Chapter 2027: Condensed Millennia-Old Wish

Chapter 2008: A Thousand Years of Accumulated Hope

“You and I both know that the people of Goldflame haven't been living well. The root cause of all this poverty and despair lies in division, fragmentation, turmoil, chaos, and the collapse of order.” He Lingchuan knew that Nanrong He was asking about his future principles and agenda. As the saying goes, 'those whose ways differ cannot work together,' and the Nanrong family wanted to ascertain how the new hegemon rising in Goldflame Plains would treat commoners, and how he would treat *them*.

Inquiry and speculation were no match for a direct conversation.

“To eliminate the source of chaos, we must counter turmoil with stability and dismantle disorder with rules,” He Lingchuan stated solemnly. “Most importantly, we must end division through unification!”

Here was the crucial point.

Nanrong He remained silent for a while before asking, “What about those who are recuperating, hold no grudges against you, and have no connection to the Sky Demon — will you still control them?” This was clearly about the Nanrong family.

He Lingchuan swept his hand over the stone table. Without any other visible movement, the tabletop suddenly began to undulate, rising and falling like a sand table.

Seeing this, the Nanrong family guards in the distance started to step forward, but Nanrong He stopped them with a wave of his hand. He sensed no malice, yet the Netherworld Emperor's illusion technique was so powerful that he couldn't discern how it was done.

The stone table had transformed into a sand table. More accurately, it was a map of Goldflame Plains, excluding its northeastern region.

“The general trend of the world is that what has been divided for a long time must eventually unite. The Goldflame Empire has been fragmented for nearly a thousand years, and people long for peace. However, various large and small powers rise and fall quickly, and even states like Julu and Chen, which briefly enjoyed moderate prosperity, were as fleeting as shooting stars.”

As He Lingchuan spoke, the Goldflame Empire on the sand table fragmented into countless small states. The topography of Goldflame Plains remained largely unchanged, with only occasional dikes, canals, or redirected rivers, but the small states on the plains changed names and territories like a revolving lantern.

Nanrong He had never witnessed such a presentation, condensing a thousand years of the plains' history into a geographical chart, displayed within mere dozens of breaths.

It was both astonishing and deeply saddening.

It was the first time he realized that so many states and powers had once existed on Goldflame Plains! Hundreds, no, well over a thousand.

“What a perfect illustration of 'what has been divided for a long time must eventually unite'!”

This truly was 'rising in the morning and perishing in the evening,' just as the Netherworld Emperor had said!

This sand table displayed the efforts and struggles of dozens of generations on the plains, who sought stability and development, but all failed without exception, except for the State of Yao. Let alone a hundred years of legacy, very few could even last fifty years.

The Nanrong territory itself had only been established for a little over thirty years.

“This is because 'the tree desires tranquility, but the wind does not cease.' External forces are too strong, and internal resistance is insufficient, leading to eventual collapse.” Just then, the State of Julu appeared. He Lingchuan tapped the sand table, and the entire display froze, with the three characters for "Julu State" glowing red.

Nanrong He had also heard of Julu; it was once a vibrant and prosperous state with an enlightened ruler and industrious, optimistic people. It should have continued to flourish, but it too collapsed in an instant, unable to escape Goldflame's curse.

“To be born in Goldflame, being a small, sparsely populated state is an original sin. Lacking grand ambitions and seeking only to secure a corner is also an original sin!”

His words cut like a knife, making Nanrong He's face change color.

However, He Lingchuan then gently swept his hand across the table again. Countless state names disappeared from the mountains and rivers, leaving only vast black areas. They were almost contiguous, with only dozens of small, scattered regions remaining in other colors.

Nanrong He immediately recognized the black areas as the Dragon God's territory, as small black dragon totems floated above them.

The Netherworld Emperor pointed to the sand table and said, “This is Goldflame now.”

In other words, a vast majority—eighty-five percent—of the extensive Goldflame Plains had now become the Dragon God's territory! The remaining scattered areas belonged to Goldflame's fragmented powers.

Nanrong He could not conceal his shock.

He knew, of course, that the Netherworld Emperor had been invincible in his early campaigns of seizing cities and territories, but he hadn't realized that the conquered land was already so vast!

From this perspective, it was only a matter of time before the Netherworld Emperor annexed all of Goldflame—provided he could defeat the State of Yao.

A thousand words could not convey the same immediacy as a sand table, nor could they shock Nanrong He as profoundly as this map.

It took considerable effort for him to locate the Nanrong family's territory on the sand table, which was displayed in green. Compared to the Dragon God's territory, it was like a dim star beside a bright moon, negligibly small.

He then looked at the State of Yao, which was yellow.

“Only by pooling our wisdom and strength, with everyone united, can we break this thousand-year-old curse of poverty and turmoil!”

Nanrong He remained silent for a long time before asking him, “How are you so certain you can achieve this?”

“I possess all the advantages: the right time, the right place, and the support of the people,” He Lingchuan told him clearly. “If anyone can lead Goldflame to break this curse, who else but me? Can you find a second person, Mr. Nanrong?”

He spoke with immense self-confidence.

Nanrong He looked at the sand table before him, speechless, because he truly couldn't think of anyone else.

“The Nanrong family is benevolent and generous; I, He, admire that. However, it would be a true pity for Mr. Nanrong's talents to be confined to such a small patch of land.” He Lingchuan swept his hand over the entire sand table. “On such a vast stage, don't you wish to fully display your abilities, Mr. Nanrong?”

This vast territory was all his. For Nanrong He to "fully display his abilities," he would naturally have to align with the Dragon God. The Netherworld Emperor was telling him that the general situation was already established and would not change according to Nanrong He's will. If the Nanrong family were wise, they would not oppose this trend.

Nanrong He took a deep breath and stood up. “Thank you, Netherworld Emperor, for meeting with me personally. Shall we correspond by letter in three to five days?”

After today's encounter, he needed more time to deliberate.

He Lingchuan also stood up. “I await your good news.”

Returning from the front line to Tianshui City, Bai Tan went directly to the Secluded Lake Villa before even entering the city gates.

He didn't expect to be turned away this time.

“The Palace Mistress isn't here? Where did she go?”

At such a critical juncture, Qingyang had actually left?

“We do not know!” the Green Guard remaining there relayed Qingyang's original message. “The Palace Mistress asked us to inform Lord Bai that she will return within half a month at the earliest. Do not worry.”

“At the earliest?” Bai Tan frowned. “What about at the latest?”

“We do not know.”

Bai Tan grew very suspicious, his eyes flashing with a fierce glint. “Your Palace Mistress hasn't perhaps absconded, has she?” He wondered if Qingyang believed he couldn't win and that resisting the Netherworld Emperor was hopeless, so she decided to flee as a precaution. After all, she had no established base in Goldflame Plains, unlike him, Bai Tan, whose roots were deeply embedded there. If the situation turned bad, she could easily leave.

The Green Guard did not repeat “We do not know,” but instead stated solemnly, “The Netherworld Emperor has become a great scourge upon Goldflame. The Palace Mistress has exhausted herself, vowing to eliminate him swiftly. This is not only for Lord Bai but for Beijia! You need not worry about this.”

Bai Tan remained skeptical. Anyone could speak pretty words. He was, in fact, even more worried.