Hanbang and the Song Alliance Form an Alliance!
Liu Ji's words--
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence. Qin Hui's face was half pale and half green. These words were a clear insult, an insult that he was unworthy of being of Northern Qin blood...
And this point.
And this just so happened to hit Qin Hui's weak spot. The reason he left back then was precisely to prove himself, to be worthy of the Qin Clan bloodline...
And now--
With just one sentence from Liu Ji, he completely belittled him...
The phrase "When did the Qin Clan family members become so cowardly?" was a blatant mockery of him, showing that he had no backbone whatsoever among the Qin Clan family members!
It negated all his years of hard work with just one sentence...
Qin Hui lowered his head and remained silent. Only now did he truly feel the gap between immortals and mortals, a gap as vast as an insurmountable chasm...
Despite his lifelong struggle, he was ultimately dismissed by a single word from someone else!
This feeling...
Just like back then, he was sent down the mountain as soon as he was born, and no one ever looked him in the eye, not even once...
Qin Hui never looked back at him, and his people never took him seriously, even though back then...
They studied together at Dao Learning Peak, yet he remains as insignificant as an ant!
Seeing Qin Hui's embarrassed expression, she felt State of Mind hurt.
Instead of showing any restraint, Liu Ji's eyes revealed a hint of disdain...
This was the first time he had ever seen a member of the Qin Clan so fragile, and he looked down on this descendant of Northern Qin from the bottom of his heart...
He didn't recognize him, but Zhang Liang Qin Hui, who was standing next to him, did.
Although they weren't close, he had heard of the first batch of Qin's third-generation descendants, and out of consideration for the past relationship between the Zhang Clan and Qin Clan...
He then stepped in to defuse the situation, saying, "Duke of Pei, this man, Qin Hui, is indeed of Northern Qin blood, but he lacks talent and has been neglected by Northern Qin..."
"Since he has requested an audience, why not listen to what he has to say?"
Upon hearing this—
Liu Ji nodded slightly, then looked at Qin Hui kneeling in the center of the hall, adopting an air of interrogation as if he were a prisoner, and said:
"Since you're of Northern Qin blood, speak up..."
"I wonder if that lord would faint from anger if he knew he had a descendant like you?"
"Your father, Qin Hui, is a name that resonates far and wide. I have long admired him; he was an unparalleled hero, a man worthy of being called a king..."
"His wisdom was almost demonic, and he controlled both the interior and exterior of Northern Qin. Who would have thought his son would be such a villain? They say like father, like son..."
"You really are..."
"Tsk tsk~"
"So be it! At least it's a descendant of the Northern Qin, passed down through generations. At least it can leave a trace of your ancestors' lineage..."
While Liu Ji sighed in admiration, he had no interest in humiliating this timid junior...
I couldn't help but feel a little sorry that the Qin Clan had such descendants. If only Northern Qin could still have a prodigy living in the world...
He Hanbang might not necessarily be unwilling to join forces with him on this great cause!
"This time..."
"This junior is representing the Song Alliance to request an alliance with the Hanbang. The area around Yin'an City, where the Song Alliance is located, is not far from Yanchuan..."
"A new wave of beasts is approaching, so we wish to form an alliance with the Hanbang for both offense and defense."
"I earnestly request that you, Duke of Pei, send reinforcements to jointly resist the southward invasion of the beast tide. Out of consideration for our past relationship with Northern Qin, I hope you will grant my request..."
The words fell to the ground--
Liu Ji's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Zhang Liang, who muttered a few words to himself before finally recalling them:
"Duke of Pei, I heard of the Song Alliance a few years ago..."
"Their leader, Zhao Gou, was a descendant of the Zhao Clan clan, a relative of the Northern Qin through marriage. In his early years, he governed the Yingchuan and was quite a capable man..."
"The mastermind behind the infamous Corpse Sea Refining God incident a few years ago was none other than Zhao Gou, who later successfully broke through to the Dao Foundation Realm..."
"It seems the Song Alliance suffered heavy losses in that chaos, and had no choice but to seek allies to defend the city, but they've ended up in this state..."
"They were still able to hold the northern front against the demons, showing they hadn't lost the backbone of old Master Zhao Zhen back then."
After Zhang Liang explained the situation, Liu Ji made up his mind. Then, he recalled the terrain of the Yanchuan area...
After thinking it over for a while, I got a general idea.
"There's no rush to form an alliance."
"In a few days, I will lead a group of men to Yin'an. At that time, I will have a detailed discussion with Fellow Daoist Zhao..."
"Leaving aside other matters, after all, we are all from the Da Zhou, and now that the Da Zhou has fallen, it's a pleasure to meet fellow countrymen and old friends..."
"If I can help, I will."
"Young friend Qin Hui, you may return now. I am already aware of this matter and will provide a result soon. Go back..."
Having said that--
Before Qin Hui could react, he was lifted out of the main hall by a surge of Spiritual Power...
Someone then escorted him directly back to the Yin'an City area. For a cultivator to treat a mortal with such courtesy was already quite kind.
Qin Hui, too, eventually realized this.
Without the Beichuan Qin Family, perhaps he would be nothing at all...
He could only live in its shadow for the rest of his life; despite his best efforts, it all seemed like an illusion...
Inside the Hanbang Grand Hall.
After seeing off Qin Hui, the third wheel, the core members of the Hanbang began to share their thoughts. One of the thugs said:
"My lord, are we really going to form an alliance with that damned Song Alliance?"
"We've grown much stronger, but sending our brothers to their deaths for those bastards is something our brothers won't do..."
"If you ask me, we should just send troops and wipe out the Song Alliance!"
"By incorporating their people and taking Yin'an City, we can continue to supply our troops and expand our Hanbang territory!"
Upon hearing this—
Dao Foundation General named Xiahou Ying chimed in:
"My lord, Fan Kuai is right."
"After all, our Hanbang is no longer what it used to be. Even if we form an alliance, it's not something a small power like the Song Alliance can afford to associate with!"
"If the Song Alliance submits to our Hanbang, then we can send some people."
"If we form an alliance, there will be no benefit whatsoever, nor will it bring any advantage to our Hanbang. So why bother?"
See here--
The generals, both high and low, echoed this sentiment, mostly believing that the Han and Song dynasties were of unequal status, making an alliance pointless and a waste of resources and lives...
Why not just annex it!
In these times of war, continuous expansion and conquest are the wisest choices...
Meanwhile, Xiao He, who had already Dao Foundation cultivator, looked at Zhang Liang. The two nodded slightly, clearly having reached a consensus, and said:
"My lord, I think there is no need to rush."
"We've just arrived here and haven't even fully established ourselves yet, but we're already eyeing our allies who will fight alongside us against the Demon Race in the north. That's truly unwise..."
"With a major battle imminent, the affairs of the nation are of utmost importance; personal selfishness is insignificant."
"I think we should first negotiate with the Song Alliance, sending a general and a small force to assist in defense. Once we get through this beast tide..."
"We will discuss the affiliation of the Song Alliance later."
"Besides, everyone in the surrounding defense zones isn't blind. If something happens now and affects the overall situation, it might displease the higher-ups..."
Upon hearing this—
The generals were all relieved, and then their gazes all turned to Liu Ji. After listening, Liu Ji also nodded slightly, clearly having some concerns as well...
"Lord Xiao, then you shall handle this matter."
"The affairs of the world are of paramount importance to the people. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. We must not rush things; let's proceed step by step..."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall immediately bowed to him...
"Yes!"
"I will obey Duke of Pei's orders!"