1188 Request

The elders watched the two with confused faces. "Your Majesty, do you know her by any chance?"

"Your Majesty?" Hao Ya looked back at Alex with a shocked look of her own. "What's… going on?"

"Please leave her, she's not someone suspicious," Alex said.

"But your Majesty, she says she came from the Central Continent," one of the elders said. "She's clearly lying."

Alex looked at the girl and wondered why she was openly revealing that information. Was it perhaps…

"Sister Hao, I hear you were looking for Scarlet. Unfortunately, she isn't available right now, but if I may be of any help, please tell me," Alex said.

"Why did they call you Your Majesty?" Hao Ya asked.

"What else would we call him?" one of the elders asked. "He is the King of the Southern Continent, appointed by her Majesty herself."

Hao Ya's eyes went wide. "So, you are the King instead of the Phoenix?" she asked. "Then please help me."

"Let's go back to the palace so we can talk," Alex said and left with the group. The elders looked surprised and confused the whole way through and Hao Ya stared at Alex's back, wondering how he could have gotten here.

As for Alex, he had way too many emotions going through him at the moment. His mind wandered into multitudes of possibilities, each of which he had to reel in so as not to disappoint himself.

They all arrived at the palace and Alex quickly made his way to the throne room. As soon as they all entered, Alex turned toward the elders.

"Please leave us alone for a bit," he said.

"But your majesty, you ca—"

"It's an order. Everyone, please leave," Alex said.

The elders looked worried, but they had no choice since their king had given them a direct order. "We'll be right outside if you need us, your Majesty."

Alex nodded and watched them walk out. After the door closed, he turned toward the girl who had been staring at him this entire time. "It's good to see you, sister Hao. How have you been?" he asked with a gentle smile on his face.

Hao Ya didn't speak for a while as she continued staring at his face. "You look so young," she said. "Unlike your other body."

Alex perked up when he heard that. "My other body? You mean my clone?" he asked.

"How do you know he's a clone?" Hao Ya asked. "That's not supposed to be something you know about."

"I figured it out a while ago," Alex said.

Hao Ya nodded. "I see. Well, Your clone is an old man now. I saw him a few months ago, which is why its so weird seeing you so young," she said. "Damn, I did not expect to see you here at all. What the hell are you even doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay in the Wes—"

Hao Ya quickly stopped her mouth from speaking any further and quickly bowed. "My apologies, your Majesty. I did not see my place and became rude to you," she said.

"No, no, no. It's alright. I don't mind," Alex said. "It's refreshing when I hear someone not be respectful to me for one. Please don't bow toward me."

Hao Ya slowly looked back up. "Are you sure? I can't afford to make anyone angry," she said.

Alex chuckled a little. "I'm not angry," he said.

"Sigh, thank god," she said. "I would've been in deep trouble if you somehow refused to help me."

"Help you with what exactly, if I may ask?" Alex asked curiously.

Hao Ya took a deep breath. "I need your help in sending back all the players that want to go back home," she said. "I need you to gather everyone that wishes to return."

Alex had been waiting to hear something exactly like that, but even then he nearly stumbled due to the shock. "Are you ready to take us all back? Is the Creator ready to bring us back?" he asked.

"Are you looking forward to returning?" Hao Ya couldn't help but be surprised. "Why would you want to return, when you are a King and can have a much better life here?"

"Because my brother is in that continent," Alex said.

"Your brother?" Hao Ya looked to the side with a thoughtful look. "I don't remember hearing about junior sister having an Uncle. Do you really have a brother?"

"Sorry, my bonded beast. He's like a brother to me," Alex said.

"Wait, is that the White Cat?" Hao Ya asked.

"Yes, how do you know?" Alex asked.

"I think I remember hearing about it not too long ago," Hao Ya said. "He's a special case since he managed to get in through the Qi barrier somehow."

"How is he? Is he fine? Is he hurt?" Alex asked, sounding very desperate.

Hao Ya smiled and shook her head. "He's fine, from what I hear. Sorry, I was in the Northern Continent for most of the last decade, so I only know bits and pieces as to what is going on with the cat, but I do believe he's with your clone right now."

Alex felt weird hearing that Pearl was with his other body. He couldn't help but smile, however, since he knew that Pearl hadn't been alone this whole time. A sense of relief passed over him that had been gnawing at him for the past decade and a half.

"So, you will help me, right?" Hao Ya asked.

"Of course, sister Hao," Alex said. "I will help you with everything I can. Please tell me exactly what you need."

"I just need your help in spreading the news around that the players can return back if they want to," she said. "Not everyone will want to, and that's alright."

Alex nodded. "I will relay the message overnight and bring them all here somehow. It will take a few days certainly, so I hope you will stick around," he said.

"Yes, I will," Hao Ya said. "This is the first continent we are helping, so I need to be here from start to end to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Oh, you haven't done it anywhere else?" Alex asked.

Hao Ya shook her head. "I only just found the last bits of resources from the Northern Continent a few years ago. Damn sects didn't want to let me go through their treasury so I could search for it," she said.

"But you managed to get it in the end?" Alex asked.

"Of course," Hao Ya said. "I had to show off a few artifacts, and that did the job."  She looked rather proud when she said that.

Alex glanced at her cultivation base and was surprised at how strong she was. 'Saint Soul 6th realm. She was Saint Core when I last saw her, wasn't she?' he thought.

"You came here telling people that you were from the Central continent. Are you not worried that someone nefarious might want to go and disrupt the peace for the mortals?" Alex asked.

"And who would dare?" Hao Ya asked. "The whole world might come and they still wouldn't dare. Not while my master is around."

Alex smiled. "I'm getting more and more curious about this master of yours," he said. "I hope I will get a chance to meet the creator when I return."