Chapter 2216: Fate Plays Tricks

Bailie's autumn has never been harsh; these past few days have been warm and humid, almost like spring.

The capital is full of red flowers and green willows, the whole city bathed in gentle breezes—this contrasts sharply with the frost and chill of Mu State's capital.

Yet at this moment, the capital is actually under martial law, with a guard post every five paces; even flies flying into the city must first be inspected for gender.

The first meeting of the two great emperors is scheduled by the Zhaoxi River at Bailie's capital.

The meeting place is set within Cangyan State, yet it was the Mu Emperor who first proposed it, revealing his composure and confidence.

For this, Bailie even hastily renovated a riverside tavern by the Zhaoxi.

At the chen hour, the Mu Emperor arrived bathed in warm sunlight, followed by You Huan and a vast entourage.

The Nine Abyssal Great Emperor had long been waiting respectfully; he stepped out of the tavern with a swift stride to greet them, followed by Du Shan, Lu Qiuwei, Qiu Hu, and a host of civil and military officials.

As they approached each other, even separated by more than ten zhang, they could feel the other's fervent enthusiasm, as if the two nations had always been intimately close, never having known any rift.

One said: "He Lingchuan has long awaited this; truly, hearing of you is no match for seeing you!"

The other said: "Heroes emerge from youth in every age; the ancients spoke true!"

After speaking, they both laughed heartily.

He Lingchuan stepped aside slightly, gesturing: "Please!"

The riverside tavern is actually a main building with three annexes.

The two emperors ascended to the third floor of the main building, while officials and attendants waited on various floors and in the annexes, sipping tea and conversing.

The tavern stands fifty-five zhang from the water's edge—this distance is to prevent assassins lurking in the stream, lest the tragedy of Situ Yu be repeated.

Of course, the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor himself possesses formidable strength, making covert assault difficult; as for the Mu Emperor...

One can only say that such high-standard security remains necessary.

The two emperors ascended the building and leaned on the railing, seeing shimmering light dance on the water, ripples glowing.

During flood season, the Zhaoxi expands its surface, directly becoming the Zhaoh River.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, the Mu Emperor gazed at the river, his eyes distant: "This Zhaoxi still originates from my Mu State's Qiyun Jiang. The Great Jiang flows endlessly, gradually branching, until finally it becomes a trickle that reaches Bailie."

He Lingchuan smiled: "Though it is a winding, meandering trickle, it never runs dry for a single day, eventually passing through Bailie and flowing into Cangyan's Qing'an Lake, then expanding vast and far, ultimately becoming the proper way!"

Upon first meeting, the two exchanged a probing remark.

When the Mu Emperor brought up the past, He Lingchuan responded with the present situation.

Then they exchanged a smile.

Today, the Mu Emperor wears a tall cap and broad sash, a purple-gold floral robe; to He Lingchuan, his appearance is quite unfamiliar.

Yet when he spoke, He Lingchuan again felt a hint of old familiarity.

The Mu Emperor restrained his smile, sighed softly: "Your great undertaking is now complete. Well, if you had appeared earlier, it would have been better."

To another listener, these words would easily carry ambiguity.

Does he wish He Lingchuan had appeared earlier so as to nip the threat in the bud?

But He Lingchuan detected his sigh and regret.

The Mu Emperor genuinely regretted not having recruited He Lingchuan to serve him before he established his own hegemony.

After He Lingchuan caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he fled to the rear of Mu State to evade the pursuit of Bei Jia; at that time, Wang Xingyi, representing Mu State, had extended an invitation to him, which He Lingchuan politely declined.

The Mu Emperor had noticed this man then and felt a fondness for talent, but did not think much of it—He Lingchuan did not wish to come, so let him not come. After all, Ling Mountain and Mu State abound in talent; how special could one individual be?

Had they used some means back then to bring He Lingchuan into Mu State's court, would Mu State now be much more at ease?

"It is not too late now." He Lingchuan said slowly: "United in heart to resist the heavenly demons, it is never too late at any time."

As long as our goals align, we need not be superior and subordinate—we can also be cooperative partners.

He also reaffirmed the natural foundation of cooperation between the two states:

Resisting the heavenly demons.

With a shared powerful enemy, Cangyan and Mu State may become close comrades-in-arms.

The Mu Emperor glanced at him: "I have one matter I am curious about; please enlighten me."

"Please speak."

"Yu State, Panlong City, and you—each successive owner of the Great Great Great Fanghu has firmly opposed the heavenly demons." The Mu Emperor said slowly, "Why is this?"

Let alone ordinary people, most Xian Sect Daoist schools would not take the heavenly demons as their ultimate enemy.

Every person, every power dwelling in this mundane, turbid world has too many concrete worries and problems to face.

People are always first troubled by present annoyances. And the heavenly demons, being illusory and elusive, simply do not register.

To some extent, He Lingchuan's resistance to the heavenly demons is as strange as ordinary people resenting heaven itself.

But to the Mu Emperor, the answer He Lingchuan is about to give is too important—it will determine Mu State's policy toward Cangyan.

The Nine Abyssal seeks to resist the heavenly demons as a goal, drawing closer to Ling Mountain and Mu State, yet in this world there is no love without cause, no hatred without cause, and certainly no steadfastness without cause.

He must know: why is the Nine Abyssal's resolve to resist the heavenly demons so firm?

"The Great Great Great Fanghu has never had an owner; no one is truly worthy to possess it." He Lingchuan first corrected, then continued: "Its will is vast and boundless, and it will never clearly tell me what to embrace or what to oppose."

"Oh? Then what are you steadfast for?"

He Lingchuan reflected on his own mental journey; in truth, it is hard to say from which moment he began to hold such resolve.

It was step by step, after enduring hardships and obstacles, after growing accustomed to exhausting effort and meticulous planning, that it became a natural culmination.

Unconsciously, he had walked onto this path.

"To be frank, at first it was for myself. I am both the fated vessel of the Naluotian and the bearer of the Great Great Great Fanghu's secret; on one hand I dread the descent of Naluotian, on the other I fear the world has no place for me, so I felt self-strengthening was the only way to preserve myself."

His arrival in this world seemed like that of a minor official's son with no worries of food or clothing, yet in truth he was always at risk of being sacrificed by his father to the heavenly gods.

Once his connection to the Great Great Great Fanghu was exposed, it would be enough for Bei Jia to kill him.

Not wishing to die, he could only strive to advance, ever forward.

This compulsion was thus the initial motivation.

Mou Di could understand this kind of predicament:

"And then?"

"Then I left Beijia and came to the Yangshan Archipelago, thinking the world was so big that I could build a haven free from worldly strife for myself and my friends." He Lingchuan smiled at his own past naivety, "Facts proved that was impossible; the tree wishes for stillness but the wind will not cease. Even though I managed the Yangshan Archipelago to flourish, my heart could not find a moment of peace. As for the reason, Xin Jun knows it very well."

Mou Di smiled, understanding.

Not long after He Lingchuan bought the Yangshan Archipelago, he suffered threats from the Frost Leaf National Preceptor, followed by National Preceptor Wang Xingyi passing through Yangshan and conveniently giving him a hard time.

The two great nations, Beijia and the Mou Nation, successively gave He Lingchuan a heavy blow, waking him from his vision of a utopian paradise.

He Lingchuan's ability to become today's Nine Nether Emperor, the Mou Nation also contributed no small part.

Strange, the scheduled auto-update how did it get stuck?