Chapter 186

She quickly spoke up, her tone carrying a touch of just-right respect and confidence:

"Great Khan! The Great State Master possesses boundless supernatural powers and limitless magical might; a mere Eastern Sea dragon is naturally no match."

"However, Minmin believes that this matter... does not yet require the Great State Master to personally intervene."

"That Dragon Island Lord, though possessing formidable strength, is by no means an unreasonable person."

"Minmin has already reached a preliminary understanding with him; in the future, we need only proceed gradually and step by step, surely we can subdue him and make him serve our Great Yuan."

"If we were to dispatch a massive army to attack forcefully now, or have the Great State Master personally suppress him, it might instead provoke his ferocity, leading to mutual destruction, which would be a net loss."

She attempted to use a delaying tactic to buy Brother Ning Chuan more time.

Upon hearing this, Genghis Khan raised his eyebrows slightly and pondered for a moment.

He knew that Zhao Min was always full of wisdom and stratagems; since she spoke thus, there must be her reasoning.

Moreover, subduing a powerful dragon without drawing blood would naturally be the best outcome.

He nodded and said, "Very well, since you, Minmin, have such confidence, I shall temporarily entrust this matter to your full authority."

"However, the time I give you is not much."

"If within half a year, you still cannot make that dragon submit to our Great Yuan."

"Then I will have no choice but to ask the Great State Master to make the journey personally."

His meaning was clear without further words.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Min secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart and immediately knelt to bow her head in gratitude:

"Thank you, Great Khan, for your trust! Minmin will surely not fail the Great Khan's high expectations!"

She thought to herself, "Half a year... should be enough."

"I can only do my best to delay time for my master; I hope that within this period, my master's strength will surge forward again, sufficient to handle all crises."

Seeing this, Genghis Khan spoke no more, waved his hand, and signaled that she could withdraw.

Immediately, he seemed to remember something and spoke up:

"By the way, Minmin, you are getting quite old; your marriage should be considered as well."

"I see that the child Tuglei is of similar age to you, is a warrior of our Great Yuan, and admires you greatly."

"What do you think?"

He had actually begun arranging a marriage for Zhao Min.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Min's heart suddenly sank, and a hint of imperceptible resistance and bitterness flashed across her beautiful face.

She quickly bowed and said, "Great Khan, Minmin currently has only one heart: to expand the territory of the Great Yuan and establish merit; for now... for now, I do not wish to consider personal romantic feelings."

"Please, Great Khan... withdraw your decree."

Upon hearing this, Genghis Khan frowned slightly, and a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

But he did not say much more, merely waving his hand impatiently and ordering her to withdraw.

Zhao Min withdrew from the great tent, her heart filled with helplessness and sighs.

This marriage with Tuglei had always been a thorn in her heart.

The reason she worked so desperately to establish merit for the Great Yuan was to use her own efforts to escape the fate of such a political marriage.

But now it seems... it is becoming increasingly difficult.

She could not help but think of the majestic and domineering black dragon on Taohuadao.

If... if she could stay by his side forever, perhaps...

At the same time, in the distant Wang Fu of Northern Liang.

Inside the cold and austere Tingchao Pavilion.

The Prince of Northern Liang, Xu Xiao, and that infallible poisonous strategist Li Yishan, sat facing each other, leisurely playing chess.

"Click."

Xu Xiao held a black stone and placed it down.

Looking at the chessboard, he spoke calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter:

"Xu Yanbing is dead."

Li Yishan's hand, holding a white stone, paused slightly, then he too placed a stone down.

He looked up at Xu Xiao, his tone equally calm and untroubled:

"That Eastern Sea dragon is indeed extraordinary."

"Prince, shall we dispatch the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry to exterminate it and avenge Xu Yanbing?"

Xu Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, walked to the window, gazed at the shimmering lake surface outside the pavilion, and a cold, icy glint flashed in his eyes.

He sneered and said, "Avenge? Of course we must avenge."

"But there is no need to rush."

"That little mudfish, though possessing some skill, is not yet enough to warrant this Prince's personal intervention."

"Wait a little longer."

"Although the Great Song imperial court appears weak and bullyable on the surface, within its interior lurk many old monsters of formidable strength."

"If the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry were to rashly penetrate deep into the Central Plains, it would likely invite unnecessary trouble."

"Moreover, that one in the Liyang Imperial Capital has been watching our Northern Liang with predatory intent all along."

"This Prince does not wish to disrupt the entire layout because of a tiny dragon."

As he spoke, the chessboard behind him, made of thousand-year cold jade, silently crumbled into dust!

It was evident that his heart was not as calm as his appearance suggested.

Li Yishan respectfully said, "The Prince is wise."

"Right, Your Highness, it seems the Young Prince has already left the territory of the Liyang Dynasty, heading toward the Northern Li Dynasty."

At these words, a flash of imperceptible tenderness and worry crossed Xu Xiao's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an aura of dominance:

"Hmph, that brat, always running off somewhere."

"Still, with Old Huang by his side protecting him, as long as he doesn't run into a Land Immortal, there shouldn't be any major problems."

He paused, then added with some regret:

"Speaking of which, it's a pity about the Jiao Dragon's Jiao Dan."

"If we could have taken it and used it to help Feng Nian establish his Foundation Establishment, it would have saved him decades of bitter cultivation."

"Enough, enough."

"In a few days, once this King finds the time, I'll make another trip to the Eastern Sea."

"I'll capture that ignorant little mud loach and bring it back to guard the Tide-Watching Lake of my Beiliang Wang Fu — that wouldn't be a bad idea."

"This lake really does need a bit more liveliness added to it."

His gaze swept imperiously over the vast expanse of lake before him, an overwhelming aura of supreme dominance radiating from his body — one that looked down on the world and acknowledged no equal!

As if the entire world were within his grasp!