Chapter 1676: Come on, bring it up

"All civil and military officials in Tianshui City have surrendered to me, and all elite soldiers and fierce generals have submitted," Baitan said sternly. "I hope Zhongwu can also make the right choice."

Thanks to his decisive actions, those in Tianshui City who refused to submit had either fled or died. Those who were the first to surrender to him were immediately given important positions.

He then continued, "Zhongwu is not a Yao native after all, and he now commands Yao soldiers. He cannot establish himself independently here." Zhongwu is a Bixia native, an outsider, and his troops are not Bixia's. He has no right or legitimacy to establish his own faction within Yao territory! Now that the Yao court is finished, what reason does he have to stay? Zhongwu's situation is different from Luodian's; his current position in Yao is actually quite awkward.

"You want him to pledge allegiance to you?" Qingyang chuckled. "Do you know why he brought his troops back to the capital?"

Baitan pursed his lips.

Qingyang provided the answer for him: "To defend the King." General Zhongwu was sent to the northern border to lead troops just over three months ago and has not yet established absolute authority among the Yao soldiers there. This is very different from veteran generals like Xue Zongwu. Luodian was pressing hard with a large army, yet his troops were able to return without fighting, precisely because he raised the banner of "defending the King." If he dared to pledge allegiance to the murderer of the Yao King, wouldn't his army revolt?

"I know. I just want to ask him to turn north and fight Luodian!" Baitan took a deep breath. "Resisting foreign invaders—surely there's no problem with that?"

Baitan's killing of the Yao King and occupation of Tianshui plunged the Yao state into unprecedented chaos. Even if Zhongwu were to lead his troops to attack, he would not be guaranteed victory; instead, he would only be benefiting others. In this situation, Zhongwu could maneuver within Yao territory, then attack Luodian to reclaim lost land for Yao. This could indeed be an option.

"This fellow is quite considerate," Qingyang thought, as she casually snapped off a branch. It looked thick but was actually very brittle, snapping with a light sound. Yet the fresh snow on the branch was not dislodged at all.

"By the way, Lord Baitan, why have you brought so many people to my Serene Lake Retreat?" Her residence was at the highest point on the island, and sitting under a tree, she could see that Baitan had brought an entire army of at least five hundred elite soldiers in good armor. From her vantage point, the cold gleam of swords and halberds reflected everywhere, and all main access routes to the Serene Lake Retreat were controlled.

Baitan sighed. "The situation is unstable today. I encountered an assassination attempt this morning when I went out, so I had no choice but to increase my guards. I'm merely being careful about my own life; I apologize for amusing the Palace Master." With the situation so chaotic, and countless people in Tianshui City now hating him, the instigator, to the bone, shouldn't he be careful?

"I thought, Lord Baitan, you wanted me to speak carefully," Qingyang said, smiling without warmth. "I am severely injured, and my subordinates have dwindled. Right now, I'm just an old woman easily manipulated by others." She put particular emphasis on the phrase "easily manipulated."

"I wouldn't dare, absolutely not, this old Baitan is truly terrified!" Baitan waved his hands rapidly, his face indeed filled with fear. "My current status and achievements are all granted by the Sky God and the Palace Master. How could I possibly harbor any disrespectful thoughts towards the Palace Master?" He changed his expression indignantly. "Why did that old scoundrel, the Yao King, bring ruin upon the country? Firstly, he offended the Goddess, and secondly, he constantly opposed the Palace Master! With him as a lesson, I hold nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for the Palace Master!"

*This old hag is truly outrageous, so shrewd even when severely injured!* Baitan immediately turned and ordered, "Come on, bring it forth!"

Three carriages slowly approached, each carrying three large bronze-inlaid chests. Regardless of their contents, the chests themselves were impressive, with locks and rings engraved with a taotie.

"Palace Master, this is a small token of my regard; please accept it with a smile!"

Qingyang glanced at Yuan Xuan, who immediately stepped forward and opened two chests, one large and one small. A brilliant light shot up, dazzling the onlookers, who wished to close their eyes. One chest contained unadorned gold—simply solid gold bricks, each heavy enough to kill a person, stacked tightly with no gaps between them. The contents of the other small chest were even simpler: a dozen or so high-quality dark crystals formed the base, topped by a short brass staff. The staff head was inlaid with four beast-head carvings, each beast's mouth holding a precious gem.

"Your treasured staff was unfortunately destroyed when battling the Thousand Illusions True Master's dharma-form. This is a supreme treasure privately kept in the Yao King's treasury: the Yellow Heaven Staff, the innate magical artifact of the ancient Great Immortal Huangtian. It is said to have many wondrous uses. I believe only this staff is worthy of the Palace Master's great divine powers!"

Qingyang didn't even glance at the red dark crystals in the chest. She casually picked up the Yellow Heaven Staff and lightly shook it twice. The snake head on the staff suddenly moved and astonishingly crawled out, the entire golden snake coiling twice around the staff. It extended its head towards Baitan, flicking its tongue, its ruby eyes glowing with an eerie light.

"A good staff," Qingyang praised softly. "And well-maintained." For an immortal's treasure to be preserved so perfectly for three thousand years, it required great effort. It required time, effort, and vast amounts of money. As a treasure of the Yao Palace, the value of this staff was inestimable.

Seeing her brow relax, Baitan knew this hurdle was cleared and felt slightly relieved. He knew that Beijia's Azure Palace collected rare and exotic treasures from all over the world, and that this old Palace Master had incredibly discerning taste. How could she possibly be impressed by ordinary good items? Needless to say, the other chests contained rare and exotic treasures.

Yesterday, when Baitan took control of the Yao Palace and opened the Yao King's treasury, he was so startled he almost stumbled back two steps—six large storerooms were packed to the brim, their doors barely able to close. The dazzling display of jewels and treasures left even Baitan, who was used to grand sights, wide-eyed. He cursed the Yao King as an old scoundrel who exploited the country for personal gain and plundered the people's wealth. The royal treasury was solely for the Yao King and the imperial court's personal use. Thinking about all those past years when the Yao King always claimed the national treasury was empty and the royal treasury strained, urging his officials to live frugally and pressuring merchants to find ways to generate money, Baitan felt that his death was truly not unjustified. Fortunately, all the treasures the Yao King had collected in his lifetime now belonged to Baitan. The gifts he gave Qingyang were merely at the Yao King's expense.

Qingyang lowered her hand, and the Yellow Heaven Staff was instantly stored in her ring. Her expression also relaxed. She wasn't lacking in these treasures or this wealth, but Baitan's act of presenting such a lavish gift itself represented his respect for her.

"Good," she said. "At that time, you and Zhongwu can meet here at my Serene Lake Retreat."

That she was willing to act as an intermediary made Baitan sigh with relief. He hesitated before asking again: "I previously went to sound out Envoy Liang, and in the short term, the Goddess does not intend to hold a blessing ceremony in Tianshui City."

Periodically, the Sky God would bestow divine favor upon Tianshui City, granting those Yao people who received blessings clear sight and hearing, and curing their hidden ailments. This both demonstrated divine power and won over the hearts of the people. Of course, the blessing ceremonies were usually not conducted by Wonderful Sky personally, but by its subordinate deities.