His words struck the ground with force. Fan Xi and the other Mohists changed expression upon hearing them. Then Fan Xi said, "May I ask what requirements Marquis of Pacifying the Realm has? From the sound of it, even if we are to make peace, it will not be so easily achieved. There are many conditions besides."
"There are naturally conditions," Qiu Yan said, making no attempt to conceal his intentions. "But the very fact that I am laying out conditions is a sign of my trust in your side. Sage Mo once said that nothing in the myriad affairs was more precious than righteousness. In light of that, knowing that your side values agreements above all else, I prepared these conditions. Otherwise, if everything were handled with empty platitudes, it would only be a temporary deception and could not last."
Upon hearing this, Fan Xi thought to himself, Heaven Will Continent nowadays can be said to speak of righteousness, but it is not founded upon the meanings of the classics. It is restrained by the Unified Will instead. Yet how can the people of this continent stir the Unified Will? And what force of restraint can it possibly possess? For now, I will play along and see what this man is truly planning.
With that thought, Fan Xi gained some confidence and said, "State your conditions."
"Then it seems Your Excellency can make the decision," Qiu Yan said with a nod. "It appears there was a misunderstanding before. I had thought Your Excellency could not decide, and was even considering having the Heaven's Will Army send someone else who could call the shots."
The sudden remark sent Fan Xi's heart, which had only just settled, surging again. He knew Qiu Yan was knocking him down a peg. Anger rose