Chapter 2026: Meeting

Qingyang glanced, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Nanrong He had devout followers of the Heavenly God by his side, who would secretly deliver the latest intelligence to Qingyang.

The content on the slip was also very brief, just a few characters:

The Nanrong clan head wrote to the Emperor of Jiuxiao, requesting a meeting at Longshan.

"Longshan?" Qingyang tapped her fingertips lightly on the table a few times, several thoughts flashing through her mind.

Yuan Xuan said in a low voice: "This is merely a request; He Xiong may not necessarily go."

Qingyang shook her head: "He Xiong has subdued the allied forces and Bijia, and now has no major affairs to attend to; he will go."

She continued: "He must uphold the reputation of the Dragon God, so he will not easily resort to harsh measures against Nanrong He; if he can negotiate, he will try his best to do so. Well, this is our opportunity."

After sparring for so long, her understanding of He Xiong surpasses that of ordinary people.

Even the former Bai Ziqi pales in comparison.

"What do you intend?"

"The time left for us is not much." Qingyang pondered, "Once he releases the Dragon God army, Yaoguo and Bai Tan will find it hard to resist. Well, the best opportunity is still now."

No matter what, she must try once more. May the Emperor bless us!

"Bring paper and brush."

That night, Qingyang wrote with vigorous strokes until deep into the night.

Yuan Xuan dared not peek at the content, only knowing her brush flowed like dragons and snakes, her writing abundant and flowing; occasionally pausing to ponder, a smile even appeared at the corner of her mouth.

This is exceedingly rare; the Palace Master has recently been troubled by the Shan Jin situation and has not smiled so openly for a long time.

Yuan Xuan could feel that even the aura around Qingyang had become confident and tranquil.

In a daze, he even thought he saw again that stern, serious, power-wielding Bei Jia National Preceptor.

After a long while, Qingyang finished writing the letter, affixed the seal, gently blew dry the ink, and personally sealed it with wax.

Then she had Yuan Xuan pluck a lotus blossom from the pond outside.

This season already has early lotuses, but they are merely tiny buds, still far from blooming.

I do not know how she managed it, but she managed to slip the letter into the lotus blossom, then pricked her own fingertip, dripping two drops of fresh blood onto the bud.

Strangely, the blood drop was instantly absorbed by the lotus pod, and the white lotus instantly turned into a blood lotus.

Afterwards, she handed the lotus blossom to Yuan Xuan:

"Have someone rush it back to Beijia, deliver it to the Qing Palace National Preceptor Nie Xiaolou, and tell him that only when the lotus blooms can the letter inside be retrieved."

"Yes." Yuan Xuan received it with both hands and hurried out.

The moonlight slanted westward.

Qingyang raised her head to gaze at the moon, exhaling a long breath.

Having made her resolve and let go of her worries, her state of mind instead became extraordinarily peaceful.

She faced the direction where the moon was setting, that is, the west, clasped her hands, and murmured prayers.

Success or failure hinges on this single move.

……

Longshan.

The place where Nanrong He agreed to meet He Lingchuan is not on the mountain, but in a small pavilion in the suburbs at the mountain's base.

This place is only twenty li from the Nanrong family's lost and regained Luofeng Pond.

Not inviting the Emperor of Jiuxiao into the city is a friendly and considerate gesture.

It is now early summer, and the breeze at the mountain foot still carries some coolness. He Lingchuan led dozens of horsemen along the mountain path, the flora lush and verdant along the way—no wonder this place is called Longshan.

The roadside myrtle bushes were in full bloom with small water-red flowers. Seeing this flower, He Lingchuan recalled that his original body in this form had once been in the outskirts of Heishuicheng in the Yan Kingdom, where the mountains were then full of purple, delicious fruits—these very myrtle bushes.

In the blink of an eye, how many years have passed? The former frontier official's son of a small state has now become the one about to dominate Shan Jin and contend for the world—the Emperor of Jiuxiao!

It feels as if separated by an age.

Ahead, green trees stretched like a sea, revealing a corner of the pavilion.

Nanrong He was already waiting in the pavilion; upon seeing He Lingchuan approach, he immediately rose to greet him:

"Long admired, long admired! I never expected that the renowned Emperor of Jiuxiao, the true master himself, would be so young!"

He Lingchuan appeared in his true form for this meeting and did not summon the Resonant Dragon Battle Armor.

He came with peaceful intentions to negotiate, not to fight, so it would be inappropriate to appear in cold, icy armor.

He Lingchuan also returned the salute: "Mr. Nanrong."

The meeting atmosphere was still fairly harmonious; the two took their seats in the pavilion, while the dozens of elite guards behind them retreated to fifty paces away.

Nanrong He looked at He Lingchuan and said: "Where has the Emperor of Jiuxiao come from?"

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"Bijia." He Lingchuan stated the facts truthfully, his voice calm: "It has already been stabilized, so I came over."

Upon hearing the meaning of "stabilized," Nanrong He immediately understood, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The war between the allied forces and Bijia has lasted nearly two years; he naturally knows this well. Yet now the Emperor of Jiuxiao says Bijia is already "stabilized," which means……

He paused for a few breaths before asking: "Then, is the Heavy Martial General also a talented commander, having earned Bei Jia's favor? In your presence, how long did he persist?"

He Lingchuan smiled faintly: "One night."

Nanrong He shuddered slightly.

The Heavy Martial General led the Bijia people to resist the Emperor of Jiuxiao, yet actually only held out for one night?!

He had seen the battles between the Black Armor Army and Guo Bai Yu; indeed, they were valiant and fierce, completely different from the common armies of Shan Jin. But the speed of the Heavy Martial General's defeat still left him astonished.

If it were Nanrong's army facing the Black Armor Army or the Dragon God Army, how long could they hold out? This question, Nanrong He has pondered for many days.

Nanrong He clasped his hands together on the table: "After subduing Bijia, what further plans does the Emperor of Jiuxiao have?"

"The entire Flash Gold Plain is my plan." He Lingchuan smiled faintly, "Dozens of Flash Gold factions have become the running dogs of the Heavenly Demon, still harassing city-states and bringing disaster to the people. Once I free my hands, I will eliminate them one by one and restore peace and tranquility to Flash Gold."

"What a fine peace and tranquility." Nan Ronghe stared intently, "If you want Flash Gold to be peaceful and tranquil, you must destroy the Yao State."

What role the Yao State has always played on the Flash Gold Plain, the Nan Rong family knows better than anyone.

"The Yao State once tried to pacify the Nan Rong family, didn't they?"

"Indeed, my father and I both received edicts of surrender from the Yao State." Nan Ronghe straightened his back, "Hah, the edict was taken by my Lady to line a clothes chest."

The Nan Rong family has always been proud.

He Lingchuan chuckled, "The old Yao King no longer harbors ambitions of conquest; despite the Heavenly Demon repeatedly urging him to mobilize troops, he has always shrunk back and refused, which is why he invited his own demise."

Meaning the Yao State is aged and infirm, refusing it is nothing to be proud of.

After these words were spoken, silence fell over the pavilion.

Nan Ronghe knew it was time to get to the point. The Great Emperor of Jiuxiu had personally come here, not to engage in idle chitchat with him.

"You won't let the Yao State off, will you?"

"Of course." He Lingchuan's tone left no room for doubt, "The Yao State is the most important handle the Heavenly Demon uses to wreak havoc on Flash Gold; I will surely destroy it!"

As he spoke these words, his expression did not change, his tone did not change, he didn't even move a muscle, merely raising his eyebrows slightly, but Nan Ronghe felt this person's aura suddenly become incredibly sharp, killing intent washing over him.

He silently exhaled, then continued: "After you destroy the Yao State, pacify the four directions, and seize the entire Flash Gold, what else do you plan?"