Chapter 2027

"You and I both know the Flash Gold people are suffering. The root of all this poverty and hopelessness is division, fragmentation, turmoil, and the collapse of order." He Lingchuan knew that Nan Ronghe was asking about his future philosophy and platform. As the saying goes, those who follow different paths do not plot together, and the Nan Rong family also wanted to investigate how the new hegemon about to rise on the Flash Gold Plains would treat the civilian populace and them!

Inquiry and speculation are no match for a face-to-face discussion in terms of directness.

"To eliminate the source of chaos, one can only counter turmoil with stability and dissolve disorder with rules." He Lingchuan spoke solemnly, "Most importantly, to end division through unification!"

The point has come.

Nan Ronghe fell silent for a long while before asking: "For those who rest and recuperate among the people, who bear you no grudge and have no feud with you, and who have nothing to do with the demons either—do you also intend to manage them?"

This refers to the Nan Rong family.

He Lingchuan reached out and brushed across the stone table, making no other movement, yet the table surface suddenly began to tremble, then rose and fell like a sand table.

Seeing this, the Nan Rong family guards in the distance prepared to step forward, but Nan Ronghe waved them off with his hand. He felt no malice, yet the Nine Abysses Great Emperor's illusionary technique was still impressive—he could not discern its trick.

The stone table had already become a sand table. More precisely, it was a map of the Flash Gold Plains excluding the northeastern part.

"The great trend of the world: long division must end in unity. The Flash Gold Empire has been fragmented for nearly a thousand years, and the people long for peace. Yet great and small powers rise and fall in morning and evening; occasionally there are small states like Ji Guo or Chen Guo, enjoying modest prosperity, but they vanish like shooting stars."

As He Lingchuan spoke, the Flash Gold Empire on the sand table shattered into countless small states. The terrain of the Flash Gold Plains remained largely unchanged—only occasional dikes and canals, occasional shifts in the Dahe's course—but the small states on the plains changed names and borders like a revolving lantern.

Nan Ronghe had never seen such a mode of expression before, condensing the plains' thousand-year history into a single geographical chart, presented within just a few dozen breaths.

It was shocking, yet at the same time deeply moving.

This was the first time he learned that so many nations and powers had once existed on the Flash Gold Plains! Hundreds—no, over a thousand, and still not the limit.

"What a fine case of long division must end in unity!"

This truly is what the Nine Abysses Great Emperor said: "morning life, evening death"!

This sand table displayed the efforts and struggles of dozens of generations on the plains—seeking stability, seeking development—but aside from Yao Guo, none succeeded without exception. Not to mention a century of inheritance, even those lasting fifty years are few and far between.

The Nan Rong territory has existed for over thirty years since its founding.

"This is because one wishes for tranquility while the wind does not cease; external force is too great, internal resistance insufficient—sooner or later, collapse is inevitable." Coincidentally, Ji Guo appeared, and He Lingchuan pointed at it on the sand table, whereupon the entire sand table stilled, and the three characters "Ji Guo" glowed red.

"Ji Guo"—Nan Ronghe had also heard of it—was once a vibrant, flourishing state, its ruler governed with clarity, its people diligent and optimistic, destined to rise steadily, yet it too vanished in a single morning, unable to escape the Flash Gold curse.

"Born in Flash Gold, a small state with few people is original sin; lacking grand ambition, content to linger in a corner is also original sin!"

Words like blades, they cut Nan Ronghe's face until it changed color.

But He Lingchuan then reached out and lightly brushed, causing countless state names on the mountains and rivers to vanish, leaving only vast black regions. They nearly formed a single expanse, with only scattered dozens of small areas still showing other colors.

Nan Ronghe immediately recognized that the black regions were the Dragon God's territory, for floating above them were one after another small black dragon totems.

The Nine Abysses Great Emperor pointed at the sand table and said: "This is the current Flash Gold."

In other words, of the Flash Gold Plains' vast expanse, eighty percent or more has now become Dragon God territory! The remaining scattered patches are what belong to the Flash Gold's fragmented powers.

Nan Ronghe could barely conceal his shock.

He of course knew the Nine Abysses Great Emperor had won every siege and territorial conquest in his early campaigns, but he had not imagined the seized lands were already this vast!

Judging by this, the Nine Abysses Great Emperor's annexation of the entire Flash Gold is merely a matter of time—as long as he can defeat Yao Guo.

Saying ten thousand things is less effective than a single sand table, less impactful than the shock a map brings to Nan Ronghe.

He strained his eyes to find the Nan Rong family's territory on the sand table, marked in green. Compared to the Dragon God's territory, it was like a dim star beside the bright moon—so small it could be ignored.

He then glanced at Yao Guo, marked in yellow.

"Only through collective wisdom and united effort can we break this thousand-year-old curse of poverty and turmoil!"

Nan Ronghe fell silent again for a long time before asking him: "How do you know you can accomplish this?"

"Heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony—I have them all." He Lingchuan told him clearly, "If anyone else could lead Flash Gold to break this curse, who else but me? Nan Rong sir, can you still find a second person?"

He spoke these words with great confidence.

Nan Ronghe stared at the sand table before him, speechless, for he truly could not find another.

"The Nan Rong family is kind and benevolent—I admire them—but with your talents, Nan Rong sir, to use them only on a sesame-seed-sized plot is truly a waste." He Lingchuan swept his hand across the entire sand table, "Such a vast stage—do you not wish to display your abilities, Nan Rong sir?"

This vast territory is all his. Nan Ronghe wants to "display his abilities"—naturally, he must submit to the Dragon God.

The Nine Abysses Great Emperor is telling him: the great trend is set, not to be shifted by his will.

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If the Nan Rong family were wise, they would not oppose the trend.

Nan Ronghe took a deep breath, stood up: "Thank you for coming all this way, Nine Abysses Great Emperor. Let us correspond by letter in three or five days?"

After this meeting, he needs to deliberate further.

He Lingchuan also stood up: "Awaiting your good news."

……

Returning from the front lines to Shui City, Bai Tan had not even entered the city gate when he first went to the You Lake Cottage.

He did not expect that this time he would actually be served a closed door.

"The palace master is not here? Where did she go?"

At this critical juncture, Qing Yang actually went out again?

"We don't know!" The Qing Wei guarding here relayed Qing Yang's original words: "The palace master informed Bai my lord that she will return as soon as possible within half a month—do not worry."

"As soon as possible?" Bai Tan frowned: "Then what is the latest?"

"We don't know."

Bai Tan's doubts grew great, his eyes flashing with menace: "You palace master wouldn't have fled, would she?"

Is it because Qing Yang feels he cannot win, that resisting the Nine Abysses Great Emperor is hopeless, so she fled first out of respect?

Besides, she has no foundation in the Flash Gold Plains, unlike Bai Tan, whose roots run deep here—once the situation turns bad, she can simply leave.

The Qing Wei no longer said "we don't know," but spoke solemnly: "The Nine Abysses Great Emperor has become a great scourge of Flash Gold; the palace master has exhausted her mind and energy, vowing to eliminate him and then rest swiftly. This is not only for Bai my lord, but also for Bei Jia! On this point, you need not worry."

Bai Tan was half-believing, half-doubting. Who doesn't know how to say nice words? He became even more worried instead.