Chapter 1297 Acting Alone?
"Uncle!"
Raeburn Zlatan shouted in surprise once he noticed the person, not the seamless steps that came from far away.
This man had thick golden eyebrows as well as a golden beard that stretched till his neck. All of him was about golden. Even the white robes he wore were embroidered with three-clawed golden dragons.
"Nephew, where did you go?"
"Uhhm..."
Raeburn Zlatan quickly tried to hide the severed arm under the black robe. He then removed the hood from his head with a flick of his head and revealed his face that was without any kind of injury.
Davis already knew that the mangled mess he had created on Raeburn Zlatan's left cheek with his slap had already healed, but he couldn't help but again admit that these people's regenerative prowess was extremely high.
Normal injuries wouldn't faze them.
It was just the humiliating slaps he had given, and the threat to destroy his virile thing to Raeburn Zlatan, along with the conclusive evidence of their one-sided battle, was what made Raeburn Zlatan retreat without even saying a word.
"Uncle, I just visited the Thousand Pill Palace to see the magnificence of the Alchemists, their culture. I was also interested in seeing the collection of pills they possessed, whether if some could even exceed our pills."
The bearded uncle laughed, "Then why is your arm severed? The smell of medicinal essence is wafting even hundreds of kilometers away..."
Raeburn Zlatan's facial expression quickly became awkward as he knew that the lie he thought on the spot didn't seem to work, but he still tried his luck.
"Uncle, I was originally in another mountain, resting and enjoying the scenery, when a magical beast sneakily attacked me. It was concealed and was at the Low-Level King Beast Stage, so it took my arm, but nevertheless, I managed to escape..."
"Is that Low-Level King Beast Stage Magical Beast you speak of, a blond-haired youth? The person we all think of as a mere subordinate...?"
Raeburn Zlatan's expression changed as his eyes widened, "Uncle knows...?"
"Of course, I was there amongst the crowd. How could I not know?" The bearded man chortled.
Davis blinked while still in concealment on hearing this sentence. He had checked with his King Soul Stage soul sense before but still didn't find such an oddity amongst the crowd. He couldn't help but think that this uncle's ability to retain and not let his undulations leak was extremely skillful, something he was experienced and proficient in.
He felt that was made him not able to know such a person, but of course, he also thought that if he were to specifically search for this person, he would come to know without fail. It was similar to wanting to find a needle in a haystack, but the needle was disguised as a strand of hay, something he wouldn't be bothering about while searching for the needle.
Raeburn Zlatan had the same reaction as Davis as his cheeks became filled with the crimson hue of shame. He lowered his head and brought out his severed arm, gritting his teeth in hatred for him as well as that mere subordinate.
"I'm a disgrace!"
"Don't be feeling down for the loss... I say this because I watched your battle. It was one-sided, overwhelming for you. You were a level ahead of him and still got slapped twice and threatened. What does that say?"
Raeburn Zlatan's face was burning up in humiliation. His lips quivered in extreme shame, "It says that I'm-"
"No, I'm asking about him, the blonde-haired youth..." The bearded man interrupted.
Raeburn Zlatan became taken aback for a moment before he answered, "That we all underestimated him...?"
"Indeed, we all underestimated this mere subordinate called Davis. When I saw him fight, I saw how he was always smiling, inevitably provoking you with each trivial smile of his..."
"He kept his calm, but his tone and expression changed once you provoked him by using his Young Mistress. He displayed almost no mercy and would've probably taken your life if you were not from the Zlatan Family. Likely, he either has huge respect or is secretly in love with her."
Raeburn Zlatan narrowed his eyes, feeling his hatred rise even more when he heard the last part of the sentence.
Secretly in love with his Young Mistress? How pretentious...!
"Perhaps, he is even wooing her currently since we know that he is her favorite subordinate, but that thought was unlikely for us until a few hours ago..."
"What does uncle mean?" Raeburn Zlatan couldn't fully understand.
"He has the qualifications to woo her if he possesses the same dragon blood as us, people with dragon blood, not to mention that his talent and potential is greater since he can beat you as well as tri-cultivate, effortlessly getting into the Sixth Stage in the three cultivation systems before he even reached hundred years of age."
"I think we can recruit them both into our Zlatan Family, but if he has thoughts over his Young Mistress or his Young Mistress refuses us, it would become difficult..."
"But, leaving that... You do realize that you have committed a great sin, right?"
"First, you lost against someone a level lower than you. That is enough for you to be stripped of your privileges for a century. Next, you acted on your own, disobeyed the command of the Patriarch, your father, and went to see that little girl Isabella of your own volition even though many youths like you were able to hold it back."
"What comes of the agreement that the alliance had finalized on that little girl Isabella's matter?"
"I..." Raeburn Zlatan trembled, realizing that he made a great mistake now in heading to meet her.
The alliance's tribunal last time just decided that they would maintain balance and give the first chance to welcome Isabella to whoever she chooses first once she headed to the large-sized Territories.
Many were becoming impatient, but it was now apparent that he was the first one to lose his patience.
"You have just essentially destroyed the balance that we maintained."
"It's all father's fault!" Raeburn Zlatan's eyes turned red, "If only he hadn't promised sister Bylai to brother Tigurius, then I wouldn't have done this! I wouldn't have gone after another promising woman!"
The bearded man smiled as he chuckled, "We all had a chance indeed ever since the dragon families began adopting and rely on this method of saving bloodline from degenerating from a few thousand years ago, but if brother decided that his son, Young Master Tigurius was the most fitting for Young Mistress Bylai, who am I to say otherwise?"
Raeburn Zlatan seemed unconvinced as he slapped his thighs, "This is too much! I loved her! I loved sister Bylai!!!"
"Everyone loves Bylai and wants to make her their woman...," The bearded man cut him off, "Even me... but I know I don't deserve her with my measly talent and bloodline. I have already buried that thought deep inside the day it was born."
"It is no secret that almost every talented man in the family wants her to have their children, but they don't dare to say it since it is already decided. Don't go spouting this nonsense back in the family, or you would truly meet your end. Even if you do not, Tigurius will make sure to mince your body and shatter your soul as he is a ruthless person."
Raeburn Zlatan's face fell as he heard his uncle's warning, fear becoming deeply apparent.
"Nevertheless, the news of you arrogantly visiting and losing is sure to spread, and the other Dragon Families sure won't hold back anymore. They would send their younger generation experts to try to make contact with that little girl to gain her goodwill and possibly even welcome her into their family before making her their family's bride."
"Because of you, our Zlatan Family has lost the first impression, and we would have to rely on power and force to welcome Isabella, which would undoubtedly be met with retaliation from the other three main families in the alliance, the Orcha Family, Ike Family, and Domitian Family."
Raeburn Zlatan increasingly trembled as he heard his uncle speak.
"Uncle Farus, what should I do...?" A pleading voice echoed as Raeburn Zlatan's eyes became moist.
This trip to the small-sized Territory had been the biggest mistake of his life. He understood that he wouldn't come out of this unscathed that he couldn't help but plead for a way out!
Uncle Farus Zlatan's expression became soft on hearing his nephew's desperate voice. He couldn't help but contemplate before his eyes lit up.
"In reality, you still hadn't met her, so it could be argued that you really didn't go meet her in the emergency alliance tribunal that will be called for your irresponsible actions. At that time, just say that you wanted to test her subordinate as you have always felt something off about him and report your new findings, his unrevealed cultivation. Additionally, say that he is a potential threat to us in the matter of taking Isabella as it is possible that he might be wooing her. Even if it is false, it is a good way to get rid of him for the family as well as for yourself."
"Uncle..." Raeburn Zlatan's tears fell as he felt moved.
He pursed his lips, seeing a new path for him to come out of this mess that he had landed on, making him wipe his tears in hope. He sat up and kneeled and kowtowed once to his uncle, making the other party feel heartened as well.
"Forgot about healing your severed arm. It would be a good lesson for you to remember this humiliation as well as useful for garnering sympathy in the tribunal. The sooner we return and tell the family about the matter, the sooner and the better you can redeem yourself. Or even me, your uncle is helpless to do something about this matter..."
"Therefore, don't say anything about me helping you, understand?"
"Yes! I understand! I will not disappoint uncle who has given me another chance!" Raeburn Zlatan stood up as he solemnly nodded his head, deciding to leave without any hesitation.
The expensive medicinal pill he had bought and swallowed was now slowly being wasted as the essence kept being pushed out of his body's pores as he didn't want to regenerate his severed arm anymore, but he didn't care about it as he possessed enormous amounts of wealth with him.
He could still buy hundreds of these and not still become broke. The Zlatan Family had that much wealth to spare for their children.
"Excellent, you have grown much more after facing defeat! A man must be like this! One can lose the battle but never lose the will to battle!"
Uncle Farus Zlatan nodded his head in approval when his eyes suddenly narrowed, looking towards a particular direction, but that direction was where Davis was concealed!