Chapter 1643: I Won't Sign

At the Yankang Wen Dao Institute, Yuchenzi, Wei Suifeng, and others welcomed the Heavenly Court's negotiation envoys. "Five fellow Daoists, please come in," they invited.

This time, the Five Emperors' Inner Seats led the delegation, arriving for negotiations under the command of Emperor Haotian.

The Five Emperors' Inner Seats are crucial positions within the Heavenly Court, wielding immense power, second only to that of the Seven Dukes.

The Heavenly Court has numerous Imperial Seat experts. Positions such as the Seven Dukes, Four Prime Ministers, Three Mentors, Two Regents, Five Emperors' Outer Seats, and Five Emperors' Inner Seats can only be held by individuals of Imperial Seat cultivation.

The Five Emperors' Outer Seats and Inner Seats act as reserves for the Four-Colored Great Emperors. If a Four-Colored Great Emperor dies in battle or rebels, a member of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats would assume their position.

The Heavenly Court's decision to send the five powerful ministers of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats for these negotiations clearly demonstrated their high regard for the matter.

Each minister was accompanied by hundreds of attendants, creating an imposing presence. These attendants were not merely personal servants, but rather master strategists and negotiation experts from the Heavenly Court.

Nian Guanhe, one of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats, suddenly paused. He watched a young girl swiftly walk over, hang a bright mirror on the plaque above the Wen Dao Institute's gate, and then quickly depart.

Nian Guanhe looked surprised and turned to Yuchenzi, Wei Suifeng, and the others greeting him. He chuckled, "Yankang hung a mirror as soon as we arrived. Is it a demon-revealing mirror? Do you intend to force us to reveal our true forms?"

Wei Suifeng burst into laughter. "Elder Brother Nian, you are too suspicious!" he said. "Everyone knows you possess the bloodline of the Nian Beast. This mirror displays a 'Dao Question,' a custom of the Wen Dao Institute used for exchange. If someone encounters a cultivation difficulty, they hang this bright mirror, and talented individuals from across the land will attempt to solve it. The Emperor even allocates funds from the national treasury to generously reward those who provide solutions."

"I see," Nian Guanhe replied.

He looked up, studying the bright mirror. "No wonder Yankang's academic spirit flourishes so greatly," he remarked, "even Celestial Venerables reincarnate here to pursue their studies."

Suddenly, Meng Xianqiu, another of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats, laughed. "The funds in Yankang's national treasury also belong to the Heavenly Court," he declared. "How can Emperor Yanfeng take the Heavenly Court's money and freely distribute it to others? By law, he should be beheaded!"

Wei Suifeng's expression subtly changed, and he sneered, "Little Meng, Yankang hasn't surrendered yet. You want to behead Yankang's Emperor? Believe it or not, I'll slay you first!"

"Emperor Yunluo, once Yankang surrenders, beheading you should be a mere word for me, shouldn't it?" Meng Xianqiu said with a half-smile.

Yuchenzi quickly interjected, "The people of Yankang are also the people of the Heavenly Court. The Emperor distributing the Heavenly Court's funds to the Heavenly Court's people simply means the 'meat' remains in the pot; it hasn't flowed out. Gentlemen, please proceed!"

The five powerful ministers of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats burst into laughter. Meng Xianqiu praised, "Yuchenzi truly knows how to speak. Please!"

Yuchenzi bowed and gestured with his hand, smiling, "Five exalted envoys, please go first."

Everyone entered in single file, walking into the Wen Dao Institute.

Meng Xianqiu sat down in a domineering manner. He declared, "The previous negotiations progressed slowly, which greatly displeased His Majesty. Consequently, he ordered us to work through the night to transcribe his imperial decree. This time, we are not here to negotiate; the contract has already been finalized. Yankang only needs to sign it!"

Wei Suifeng rose to his feet in a furious rage, slamming the table. He sternly declared, "Is the Heavenly Court so mighty? They don't even bother to negotiate, simply finalizing the contract and sending it over? Have I surrendered? I have not! That damned Celestial Venerable Mu has surrendered, but I will not!"

The expressions of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats all changed.

Yuchenzi slammed the table in anger and said, "Wei Suifeng! Shut your mouth! Celestial Venerable Mu entrusted me with full responsibility for these negotiations with the Heavenly Court. You are my subordinate, and I haven't spoken yet, so what are you complaining about?"

Wei Suifeng sneered, "Yuchenzi, everyone knows you're a traitor! Celestial Venerable Mu must be blind to put you in charge; you'll sell Yankang out! You were originally a spy planted by the Heavenly Court in Yankang!"

Yuchenzi was furious beyond measure, trembling with rage.

Wei Suifeng said coldly, "The Heavenly Court directly sent the contract over—did it leave any territory for me? Any benefits for me? Besides me, there's also Earth Sovereign Yu Jun; shouldn't they get some benefits? Prince Youming is also a formidable Imperial Seat expert; shouldn't he get some benefits? Even if they don't speak, what about the Celestial Venerables? Celestial Venerable Yue, Celestial Venerable Ling, Celestial Venerable You—where are their benefits? If you sign it directly, even if I don't kill you, they will! What's more, I am the leader of the Imperial Forest Army, with over a hundred thousand elite soldiers under my command. If you expect us to just starve, we might as well rebel and become bandit kings!"

Yuchenzi choked with rage. "Guards! Get this fellow out of here!"

Wei Suifeng slapped Yuchenzi, knocking him head over heels. Prince Youming quickly intervened, slowly saying, "You two, please don't quarrel..."

Yuchenzi scrambled up and hid behind Prince Youming. "Prince Youming," he pleaded, "you and this Wei fellow are both my deputies. Wei is rebelling; apprehend him for me!"

Prince Youming slowly said, "Yuchenzi, signing the contract directly is indeed inappropriate and hard to convince everyone..."

Wei Suifeng, full of murderous intent, shouted, "Old You, get out of the way! I'll hack him to death and let Celestial Venerable Mu find someone else!"

Prince Youming leisurely said, "Stop messing around..."

The Five Emperors' Inner Seats all frowned. Nian Guanhe turned to ask an attendant behind him, "Does the contract set by His Majesty leave enough benefits for Yankang's authorities?"

The attendant shook his head and whispered, "His Majesty has taken all of Yankang's wealth and power, leaving no benefits behind."

Nian Guanhe frowned deeply and said to the other Inner Seat Great Emperors, "No wonder Yankang reacted so strongly. The contract set by His Majesty is indeed inappropriate; I'm afraid it will cause Yankang to retaliate."

"If Yankang retaliates, then simply kill them," Meng Xianqiu said.

Nian Guanhe shook his head. "His Majesty does not fear Yankang," he said. "What His Majesty fears is that reclusive one."

He suddenly stopped speaking, then continued, "His Majesty wants to take everything, but there are many powerful figures in Yankang. If no benefits are left for them, I'm afraid the contract cannot be signed."

"I'm rebelling!"

Wei Suifeng shook his cloak, turned, and walked away, shouting, "This time, it's that Qin fellow who wants to surrender, not me, Wei! Yankang is already full of grievances! If that Qin fellow doesn't fight, I'll fight for him! I'm going to find Celestial Venerable Yue, Celestial Venerable Ling, and Celestial Venerable You right now, and unite with Carefree Village to rebel!"

The Five Emperors' Inner Seats exchanged glances. Nian Guanhe stood up and called out loudly, "Emperor Yunluo, halt!"

Wei Suifeng stopped, snorted angrily, and said with an unfriendly expression, "Why do you want me to halt? Do you intend to kill me? Your abilities as the Five Emperors' Inner Seats may not be enough to stop me, Wei!"

Nian Guanhe chuckled, "Since this is a negotiation, there is still room for discussion. Emperor Yunluo, there's no need to rush. Allow me to return and report to His Majesty, and then we can make a final decision."

Wei Suifeng's expression softened, but then he glanced at Yuchenzi, becoming enraged again. He sternly said, "Dare to betray Yankang's interests again, and I'll kill you, Heavenly Court spy!"

Yuchenzi retorted furiously, "I'm a Heavenly Court spy? What benefit could I possibly gain from being a spy?"

"How would I know?" Wei Suifeng shot back. "I merely heard that the Heavenly Court gifted you several 'Heavens,' and people say that after these negotiations, you're going to hide away and become a rich old man!"

The two started arguing again, almost coming to blows. Prince Youming tried to mediate, slowly saying, "Both of you, say one less word..."

Nian Guanhe ordered a civil official under his command to go to the Heavenly Court and report the difficulties they encountered to Emperor Haotian. Emperor Haotian was currently speaking with the newly appointed Master of Zao Fu Palace, Celestial Venerable Xing Han, in Zao Fu Heavenly Palace, and no one else was allowed to enter.

Not until more than ten days later did Emperor Haotian emerge from Zao Fu Heavenly Palace, looking radiant and clearly in high spirits.

The civil official quickly stepped forward and reported the matter of the Yankang negotiations to Emperor Haotian. He said, "Celestial Venerable Mu isn't involved in the affairs, but his subordinates in power refuse to give up and are clamoring for rebellion."

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease," Emperor Haotian remarked. "It's because We haven't distributed benefits to them that they're quarreling."

Emperor Haotian saw it clearly and chuckled, "In that case, We can concede a little; there's no need to push too hard. If We push too hard, Celestial Venerable Mu might rebel. Go back and tell the Five Emperors' Inner Seats that they can relax some of the conditions. However, they must give them a deadline!"

His expression turned cold, and he sneered, "By the end of this year, they must sign for Us! If they don't, then don't blame Us for being merciless and annihilating Yankang!"

The civil official hurried away, returned to Yankang, and relayed Emperor Haotian's words to the Five Emperors' Inner Seats.

The Five Emperors' Inner Seats breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that His Majesty is willing to concede some benefits; that will make negotiations easier."

However, once this concession was made, various interested parties within Yankang emerged, all seeking a share. Inside the Wen Dao Institute, chaos erupted. Yankang's magnates argued not only with the Heavenly Court's envoys but also furiously among themselves.

The five Great Emperors of the Five Emperors' Inner Seats felt dizzy and muddled. Though they had several hundred attendants each, totaling two to three thousand people, even they were exhausted by the incessant bickering and found it impossible to cope.

The matter was debated until the end of the year, yet it was still not fully settled.

Emperor Haotian was furious and ordered all envoys to be recalled, preparing for war.

No sooner had this order been issued, and before the Heavenly Court's envoys had even returned, news arrived: Celestial Venerable Mu was no longer in seclusion. He had emerged and come to Yankang, submitting a memorial to the Heavenly Court, expressing his willingness to submit, and personally leading Yankang's envoys to the Heavenly Court to continue negotiations.

Emperor Haotian simultaneously ordered the Heavenly Court to ready its armies for immediate war, applying extreme pressure, while also commanding Celestial Venerable Mu to lead Yankang's envoys to the Heavenly Court to continue discussions.

After the Spring Festival, Qin Mu led Yankang's delegation to the Heavenly Court. As soon as they arrived, Emperor Haotian invited Qin Mu over for casual conversation, deliberately preventing him from meeting with the rest of the delegation.

Meanwhile, Yankang's delegation was confined to the Brocade Heavenly Palace. The Heavenly Court dispatched tens of thousands of civil officials who prevented the Yankang envoys from resting, sleeping, or eating, engaging in continuous rounds of negotiations that turned the Brocade Heavenly Palace into utter chaos.

The Yankang envoys led by Yuchenzi, Wei Suifeng, Prince Youming, and others could no longer hold out. After more than half a year, they eventually signed the contract, one after another.

Emperor Haotian ordered the thick contracts to be loaded into imperial carriages and sent to the imperial harem; it took seven carriages to transport them all. He chuckled, "My dear subject Mu, the matters concerning Yankang's surrender have been fully discussed. We have not treated you unfairly; We have conceded all negotiable benefits. Now, it is time for you, dear subject, to sign."

Qin Mu leafed through the seven carriages of contracts, reading them one by one. His expression subtly changed, growing darker with each page he read.

Emperor Haotian saw his increasingly grim expression and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Qin Mu finished reading the seven carriages of contracts, flicked his sleeve, and sneered, "I won't sign this contract! If I don't sign it, no one else's signature will be valid!"

Emperor Haotian was enraged. He straightened up, and the Grand Supreme Heaven of One Qi emerged from the ultimate void, its might overshadowing heaven and earth, enveloping the Heavenly Court. He said coldly, "My dear subject Mu, you won't sign? Are you playing games with Us?"

Qin Mu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty has taken the vast majority of Yankang's benefits. Others received mere scraps, and I received nothing at all. Do you acknowledge me as your greatest opponent? Am I not even worth a few scraps? Your Majesty's disregard for your humble subject is a disregard for yourself."

Emperor Haotian's gaze fell upon his face, looking directly into his eyes. "You've already gone into seclusion," he said, "what do you need so many benefits for? You should be reassuring Us, letting Us rest easy, not preparing for a resurgence!"

Qin Mu said with a wry smile, "This humble subject still has a large family to support..."

Emperor Haotian laughed in exasperation. "If you don't sign today," he threatened, "We will issue a decree, and Celestial Venerable Xu will annihilate half of Yankang's population!"

Within Qin Mu, his sealed Dao heart began to unlock layer by layer, and his fighting spirit soared. "However many you destroy," he declared, "this humble subject can revive them all!"

Emperor Haotian was consumed by rage, and he sneered, "Do you think We cannot counter your resurrection divine art? We will send their souls to the ultimate void, cast them into the Returning Ruins, and seal them in the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City, letting them utterly perish. Which one will you be able to revive?"

Qin Mu's aura weakened.

Just then, the Prime Minister suddenly arrived in a hurry, his face filled with anxiety. He glanced at Qin Mu, then stopped speaking.

Emperor Haotian said coldly, "Speak! There are no outsiders here!"

The Prime Minister hesitated, then said, "Your Majesty, the Four Great Heavens—Yuji, Shixiu, Lingshu, and Lingyuan—have rebelled. They have killed their respective masters and are preparing to launch an expedition against the Heavenly Court..." After speaking, he glanced at Qin Mu again.

Emperor Haotian flicked his sleeve and said indifferently, "Today, the world is in perfect order, and We are an unparalleled enlightened ruler. For them to rebel for their own selfish desires is truly courting death. Transmit Our order: have Celestial Venerable Xu annihilate them."

He looked at Qin Mu and smiled faintly, "My dear subject Mu, come with Us to these Four Great Heavens and witness the fate of rebels."