"Let us just say that I get around. Anyways, thank you for the information." Adrian stated as he bowed to the head hostess.

"It is a pleasure to serve the benefactor of our clan. Please feel free to come if you are in need of our services." The head hostess stated.

"A token of my sincerity." Adrian stated as he placed a fifty gold coin pouch and left the tea house.

As soon as Adrian exited the tea house, an imperial guard suddenly appeared before him as if he was waiting for him. The imperial guard did not come with a bad attitude but he did scan Adrian from head to toe. Adrian did not find any offense in this and just waited for the imperial guard to either let him walk away or talk to him.

"Apologies if I stared too much as this is the first time that I have seen someone like you. I have come to deliver an imperial command from the emperor." The imperial guard stated as he unfurled a scroll.

The imperial guard looked at Adrian with shock as the latter did not bow but remembered that he was not of this country. He decided to push through with the message as an outsider will not really know the customs of the eastern continent. He unfurled the scroll and started the speech.

"As commanded by the Celestial Emperor, the individual named as Equinox is hereby invited to the Imperial Palace. This is a way to invite the benefactor by not only one but two of the princesses in this country." The imperial guard proclaimed which other people also heard.

"I see. Please lead the way then." Adrian stated as he also received some messages from his friends that they were also invited to the imperial palace.

"I shall lead the way. Please follow me." The imperial guard stated as he suddenly tapped his spear on the ground and a golden horse carriage suddenly appeared.

Adrian was told to enter the carriage and he is amazed because the horse was not a living being. The carriage was entirely made of aura which means the imperial guard is very powerful to actually make it a reality. What Adrian did not know is that the one that fetched him is actually the general handling the imperial guards as he was a very important person.

The emperor has already kept tabs on Adrian as soon as he entered the imperial capital. The emperor did receive the message of the Vermillion Bird. The fact that a divine beast called someone a friend is a very big deal to the emperor. If they play their cards right then they might actually have a chance of getting more favor from the Vermillion Bird.

The imperial family might be blessed by all four divine beasts and are bound by a promise to not interfere with them directly but that does not mean they cannot bless them more. The imperial family did weaken back then when the Vermillion Bird suddenly vanished from existence but it regained its power when it came back.

The imperial family investigate this issue but there were no substantial leads on their ends. Even the Heihudie clan do not have an explanation on their end as well or rather they are keeping silent about it. Even if the imperial family wants to ask them, they cannot force the Heihudie clan as they are good friends with them.

The only plausible thing for them to come up with is that the friend of the Vermillion Bird is the one that helped in regaining its power. The demon must have done something for the Vermillion Bird for a powerful being to befriend him as they are recluse beings. The imperial family might not be showing it but their influence and power is shaking due to the next generation not being as blessed or powerful.

The only ones that have great abilities that were born from the direct bloodline is Princess Shini and she sacrificed a lot to erect the barrier covering the imperial capital. Princess Yinyue was picked up by the emperor as she was the daughter of his lost sister that died young. She might have been a descendant from the direct bloodline, but the emperor's sister married a commoner.

The imperial family is making sure that the divine beasts are pleased with them so that they would not lose their blessings. They are also using their resources to keep track of the divine beasts as they now know that they could suddenly vanish like the Vermillion Bird. They are also receiving some reports that a shadow organization is wreaking havoc on the continent.

The imperial family might look like they are still strong but those that live long know that they are becoming weaker. The older immortals that were afraid of the imperial family back then are now showing some slight resistance. The imperial family is losing control of the eastern continent and a devastating thing will happen if that completely happens.

The eastern continent was not always peaceful like this as it was a war torn land in ancient times. There is a reason why the divine beasts arose through the desire of the people for peace and order. The imperial family is also considered as the enforcer of this peace and they would lose their blessing should they fail.

The carriage started to move but it did not move on the road. It actually started to have golden clouds on the bottom and took to the skies. Adrian looked out of the window and saw three other carriages, but they were not gold in color like the one that he is sitting on. It was clear that all of them were escorted separately.

When the carriages landed, all four of them reunited in front of a hall where almost all of the guards were line up. The guards were standing tall and grand to show that the imperial family is a powerful one since they have a lot of people under them. At the end of the audience hall is a throne that is decorated with the carvings of the four divine beasts that represent the eastern continent.

Next to that decorated throne are smaller thrones that number about seven. Unlike the other continents, the imperial capital does not have a queen as the power of the Celestial Emperor or Celestial Empress must never be handed down to those that come from outside of the family. The smaller thrones were for the children of the emperor and not all of them were of the same mother.

The imperial family in the eastern continent has harems in place to create successors but their mothers are not given power. Fights for the throne sometimes leads to messy outcomes when the mothers of the children are involved as they often held power. The imperial family now needs more talented individuals as they are deteriorating in talent.

The emperor came out from the side as all the guards bowed towards him. He was wearing a red and gold embroidered robe with the designs of the four cardinal beasts imprinted on them. He also looks quite young for his age despite the oldest son being around the age of twenty.

It might actually come out as a surprise, but the imperial family members are forbidden to learn immortal training manuals. Since they were blessed by the Black Tortoise, they must also return to the cycle of life and death. Not dying would mean the loss of that blessing which is also powerful because it gives them great life abundance.

This does not mean that they cannot practice truths that can extend their lifespan to at least two hundred years old. The members of the imperial family practice these things to make sure that they do not lack in any area and is said that each child of the emperor specializes in something.

The first child is said to specialize in the Art of Leadership as he is well versed in anything that has connection to commanding. The second child is said to be specialized in animal rearing which made her have the nickname of Princess of Beasts. She is the gentlest of all of them yet has the fiercest of guards due to the magical beasts that surround her.

The third child is specialized in Strategy and is said to be a master tactician. The fourth child, Yinyue, is specialized in the art of music and her abilities speak for themselves. The fifth child, Shini, specialize in the art of defenses and the barrier around the capital would not be here without her.

The sixth child is specialized in spells of the elemental variety as she was said to have talent in all of them. In fact, her teacher is a Ryujin that the imperial family took quite convincing to get him to teach her. The seventh child has yet to awaken his talents but is the subject of rumors as he is a late bloomer unlike his other siblings.