The Old Scholar

A while later, the Imperia students were gathered once more outside the guest door, with their weapons by their side in holsters, bags of holding, or in item boxes. They also had some books and pens to take note of the things they were about to see or hear on the trip. Leilani and her professors, after making sure all of the dorm rooms were locked and the students accounted for, waited for Crown Princess Takana and the ride she secured for them for the trip to the Jade Library, the largest library in the Jade Empire which has a lot of books that can be found in Imperia's Library, but like most local libraries, there were a few things that could only be found inside them. Leilani wanted them to go here first as there were a lot of good economic literature resources that her students could use while they were here for their thesis and research papers. She also wanted to show them the Jade Library as it was near the next place she wanted them to visit, the Jade Palace which was the home of the Imperial Court, and the Jade Emperor himself who were getting ready for their arrival after their trip to the Library. 

"Hmmm, what do you think she secured for our ride Ma'am?" Professor Nalia asked as she was juggling spheres of ice with amazing skill 

"I don't know Nalia, I honestly thought we were just going to use the same carriages we got here with" Leilani replied as she was in awe at her subordinate's juggling skills 

"Maybe she is busy getting more fancier carriages" Professor Sobard chimed in as he refilled his pen with fresh ink from an ink jar and prepared his sketchbook 

"Maybe, but that would explain why even the Draconeers are also gone" Martha added as she too prepared a sketchbook and pen 

"Well, whatever it is, as long as it gets us there in one piece, I will not mind" Leilani said 

{!}

Suddenly, there was a massive air horn that came from above. All eyes turned to the skies as everyone saw passing over the mountain was a massive airship of grey that moved towards the main Battle Courtyard. 

"A45! On your feet students! We are leaving!" Leilani shouted at her students as she stood up, a small smirk on her face as she remembered using something similar to this phrase from time to time 

The students all got on their feet and followed behind Leilani while the Professors followed behind the students. Making their way to the main Battle Courtyard, all were in awe of a massive airship parked right behind the tree of the courtyard. The airship was large and had the shape of a stretched oblong. The color of the underside of the airship was all grey, including the large cabin with cockpit underslung the main body, the rest of it however was a beautiful mix of jade and gold paint that shimmered and glistened in the sunlight that struck the thing. The propulsion system of the airship was the set of 8 monster crystal engines that were spread out evenly on each side, with 4 in the front, and another 4 in the back, with a pair on each side. These worked in conjunction with the main body of the airship that contained rows upon rows of magic crystal generators that constantly powered the massive engines within the frame, allowing the massive thing to fly in the first place.  

The Imperia students were left in awe as they neared the thing, with the Golden Fire Sect students reacting the same way. Once they neared the airship, Crown Princess Takana stepped out of the cabin with a smile on her face as she looked at everyone. 

"Let's go!" She exclaimed as she gestured to the airship 

As the students marveled and then entered the airship, Leilani met the Crown Princess on the side while watching her students enter the new vehicle 

"You were able to secure an airship?" Leilani asked with a grin as she looked at the massive thing 

"Yup! It took a lot of asking and bargaining but I finally secure the first of many airships for the Jade Empire! So I thought why not use the first as a showboat hehehe" Takana replied with a proud smirk 

"Good, good. I hear these things are becoming more common across all the continents after Partoba unveiled their own airships. Although I hear there is still some competition for them right?" Leilani asked as she looked at her with crossed arms 

"Sort of yeah. In a world where you can use magic to fly, or be a dragonkin, or even just tame a wyvern, these new machines are seen as expensive and not needed, but I like to think that if Partoba invested in making them, why shouldn't we? Since I know that you Ma'am had a hand in the creation of the thing" The Crown Princess stated as she pointed at Leilani

"Oh? It seems you did your homework" Leilani replied with a smirk 

"I really shouldn't have been surprised but I was when I initially found out, after a lot of digging, and your people were tight lip I swear, but I was able to find out in the end" Takana stated, very proud of herself 

"That's good...how did you find out?" Leilani asked as her smile faded and a serious expression came out 

"Uhhh...secret?" Takana replied 

"I can just read your mind-" 

"Okokok! I used my skills to sneak into the Partoba research facility and looked at the files relating to its research and construction" Takana cut-in after hearing her former Professor's words 

"Hmmm...You are coming back with me once this trip is done and you will show me how you broke in. Got it?" Leilani told her, with Takana nodding as sweat was going down the side of her face

"Ok good, now. Let's get this show into the air now, shall we?" Leilani stated as her serious expression disappeared and the happy expression resurfaced 

"Right" Takana replied as she wiped her sweat away and followed behind Leilani 

'Should not have said that, I should not have said that' She repeated in her mind as they entered the cabin 

Inside the cabin, it was divided into three parts, the first part was at the rear of the cabin which was an elevated floor with a staircase. On this second floor, there was a small bar but the alcoholic drinks were switched out for something lighter since they were still on a school trip and Leilani forbade drinking despite her students being well of age, there was also a small kitchen that served meals for the students. Then there was the main floor that had reclining chairs around the curved base of the second floor while there were also sets of couches and coffee tables for the students to sit around and enjoy the refreshments that would be provided once they were in the air. Finally, there was the cockpit at the forefront of the cabin, separated by a wooden door with a large glass window that showed the massive control panels and steering wheel of the airship. 

Once everyone was seated, the flight crew finished checking on their instruments and the cabin crew was ready, they were awaiting the order of the Crown Princess who nodded at them and gave them the green light. 

Upon receiving that confirmation, the Pilot and Engineer in the cockpit began priming the 8 monster crystal engines that began to roar as they were activated. The engines gave off a blue light as they came to life and a gust of powerful and compressed air began lifting the airship off the ground, with the students letting out "Woahs" and "Wooos" as they felt the machine lifting into the sky, with a few of them looking out the cabin window and seeing the Golden Fir Sect students waving at them as they disappeared into the sky. 

Once they were about 4,200 meters in the air, the students were allowed to move around the cabin and talk with one another. All of them looked out the cabin windows at the sprawling landscape below them, seeing farmlands, villages, and towns on their way to the capital city of the Jade Empire which they could see in the distance. 

"Alrighty class. So there is a bit of a change in plans, we will be stopping at the Jade Palace first then onwards to the Jade Library" Leilani told her students who nodded at her in return 

"So please do not forget that you are all college students so please act like them once land, this is for your safety as the Jade Empire is known to have a little problem in people being easily offended by the slightest thing, at least for the most part" She added as she glanced over to the Takana who waved her hand and nodded her head in defeat 

A few minutes later, they came into view of the massive Jade Palace, which was a massive complex that had a humongous central palace with several pagoda towers and massive gardens spread across the complex. The walkways around the palace were lined with trees that covered the pathways with their leaves and provided them shade,  there were also several large landing pads for the airships which were visible from the air and one of them had a welcoming party ready for the airship and its occupants as they were nearing the landing site. 

{!} 

The airship landed without trouble and once it did, the Imperia students, their professors, and Leilani followed behind Crown Princess Takana as she exited the airship first and interacted with the welcoming party who all bowed to her. They spent a few minutes talking with one another and despite her being far away and attending to her students, Leilani heard everything that was being spoken. 

[Your Highness. The Jade Emperor requests to see you] One of the soldiers said 

{Fucking hell, what does he need this time? I thought I told him that I was going to be unavailable today} Takana replied, her anger audible in her voice 

[I am afraid so Your Highness, the Jade Emperor is inside the throne room waiting for you] The guard said 

{Fine, but I will be attending to my guests first before anything else} Takana said as she turned around 

[You needn't worry Your Highness, I will watch over them] The guard stated, with Takana suddenly standing still, her eyes narrowing as she glanced behind her, Leilani turned around to see what was going on and she felt a shift in the air as she did so 

{!} 

Suddenly, Takana whipped around faster than the guards could react, her right hand was in a knife-hand thrust attack that cut open the neck of the first guard, spewing his blood onto her as she moved past his dying body and then quickly struck the two guards behind him with a pair of roundhouse kicks that crushed their skulls despite the helmet they were encased in. She then quickly dodged a spear thrust from another guard by pushing her body forward and then twisting herself to the right and landing another kick to the back of the guard's head that sent him stumbling forward into a barrage of punches from Takana that crushed his ribs and internal organs, effectively killing him as she then snapped his head violently to the side with another roundhouse kick, taking his body and then chucking it at another guard before rushing down another and swiftly ripping his heart out with a quick flourish of her right hand, the thing was still beating in her hand as it was pulled out from the body. Turning around, she threw the still beating heart at the final guard who threw off the corpse of his compatriot, with the flying organ splattering across his eyes, blinding him and sending him stumbling back, allowing Takana to quickly pick up the spear on the ground and then chucked it at full force, impaling the guard into the ground through his chest. 

The Imperia students were frightened by the sudden violence and they all brought out their weapons, with the professors forming a defensive triangle of the students as Takana was now quickly moving back to them, passing them by and approaching Leilani with a regretful expression. 

"Assessment?" Leilani began 

"Something is going on in the palace, those guards right now were not the usual ones. I suspect one of the concubines or powerful families is about to make some sort of move against my brother. I need to defend him, I can still sense him inside the main palace but I can also sense something evil about" Takana replied to her 

"Use what Imperia taught you, what is the first thing you do in a coup for it to be successful?" Leilani added 

"Corall all of the high-ranking officials needed to be silenced into one area....the Jade Palace....there was a massive meeting for today involving all of the high-level administrators of the empire...I am afraid that I will have to postpone the trip to the Jade Library for now. If you could kindly head back to the Sect for now for your safety. I will quickly deal with this situation and then meet you all back there later" The Crown Princess stated with a regretful look 

"We will, and don't be discouraged Takana. Go kick some ass and come back to be our tour guide. I will use my magic to get everyone back into the sect and if you would like, I can assist you" Leilani said 

"Oh no need Professor. I believe I can crush whatever the fuck I am about to face" Takana replied with a smirk 

"Alright then...but here, take this necklace of protection. In case you face something that is stronger than you, I will immediately appear to deal with it" The Dean said as she handed over a small necklace with a lapis lazuli jewel shaped in a teardrop that Takana placed around her neck 

"I shall show them what a College of Battle graduate can do Professor, count on that" The Crown Princess stated with a smile 

"Show them how we rock in Imperia then. Kick their ass. And one more piece of advice, 350 soldiers stand between you and the palace, good luck" Leilani said as she saw Takana give her a small bow and then run off into a pathway in the distance. 

Leilani then turned to her students and professors who were all looking at her for guidance, with their expressions saying it all as they were feeling quite unnerved and nervous about what was going down now. 

"Well, due to certain problems now arising. I need everyone to step through this portal back to the Golden Fire Sect, we will just be there for the time being and we can go tour around the rest of the sect" She stated as she snapped her fingers and a massive portal opened back into the Golden Fire Sect, with the students and professors quickly moving and pushing through the portal to the other side 

With one last look at her surroundings, Leilani smiled as she heard the sounds of fighting erupt near the palace and then turned around and went through the portal as it closed, sealing itself behind her once she made it through. 

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Now back at the Golden Fire Sect, Leilani saw that both Sect Masters were waiting for her on the other side, with some of the students who were passing by just looking at them from a distance, especially a group of students who were floating in the air on swords nearby. 

"Did something go wrong with your trip to the Jade Palace?" Sect Leader Sun asked as Leilani approached her and her sister who then swiftly pulled the two of them to the side for a private conversation, implementing a small soundproof barrier around the three of them to prevent any eavesdropping 

"A coup is currently going on in the Jade Palace, your master sent us back for our safety. I do not know the rest of the details but it seems that one of the powerful families of the concubines is making their move. It would be wise for the alarm to be raised at once" Leilani told them with a serious tone and expression, with the two Sect Leaders immediately nodding and seeing she was not lying 

"I see, I will notify the city garrison right away-" 

"No, they will mostly likely be on the payroll of the conspirators, are there any other garrisons nearby?" Leilani cut off Sun as she dismissed her initial action 

"There is the Xuan Garrison to the east but they are an hour away, one of us can probably get there within the hour but it will take a long time for them to marshal themselves into readiness and then go into the city to subdue the enemy" Moon stated as she looked up at Leilani 

"Hmmm...they won't need to transport themselves there then. Use this" Leilani said as she handed over another lapis lazuli necklace with the same teardrop design 

"What's this?" Moon asked 

"It is a special crystal. A teleportation one, once the garrison is ready, press on the gem of this necklace and it will take you directly to where your master is right now. If my assumptions are correct, she will have reached the palace by now and is organizing the defense of the place, but the conspirators are also going to be working around the clock to try and quickly subdue them and secure the rest of the city" Leilani answered her 

"But wouldn't that mean they would attack us as well?" Sun chimed in 

"Not necessarily, the conspirators need to make sure that the the Jade Palace is secured before they do anything else, if the Jade Emperor is not dead then they cannot make any claims to win support. These are the crucial hours that your master is going to use to hold out against them until reinforcements arrive. She knows that no one but you can get help now. So I would suggest flying towards that garrison at full speed for the quickest time possible" The Dean told them as she looked them in the eyes 

The twin sisters exchanged glances with one another and Moon was the first to nod as she bowed to Leilani and then immediately flew off at high speed on a sword she summoned forth. Leaving only Sun and Leilani alone, while the students of Imperia and the other students of the Golden Fire Sect who were watching from the sidelines were confused at what the hell was happening. 

"Right, now for the rest of us. Since it is a priority that we make it look as if everything is normal, would you mind taking us on a tour of the campus?" Leilani asked the Sect Leader 

"Of course, although this was for tomorrow, I guess it will be fine showing you all around now" Sun replied with a small smile 

"Good, that's what I like to hear from a fellow Dean" Leilani replied to her with a smile as she dropped the soundproof barrier 

"Right! Everyone, we are going to take a tour around the sect, so come on, get up, we have some things to learn!" Leilani stated with a smile as she turned around to her students who immediately got in line and prepared themselves to move out 

"Right, yes. Please, everyone follow me, I am glad to be your tour guide for this tour of my academy" Sun then added as she smiled as well and began leading the line of Imperia students 

All the while above them, a certain 'Order of Fire' was watching with narrowed eyes as they were growing increasingly suspicious of a certain person walking at the rear of the students who were openly conversing with other professors, with the leader of the group smiling as he saw his chance to reveal her true colors.

A/N: New Chapter. Enjoy! Hehehehe, and it seems that there is something in the works for Leilani and her students as the 'Order of Fire' now see their chance