Chapter 882

The dust settled, with only minor setbacks.

Territory, populace, and all miscellaneous compensations are easy to discuss.

Only the Qianyuan Divine Bell… Wu Tie never expected that, in that jointly signed imperial edict, the former emperors of the Sui Dynasty would actually entrust the Qianyuan Divine Bell to him to oversee.

This is the Sui Dynasty's state-protector divine artifact; among ancient treasures it is top-tier, its power boundless. Used properly, it can even threaten venerable-level old monsters.

Such a supreme treasure, the Feng clan Elder who had already sacrificially refined the Qianyuan Divine Bell was unwilling to hand it over.

Therefore, Wu Tie activated that jointly signed imperial edict, directly grinding away the divine soul imprint left by that Feng clan Elder on the Qianyuan Divine Bell, cleansing it, and publicly, in a very short time, preliminarily sacrificially refined it.

The Feng clan Elder vomited blood in public; the looks that Yin Bu Po, Yan Zheng Xing, and others gave Wu Tie could eat a person.

It was precisely Wu Tie, leading a host of demons and monsters, who invaded the Sui Dynasty's territory.

Because of Wu Tie, Sui Du was destroyed, the Fire Heritage Grand Formation destroyed, the Qianyuan Divine Bell seized, the land carved up, the people scattered… all of this is Wu Tie's fault.

Even though many high officials of the Sui Dynasty know that the cause lies within the Sui Dynasty itself, even the destruction of Sui Du, the countless casualties among the populace, and even the slain civil and military officials and the slaughtered great clans are Feng Rong's fault.

But in their hearts, they blame all of this on Wu Tie.

This is all Wu Tie's fault.

Everything is his fault.

The Sui Dynasty suffered heavy losses this time, lost all face, and internally countless rifts appeared, with great hidden dangers buried between court and populace… all of this is entirely Wu Tie's fault, entirely his fault.

Nevertheless, with that jointly signed imperial edict, Yin Bu Po, Yan Zheng Xing, and others also lost their footing. Under the edict's coercion, they had no choice but to submit, to follow its opinion and give Wu Tie land, people, and compensation, allowing him to take away the Qianyuan Divine Bell.

But this matter is not over.

Wuguo's massive fleet rose into the sky, countless titan warriors and five-element spirits standing neatly on the decks, the titan warriors cold as ever, making no sound. Meanwhile the five-element spirits beat drums, blew horns, slapped their chests, continually shouting cries of 'Ten Thousand Victories'.

On the colossal flying vessel ten thousand zhang long, shaped like a giant dragon, Wu Tie stood at the prow, his left arm around Pei Feng's slender waist, his right hand waving frequently, enthusiastically greeting Feng Xiao and the others on the western gate tower of Sui Du.

"Your Majesty Feng Xiao, Elder Brother Xiahou, plus Grand Tutor Yin and Guardian Yan, all officials, welcome to be guests in my Wuguo's Sui Province."

Wu Tie laughed extremely brightly: "As long as you come as guests, fine wine and meat will be well served… heh, if… heh…"

The five-element spirits blew a pleasant whistling sound; Wu Tie's war vessel, repeatedly remodeled and upgraded by the great iron, blazed with dazzling light all over, streams of light rolling across the huge hull, one thousand two hundred circular formations lighting up across the vessel, spewing white-hot torrents.

The war vessel began to accelerate, shooting forward; after a few breaths, large patches of white air explosions burst from the front, accompanied by deafening sonic booms, and circular air explosions continually erupted from the hull, making the vessel's speed ever greater.

After the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, the massive war vessel turned into a huge meteor, dragging a fiery light tail tens of thousands of zhang long, screaming as it tore through the void, flying toward the western border territory ceded to Wu Tie by the Sui Dynasty.

After the war vessel flew far away, the massive Wuguo fleet then all accelerated together.

These warships, ranging from three hundred to seven hundred zhang in length, had acceleration and speed far superior to the war vessel; they quickly caught up to the war vessel speeding through the void, and after stabilizing their speed, the fleet continually advanced westward.

On the western gate tower of Sui Du, Feng Xiao, dressed in a white fur robe, placed his hands on the battlements and softly told the nearby elderly ministers: "Prince Wu, he is actually a good person… this turmoil of the Sui Dynasty is not his fault."

Xiahou Wuming remained silent, his face grimy, his heart feeling empty.

His scheme, which seemed able to deliver a heavy blow to the demons and monsters of the four directions and completely reverse the Sui Dynasty's stance against the four enemy states… ended up being ruthlessly disrupted by Wu Tie.

The demons and monsters that were instinctively slain, aside from the three great monster venerables being forcibly refined by Wu Tie's Three Corpses Avatars into part of his own cultivation,

The venerable-level old monsters from the Demon, Ghost, and Monster nations that attacked were basically all subdued by Wu Tie.

Now Wu Tie directly commands as many as thirteen venerable-level old monsters…

Wu Tie's territory, which he named 'Sui Province,' lies in the western part of the Sui Dynasty. Thirteen venerable-level old monsters, combined with Wu Tie's massive legion of titan warriors, and an even larger army of dwarves, gnomes, ratfolk, and other strange and exotic clans,

This is like a sharp, poison-coated dagger pressed directly against the Sui Dynasty's navel.

Unbearable, extremely unbearable.

The Sui Dynasty, high and low, all felt unbearable; Xiahou Wuming felt it to the extreme.

"This scoundrel, a treacherous wild ambition, Your Majesty must absolutely not be deceived by him." Yin Bu Po's face was grim; he said in a low voice: "Especially, he took away the state-ruining criminal Feng Rong, Wa Qing Luan, and that little demonic eunuch Qing Wu—no one knows where they went…"

Yan Zheng Xing slammed a fist into the battlements, smashing the brand‑new, freshly repaired battlements to pieces.

"Your Majesty, please take the throne at once… Our Sui Dynasty cannot afford chaos now. All matters above and below must be swiftly sorted out. Especially the innocent subjects slaughtered by Feng Rong… many of their clans have survivors; this post‑war pacification…"

When speaking of 'post‑war pacification,' Yan Zheng Xing and the countless officials behind him all showed sorrowful faces, shaking their heads repeatedly, feeling their heads swell in waves, while their minds were in turmoil like a tangled skein.

Feng Rong unleashed slaughter, killing so many officials, so many nobles, so many local aristocrats, and moreover, he would routinely exterminate entire clans, wipe out nine relations; in some places he would casually cut down one's left and right neighbors, even street‑side neighbors.

Post‑war, how to conduct it?

Pacification, how to pacify?

Leaving other places aside, the eastern border troops' morale is in utter disarray, with dozens of military forts and strongholds breached by the Demon Nation's great army.

Now the Fire Heritage Grand Formation has indeed been re‑established, but the Qianyuan Divine Bell… the Qianyuan Divine Bell…

Without the Sui Dynasty's greatest state‑protector divine artifact, the Sui Dynasty, high and low, all feel lacking in spirit.

Many officials even shed tears; a single vial of Qing Wu's Dark Soul Essence slaughtered all of Sui Du, and many officials' extended relatives all turned into vengeful ghosts in that black mist, then were annihilated by the Sui fire.

Even in their own homes, they need post‑war handling, they need pacification!

"Your Majesty, please take the throne." Xiahou Wuming said solemnly: "Wu Tie promised that once Your Majesty ascends and stabilizes the court, he will return Prince Yin… At this moment, with a myriad of concerns, Your Majesty must rally your spirits; our Sui Dynasty cannot afford chaos, nor can we withstand it."

Feng Xiao gazed vacantly into the distance.

After a long while, he softly said: "Please, officials, assist me further… Feng Xiao, I am simply not prepared… By rights, it should be my father who ascends, and only after thirty‑six thousand years would it be my turn… Feng Xiao, I truly am not ready."

"Sui Dynasty, thank you all."

He took a deep, deep, deep breath, and Feng Xiao closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, his eyes had become completely clear and bright.

"Convey my order: thoroughly investigate the Sui Dynasty from top to bottom, especially in the imperial city, in the mansions of all officials… if there is someone like Qing Wu, a demon, even slightly suspicious, throw them into the heavenly prison, torture them severely, examine them carefully… better to kill by mistake than to let one slip."

Feng Xiao finally issued the first order of his life that completely runs counter to his nature.

He was afraid, truly afraid.

He feared another monster like Qing Wu would appear.

Although there is no evidence, Feng Rong's rise, Feng Zhen's disappearance, the Qianyuan Divine General's betrayal, and Wa Qing Luan's anomaly are all somehow connected to Qing Wu.

Such demons, better to mistakenly kill three thousand than to let one slip.

On the speeding war vessel, Blood Prison crouched in the cell converted from the hold, personally watching over Feng Rong to his death.

When we return to Sui Prefecture, Feng Rong will be sliced to death by a thousand cuts, subjected to every kind of torture, and slowly executed.

At this moment, it is impossible to let him escape, and even more impossible to let him die too easily by suicide. So, Blood Prison personally watches him, staring without blinking.

In the main ship's hall of Wu Zhou, around a thick round table several zhang in diameter, Wu Tie, Youming Peng Zun, and Wandu Zhen Zun sit properly in a triangle. Behind Wu Tie, Zhu Gang Lie, Jin Jing Yao Zun, and Long Mai E Zun sit in a row, with Zhu Gang Lie smiling honestly and nodding at Youming Peng Zun.

"The two of you have shown extra care for Blood Prison; Blood Prison is the sworn sister of Marquis Feng, so I, the king, am grateful."

Wu Tie bowed to Youming Peng Zun and Wandu Zhen Zun: "I have obtained a piece of land from the Sui Dynasty; its location, the two of you have seen on the map—it lies exactly between the Sui Dynasty and the Yao Kingdom. So I wish to ask the two Yao Zun, how shall we get along in the future?"

Wu Tie tapped his finger lightly on the round table and said softly: "Friends, or enemies?"

Youming Peng Zun and Wandu Zhen Zun glanced at each other; Youming Peng Zun rubbed his head and said in a low voice: "How as friends? How as enemies?"

If it were anyone else, the two great Yao Zun would not bother to pay attention; looking over the entire Sui Dynasty, there is no existence of Zun-level strength. In the eyes of the two great Yao Zun, anyone without Zun-level strength is just trash.

They disdain to speak with trash.

But Wu Tie is different—he single-handedly suppressed the three great monster Zun of the Northern Monster Kingdom, forcibly subdued the Six Desire Demon Zun, the Sarira Bone Zun, and the Three Huangquan Zun. Such cultivation, methods, and mind—exceptionally fierce.

Below Zun level yet possessing Zun-level combat power, able to speak as equals.

Therefore, the two of them have even waited patiently in Sui Du for many days, awaiting Wu Tie's completion of negotiations with the Sui Dynasty, taking all due benefits, and then following Wu Tie back together.

During these days, they have behaved lawfully within Sui Du city, not even catching anyone's domestic chickens to eat… For the two great Yao Zun, this is truly unprecedented!

"If we are friends, whatever you wish to obtain from humanity here, we can trade fairly. Armor, talismans, formations, puppets, elixirs—everything you want, we will trade fairly using your resources."

"You can trade with herbs, ores, essence crystals, even beast pelts, tendons, bones, flesh, and so on."

"As long as you do not raise a hand against the people of my Wuguo, do not capture or imprison them, do not treat them as blood food, anything can be negotiated."

Wu Tie lightly tapped the tabletop, speaking unhurriedly: "If we are enemies, then… you two Yao Zun may leave now; in three days, I will command my great army to attack your directly governed lands, inevitably tearing out your tendons and stripping your skins, boiling you into an old hen soup to nourish my body."

Wandu Zhen Zun let out a strange laugh: "Such big talk."

Wu Tie smiled at Wandu Zhen Zun: "I can do it."

Wandu Zhen Zun then closed his mouth, warily glancing at the three great Yao Zun seated behind Wu Tie, while outside the cabin came the strange laughter of the Six Desire Demon Zun.

Indeed, Wu Tie can do it.

A dozen or so Zun-level old monsters surrounding them—even if Youming Peng Zun and Wandu Zhen Zun join forces, death is certain.

"Let us be friends," Youming Peng Zun muttered in a muffled voice: "For the sake of that girl Blood Prison… I have regarded her as my own daughter… Hmm. Moreover, frankly speaking, in the Western Yao Kingdom, we five constitute a faction."

Youming Peng Zun's eyes flashed with cold light as he sneered at Wu Tie: "The truly difficult ones are those four hidden old monsters who never show themselves… They are older than us, stronger, possess larger territories, have more descendants, command more and stronger demon troops… Wu Wang, you must be careful."

Wu Tie nodded slowly after hearing Youming Peng Zun's words.

Wandu Zhen Zun sighed: "Let us be friends, huh—constantly fighting to the death is tiresome, endlessly battling the Sui Dynasty year after year, I've grown weary of it. Ah, every few days a bunch of clueless fools from the Three Gods Sect come to exorcise demons… Did I kill their fathers or what?"

Shaking his head, Wandu Zhen Zun said lowly: "Let us be friends, live some peaceful days… Ah, I still quite like your human race's fine wines and delicacies. Tut, first get me a batch of bold little girls who sing little ditties… Previously I snatched them away, they were scared half to death, long tunes and wailing like ghosts—really boring."

Wu Tie smiled; Youming Peng Zun and Wandu Zhen Zun being easy to talk with makes the later discussion easier.

As for the other four Yao Zun of the Western Yao Kingdom… that will be handled separately.

Just as we were about to formalize the agreement with the two great Yao Zun, the massive Wu Zhou, sailing at high speed, suddenly shuddered violently, dropping instantly from a terrifying speed of millions of li per shichen to a halt.

The tremendous inertia caused the hull of Wu Zhou to emit a faint 'gezhi' sound; countless Five Elements Spirits inside screamed as they collapsed into a heap, many suffering broken tendons and bones.

Immediately after, an extremely violent gunshot rang out, and Old Tie's roar came from the bow direction.

"Thief Daoist… you're courting death!"

The 'sou' of the gunshot shook heaven and earth, followed by a huge boom; the entire Wu Zhou shuddered violently once more.