Chapter 969: Discussion on the World

Both parties had a previous agreement, but neither wanted to uphold it properly. One was unwilling to give, the other audacious in demanding, and both were tirelessly exploiting loopholes and playing clever. After the Fire at Stargazer Tower incident erupted, the last vestiges of mutual trust were completely destroyed by the blaze.

The suspicion and animosity between the Celestial Palace and Jujue would not disappear, which is why He Lingchuan believed their internal strife would never cease.

"Without trust, one cannot stand firm." These words are not only a moral teaching but also a true reflection of interpersonal benefits. Credit is wealth; once destroyed, by what means can it be rebuilt? By the arrogance of the Celestial Palace, or the greed of Jujue?

"It's twice as generous as it was before Jujue stirred up trouble! This truly adds insult to injury!" Thinking of the Ke family's misery, Fang Canran clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "The Demon Emperor and the Celestial Gods should discipline their own dogs. As long as the collar is tightened, the Ke family won't dare utter a sound, even if they're choked till their eyes roll back!"

The more miserable the Ke family was, the happier Fang Canran felt. He didn't want Ke Shouyi to die immediately; he wanted the Ke family to suffer immensely, watching their ill-gotten gains slowly erode away.

He Lingchuan asked him, "What does it feel like to have your great vengeance repaid?"

"Wonderful!" Fang Canran closed his eyes, savoring the feeling again. "That sense of exhilaration, that complete satisfaction, is beyond description by any language."

He had finally completed the first step of the Shao clan's dying wish.

A significant portion of the heavy responsibility he had carried since childhood was finally lifted.

His ancestor Shao Jian met a tragic end, by Beijia's hand; his homeland, Yuan Nation, was massacred, by Beijia's hand. He had only struck Beijia once, and if he had the chance in the future, he would gladly strike them a hundred more times.

"The road ahead is long and arduous." The wine was warmed and fragrant. Fang Canran personally filled both their cups. "You helped me achieve my great revenge. Come, I toast you." Without He Lingchuan's prior disturbance at the Celestial Palace, he would not have had the opportunity to exact his revenge. From this perspective, he owed He Lingchuan a huge favor, one that could not be settled with a few casual words of thanks.

The three raised their cups and drank them dry.

The wine had a subtle fruity aroma and went down smoothly.

Afterwards, Fang Canran inquired about He Lingchuan's whereabouts for the past year.

He Lingchuan simply said, "I went to attend to some personal matters, and I also used your talismans and passwords to borrow some men from Rong Mountain, bringing them all the way here. I thought Rong Mountain would inform you about this."

"After I left Beijia, I lay low for a long time, and no one could contact me during that period. Actually, the talismans and passwords I gave you then weren't even mine, but Ling Mountain's. I was just using them for personal gain," Fang Canran laughed. "I created some illusions to make the Golden Horn family believe I died in the chaos caused by the Thunder-Giant Beasts. Too many people went missing that night for anyone to trace."

He Lingchuan recalled that most of the people who died or went missing during the chaos in Lingxu that night were commoners, but Fang Canran, as the mastermind, clearly didn't care.

"How did you end up at Blade's Edge Port?"

He Lingchuan briefly explained his acquisition of the Yangshan Archipelago, then said, "From now on, you can call me Island Master He."

Fang Canran burst into laughter, cupped his hands, and said, "So you're Island Master He now, my apologies for not knowing."

He chuckled twice, then seemed a bit stunned. "After accomplishing such a world-shaking feat, you actually came to Blade's Edge Port to start from scratch. You must have truly had too much time on your hands."

"What exactly did you come here to do?"

"To lie low," He Lingchuan said with a helpless expression. "I came for the same reason you did!" Fang Canran had fled from Lingxu City and hidden in a remote corner of the sea precisely to disappear from Beijia's sight, hadn't he?

"How exactly did you become enemies with Beijia?" Ordinary people wouldn't do something like this. To put it bluntly, how would a tiny ant provoke a human for no reason? They shouldn't even have such a delusion.

"Just because I don't have a sect or a powerful backing, does that mean I can't become Beijia's enemy?" He Lingchuan swirled the wine in his cup. "My desire to overthrow Beijia is even stronger than yours."

Alright, who doesn't have something difficult to express? Since he wasn't willing to say, Fang Canran didn't press him. Raising his cup, he said, "Yes, absolutely! Come, this toast is to setting sail on the rivers and lakes, and to a long future ahead!"

He had exacted his revenge, and He Lingchuan had acquired an island; both had new beginnings.

Only after finishing his wine did He Lingchuan ask him, "What's the situation like in the war between Beijia and Mu Nation? I heard Mu Nation won several battles."

"Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, with wins and losses for both sides. Neither Beijia nor Mu Nation is fighting with full strength yet; they're merely testing each other," Fang Canran said leisurely. "How could a war between great nations be that simple?"

Dong Rui interjected, "In your opinion, which nation will be the ultimate winner?"

"In terms of national strength, Beijia is undoubtedly the strongest," Fang Canran took a sip of wine. "Having spent twenty years in Lingxu City, what I've realized most deeply is the immense, bottomless accumulation and foundation of that nation."

"The longer I stayed, the more I was startled. Therefore, for you and me to succeed in Lingxu City was truly... sheer luck."

A great empire that had remained powerful for six hundred years without showing signs of decline had accumulated wealth, energy, and confidence beyond the imagination of ordinary people. This is its true foundation.

"And Mu Nation's army is well-disciplined and valiant in battle, not only supported by its people but also by so many Daoist sects." At this point, he hesitated. "They are both powerful nations in the world; it's truly hard to say."

He Lingchuan could tell that he believed Beijia had a greater chance of winning. However, from Fang Canran's perspective, he was unwilling to state that. There must always be hope.

"The outcome of war is determined not only by national strength but also by national destiny, strategic trends, resource endowments, and the will of the people," He Lingchuan said, lifting the jug to pour him a cup of wine. "Otherwise, there would be no need to fight; everyone could just compare who earned the most money, who had the strongest military equipment, and who had the most capable army over the years." In his view, Fang Canran understood Beijia and its power too well, like staring directly into a bright light, which blinds one and makes it impossible to see the surrounding landscape.

"You have a point," Fang Canran replied, regaining his composure. "I heard that Beijia and Mu Nation are considering a temporary ceasefire again, and negotiations are underway on the front lines."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "Can they reach an agreement?" "Heard"? Sometimes "what's heard" is merely deliberate rumor spread by others. Whether Beijia truly wants war, perhaps only a handful of people, like those in the Celestial Palace and the Demon Emperor, truly know.

"Negotiations, if both sides genuinely don't want to fight, can succeed," Fang Canran said. "But Beijia's internal factions seem to be indecisive. The war faction believes that Mu Nation must first be given a severe lesson, and only with the prestige of a great victory can peace talks proceed; otherwise, Beijia would lose face."

"That's true."

The dignity of a great nation must not be offended. To put it another way, if other nations offend Beijia and suffer no consequences, will Beijia's domineering aura still intimidate everyone in the future? There are valid arguments for both war and peace, so Beijia's internal struggle will continue. As Mu Nation was preoccupied with fighting Beijia, it temporarily had no time to look eastward. He Lingchuan pondered that, given this, the window of opportunity provided by the situation would not last long for him.

Fang Canran also tore a piece of dried squid. "During such chaotic times, retreating to the sea to be an island master is quite leisurely and comfortable. You can also watch the tigers fight from the mountain."

"Watch tigers fight?" He Lingchuan's heart stirred. "From the location of Yangshan Archipelago, what kind of 'tigers' can I watch?" Others went to sea to escape trouble, but he went to establish a foothold.

"Ya Nation," Fang Canran said, chewing slowly. "Ya Nation has been constantly active recently, probing both west and north." Ya Nation is east of Bailei, established by nomadic tribes. It had annexed Bailei's territory and, at the end of last year, even demanded a large indemnity from Bailei.

"To the west is Bailei, and to the north is... Chebin Nation?"

"Correct. According to the information I have, Ya Nation has been very close to Beijia in recent years. Not only do they openly exchange envoys, but on the Ya Nation monarch's birthday, Lingxu City even sent envoys with gifts to congratulate him. Ya Nation then widely publicized receiving these gifts."

"So Ya Nation and Beijia have colluded," He Lingchuan popped two peanuts into his mouth. "In that case, Mu Nation is caught between two fires."

"With Beijia's backing, Ya Nation acts even more recklessly," Fang Canran analyzed. "Currently, its interest in Bailei is greater than in the northern Chebin Nation."

"It's easy for Ya Nation to extort money from Bailei, so it will keep doing so." You pick the softest persimmon to squeeze; bullying also becomes a habit, for both individuals and nations.

"But if I were the monarch of Ya Nation, I wouldn't swallow Bailei whole."

Fang Canran also said, "Indeed, otherwise Ya Nation would border Mu Nation." By keeping Bailei, Mu Nation finds it difficult to directly attack Ya Nation. Without Bailei as a buffer, Ya Nation would have to face Mu Nation's direct might.

After discussing foreign policy, they chatted casually for a few more moments, then He Lingchuan asked him, "Are you still in your old line of business on Platinum Island?" The largest power on Platinum Island was the Taihang Sect.

"Exactly, this is what I'm best at," Fang Canran jutted his chin out. "This evening's ghost market will feature an auction hosted by us. Care to come and have some fun?"

"Sure, I do have some things I'd like to sell," He Lingchuan said, taking two items from his storage ring and placing them on the table. "Shopkeeper Fang, could you give me an appraisal?"

A seal, entirely yellowish, lustrous, and translucent like grease.

A token carved with three pythons: black, gold, and blue.

A faint light slowly flowed within the seal. Fang Canran recognized it as the highest quality "chicken fat yellow" jade. The three colored snakes on the token, however, rotated and swapped positions right before their eyes.

Fang Canran, having seen countless treasures, was slightly moved at first glance. "You've acquired more good items?"

"Indeed, have a look."

Fang Canran put on gloves and carefully picked up the seal to examine it. He saw the characters "Miao Miao" (淼渺) carved in intaglio on the bottom. The central dot of the character "Miao" (渺) was indented, not naturally formed, but a small hole seemingly poked by an external force. The token, however, felt icy cold to the touch. After holding it for just a few breaths, his hands began to frost over, making it impossible to grip.

Fang Canran set down both items, his expression serious. "These are ancient relics? It's rare for them to be so well-preserved. Do you know their origin?" Ancient spiritual treasures all had unique properties; a mere touch would reveal their basic functions and usage. Unless the wielder had special insights, no further explanation was needed.

"Both of these are personal artifacts of True Master Sanshui."