These two Believers had arrived at a convenient time; Chu Jiubian had actually been planning to summon them both.

“Send them into the Divine Realm first,” Chu Jiubian said. “I’ll be there once I finish bathing.”

[Okay.] The System was often very well-behaved and cooperative, which pleased Chu Jiubian.

He was bored just soaking in the water, so Chu Jiubian said: “Can you show me what they’re doing? Is there a screen I can watch?”

[There is, Host. Voice transcription does not have a point requirement, but projecting images into the real world costs three points each time. Are you sure you want to project the image?]

Chu Jiubian: “……”

“From now on, just assume we’ve haggled and give me the resulting price.”

The System now seemed to have “mastered” the rules of haggling, and would always choose the middle value.

Since it had said three points, this indicated that Chu Jiubian could haggle it down to one point and the System would settle with him at two points.

Chu Jiubian was initially quite happy with this haggling process and thought he was getting a good deal. 

But ever since he had learned that all of these miscellaneous features were arbitrarily priced by the System itself, he felt that he was losing out no matter what, and couldn’t be bothered to complain about it.

The System paused for a moment before responding: [Okay, Host. Two points have been deducted. Image projecting now.]

Chu Jiubian placed his arms on the edge of the tub and rested his chin on his wrist.

The screen before him displayed the scene in the Divine Realm.

Situ Zhaoling was clad in a light purple dress that further enhanced her already beautiful features, making her appear even more charming.

The phoenix in the Divine Realm seemed to hold a particular fondness for her, and caught her before she could even fall, circling around the Divine Realm with a joyful cry.

Situ Zhaoling had not come empty-handed today.

She was holding a flower pot in her left hand, in which a cotton flower had already bloomed.

Under her other arm she carried various pieces of silk in a multitude of colors, which, as the phoenix carried her soaring through the air, seemed to cast a colorful halo around them.

Wang Qichen had only brought a few pieces of paper, so had entered the Divine Realm before her.

At that moment, he was standing beside the table, and was momentarily dazed as he stared up at the scene before him.

Had he not known that only the High Priest and his Believers could enter the Divine Realm, he would have thought he was beholding a goddess.

Even with her hands full, Situ Zhaoling didn’t forget to pay attention to the golden phoenix.

She leaned down and gently rubbed her cheek against the phoenix’s fluffy feathers, saying with a smile: “Good phoenix, please let me down now.”

The golden phoenix slowly descended to the ground before dissipating into a wisp of mist.

As Situ Zhaoling landed safely, the mist reformed mid-air into a golden phoenix again, which then soared into the clouds and vanished from sight.

Only its occasional cries, mixed with the roars of a dragon, let one know that it still existed in this world.

Situ Zhaoling noticed someone standing nearby after landing, but she still bowed to the High Priest with her items in hand.

Knowing that the High Priest sometimes arrived a bit late, she rose of her own volition after receiving no response to her customary greeting. She piled everything in her arms onto the table, then let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at the extra person who had appeared.

She had known previously that the High Priest had other followers, but this was the first time she had actually seen one, and she couldn’t help but observe Wang Qichen curiously.

The more she looked, the brighter her eyes became.

“This young master is incredibly handsome,” she said, being very generous with her compliments.

Compared to the reserved young ladies in the capital, she was much more outgoing and expressive.

Wang Qichen had rarely encountered a woman who expressed her admiration so directly, but his surprise lasted a mere moment before he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: “Thanking the young lady for her kind words. If not for the fact that only the High Priest and his followers can enter the Divine Realm, I would have thought I had seen a fairy.”

His words were genuine. He was accustomed to speaking to others in such a manner, so even if his words were somewhat glib or pandering, they sounded sincere when coming from him.

Situ Zhaoling smiled at once, saying: “The young master is truly eloquent.”

She took a couple of steps toward him and performed the greeting customary to the Nanjiang people: “I am Situ Zhaoling of the Nanjiang Stronghold. May I know the young master’s name?”

Wang Qichen was astounded.

It turned out that she was the princess of Nanjiang. Even someone of her status was a follower of the High Priest.

He found it hard to believe, but at the same time, it seemed perfectly logical.
Despite his surprise, he maintained a smile and gave a respectful bow, saying: “This one is Wang Qichen, the young master of the Langya Wang clan. The princess can simply call me by my name.”

“So you are the renowned Young Master Jiyue. No wonder you possess such an extraordinary and refined demeanor.” Situ Zhaoling’s eyes gleamed.

Although she was far away in Nanjiang, she had heard of a flamboyant and dissolute young man in the capital named Wang Jiyue, who was mostly known for “rescuing people from prostitution.”

Regardless of whether they were male or female prostitutes, as long as they possessed a decent character and sought his help, he would aid them.

Therefore, countless men and women of the jianghu regarded him with mixed feelings, both loving and hating him.

He was praised for his sense of justice, and criticized for his philandering.

These feelings of love and hate stemmed directly from his face and his dissolute, spoiled nature.

Situ Zhaoling had long wished to see what kind of person he was, and today, she finally got her chance. He was even more handsome than she had imagined!

“Young Master Wang looks a bit older than me, so how about I call you Wang-dage from now on?” she said.

Wang Qichen had noticed how informal and easygoing this girl was, so he didn’t stand on ceremony: “Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Xiao Ling.”

“Okay, ah,” Situ Zhaoling said, smiling so broadly that her eyes were barely visible. “I have a little twin brother at home who’s always wanted a big brother. Today, his wish can finally be fulfilled.”

These two extremely outgoing people hit it off immediately, and practically became sworn siblings after exchanging just a few sentences.

After recognizing one another as brother and sister, Wang Qichen brought up the topic of her fabrics. He was particularly fond of the light pink one, and touched it again and again, unable to put it down. He even held it up to his face and asked Situ Zhaoling if it would look good on him.

Situ Zhaoling’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously in agreement: “My big brother looks good in everything.”

Chu Jiubian was so amused that he couldn’t stop smiling.

The two of them chatted about everything from what colors and styles of clothes to make, to how to open a shop and use these fabrics to compete with the silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, while Chu Jiubian leisurely finished bathing and then entered the Divine Realm.

The two immediately noticed his arrival and cut off their conversation, rising to bow.

Chu Jiubian then called out to them, and they proceeded to report on their recent achievements.

Silk could be produced in large quantities, a method for cultivating cotton had been developed, and Wang Qichen’s new paper was also ready to be sold.

Chu Jiubian was very satisfied with their efficiency.

Since the two had just been discussing how to open a shop, Chu Jiubian didn’t beat around the bush, and directly stated his plans.

He instructed Situ Zhaoling to take a portion of the silk to the Divine Realm and give it to Wang Qichen, who would be responsible for opening a shop in the capital to help her sell the fabrics.

Having just discussed this subject, the two now had even more ideas and were eager to put them into action.

Regarding the matter of the new paper, Wang Qichen intended to use it to strike a blow against the main branch of the Wang family.

He had his own plan, so Chu Jiubian didn’t interfere much. He just said that they could keep a portion of the profits from the silk and papermaking businesses, and the rest could be brought to the Divine Realm.

The two didn’t want any benefits, but they were unable to refuse.

After leaving the Divine Realm, they all became busy with their own affairs, and only then did Wang Qichen belatedly remember that he had planned to ask the High Priest about his relationship with Chu Jiubian. Oh well, he would ask him next time.

While these two events were in full swing, the troops heading to the Northwest had already been on their journey for half a month.

The army was encamped on a plain, and campfires stretched out in lines as far as the eye could see, resembling a sea of flames.

Inside the commander’s tent, the space was empty but for a single makeshift bed.

Qin Xiao lay on the blanket fully clothed. The constant traveling over the past few days had tanned his skin, making him look even stronger and more vigorous.

Resting his left hand behind his head, he held his right hand in front of his eyes as he ran slender, calloused fingers gently across a silk handkerchief.

The corners of the silk handkerchief were embroidered with pure white jasmine flowers.

“Who gave you that?” A male voice suddenly rang out inside the tent.

Qin Xiao stood up. He slowly folded the silk handkerchief and placed it into his pocket before finally raising his eyes to look toward the source of the voice.

The young man was dressed in black, and possessed a tall, striking figure. Carrying a bundle on his back, he wore a half-mask which revealed a pair of deep, bright eyes.

Not at all surprised by his arrival, Qin Xiao sat down on the edge of the bed, saying: “I didn’t think you would show up here.”

“I didn’t come to the Northwest just for you.” Qin Chuan walked over and sat down beside him.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him: “Then you have business here?”

“En, I was asked to deliver this.” Qin Chuan didn’t waste any words. He took the package on his back and handed it to him. “I got this for you. Open it and take a look.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and opened the package.

Inside was the small repeating crossbow that the High Priest had bestowed upon Qin Chuan.

Qin Xiao took it out with some surprise, and after examining it briefly, he quickly realized what it was.

“What is its range?”

“It shoots farther than a bow and is more accurate…..” Qin Chuan grew excited when he was talking about weapons, and rattled off a multitude of information in one breath before finally adding, “Most importantly, it can fire repeatedly!”

He gestured to the quiver inside the package and said: “There are at least fifty bolts. It’s more than enough to catch someone by surprise.”

This repeating crossbow was exactly to Qin Xiao’s liking, and he couldn’t help but take a bolt and shoot it at the ground inside the tent.

With a thud, the crossbow bolt embedded itself deeply into the ground.

“It really is good.” Qin Xiao paced over to retrieve the bolt. “Where did you get it? Give me some more at some point.”

“There is only one of these for now. Remember to return it to me once you’re done using it; I need to have a craftsman take a look at it,” Qin Chuan said.

Qin Xiao nodded: “Alright.”

“And then there’s this.” Qin Chuan walked over and took a bottle of penicillin out of his pocket, handing it to him. “This medicine can prevent wounds from festering, but it needs to be tested first. Take one pill, and I’ll leave tonight if you’re fine.”

The porcelain bottle was opaque, so he couldn’t see what was inside. But when Qin Xiao opened the lid and poured out a pill, his heart skipped a beat.

“Who gave this to you?” His tone had become somewhat urgent.

Qin Chuan raised his eyebrows. He knew exactly why the other party had reacted that way, and said: “It wasn’t Grand Tutor Chu.”

Qin Xiao frowned slightly: “Then who was it?”

Qin Chuan had already attempted to mention the High Priest to others, but the words simply wouldn’t leave his mouth.

He tried again now, but was still unable to utter the title “The High Priest.”

He could only say: “You don’t need to worry about it. With Grand Tutor Chu around, that person is highly unlikely to hurt you.”

After receiving the medicine from the High Priest, he had asked Qin Chaoyang to sound out Chu Jiubian’s attitude, and the response he received was that the medicine could be used without worry.

There was no need to doubt the relationship between Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. Since Chu Jiubian had said that the High Priest could be trusted and that the medicine could be given to Qin Xiao, Qin Chuan could rest at ease.

Who was it?

Who?

Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t ask further questions.

Unless it was something that truly could not be revealed, Qin Chuan had no reason to hide anything from him.

Since that was the case, there was no need to press the other party.

The only one who could produce the same type of pills as Chu Jiubian, and who could also be connected to him, would seem to be a similar “god.”

Was it the High Priest who had appeared in the Northern Desert?

He was indeed connected to Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao had previously speculated that these two deities were the same person, but now, it seemed they were not.

But if they weren’t the same person, what was their relationship?

Qin Chuan watched him swallow the pill, and his manner of speech became less casual: “Do you know why this was given to you?”

Qin Xiao looked up at him and said: “I will suffer an injury.”

“Yes.”

“Then it won’t kill me,” said Qin Xiao.

Qin Chuan frowned. He wanted to say something, but ultimately refrained.

Although they were biological brothers, they had been separated at a young age and only reconnected in their teenage years.

Before he met Qin Chuan, Qin Xiao hadn’t even known he had a younger brother.

Having been separated for so long, and lacking a strong emotional foundation, the relationship between the brothers remained awkward and strained.

Neither of them was particularly adept at expressing their emotions, and they were accustomed to hiding their true feelings. As a result, even after knowing each other for so many years, they still couldn’t communicate openly and honestly with each other.

Qin Xiao stowed away the repeating crossbow and sat back down on the bed.

Qin Chuan sat down as well, saying: “You get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“En.” Qin Xiao gave a nod, then added: “What you’re here to do – is it safe?”

“Very safe.”

Qin Xiao had nothing more to say.

The two brothers remained silent for a long moment before Qin Xiao finally lay down.

But he couldn’t fall asleep. A multitude of thoughts flooded his mind.

At one moment, he was thinking about how he would take more guards with him when he reached the next county, then he was wondering how things were going in the Northwest, and then he dwelled on how Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong were doing back in the capital.

Finally, he couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between Chu Jiubian and the High Priest.

Qin Chuan sat there for some time. Then he turned his head and noticed that although Qin Xiao had his eyes closed, he wasn’t asleep.

After a pause, he ultimately asked: “Are there any adverse reactions?”

“None,” Qin Xiao said without opening his eyes.

A while later, Qin Chuan asked again: “Who gave you that handkerchief?”

“It’s mine,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Chuan: “Then who else has touched it?”

Qin Xiao opened his eyes and gave him a look: “I’m going to sleep.”

“Oh.” Qin Chuan fell silent.

Qin Xiao closed his eyes, and actually fell asleep after a while.

Qin Chuan sat at his bedside through the night, and when he noticed nothing unusual, he slipped out of the tent at the approach of dawn.

Without lingering long, he followed the address given to him by the High Priest and traveled all the way to Shandong to find Lu Yao.

Qin Xiao departed from Northern Zhili, leading an army of 50,000 men.

Although he hadn’t brought Qin Chaoyang with him, he did bring Cheng Shuo, the deputy commander of the Capital Garrison.

Over two meters tall, Cheng Shuo was thirty-eight years old and sported a robust physique. He wielded a spear with exceptional skill and had previously accompanied Grand Commandant Qin into battle, achieving victory in every engagement.

When Grand Commandant Qin led his army back to the capital to support Emperor Yingzong’s ascension to the throne, it was his presence that prevented various factions from making any rash moves.

The fact that Qin Xiao had brought him along as his second-in-command on this campaign clearly indicated that his purpose was not to negotiate peace.

Naturally, others knew that the “peace negotiations” were simply a pretext. Neither Moba Zanpu of the Western Regions nor the various factions within the territory of Great Ning intended to allow Qin Xiao to leave Gansu alive.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Qin Xiao had prepared for the worst.

He traveled from Northern Zhili to Shanxi, passing through numerous cities and prefectures along the way. Using his military authority, he recruited half of each local garrison into his westward-bound army, so that by the time they reached Shanxi, the 50,000 soldiers he had brought from the capital had swelled to 110,000!

However, due to the long procession of people, the rate of the army’s movement slowed.

By the time they arrived in northwestern Shanxi, it was already the last day of the given period of one month.

Moba Zanpu’s army of 130,000 had set up camp near the Hexi corridor a month ago. In his letter, he had requested that Qin Xiao arrive at that location for “peace talks” before the end of the month.

At present, Qin Xiao had reached the border between Shanxi and Gansu, only a day’s journey from where the rival army was located.

Rather than ordering a halt for rest, he continued onward, planning to rest only after reaching the designated location.

And that night, he did indeed arrive at the designated location before midnight. He sent messengers on horseback to the Sai Kingdom encampment several dozen kilometers away, informing Moba Zanpu of his arrival and asking him to decide when the peace talks should begin the following day.

When the message arrived slightly before midnight, Moba Zanpu, who was personally leading the army on this campaign, was holding a grand banquet in the main tent.

Sitting in the main seat, he wore a tall, round-topped hat and dark, short-sleeved garments. His eyes were deep-set, and his face bore a fierce expression.

Even when calmly looking at someone, he seemed to be glaring fiercely.

Sitting in the seat next to him was a young man dressed in dark red robes embroidered with golden dragons, his black hair neatly tied up with a golden hair ornament.

His stature was like that of a cypress tree, and his bearing was extraordinary.

Further down on either side of the aisle, four seats were arranged facing each other.

Those seated were clearly divided into two groups. On one side were the military leaders and officials from the Western Regions, and on the other side were the strategists and commanders under Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu.

The two groups mingled freely, clinking cups and chatting merrily. With graceful dancers and enchanting music, it truly seemed as if they were “one big happy family.”

It was as if no one had noticed the subordinate who had rushed in to deliver a report, nor the letter in Moba Zanpu’s hand.

“Your Highness Dingbei-wang.” Moba Zanpu tossed the letter to the ground and glanced sideways at the young man next to him. “You previously said that even at a forced march, it would be impossible to reach this place from the capital in less than a month, yet the Imperial Army has already arrived.”

Bai Liyu toyed with his wine cup between his fingertips, saying in a languid tone: “Truly? Perhaps Ning-wang walked faster.”

Moba Zanpu stared at him intently with slightly narrowed eyes: “Does Dingbei-wang perhaps think that only people from the Central Plains possess brains?”

“What do you mean by that?” Bai Liyu seemed somewhat surprised.

Moba Zanpu smiled coldly: “You calculated precisely that Ning-wang would arrive on the last day, didn’t you? This was a trick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Stop pretending!” Moba Zanpu suddenly slammed his hand down on the table. Those below, who had been laughing and chatting boisterously as if drunk, went quiet all at once. Their eyes instantly became clearer and more alert.

The music players and dancers stopped simultaneously, as if struck dumb.

Bai Liyu, however, calmly poured himself a cup of wine. Only then did he look up at Moba Zanpu in the main seat and give a light chuckle.

He had absolutely done it on purpose.

The details of the deal with Moba Zanpu were very simple.

The other party would help him lure Qin Xiao into a trap, and once he was eliminated, Bai Liyu would cede Gansu to the Sai Kingdom.

Moba Zanpu would also “generously” give Qin Xiao a deadline, and if he failed to arrive by that time, the Sai Army would have reason to massacre the city’s inhabitants.

But when the time came, Moba Zanpu would “benevolently” refrain from massacring the people, and instead spread rumors about the incompetence of Great Ning’s Imperial Court. Subsequently, he would gain the support of the people of Gansu.

This was an excellent deal for Moba Zanpu, and it also allowed Bai Liyu to get rid of Qin Xiao.

However, the consequence of this plan would be that the perpetually low-profile Dingbei-wang would be branded as “incompetent” or even a “traitor,” which would severely damage his future plans.

Therefore, Bai Liyu had intentionally set Qin Xiao’s time limit to one month. The hundred thousand-strong army would be able to reach their destination from the capital within that time at a forced march.

According to his understanding of the man, Qin Xiao was someone who always strove to maximize his own interests.

He would make full use of this month, recruiting troops along the way, and work to arrive right at the last moment in order to not waste a single day.

As expected, Qin Xiao had arrived on the very last day.

Meanwhile, those whom Bai Liyu had stationed in Shanxi and Gansu Prefectures and the surrounding counties also began to take action this morning.

These people were to do nothing else but ensure that one message was spread far and wide.

The contents of the message were as follows: Ning-wang Qin Xiao arrived on the agreed date, but Moba Zanpu went back on his word and threatened to massacre the city’s inhabitants. Dingbei-wang purposely allowed himself to be stabbed by Moba Zanpu, thus preventing the massacre and giving Ning-wang the extra day he needed to reach the city.

Like this, Bai Liyu’s reputation would no longer be that of an “incompetent captive,” nor would he be considered a traitor.

He was willing to take a stab from the enemy to protect the common people. 

Bai Liyu would be considered a benevolent ruler in the hearts of the common people of Shanxi and Gansu, and indeed, throughout the entire territory of Great Ning.

Even having been captured when the city first fell, he could gradually change the common people’s perception in the aftermath and become a prince without blemish, one who enjoyed the love and respect of the common people.

His actions would completely disrupt Moba Zanpu’s plan, and even deal him a counterblow.

In the eyes of the people of Gansu, he was already a cruel foreign ruler.

Even if this transaction went as planned, with Qin Xiao dead and Gansu handed over to the Sai Kingdom, Moba Zanpu would still be unable to win the hearts of the common people.

And so, when Bai Liyu and the Imperial Court set out to reclaim Gansu later on, it would be in accordance with the will of the common people.

Moba Zanpu was no fool – he knew exactly what was going on when these rumors began to spread.

Tonight’s banquet could be considered a hongmen banquet, a feast of ill omen.

“Without my permission, you dared to spread rumors in order to enhance your own reputation.” A murderous gleam flashed through Moba Zanpu’s eyes. “Dingbei-wang certainly has some clever tricks up his sleeve.”

Bai Liyu gave a light chuckle: “When Zanpu ordered people to bring mandala into the territory of our Great Ning, he didn’t ask this lord’s permission either.”

Mandala had spread from the other man’s territory, and if not for Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao’s decisive methods, this would have truly resulted in a great disaster.

Even if the matter turned out to be unrelated to Bai Liyu, the Imperial Court would still hold him accountable, and the common people would harbor considerable resentment toward him.

At present, he was only retaliating. What was so wrong with that?

Seeing how dark Moba Zanpu’s expression had become, Bai Liyu smiled again and said in a gentler tone: “We’re even now. But the deal still stands; as long as Lord Ning-wang is out of the picture, Gansu is yours.”

Moba Zanpu sneered: “How easy do you think it will be to get rid of Ning-wang when he has a 110,000-strong army?”

If he’d only had the original 50,000 troops he’d brought from the capital, Moba Zanpu might have been able to hold his own against him in battle, and perhaps even conquer Shanxi Prefecture.

But with 110,000 troops in the enemy’s hands and 130,000 in his own, there was really no need for a direct confrontation.

In any case, Dingbei-wang would have to find another method to kill Qin Xiao, and there were also other forces within Great Ning who wanted him eliminated. Therefore, this “outsider” could simply sit back and watch both sides fight it out.

Since he had already entered Gansu, even if Ning-wang didn’t die, Dingbei-wang wouldn’t be able to reclaim the city.

“This lord has his own plans. Zanpu only needs to go through the motions,” said Bai Liyu.

Moba Zanpu looked at him intently.

After a while, he directed his gaze toward the dancers, then tilted his head back and drained his cup of wine.

The music recommenced, and as the tense atmosphere dissipated, everyone resumed drinking and toasting.

*

*

The Capital City.

Inside Yaotai Residence.

The night was dark and deep. After nearly a month of clear skies, a light rain began today.

Raindrops pattered down continuously, and the weather grew cold.

Chu Jiubian had several hot water bottles in his bed, making it warm and cozy.

But he wasn’t sleepy at all.

Qin Xiao had been gone for a month now, and should have arrived at his destination. He wondered if everything was going smoothly.

However, the man was too far away. Even if a message was sent by the fastest possible means, it would have lost its relevance by the time it arrived. 

But if Qin Xiao were his Believer, Chu Jiubian would be able to observe his condition at any time.

He wasn’t worried that misfortune would befall the other man; he simply desired firsthand information so that he could be prepared in case of any unexpected situations in the Northeast.

With this in mind, Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and entered the Divine Realm.

---

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Chapter 61 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 63