Dragon Monarch System Chapter 997:- The Man Known as Merchant Leo

In the Celestial Dragon Empire, a unassuming residence existed, owned by an ordinary Immortal trader.

Nothing remarkable marked this Immortal trader. The entire city viewed him as a compassionate fellow. He earned a reputation as a person true to his promises—a figure whom people could confidently entrust with their finances and private affairs.

He practiced cultivation, yet he opted for the merchant's route instead of advancing further in his training.

Though highly prosperous and strong, he remained famous for his humility. Rather than squandering his riches on opulent items or lavish pursuits, he sought fulfillment within by giving away meals, funds, and garments to every orphan in the city.

He operated seven eateries and seven meat shops throughout the city. His eateries boasted such superior standards that nobles, societal leaders, and fellow cultivators alike favored them for their meals.

On typical days, one might spot him in one of his eateries, strolling serenely amid the tables to attend to patrons himself.

Should a needy household lack the means for their repast, he would merely gesture and instruct the employees to provide it without issue, as though it were routine. Such gestures went unrecorded, and he never brought them up again.

Occasionally, merchants or laborers mired in debt would receive discreet aid from him. None understood how he learned of their plight, but right as they faced total ruin, an intermediary would appear to settle a portion of their obligations in his stead.

His employees held him in profound esteem. This stemmed not from intimidation, but from sincere reverence. He compensated them justly, regarded them with respect, and seldom let his temper flare.

Even nobles patronizing his establishments sang his praises. Numerous commended the excellence of his cuisine, particularly the enchanted beast flesh from his meat shops.

The city recognized him as merchant Leo.

Merchant Leo lacked a spouse or kin. His integrity shone through, evident in how, despite his fortune, attractiveness, and solitude, he avoided entanglements with any local women.

No scandals linked him to the city's brothels. His reputation stood so pure and upright that young women held him up as the ideal of manhood.

At this moment, within that plain residence, Leo perched near the window, gazing over the urban expanse.

Leo possessed a hidden persona, his true one, as the head of a secretive group.

Currently, the group's leader appeared deeply distressed—not due to any failure in thwarting the dragon monarch or inflicting damage. It arose from witnessing firsthand the formidable power of the goddess of wisdom.

He realized a strong possibility existed that her talents could uncover his sole sanctuary, his dwelling for nearly half a million years.

The pearls neared full ripeness. At this vital juncture, he dared not risk such an error by neglecting safeguards. For his objective's sake, relocation became essential.

The alternate persona he forged over the past 2000 years, as merchant Leo, must perish. This marked not his initial fabrication of a false guise to blend with masses. Nor would it prove his final such endeavor.

Yet across half a million years, one constant endured: his home remained unchanged. From the Crimson Dragon King's era onward, this spot had served as Leo’s haven. He had fashioned the dwelling to match his departed wife's tastes. Merely considering departure until vanquishing his foes stirred profound sorrow in him. He felt less grief even when his fostered son met death by his command.

"But it must be done." The individual called Leo retrieved an ancient image of a lady. The artwork dated back a million years. He preserved it meticulously, so after a million years, no blemish marred its surface.

It depicted his late spouse, who had sadly departed this life.

Despite his prowess as a cultivator granting keen recollection, he might have lost his wife's visage without this artwork.

In a mere 10,000 years, he started fading memories of her features, stature, and other traits. Luckily, he crafted this image from remaining recollections via a unique method.

"Even after a million years have gone by, you remain the loveliest woman my eyes have ever beheld." This explained his inability to entertain amorous notions toward other women, let alone share intimacy with them.

The lady in the image possessed flowing, lovely, wavy, vivid crimson locks. Her skin gleamed fair. She featured petite eyes, slender mouth, and a delicate snout. Her standout trait included a mark at the middle of her right face and another between her brows. These marks merely amplified her allure.

With his strength, status, riches, appearance, and sway, he never wanted for female company over the ages. Yet his emotions lay barren to romance. The final individual evoking faint love and warmth was his adopted offspring. That child proved treacherous, covertly undermining the group.

"My beloved, how much time has elapsed since our separation?" No plot caused his wife's demise. Her cultivation aptitude proved dismal; thus, after nearly 10,000 years abroad, she couldn't evade mortality. Her life span concluded.

This event shaped his present self.

Following his wife's passing, purpose eluded him. He roamed the globe for millennia until encountering his mentor—a figure who bestowed true direction.

Not merely any aim, but the supreme one. No endeavor in existence rivaled the splendor and majesty of his mentor's pursuit. Assisting such a figure felt like an honor.

Leo undertook these deeds free of coercion, enchantment, or control. The grand vision his mentor revealed propelled him along this solitary path spanning over a million years.

"From this day forward, Leo ceases to exist!" Resolve hardened in Leo. Barely moments earlier, sorrow over forsaking his abode gripped him. This shift highlighted the unyielding commitment of one devoted to a singular aim.

To Leo, no priority surpassed attaining the goal.

That same afternoon, an odd event unfolded. Merchant Leo and his entire staff lay discovered deceased. Flames consumed their remains. Upon arrival, locals found the corpses charred irreparably.

For unknown reasons, the blaze raged fiercely, devouring all swiftly. Before containment, the whole property and its contents reduced to cinders. Strangest of all, his enterprise deeds endured unscathed. Upon discovery, Leo's testament named a beneficiary. He bequeathed his ventures to the city's orphan homes—one per establishment. Earnings from them would flow to those institutions.

Perhaps remorse burdened Leo for his actions. Thus, he strove to contribute or assist wherever possible, lightening the weight on his conscience. He acted not from self-perceived virtue. Rather, his wife embodied gentleness. He sensed she would despise the man he evolved into. Thus, minor benevolence served as his bulwark against guilt's tide when beholding her image.

For one enduring over a million years, orchestrating this proved simpler than sipping tea.

As to his forthcoming abode, none could say.

Yet presently, his undivided attention fixed on dismantling the organization's two foes. Those adversaries comprised the Dragon Monarch and the Goddess of War. Both held excessive knowledge of the group.