King Dingxuan sighed, placing the chess piece back into the box, and said, “Young friend, why be so aggressive?”
“Perhaps I have been pushed too long, and now I want to see what it feels like to overturn the table.”
King Dingxuan shook his head, and a nearby duke interjected, “Zhao Qianye! With such audacity, do you not fear implicating the Zhao clan?”
Qian Ye, with a blank expression, turned to look at the duke and said calmly, “How would it implicate? Like this?”
Without moving a muscle, several lines of blood flashed like lightning towards the duke! The attack was unbelievably fast. The duke’s face turned ashen, and he had no time to dodge.
At this moment, a sigh came from King Zhiji.
He appeared between Qian Ye and the duke, extending his wide sleeves to intercept the blood lines.
The duke, who had narrowly escaped death, was pale, pointing at Qian Ye and stammering, “Y-You, how dare you…”
Having missed his target, Qian Ye did not attack again, but simply looked at King Zhiji.
King Zhiji sighed, “Can’t an old man even take a nap or rest for a while?”
Qian Ye replied, “This matter is too big. You may not find peace anytime soon.”
Toward King Zhiji, Qian Ye still maintained some respect.
Another person tried to speak, but King Zhiji raised his hand, and that person had no choice but to keep silent.
“Why do you place such importance on these primitive tribes, to the point of risking enmity with the Empire?”
“This has nothing to do with the Atuva people. Even without them, I’m sure many would prefer to watch me and the Evernight fight to the death, right?”
Qian Ye spoke without reservation, and many faces immediately showed unease. King Zhiji, with his status, naturally could not lie outright.
With a calm face, Qian Ye asked, “By the way, someone just mentioned that my actions might implicate the Zhao clan? How exactly, and what would I need to do to implicate the Zhao clan? Do elaborate.”
“Words spoken in anger, why take them seriously?” King Dingxuan stepped in to mediate.
King Dingxuan was not afraid of the Zhao clan, but there was a difference between not fearing and overthrowing them. The Zhao clan was intricately connected to the imperial family, and toppling them was no easier than toppling the Zhang clan. The person who threatened Qian Ye was considered part of King Dingxuan’s faction, so he had to step in. Otherwise, if these words were to reach the Empire, it would cause another small-scale upheaval.
Qian Ye smiled and said, “No need to take it seriously?”
“No need to take it seriously.”
“Then, I don’t need to take the Evernight Parliament seriously either. Whatever they do, it’s their business.”
“That’s not right. Your enmity with the Evernight is deep, how can you sit idly by and let them act recklessly?”
“Yet, my enmity with some people in the Empire is also significant, and I still let them act recklessly.”
King Dingxuan remained calm, saying, “In fact, from the Empire’s perspective, the military officials did nothing wrong in the battle of the Unfallen City. Besides, Li Fengshui has been executed, and the Longevity King has fallen. What grievances are left to be resolved?”
Qian Ye’s eyebrows gradually furrowed and then relaxed.
Staring at King Dingxuan, he suddenly said, “Your Highness, one of your recent statements was incorrect.”
“Oh, which one? Please, enlighten me.”
“The statement that I can only observe the game and am not yet qualified to enter the fray.”
“Where is the error?”
“Recently, the Radiant King fell by my hand.”
King Dingxuan’s eyes narrowed, a chill flickering through them, and he said slowly, “Heroes have always emerged in youth. How could we not know of your illustrious deeds, young friend?”
“Your Highness, it might be a bit late to try anything now.”
King Dingxuan laughed heartily, saying, “Young friend, you jest. We all fight for the Empire, how could we possibly turn on each other?”
Qian Ye also smiled, saying, “Very true! Since we are all on the same side, we should fight shoulder to shoulder. How can we let a friend charge ahead while we cower behind? Wouldn’t you agree?”
No matter how good-tempered King Dingxuan was, his expression stiffened, and he said slowly, “What do you mean, young friend?”
“It’s simple. The Atuva tribes are my people.”
Beside them, King Zhiji frowned but said nothing.
Qian Ye had made it clear, treating the Atuva people as his subordinates. To sacrifice the Atuva people would be to harm Qian Ye’s interests.
King Dingxuan remained composed, saying, “The dark races are cunning and unpredictable. No one knows what they are up to in the shadow world. For now, it is best to proceed cautiously and avoid rash actions.”
Qian Ye said, “Is this your personal opinion, or the Empire’s stance?”
“What’s the difference?”
Qian Ye looked at King Zhiji. King Zhiji, with a slight frown, pondered silently.
Qian Ye said calmly, “It seems the old king is still hesitating. Very well, since you are determined to watch me and the Evernight fight to the death and then reap the benefits, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
“How do you intend to proceed?”
“Your Highness, you surely have the Empire’s best interests at heart, so your personal gains should be of little concern. They can be discarded without a second thought.”
“Be more specific, young friend.”
Qian Ye spoke clearly, “Prioritizing state affairs is correct, but it doesn’t prevent me from settling some personal grudges in my free time. Since Your Highness has no fear of making enemies with me, please make proper arrangements for your descendants. Otherwise, if you fail to leave this shadow world, I will have to seek out your descendants and root them out one by one. That would be quite troublesome, wouldn’t it?”
King Dingxuan finally changed color, shouting, “You dare?!”
This time, Qian Ye remained calm, saying, “In the Black Sun Valley, I single-handedly faced the entire Evernight and emerged victorious. Is there anything I would not dare to do?”
“Acting in such a manner, do you not feel shame?”
“Can’t handle the loss of a few descendants? It’s just a matter of being childless. Compared to the Empire’s great cause, which is more important? Need I say more?” Qian Ye sneered.
A killing intent began to rise in King Dingxuan’s eyes, while gray mist slowly emanated from Qian Ye’s body.
Finally, King Zhiji coughed and said slowly, “This is getting out of hand. What is this?”
“Indeed, it’s out of hand,” Qian Ye’s words carried a deeper meaning.
King Dingxuan’s eyebrows rose, and he said coldly, “Must you engage in idle banter? I may be old, but I can still fight!”
Qian Ye said calmly, “You acknowledge your age? If you can’t kill me today, in three years, when I become a Great King, you won’t have a chance.”
“Three years…” King Dingxuan mused.
Finally, King Zhiji became angry, shouting, “This ends here!”
“No problem.” Qian Ye turned to leave.
“Hold it!” King Dingxuan called after Qian Ye.
“What further instructions does Your Highness have?”
King Dingxuan stared at Qian Ye and said, “Are you determined to oppose me, yes or no?”
Qian Ye laughed, saying, “You flatter me! How could I oppose you? But remember, I am half a Longevity Being, and living a couple of centuries longer is no issue. Your worthless descendants are better off dead. If I’m in a good mood, I might even take up your mantle and protect the Empire for another hundred years. This would be beneficial for the Empire’s long-term future. You, who always think of the greater good, surely wouldn’t object, right?”
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