Chapter 5148: Obediently Following Orders Editor: Misty Cloud Translations At that moment, the cultivator who had led them in addressed the dozen or so individuals: "Gentlemen, please wait here while I go inside to report." With that, he entered the main hall to make his report. "Young Master, the lords have arrived and are waiting outside the main hall," the cultivator said, bowing respectfully. "Invite them in," Du Fan instructed, covering some documents on the long table. "Yes, sir." The cultivator responded before stepping out to escort the dozen or so Monarchs inside. He then withdrew to wait outside the hall. The dozen or so Monarch-level powerhouses entered and saw a man seated in the hall, fan in hand. They discreetly appraised him before withdrawing their gazes. Bowing their hands, they said, "Greetings, Young Master Du." "Please be seated, everyone." Du Fan gestured for them to take their seats. Watching them, he casually fanned himself with the fan in his hand as he spoke in a leisurely tone, "You must have heard of my master’s illustrious name, I presume?" Hearing this, the dozen or so Monarchs replied, "The name of the Phoenix Empress is as thunderous as it is renowned. Though we have never seen the face of the Phoenix Empress, we have always held her in the highest esteem." Hearing this, Du Fan smiled. "You are all intelligent individuals. I, for one, have always enjoyed dealing with the wise." He rose with a smile, folding his fan and tapping it lightly in his hand as he strolled toward the center of the hall. "You may not yet be familiar with me, so allow me to introduce myself!" Striding leisurely through the hall, he continued, "My name is Du Fan. The Phoenix Empress you speak of is my Master. She has dispatched me here to take charge of this domain and its affairs. It can be said that from now on, any major matters concerning this territory will be decided and handled directly by me." His voice paused briefly as he turned to face the dozen or so Monarchs seated before him, smiling. "Our time together is still short, so you may not know me well yet. But it’s alright. As time passes, I trust you’ll come to understand what kind of person I am." His words stirred the thoughts of the assembled rulers. Truthfully, they had already made inquiries before arriving. This man, Du Fan, had taken full control of the region in mere days, demonstrating methods and capabilities that could be called second to none. They had even heard that the Phoenix Empress had summoned four Monarchs to serve under him—likely the very four they encountered upon arrival. Yet they also heard that these four seemed to defy Du Fan, arriving here and practically ignoring his existence, refusing to undertake any duties. Du Fan, in turn, seemed to treat them as invisible, leaving them idle. This puzzled them deeply. If those four held him in such low regard, why did he keep them on this Immortal Island? Why take no action against them? Suppressing their thoughts, they observed Du Fan before them—his face bearing a smile, appearing approachable. Yet, a faint sense of apprehension began to stir within them. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 One favored by the Phoenix Empress could hardly be incompetent. Likely, this man before them was also a formidable figure. One of the Monarchs immediately rose to his feet, bowed his hands toward Young Master Du, and declared, "Young Master Du, we all follow Phoenix Empress’ commands without question. As someone she trusts, whatever instructions you give us in the future, we shall obey."