Chapter 2137: The Conditions of the Nine Nether Emperor

There was no way they would simply let this go.

"Border skirmishes and conflicts are quite common, aren't they? Which conflict doesn't result in deaths? How many nations in this world are truly good neighbors?" Zhao Kedou dismissed the concerns. "Besides, the Nine Nether Emperor actually wants to negotiate terms with you."

King Ya was startled. "How can you tell... Oh!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when he understood. "Right, the two prisoners of war."

What the prisoners saw and heard in the sacred land was determined by the enemy. Why would the enemy specifically discuss destroying the sacred land in front of them?

So, the Dragon God Army releasing them was a harsh signal, both a threat and a coded message:

If you don't agree to our terms, your sacred spring will not be safe.

The key was "terms," so Zhao Kedou was correct; the Nine Nether Emperor wanted to talk.

Since there was common ground... *ahem*, since the enemy wasn't truly aiming for a fight to the death, there was ample room for negotiation.

King Ya immediately issued an order:

Send command arrows simultaneously to the Hundred Hills Source, the sacred land, and the Mu Army's camp in the northwest, requesting a cease-fire and the initiation of negotiations!

Geographically, the capital of Ya Kingdom was closer to Hundred Hills Source, so the Dragon God Army naturally received Ya's command arrows earlier than the Mu Army.

This was the Ya people's third time sending a message arrow.

The first two times were futile, but this time there was finally a response, and it was personally written by the Nine Nether Emperor!

The reply was just a flimsy piece of paper with a few lines of text. King Ya instinctively turned it over, hoping to see if there was writing on the back.

There was none.

Apart from a few polite greetings, the Nine Nether Emperor's demands were completed on half a sheet of paper. They were summarized as follows:

First, to ensure Baile would no longer suffer from plunder, the border regions between Ya Kingdom and Baile, specifically Afuhai and Zilin, were to be ceded to Cangyan. Thereafter, Ya Kingdom and Baile would no longer share a border.

Second, Ya Kingdom was to immediately return all people plundered from Baile. Simultaneously, all valuables stolen from Baile over the years were to be returned in a single sum, converted into an agreed-upon monetary value.

Third, both warring parties were to release their prisoners.

That was it—just three conditions, so brief that King Ya wondered if the Nine Nether Emperor had sent the letter before finishing it.

Logically, with the Dragon God Army occupying Hundred Hills Source and advancing on Ya Kingdom's capital, and the Mu Army marching in from the northwest, the Ya people were threatened by a pincer attack from east and west. The situation was extremely favorable for the Nine Nether Emperor.

If King Ya were in the Nine Nether Emperor's position, he would have made exorbitant demands, aiming to carve a large chunk out of his opponent.

But these three conditions put forth by the Nine Nether Emperor were too... too...

...too damn reasonable!

King Ya's hands trembled with frustration. If the Nine Nether Emperor had sent these conditions earlier, he would have agreed long ago. Would both sides have needed to drag this out for so long?

First, regarding the territorial cession: Afuhai and Zilin were connected, appearing on the map like a wedge driven between Ya Kingdom and Baile. Once Cangyan occupied this wedge, Ya Kingdom would indeed no longer border Baile.

The area of these two lands was not large. Although they included slopes, valleys, and grasslands, seventy percent were mountainous terrain. While they offered a strategic advantage for defense, being easy to hold and difficult to attack, their economic value was low.

As for border defense, King Ya sighed, looking at the map. Ya Kingdom bordered Cangyan to the east, and that border was quite long.

Whether or not these two areas were included, Ya Kingdom's eastern border defense would not improve.

Therefore, ceding these two places was not impossible.

In the past, as Ya Kingdom grew stronger, it absorbed many tribes and annexed several smaller states. This was common in areas near the Flash Gold Plain, where land frequently changed hands. For Ya Kingdom, land was inherently a bargaining chip, something that could be brought to the negotiation table. It was only during the last war in the western Flash Gold region, when the Dragon God Army insisted on "not ceding an inch of territory," that Ya Kingdom was truly surprised.

Moving on to the second condition.

From Ya Kingdom's perspective, what was the big deal about returning stolen goods and people?

Even the valuables Cangyan demanded on behalf of Baile were converted into a reasonable figure, clearly indicating they had cross-referenced accounts with Baile, rather than making exorbitant demands.

Cangyan also did not use Ya Kingdom's sacred land as a threat to demand war reparations. King Ya had been prepared for a massive loss, so he was pleased to see this.

"Why is Cangyan Kingdom helping Baile like this?" he asked, pointing to the words on the letter. "Could it truly be as his letter claims: 'Cangyan's foundation is built on principle and trust'?"

The Nine Nether Emperor's personal letter indeed used this phrase to reiterate Cangyan Kingdom's stance on international relations. King Ya's first reaction upon seeing it was disbelief.

Zhao Kedou surmised, "Perhaps Baile has also pledged allegiance to Cangyan and offered them many benefits."

Smaller powers can align with two stronger ones simultaneously; there's no conflict.

Only this could explain why Cangyan insisted on interfering between Ya Kingdom and Baile. What significance could the Afuhai and Zilin regions hold for Cangyan, given its already vast territory?

Just then, urgent military intelligence arrived from Hundred Hills Source:

The fighting on the front lines had intensified. At dawn, the two armies had engaged in a fierce battle, both suffering casualties.

Clearly, the Dragon God Army had not agreed to King Ya's cease-fire request; instead, they were fighting even more fiercely.

The other side wasn't falling for his delaying tactics.

Zhao Kedou saw King Ya scratching the back of his head and asked, "Does Your Majesty have any concerns?"

"Is there some trap in this agreement?" The Nine Nether Emperor's conditions were so reasonable that it made King Ya suspicious of a trick, fearing he would fall into a series of traps if he didn't see through them.

He had heard that the Nine Nether Emperor was an exceptional strategist and master tactician. Even Bai Ziqi, the Heavenly Palace's Cloud Emissary, and Qingyang, the former National Master of Beijia, had been defeated by him.

Zhao Kedou had also considered this. "Your Majesty, the Nine Nether Emperor capturing Hundred Hills Source holds more significance in itself than any profit he might gain from us."

"Oh? How so?"

"The Nine Nether Emperor's kingdom was established not long ago, its prestige is still shallow, and its relationship with Mu Kingdom is poor. This time, volunteering to stand up for Baile was likely a calculation to establish prestige through military might, showing its bravery to surrounding powers, especially Mu Kingdom." At this point, Zhao Kedou chose his words carefully. "He was fortunate to take Hundred Hills Source this time. This gives him a justification both externally and internally, so he can withdraw."

The Dragon God Army did not choose other places but went straight for Hundred Hills Source; their objective was also clear:

Capturing the Keling tribe's sacred land was a display of military might and an insult to Ya Kingdom.

To put it plainly, the Nine Nether Emperor's strategic objective had been achieved, and he could return in triumph.

"If he were to force his army to stay, the Dragon God Army's losses would be significant. Moreover, staying would be meaningless. Does he truly believe he can destroy our capital?" Everyone knew that taking Hundred Hills Source and breaking into Ya Kingdom's capital were two completely different concepts and levels of difficulty!

King Ya sneered, "He wants to destroy my capital? Ha, he could fight until he vomits blood and still wouldn't take it."

How could the warriors of Ya Kingdom be compared to the dwarves of Flash Gold?

At this thought, he paused for a moment. What about those powerful weapons the Dragon God Army possessed?