Chapter 1988: Situ He's Last Attempt

He Lingchuan laughed and said: "I do these things, but if even a little word gets out, ten heads wouldn't be enough to lose."

"The dragon lies hidden in the abyss, the dragon lies hidden in the abyss which." Situ He murmured, "Back then, the Yangshan Merchant Guild funded our father and son's attack on Bixia, and my father privately asked an expert to divine a hexagram for you, which was this very hexagram. My father said then that you could achieve great things, so he told me to deliberately befriend you, saying you would surely be our benefactor. I never expected..."

He gave a wry smile: "... Your affairs are just too big."

Who could have predicted that an outsider merchant would actually want to annex the entire Shanjin Plain and overturn the Heavenly Gods' control over Shanjin?

If someone had said this to him three years ago, he would have told them to hurry up and wash up and go to sleep, for in dreams anything is possible.

But now...

Even with He Lingchuan right before his eyes, he still couldn't figure out how this person managed to turn decay into wonder.

"Decay" refers precisely to this plain, as well as the various stubborn illnesses that have penetrated to the marrow.

He didn't ask He Lingchuan whether he was truly the reincarnation of the Dragon God, because this question doesn't need an answer.

As long as the people of Shanjin believe, that is enough.

He Lingchuan smiled but said nothing.

Situ He gritted his teeth: "I don't even know who wrote that letter!"

With the dust settled, he now had the leisure to think about the secret letter again.

In his view, that secret letter was ninety percent likely forged by the King of Beryl to frame him. But he had a strange thought:

If the secret letter wasn't forged by the King of Beryl, then who was secretly stirring up trouble?

Because the Nine Abysses Great Emperor had already caused internal strife within the alliance, and the King of Beryl and the Kan people, among others, had reached the peak of their dissatisfaction with him. At this moment, a single letter could easily ignite their anger and push them to take a crucial step.

Does the content of the letter even matter? Fundamentally no, the King of Beryl only needs an excuse, a fuse.

And who saw through their psychology, pinpointing this moment?

He Lingchuan said solemnly: "Yes, this person is truly hateful. If he were still alive, he would surely face retribution."

"..." Situ He fell silent once again.

The two words "retribution" used to be a joke on the Shanjin Plain, but since the appearance of the Nine Abysses Great Emperor and the Black Armored Army, this topic has become very serious, because infamous calamities, whether people or forces, are truly eradicated—this too could be called suffering retribution.

But the matter of the secret letter is now dropped; Situ He knows he is destined never to learn the truth.

Never mind, anyway it's no longer important.

He changed the subject: "Hey, did you really kill Miao Zhantian?"

"Really." He Lingchuan casually mentioned the battle in the Inverted Sea.

Although he lacks the eloquence of Fu Liushan, his content is genuinely hardcore, leaving Situ He astonished again and again.

"Such a blessed grotto-heaven actually exists, such a magnificent and splendid battle actually exists!" He couldn't help but envy, "We mortals have no fortune to witness it firsthand."

"Better not to witness it firsthand." He Lingchuan poured him a cup of wine, "Twenty or thirty heavenly gods and immortals, several thousand witnesses almost all died, except for these few hundred I brought out."

"He Lingchuan is a person of great fortune." Situ He nodded, "Having talent and ability also requires fortune. Shanjin never shows leniency to people."

Shanjin also doesn't know how many talented individuals it has buried.

Situ He greatly envied He Xiaoyao's journey through the Inverted Sea, which shows this person's fortune, ability, and wisdom are far superior to his own.

He had long known He Xiaoyao was extraordinary, but that at least still fell within the category of "human."

In a turn, He Xiaoyao slew gods, himself ascended to the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, and became the reincarnated Dragon God.

Strictly speaking, he is no longer human. From Situ He's perspective looking at him, he would probably have to adjust to looking up.

The two then chatted for a good while, He Lingchuan spoke of the myriad aspects of life he saw while sweeping across Shanjin, and Situ He discussed the various contradictions within the alliance and the repeated pressure exerted by the Heavenly Gods.

They talked and laughed freely, as if the estrangement of the past few months did not exist.

Then, they fell silent in unison.

Situ He knew that He Lingchuan, amidst his busy schedule, had taken time to come see him, not just to drink together.

He was waiting for Situ He to speak.

As for the part of friends exchanging pleasantries, that has already been said.

Next, it's time to get down to business.

"He Lingchuan..." Situ He spoke with some difficulty, "You know what I want to ask. No matter how the King of Beryl ends up, the alliance is already no match for you before your eyes. We do not wish to oppose the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, the Seven Realms willingly follow the Emperor's lead!"

Situ He said, the seven forces of the alliance have all submitted, dare not be enemies with He Lingchuan.

But He Lingchuan's face showed no smile, because Situ He's words still carried another layer of meaning.

What does "willingly follow the Emperor's lead" mean? It means we all follow you, recognize you as leader, you go where you go, we follow.

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This act of following has a precondition, namely that both parties are independent individuals.

Otherwise, what's the point of distinguishing between you and me?

From the uprising of the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, to Situ He being schemed against by the King of Beryl, to He Lingchuan rescuing him, Situ He has been constantly pondering the future of the alliance and himself.

Whether they have a future now depends solely on how the Nine Abysses Great Emperor prepares to deal with them.

But Situ He still wants to strive for a bit.

The King of Beryl is truly a fool! Originally, if the alliance maintained the status quo, He Lingchuan would find it hard to justifiably deal with them, after all, the two sides were originally partners. Since he claims to be the reincarnated Dragon God, he should occupy the moral high ground—how could he turn around and strike down innocent good partners?

At least he should twist and turn a few more times.

These few twists and turns are Situ He's room for maneuver.

But the King of Beryl gave the Nine Abysses Great Emperor the best excuse, allowing him to launch troops righteously!

Even though Situ He was rescued, he immediately fell into extreme passivity.

The alliance has in fact already fragmented into pieces.

The bargaining chips he and He Lingchuan have been maneuvering with are already gone.

And if this alliance leader dies in the Beryl Kingdom, it would be no bad thing for the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, perfectly allowing him to avenge himself in one gulp and annex the alliance.

But He Xiaoyao still willingly risked his life, personally rescuing him out.

He must accept this kindness!

He Lingchuan laughed: "Two years have passed. Boss Situ, aren't you tired from managing this allied force?"

Situ He pursed his lips. Tired, physically exhausted and mentally even more so.

Seven forces, each with their own calculations—the abacus beads clicking loudly, almost bouncing off his face.

"After all, it is my father's life's work; how could I disappoint him?"

"Forgive my bluntness, but what to do after destroying Bixia—your father never even considered that, did he?"

Situ He was left speechless.

This is true; they are both father and son, remnants of Gaopu State. After Bixia destroyed Gaopu and continued to invade Situ's territory, they rose in resistance and formed the allied army, their primary goal being self-preservation, followed by a counter-invasion of Bixia for revenge.

As for what to do after defeating Bixia, Situ Yu hadn't even had time to plan before being assassinated by the master of Red Lodge.