Chapter 316: Heavenly Spirit Tianling Zisui

The martial arts hall's backyard.

In a quiet little courtyard, the flame of a green lamp flickered.

He Qiannian looked at Nie Siming and Li Rui, who had been brought over by Xiao Yu, and narrowed his eyes:

"Nephew Nie, what brings you to see this old man?"

Although his strength differed greatly from Yuan Dingting's, in terms of seniority in the Jianghu, he was even above Yuan Dingting. Calling Nie Siming "nephew" meant he was of the same generation as Yuan Dingting, and if one were to calculate it, he was actually the one at a disadvantage.

As Yuan Dingting's adopted son, Nie Siming possessed extremely high talent and would likely become an Earth Immortal powerhouse in the future. His willingness to visit him, the person ranked last in the Martial Arts Evaluation, was actually giving him face.

Nie Siming smiled and cupped his fists: "Senior He."

At this moment, Nie Siming was very observant of etiquette, without a trace of his usual arrogance; this was his respect for a powerhouse.

"Sit."

He Qiannian gestured toward Nie Siming.

He ignored Li Rui.

Li Rui was very tactful; he consciously found a seat to the side, having no intention of forcing his way into the conversation.

He Qiannian: "Speak, what business does Marquis Yuan have with me?"

Nie Siming laughed: "Hall Master He, could it not be that this junior came specifically to visit you?"

He Qiannian snorted coldly:

"You, Nie Siming, are not that kind of person. We aren't close, so there's no need for that. Speak."

Nie Siming spoke straight to the point:

"Hall Master He, you should have heard about the marriage alliance between the Yu and Wu kingdoms."

Upon hearing this, Li Rui's heart stirred slightly.

A marriage alliance!

So Nie Siming had come to find He Qiannian today for this very reason.

Back then, besides opening up trade, the Yu and Wu kingdoms actually had another matter: a marriage alliance.

While called a marriage alliance, in the Wu Kingdom, it almost always meant a political marriage.

It meant a princess of the Wu Kingdom marrying an imperial prince of the Yu Kingdom.

Although the matter had been settled, there had been no substantive progress between the two countries. Everyone thought that the Lord of the Dragon Court and the Sovereign of the Wu Kingdom were going to let the matter fade away, but they never expected the old topic to be brought up again now.

He Qiannian remained silent, merely looking at Nie Siming.

Nie Siming continued:

"News has come from the palace that the Sovereign of the Wu Kingdom has agreed to marry the Third Princess of Wu to the Fourth Prince, and His Majesty has also agreed."

After saying this, he chuckled:

"I heard it was specifically requested by the Fourth Prince."

He Qiannian was not interested in palace affairs. He asked directly: "Then what is your business with me?"

Nie Siming: "Hall Master He, you also know that East Wu is now allied with the Eight Great Demon Lords and possesses significant power. They certainly won't want to see the two countries unite through marriage. They might send experts to intercept and kill them, so we need to ensure that the journey from the border to the exit of Anning Prefecture is at least safe."

"Some filth hidden in the shadows may require Hall Master He's help to deal with."

He Qiannian raised his eyelids.

He did not answer whether he would or would not, but instead spoke of other things:

"Good old Yuan Dingting. At the time, he said Qinghe was suitable for recuperation, and I believed him. So it turns out he wanted me to be your hired muscle."

His coming to Qinghe was not his own choice, but recommended by Yuan Dingting.

Since it was Yuan Dingting's favor, he naturally had to grant it.

At first, he thought it was just a casual remark by Yuan Dingting, but looking at it now, it was clearly a premeditated scheme.

A marriage alliance is a matter of great importance.

The imperial court must have been planning it for a long time, and Yuan Dingting must have heard the rumors early on, which is why he arranged for him, an Earth Immortal, to be in Qinghe in advance.

However, it could not be called a calculation.

After all, with Yuan Dingting's status and power, he had no need to be so circuitous.

It was likely just a hidden move planted when the marriage alliance was not yet finalized.

"I understand."

He Qiannian nodded, effectively agreeing.

Having spent a hundred years in the Jianghu, his experience was more than sufficient; he naturally knew there was no possibility of refusal. The one who came to invite him was Nie Siming, but in reality, he represented Yuan Dingting.

Li Rui, standing to the side, was lost in thought.

He had long heard rumors about the marriage alliance.

It was decided when the two countries engaged in mutual trade, but there had been no movement for a long time.

The reason the Wu Kingdom agreed to the marriage alliance was actually to get the Yu Kingdom to send troops. Generally speaking, in such situations, they would just send a concubine-born princess to finish the matter, or even adopt a goddaughter on the spot to act as a princess.

But for the Wu Kingdom to actually let a real princess marry for the alliance was truly unexpected.

He knew quite a bit about the Wu Kingdom.

Therefore, he recognized that the Third Princess was a true legitimate daughter; this time, the Wu Kingdom was truly making a grand gesture.

As for that Fourth Prince...

As far as he knew, among the many princes, he had no fame at all. It was said that he spent his days discussing the Dao with monks and talking about metaphysics with Daoist priests, completely appearing as someone who did not care about worldly affairs. He never expected him to accomplish such a major event without a sound.

It truly made one look at him with new eyes.

It was precisely because that Third Princess had an extraordinary status that they were able to invite an Earth Immortal powerhouse like He Qiannian to take action.

Seeing He Qiannian agree, Nie Siming's smile widened.

"Since that is the case, I will no longer disturb you, Senior."

After saying this.

He stood up and left with Li Rui.

Once they walked out of the Qianhe Martial Arts Hall.

Nie Siming then spoke calmly: "Official Li, from now on, you will be the one to handle the marriage alliance between the two countries."

Li Rui had long been mentally prepared for this and responded:

"Yes, General Nie."

Nie Siming hadn't even brought his personal guards today, bringing only him. Anyone with a bit of insight could guess that it was to make him responsible for the marriage alliance, and the trip to Qianhe Manor was specifically to bring him to "recognize the door" in advance, to facilitate future actions.

"Official Li has many connections in the Wu Kingdom and handles things steadily. In the Anning Guard, only you can do this well."

"This marriage alliance is a matter of great importance. East Wu will certainly obstruct it, and there will be many disasters, so you must put in more effort."

Nie Siming exhorted. Li Rui's expression turned stern:

"This subordinate will do his utmost."

A marriage alliance between two countries concerns the face of the empire; naturally, there can be no carelessness.

The imperial court has already dispatched a diplomatic mission.

They will arrive in Qinghe in a few days.

Inside the Commandant's Mansion.

Li Rui did not become anxious because of the heavy burden on his shoulders; he still practiced his Wu Gong when he should, slept when he should, and even ate half a bowl more at meals.

"Big Brother, it has to be you."

Ning Zhongtian looked at Li Rui, his eyes full of envy.

Li Rui had already told him about the marriage alliance, which was why he envied Li Rui's ability to withstand pressure even more.

A marriage alliance is a major event; if something goes wrong, the light punishment is losing one's official position, and the heavy punishment is losing one's head.

Looking at Cao Wei, who had only heard rumors, he had been leaving early and returning late these days just for the marriage alliance. In contrast, Li Rui was so calm.

【Note: This line appears to be a garbled anti-piracy placeholder.】

Li Rui smiled slightly:

"Fourth Brother, this marriage alliance is not my affair alone, no need to be too anxious."

Contrary to Ning Zhongtian.

In his view, the bigger the event, the more one should handle it quietly.

If one appeared too anxious at this time, rushing to the front in everything, others would think one was eager for success and profit, and then there would be invisible targeting. If something really went wrong, all the blame would certainly be thrown onto him without hesitation.

The principle that doing more leads to more mistakes is just like that.

Therefore, the best way now is to look at the road first, then act.

Moreover, a major event like a marriage alliance could not be completed in a year or half a year.

Just the contact between the two diplomatic missions would take quite a few days.

There was really no need to lose sleep and appetite over this.

Furthermore, he was not idle; in fact, he had already sent disciples of the Tiandi Alliance to the Wu Kingdom, using the excuse of doing business to find Dao Mo and inquire about the situation.

He was already a Commandant and the leader of the Tiandi Alliance; if he had to do everything himself, not only would he potentially be exhausted to death, but it would also be beneath his status.

Just as he was talking with Ning Zhongtian.

Liang He walked in.

"Yo, Xiao He, why are you here?"

Ning Zhongtian found it rare when he saw it was Liang He; now, who didn't know that Liang He, this "Little Alliance Leader," was a very busy person.

Liang He looked at Ning Zhongtian with some shyness:

"Fourth Alliance Leader, long time no see."

Li Rui spoke at the right time: "Xiao He, you're here."

Liang He looked toward Li Rui: "Master, Liu Tong sent news back from Yunzhou saying that progress is good and he will certainly not fail Master's expectations. Additionally, he heard that the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce might have Heavenly Spirit Tianling Zisui."

Hearing the four words "Heavenly Spirit Tianling Zisui."

Li Rui's eyes lit up instantly.

He had told Liang He, Liu Tong, and other leaders of the Tiandi Alliance about the several types of Heavenly Spirit Treasures recorded in the Ascension Book, telling them to pay more attention.

This Heavenly Spirit Tianling Zisui had been extinct in the Jianghu for hundreds of years, and he originally thought it would be impossible to find. He never expected Liu Tong to bring news of it on this trip.

"Truly, the child is teachable."

It was not in vain that he had previously taught Liu Tong to infiltrate the enemy's interior.

There was a return so quickly.

Li Rui: "Tell Liu Tong not to act rashly first, and to be careful in everything."

"Yes."

Liang He nodded.

Heavenly Spirit Tianling Zisui was an ancient divine object. Now that spiritual energy was receding, it was far less precious than in ancient times, but because it was highly sought after by truth-seekers, it was worth a fortune and extremely rare.

At least in Yunzhou, he had never heard news of Heavenly Spirit Tianling Zisui.

Only a behemoth like the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce could possibly have such a rare item.

However, he was worried that Liu Tong would fall for a woman again, which was why he had Liang He bring the message to remind Liu Tong to be extra vigilant.

As for the rest, Liu Tong could act as he pleased.

Qingzhou, Ten Thousand Ze.

Guiming Sect General Altar.

Qu Chengfeng stood quietly with his hands behind his back, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"The feeling of strength is truly good."

With the Guiming Sect and the Southern Border Qi Clan working together to help collect Heavenly Spirit Treasures, the spiritual roots of this body had finally been raised to High-Grade Spiritual Roots, and some methods that could not be used before could finally be utilized.

"It should be enough to contend with a First-Rank."

Qu Chengfeng certainly would not stop at High-Grade Spiritual Roots.

Since he had already become a High-Grade Spiritual Root, he naturally had to continue to improve to Top-Grade Spiritual Roots.

By then.

The top ten in the world would be nothing more than that.

Having the confidence to save his life in front of that madman surnamed Gao, Qu Chengfeng became much calmer.

Behind him came the voice of the Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu:

"Immortal Venerable, the Yu Kingdom wishes to marry into the Wu Kingdom's imperial family. Once the two countries join forces, the foundation we have built in the Wu Kingdom will be destroyed in one fell swoop."

Qu Chengfeng's expression did not change in the slightest, as if this matter could not stir even a ripple in his state of mind.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu asked tentatively:

"Immortal Venerable, we..."

Qu Chengfeng spoke calmly: "The Wu Kingdom is still useful to my Immortal Sect. This matter concerns the establishment of a branch sect by the Wan Fadian. You go personally and ensure this matter is handled well."

"Yes."

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu nodded, his expression becoming somewhat excited upon hearing the three words "Wan Fadian."

How to handle it well?

Naturally, it was to start a massacre.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 317 =====