Chapter 100 Seeing the Guest Off
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Bai Yanxing said, "The Wilderness Clan's army is indeed formidable, and Tiansheng is no useless force either. It will be difficult for us to defeat you, but it won't be so easy for you to defeat us easily either."
Both sides suffered casualties in the battle at Dragon's Breath Mountain. The Imperial Army did not truly make a move, and Bai Yanxing did not unleash his full strength either.
But do they really want to fight this battle?
The war for the heavens left behind not a flourishing landscape, but a devastated wasteland. The vast Heavenly Realm was reduced to ruins and broken walls, with only remnants of various races remaining. Anyone who took on this mess would have a headache.
Of the thirty-six divine continents and seventy-two divine mountains, not a single one has a complete palace. Wars in the human realm are exhausting and costly, and the same is true in the celestial realm.
Bai Yanxing is now using the Dragon Clan's legacy to rebuild the Heavenly Realm, while Di Jiang hunts beasts every night in the Tenth Realm. Do you think he's idle? Isn't he just worried about not having enough money to support his army?
But if we don't fight—
The two looked at each other simultaneously. Even a young and ambitious monarch like Bai Yanxing couldn't help but be proud and arrogant. The battle for supremacy a year ago had lasted three whole months; who would willingly submit to the other?
Bai Yanxing said, "If you were to sit in this seat, you would only have a bigger headache than I do."
"Let me sit here instead?" Di Jiang's eyes held a hint of contempt as he emphasized the word "change".
"Have you forgotten how you ascended to the throne? The Tian Sheng Jiang Shan was given to you by the Great Qi Ao Zong. If Jiu You hadn't chosen you back then, today would be the anniversary of your death."
“I also think she should have chosen you, but why didn’t she?” Bai Yanxing said in a calm tone. “You are good at fighting but not good at governing. Let’s make a hypothetical scenario: if you were to take charge of the Heavenly Realm now, how many spiritual treasures could you use to repair the damaged palaces? A major battle can leave half of the city in ruins. The ingots you earn in the Ten Realms can’t be exchanged for money in the Heavenly Realm.”
Di Jiang blew on the foam on the teacup.
"The Wilderness Clan has a deeper foundation than you know. Don't use your Dragon Clan's pitifully small resources to guess the Wilderness Clan's strength!"
"That would be best," Bai Yanxing said with a faint smile.
"You'll know once you fight it," Di Jiang said casually. "We even have enough money to make you a coffin. It's a pity you won't need that stuff. Once you're really dead, you'll just turn into ashes and be blown away."
The tension was building; everyone claimed they didn't want to fight, but deep down they were all seething with anger.
From the perspective of the Wilderness Clan, the Dragon Clan's victory in the war between the two races was dishonorable. From the Dragon Clan's perspective, they had taken the initiative to send a truce, but it was the Wilderness Clan that pressed them step by step, which led to the current situation.
Longquan Ridge is littered with piles of dead bones, and the mountains are filled with lonely souls. Bai Yanxing does not acknowledge this debt, and Dijiang is even less likely to do so!
Someone smashed a teacup in the bedchamber, interrupting the tense standoff between the two. The sharp crack seemed to be an angry rebuke: "You can't even argue properly!"
Di Jiang's expression stiffened, realizing that Duan Jiuyou had woken up. He was always quick to speak his mind, and whenever Bai Yanxing mentioned the Heavenly Realm, he couldn't help but mock him, which annoyed Jiuyou for no reason!
—Was it intentional?
He questioned Bai Yanxing with his eyes.
Emperor Jiang was henpecked; when Duan Jiuyou got angry, he didn't dare to say a word.
Bai Yanxing couldn't help but laugh, thinking to himself that only Duan Jiuyou could handle this arrogant Lord of the Great Wilderness.
The door opened, and Liantang walked straight towards Dijiang, her tone unfriendly: "The Ancestor asked me to ask you whether you want to fight now. If you do, she will give you the use of Earth Breath Mountain!"
This is just a rant; it doesn't need any answer.
Di Jiang paused for a moment and then asked, "How is Jiuyou doing now?"
Liantang ignored Dijiang and continued to relay Duan Jiuyou's second sentence: "If you're not going to fight, go back to your Breaking Wind Realm Tenth Rank. I've already made my point clear. Don't disturb her recovery here!"
After speaking, he turned to Bai Yanxing, his attitude and tone softening, though the meaning remained largely the same.
"The Ancestor requests that you also go back and rest. As for this rebellion, once she has recovered, she will definitely give you an explanation."
Duan Jiuyou left none of them behind, letting them all leave together.
Bai Yanxing also felt he should return. Earthly Breath Mountain wasn't his Hall of Diligent Governance; he had only stayed because he was worried about Duan Jiuyou's injuries. He had originally intended to hinder the imperial forces, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Di Jiang would never make a move at Dixi Mountain; he doesn't have the guts.
However, there's something I need Liantang to convey for me.
"Tell your ancestor for me that she shouldn't worry too much and should focus on recovering. She is a dragon priestess, and no matter what happened before, my feelings for her are the same as before."
The art of rulership lies in discerning human nature in the smallest details. Bai Yanxing is an extremely intelligent man. In the war between the two races, he and the Imperial Frontier are aligned and do not intend to involve Duan Jiuyou. However, the Tiansheng Dragon Clan still wants to keep Duan Jiuyou alive!
Upon hearing this, Di Jiang turned his head, and Bai Yanxing and Di Jiang exchanged glances briefly before both looking away.
Liantang bowed deeply and said, "This disciple thanks the Emperor on behalf of the Ancestor."
Next, we just wait for them to leave.
The lotus pond remained motionless, as if to bid farewell. Di Jiang poured himself a cup of tea; he didn't want to leave.
Footsteps echoed from the winding corridor, and disciples of the Ao Sect arrived with swords at their sides. Duan Jiuyou's attitude was clear: if he remained here, the entire Ao Sect of the Great Qi would come out to "see him off"!
Di Jiang lowered his eyes, knowing that he could not stay today. He sighed inwardly, drank the cold tea in his cup, and got up at the same time as Bai Yanxing, riding away on a cloud.
Liantang didn't leave. She stood in the courtyard for half an hour, and only returned to her bedchamber after confirming that the Emperor hadn't returned.
Inside the hall, Duan Jiuyou leaned against a soft pillow, with Lian Peng serving her at her side, wiping her body with a damp silk handkerchief.
Her pain was so intense that she would break out in a cold sweat every time it flared up. Lianpeng dared not move too much, only wiping her sweat-dampened cheeks and arms.
Duan Jiuyou looked at the lotus pond: "They're gone?"
Liantang said he was leaving. Thinking that Duan Jiuyou hadn't eaten for several days, she softly asked, "Would the Ancestor like some food?"
Duan Jiuyou shook his head and said to go to the warehouse and move Yun Hongding out.
Although the Yunhong Cauldron is named a cauldron, its true purpose is to set up a barrier. When the cauldron is burned under the moon, thick fog overflows from its mouth, covering the entire Earth Breath Mountain. When the fog dissipates at dawn, the barrier is formed.
Liantang said, "Is the Ancestor preparing for the Emperor's return tomorrow?"
“It’s not just him,” Duan Jiuyou said. “The battle between Dahuang and Tiansheng is still undecided. If they are to fight again, the attitude of Aozong will be crucial. The people of Tiansheng are afraid that I will not take responsibility, and the people of Dahuang are worried that I will interfere too much. From today onwards, both sides will send envoys to try to win them over and appease them. I’m too lazy to see them.”
She's too busy taking care of herself right now and just wants some peace and quiet.
Liantang nodded in agreement, instructing Lianpeng to take good care of the ancestor before stepping out of the palace and heading towards the storeroom.
The warehouse was in a remote location, cluttered with many old items, each one of which was a rare find.
Duan Jiuyou's magic was inadequate, so he often collected treasures and artifacts for his own use. However, he didn't use them much, and over time, they accumulated a room full of dust.
Liantang rolled up her sleeves and searched through the warehouse. There were a dozen or so divine cauldrons in the warehouse alone. Liantang took them out one by one to identify them. She was so focused on her search that she did not notice the two illusory figures that appeared at the warehouse entrance.
One of them leaned against the door, fiddling with a magical artifact in his hand, while the other watched the other fiddling with it. They were Bai Yanxing and Di Jiang, whom Liantang thought had already left Dixi Mountain.
These two have reached the realm of emptiness in their magic, not only can they come and go invisibly, but no one can hear them even when they talk.
Bai Yanxing looked at it for a while and then asked Di Jiang, "You plan to use this to take away Liantang's physical body?"
The thing Di Jiang is holding is called the Six-Tiered Mysterious Box. Anyone who is put into the box will fall into a short sleep. Di Jiang wants to make Lian Tang "disappear" silently, and this is the only way.
Di Jiang hummed in agreement: "I will transform into the shape of a lotus pond and stay to take care of Jiu You. If you have nothing else to do, hurry up and leave. Once the Yun Hong Barrier opens, you won't be able to leave even if you want to."
Bai Yanxing thought Di Jiang was a bit crazy, leaving a group of clansmen here to pretend to be female disciples. Would that sound good if word got out?
Di Jiang felt that Bai Yanxing was a bit idle, leaving behind a pile of government affairs to deal with, and was instead watching how he would coax Duan Jiuyou.
The two of them had just ridden the clouds together. Bai Yanxing was originally going back to the Qin Zheng Hall, but when he saw him turn back halfway, he followed him back as well.
Bai Yanxing said, "Aren't you afraid that I'll take advantage of you being inside the barrier and launch a sneak attack on the Desolate Clan?"
Di Jiang's gaze remained fixed on the five elements pattern on the hexagonal box: "You can give it a try."
There is no barrier in this world that he cannot break.
On the contrary, this box hadn't been used for a long time, and it took him a while to find the knob to open it. He turned it open, and Liantang happened to find Yun Hongding and walked towards them without noticing.
Di Jiang casually tossed the hexagonal box, which unfolded, and both the lotus pond and the hexagonal box disappeared at the same time. Before Yun Hongding could land, it was caught steadily by Di Jiang, who had teleported there.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com