Chapter 148: Gentleman

Remarkable!

Xiang Lan'er couldn't quite grasp what her senior brother intended to discuss. Yet, as an observer, she still sensed a powerful call to action in his plain, direct words—a strange, soul-stirring quality. She couldn't help but turn her head, re-examining him.

Mulan Qingqing also stared fixedly at him. His words were a refreshing revelation to her, confirming that he was truly unlike the disciples of other sects, and even unlike the disciples of her own Su Yuan Sect, none of whom could speak like this. His words were arrogant, yet clearly heartfelt. From the perspective of the major sects or the cultivation world, he was insignificant. But in her eyes, at this moment, his very insignificance seemed to create a sense of vast space—a tiny figure standing between the boundless heaven and earth, evoking an indescribable feeling.

After steadying her mind and clearing her thoughts, she did not agree to his request. Instead, she said, "State all your conditions together."

Shi Chun said, "I want half of the forces from Xuanzhou!"

Xiang Lan'er was bewildered once more.

"..." Mulan Qingqing tilted her head, her face full of confusion, and asked, "Half of the assembled forces from Xuanzhou participants?"

Shi Chun replied, "Yes." *If only this weren't such a difficult situation*, he thought, *then I wouldn't be so anxious, nor would I need to take so many risks*. Mulan Qingqing calmly said, "Unless we publicly announce that you are my fiancé."

"Is there?" Mulan Qingqing pondered, unable to think of any other good method that would reassure all parties. She tentatively asked, "What method?"

Pity her, her standing wasn't high enough; she couldn't calculate the optimal benefit. And from this place, she couldn't contact those above her. She could only feel secretly helpless.

Gradually recovering, she wondered if she had misheard, and turned to look at Xiang Huyan beside her, her eyes seeking confirmation. Mulan Qingqing then said, "If you yield the first place, your Zuo Luhan will have no merit. Why would Lord Shi Chun guarantee your Su Yuan Sect that he would assign all the forces to you? What's the difference between that and him simply yielding the first place?"

"There was also one benefit I didn't mention," she continued, "which is that it could save the life of my junior brother, Chao Zhilin."

"This is how I envision it: I give you half the forces, and half of the Insect Extreme Crystals obtained afterward will also go to your side. The two groups will then compete to see which side ultimately acquires more crystals. Whichever side finds more crystals naturally earns greater credit. The side with greater credit will claim all the crystals, and the rankings will be determined based on their contributions."

He calmly retorted, "There's no such thing as superior or inferior personnel; it depends on who utilizes them. In your hands, they might be a bunch of useless people, but in my hands, they'll be howling and fiercely attacking."

Previously, the other party had said Chao Zhilin's life was off-limits. But once they became husband and wife, what would there be left to negotiate? Releasing him would be a natural consequence.

"This way, the animosity between us would transform into an upward competition, and it wouldn't affect Shi Chun's pursuit of supremacy. If I ultimately win, it will be a merit I established for Zuo Luhan through my own ability. At that time, when I speak to the Domain Lord, he will surely understand my Su Yuan Sect's concern about overshadowing Youxia Mountain and will certainly protect Zuo Luhan."

Mulan Qingqing pondered this; it seemed logical, yet his words still stirred suspicion. "You intend to use inferior personnel to contend against my superior personnel?"

Xiang Huyan was utterly dumbfounded, staring blankly at the man opposite.

Mulan Qingqing said, "That's not merely a matter of trouble; it's about operating within the rules. I simply don't have the authority to arbitrarily assign thousands of people to you, and they wouldn't obey me either."

Mulan Qingqing thought for a moment, then hesitated, "That method certainly is a method, but it's too troublesome. Honestly, it's not as reliable as my method. Are you married?"

*What's more*, he thought, *I was a fake Su Yuan Sect disciple; my deception would be exposed the moment I left. If I truly became husband and wife with her, that would genuinely be courting death.*

*Moreover, that woman was too ruthless. Who would dare to marry someone who so casually used their lifelong commitment as a bargaining chip?*

Shi Chun swallowed, unsure if it was from seeing the great beauty or simply thirst. Then, abruptly dropping his foolish demeanor, he declared, "No, that won't do. I am not like your Youxia Mountain; I don't lay hands on my own people. Since those dozens of individuals chose to follow me, I cannot betray them."

She found it both exasperating and amusing. Was marrying her truly that terrifying? It was clearly a good fortune that many people couldn't even dream of.

Mulan Qingqing asked, "Am I forcing you to commit yourself to me?"

Shi Chun said, "I've already thought of a good method for you. The final ranking positions in the grand assembly are limited, and many people who put in effort don't get good results and are unhappy. The dozens of people who fled from Xuanzhou Dao can be your pretext. I don't want your elite soldiers and strong generals; you just need to assign half of the personnel your side looks down upon to me. Consider it letting them go, allowing them to come to my side to be idle. Many individuals originally weren't affiliated with Youxia Mountain and had no way to safely leave and start anew; if they are willing to come..."

Shi Chun said, "If I lose, I will naturally accept the defeat. At this point, none of us would dare to reveal the truth of the matter. Having created such a grand situation, if the reason for its exposure were merely an inability to accept defeat, do you think we could bear the consequences? As long as this gamble succeeds, the matter can fundamentally be put behind us, don't you agree?"

Shi Chun scoffed inwardly, thinking, *When I was leading forces on campaigns in the north and south, you probably didn't even know where you were idling*. Mulan Qingqing fell silent. Words could be spoken lightly, but when it came to truly implementing it, the matter was indeed hers to decide. The combined gains from Shi Chun's forces would ultimately be collectively ranked based on merit by everyone. She could strive for first place for Youxia Mountain, but she couldn't casually designate someone else for first place. Indeed, if someone else were to be first, it certainly wouldn't be Zuo Luhan's turn.

*He indeed wanted all the forces*, he thought, *but reality was cruel. If all the forces were given to him, it would mean they weren't truly his; they wouldn't genuinely obey him. A casual shout from a minor sect could make him sidelined.* Confirming he hadn't misheard and understanding the other party's intention, Xiang Huyan quickly lowered his head, rapidly calculating one thing in his mind: from the perspective of the demonic path, was it better to let Mulan intervene in Bowang Tower's interests or Youxia Mountain's interests?

Shi Chun quickly raised a hand to stop her. "No, that's not it. Although I may not be a true gentleman, I would absolutely never do something like forcing someone into marriage."

Mulan Qingqing asked strangely, "Then why not let your Zuo Luhan directly give them first place? Or why not let you give all the forces to them? What's the logic in wanting only half?"

Mulan Qingqing was silent for a moment, then said, "If they are merely seeking self-preservation, or solely to protect Su Yuan Sect, there's no need for such elaborate schemes. I have an even better method here that can put all parties at ease."

Hearing his reason, Mulan Qingqing conceded a point. "If you're afraid they'll use this as leverage against you after marriage, and if you have a better way to eliminate future troubles, you don't have to kill them."

Observing their reactions, Mulan Qingqing calmly continued as if discussing someone else's affairs: "Neither of us truly trusts the other, so there's no better and more effective method to put us both at ease. You and I shall directly become husband and wife in Xiji, and publicly announce the good news. This way, neither you nor Su Yuan Sect will have anything to worry about, and I won't need to worry about you harming Zuo Luhan's reputation. However, regarding those who separated from Xuanzhou Dao, you must cooperate with me to eliminate all of them. As for Xuanzhou Dao itself, I will also ensure they disappear."

Mulan Qingqing asked, "What do you intend to do?" Shi Chun, who had been deep in thought, naturally offered a different explanation aloud: "It's not what *I* want to do; it's that *you* are forcing my hand, pushing me until I have no retreat. So I can only fight for myself, fight for Lord Xuanzhou to give Youxia Mountain a guarantee."

Shi Chun said, "You just need to assign them over; you don't need to worry about the rest."

Mulan Qingqing interrupted, "That's fake! That 'at ease' is just a temporary excuse. Youxia Mountain lacks the influence to simply claim first place in Shenzhou! And those forces aren't something I can just give away as I please. I don't have the authority to convince them; if I assign them to you, they wouldn't obey you either."

Mulan Qingqing naturally had to ask, "What do you intend to do?"

Mulan Qingqing coldly observed his sputtering reaction, realizing that he, who had been maintaining a dignified posture, was so frightened by the idea of becoming husband and wife that the methods he had been holding back immediately spilled out like beans from a bamboo tube.

Shi Chun said, "Speaking of which, it's thanks to Xuanzhou Dao's reminder. Since we're going to fight them anyway, why not go big? Why should everyone risk their lives for your Youxia Mountain to fight for first place?" Being clearly disdained, Mulan Qingqing remained expressionless and silent. After gazing at him for a while, she slowly said, "It still can't be done. Your method might not be wrong, but I lack a reason. It's unacceptable for them to simply stay with anyone. Why should I assign people to you? I have no reason to. Su Yuan Sect's reputation doesn't carry that weight, unless..."

"....." Shi Chun froze, his brows gradually knitting together. "You're at it again, are you? Can't you think of anything besides male-female relationships...?"

Mulan Qingqing said startlingly, "You and I become husband and wife." Shi Chun replied, "That's not about whether I'm married or not; it's that I won't do something so utterly without principles."

Xiang Huyan could no longer control the corners of his mouth. "What's going on?" he thought. "This was clearly a life-or-death situation, how did it turn into talk of marriage?"

*It was purely an excuse.* He already had someone in mind; how could he casually commit his entire life here?

*She acted as if she could truly look down on him; she should take a look in the mirror herself.*

Recalling that the other party wanted forces, Mulan Qingqing suddenly understood, and asked in surprise, "You want to compete for Zuo Lu's first place?" Shi Chun, however, felt no discomfort. "Fine," he said, "as long as you can achieve it, I have no objection. But can that first place truly be directly yielded by you?" Shi Chun then pressed, "Unless what?" Xiang Huyan also guessed that Shi Chun refused because of someone he loved, and subconsciously guessed the person was Miao Yi Lan. Mulan Qingqing also considered the consequences of a fake Su Yuan Sect disciple scamming a marriage. Seeing how scared that Senior Brother was, she had to try hard to suppress the movement of her lips twitching into a smile.

Shi Chun said solemnly, "It's all the same, there's no need. I genuinely don't match you, and I wouldn't dare desecrate you. Besides, there are plenty of other methods; there's no need to resort to this."

Her face, however, showed no reaction. She then asked solemnly, "What if you lose?"