The three stood in silence, holding their new items. They examined the items and thought of ways to improve in the days ahead. After a while, Peter reached into the bag again. He pulled out small pieces of armor and handed them out. The base didn't have proper armor, but these were from rank 1 beasts, so they offered some durability. Then he took out a small bag—the bag was a magical storage device. It looked small, but it stored about 100,000 gold coins, which was its limit. He then pulled out three more similar bags, each containing 100,000 gold coins. This was good news because they didn't have to worry about value either. They had collected a small amount of gold during their time in the base, but it wouldn't even reach half of 100,000.
With this wealth, they could move to a big city, start or buy a small business, and enjoy a peaceful life. But of course, that wasn't actually the plan. They intended to use it to generate more revenue. At the end of the day, it was just a shiny stone that could be replaced. Then Peter produced a dozen rolled-up maps. As he unrolled them, they saw they were maps of the kingdoms. He started a fire and arranged the maps accordingly. They stood over the maps and observed. Over the past two months, they used this time to get updated on everything happening across the empire. The oldest prince ruled the largest kingdom in the northwest. Rumors said he was trying to gain his brother's support to become emperor. He was considered a righteous person by some, and they hoped he would eventually claim the throne.
The second prince governed a kingdom in the southwest. His kingdom benefited greatly from its proximity to the ocean, and he supposedly used this advantage to strike business deals. The third prince was said to be the unluckiest. His kingdom is near the large territory of the mighty Wyvern, which resides outside the empire but is still close. The third prince has yet to comment on the situation, saying only, 'When the time is right.' Of course, people believe he's just scared and doesn't want to anger the beast. That's the common belief, but not Xaidon's. His father had told him about his siblings. Xaidon knew them as well as his father did. His father once described the third prince as significant for his young age, even suggesting he might someday surpass him.
Xaidon remembered that day vividly. He studied the kingdom briefly before turning his gaze to the others. His eyes finally settled on the fourth prince's kingdom. Tere, unlike most kingdoms, has always been isolated. This is mostly because of an ongoing civil war that's been happening for years, even during the reign. It wasn't that he was unaware of it and chose not to interfere; he simply didn't know. The war was so underground that he never noticed it. It involved three families. The first was the Kin Clan, rumored to wield the most influence and power. The second was the Feng Clan, known for their mastery of swords, especially their signature weapon, the katana. Their family history with this weapon is storied. They have only two Lords and a handful of master ranks, but what makes them dangerous is the fact that they have a King rank—their family head, and the only known King in the kingdom.
The third family is the Blood Clan. This group comprises many individuals bonded by trust and brotherhood. They have no King rank, only two Lord ranks, but they possess a large number of powerful masters. Still, even with this strength, they aren't enough to match the other clans—unless, of course, they also control two rank 6 beasts and a rank 7 beast, all fully under their control. This has kept the other clans from attempting to destroy them. The clans have fought numerous battles, with the Kin Clan winning most of them—especially now, since someone from their clan has gained high political status. Still, the other families have not given up and continue fighting.
The three families are devising strategies to deal with the Kin Clan, and they see this as the best option. They plan to use the strength of the other clans to take down the Kin Clan. After some thought, they concluded that the Blood Clan was the best choice. If they aligned with the Feng family, they would still be treated as outsiders, even if they became Lords—they only trust those of their blood. They favored the Blood Clan because it was a diverse group united by purpose. They planned to work their way up to the top ranks and become directly involved in the group's affairs.
This was their current plan. The only obstacle was that they needed to become Masters first. Breaking through was essential, but they felt it was only a matter of time. They could feel their Qi growing stronger and becoming easier to control. Now, they just needed to master controlling it without issues. The fastest way was to practice as if their lives depended on it, and now they had an opportunity—the tomb of a King. Yes, it was dangerous for a group of elites, but so was the desire to eliminate the Kin Clan.
With everything settled, they sat in silence, waiting for Peter to speak. "When I was a kid, I happened to come across a map in my father's study," he said. He paused. "Then there was a diary belonging to a long-time family member. It described how they served a very powerful King rank. He passed away and requested that all his treasures be placed in his tomb."
"Now, this family member was so loyal that he actually killed himself to keep the location a secret. The general area is already known. It could take at most a week to find the tomb, as long as we have the map."
Xaidon thought for a moment before asking, "Do you think your father will give us the map?"
Peter frowned. "He will. He won't have much of a choice."