Ransom them?
Hearing those two words, the corners of Chen Changqing's mouth lifted involuntarily.
A fine choice of words.
He glanced at the two invitation cards on the table. One bore the domineering dragon pattern of the Great Chu Dynasty, while the other was stamped with the eerie crescent moon of the Yinyue Holy Dynasty.
"Treasure worth twelve flying boats?"
Chen Changqing lightly tapped his fingers against the tabletop, producing crisp sounds.
"They really are willing to pay dearly."
Liu Ruyan picked up the two invitation cards, examined them closely, then handed them to Xuanyuan Xiaoyu beside her.
"The envoy from Great Chu is the Minister of Revenue, while the Yinyue Holy Dynasty has sent a titled elder."
Her tone was calm, as though she were discussing something utterly insignificant.
"They are both figures of weight. It seems they truly are desperate."
Xuanyuan Xiaoyu accepted the cards, merely glanced at them, and set them aside. She understood the inner workings of these two great powers far better than Liu Ruyan did.
"You killed the Great Chu Crown Prince, Chu Tian, and seized the Immortal Artifact, leaving the imperial family utterly humiliated. Now you have captured Chu Tian's younger brother, Chu Xiong. If they did not come, chaos would break out within the imperial family first."
She paused, then added,
"As for the Yinyue Holy Dynasty, their Holy Son, Mo Ye, died by your hand. The foundation of their newly appointed Holy Son is unstable, and he needs a victory to establish his authority. Yue Xuan, whom you captured, is the new Holy Son's right-hand man. If they do not ransom him back, the new Holy Son will not be able to keep his seat either."
Hua Yao listened quietly. She had no interest in these struggles of power and intrigue,