NOVPUB
Chapter 189: Chapter 186 Adding Flowers to Brocade
Xin Tianqi instructed Cheng Wanli on how to proceed when Tang Qing, the Acting Director of the Star Patrol Department, came in from outside.
Even though Su Wen had taken refuge with the State Lord Mansion, Tang Qing had not fully joined forces with him and still worked diligently within the Meteor Star Guard.
"Star Lord, General Xue and the second son have arrived," Tang Qing said.
"Them?"
Upon hearing this, Xin Tianqi pondered for a moment and said to Cheng Wanli, "You go see them on my behalf, see what they really want to say."
"Alright."
Cheng Wanli nodded, followed Tang Qing out of Xin Tianqi’s study, and came to the outer hall.
In the outer hall, Qi Fenglei and Xue Yue were both waiting.
When they saw Cheng Wanli coming out instead of Xin Tianqi, Xue Yue had anticipated what would happen. His heart sank, but he still said, "Minister Cheng, I wonder about Star Lord Xin..."
"To cope with the increasingly severe situation, the Star Lord has already started a retreat three days ago to diligently cultivate a Sword Control Technique, aiming to break through in sword speed. If General Xue and the second son have any matters, you might as well talk to me first, and I will report to the Star Lord once he leaves his retreat," Cheng Wanli said.
"I have come this time actually over a good matter." 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Although he didn’t meet Xin Tianqi, based on what Xue Yue knew of him, he must be paying attention to the situation, and he directly said, "After some consideration over this period, I feel that the decision to forcibly support the second son to take over as the governor of Star State was indeed a bit rash."
"Hmm!?"
Cheng Wanli looked surprised.
"When the former governor was alive, he always groomed the eldest son to be the future governor. However, the eldest son was preoccupied with Star State’s trivial matters and had not yet produced any Divine Thought. Adding to that, the dire situation back then, which urgently required a capable governor to command respect. That’s why I had a conflict with Star Lord Xin. But now, after being earnestly persuaded by the second son, I have come to realize where the problem lies," Xue Yue said with a heavy tone.
"We can’t afford to keep our State Lord Mansion’s power so fragmented," Xue Yue said.
Qi Fenglei also nodded, "I’ve realized my abilities are limited, and I am not capable of managing the affairs of Star State. I am willing to welcome my elder brother as the governor of Star State, and I myself am willing to become his left and right hand, helping him handle the affairs of Star State."
Cheng Wanli looked at the two of them, unsure how to respond to such significant concessions.
But Xue Yue continued, "Throughout the years, the governor has not slighted me or Star Lord Xin. Now that the Qi brothers are willing to turn their swords into plowshares, what grievances could Star Lord Xin still hold? Must he stubbornly hand over Star State’s fine territory to outsiders? If within less than a year of the governor’s death, Star State is gifted to others because of us, how could we face the governor in the afterlife with any dignity?"
His words were more for Xin Tianqi to hear than Cheng Wanli.
However...
Xin Tianqi offered no response.
Seeing this, even though it was anticipated, Xue Yue’s expression became somewhat somber.
He continued with non-committal communication with Cheng Wanli. Seeing that Xin Tianqi still refused to show himself, he eventually had to leave with Qi Fenglei.
A moment after they left, Cheng Wanli turned around and returned to Xin Tianqi’s study.
"Star Lord..."
Cheng Wanli carefully chose his words, "Since General Xue is willing to change his mind..."
"Is it meaningful?"
Xin Tianqi interrupted him directly, "Gu Jinlai’s unification of Star State is unstoppable. Even if Xue Yue changes his mind, is it not too late? Who will stand against his sharp edge? You, or Xue Yue?"
Cheng Wanli glanced at his own Star Lord awkwardly.
"Given Star State’s situation, can we gather a lineup like Dragon Sparrow Manor, with two Primordial Spirit True Monarchs and seven Divinity Transformation Cultivators?" Xin Tianqi asked.
Cheng Wanli didn’t need to think to know the answer.
The current Star State, on the side of the State Lord Mansion, only had four Divinity Transformation practitioners left: Xue Yue and the ancestors of the Three Great Families.
Even counting Cheng Wanli, there were only five Divinity Transformation Cultivators.
As for Primordial Spirit True Monarchs...
There was only Star Lord Xin himself.
Even though Star Lord Xin once had a glorious victory over the Yellow Sky Venerable Daoist Elder, he was not so powerful as to fight against two at once, simultaneously confronting Dragon Sparrow Manor’s Ye Wuxia and Wang Yinfeng, two distinguished Monarchs.
Let alone slay the two Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
In terms of numbers of Divinity Transformation practitioners, Star State was no match for Dragon Sparrow Manor’s lineup, nor in terms of Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
Even with many Refining God, Hugging Pill, and Gang Condensation Level Experts, facing Lingxiao City’s Slaughter Spirit Artifact, they might not gain much advantage.
In such a situation, for Star State to confront Lingxiao City’s aggressive stance?
On what basis?
"The situation in Star State has reached a point where there’s no turning back," Xin Tianqi said. "Whatever pretty words Xue Yue and the others say, they are merely unwilling to give up the power in their hands."
"I understand. I will proceed with the plan, take control of public opinion, and prevent the State Lord Mansion from stirring up public sentiment and causing too much destruction," Cheng Wanli said.
In fact, Lingxiao City had always managed the area of public relations very well.
Thanks to many merchants with trade dealings with Lingxiao City spreading the word, Lingxiao City was not seen as a devil or monster in the eyes of the people.
Even though Xue Yue had ordered a smear campaign against Lingxiao City’s image, planning to cooperate with Dragon Sparrow Manor to fight against it, there was not enough time. The army led by Gu Jinlai from Lingxiao City was already approaching.
With a shake of his head...
Xin Tianqi didn’t pay any more attention.
There were still many things he needed to arrange.
Many forces in Starlight City were inquiring about Lingxiao City’s true intentions from him.
...
"An ungrateful white-eyed wolf, has he forgotten that his achievements today are all thanks to the support of the Star State Governor? Yet now, he’s actually willing to hand over the Star State, which belongs to the State Governor, to someone else!?"
In the carriage returning to the State Lord Mansion, Xue Yue’s eyes were filled with uncontrollable rage.
"Uncle, what should we do now?"
Qi Fenglei asked anxiously.
His mother was Xue Yue’s sister.
Xue Yue did not speak.
He had thoroughly studied the area around Lingxiao City.
The forces neighboring them were the Star Sky Alliance, the Purgatory Sect, the Cold Moon Sect, and the Dragon Sparrow Manor, which barely connected through the Yunqi Mountain Range.
Among these forces, the Purgatory Sect and the Star Sky Alliance had clearly sided with Gu Jinlai. As for the Cold Moon Sect...
It was also occupied with the gathering of devils in Mu State and could not afford to be distracted.
Regarding Dragon Sparrow Manor...
Even though they were deeply established, the sudden loss of two Primordial Spirit True Monarchs and four Divinity Transformation Cultivators was definitely a heavy blow.
What they should consider next wasn’t how to take revenge on Gu Jinlai but rather...
How to withstand Gu Jinlai’s retaliation.
For a moment, a trace of fatigue flickered in Xue Yue’s eyes.
He never would have thought that the one to bring a fatal threat to Star State wouldn’t be any of the top sects but merely a Lingxiao Town Guardian.
If only he had known this would happen...
The first time Gu Jinlai came to Starlight City, he should have eliminated him with the swiftest speed.
Xue Yue rubbed his temples, "Gather the heads of the Great Families to discuss what to do next. The government system of Lingxiao City emphasizes the supremacy of law and equality for all. I believe they absolutely do not wish to live in such an environment in the future."
With that thought, they returned to the State Lord Mansion.
Yet as soon as they reached the State Lord Mansion, his trusted aide immediately delivered some bad news.
Due to the Divine Sword Conference held by the Ten Demonic Sects, the devils entrenched in the Tianhe had retreated to the Champsosaurus Swamp, and the channels north and south of Tianhe had been cleared. The Three Great Families were already packing up, planning to flee north to the Imperial Capital for refuge.
The Three Great Families were planning to flee.
If Starlight City was to be defended...
It would all be up to Xue Yue alone.
...
Outside of Star Curtain City.
Gu Jinlai waited quietly.
Before him, dust billowed.
A vast expanse of figures stretched endlessly, with no end in sight.
The ten-thousand-strong Vanguard Army led by Gu Chaoyang had arrived outside Star Curtain City.
By his side were over a hundred elites, headed by Zhan Hongying, the former Vice Alliance Hierarch of the Star Sky Alliance.
Although the Star Sky Alliance had suffered heavy losses in the beheading operation by the State Lord Mansion, with most of the Hugging Pill and Gang Condensation level experts scattering to the surrounding counties to save their lives, in just one day, they had still managed to gather over a hundred and thirty people who planned to assist Gu Jinlai in attacking and taking over the cities held by Dragon Sparrow Manor and the State Lord Mansion.
And the weakest among these one hundred and thirty people all possessed the cultivation of Gang Qi.
This level of cultivation, when placed on a normal battlefield, would already have the capability to break through formations singlehandedly.
Unless facing seasoned elite troops, they could at least rely on their Gang Qi to blast their way out in the most dangerous of environments and escape with their lives.
"Boom!"
As the Vanguard Army of Lingxiao City approached, a row of horsemen came riding.
Leading them were steeds that were majestically powerful and extraordinarily extraordinary, and those who sat atop them were not members of the Gu family, but Elder Lu Zhanfeng from the Purgatory Sect, who had met with Gu Jinlai not long ago.
"Patriarch."
"Heavenly Monarch Gu, we meet again."
As the group drew close, Gu Chaoyang and the others from the Gu family, along with the delegation from the Purgatory Sect, all greeted each other with folded hands.
Gu Jinlai nodded at Gu Chaoyang and his compatriots, then turned his gaze to Lu Zhanfeng, "Why has Elder Lu come?"
At the same time, he glanced at the two people behind him.
The other two Elders of the Purgatory Sect.
Shi Chen and Sha Wuji.
"Not long ago, Venerable Daoist Liu personally inquired into the matters of Linfeng City and Baihe City, deeming Elder Shi Chen and Elder Sha Wuji to have acted unfairly. After hearing that Heavenly Monarch Gu was planning to take action against the State Lord Mansion and Dragon Sparrow Manor, he ordered them to follow Heavenly Monarch Gu’s command to make amends for their faults."
Lu Zhanfeng said with a smile, "If there are any tough bones you find hard to crack, Heavenly Monarch Gu can simply order these two to take action."
Both Shi Chen and Sha Wuji stepped forward and saluted, "Heavenly Monarch Gu, we have offended you greatly in the past, and please allow us an opportunity to make up for our wrongdoings."
Gu Jinlai looked at the two of them.
In fact, although he had clashed with these two, it was only afterward that he learned of their identities. This was the first time they’d truly met face to face.
"As Elders of the Purgatory Sect, I have no right to command you."
Gu Jinlai spoke calmly.
"Hahaha, of course you can, you can. Elder Gu may not be aware, but our Purgatory Sect and Dragon Sparrow Manor may not share borders, but both are located south of Tianhe. Over the years, we’ve accumulated numerous grievances. I don’t know how many people, including those from the Divinity Transformation Institute, have fallen at the hands of Dragon Sparrow Manor’s Primordial Spirit Monarchs. Patriarch Gu’s slaying of Wang Yinfeng and Ye Wuxia is a tremendous feat. Venerable Daoist Liu has already discussed with Venerable Daoist Zhang and Venerable Daoist Lu, and we’d like to invite Heavenly Monarch Gu to become our Purgatory Sect’s fourth Supreme Elder," Elder Lu said with a laugh. "If Heavenly Monarch Gu accepts the position of a Supreme Elder in our sect, wouldn’t it be only natural for these two to follow your orders?"
