Chapter 1376: You Go, Your Daughter Stays!
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ling Shoujing, the Appeasing Ambassador of the Fifth Prefecture of the South Land of Sorcerers, and his daughter Ling Lanyin, a Cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation Stage, looked at each other. They were not sure what was on the mind of the petty, cruel and temperamental monster, or what he and Han Yuantai had talked about.
Observing Li Yao’s young, emotionless face, where a green birthmark was shining at the center of the eyebrow, the two of them grew more and more ill at ease.
Ling Shoujing thought that such a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator from a barbarian certainly couldn’t be convinced with morals, ethics or lofty ideals. Therefore, he might as well directly go to the more concrete stuff!
After a cough, he said, “Master, I have arrived at the Southland of Sorcerers to decree Huo Wuji as the Chieftain of the Southland. Moreover, I have brought five thousand kilograms of high-quality crystals, fifteen thousand kilograms of fine steel which can be used to forge marvelous weapons, and twenty-five thousand kilograms of the ingredients of the pills that are of great use for training! Right now, Master is the best expert in the Southland of Sorcerers. All the barbarian Cultivators here revere you and listen to your command. So, it will be the best if Master helps allot the items on behalf of us.”
Unmoved, Li Yao sniffed and said, “Anything else?”
Hesitating for a moment, Ling Shoujing gritted his teeth and said, “This isn’t really what we expected in the beginning. If truth be told, Master, all the items were prepared for Master Black Moon. What level was Master Black Moon in? The beginning level of the Nascent Soul Stage! Master’s Cultivation, on the other hand, must be at least in the high level of the Nascent Soul Stage, isn’t it?
“The gifts are indeed a disrespect for Master’s identity and Cultivation. After I deliver to the court the message that Master has returned with your incredible techniques, the court will certainly not wrong such an unparalleled expert like yourself, Master. The gifts will be… at least double of what I just said!”
Li Yao was still emotionless. He said casually, “Okay.”
Ling Shoujing was even more confused about what the old monster really wanted. Gritting his teeth, “The Purple Pole Sword Sect is the best sword sect in the world. Countless sword arts and marvelous weapons are stored there. If Master is willing to join the Great Qian Dynasty, the techniques and the magical equipment will all be open to you!
“Right—”
Noticing Li Yao’s apparent lack of interest, Ling Shoujing thought of something and said in excitement, “With Master’s Cultivation right now, it is not entirely unlikely for you to be nominated as an important official in the court or a leader of a major state. If Master is interested—”
Seeing that Li Yao was not interested in Cultivation arts, magical equipment, pills or crystals, he thought that Li Yao, as a barbarian Cultivator, lived in the Southland of Sorcerers in boredom for too long and wanted to be an official.
Li Yao was rather amused.
He was not sure whether he should sigh or curse.
Great Qian and Cloud Qin might be on par with each other. But the gap between their envoys were too huge.
Han Yuantai was talking about ideologies, beliefs, ambitions and future with him, while Ling Shoujing was talking about crystals, pills, techniques, magical equipment… and such!
If it were the real barbarian Cultivator Master Spiritual Vulture who hadn’t seen anything better, he might’ve been allured by the tens of thousands of kilograms of crystals and pills.
However, for Li Yao, who was connected with the most powerful forces of the Heaven’s Origin Sector, the Blood Demon Sector and the Flying Star Sector, and who had seen the best things in the world, there was only one thing that he wanted to say:
[Don’t talk about money with me. It’s too tawdry!]
Li Yao was too impatient to listen any longer. He waved his hands and said, “I always find the mundane affairs in the mortal world too boring. It doesn’t matter whether Huo Wuji or Huo Wujiu is the Chieftain of the Southland! Let’s just get it over with. What else do you want?”
[It’s done!]
Ling Shoujing was quite excited.
Now that the old monster gave his consent that Huo Wuji, who was close to the Great Qian Dynasty, could be the Chieftain of the Southland, it was indicative enough that the guy hadn’t reached a satisfactory deal with Han Yuantai yet, and that the Southland of Sorcerers were still under the command of the court!
Having accomplished the greatest purpose of his mission despite the setbacks all the way, Ling Shoujing exhaled in great relief. He continued, “Other than that, the situation in the Great Qian Dynasty is sort of…”
“I’ve heard a lot of things from Han Yuantai. There’s no need to phrase it.”
Staring at him, Li Yao said coldly, “You can say straightforwardly that the Great Qian Dynasty is half dead with troubles everywhere.”
“You must not believe in Han Yuantai’s overstatement, Master!”
Ling Shoujing grew anxious. “Those people from Ghost are as cunning as foxes and as brutal as wolves. Have they ever spoken anything true? Right now, there are indeed some riots in the Great Qian Dynasty, and the northern territory isn’t in the most peaceful state. However, the Great Qian Dynasty has weathered through all kinds of vicissitudes for a thousand years. We are too well-founded to be knocked over by a few spindrifts!
“Of course, now that the world and the people are plagued by riots, rebellions and evil beings, it is the time for Cultivators such as to stand up and rescue the folks from the cataclysm! If the Southland of Sorcerers could provide fifty thousand soldiers and five hundred Cultivators whom Master will command to the north…”
“Hehe.”
With a feigned smile, Li Yao said, “You want us to give you a troop of fifty thousand soldiers, who will leave the warm and comfortable forests for the freezing north, where they will fight bloody battles against the cavalry of Ghost Qin that has just left the court’s army with a crushing defeat last year?”
“That is not what I was going to say, Master!”
Ling Shoujing had thought of it earlier. None of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators were idiots, including such a barbarian like ‘Master Spiritual Vulture’. Naturally, they wouldn’t agree to such an outrageous request.
Ling Shoujing in fact had other plans. He said confidently, “Master, rest assured, everybody knows that the northern people are not good at battles on water while the southern people are not good at battles on horses. I do not mean to ask the tough soldiers of the Southland of Sorcerers to march north to the Dark Prairie Prairies to be killed in vain at all!
“Honestly speaking, despite the valiance and brutality of the Ghost Qin soldiers, they will still be more than vulnerable when faced with the elite forces of the court! However, the inland of the Great Qian Dynasty is in fact beleaguered by vermin. Most of the elite forces and high-level Cultivators of the court are now stalled by the vermin and can’t move around. That is why the Ghost Qin people had their shot!
“If we mobilize the elite troops and the main forces to the north, the vermin inland will be out of control and further expand. Eventually, it will be the common folks who suffer most.
“Therefore, I am hoping that the warriors and Cultivators of the Southland of Sorcerers could be mobilized to the southeast where they would suppress the local riot of the White Lotus Cult!
“Then, the forces and troops in the southeast will be able to be spared to annihilate Ghost Qin in the north!”
Li Yao was dazed for a moment. He didn’t see the coming of such a proposal.
Ling Shoujing continued colloquially, “The southeast of the Great Qian Dynasty is brimming with rivers and lakes. There are hills everywhere. The weather is warm and damp, very similar to that of the Southland of Sorcerers. The non-acclimatization which may happen if marching to the Dark Cloud Prairies will not be a problem!
“Besides, the southeast is the most prosperous part of the Great Qian Dynasty with the most abundant spiritual energy. Are there any warriors in the Southland of Sorcerers who do not want to appreciate it?
“I wonder, how did Han Yuantai interpret the ‘White Lotus Cult’ to you just now? The members of the White Lotus Cult are all the most violent ghouls! Their leader Wan Mingzhu was the most notorious ‘mother of all ghosts’ who fed on other people’s vitality and flesh! It is said that even grass wouldn’t grow anymore after the members White Lotus Cult pass. When the ghouls of the White Lotus Cult congregate into an army and sweep across an area, the dozens of towns in the range might be emptied. Not just the living people, even the hens and dogs will be transformed into deadly ghosts! They are tragedies that happened before!
“It is the responsibility of us Cultivators to slay the evils. This is also a great endeavor to serve the justice for the heavens!
“Moreover, you have lived in seclusion for decades, Master. Now that you have returned with your marvelous techniques, you wouldn’t want to age and die in this remote land unknown, even if you don’t want to be famous, right?”
Seeing Ling Shoujing’s self-righteousness, Li Yao suddenly had a lot of mixed feelings.
From the perspective of ‘modern history view’ of the Star Glory Federation, if Han Yuantai was speaking the truth, the ‘Riot of the White Lotus’ could be classified as peasant rebellion.
Dispatching the barbarian soldiers to suppress a peasant rebellion wasn’t something Li Yao could tolerate.
He felt that Ling Shoujing’s mindset was too different from his. Their gap was much huger than that between him and Han Yuantai. Further communication would only be a waste of his time.
“I’ve got it now. You may leave now.”
Li Yao snapped his fingers and said casually.
Ling Shoujing was dazed for a moment, not knowing why the old monster suddenly changed his attitude when he appeared friendly just now.
However, he did not dare to say anything anymore, fearing that the old monster might grow angry. Also, the old monster did not turn down the proposal on the spot, either. So, there was still room for negotiation.
Therefore, he simply bowed deeply and was ready to leave with his daughter.
“Wait.”
Li Yao suddenly said, “You can go. But your daughter stays.”
Ling Shoujing almost tripped himself over. Cold sweat was immediately popping up on his forehead.
Ling Lanyin opened her lips in a shiver, too.
“Well—well—My daughter—”
Under Li Yao’s glare, Ling Shoujing lost his calmness and did not know how he should respond.
Ling Lanyin, on the other hand, was rather confident. Taking a long breath, she soon calmed herself down and said in a low voice, “Rest assured, father. Master Spiritual Vulture is a well-respected senior who has been famous since a hundred years ago. Will anything happen to me now that he is here?”
Li Yao smiled and said, “Your tongue is rather sweet, kid. Rest assured. Although I’m not anything close to ‘well-respected’, I wouldn’t go so far as to make things difficult for a young fellow at the peak of the Core Formation Stage such as yourself. I’m told that you are one of the most distinguished disciples of the Purple Pole Sword Sect in the past decades. I keep you here only because I’m interested in certain issues about the Purple Pole Sword Sect.
The father and the daughter looked at each other, more or less relieved.
On second thought, although Mater Spiritual Vulture was best known for his ruthlessness, he never struck anyone as a lecherous man.
Besides, he had to consider the reputation of the ‘Purple Pole Sword Sect’ after all. It was unlikely that he would piss off the Purple Pole Sword Sect just for momentary pleasure, right?
The Purple Pole Sword Sect, the greatest reliance for the Ling family, was now in great trouble because of its relationship with Wang Xi. Such an old monster would certainly be a great help if he gave a hand!
Thinking about that, Ling Shoujing reminded his daughter of something and left the garden uneasily.
Calming herself down, Ling Lanyin bowed to Li Yao again, “What do you want to know about our sect, senior? I’ll certainly not keep anything from you!”