Calamity Begins Today!

"Another envoy from Great Rui?"

Upon hearing Qiu Yan introduce himself, Sukai taken aback at first, then felt that the name was somewhat familiar. Old Han Yebalu, on the other hand, frowned, having already remembered the origin of the name.

More than four months ago, his second son, Duolu Baduowa, brought him a book, saying that he had gone to great lengths to copy it from a sect in the Central Plains called Void-Driving Dao.

The book does not describe anything related to spiritual practice, but rather a kind of knowledge about "Knowledge and Action".

When Yebalu was young, he had a chance to meet a cultivator from the Central Plains and become his apprentice. Although he did not obtain the method of immortality, he did gain the method of gathering the Fortune of his clan and learned the Central Plains script. Later, his second son was influenced by this and greatly admired the culture of the Central Plains.

Having had such an experience, when Yebalu was reading the book on "Knowledge and Action," he did not encounter any language barriers and could browse it freely. This allowed him to discover the essence of the book and realize that "Knowledge and Action" was not limited to personal moral cultivation. It could also be applied to tribal struggles. Therefore, he instructed his two sons to go to the Central Plains to invite Qiu Yan and recruit him.

However, Duolu told him that Qiu Yan was already the newly appointed top scholar of the Central Plains Dynasty and could not be recruited by the Three Waters Tribe. But he could try to contact the court of Great Rui and send envoys to invite Qiu Yan over to seek his advice.

After much deliberation, Yebalu agreed to the proposal, which led to Duolu's return to the Central Plains to reconcile the two sides.

However, human nature is unpredictable. During Duolu's absence, Sukai seized the opportunity, emphasizing and hinting to the Khan every day, even resorting to underhanded methods, and finally changed his mind, leading to the current situation.

This single shift in thought represents a reversal of friend and foe, and can even determine the life or death of a nation.

However, even though the thoughts have changed, the memories and feelings remain. Hearing the name "Qiu Yan" and recalling that book of Knowledge and Action Yebalu's heart.

Unfortunately, before he could speak, several of the Three Rivers nobles who had been knocked down leaped up and charged at Qiu Yan, howling!

They were driven by the ferocity Heroic Soul. In a moment of impulsiveness, they disregarded the strength Qiu Yan had displayed and were determined to retaliate!

Faced with this situation, Qiu Yan didn't even look at it, but raised his sleeve and swung it sharply.

Call!

A sudden gust of wind swept through the ground, completely scattering the torn tent and sending tables and chairs flying into the air. A large group of the Three Rivers Tribe had gathered outside the tent, intending to surround Qiu Yan and his companions, but after taking only two steps, the wind rushed towards them, not blowing them away, but instead creating a heavy pressure!

It was as if an invisible mountain had suddenly fallen on them. One after another, the menacing Three Rivers Tribe collapsed to the ground, with parts of their bodies even sinking into the mud!

Not only ordinary Three Rivers Tribe, but even the most powerful Three Rivers nobles inside the large tent could not withstand the onslaught. One after another, they collapsed to the ground. The few who rushed towards Qiu Yan had their bones creaking as they fell heavily to the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of blood!

These nobles didn't rise to their positions solely through bloodline. The Three Rivers Tribe was originally formed by blood ties, but during its growth and expansion, it absorbed other tribes. Those who rose to prominence were all exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, and such individuals often represented a branch of the tribe.

The noble titles themselves are a testament to their exceptional martial prowess, yet they are utterly powerless against Qiu Yan's mere presence!

Once the storm subsided and the sand settled, the area within a radius of ten feet was flat and clear. The tents were gone, leaving only bare ground with loose sand on the surface, obscuring most of the people clinging to the ground.

A breeze blew by, stirring up shocked hearts and spreading wisps of fear.

Those who were still standing were Meng Qingbin and others, the old Khan and Duolu. Even the arrogant Sukai was pressed to the ground and could not move!

However, even though the eldest prince was at a disadvantage, he still refused to admit defeat and shouted, "What are you doing? Making such a commotion, if the tribesmen stationed in Waiwai discover it, they will surround us immediately. How will you escape when tens of thousands of warriors arrive?"

Qiu Yan didn't even look at him, but Yebalu.

Three Rivers Lao Han barely managed to calm himself down, but he was still somewhat shaken. After all, Qiu Yan's sudden appearance, which took only a few breaths, had stirred up the storm and reversed the situation!

Now, facing Qiu Yan's gaze, Yebalu still managed to muster some of the bearing of a clan leader, forcing himself to be energetic. Even the weariness on his face had faded considerably. He straightened his hunched back and asked in a deep voice, "You are the newly appointed top scholar of Great Rui?"

As he spoke, Yebalu's gaze fell on Qiu Yan, noticing his clothes fluttering in the wind and sensing his slowly receding aura. He deliberately said, "Since when can even cultivators become the top scholars in the Central Plains? Does the emperor of the Central Plains not fear that you will steal the Dragon Court's Fortune and the Votive Thoughts of the people to cultivate and Transcendence?"

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty, please stop beating around the bush. If you treat others with kindness, you will naturally be treated with courtesy. But if you are an enemy, then there is no choice but to fight. This is the principle of 'courtesy first, then force.' Since the Three Rivers Tribe does not want courtesy, we can only use Military School tactics to punish them!"

These words were so direct that even Duolu was standing silently to the side, felt a twitch in his eyelids.

In contrast, the old Khan Yebalu quite calm, though a hint of fear flashed in his eyes. "Your words are far too rude. Although Great Rui is strong, it is still not capable of inflicting war on my Three Rivers!"

As they spoke, shouts of battle could be heard from afar, indicating that the other Three Rivers Tribe had noticed the strange changes in the main tent and were rushing over.

This sound reassured many of the nobles of Three Rivers.

Meng Qingbin and the others also recovered from their surprise. Looking at Qiu Yan's back, and thinking about his battle Dingchang City, even Zhao Can and Zhong Yan, who had deep-seated prejudices against him, felt at ease and confident. However, they were also worried about the Three Rivers Tribe who were about to gather.

Meanwhile, Di Ai, who was planning his next move, frowned and glared at Qiu Yan — Qiu Yan's sudden appearance had completely disrupted his original plans and squandered his chance to make a name for himself.

"Could this Qiu Yan be my nemesis?"

Not far away, Pang Qianru also walked slowly over, accompanied by three people, who were the Marquis's experts in charge of guarding her. Their gazes toward Qiu Yan were filled with a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

Just now, Pang Qianru and the others fought fiercely with the experts from the Three Waters Tribe. Then a gust of wind blew by, and the Three Rivers expert was sent flying, coughing up blood, and crashing into the tent. Pang Qianru couldn't even tell how the two of them were injured!

"This Qiu Yan is truly strange; it seems that every time I see him, his cultivation level increases by one level!"

With everyone having their own thoughts, the atmosphere shifted. Qiu Yan, however, raised an eyebrow, looked past Lao Han, and gazed further north. The tent was broken, and the view was unobstructed, with the distant Ice Plains faintly visible.

"I've heard that there's an icy sea on the Ice Plains north of Three Rivers, which is the North Sea recorded in ancient books."

Old Han coughed, and although he didn't know why Qiu Yan said that, he nodded and said, "That's right, that's the hometown of my Three Rivers ancestor, formed from a pearl of the Heavenly Gods that fell to earth..."

At this point, Yebalu suddenly realized something and remembered a legend. "You asked about this, probably because of that man surnamed Su from the Central Plains. It is said that he was sent as an envoy to the ancient Xionbei hundreds of years ago and was detained here. Because he refused to surrender, he was demoted to a shepherd and eventually turned into a rock. The Grasslands call it the Wangnan Stone,' meaning stubborn and unyielding, hmm?"

Before he could finish speaking, Yebalu noticed that the atmosphere was tense. All the envoys from the Central Plains were showing signs of indignation, and even the few who were usually timid and hesitant were bursting with anger.

These words clearly touched a nerve with them.

"Since the king is aware of this matter, why does he still do such a foolish thing?" At this moment, Qiu Yan said, "Haven't you heard what Lord Su said to the Xionbei Chanyu back then?"

"What are you saying?" Old Han was taken aback. Although he knew the legend, he had no interest in knowing the details and only thought the man was foolish and stubborn.

Qiu Yan shook his head and slowly said, "The Southern Yue killed the Yan envoy and slaughtered nine prefectures; the King of Wan killed the Yan envoy and had his head displayed at the Northern Palace Gate; the Three Han killed the Yan envoy and were immediately exterminated! Only the Xionbei have not yet been eliminated. If they know that I will not surrender to the Ming and want to incite the two countries to attack each other, then the calamity for the Xionbei will begin with me!"

His voice wasn't loud, but the meaning behind his words clearly reached the ears of each of the Three Rivers Tribe. Every word was like a knife, chilling them to the bone, sending a shiver down their spines!

The words were plain, but the murderous intent they contained far exceeded the shouts of fighting and killing!

"Why did Envoy Meng order you to cut off his head?" Behind Qiu Yan, the shouts of battle grew closer, and figures rapidly approached, but he seemed oblivious. "What is boasting of martial prowess and showing off momentary strength? The Miao people of the Central Plains have stood strong for thousands of years since the High Antiquity Dynasties, while those Hu Di people with extraordinary martial skills have vanished without a trace. What is the explanation?"

He looked at Yebalu, and sighed, "If the envoys from both sides refuse, there's no need to push things to the extreme, otherwise the disaster at Three Rivers will begin today!"

"Nonsense!"

As soon as Qiu Yan finished speaking, Sukai roared, "Don't try to intimidate us with the past! How can the tribes of the past compare to the Rouluo of today! The strength of the Rouluo far surpasses that of their predecessors! It's beyond your imagination. Not to mention others, just His Highness the Left Wise King alone has intimidated the Central Plains Northern Frontier for many years, moving freely and unimpeded, truly invincible! You..."

Before the man could finish speaking, Qiu Yan raised his hand and snatched the cloth bundle from Qiu An's hand. With a shake, a human head was revealed, which he then threw in front of Sukai.

The next moment, the stench of blood and decay filled his nostrils. When Sukai saw the head clearly, his eyes widened and he screamed!