Chapter 358

Zhang Julu looked at his colleagues, who were exchanging glances and murmuring among themselves, yet his sickly pale face showed no change in expression whatsoever.

He coughed lightly, as if to expel the turbid air from his lungs, and continued speaking in that calm voice, which carried a hint of unquestionable authority:

"Your Majesty, fellow officials, please allow this old minister to speak."

"That Dragon Lord of the Eastern Sea, though his actions are domineering and his decisions decisive in killing, judging by what he has done, is not the kind of evil demon who kills indiscriminately and seeks only destruction."

"He destroyed Northern Liang because the Wang Fu of Northern Liang provoked him repeatedly, forging a feud of life and death."

"At its core, it remains a martial arts vendetta, a settling of old scores."

"Now that he has already seized the lands of Northern Liang, that is a fact."

"Our Liangyang Dynasty, rather than expending countless troops and national strength to oppose such a god-like existence and fight over a land already riddled with holes and devoid of the people's support."

"Would it not be better... to go with the flow and do him a tremendous favor!"

"You must know, the Dragon Lord's strength is such that even two Sword Gods joining forces cannot match him; he can even withstand a heavenly tribulation. Who in our Liangyang could possibly stop him?"

He paused, a shrewd glint flashing in his eyes, and his voice became even more seductive:

"We can issue an imperial decree to confer upon that Dragon Lord the title of 'Purple Sky Long Wang'!"

"Grant him supreme honor and status, and recognize his legitimate rule over the lands of Northern Liang!"

"Not only that, we can also include the barren provinces of Huangzhou and Youzhou, which border the Northern Liang Dao, are equally frozen wastelands, and are constantly raided by the Mongol Yuan, into his fiefdom!"

"In this way, he will possess three provinces and become the veritable northwest barrier of our Liangyang Dynasty! An impregnable great pass!"

"Thus, we can not only borrow his strength to resist the million iron cavalry of Northern Chuang that are about to march south, buying our Liangyang precious time to catch our breath and spare us a devastating war that would bring suffering to all living beings."

"We can also... let him face off against the Mongol Yuan Empire, which is likewise a tiger and wolf army eyeing our Central Plains with greed, forcing them to confront and exhaust each other!"

"Let these two tigers fight; our Liangyang can then sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, focusing on restoring our national strength, resting and recuperating, to wait for the future!"

"This is a plan that kills four birds with one stone! It resolves the threat of Northern Chuang, restrains the ambitions of the Mongol Yuan, and also establishes a bond of goodwill with that terrifying Dragon Lord. Why not do it?"

"I hope Your Majesty will see clearly!"

Zhang Julu's words were spoken with clear logic, distinct pros and cons, and every word was like a pearl.

This caused the civil and military officials, who had originally harbored doubts and felt this move would damage the nation's prestige, to gradually fall into deep thought.

They had to admit that the strategy of this Grand Preceptor, though it sounded somewhat... humiliating, and could even be called inviting a wolf into the house.

Was, nevertheless, the only and best method to address the immediate crisis of the Liangyang Dynasty at present.

After all, opposing that dragon that could summon heavenly thunder and suppress terrestrial immortals, they truly... lacked the courage.

The young Liangyang Emperor, Zhao Dun, having listened to Zhang Julu's analysis.

The face that had originally been filled with anger and unwillingness gradually returned to calm, replaced by deep apprehension and calculation.

Although his heart still harbored apprehension and resentment toward that dragon that had stripped him of his dignity and even made him feel fear.

He also knew that compared to the entire Jiangshan and state of the Liangyang Dynasty, what did his personal humiliation amount to?

He was an emperor; he must prioritize the greater good.

He let out a long sigh, his voice filled with endless exhaustion and helplessness.

"Sigh... very well, very well."

"Then... then let it be as Zhang Aiqing suggests."

"However, will that dragon... truly accept our Liangyang's conferral?"

He asked, somewhat uncertain.

Zhang Julu said with full confidence: "Your Majesty, rest assured."

"Although that Dragon Lord's power reaches the heavens, he still needs a legitimate identity to rule over those vast three provinces."

"Our Liangyang's conferral is, for him, both a protective talisman and A step."

"He has no reason to refuse."

Zhao Dun finally, helplessly, agreed.

Immediately, he issued an imperial decree, ordering the Minister of Rites to personally lead a massive and grand delegation composed of hundreds of people.

Prepare countless gold, silver, and jewels; silks and satins; thousand-year-old ginseng; ten-thousand-year-old snow lotuses; and various rare treasures as generous gifts.

Furthermore, select dozens of precious Taoist classics and Wu Xuemi from the secret vaults of the imperial palace.

Travel day and night, at the fastest speed, to the lands of Northern Liang that had just undergone a baptism of blood and fire.

The Liangyang Dynasty saw changes in the wind and clouds, with undercurrents surging.

And the Northern Chuang Dynasty in the north, likewise, fell into unprecedented shock due to the news of the destruction of the Wang Fu of Northern Liang.

Northern Chuang, within the imperial capital.

The atmosphere was solemn and filled with an indescribable excitement and restlessness.

The Northern Chuang Empress, Southern Murong Yuyan, dressed in a magnificent phoenix robe, wearing a golden crown, with a beautiful face yet carrying an innate imperial majesty.

After hearing the news that Brother Ning Chuan, single-handedly, had annihilated the three hundred thousand strong army of Northern Liang and killed Xu Xiao.

Her usually calm and untroubled beautiful face revealed an extremely complex expression.

On one hand, she felt a strange... heartache and regret at Xu Xiao's death.

She and that King of Northern Liang, though sworn enemies, had spent their lives scheming against and fighting each other.

But they had also admired each other and were once soulmates.

She had once thought that one day, she could share the world with this ambitious warlord of similar grand strategy.

She never expected that he would meet such a tragic end, dying and having his clan exterminated in such a manner.

On the other hand, she felt an uncontrollable joy and excitement at the destruction of the Wang Fu of Northern Liang.

Because she knew that the great pass, which had been like a natural moat blocking her Northern Chuang iron cavalry from marching south for decades, had finally... collapsed!

Her chance to unify the Central Plains and establish an unparalleled hegemony had finally arrived!

Inside the great tent, the civil and military officials of Northern Mang were also buzzing with discussion, arguing endlessly.

Some, ecstatic over the destruction of Northern Liang, advocated immediately dispatching troops south to strike while the East Sea Serpent Lord's footing was still unstable, breaking through Northern Liang in one fell swoop, driving straight in, watering their horses at the Yangtze River, and unifying the Central Plains!

Others, however, were filled with deep dread toward that East Sea Serpent Lord who could easily annihilate Northern Liang and suppress an Earthly Immortal.

They believed the Serpent Lord's power was unfathomable, nearly akin to gods and demons, and that he should not be provoked lightly; instead, they advocated waiting to see how things developed and temporarily avoiding his sharp edge.

Finally, a dignified man cloaked in heavy armor, with a towering build, a cold expression, and radiating killing intent as tangible as a physical force, stepped out from the crowd.

He was none other than Northern Mang's Grand Marshal of Armies, hailed as the "God of War," whose strength had likewise reached the peak of the Earthly Immortal realm... Tuoba Pusa!

Bowing deeply to the Empress seated above, he spoke in a resonant voice, brimming with unquestionable confidence and fierce fighting spirit:

"Your Majesty! This subject believes this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for our Northern Mang! An opportunity that must not be lost, for time will not come again! We absolutely cannot miss it!"

"Although that East Sea Serpent Lord possesses great strength and unfathomable divine abilities, he is, after all, merely one man! If he could suppress Northern Liang, could he possibly suppress our entire Northern Mang?!"

"Our Northern Mang commands a million iron cavalry! Wherever our military edge points, all are swept away! What fear have we of a mere demonic dragon?!"

"This subject is willing to personally lead five hundred thousand elite troops south! First to take Northern Liang, then to attack Liyang!"

"I wish to see whether his so-called dragon body can withstand the charge and trampling of my Northern Mang's five hundred thousand iron cavalry!"

"So-called divine abilities, in the face of absolute battlefield killing aura, are nothing but clay chickens and tile dogs! Not worth fearing!"

His words brimmed with immense confidence and a thirst for war!

Upon hearing this, Empress Murong Yuyan's phoenix-like eyes flashed with a trace of resolve.

She knew Tuoba Pusa was right.

This was the closest she had ever been in her life to unifying the Central Plains!

She slowly rose to her feet, her voice filled with imperial majesty and domineering power:

"Good! What the God of War has said aligns perfectly with Our intention!"

"We hereby appoint you as the Grand Marshal for the Southern Expedition, to command five hundred thousand elite troops and march south immediately!"

"For our Northern Mang, expand our borders and establish an unparalleled achievement!"

"We, in the Imperial Capital, shall await your... triumphant good news!"

Time slowly passed amidst these external shifts of wind and cloud and surging undercurrents.

On this day.

Ning Chuan finally slowly opened those deep and bright eyes from within the vast ocean of classics in the Tide-Watching Pavilion.

Over these past few days, he had read through every one of the tens of thousands of scrolls in the entire Tide-Watching Pavilion and integrated them all into his memory.

His foundation in martial arts, as well as his understanding of this world, had once again undergone a tremendous improvement.

Especially those texts concerning ancient secrets and the Dao following nature had benefited him greatly, providing him with many new inspirations for deducing the 【Nine Tribulations Dragon Transformation Method】.

【You have deeply contemplated the tens of thousands of scrolls in the Northern Liang Tide-Watching Pavilion, penetrating the essence of the myriad martial arts and numerous ancient secrets...】