin Miaolin had done, she was speechless with awe.
Her own husband was a brilliant man, a true genius of his generation. But compared to his plans, Tang San's plans were on an entirely different order of magnitude. Even though she didn't understand exactly how Tang San had accomplished all of it, the fact of the matter was that he had faced one challenge after another and succeeded. Without using his own signature powers, he had defeated every opponent. Everything he did seemed nothing short of miraculous.
Su Qin took a deep breath and smiled brightly. "You're right. I was worrying too much. Tang San, everything you've done is beyond words."
Tang San's gaze grew deeper. "During my travels, I crossed the Endless Blue Sea and experienced many things in the Solstice Empire. I've gained a lot. Now that the Battle for the Throne is over, there shouldn't be any more major threats."
Mei Gongzi asked, "How will we arrange our time after this? When will you come to Kali City officially?"
Tang San replied, "I'll probably stay in the Ancestral Court for another month or so to finish discussions with the Emperors about the Blue Gold Tree clan's neutrality. Then I'll return to the clan to finalize everything, making the neutrality official. Once you're back, have your father begin preparations. I think I'll arrive in Kali City for the formal proposal in about three months. Then in about six months, we'll begin the full migration, moving our people overseas. Six months should be enough time for preparations, and our Skytree Realm should be able to accommodate them. After that, I'll stay with you there, help you train, teach our people a new cultivation method, and wait for the moment to face the tribulation."
Mei Gongzi nodded. She had no objections.
"Do what you need to. While you're in the Ancestral Court, you don't have to teleport to me," she said softly. "I don't want you to be exposed."