Chapter 217.2 - I Became the Legendary Emperor Throughout the Ages After I Started Giving Away My Territory

“General Bu, I just want to ask you one question. Do you think Great Yan can hold out?” Yuan Tiangang said.

Bu Qingyun opened his mouth, wanting to say something but found himself unable to speak.

Yuan Tiangang continued, “Let me be frank. With the three kingdoms besieging you, Great Yan’s days are numbered! No matter what you do, even if you fight with all your might, you still won’t be able to hold out!”

“Man proposes, God disposes. All I want is to have a clear conscience!” Bu Qingyun said.

He wanted to be loyal and also to save his family. But since ancient times, it has been difficult to fulfill both loyalty and righteousness, and he was torn between choices.

Yuan Tiangang smiled, “I have a perfect solution!”

“Tell me!” Bu Qingyun urged.

“General Bu, you can move your family to Great Xia first to avoid the war. Meanwhile, you can still serve Great Yan and fight to the end. If you really can’t hold out, you will have fulfilled your duty of loyalty and righteousness without regret, and then you can come to Great Xia to serve His Majesty. How about that?”

After hearing this, Bu Qingyun was very tempted; it indeed seemed like a perfect solution.

“But what if… Great Yan holds out?”

Yuan Tiangang looked deeply at him, “Do you think that’s possible?”

“That…” Bu Qingyun couldn’t answer.

“Alright, even if Great Yan holds out this time, can it withstand a second or third time? Weakness is a sin, and the weak will continuously suffer and be exploited. Even if it’s not those three kingdoms, other nations will come. Great Yan is no longer the Great Yan of the past!”

Bu Qingyun was unable to respond again.

Even he was not optimistic about the future of Great Yan.

“Well, it’s getting late, I should be going. General Bu, think it over carefully! We’ll come back in a few days, and you can tell us your decision then! The life and death of your family depend on your thoughts!”

“Right, I forgot to introduce myself—I am Yuan Tiangang!”

Yuan Tiangang and his party left.

General Bu Qingyun watched their retreating figures, deep in thought.

……

Then, Yuan Tiangang secretly visited other generals of Great Yan, as well as the Innate sect.

He appealed to emotions, reasoned with logic, and enticed with benefits—employing every tactic available.

For those who valued loyalty, he used sentiment to bewitch them.

For those who valued profit, he used incentives to lure them.

Yuan Tiangang had a keen eye, often able to see through people’s hearts, offering terms they couldn’t refuse.

This was why Lin Beifan had sent him to act as an envoy.

……

During these days, the war between Great Yan and the surrounding three nations finally erupted.

As the three nations were strong and aggressive, nearly one-third of Great Yan’s territory had fallen in less than three days, and out of three million soldiers, nearly a million were lost—the situation was extremely dire.

General Bu Qingyun saw all this but was powerless to change it.

Because he had already done his best.

In every battle, he had to face two Innates—how could he fight like that?

It was already good enough that he could take care of himself!

As for his own soldiers, he simply couldn’t look after them all; he could only watch helplessly as they were slaughtered.

And his own family, facing the iron hooves of the three nations, would they not suffer the same fate?

Thus, he finally made up his mind.

Then, all that was left was to wait.

So, although only four or five days had passed, it felt incredibly long to him.

Every minute and every second was torture.

“Why haven’t they come yet?”

Perhaps it’s true that the universe responds when you really yearn for something.

That familiar sound of the guqin once again reached his ears, and General Bu Qingyun’s heart leaped with joy. Without hesitation, he rushed out of his tent, following the sound of the music.

And then, he saw those familiar five people again.

Yuan Tiangang smiled and asked, “General Bu, five days have passed. What have you decided?”

“I agree to your terms! You must go immediately to the capital city and move my family to safety! After the war is over, I will go to Great Xia and serve His Majesty!”

“Good! You are indeed a wise man, General. You have not disappointed us!”

Yuan Tiangang said. “Please give us some tokens and a letter so we can convince your family!”

“I have already prepared everything!” General Bu Qingyun took out a letter for his family.

After that, Yuan Tiangang went on to contact other Innates.

All in all, he persuaded six Innates to serve Great Xia.

Having achieved much, the other 4 people greatly admired him.

“Sir, you are truly formidable. No wonder His Majesty holds you in such high esteem!”

Yuan Tiangang bowed humbly to the direction of Great Xia and smiled modestly, “You flatter me too much. All of this is His Majesty’s achievement! His Majesty is wise and martial, having founded the Dynasty, which attracts people from all directions, a place everyone yearns for. I am merely going with the flow, providing them with an opportunity. Naturally, they are willing to come, so it’s not anything difficult!”

“You are formidable, but His Majesty is even more so!” the four people said in unison.

“Alright, let’s not talk too much. Let’s get to work so we can return to Great Xia as soon as possible!”

Subsequently, they activated the covert forces that Lin Beifan had left in the Great Yan Kingdom and swiftly relocated the families of the six Innate experts.

With no worries left behind, the six Innates fought with all their might to defend Great Yan.

However, in the end, their defeat was as overwhelming as a collapsing mountain.

The military forces of the three kingdoms were too strong. The twenty Innates alone were more than they could contend with.

In less than half a month, the armies of the three kingdoms had taken over the capital city.

The Innates of Great Yan wanted to cover the escape of the Great Yan Emperor and preserve the royal family, but the proud Emperor chose not to flee but to self-immolate instead.

Thus, the Great Yan Kingdom ultimately perished!

No longer bound by regret, the six Innates finally came to serve Lin Beifan in Great Xia.

“Greetings, Your Majesty, long live the emperor!”

……

“Ding! As the player’s national power has increased, your strength has also increased synchronously. You are rewarded with the Tai Xuan Jing (The Classic of the Great Mystery)!”

“The Tai Xuan Jing is a Grandmaster-level martial art, also known as the encyclopedia of martial arts! It is said that in the beginning, there was the Dao, and the Dao was with the divine, the Dao is the divine, and the divine and Dao are natural…”

Lin Beifan quickly absorbed this martial art.

Although this martial art was not particularly strong compared to his other techniques, it was an exceptional martial arts tome that contained many martial principles, which could help him to draw on strengths and improve.

This was mainly due to the loyalty of the several Innates.

With the addition of these six newly sworn Innates, the number of Innate masters under Lin Beifan’s command was now close to fifty!

Such a number of Innates was comparable to some Empires.

Thinking of this, Lin Beifan was very happy.

***