Chapter 474

Li Longji also said with an arrogant look on his face,

"The Divine Wu Wei currently has half its forces stationed at the border between Tang and Song. Reaching Western Xia would take at most a day."

Li Dewang couldn't help but smile bitterly upon hearing this, realizing they all saw him as a soft persimmon to be squashed.

Suddenly a thought struck him—any one of these three great imperial dynasties could crush Western Xia as easily as stepping on an ant.

But why didn't they dare to act directly and take Li Qinglu by force?

Wasn't it all precisely because of his own mother behind him—Li Qiushui?

"Prince of Linzi, Eighteenth Imperial Prince, I am already aware of the purpose of your visit."

"But I won't hide it from the two of you—my daughter! Since she was young, she's been close to her grandmother."

"Whatever she says, her grandmother will make it happen for her."

"So her marriage is not something I can decide. Everything must be determined by my mother."

Li Dewang immediately passed the buck, figuring that Li Qiushui was someone they would absolutely not dare to touch.

"This…"

Li Longji and Hu Hai exchanged bitter smiles. They had also anticipated that Li Dewang would invoke Li Qiushui.

But indeed, to obtain Li Qinglu, one had to go through Li Qiushui.

Otherwise it would mean directly tearing faces with the Qinglong Society.

"Very well! Please, Your Majesty, hurry and invite Li Empress Dowager."

Upon hearing this, Li Dewang exchanged a few polite pleasantries, left his ministers to entertain the guests, and then withdrew from the great hall.

Once outside, he hurried at a jog to Li Qiushui's sleeping palace.

"Mother, Mother…"

Before even entering, Li Dewang began calling out in a flurry.

"The ruler of a nation, panicking like this—what sort of decorum is this?"

Li Qiushui, her face veiled with a light gauze, was speaking with a burly and imposing martial artist. Seeing Li Dewang like this, she frowned and rebuked him.

"Oh!"

Li Dewang looked at this martial artist in confusion, finding it very strange.

Ever since his old mother had become a widow, aside from cultivating Wu Gong, she also kept some male consorts.

But the male consorts she liked were without exception all fair-skinned, tender little pretty boys.

This martial artist was full of vigor and high spirits, exceptionally heroic and extraordinary—one could say a man of striking appearance.

Yet he was not only not the type his old mother liked, but also a bit too old, wasn't he?

He looked at least thirty-five or thirty-six years old!

When did his old mother change her taste?

"This is the Thirty-Second Altar Master of the Qinglong Society, codename 'Second of the Second Month,' Qiao Feng!"

Li Qiushui naturally knew what her son was thinking and offered an explanation.

"An Altar Master of the Qinglong Society!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dewang was immediately overjoyed.

This was truly whatever one thinks of comes!

His old mother was not of the Qinglong Society; it was only his never-before-met young aunt who was the May Hall Master of the Qinglong Society.

So the Qinglong Society had some connection to him, but also didn't.

Previously he had actually been quite anxious, unsure whether the Qinglong Society would intervene in this matter or not.

After all, with the current chaos across the Nine Provinces, the peripheral forces of the Qinglong Society had suffered great challenges.

So it was understandable that they couldn't spare any manpower.

Moreover, they had no real need to step out on his behalf.

Now that Qiao Feng had arrived, and as an Altar Master of the Qinglong Society no less, it clearly represented the Qinglong Society's intention.

"So it's Altar Master Qiao. I've long admired, long admired."

"Eh? You wouldn't happen to be the former Gang Leader Qiao of the Dasonggai Gang, known as 'Northern Qiao Feng,' would you?"

Li Dewang first offered some flattery, then suddenly recalled who the man before him was.

"Ashamed, ashamed! What Gang Leader Qiao—that's all in the past."

Qiao Feng modestly waved his hand and said straightforwardly,

"I, Qiao, have come this time under the orders of the Grand Dragon Head, to take Li Qinglu and Fang Ritu back."

"Li Empress Dowager has already given her approval. I wonder what Your Majesty's thoughts are?"

"Ah? The Grand Dragon Head wants my daughter?"

Li Dewang was first stunned upon hearing this, then immediately overjoyed.

Of all the talented youths under heaven, how many could possibly match up to the Grand Dragon Head?

"Naturally it's fine! It's just…"

He then thought of the hundred thousand Keseg troops to the north, as well as Li Longji and Hu Hai in the great hall.

"Just what?"

Qiao Feng asked patiently.

"It's just that for my daughter's sake, the Great Yuan has dispatched a hundred thousand Keseg troops to the northern frontier."

"And the Prince of Linzi of Great Tang, Li Longji, and the Eighteenth Imperial Prince of Great Qin, Hu Hai, are also currently in the great hall."

"No matter!"

Qiao Feng smiled confidently,

"Then let me go talk to them and ask them to back off."

"No one can refuse what the Qinglong Society wants."

Saying so, Qiao Feng's figure moved at once, heading toward the great hall.

"Mother, could this turn into a fight?"

Li Dewang watched Qiao Feng go off and hurriedly asked.

The strongest expert under him was the cripple who had been about to rescue him earlier—Duan Yanqing.

But before Duan Yanqing could wait for the men of Great Qin and Great Tang to make their formal move, he had already been crippled.

Therefore Li Dewang worried—after Qiao Feng went to fight, if he couldn't win, what then?

"You silly boy."

"Even my master is in the Qinglong Society. You think the Qinglong Society is easy to deal with?"

"This man's strength is no less than mine."

"What's more, if we really fought, I would very likely lose to him."

"So just set your mind at ease!"

Li Qiushui laughed and scolded, then walked inside—her male favorites were still waiting for her there.

"What—even Mother isn't his match?"

Li Dewang was stunned at the words, then grew even more overjoyed.

The number one expert of Western Xia was naturally Li Qiushui.

Her cultivation was mid-stage Earthly Celestial Immortal.

If that's the case, Qiao Feng's strength was actually already above mid-stage Earthly Celestial Immortal?

In that case, the two groups that had just slighted him would be taught a lesson by Qiao Feng?

Thinking of this, Li Dewang again lifted his crown and sprinted toward the great hall.

Such a show—how could he miss it.

Li Dewang's martial skill was nothing more than third-rate.

After all, being emperor didn't require much in the way of martial force.

Therefore, by the time he ran from the Empress Dowager's sleeping chambers to the great hall—

The show was already over.

The Great Tang's Celestial Master Zhong Kui now looked even more hideous.

His treasured sword had also been driven into the great hall's plaque.