Peace negotiations

[Seven: I've heard about it too. It's laughable. Within the Great Feng territory, even the Heavenly Venerable is no match for the Supervisor. How could the Supervisor possibly be dead?]

Li Lingsu expressed her opinion.

[Four: I haven't heard any rumors yet, but given the rank of Supervisor, unless a Superior Rank official intervenes, he is invincible within the Great Feng territory.]

Even after resigning from his official post for ten years, Scholar Chu still cared about the imperial court and the affairs of the world. In the Earth Book chat group, whenever such matters were discussed, he was always present.

[Nine: It's hard to say. The Great Feng is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the national fortune boost that the Supervisor can receive is limited. Without the blessing of national fortune, the combat power of a first-rank Warlock is just so-so.]

Master Jinlian's evaluation was relatively objective.

[Nine: By the way, it's confirmed that he'll be leaving seclusion on the 8th, and he's safe and sound, which is great. He might be going to the capital soon. Would you all like to gather there?]

[Seven: Let's talk about it when we have time.]

Li Lingsu answered in this way.

The others remained silent, waiting for a reply from Xu Qi'an or Huai Qing.

After a long while, Huaiqing finally gave a definite reply:

[One: With the fall of Qingzhou, the supervisor is highly likely to perish.]

A simple sentence, yet it struck the members of the Heaven and Earth Society like a thunderbolt, leaving their minds buzzing and instantly rendering them unable to think.

For the entire time it takes to drink a cup of tea, no one spoke.

Li Miaozhen's dreamlike message:

[Two: How could that be?]

a bolt from the blue!

For all the members, this was simply devastating news that was impossible to accept.

[Seven: The Supervisor is dead, then, what about the Great Feng? No, no, how did the Supervisor die? That can't be]

His problem is the problem shared by all members of the Heaven and Earth Society.

[Part 1: Details are currently unknown. According to Song Qing, among the extraordinary experts who made a move that day were Xu Pingfeng, Jialuo Tree, Bai Di, and Hei Lian.]

[Part Two: Baidi? The Baidi of Yunzhou?]

Li Miaozhen, who had spent a long time in Yunzhou, sent a letter incredulously to inquire.

The other members thought for a few seconds before forming their own guesses.

[One: That's it, that's what Sun Xuanji said. Furthermore, regarding the strength of this descendant of Gods and Devils, Sun Xuanji speculated that he was a first-rank official. If he wasn't a first-rank official, he wouldn't have been able to kill the Supervisor.]

Among the extraordinary experts who participated in the battle, Black Lotus was a second-rank expert. If White Emperor was also a second-rank expert, then it would have been impossible for him to kill the Supervisor.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society gasped, a chill running down their spines.

They knew the legends of Yunzhou and had some understanding of the White Emperor, but they never expected that this legendary figure would ally with Xu Pingfeng to deal with the Supervisor.

[Nine: Strange, why is this descendant of Gods and Devils meddling in the affairs of the Central Plains for no apparent reason? There must be something fishy going on.]

Li Miaozhen, Chu Yuanzhen, and the others were equally curious.

[Two: Xu Qi'an? You must know him, right?]

Li Miaozhen was used to summoning Xu Qi'an when she was in a dilemma.

If it were him, he would definitely know. This thought flashed through the minds of every member of the Heaven and Earth Society, except for Master Jinlian.

They learned the truth about the fall of the Gods and Devils and demons from Xu Qi'an, discovered the secret of how the Venerable One banished the descendants of the Gods and Devils from the Nine Provinces, and learned about the secrets related to the Buddha.

If it were Xu Qi'an, even if he didn't know the specific truth, he would know some inside information more or less.

[Part Three: The White Emperor is after the Supervisor. This matter involves a secret from ancient times that I haven't told you about yet—about the gatekeeper.]

Gatekeeper?

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society were completely unfamiliar with this title.

[Three: I don't know the specific meaning of "gatekeeper" yet; I'll tell you after I find out. As for the course of this battle, I have some clues and can tell you.]

The members perked up and stared intently at the fragments of the Earth Book.

Xu Qi'an repeated what he had told Zhao Shou before, about the Chai family and the first supervisor.

[Nine: A bizarre and intriguing story. The first supervisor has been dead for five hundred years, yet he can still influence the current situation. He truly deserves to be called the founder of the Warlock System.]

Master Jinlian was filled with emotion.

No wonder the Supervisor was defeated. What truly restrained him was not Xu Pingfeng, but the methods left behind by the first generation. Huaiqing had no more doubts and had no choice but to accept the fact that the Supervisor had been sealed away.

The only good thing was that the Supervisor was still alive, but being sealed away was not much different from being killed. Given the current situation of the Great Feng, its defeat and demise were already inevitable. At that time, the Supervisor would die anyway. Chu Yuanzhen sighed silently in his heart.

[Seven: This, this is hopeless. We've lost our supervisor, and the enemy has gained a first-rank official.]

The Great Feng Dynasty is doomed.

The Holy Son didn't voice this thought. At this moment, even he, a disciple of the Heavenly Sect who had no sense of belonging to the Great Feng, felt despair and heaviness.

[Six: This humble monk remembers that Lord Xu said, "You bear the fate of the nation on your shoulders, and are already inseparable from the Great Feng. If the Great Feng perishes, Lord Xu will also die for his country."]

Hengyuan, who had been relatively quiet, suddenly interjected, revealing the harsh reality to the other members.

Li Miaozhen sent a letter, somewhat annoyed:

[Two: You stinky monk, why are you bringing this up? You're always bringing up things you shouldn't.]

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment, then sent a message:

[To be honest, I haven't figured out a way to break this deadlock. The current situation is indeed a dead end for me and for the Great Feng. Apart from Prince Huaiqing, you don't actually have much to do with the Great Feng court.]

But we have something to do with you. This was a thought that Flying Swallow Heroine only dared to mutter to herself.

Hengyuan sent another letter:

[Six: This humble monk's life was saved by Lord Xu. I have said that I will repay Lord Xu's life-saving grace when I have the opportunity. Amitabha! For a monk, to have the opportunity to settle karmic debts is truly a fortunate thing.]

Master Hengyuan, you've planted your flag again! Xu Qi'an felt a surge of warmth in his heart and quickly used a sarcastic remark to cover up his inner emotion.

[Seven: Master, you have a high level of understanding. I wouldn't risk my life for him, but out of consideration for our shared journey through the martial world, I'll accompany you on your final journey.]

The words may have been harsh, but the attitude was clear: they weren't backing down.

[Four: An army is trained for a thousand days to be used for one. After all this training, it's time to put them to the test.]

Huaiqing and Li Miaozhen remained silent; they didn't need to express their opinions.

The former, being royalty, had no choice but to fulfill their responsibilities. The latter, driven by passion, was the kind of thing the Flying Swallow Heroine loved to do, even at the cost of her life.

[5: My father sent me north to fight.]

Just then, Lina delivered a letter.

Mo Sang is already in the Central Plains. Is Long Tu going to kill two of his children at once? The Heaven and Earth Society is my most reliable team. Even if it's the Sea King Li Lingsu, she can still be relied on in critical moments. Xu Qi'an held the fragment of the Earth Book, facing the lukewarm sunlight, and slowly exhaled.

The border area between Jianzhou and Xiangzhou.

In a certain mountain stronghold, Li Lingsu carefully put away the fragments of the Earth Book, sat blankly for a moment, sighed softly, and left the house.

They walked out of the fenced yard and headed towards the training ground.

The so-called training ground was actually an open space cleared and prepared by the soldiers under his command, used for practicing martial arts, arranging troops, and for everyone to have meals and for the women to chat.

"Greetings, Chief!"

He greeted his subordinates respectfully along the way.

Li Lingsu walked expressionlessly and soon arrived at the martial arts arena, where she saw Yang Qianhuan wearing a veil covering her face and loudly reprimanding the rabble in the arena.

"If you don't practice hard now, when you go to war, the whole village will come to your house waiting for a feast."

Listening to Yang Qianhuan's reprimand, Li Lingsu's gaze swept over the group of refugees and she was shocked to find that there were even six or seven-year-old children among them.

"Battle skills must be cultivated from a young age. If you wait until you're old, it will be too late to regret it; the whole village will be waiting to come to your house for a meal."

Yang Qianhuan's reprimanding voice came from behind.

Even I, your brother, sometimes think Brother Yang, there's something wrong with your head. Li Lingsu took a deep breath and said loudly:

Brother Yang!

Yang Qianhuan had already seen Li Lingsu, since he was facing away from everyone and directly towards the direction Li Lingsu was coming from.

Brother Li!

Yang Qianhuan stopped scolding, strode over, and stood in front of Li Lingsu. He turned around, his back to her, and said:

What is it?

Li Lingsu did not answer, but weighed her options and pondered for a long time before finally making up her mind and saying:

News has come from Qingzhou: Qingzhou has fallen.

Yang Qianhuan was taken aback upon hearing this, but instead of becoming angry, she invigorated herself and said:

"Only in a critical situation can my importance be highlighted. Once I finish training my troops, I will turn the tide and see those treacherous officials in Yunzhou bow down and beg for their lives."

Li Lingsu said in a deep voice:

"The supervisor has been sealed away."

Yang Qianhuan chuckled.

"That's truly a wonderful thing! The old supervisor has misled me for so many years. Without his suppression, I, Yang, can finally rise above my station!"

Li Lingsu shook her head slightly:

"Brother Yang, I'm not joking with you."

He immediately relayed the information he had learned from Xu Qi'an to Yang Qianhuan.

After listening, Yang Qianhuan stood there silently, like a lifeless sculpture.

After a very long time, Li Lingsu heard a deep voice coming from ahead:

"I see."

At this moment, Li Lingsu heard a voice she had never heard before. It had shed all its flamboyance and cynicism, sounding so unfamiliar that it didn't seem to come from Yang Qianhuan's mouth. Or perhaps, this was his normal voice.

Don't tell Caiwei.

Yang Qianhuan spoke again.

Qingzhou.

Ji Xuan pressed his left hand on the hilt of his sword and held a wine pot in his right hand as he pushed open the door to Ge Wenxuan's residence.

Ge Wenxuan, dressed in the white robes typical of Warlock, sat at his desk studying military texts.

"Young Master Ji Xuan is so busy with state affairs, why aren't you recruiting soldiers and preparing provisions? What brings you here?"

Ge Wenxuan said with a smile.

"The peace envoy is my second brother. I heard you recommended him, so I've come to General Ge to demand an explanation."

Ji Xuan slammed the wine and knife on the table, narrowed his eyes, and gave a forced smile:

"After hearing what you have to say, I'll decide whether to drink or draw my sword."

As two powerful figures among the young and middle-aged men in the Yunzhou army, Ge Wenxuan and Ji Xuan have always had a delicate relationship.

They are both friends and competitors.

They can sit down and drink and laugh, but they can also bang on the table and glare at each other over resources.

Qi Guangbo was strict in disciplining his troops, and his rewards and punishments were clear; he showed no favoritism because of Ji Xuan's status.

"Young Master Ji Yuan is exceptionally talented, eloquent, and has always possessed a sharp tongue. Furthermore, he is the son of the city lord. He is the most suitable person to serve as envoy to negotiate peace with the Great Feng."

Ge Wenxuan said.

Ji Yuan was Ji Xuan's younger brother; they were born of the same mother but were both born out of wedlock.

He ranked ninth among his brothers.

Unlike the masculine and gentle Ji Xuan, this Ninth Young Master disliked cultivation and loved reading. He was the most learned among the sons of the Lord of Qianlong City.

What is most commendable is that he applies what he has learned, has a sharp mind, and is not a bookworm.

"Young Master Ji Yuan may not be good at leading troops into battle, but in court debates and eloquent arguments with the scholars, he far surpasses you, his elder brother," Ge Wenxuan said with a smile.

"Even I can't argue with him, I can't win a debate with him, and I haven't even read as many books as he has. Can you believe it?"

Ji Xuan ignored his jokes, his expression serious, and said in a deep voice:

"You didn't greet Xu Qi'an, so you don't know, that guy surnamed Xu is a madman."

Ge Wenxuan remained calm and said:

"What if I told you that Miss Yuan Shuang and Young Master Yuan Huai were in the delegation?"

Ji Xuan was stunned.

Ge Wenxuan continued:

"It was the Imperial Advisor's idea. He knows Xu Qi'an better than we do. Peace talks can resolve the issues between the court officials and the young emperor, while Miss Yuan Shuang and Young Master Yuan Huai will make Xu Qi'an hesitate to act rashly."

Ji Xuan frowned.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

Ji Xuan recalled that day in Yongzhou City, Xu Qi'an severed Xu Yuanhuai's tendons in his hands and feet, but did spare his life.

This person will not be bound by familial bonds, but he is certainly not a cold-blooded or heartless person; his brothers do have some influence over him.

Ge Wenxuan then recalled what Xu Pingfeng had said a few days ago:

He mocked me for being cold-blooded and heartless, so I'll send his younger brother and sister to him.

Ge Wenxuan murmured:

"Teachers are the most heartless people in the world."

The morning court session takes place in the Golden Palace.

Emperor Yongxing gradually began to fear attending court and the memorials on the table, as they made him restless and anxious.

The country is plagued by a famine of displaced people, an empty treasury, the fall of Qingzhou, and widespread panic among officials in the capital. Furthermore, rumors are rampant, with reports from the provincial administration offices stating that the saying "The Supervisor is dead, and the Great Feng is doomed" is circulating among the people.

The commotion caused widespread panic among the people, who believed that the Great Feng was truly doomed.

For such acts of spreading rumors and creating chaos, the approach taken by dynasties throughout history has been to severely punish them, most commonly through exile and beheading at the execution ground, in order to intimidate the people.

But during times of turmoil, rumors fly everywhere, and it's impossible to silence public opinion. Perhaps lower-level officials share the same sentiment.

And Qingzhou had indeed fallen; the fleeing civilians spread the news far and wide.

The imperial court's efforts were destined to yield little result.

Now, it seemed as if the whole world was roaring in Emperor Yongxing's ears, telling him that the Great Feng was doomed and that he was going to become the ruler of a fallen kingdom.

Emperor Yongxing, a monarch born in a peaceful and prosperous era, had never seen such a spectacle before.

But Emperor Yongxing felt differently today as he attended the morning court session; it was as if a person in dire straits had seen the dawn.

Yesterday, Yao Hong, the Provincial Governor of Yongzhou, sent back a memorial stating that the rebels in Yunzhou had taken the initiative to negotiate peace.

In addition, Yao Hong also complained about Yang Gong in his memorial, because Yang Gong refused to negotiate peace and tried to suppress the matter.

This crime deserves death!

"Minister Yao is truly a pillar of my state."

Yesterday, Emperor Yongxing was overjoyed after reading the memorial. As for Yang Gong, he did not intend to deal with him for the time being, because Yongzhou still needed him to guard it.

"My esteemed ministers, yesterday, Yao Hong, the Provincial Governor of Yongzhou, submitted a memorial stating that Yunzhou wishes to negotiate peace with our dynasty and cease hostilities."

Emperor Yongxing looked around at his ministers and said loudly:

What do you all think?