Chapter 158: Taking Advantage of the Crisis, in a Single Thought

Sergei said with an arrogant expression:

"It is indeed our oversight not to have sent a letter in advance. It is mainly because we made a major discovery during the investigation into the attack on the consulate three months ago, which is why we rushed over impatiently.

And the person before me is the Empire's Golden Cross Star General, General Valianjing, personally appointed by His Majesty the Tsar, who has full authority to handle all matters related to the Jin-Jin Concession."

As Governor, Nayancheng was naturally aware of the attack on the consulate, but there had been no follow-up news. Seeing the aggressive manner of the other party, he felt a slight sense of vigilance and bowed slightly in greeting:

"So it is General Valianjing, a pleasure, a pleasure."

Valianjing nodded indifferently:

"You must be Governor Na. Please do not take offense at our rash visit without sending a letter."

"Not at all, not at all."

Nayancheng raised his hand in a gesture of greeting without changing his expression:

"Please come inside to talk in detail."

Thus, the group walked into the government office hall, and both sides took their seats before the negotiation table that had not yet been cleared away.

Valianjing looked around and said in a playful tone:

"Governor Na, this negotiation table should have been prepared by you for the Shenluo People, right? We have also heard about the church case riots. Did they put forward very harsh conditions to you?"

Nayancheng was clearly unwilling to discuss this topic in front of the Sha'e People, so he just coughed dryly and said:

"They did put forward some conditions. The Imperial Court will consider the reasonable ones, and the Imperial Court will not agree to the unreasonable ones. As for you, I wonder when you arrived in Jinjin, and what this so-called major discovery is?"

Qi Yuanjiang also frowned and looked at Sergei:

"Regarding the so-called attack on the consulate, I once sent a letter to Mr. Sergei to inquire about it. At that time, he claimed it was just an accidental incident of a firearm misfire in the consulate. Why are you suddenly coming to us after more than three months?"

"The attack on the consulate was not that simple. At that time, I only received orders to temporarily seal off the news, while actually conducting a secret investigation."

Sergei said coldly:

"You may not know yet, but in this incident, more than ten of our elite soldiers were killed in the attack on the consulate. Most importantly, our Cross Star General, General Aojinniezi, was also assassinated on the spot!"

"What?"

Hearing this news, Nayancheng, Qi Yuanjiang, and the other officials were all shocked.

Especially Qi Yuanjiang, who clearly knew who Aojinniezi was, immediately asked:

"Consul Sergei, are you joking with us? Aojinniezi is your so-called Title War God, and his strength is comparable to our True Martial Grandmaster. Even a hundred-man elite unit carrying firearms and cannons might not be able to do anything to such a powerhouse. How could he possibly be assassinated in your consulate!?"

Sergei said:

"The facts are as such. How could we joke about such a big matter?"

Nayancheng asked in surprise:

"Since it is such a big matter, why did your consulate keep it hidden and only speak of it now?"

Sergei glanced at Valianjing and explained:

"The reason it was kept hidden is that the murderer initially used very despicable means, making us think that the perpetrator of this attack was our own internal personnel. To avoid a negative impact, we temporarily sealed off the news.

But after General Valianjing arrived, through three months of visits and investigations, he discovered that the true culprit of this attack was someone else, which is why we have come here."

A bad feeling suddenly arose in the hearts of Nayancheng and Qi Yuanjiang, and their eyelids twitched as they said:

"The true culprit is someone else?"

"Are you trying to say the culprit is one of our people!?"

"Of course."

At this moment, Valianjing spoke in a stern and unquestionable tone:

"The true culprit is that newly promoted Grandmaster of your Jinjin, the master of Guangwu Hall, Lu Yuan!"

Every official present had their pupils shrink and their expressions change drastically.

Qi Yuanjiang maintained his composure, took a deep breath, and said:

"You are joking. Lu Yuan is a folk Grandmaster who has just risen in Jinjin. His only intersection with General Aojinniezi was a sparring match at the Guangwu Hall ceremony.

There is no deep hatred between the two, so what reason would he have to carry out an assassination? Both are Grandmaster-level powerhouses; how could he enter the concession, sneak into the consulate, and kill Aojinniezi? Most importantly, you say he is the culprit—where is the evidence?"

"Indeed!"

Nayancheng also coldly and flatly denied it:

"This is absolutely impossible!"

Although he wished he could tear Lu Yuan into pieces to serve as a warning to others, the Sha'e People were clearly here to take advantage of the situation, so he naturally could not give them any room to maneuver.

"Evidence?"

Valianjing signaled with his eyes, and Sergei immediately distributed several reports to Nayancheng and the others along with the interpreter.

They opened the files one after another. Inside were pages of investigation records, accompanied by black-and-white photographs, which included not only the situation at the scene but also the state of the bodies of Aojinniezi and Takov, as well as deductions about the cause and effect of the case.

After Nayancheng roughly finished reading, he frowned and said:

"General Valianjing, such an investigation report cannot serve as evidence. It is even more bizarre to say that Lu Yuan controlled the former consul Takov to sneak into the consulate to carry out the assassination. I think..."

Sergei interrupted:

"In the church case a few days ago, this Lu Yuan caused Gao Hailou of Wanghailou Church to commit suicide with just a few words, which you all should know, right? This person must have extraordinary soul cultivation in secret. At that time, he used special means to distort Gao Hailou's mind, which caused such a result.

And since he has the ability to make a living person commit suicide, he naturally has the ability to control Takov's mind, allowing him to cooperate in sneaking into the consulate to carry out the assassination. As it stands, there is simply no second person who could have done this besides him."

Nayancheng took a deep breath and still did not give in:

"Say what you will, these are all just your guesses. There is no solid evidence, and it cannot be determined that Lu Yuan is the culprit."

Valianjing's expression remained unchanged, and he said indifferently:

"Governor Na, you may not have understood the situation yet. Aojinniezi is the current head of the Naryshkin, a thousand-year-old family. His death has caused a huge stir in the Empire's aristocratic circles. His Majesty the Tsar is determined and demands that the culprit be severely punished at any cost. This Lu Yuan has the ability and the motive, making him the prime suspect. I am afraid the consequences of shielding him are something your Jin Dynasty cannot bear."

Nayancheng did not expect that he would one day speak for Lu Yuan, and he said with a dark face:

"We are not trying to shield him, but this evidence is indeed insufficient to prove it. Don't beat around the bush, what exactly do you want?"

"It's very simple."

Valianjing said casually:

"Hand this person over for our people to conduct a thorough investigation; if he is not the murderer, they will naturally release him; but if it is the opposite..."

Nayancheng's expression darkened:

"Are you not joking, Your Excellency? That Lu Yuan is now a Martial Arts Grandmaster renowned throughout the world, not some powerless commoner. How could we possibly hand him over to you?"

Valianjing revealed his true intentions and said unhurriedly:

"That is no longer our concern. Upon learning of this matter, His Majesty the Tsar was extremely furious and has already ordered various troops to assemble at the Far East border. If you do not hand this person over, the Sha'e army will trample your Northeastern provinces within days to offer a Blood Sacrifice to the spirit of General Aojinniezi."

As the words fell, the eyelids of all the Jin Dynasty officials present twitched wildly, and they were filled with indignation:

"This is bullying too far!"

"Designating a murderer without proof, this is the logic of robbers!"

"You Sha'e People are clearly coveting the Northeastern provinces and trying to take advantage of the chaos; this is shameless aggression!"

Facing the angry rebukes of the officials, Valianjing did not get angry, but merely sneered:

"I am merely conveying the will of His Majesty the Tsar to you. The curses of the weak cannot affect the strong in the slightest. You had better save your energy and consider how to solve the problem."

Nayancheng also stopped Qi Yuanjiang and the others with a cold face, staring at Valianjing:

"In other words, if we do not hand that Lu Yuan over to you, you will launch an invasion?"

Valianjing smiled playfully:

"That is not called an invasion; that is called a reasonable retaliation. After all, we have lost a noble Cross Star General; no matter how intense the reaction, it is not excessive."

Nayancheng fell silent, revealing a look of deep exhaustion.

Not to mention whether they could capture Lu Yuan alive and hand him over to the Sha'e People, even if they did, the other side would soon use various excuses to wantonly blackmail the imperial court and plunder more interests or even territory.

With the Holy Roman Empire in front and Sha'e behind, the Great Jin was like fish on a chopping block in the eyes of the great powers, waiting to be slaughtered. As the Governor-General of Zhili, he had no dignity at all.

Under a deep sense of powerlessness, he remained silent for a long time before saying hoarsely:

"Fine, I have understood your demands. However, this matter is of great importance; I must request instructions from the Old Buddha before I can give you an answer."

"Very good."

Not expecting to achieve his goal so quickly, Valianjing stood up slowly and smiled:

"His Majesty the Tsar has limited patience. I hope you will give us an accurate answer within ten days. Whether to hand over the murderer or face the flames of war and the suffering of the people, you decide for yourselves."

Having said that, he led Sergei and the others away haughtily.

After all the Sha'e People had left.

Inside the government office, the atmosphere was depressed and despondent to the extreme.

Qi Yuanjiang's expression was ugly beyond compare, and he said with a trembling voice:

"First the Holy Roman Empire, then Sha'e; anyone can come and threaten us. Where is the dignity of the imperial court!"

A Jin Clan official who did not understand the situation gritted his teeth and said:

"This Lu Yuan is truly too capable of causing trouble. Whether it is the Holy Roman Empire or Sha'e, they both want to punish this person. Why must the imperial court protect this source of disaster!?"

"Correct! Lord Na, Sha'e is using this as an excuse to make trouble, and this person is the chief culprit. I think there is no need to ask the Old Buddha; we should just set a trap to capture him and hand him over to the Sha'e People!"

"He is just a Han Grandmaster anyway, and the trouble itself was caused by him. Using his life to quell the threat of war is only right and proper!"

Nayancheng looked at his subordinates arguing and felt exhausted:

"What do you know? If Lu Yuan were truly as easy to deal with as you imagine, would I still be in such a difficult position? Let me tell you, the Great Governor of the Niangan Office, Mankeduo, and the Great Shaman of the Shaman God Sect, Lugu Ta—these two Grandmaster powerhouses of the imperial court have already died at his hands. Even the Old Buddha is extremely wary of him. With what will you capture such a fierce person?"

What?

Completely unaware that Lu Yuan had such a terrifying combat record, everyone including Qi Yuanjiang was shocked, their faces full of disbelief:

"Lord Man died at the hands of Lu Yuan!?"

Nayancheng was agitated and said with a livid face:

"Correct. Three months ago, when he and the Great Shaman Lugu Ta came to Jinjin to investigate Lu Yuan's background, they were killed by him on the spot, leaving no bones behind, and even the Old..."

Halfway through his sentence, realizing it was inappropriate, Nayancheng immediately stopped speaking.

Qi Yuanjiang, however, did not notice and still wore a horrified expression:

"Then, doesn't that mean he is rebelling? Why does the Old Buddha..."

Nayancheng just sighed heavily:

"Why not send troops to encircle and suppress him? Of course, it is because there is no certainty. When it comes to this person, even the Old Buddha would likely have to weigh it repeatedly and find it hard to make a move..."

The demands made by the two great powers regarding Lu Yuan made even him feel at a loss as to what to do.

Lu Yuan's combat record and the strangeness and power of his methods made the imperial court extremely wary. To capture and kill such a figure without dispatching multiple Grandmasters and a large number of elite troops to surround him was simply out of the question.

Moreover, having once witnessed Lu Yuan's ability to disappear into thin air, Nayancheng highly doubted that even if the imperial court mobilized its most powerful lineup to encircle him, they might not be able to keep him. And once the encirclement and killing failed, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Compared to capturing and killing Lu Yuan, things like concessions, territory, and ceding rights were actually the simplest matters.

He believed that even if the news were reported back to the palace, Xici would inevitably have the same thought.

Qi Yuanjiang's expression shifted, and he was about to say something more, but a light, low laugh suddenly echoed in the government hall:

"Nayancheng, I am afraid you are mistaken."

"The old witch is not lacking certainty, but simply does not dare to come find me..."

The moment the voice rang out.

Nayancheng, who was extremely familiar with this voice, felt his hair stand on end. He looked sharply toward the door, and then saw the air twist and ripple, after which an elegant, otherworldly figure, like a banished immortal, appeared out of thin air in his line of sight.

It was Lu Yuan.

Seeing his figure appear in such a bizarre way, Qi Yuanjiang and all the officials and bailiffs present were shocked and terrified, subconsciously retreating backward.

Only Nayancheng, who had witnessed this method once before, forced himself to calm down after the initial horror, his eyelids twitching as he said:

"Lu Yuan? You, why have you appeared here?"

Lu Yuan scanned the terrified group of people and revealed a smile of interest:

"Of course it is because I heard that the Governor-General is to negotiate with the Shenluo People at the prefectural office today, so I came specifically to listen and see what conditions these foreign devils would propose, and how you officials negotiating would respond."

A Jin Clan official who had previously been shouting to beat and kill Lu Yuan was terrified:

"You, you, you heard everything just now?"

Lu Yuan smiled without a word, simply walking over to the negotiation table and sitting down.

Facing such a fierce person who could take his life at any moment, Nayancheng was also somewhat nervous, forcing himself to say:

"Master Lu, you have also heard it; the Shenluo side demands that your two hands be crippled, and the Sha'e side even demands that the Imperial Court hand you over as a murderer. The situation is extremely unfavorable; I wonder what your opinion is on the demands of both parties?"

"I know that a person of your stature will not submit to capture, but the current situation is extremely dire and on the verge of breaking out; whether the world will suffer catastrophe now rests entirely on your single thought."

(End of this chapter)