Chapter 275: No Father-in-Law at the Negotiation Table

After Xu Longyun went to find Lin Bai, the movements of the Justice Alliance became the top priority for the Zhenguo Duke Mansion.

Zhou Zu and Zen Master Wuwang were driven away by Lin Bai using unconventional methods.

To outsiders, it might have been a victory for Lin Bai and the Justice Alliance, but the Zhenguo Duke was quite displeased with Lin Bai's tactics.

In his heart, facing an enemy upright and honestly was the Righteous Sect way; methods like taking shortcuts were not presentable.

Although one might gain victory for the moment, the hidden dangers left behind would grow ever greater, and once accumulated to a certain point, it would be like a river bursting its banks, impossible to control.

The Beggar Sect in Qian City was wiped out, and the Zhenguo Duke received the news immediately. Before he could discuss the implications with his advisors, "Justice Weekly" suddenly exposed the function of the Magpie Bridge.

Immediately following that, the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects poured out in full force to annihilate the Justice Alliance...

The Zhenguo Duke was stunned by this series of dazzling developments. Too busy to analyze the global situation, the first thought that flashed into his mind was to withdraw Xu Longyun and sever ties with the Justice Alliance.

Lin Bai acted too immaturely and without considering the consequences. Perhaps the Justice Sect behind him had the ability to contend with the Seven Righteous Sects, but in these turbulent times, the first to be harmed might be his precious daughter, Xu Longyun.

After all, Xu Longyun was Lin Bai's lover in name; killing Xu Longyun was equivalent to cutting off one of Lin Bai's Magpie Bridge paths.

At this moment.

The Zhenguo Duke even began to regret the series of measures he had taken to support the Justice Alliance.

Pig teammate.

Lin Bai was a textbook pig teammate, highly likely to drag him and the Taiyi Kingdom into the bottomless Abyss...

The Zhenguo Duke's mind was in a state of chaos.

Suddenly.

The Linglong Bead at his waist trembled rapidly, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Xu Longyun had returned to the mansion. Truly worthy of being his daughter; seeing that the situation was bad, she turned back immediately, thinking exactly as he did.

The Zhenguo Duke felt a little relieved. He poured himself a cup of tea, waiting for Xu Longyun to come find him, but before the cup reached his lips, a panicked and chaotic noise suddenly came from outside.

He subconsciously looked out, just about to ask what had happened, when his hand trembled, and the cup of tea he had just poured spilled all over his chest. He stood there, completely dumbfounded.

Outside the window.

A bridge formed by magpies pierced directly into his Zhenguo Duke Mansion; the defense array of the mansion had not played any role at all.

Magpie Bridge?

Lin Bai!

The description of the Magpie Bridge in "Justice Weekly" was true...

The Zhenguo Duke swallowed hard and hurriedly stood up to walk outside. Just as he reached the door, he saw his beautiful daughter being held by the hand by a handsome young man; the two were smiling and standing under the Magpie Bridge.

All around, the guards and maids in the mansion were all wearing the same smiles.

The smiles of Xu Longyun and Lin Bai were genuine, and they looked like a perfect couple, but the smiles of the people around them were somewhat strange and awkward.

A group of people standing together looked exceptionally incongruous.

The Zhenguo Duke felt a tightness in his chest for no reason and subconsciously clutched his heart. It was over; his daughter hadn't come back to avoid disaster, she had brought disaster upon him.

"Father." Xu Longyun turned her head, saw the Zhenguo Duke, and hurriedly let go of Lin Bai's hand to bow to him.

"Lin Bai of the Justice Sect greets the Zhenguo Duke." Seeing the fake smile on the Zhenguo Duke's face, Lin Bai hurriedly restrained his own smile and cupped his hands.

The Zhenguo Duke took a deep breath, glanced at the Magpie Bridge behind the two, and snorted: "What are you all doing standing there? Disperse. You two, come here."

Xu Longyun gave Lin Bai a reassuring look and followed behind her father.

Lin Bai nodded at her and scanned his surroundings. He had to admit that the Zhenguo Duke Mansion was indeed full of hidden talents. From the moment he stepped off the Magpie Bridge, dozens of Spirit senses had been locking onto him. These dozens of Spirit senses all had at least the cultivation of the Void Refinement Realm. As for the Zhenguo Duke walking in front, with his own ability, he could not see through the man's depth at all; his cultivation was definitely higher than his own.

The Zhenguo Duke led the two all the way to the study. He glared fiercely at Xu Longyun before looking at Lin Bai: "Alliance Leader Lin's Magpie Bridge piercing directly into my Zhenguo Duke Mansion—truly a grand display of power."

"The Duke has misunderstood Lin. I used the Magpie Bridge to demonstrate its practical function to the Duke, in preparation for our upcoming cooperation." Lin Bai's gaze fell on the soaked front of the Zhenguo Duke's robe, and he said humbly.

"I have already seen the function of the Magpie Bridge, so you can put it away." The Zhenguo Duke pretended not to see Lin Bai's gaze and said, "As for cooperation, forget it."

"The Duke has seen it, but the people of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects have not, and the common people have not. Leaving it for a while longer can be considered publicity for the Magpie Bridge. The Duke is magnanimous, so surely you won't mind!" Lin Bai said with a familiar, smiling expression.

【Resentment from Xu Zhongcheng; +1 +1 +1...】

The Zhenguo Duke was forced to smile. He couldn't help but frown and say: "I said, forget the cooperation; do not mention this matter again. Also, do not smile in front of me."

Ever since he entered the mansion, the Zhenguo Duke's Negative Emotion had not ceased. Watching the Zhenguo Duke's face grow increasingly gloomy, yet being driven by his Skill to smile against his will, Lin Bai sighed and presented the box in his hands with both hands: "I am deeply grateful for the Hunyuan Jade and Thousand Mile Talisman that the Duke allowed the County Princess to bring last time. As this is my first visit, I have prepared some Concentration Fruit; I hope the Duke will kindly accept them."

Since he was his father-in-law after all, Lin Bai did not mind his Negative Emotion at all and still offered the gift.

Looking at her father's gloomy face, Xu Longyun snorted, took the box from Lin Bai's hand, walked a few steps quickly, and casually placed it on the Zhenguo Duke's desk. She opened the lid and, with her back to Lin Bai, glared at her father, saying in a sweet, coquettish voice: "Concentration Fruit helps with Spirit Refining; Father, you toil day and night, so you can eat one or two when you have time. The Justice Sect's Concentration Fruit has no side effects..."

Watching Xu Longyun's behavior, the Zhenguo Duke felt even more stifled. A whole box of Spirit Fruit, exuding a rich fragrance and enough to refine a Yin Spirit into a substantial Spirit Soul, could not soothe the trauma in his heart.

That brat had abducted his daughter, and yet upon meeting him, he just cupped his hands in a perfunctory greeting, calling him "Duke" at every turn, his words filled with hidden barbs, and he wouldn't even put away the Magpie Bridge when asked...

And his own little "cotton-padded jacket" still had to defend him in every way. How infuriating!

【Resentment from Xu Zhongcheng; +1 +1 +1...】

Lin Bai ignored Xu Zhongcheng's thoughts and said: "Duke, since the establishment of the Justice Alliance, we have been harassed by the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects, making every step difficult. It is easy to add flowers to a brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in snow. When everyone in the world avoids the Justice Alliance as if it were a plague, only the Duke has stepped forward to fully support the industries of the Justice Alliance. Every time I think of this, my heart is filled with gratitude toward the Duke."

【Resentment from Xu Zhongcheng; +1 +1 +1...】

It would have been better not to mention this; the moment he did, the Zhenguo Duke's resentment became impossible to suppress. "Sending charcoal in snow"—damn it, I even sent my daughter out.

His face turned increasingly green, and the Negative Emotion flooded Lin Bai's mind. Lin Bai estimated that if he talked to his father-in-law for a while longer, he would recover the cost of the Spirit Fruit he had given away.

"I must say, the Zhenguo Duke's vision is truly beyond that of ordinary people." Lin Bai smiled. "The Duke must already know that the Magpie Bridge can carry people and goods, arriving in an instant. We don't need to do anything else; we only need to set up Magpie Bridges all over the country through lovers. The natural moat will become a thoroughfare, which will be of great benefit to the national economy and cause no harm. With the help of the Magpie Bridge, it won't be long before the Taiyi Kingdom becomes the greatest power in the world..."

Hmph!

A muffled snort.

The Zhenguo Duke interrupted Lin Bai: "Alliance Leader Lin, as far as I know, since the Magpie Bridge was exposed, the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects have poured out in full force, wanting to wipe out the Justice Alliance. Now, you come to talk to me about cooperation—are you treating this old man like a fool?"

"Father!" Xu Longyun frowned and chided.

"Shut up, stand aside, and don't speak." The Zhenguo Duke glared at Xu Longyun. "Xu Longyun, how did I teach you? Family and country come first. Look at what you look like now! What kind of Soul Bewitching drug has he fed you? Can't you see that this guy has ill intentions and wants to drag the Taiyi Kingdom down to be buried with him? Do you want the Taiyi Kingdom to be destroyed in your hands?"

"Father..." Xu Longyun's eyes widened, wanting to argue.

She was interrupted by the Zhenguo Duke again. He looked at Xu Longyun with a cold, sharp gaze: "If you say one more word, I will sever our father-daughter relationship."

"The Zhenguo Duke's prestige is far greater than mine!" Lin Bai suddenly sighed, looking at the Zhenguo Duke with a face full of disappointment. "I had thought that the Zhenguo Duke supporting the Justice Alliance was a display of far-sightedness, but I did not expect you to be a person who opportunistically seeks advantage and fears death. Forget it, it was Lin who misjudged you."

"When I was using reverse psychology, you were still in your mother's womb!" The Zhenguo Duke sat back in his chair and said, "Don't think I don't know that if it weren't for the Hunyuan Jade, you would have already died without a burial place when you fought Zhou Zu outside Zhen City. Now, with all the sects pouring out in full force, what does your tiny Justice Sect have to resist them with? Are you relying on your Nine Ancestors from beyond the Nine Heavens?"

"If I repel the Great Vehicle Realm experts around Zhen City, the Righteous Seven Sects will naturally not dare to invade," Lin Bai said with a smile. "The Fazhe Zhidao is profound and vast, with infinite wonderful uses. Duke, why do you think they are coming in full force to attack the Justice Alliance? Isn't it because they fear me, and fear my Fazhe Zhidao?"

"Fine, you go and repel the Great Vehicle Realm experts around Zhen City yourself, make the Righteous Seven Sects not dare to lay a hand on you, and then come back to talk to me about promoting the Magpie Bridge." The Zhenguo Duke and Lin Bai were at loggerheads.

"Duke, it is still the same saying: it is easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in snowy weather." Lin Bai looked at the Zhenguo Duke and shook his head, saying, "If I repel the Righteous Seven Sects and gain a firm foothold in this world, do you think the Taiyi Kingdom will still have a chance to cooperate with me? Whether I go to cooperate with the Righteous Seven Sects or any of the Demonic Five Sects, the promotion of the Magpie Bridge would likely be as easy as turning over one's hand!"

"..." The Zhenguo Duke looked at Lin Bai, who was speaking eloquently before him, and could not help but frown.

"By that time, the Taiyi Kingdom will still be the original Taiyi Kingdom, but the Justice Alliance will no longer be the current Justice Alliance." Lin Bai sighed. "The Duke is a smart man; since you have already taken the first step, why not continue walking? To put it a step back, if the Justice Alliance fails to stop the Righteous Seven Sects, do you think they will not settle scores later? Or does the Duke think that without the Justice Alliance to keep the Righteous Seven Sects and the Heavenly Descended in check, you will have the time and energy to deal with the catastrophe brought by the Heavenly Descended?"

"..." The Zhenguo Duke was speechless.

"The Zhenguo Duke should not be a person of short-sightedness!" Lin Bai frowned slightly. "Could it be that because Xiaoyun likes me, the Duke has a bias against me?"

"It has nothing to do with Xu Longyun." The Zhenguo Duke said angrily, "No one is worth the Taiyi Kingdom risking its national destiny."

"With tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of Heavenly Descended entering the world, where is there any national destiny left?" Lin Bai shook his head. "Duke, above there is the Righteous Seven Sects squeezing imperial power for tens of thousands of years, and below there are countless Heavenly Descended eyeing the world like tigers, ready to throw the world into chaos at any time. The catastrophe is coming; where is there any national destiny left?"

Does the Duke think that once the Heavenly Descended are dealt with, the world will return to peace?

Do you know that in a space hidden somewhere, there is the Shenmo Dalu, where Heavenly Descended are still causing chaos, and they can break through space at any time to invade this world...

Now, only by fighting, only by charging, and only by gambling can one find a way out in this chaos. To advance is a smooth path; to retreat is a bottomless Abyss. Duke, the Fazhe Zhidao is everyone's opportunity; the County Princess sees this more clearly than you do..."

"Do you know how many commoners there are in the Taiyi Kingdom?" The Zhenguo Duke's eyes were bloodshot. "If you lose, you can just walk away, but if the Taiyi Kingdom loses, the people will suffer."

"If I lose, the Taiyi Kingdom will suffer just the same." Lin Bai looked at the Zhenguo Duke, took out the Thousand Mile Talisman from his bosom, and said, "In recent days, the Justice Alliance has been flourishing, and the Duke must have some understanding of me. Lin carries the mission of spreading the Fazhe Zhidao and will absolutely not sit and wait for death. If I truly cannot defeat the coalition of the Righteous Seven Sects, the Magpie Bridge and the Thousand Mile Talisman can allow me to escape a thousand miles in an instant. At that time, the Dark Alliance, the Righteousness Alliance, or the Sacred Alliance will appear to promote the Fazhe Zhidao in the chaotic world. Why do you think I kept the Magpie Bridge at the Zhenguo Duke Mansion? It was so that if I could not defeat the Righteous Seven Sects, the Justice Alliance would have a way out!"

"Are you threatening me?" The Zhenguo Duke's expression changed drastically. The Magpie Bridge was connected to him; even with a hundred mouths, he would not be able to clear up his relationship with Lin Bai!

"I am stating facts." Lin Bai said calmly. "The Justice Sect has been researching the Fazhe Zhidao for ten thousand years. Duke, why do you think the Justice Sect chose to come out and promote the Fazhe Zhidao just as the Heavenly Descended were descending into the world?"

"..." The Zhenguo Duke was stunned.

"A chaotic world produces heroes. My master told me that in a peaceful world, it is too difficult to promote the Fazhe Zhidao. The more chaotic it is, the easier it is to promote the Fazhe Zhidao. Because in a chaotic world, there are opportunities everywhere." Lin Bai looked up at the window and said faintly, "Duke, all along, I have wanted to use peaceful means to promote the Fazhe Zhidao and try to keep the chaos controlled at the upper levels. If one day I truly have nowhere left to retreat, then I will turn the world into a chaotic one to make the promotion of the Fazhe Zhidao easier. In my heart, the Fazhe Zhidao is more important than anything. Heaven and Earth are unkind and treat all things as straw dogs; after all, I am the man who is going to become the Heavenly Dao!"

A madman!

Lin Bai is a complete and utter madman!

At this moment.

The Zhenguo Duke heard an extreme madness in Lin Bai's calm tone; it was a radiance that cared nothing for all living beings. Even though he had been through a hundred battles, at this moment, he still could not help but feel a sense of horror from the bottom of his heart.

He looked at Xu Longyun, as if asking, is this the man you chose?

But in Xu Longyun's eyes, all he saw was calmness and infatuation for Lin Bai...

Lin Bai looked back at the Zhenguo Duke and smiled slightly: "Duke, let's make a bet! If we win the bet, the Taiyi Kingdom will be free from the control of the Righteous Seven Sects from now on and can control its own destiny."

"And if we lose the bet?" The Zhenguo Duke's eyes turned red.

"We will not lose." Lin Bai's face was brimming with confidence. He looked at Xu Longyun and smiled, "No one understands the Fazhe Zhidao better than I do, and no one understands the way of survival better than I do."

"What should I do?" The Zhenguo Duke looked at Lin Bai, then at Xu Longyun, and finally, cast his gaze on the Magpie Bridge outside, asking with a hoarse voice.

Lin Bai looked at the Zhenguo Duke, smiled slightly, and said: "The first step: borrow troops and follow me across the Magpie Bridge to guard Zhen City; the second step: before the Righteous Seven Sects arrive, find more lovers, lay down more Magpie Bridges in advance, and show an attitude of resisting the rule of the Righteous Seven Sects..."

What is called a negotiation?

This is what is called a negotiation?

At the negotiating table, there are no fathers and sons, let alone a father-in-law!

(End of this chapter)