Upon meeting Mo Han, the Emperor spoke with warmth, "Envoy Mo Han, rise quickly. You have rendered the Heavenly Dragon Empire a monumental service this time, saving the lives of its tens of millions of citizens. I hereby declare that from now on, you need not kneel before me. Furthermore, I grant you a golden tablet, granting unrestricted access to the Imperial Palace at any time.

And I have also decided to bestow upon you the title of Imperial Duke. Knowing your disinterest in court affairs, I specifically exempt you from attending morning court, granting you complete freedom. In essence, you are a Duke who need not govern—are you satisfied with this arrangement?" Mo Han had initially intended to refuse, but given the Emperor's immense concessions, further refusal would be unreasonable. With that thought, he quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Seeing Mo Han accept his terms, the Emperor beamed, "Additionally, I decree a reward of one million gold coins and a thousand acres of land, which you may select from anywhere surrounding the capital. Once you have chosen, simply inform me or General Murong."

Hearing the Emperor's words, all those present were stunned. This reward was unprecedented since the founding of the Empire, surely destined for the annals of imperial history.

Some officials harbored envy, others jealousy, all plotting schemes in their minds. Mo Han was undoubtedly the man of the hour, and they began calculating how to foster a good relationship with him.

After hearing the Emperor, Mo Han swiftly offered his thanks again. After all, he had contributed significantly to the success. Mo Han's nature had always been 'take what is offered,' and there was no reason to decline a gift placed directly in his lap. It wasn't as if he were burdened by wealth. With this realization, Mo Han was secretly dreaming happily, surprised by the sheer generosity of the Heavenly Dragon Emperor, which far exceeded his expectations.

Seeing Mo Han willingly accept his gifts this time, the Emperor was equally delighted. He spoke again, "Very well, you haven't seen your friends in a while. You should return first. I shall not waste any more of your time here. I have arranged a grand welcome ball for you, scheduled for tomorrow evening. You must prepare yourself well, as you are to be the very focus of the ball, do you understand?" Upon hearing this, Mo Han, though not thrilled, felt the invitation was too gracious to refuse, and thus nodded his assent.

The Emperor also cordially inquired about Murong Tian’s recent situation, acknowledging the Murong family's contribution with a gift of some gold coins to Murong Tian, whose position was already so high that promotion was nearly impossible unless he aimed for the throne—an impossibility, of course.

Murong Tian immediately bowed in thanks upon hearing this.

After announcing these matters, the Emperor returned to the palace escorted by his guards.

Once the Emperor departed, Mo Han was eager to return to the Murong Manor, only to find himself immediately surrounded by numerous officials offering congratulations. These officials had clearly recognized Mo Han's limitless future prospects and were keen to establish rapport early for their own benefit.

This situation left Mo Han feeling utterly helpless. Fortunately, Murong Tian noticed Mo Han’s discomfort and called out loudly, "Gentlemen, the Envoy has only just returned and is weary. If you have matters to discuss, I implore you to wait until the ball tomorrow evening. I am sure the Envoy will deeply appreciate your consideration. Please allow the Envoy to retire early."

Hearing Murong Tian’s words, Mo Han sent him a look of deep gratitude. The other officials, hearing Murong Tian's firm request, reluctantly dispersed, knowing they could not afford to offend the Murong family, one of the Empire's most powerful houses.

As soon as the crowd cleared, Mo Han swiftly mounted his horse and galloped toward the Murong residence. Murong Tian followed closely behind. Upon reaching the gate, however, Mo Han found the entrance surprisingly quiet, with only a few servants standing guard. There was none of the boisterous welcoming party he had envisioned.

Mo Han paused, momentarily confused. Such a major return, one that even stirred the Emperor, surely meant Dali and the others knew? Why were they not outside to greet him?

Seeing Mo Han and Murong Tian arrive, one of the servants exclaimed happily, "Patriarch, Young Master Mo Han, you have returned!"

He rushed forward immediately to take the reins of their horses. Mo Han, observing this, asked gently, "You haven't seen where Dali and the others are?" The house servant replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Young Master, Miss Dali, Miss Anna, and the Madam were waiting right here for you just moments ago. However, several Elves suddenly arrived and demanded to take Miss Anna away without explanation. Miss Anna refused, leading to an argument. But then, those Elves produced a tablet—a token of some kind—insisting Miss Anna accompany them outside the city to meet someone. Seeing this, Miss Anna had no choice but to leave with them."

"The Madam and the Misses were worried about Miss Anna, so they took some guards and followed her departure. Before leaving, Miss Dali instructed that if Young Master Mo Han returned, I was to inform you immediately to find them at the North Gate."

Upon hearing this, Mo Han quickly thanked the servant, then spurred his horse in the direction indicated by the houseman.

Murong Tian, after giving a few instructions, immediately followed in Mo Han's wake.

As Mo Han exited the North Gate, he encountered Jack and several soldiers from the Raging Dragon Legion pacing anxiously near the city entrance. Seeing Mo Han, Jack shouted happily, "Boss! You're finally here! I was frantic!"

Mo Han quickly asked, "What happened? Where are Dali and the others?" Jack replied, "I'm not sure, they should be just ahead. Dali and the others told me to wait here for you and then lead you to rendezvous with them."

This news made Mo Han even more anxious. He instructed Jack to follow at his own pace, then cast a Flight spell and soared forward. Jack and the others quickly mounted their horses and gave chase.

Not long after flying, Mo Han spotted a gathering of people surrounding a pavilion. Most of them wore red armor—the distinctive color of the Raging Dragon Legion's Royal Guard. Mo Han immediately flew toward the crowd. When he landed among them, he saw over a dozen Elves surrounding Anna and two older Elves, their weapons drawn, coldly facing the group of Nangong Yunfeng and Dali who had encircled them, looking as if a fight could erupt at any second. The atmosphere was intensely tense.

Seeing Mo Han, the members of the Flying Cloud Mercenary Group rushed towards him. Dali exclaimed joyfully, "Mo Han, you're finally here! These Elves are unreasonable; they tried to forcibly take Anna away, and we refused. Now they're threatening to charge through!"

And Anna, seeing Mo Han, immediately cried out, "Brother Mo Han, I don't want to go back! Hurry and save me!"