Chapter 149: Soloman Clan Experts Meeting
In a certain country within the Middle Region of Desert Red Star, deep inside the Soloman clan's influence, the air was thick with formality and power.
A sprawling palace rose above the capital, its highest wing reserved for only the most influential members of the clan. Within its largest council chamber, a long blackwood table gleamed under the light of floating crystal lanterns.
Seated around it were fifteen figures — the designated family heads of their respective jurisdictions — each flanked by an armored knight bearing the Soloman crest, their posture rigid and unwavering.
Every one of these family heads was an expert at the Pristine Soul tier or higher. Thirteen were deep in that realm, four stood at the threshold of Aetherial Soul, and two had long since stepped into the Master Realm. Their gathered presence alone weighed heavily on the room.
A man with neatly combed silver hair dabbed the corners of his mouth with a cloth after finishing a bite of food.
"Sir Ronold," he began, his tone almost casual, "is it true that the young lady Erica of your jurisdiction has broken through to Golden Lord at such a tender age? Not even twenty years old yet?"
Ronold, sitting halfway down the table, adjusted his posture and spoke evenly.
"This was indeed the case, according to the official reports from those stationed in the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect." His eyes glinted with rare pride.
"How splendid!" A middle-aged woman with a koi smile leaned forward. "Perhaps the young lady would make a fine match for my son — he's an incredible talent, though admittedly… not quite her equal."
"Hah!" A broad-shouldered elder gave a booming laugh. "Nonsense! She should marry my grandson. He's a dragon among men — like his father before him!"
"Indeed," agreed another middle-aged woman seated beside him, her expression sharp. "And that grandson happens to be mine as well, through the blessed union of our two children."
A man with a predatory grin clicked his tongue. "You're all thinking too small. I have thirteen male descendants of high talent. I'll have their records sent over immediately, and we can arrange marriage interviews at once."
"How uncouth of you, Sir Garlain," the koi-smiling woman retorted with a cold snort. "Aren't most of your descendants just like you? Barbaric and brutal? That hardly suits the wonderful and charming Lady Erica. My son—"
"Bah! What does it matter what you think? Sir Ronold, what say you?"
Ronold's brows twitched. Unlike most here, he knew far more about Erica's situation — and much of it was… volatile. "To set the record straight, Lady Erica's approval is required. As per clan law, her current prestige gives her far more leverage than most realize. So far she has rejected all proposed marriage candidates. One was originally set to be a contender — Sir Jones's son, John Soloman — but she refused him outright. And…" He hesitated, weighing his next words. "Let's just say the matter is complicated."
"Complicated?" The koi-smiling woman frowned. "What could possibly be complicated about a marriage arrangement? Stop dancing around it."
Ronold exhaled. "To be blunt… she is already pursuing a relationship."
The table stilled.
"Oh?" One man arched a brow. "If he's not a member of the Soloman clan, that relationship can be annulled. By any means necessary."
Ronold's jaw tensed. "He is a member of the Soloman clan."
A few heads turned sharply at that.
"Well then it's fine," the koi-smiling woman said, waving her hand. "But his status will be reviewed. If he's lacking, the relationship ends. Simple as that."
Ronold could feel the pressure in the room sharpening. He knew they were playing with fire. "I advise restraint," he warned. "The man in question was once considered a discard of our family — the sole survivor of a branch that fell in the war a generation ago. But—"
That was as far as he got before the room erupted.
"A discard?!"
"Then he has no right to even think of being with Lady Erica!"
"Why hasn't he been dealt with already!?"
Ronold's patience frayed. "If you would just listen—"
"Knight Rengally!" barked one of the more aggressive men. "Send a message to Durvana. Tell them to march to Brawlmanica and bring me this so-called man."
Ronold slammed a hand on the table. "Stop this nonsense! You would dare make plans to move on my jurisdiction?!"
"Oh? And if we are?" sneered another man. "What will you do to stop us from detaining a discard who dares lay his hands on Lady Erica?"
The tension in the room was about to snap when a calm, measured voice cut through.
"That's enough. Let's hear Sir Ronold's explanation."
The one who spoke was a man of lean build but heavy presence — Sir Yaga Soloman, one of the only two present who had stepped fully into the Master Realm. His word carried more weight than any of the others, and the room obeyed.
Ronold gave a slight bow in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Sir Yaga. I'll be direct. The man in question is no ordinary discard. He possesses the Soloman bloodline, his talent rivals Lady Erica's, and he is backed by the Brawlmanica Kingdom, the Fae Grand Spirit Alliance, the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect, multiple influential clans… and most dangerously of all — the Aka Boshi no Tengan clan."
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Several heads turned toward one another, alarm flashing in their eyes.
One middle-aged lady leaned forward. "Wait… isn't Lady Erica part of that White Star Radiance group that's been gaining influence these past years?"
"And his talent is equal to hers? Backed by the Aka Boshi no Tengan clan?" murmured an elder, connecting the pieces.
Ronold gave a small, sharp nod. "I'm sure you've all at least heard the name Daoist Blue Heavens Sword. That is the man she is pursuing. And if that's not enough…" He let his words hang before dropping the final blow. "…he is also backed by that benefactor."
The room fell into weighted silence.
Finally, one of the calmer elders spoke. "Then you were right — this is complicated. Not many know Daoist Blue Heavens Sword has Soloman blood, but the connection is real. I've also heard he's already reached Golden Lord."
"I suggest caution," Ronold said firmly. "Push too hard, and you risk alienating Lady Erica and provoking factions you cannot afford to anger. There are even whispers that some among our own have begun quietly aligning themselves with him. And… the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect recently issued a vague warning about him."
There was a long pause before one man scoffed. "Still… if they wed, the political advantages—"
"—would be enormous," finished another, more pragmatic voice. "Especially if their offspring inherit both talents."
"That is if they produce offspring worth noting," countered a skeptic. "We can't base long-term plans on 'if.'"
The murmurs continued, splitting the table between opportunists and obstructionists.
Ronold sat back, keeping his expression carefully neutral. On the surface, it seemed he had bought time — but in truth, the fracture lines in the Soloman clan were widening. There were things he had deliberately not spoken aloud… like the growing network of loyalties forming in secret.
Even within his jurisdiction, faces he thought loyal had begun to shift — Rija, his own grandniece, among them. If not for subtle warnings from Sarkies, he might not have noticed at all.
That thought weighed heavily on him. And though the meeting ended without bloodshed, Ronold knew one thing for certain:
The young man they called Daoist Blue Heavens Sword had already begun to changed the balance of the Soloman clan.