Chapter 2107: West is Dark, East is Bright

Mo Shubai no longer kept him in suspense. He whispered, "Master, I have a plan."

"Tell me," Lu Zhenxian said, holding little hope. If Muo Country refused to help, even gods couldn't resolve the current situation.

"Have you ever considered," Mo Shubai continued, "that Ya Country claims to have 200,000 troops, yet after several engagements with Muo Country, they've only deployed 30,000? What are they saving the other hundreds of thousands for?"

"Having them doesn't mean they have to commit all of them," Lu Zhenxian countered. "What do you think is the reason?"

"You've forgotten," Mo Shubai said, pointing eastward, "a huge threat has recently emerged to its east. And there's a feud between them."

"Cangyan Country?" Lu Zhenxian was startled. A light seemed to go on in his mind.

That's right, Cangyan Country! The new nation established by He Xiao, the former island master of Yangshan!

"Ya Country's hundreds of thousands of troops, besides dealing with Muo Country on the western front, also need to guard against Cangyan Country to the east," Mo Shubai whispered. "It's impossible for them to commit all their forces to the Bailie battlefield! Why don't you try asking Cangyan Country for help?"

"Well..." Lu Zhenxian scratched his head. "Lu Zhensheng is the clan leader; only he can represent Bailie in requesting aid from Cangyan Country. I..."

If he were to seek aid, he would be overstepping his bounds—in short, abusing his authority.

"In Lu Zhensheng's hands, 'Bailie Clan Leader' is merely a title," Mo Shubai reminded his master. "Has he ever properly fulfilled the duties of a clan leader? Do you think Lu Zhensheng hasn't considered the possibility of seeking aid from Cangyan Country?"

"He just doesn't dare," Mo Shubai said, enunciating each word. "He has a personal grudge against Emperor Jiuyou, so he dares not ask for help. Instead, he's willing to sacrifice your son."

Lu Zhenxian immediately clenched his fists.

It was true that Lu Zhensheng and He Xiao had a personal grudge; everyone in the clan knew it.

Bailie hadn't clashed with Yangshan in the past year or two, simply because Yangshan had developed so rapidly that Lu Zhensheng no longer dared to provoke them. However, he still spoke ill of them in private.

"Not long ago, Lu Qinglin even led Muo Country's army to seize the Yangshan Archipelago!" Lu Zhenxian sneered. "At that time, his proud son could lead troops over, and firmly establish an enmity between us and Emperor Jiuyou!"

We should really thank his family!

"You've overlooked a problem," Mo Shubai said, cutting to the chase. "Clan Leader Lu has new and old grudges with Emperor Jiuyou, which is why he dares not seek help from him. But that's a personal grudge! It's Lu Zhensheng and his son who offended Emperor Jiuyou, not you, and certainly not Bailie!"

"Clan Leader Lu is placing his personal grudge above the safety of all Bailie," Mo Shubai said, subtly sowing discord. "Is that what a good clan leader should do? Furthermore, your business with Third Master Lu has grown larger and larger in recent years, and Young Master has proven himself, having repelled the Ya people multiple times, which has given him high prestige among the common folk. The clan leader, seeing this, might not be too pleased."

"When I used to do business with Yangshan, Clan Leader Lu repeatedly ordered me to stop; luckily, I didn't listen to him," Lu Zhenxian fumed, finding an outlet for his resentment. "That bastard, has he long intended to harm my son!"

"Whether A-bang is dead or living under an assumed name, he can no longer lead troops from now on. How does that benefit Bailie?!"

The more Lu Zhenxian thought about it, the angrier he became. He grabbed another teacup and smashed it on the ground.

Mo Shubai did not try to dissuade him.

Whether Lu Zhensheng truly thought that way was not important. It was enough that Old Sixth Lu could connect the dots from past clues and arrive at this conclusion.

In his anger, Lu Zhenxian soon fell into doubt again. "However," he said, "the Dragon God Army recently fought Ya Country's forces on the western front of Shanjing. I heard they suffered heavy casualties, with fifty to sixty thousand dead. Ya Country's army heavily publicized that one of their soldiers could defeat seven Dragon God soldiers."

"Leaving aside whether He Xiao is willing or not, what if his Dragon God Army can't defeat Ya Country?" he questioned, "Ya Country's army is very strong."

"Can Ya Country's boasts be trusted?" Mo Shubai shook his head. "If the Dragon God Army was truly that bad, why did the Ge brothers launch a fierce assault on the western front of Shanjing for over a month without being able to advance, still lingering at the border?"

"Now that you mention it, it seems so," Lu Zhenxian admitted. Bailie had paid close attention when Ya Country attacked Shanjing Plains. In Lu Zhenxian's memory, he truly hadn't heard of Ya Country achieving any significant results or conquering any territory.

The Ya army attacked fiercely for a month but made no progress.

For Bailie, this was simply unbelievable. Lu Zhenxian felt a surge of envy.

Mo Shubai continued, "At that time, Emperor Jiuyou was besieging Yao Country in the central Shanjing Plains. It's likely he concentrated all his main forces there. Master, think about it: if even the regular troops under the Dragon God could forcibly repel Ya Country's army at the western border, how powerful must the main army be?"

"Cangyan Country's main army..."

"That's the Black Armored Army," Mo Shubai said softly. "Emperor Jiuyou used this army to raze the entire Shanjing Plains and defeat Yao Country, which was supported by the gods. Imagine how powerful it must be."

Lu Zhenxian felt a surge of excitement.

Most importantly, he had no other options now. Mo Shubai had thrown him a lifeline, and he instinctively wanted to cling to it tightly.

"During the time Emperor Jiuyou managed the Yangshan Archipelago, you had a close relationship with him," Mo Shubai advised. "Not only did you have mutual trade, but your personal relationship was also good. With that foundation of goodwill, you'll be in a better position to ask him for help."

Lu Zhenxian wasn't so naive. He scoffed at himself, "How much goodwill is that really? Why would he offend Ya Country for me, Old Sixth Lu?"

He knew his own standing. Cangyan Country had only recently been established; how could Emperor Jiuyou declare war on Ya Country for a former business partner?

"On the contrary, Ya Country offended him first," Mo Shubai explained. "Just as you said earlier, Ya Country sent the Ge brothers to invade western Shanjing, and the Dragon God Army suffered heavy casualties. That created a deep enmity. When Emperor Jiuyou established his nation, I heard that both Beijia and Muo Country sent congratulatory gifts, but only Ya Country played deaf and dumb, clearly showing no regard for Cangyan Country. If I were Emperor Jiuyou, I'd want to give Ya Country a harsh lesson too."

"Your request for aid would give him a perfect reason to dispatch troops," Mo Shubai continued. "Besides, just try writing a letter asking for help, making your words sincere. If he doesn't send troops, what have you really lost? If he is willing to act, won't your problems be solved effortlessly?"

That statement was very practical; trying it wouldn't cost anything. Lu Zhenxian was already at his wit's end anyway, so what harm was there in making a last-ditch effort?

"You have a point," Lu Zhenxian conceded. "But what kind of conditions would I need to offer to move Emperor Jiuyou? When asking someone for help, shouldn't one offer sufficient compensation? I heard that when Muo Country sent troops to relieve Shanjing's crisis, it was also because Emperor Jiuyou offered substantial gifts."

He couldn't just open his mouth and ask Emperor Jiuyou to send troops without offering anything in return.

"With all due respect, Master," Mo Shubai said, "even if you risked your entire fortune, you probably couldn't persuade Emperor Jiuyou."

Lu Zhenxian glared at him. Why did the truth have to be so unpleasant?

"Then what have you been talking about all this time?" Lu Zhenxian demanded.