Chapter 2313

"Ah, this pretentious thing!" the Blood Demon muttered under his breath, "In the wilderness construction site, still dressing in fine clothes for a night out—does he really have to outshine you?"

He Lingchuan also smiled: "Fifteen years apart, and the Frost Leaf National Preceptor still shines in splendid attire, just as before."

The last time he met Frost Leaf was at the viewing spot outside the Fractured Boundary in the suburbs of Lingxu City; back then, Frost Leaf was also in splendid robes, under clear skies. The Lingxu nobility gathered in the valley, all powerful and influential, yet only Frost Leaf, upon appearing, overwhelmed everyone with his presence.

His flamboyance and dominance were truly as before.

The Blood Demon glanced at one, then the other, and felt both were hiding knives behind their smiles.

He Lingchuan reached out, and a flash of cold light emerged from his sleeve!

Frost Leaf saw it clearly, yet did not move, allowing the cold light to reflect whiteness across his face.

Indeed, when the cold light reached him, it spun once, flattening the jagged side of the massive stone.

The cut was smooth and even, with no stone dust. The Nine Abysses Great Emperor's casual strike was like slicing tofu.

He Lingchuan stepped to the newly split stone bench, sat down on his own, and gestured: "Please, sit."

Frost Leaf smiled, lifted his rear robe, and sat down leisurely, his back straight as a rod.

"Under the moon before the mountain, all that's missing is a fine jug of wine."

As the words fell, He Lingchuan drew from his bosom a gold cup inlaid with ruby and two gold goblets.

"When friends come from afar, how can there be no wine?" He casually filled both cups, "This is brewed by the monkeys of the Red Dawn Golden Hall's rear mountain—unique in flavor."

Frost Leaf listened with a smile to that "friend" character, raised his cup, and took a sip: "Fine wine. Even the palace monkeys are this capable."

He neither feared nor believed that He Lingchuan had poisoned the wine.

"Frost Leaf has come—why no official dispatch?" He Lingchuan himself took a sip, "So that Cangyan may greet you with state courtesy, avoiding any breach of etiquette."

The words sounded pleasant, but in truth were a veiled mockery of Frost Leaf's rudeness, a secret intrusion into Cangyan, doing things unbecoming.

Frost Leaf said slowly: "Among the three kingdoms, Cangyan has risen late to supremacy; I have long admired its name and must travel incognito to learn its customs and people. As the ancients truly said: hearing a hundred times is not like seeing once."

He Lingchuan clearly knew why Frost Leaf had come, and Frost Leaf knew why He Lingchuan asked, yet neither mentioned it outright.

"Oh?" He Lingchuan's face lit with interest, casually refilling his cup, "Frost Leaf National Preceptor has keen insight and extraordinary methods; in Cangyan you must have gained something. Better to act on the day than choose it—come, come, you shall now evaluate Cangyan."

The four words "must have gained" were again a double entendre.

He knew Frost Leaf, traveling thousands of miles to Cangyan, could not possibly be only after a single gold core; en route, adding trouble to Cangyan to interpret the nation's workings was likely also a key mission of this journey.

A nation's emergency measures and capabilities often most directly reflect its thinking and system in handling problems. Just as He Lingchuan himself, after causing havoc in Heaven's Palace, had once seriously observed Bekka's various reactions.

Now, he wanted to see what Frost Leaf could say.

"Then I shall speak rashly, and Nine Abysses shall listen rashly." Nine Abysses wanted to hear, so he would say a couple of sentences. Frost Leaf sat upright, deliberately cleared his throat, "On this journey, I have seen mountains and wilderness tranquil, cities prosperous, people dwelling in peace and contentment—these points resemble Bekka, so I need not elaborate; but Cangyan clearly separates immortals from mortals, with no mutual disturbance, which surprised me. This time, the Qi Xia Sect caused trouble, Wei'an City quelled the chaos, even ordinary foolish folk dared to scour mountains and wilderness for sect entrances, heedless of personal safety, showing the common people's loyalty to state and kin—this is what is meant by the people's hearts being usable, rare among nations."

The people of Wei'an City aiding officials in seeking the Qi Xia Sect's mountain gate entrance was not an isolated case, but thousands upon thousands all going.

Did they not know immortals are powerful, that this journey is dangerous?

The people are not foolish; their actions stem from resentment against bullies and trust in the city-state.

He Lingchuan said lightly: "Obvious."

These are all laid out on the table, visible to all; what lofty theory does the Frost Leaf National Preceptor himself have?

Words only to this point, and the Nine Abysses Great Emperor surely dissatisfied. Frost Leaf smiled:

"With the people's hearts and minds supporting us, I see the military and political system Nine Abysses established in Cangyan is centered on Yuan Force, unlike Bekka or Mu State, which center on Great Adepts, thus their strategy and tactics often show novelty, being flexible and efficient. Most rare is that you guide military and civilians as one heart, indeed able to fully tap the power of mortals, letting them in this age of great contention find their place, no longer reduced to workshop beasts or fish on the cutting board. If Nine Abysses could go further, enabling them to manifest effect in supernatural war, that would be the blessing of all living beings."

Frost Leaf gazed at the moon, full of praise:

"When I first saw Nine Abysses, I knew your future was limitless."

That is why I wanted to win you over as a subordinate.

"But I still underestimated you—you possess unparalleled talent, strength, courage, charm, and fortune, none lacking excellence, hence your present achievements!"

"What a bout of flattery, how nauseating!" the Blood Demon cackled in surprise on He Lingchuan's back, "This Frost Leaf truly is talent, speaking so pleasantly."

He Lingchuan's hand, raising the cup, also froze.

He stared at Frost Leaf for a while, then laughed with a "heh":

"No wonder it's Frost Leaf. This national preceptor of over a hundred years has truly not been in vain."

Frost Leaf swayed his cup: "Overpraised. Even if I topped heaven, I am merely a national preceptor, nowhere near He Yao, who transformed and ascended to the Nine-Five Throne. Come, I toast Nine Abysses."

He glanced at He Lingchuan's eyes, then at his smile, and knew this one had already understood.

Two hearts in unison, both drained their cups in one draught.

He Lingchuan knew Frost Leaf's few words were like flattery, but actually each was speaking plainly in reverse. If the audience were a bit dull, they might truly think he was praising himself.

To truly understand what Frost Leaf meant, one must reverse the inference, listen to the plain words in reverse.

He openly praised Cangyan's military and political system as centered on Yuan Force rather than Great Adepts, but actually meant Cangyan fundamentally lacks so many Great Adepts, its foundation weak, unable to attract top talent—this is unavoidable.

He openly praised Cangyan's strategy and tactics as flexible and efficient, why? Because lacking absolute power, it can only try to break through with skill.

One force reduces ten will; true strength can sweep all, and Bekka itself is the best commentary on this saying.

He again praised Cangyan for skillfully using mortal power, able to function in battles against the Qi Xia Sect, but what then? In this world, what supernatural power greater than the Qi Xia Sect can Cangyan oppose? Would it not still be mortal power?

Mortals are mortals, with low limits, and this also causes Cangyan's upper limit to be low.

You, Nine Abysses Great Emperor, aren't you wanting to hear me speak? Then I shall speak well.

Sentence by sentence praise, but word by word disparagement.

On the surface all commendation, in secret all doubt.