Cain stood before ministers on his right and left. Before him was a throne where Sun Xiang sat, wearing the garments of an Emperor. He was conferring the State Teacher title to Cain.

Sun Xiang spoke; his voice erupted throughout the hall.

"On this day, I declare Cain of the Immortal Sect a State Teacher of the Royal Palace. He will have all the benefits granted by such a title and will reside in a personal residence inside the Palace grounds! Heed my order!"

Cain completed the ceremony and kneeled, accepting the order from the heavens. Afterward, he was congratulated by many people he didn't know and was led off to his residence.

The housing he was given was top-tier; it had a backyard and even access to the city through a small walkway out of the palace. In addition, there were arrays in the building.

These arrays congregated Spiritual Qi into the house, making the qi more dense. Unfortunately, it was pretty useless to Cain; he needed Heavenly Energy more than anything, not Spiritual Qi.

"This is good enough. I'll spend my time practicing Master's Sword Arts and wait for my Dantian to increase. I can use some Heavenly energy and fasten my pace, but I want to save most of it for the second inscribing of sigils for my other arm."

With a plan place, he sat down, and Cain spent the day cultivating. By evening, he was invited by the First Prince to dinner.

"I should have known I wasn't going to escape politics. No, maybe it will just be to meet me. They shouldn't try to rope me to their side just yet."

Cain accepted the invitation and got ready. He didn't pack for this sort of thing, but his house's wardrobe had some clothes he could wear that would be acceptable. They looked similar to his sect uniform.

Putting on the high-quality white robes and tidying himself up, Cain was ready to go out and left.

...

"Brother, is it true you invited the new State Teacher? What's he like?"

The First Prince laughed, "Yun'er, don't get too excited; you won't be able to sit straight."

"I can't help it, brother! I never get to meet new people! Father never lets me leave the palace unless I'm with a hundred guards!"

The Second Prince chuckled, "Haha, just let Yun'er have her fun. She never makes friends!"

"I'm just worried this one doesn't want to be just friends," the First Prince grumbled.

The doors to the dining hall opened.

"The Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Saint is here, Cain of the Immortal Sect."

Standing to the side, the attendant let Cain pass.

"A mixed blood...." The Second Prince almost gasped seeing Cain.

The First Prince better controlled himself, and Yun'er didn't seem put off by it at all. Cain walked over and sat down at the end of the table.

There were only three others seated, the First and Second Princes, as well as one of the princesses, Yun'er. 

'It seems the other Princes and Princesses are in their own factions. I suppose these three are on their own?'

Cain stopped thinking and spoke up. "Thank you for the invitation, Prince Feng."

"The pleasure is all mine. Sit, let us eat and talk."

Prince Feng clapped his hands; the doors opened, and hundreds of dishes came out in an orderly fashion, decorating the table and covering the room with a lovely smell. Cain almost licked his lips and showed his backwater side.

"Enjoy!"

They all began to eat and enjoy the meal. Cain noticed the Princess looking over at him multiple times; she seemed to be itching to speak. She eventually did speak when she couldn't hold her curiosity in anymore.

"So... Sir Cain, how is it being a cultivator?"

Cain looked up from his plate with a perplexed expression; he thought for a moment and then answered truthfully, "It's good, although it's lonely. But the connections you do make are worth thousands of times more than any other connection."

Princess Yun'er smiled, "I see."

Dinner continued, and Prince Feng was the next to speak.

"So Cain, why did father ask for you to come here? Is there something going on?"

'So it's information they want...'

Cain wiped his mouth and became serious.

"I don't believe I'm allowed to say. All I will mention is that I'm just here to be here. Master couldn't come yet, so I was sent in his stead."

"So it hasn't gotten serious yet...." Prince Feng muttered.

Cain's lip twitched, but he kept his professionalism alive and continued to enjoy dinner. The food was some of the best food he'd ever had. The dishes' flavor and scent connected, and the wine perfectly complemented the flavors.

Yun'er stared at Cain again; she thought for a moment before smiling. "So....Sir Cain, are you willing to teach me cultivation?"

Both the First and Second Princes paused; their chopsticks hovered in the air as their heads shifted like gears to Cain.

They displayed a dislike of the thought of their sweet little sister entering the world of cultivation.

"Well, Princess, that is part of my duties, though after I tell you about the cultivation world, you can decide if you wish to become a cultivator or not. Okay?"

"Okay!"

...

After dinner, Cain left the Princess and Princes to return to his abode. Throughout the dinner, Yun'er would ask Cain questions while he had to give answers suitable for everyone. The Princes constantly used piercing gazes to help him understand how they felt.

"The Princess is loved and coddled by her brothers, how nice."

A soundless voice cracked into Cain's mind, its words like a crazed whisper, (Indeed, she has such a good family.)

Cain misstepped and almost fell to the ground. He stumbled and landed on his knees; he didn't care but remained absolutely still as his head sprouted sweat and his body shivered in fear.

"Y-Y-You....no.....I...why are you speaking to me!"

The voice chuckled, (Why can't I? Did you think that Master of yours could shut me up forever? Not to mention he isn't here; I could have spoken up earlier, but then your trust for your master would plummet, and he would notice.)

"Don't talk to me! Go away! Disappear!"

(As you wish, hehe.)

Cain remained in his spot, only until his mind recovered did he stand up and return to his residence. That night he didn't cultivate; he didn't even sleep.

...

"Prince Bo, where have you been? The Emperor was looking for you earlier."

An attendant walked over to a handsome figure wearing expensive clothes and jewelry. His face was filled with arrogance.

"I was out, Lagos. Why do you ask?"

Lagos lowered his head, "Your Father asked all of his children to stay within the confines of the palace, my Lord."

Prince Bo's face became distasteful. He whispered, "So he doesn't even trust his children. A smart man, but not smart enough to survive my Demonic Sect's onslaught. The Sun Dynasty and its two provinces will belong to us Demons!"

Lagos heard nothing from his master. He kept his head lowered like the mixed blood he was. He had no right to interrupt his master's thoughts.

Prince Bo recovered from his thoughts. "Lagos, come. We shall head to the western Palace and meet with someone."

"Of course, Master."

The two left, and silence returned to the long halls.