Chapter 1988: Sytu He's Last Attempt

He Lingchuan chuckled, "If even a hint of what I'm doing got out beforehand, ten heads wouldn't be enough for me to lose."

"A hidden dragon in the abyss, a hidden dragon in the abyss," Situ He murmured. "When the Yangshan Merchant Association funded my father and me to attack Bixia, my father secretly had a wise man cast a divination for you, and this was the hexagram. My father said then that you were destined for great things, and he told me to make an effort to befriend you, saying you would surely be our benefactor. I never imagined..."

He gave a wry smile, "...your undertakings would be so vast."

Who could have predicted that an outsider merchant would want to annex the entire Blazegold Plains and overthrow the Sky Gods' control over it?

If someone had told him this three years ago, he would have told them to go to bed and dream.

But now...

Even with He Lingchuan right in front of him, he still couldn't fathom how this man had turned decay into wonder.

The "decay" referred to the plains themselves and the deep-seated problems plaguing them.

He didn't ask He Lingchuan if he was truly the reincarnation of the Dragon God, because the question didn't need an answer.

As long as the Blazegold people believed, that was enough.

He Lingchuan smiled but said nothing.

"I still don't know who wrote that letter!" Situ He said resentfully.

Now that the dust had settled, he finally had time to reconsider the secret letter.

In his opinion, there was a ninety percent chance that King Poliu had framed him with that secret letter. But he also had a strange thought:

If the letter wasn't forged by King Poliu, then who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes?

Because of the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds, internal strife had long brewed within the allied army, and the dissatisfaction of King Poliu and the Kan tribesmen towards him had reached its peak. At such a moment, a single letter could easily ignite their rage and push them to take a crucial step.

Was the content of the letter even important? Not at all. King Poliu merely needed an excuse, a fuse.

And who was it that understood their psychology so well, striking at precisely the right moment?

He Lingchuan said seriously, "Indeed, that person is truly despicable. If they're still alive, retribution will surely find them."

Situ He was speechless once again.

The word "retribution" used to be a joke in the Blazegold Plains. But ever since the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds and the Black Armored Army emerged, the topic had become very serious. Notorious scourges, whether individuals or factions, were truly being eliminated—which could certainly be called receiving their just deserts.

But the matter of the secret letter was now closed. Situ He knew he was destined not to learn the truth.

Well, it didn't matter anymore anyway.

He started a new topic: "Hey, did you really kill Miao Zhantian?"

"Yes, truly." He Lingchuan casually recounted the battle within the Upside-Down Sea.

Although he lacked Fu Liushan's eloquence, the sheer intensity of his story left Situ He gasping in astonishment.

"Such a blessed land, such a magnificent and spectacular battle!" he said, not without envy. "We ordinary mortals don't have the good fortune to witness such things firsthand."

"It's best not to witness it," He Lingchuan said, pouring him a cup of wine. "Twenty to thirty Sky Gods and Immortals, and thousands of witnesses, nearly all died, except for the few hundred I brought out."

"Brother He, you are truly a person of great fortune," Situ He nodded. "Talent and ability are not enough; one also needs great luck. The Blazegold region is unforgiving to people."

Blazegold had buried countless talented individuals.

Situ He was deeply envious. He Xiao's journey to the Upside-Down Sea showed that his luck, ability, and wisdom far surpassed his own.

He had always known that He Xiao was extraordinary, but that was still within the realm of human capabilities.

In a flash, He Xiao had slain a god and ascended to become the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds, the reincarnated Dragon God.

Strictly speaking, he was no longer human. Situ He's perspective on him would likely have to shift to one of looking up.

The two continued chatting for a while. He Lingchuan spoke of the various human conditions he had witnessed while sweeping across Blazegold, while Situ He discussed the internal conflicts within the allied army and the repeated pressures exerted by the Sky Gods.

They conversed and laughed freely, as if the estrangement of the past few months had never existed.

Then, they both fell silent simultaneously.

Situ He knew that He Lingchuan had taken time out of his busy schedule not just to drink with him.

He was waiting for Situ He to speak.

The part about friendly pleasantries was over.

Next, it was time to get to the main point.

"Brother He..." Situ He began with some difficulty. "You know what I want to ask. Regardless of King Poliu's fate, the allied army is already vulnerable before you. We have no desire to oppose the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds; the seven territories are willing to follow your lead!"

Situ He stated that all seven allied factions had submitted and dared not be enemies with He Lingchuan.

But He Lingchuan's face held no smile, for there was another meaning in Situ He's words.

What did "follow your lead" mean? It meant, "We will all follow you, acknowledge you as our leader, and go wherever you go."

This act of following implied a premise: that both parties were independent entities.

Otherwise, why distinguish between "you" and "us"?

From the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds' rise to power, through Situ He being schemed against by King Poliu, and up to He Lingchuan rescuing him, Situ He had constantly been contemplating the future of the allied army and his own.

Whether they had a future now depended solely on how the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds intended to deal with them.

But Situ He still wanted to make an effort to negotiate.

King Poliu truly was a fool! Originally, if the allied army had maintained the status quo, it would have been difficult for He Lingchuan to justifiably deal with them, as they were partners. Since he claimed to be the reincarnated Dragon God, he needed to occupy the moral high ground. How could he simply turn around and strike at good partners who had committed no wrong?

At the very least, he would have had to show more reluctance.

That reluctance would have been Situ He's window of opportunity.

But King Poliu had given the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds the perfect reason to legitimately deploy his forces!

Even after being rescued, Situ He immediately found himself in an extremely passive position.

The allied army was, in fact, already fragmented.

His bargaining chips with He Lingchuan were gone.

Moreover, if he, the leader of the allied army, had died in Poliu, it would not have harmed the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds in the slightest. On the contrary, he could have used the pretext of avenging him to swallow up the entire allied army in one go.

Yet, He Xiao was willing to risk his life to personally rescue him.

This kindness, he had to accept!

He Lingchuan smiled, "It's been two years. Brother Situ, aren't you tired of managing this allied army?"

Situ He pressed his lips together. Tired, yes, physically and mentally even more so.

Seven factions, each with their own schemes, their abacus beads clattering so loudly they nearly jumped into his face.

"After all, it was my father's life's work. How could I let him down?"

"Forgive my frankness, but your esteemed father probably didn't consider what to do after defeating Bixia, did he?"

Situ He was speechless.

This was true. Both father and son were remnants of the Gaopu Kingdom. Bixia had annihilated Gaopu and continued to invade the Situ family's territory. They had risen up in resistance and formed an allied army, primarily for self-preservation, with the subsequent counter-invasion of Bixia being for revenge.

As for what to do after defeating Bixia, Situ Yu had been assassinated by the Master of Red Hut before he had time to plan.