A Talk

Even Xu Yuan, a fifth-grade Soul Condensation Realm, could not withstand the extreme cold of this place, let alone ordinary mortals.

When Xu Yuan and his group of four traveled north, they followed official roads, and the areas surrounding these roads were almost all the most developed regions.

Even so, many people still died.

The blizzard disaster, chaos, and devastation represent something simple, yet also brutal.

Thousands of people starved to death, countless frozen bones lay scattered, and people even exchanged their own children to eat.

Now that the imperial court has chosen to take action against the sects in the Northern Border, all the war and production machinery of the royal family and the Prime Minister's Mansion will revolve around this point.

Although the imperial court was the first to reap the immense benefits of martial arts schools, which unleashed extraordinary productive forces, its resources were not inexhaustible.

The massive investment of resources and the deployment of numerous cultivators are all depleting the imperial court's accumulated wealth.

The Three Northern Prefectures span thousands of miles, and the number of disaster victims is in the hundreds of millions, which will inevitably consume a large amount of resources and military strength from the imperial treasury.

There is no perfect choice in this world; the two people in Di'an City can only choose one.

Disaster relief, or the annihilation of sects in the Northern Border.

The situation is now clear: those two chose the latter.

Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Looking at the desolate stone house before him, half-collapsed by the blizzard, Li Qingyan asked Tianyan in a soft voice:

"This blizzard disaster has devastated the area. If the local government hadn't opened its granaries to stabilize grain prices, and if the local garrison hadn't organized troops to go out and gather firewood, even that county might be a living hell by now."

Tianyan shook his head and said in a low voice:

"Your Highness must not have visited the Northern Border counties for some time now, have you?"

Li Qingyan sighed softly and said nothing more.

The reserves of local counties and prefectures are finite, and the blizzard disaster has lasted for more than half a year. Even if the government distributes grain, it is estimated that it has already run out.

She didn't want to argue about such a childish topic; given their different positions, she couldn't possibly convince the other person.

The imperial court should certainly provide disaster relief, but what about the sects in the Northern Border?

The sects all claim to be in charge of governance, yet they reap the benefits without taking responsibility?

In silence,

"Survival of the fittest, streamlining the pool to those who can survive natural disasters."

Bai Muxi suddenly interjected, her voice carrying a hint of strangeness. "Those who have died have value. This can save resources and allow more resources to be supplied to those who are more suitable. This shouldn't be a bad thing, right?"

"..." Tianyan turned to look at the woman in purple silk, whose expression was obedient but whose words were terrifying.

Bai Muxi blinked, her eyes filled with an air of self-righteousness.

Tianyan reacted quickly, looking at Xu Yuan:

"Xu Yuan, where did you rescue this maid from?"

Xu Yuan in the snow, silently gazing at the lifeless stone house before him, his voice very soft:

"It's a small place where information is scarce, the environment is harsh, and resources are limited. Useless people are executed on the spot."

While speaking,

He turned his eyes back and asked in return:

"By the way, Tianyan, have you ever been involved in the affairs of your Heavenly Oversight Pavilion?"

"What thing?" Tianyan murmured.

"For example, warehousing, chambers of commerce, and annual surplus ledgers."

"Never."

"I've never lifted a finger to do housework." Xu Yuan smiled, glancing sideways.

"." Tianyan.

Xu Yuan let out a soft breath and said in a low voice:

"However, since you haven't had any contact with them, you probably don't know just how substantial the resources of a thousand-year-old sect really are."

As he spoke,

He then looked at the dilapidated stone houses in the mountain village, ruined by the blizzard:

"Actually, the whole thing is not unsolvable. Slaughtering the sects in the Northern Border, seizing their warehouses, and distributing grain and providing disaster relief along the way will be more troublesome and slower, but these two things should not conflict."

"Therefore, disaster relief is definitely necessary, but given the current conditions, the priority will certainly be to eliminate the sects."

After saying that, he didn't offer any further explanation and walked straight into the stone house.

Although Li Yaoxuan and his father wanted to wipe out the sects in the Northern Border, they certainly wouldn't want a desolate, uninhabited wasteland.

The purpose of annihilating the Barbarian Tribe and local sects in the Three Northern Prefectures was to secure a stable rear base, a rear base that could continuously supply the imperial court with resources.

Everything was destroyed; there was no population, no infrastructure, and it would only become a burden on the imperial court.

Silence fell after the words were spoken, and the three women remained silent.

Bai Muxi glanced at the two women discreetly, then silently followed the young master into the stone house.

Snow fell heavily inside the courtyard, which was surrounded by a stone fence, but Tianyan and Li Qingyan remained standing in the same spot.

After a while,

Tianyan said quietly:

"A great calamity is imminent; such internal strife is probably not a good thing."

Li Qingyan looked up at the sky:

"A great calamity for the world? Your Excellency, do you even believe that yourself?"

Tianyan glanced at her and uttered a sentence:

"You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. The decline of my Heavenly Oversight Pavilion back then was because I spared no effort in resisting the great calamity."

"That might have been true back then."

Li Qingyan nodded, neither denying the events that occurred ten thousand years ago.

The power of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion ten thousand years ago was well-known, and the fact that the realms they divided back then are still in use today is a testament to how prosperous it was at that time.

After a moment's pause, Li Qingyan asked with a hint of amusement:

"That was the purpose back then, but have you, the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion, still preserved your original intentions?"

Tianyan stood suspended in mid-air, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he said in a calm voice:

"With the great calamity approaching, our Heavenly Oversight Pavilion should certainly do its part, but all of this is predicated on our survival first."

"I thought you would say some empty and grandiose things."

Li Qingyan's voice held a hint of surprise as she chuckled, "So direct, I do quite like your personality."

Tianyan narrowed her beautiful eyes:

"It's disgusting to say that."

"Hide your jealousy, or you'll cause trouble for others."

Li Qingyan smiled, raised her hand to catch a falling leaf, and suddenly asked, "Are you still going to the Spirit Water Palace?"

Tianyan glanced at her:

"Yes, I remember telling you about this back in Beifeng."

Seeing the tension in her eyes, Li Qingyan wasn't angry; he simply said softly:

"I suggest you change your itinerary; you can skip the Spirit Water Palace."

Tianyan Golden Eyes stared at her for several breaths, then whispered:

Why?

Li Qingyan, dressed in plain clothes, stood tall even more resolutely in the wind and snow, and casually said:

"It's very dangerous there; you might die if you go."

Spirit Water Palace, the foremost sect in the Northern Border.

According to information obtained from the contacts within the Beifeng city of Di'an City, the troops surrounding Spirit Water Palace should be fully assembled within ten days.

The imperial court attached great importance to this first clan in the Northern Border.

The two towns of Beifeng, along with the town where the general Yuan Hao commanded the Black Scale Army.

A total of three towns, with nearly 100,000 troops.

In addition, there were also some Barbarian Tribe wolf riders and infantrymen who surrendered to the imperial court in order to survive.

The Barbarian Tribe army collapsed like a house of cards, but life itself will find a way out.

No intelligent life form wants to die; if given a chance, those scattered Barbarian Tribe tribes will find their own reasons to surrender.

for example,

Their king deserted in the face of battle, abandoning them.

They migrated south in order to secure enough food and living space.

Now that their faith has collapsed, and with food and lodging provided, the Great Yan Dynasty, under the propaganda of its tribal leaders, has incorporated a group of the Barbarian Tribe soldiers into its ranks.

In the face of a blizzard-induced catastrophe, there is no army more effective than the Barbarian Tribe.

With such a configuration, Spirit Water Palace, having lost its elite army, could not possibly survive.

In the first battle, the leader of the Northern Border was killed as a deterrent.

Tianyan remained silent for a moment, then guessed the general idea in his mind. Looking at the smile in the woman's eyes, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Why were you telling me this?

After a few breaths of eye contact, a hint of coldness flashed in Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes:

"Actually, I wanted you to die there. Wouldn't it sound nice if the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden died in the chaos of war?"

"."

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly froze in the bleak, cold wind.

But this tense atmosphere lasted only a moment.

Li Qingyan suddenly chuckled, her smile blooming like a flower amidst the wind and snow:

"However, after some thought, I realized that it would be too boring for you to die there. It would be more interesting to keep you alive."

A slight ripple stirred in Tianyan's heart.

She thought the princess in white, dressed as white as snow, was a madwoman.

"Interesting?"

"I enjoy seeing you so frustrated and exasperated."

"..." Tianyan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he felt inexplicably angry.

She exhaled calmly, staring at her:

Your taste in bad humor is really vulgar.

Li Qingyan did not deny it:

"Maybe so, so you'd better not go."

"Your Highness, I am not your subordinate, much less a lackey of your royal family."

Tianyan's golden eyes gleamed with divine light, and his palace dress swayed as he said, "Even if I go, I have the ability to save my life."

"I'm not doing this for your sake."

Li Qingyan sensed a slight change in the surrounding Source Qi, his smile remained unchanged, but his husky voice lowered, emphasizing each word:

"Although Changtian has no feelings for you now, he may remember that so-called illusion in the future. If you die in the Spirit Water Palace this time, even if I didn't kill you, you will become a thorn between me and him."

The biting wind chilled to the bone, and the gaze was as cold as ice.

Tianyan bit his lip:

"Your arrogant personality is truly disgusting."

Li Qingyan pursed her lips and smiled, crossed her arms, and lightly tapped her chin with her slender index finger.

"I do like your simple nature. People tend to like what they lack most, so have you thought it through?"

Tianyan snorted coldly:

"My safety is none of your concern."

"Your trip to the Spirit Water Palace is simply to send a signal; there's no need to oppose it just to go against my wishes."

Li Qingyan appeared extremely at ease in front of Tianyan, as if she could see right through her. Her beautiful crimson eyes held a smile as she said, "On the contrary, rather than going to the Spirit Water Palace, I think you should stay by Changtian's side."

"..." Tianyan suddenly fell silent, his gaze towards her becoming somewhat strange.

"Don't look at me like that." Li Qingyan's smiling eyes narrowed slightly, "That guy's cultivation is so weak, yet his status is so high. It's inevitable that some villains will have evil intentions towards him. I need to stay in the Northern Border Army; I can't be in two places at once."

As he spoke,

She looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "Simin's cultivation is too weak, but I have observed your attitude over the past few days. Your feelings for Changtian seem genuine, and your cultivation is profound. You are the most suitable person to escort him back to the capital."

Tianyan was taken aback upon hearing this, frowned, and hesitated in his voice:

"You want me to return to the capital alone with him?"

"Does the Simin not count as a person?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan knew that the other party had agreed, and said with a smile, "Tianyan, don't let her bully you on the way back."

"..." Tianyan clenched his fist.

She took a deep breath, exhaled, and after calming herself, said in a clear voice, "You're quite open-minded."

"Open-minded? Maybe."

Li Qingyan's crimson eyes shone like rubies in the wind and snow, a smile playing on her lips.

"The pleasures of love in this world are so intense that one can't help but want to follow it to the end. But Tianyan, there are more important things in this world that await me."

"."

Tianyan's eyes widened slightly, he pursed his lips, turned his eyes away to look elsewhere, and asked:

"Given Changtian's status and the talent he has displayed, no one should risk attacking Li Qingyan."

"His talent was discovered Battle of Beifeng."

Li Qingyan smiled slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"Because of this, he and I have already been assassinated once before. There may be danger on our return to the capital, so we need you to protect him."

"Who?" Tianyan frowned.

Li Qingyan did not give a direct answer:

"You can ask Changtian yourself when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, Tianyan stopped speaking, moved his bare feet slightly while suspended in mid-air, and then stepped into the stone house.

Just as she reached the door, her clear voice quietly drifted over:

"I don't hate you that much anymore."

"."

Li Qingyan smiled upon hearing this, his tone teasing:

"Just because I allowed you to be alone with Changtian? You're such a gullible little girl."

"."

Tianyan's body trembled, she gritted her teeth, and her Source Qi instantly overflowed.

Li Qingyan, with her long, slender legs, brushed past Tianyan, who was suspended in mid-air, and leaned close to her ear, her breath sweet Ru Lan, her voice very soft:

"See? He's angry again."

"On the way back to the capital, I think you might get bullied to death by that Simin Tianyan!"

After saying that, she took advantage of Tianyan's anger to rub her head, and then went directly into the stone house, leaving Tianyan's petite body standing outside, trembling with anger.

The moment Li Qingyan stepped into the stone house, his good mood vanished instantly.

The Fire Spirit Lamp dispelled the chill in the stone house, and a Dark Jade Bed taken from the Sumeru Ring was placed in the center.

Xu Yuan lay face down on the bed, his cheek buried in the soft black Dark Jade Pillow, dressed in purple silk Bai Muxi, sat on his lap with her pert buttocks, her two jade hands gently pressing on his waist and back.

The posture was somewhat ambiguous.

Looking at the man and woman on the jade bed, Li Qingyan smiled:

"Changtian, if you are really feeling unwell, why don't I give you a massage?"

Xu Yuan glanced back at her but didn't say anything.

It doesn't matter, Little White will handle it.

Seeing this, Bai Muxi lowered her eyes, got off the man, and obediently spoke:

"Your Highness, yes."

"Shut up."

Li Qingyan's cold gaze swept over:

"How's your cultivation of the Heaven-Overturning Six Elements Art going? You're already preoccupied with these kinds of things?"

As she spoke, she took out a whip from her Sumeru Ring: "It just so happens that I haven't tested your progress these past few days."

Bai Muxi shrank back and immediately fell silent.

Oh no, Little White can't outmaneuver this wicked woman.

Xu Yuan calmly sat up from the jade bed, rested his elbows on his knees, and smiled at her standing in the doorway:

"Have you finished your private conversation with Tianyan? What were you talking about that you wanted to keep from me?"

Li Qingyan, dressed in flowing white robes, put away her whip and walked to the bedside, squinting her eyes:

"After arriving in Guangyang Prefecture, Tianyan escort you back to the capital. While you're still here, let me serve you for Changtian ~"

"." Xu Yuan.