Chapter 45: A City Lord’s Choice
A City Lord’s Choice
"Not necessarily."
Victor smiled faintly.
"I only heard rumors about the matter. As for the specifics, I’ll have to trouble City Lord Adrian to explain them."
His smile was gentle and refined, like flawless jade beneath the morning sun.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of arrogance in his voice.
Yet the calmer he appeared...
The more unfathomable he seemed.
In Adrian’s eyes, every word spoken by Victor carried a deeper meaning.
Patriarch Victor must be dissatisfied that I failed to report this information immediately...
He’s reminding me without saying it outright.
Without realizing it, Adrian had already begun treating the Salvatore Family as a force far above his own authority.
His respect deepened even further.
Not daring to hide anything, he immediately revealed every piece of information he knew.
The words poured out one after another without the slightest hesitation.
"Several days ago, fourteen elders from the Celestial Fate Pavilion joined forces and used secret techniques to observe the heavens and calculate the stars."
"They determined that a Heavenly Secret Realm will emerge outside Aurelia City in approximately one and a half years."
"The moment the major clans and sects learned of this, they immediately began preparing their younger generations to compete for the opportunities hidden inside."
Victor quietly nodded.
He had naturally heard of Heavenly Secret Realms.
Most of them had been left behind by powerful experts searching for worthy successors.
To prevent older cultivators from monopolizing everything, such realms generally restricted entry to those under eighteen years of age.
Within them lay unimaginable inheritances.
Ancient cultivation techniques.
Rare medicinal herbs.
Powerful divine weapons.
Lost bloodlines.
And opportunities capable of changing a cultivator’s destiny forever.
Even entering such a place without obtaining its greatest inheritance would still yield extraordinary rewards.
Now...
A Heavenly Secret Realm was about to appear practically at the Salvatore Family’s doorstep.
There was no possibility that Victor would ignore it.
"I see."
Victor’s gaze calmly returned to Adrian.
"If that’s the case..."
"Surely you didn’t come all this way simply to inform me about the Heavenly Secret Realm?"
Adrian’s smile instantly stiffened.
His heart skipped a beat.
The imperial court had indeed given him another task.
He had been ordered to ensure that every local family within Aurelia City properly served the arriving noble clans and powerful sects.
But...
How could he possibly say that now?
His eyes cautiously drifted toward Elder Black.
The old veteran stood silently behind Victor.
Without saying a word, Elder Black casually rested one hand upon the worn hilt of his broken sword.
It was a completely natural movement.
Yet Adrian’s pupils contracted violently.
His heartbeat nearly stopped.
Damn it...
My life matters too!
Whoever wants to handle this can handle it!
He made his decision almost instantly.
His survival instincts completely overwhelmed his sense of duty.
"I actually came to deliver entry quotas!"
He spoke so quickly that the words nearly ran together.
"Every major clan receives three places."
"Naturally, the Salvatore Family is no exception."
"Three?"
Victor narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
Adrian’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
His mind worked faster than it ever had before.
"The Salvatore Family naturally deserves one extra quota!"
He corrected himself immediately without the slightest pause.
"Only four entry quotas would be worthy of the Salvatore Family’s status!"
His reaction was so smooth that even he was impressed with himself.
Victor looked at him for a moment before the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
"Oh?"
"Then I must thank City Lord Adrian."
At that same moment...
Standing behind Victor, Elder Black’s normally expressionless face showed the slightest upward movement at the corner of his mouth.
It was barely noticeable.
Yet Adrian saw it clearly.
Only then did he finally release the breath he had been unconsciously holding.
His entire body relaxed.
He had survived.
The atmosphere immediately became far more harmonious.
The tension from earlier quietly disappeared.
Victor casually brought up taxation.
To Adrian...
The very idea of collecting taxes from the Salvatore Family felt almost insulting.
He repeatedly insisted there was no urgency whatsoever, speaking as though the imperial treasury itself could wait.
The conversation continued in an unexpectedly pleasant atmosphere.
Neither side raised their voices.
Neither side argued.
Everything concluded peacefully.
After some time...
Adrian respectfully clasped his hands.
"Patriarch Victor, I won’t disturb your cultivation any longer."
Victor nodded lightly.
"I won’t see you out."
"There is no need."
Adrian quickly waved his hands with an awkward smile.
Receiving a personal farewell from Victor felt far too frightening.
He slowly turned around and walked toward the entrance of the estate.
Each step became noticeably lighter.
Finally...
I’m leaving safely.
The moment he reached the gates of the Salvatore Family estate...
A quiet voice drifted over from behind him.
It sounded almost like Victor was speaking to himself.
"At least he’s sensible."
"Some unnecessary bloodshed has been avoided."
Immediately afterward...
Elder Black lowered his head respectfully.
"Your Excellency is merciful."
The exchange was calm.
Casual.
Almost absent-minded.
Yet...
The instant those words entered Adrian’s ears...
His entire body stiffened.
His imagination instantly filled in everything that had been left unsaid.
Bloodshed?
Was... was Elder Black planning to kill me if the conversation had gone badly?
His legs suddenly lost all strength.
Thud.
He dropped to the ground in a perfect kneeling position right outside the gates of the Salvatore Family estate.
The surrounding guards stared blankly.
Adrian himself remained frozen for several long breaths before lowering his head with a bitter smile.
"...Damn it."
"In the end, I still knelt."
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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Building an Eternal Dynasty: The Eternal Legacy System* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!
With love,
sat_vir_777
Creator of Building an Eternal Dynasty: The Eternal Legacy System
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