Chapter 1136: 24: National War, Part 2

Capítulo 1136: Chapter 24: National War, Part 2

Among the officials present from the Da Lan Dynasty, only two remained calm.

One was Li Fei, who hadn’t opened his eyes from start to finish.

The other was Ye Ze’an, who only glanced casually at the contents of the proposal booklet before placing it on the table and no longer looking at it.

All seven Dukes focused their attention on Ye Ze’an, awaiting his response.

Ye Ze’an pressed his palm against the booklet in front of him and gently pushed it forward:

“Leave the gift, take this back.”

Duke Zeke frowned slightly: “What does Lord Chief Minister mean by this? If there are any dissatisfactions with the proposal, you can point them out, and we can discuss slowly.”

The Seven Western Countries knew their proposal was an exorbitant demand.

But they expected to ask for the sky and settle on the ground.

Many things could be negotiated, and they weren’t necessarily unable to make concessions.

But Ye Ze’an’s attitude showed he didn’t even want to talk!

Ye Ze’an was an ordinary person, with no cultivation skills.

However, at this moment, the elderly man with graying temples sitting there had an aura that none of the seven Dukes dared to underestimate.

His gaze slowly and resolutely swept over the seven Dukes:

“On the land of the Da Lan Dynasty, Da Lan Dynasty will always have the highest authority. This has been the case in the past, it is the case now, and it will be the case in the future!”

A silence fell over the room.

Duke Miller, with a head of silver hair, once again revealed his trademark smile:

“From what I understand, it seems the Da Lan Dynasty’s current situation isn’t good. The Buddha at Pudu Temple killed your Emperor, yet until now you haven’t dared to act against Pudu Temple. How could your country reject our goodwill while still troubled internally?”

This statement provoked anger among the cabinet officials, yet they were helpless.

Could merely relying on a single assault rifle, even with some other more powerful weapons, thoroughly shift the balance of power between them and the Da Lan Dynasty?

Clearly not possible.

But as Miller said, with the Buddhist issue unaddressed, does Da Lan Dynasty truly have the resources to handle the Western Continent’s menacing gaze?

Yesterday, the delegation faced an attack before they even entered the city, further confirming the weakened state of the Da Lan Dynasty to the Seven Western Countries.

If the Seven Western Countries were to invade again, causing trouble and provoking the Buddhists, how would Da Lan Dynasty respond?

The Seven Western Countries dispatched a delegation now precisely because they saw the opportunity, knowing this is when Da Lan Dynasty is most vulnerable.

Otherwise, how would they dare present such a proposal?

For those uninformed, they might think it was Da Lan Dynasty that was defeated by the seven-nation alliance twenty-two years ago.

“Is Duke Miller representing Sefren Country to threaten us?”

Ye Ze’an locked eyes with Miller and asked.

Miller’s feigned smile gradually faded, and the hidden fierce aura beneath emerged.

His gaze was ferocious, staring intently at Ye Ze’an like a beast ready to devour!

At that moment, Li Fei, who had been resting his eyes peacefully beside Ye Ze’an, slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze, tangible and penetrating, fell upon Miller.

Miller’s expression stiffened, feeling as though he was pierced by a sharp sword and pinned down!

At this moment, he finally understood Senna’s feelings from yesterday.

“The Chief Minister misunderstands, merely a friendly reminder.”

Miller spoke stiffly, struggling to maintain his smile.

The subsequent negotiations did not continue, as Ye Ze’an’s attitude was uncompromising, leading to a disagreement between both sides.

Li Fei and Ye Ze’an were the last to leave the Great Hall.

“Will there be further discussions?”

Li Fei turned to ask Ye Ze’an.

Ye Ze’an nodded: “Of course.”

“Will we concede?”

Li Fei stared sharply at his counterpart.

Though he suggested to the new ruler to endure for three years, it didn’t mean he could accept any form of concession.

Ye Ze’an turned to face Li Fei:

“I already mentioned, if our Civil Servants can’t reason, then it’s up to you to talk sense.”

Li Fei understood.

Whether the Da Lan Dynasty ultimately yields to the Seven Western Countries depends on whether ‘reason’ can be thoroughly communicated.

….

In the following days, under Ye Ze’an’s directive, the cabinet ministers from the Internal Affairs Pavilion responsible for negotiations separately held talks with the envoys from the Seven Western Countries.

Coercion and inducement, sowing discord, distributing benefits…

With the intelligence about the Western Continent at their disposal, along with the lingering deterrent power of the Da Lan Dynasty and various benefits they could offer, these Civil Servants utilized every tactic to form alliances and counter alliances—

For instance, Duke Zeke Lane this time was representing Deni Country on a diplomatic mission, but he was also the Family Head of the Lane family.

If the Da Lan Dynasty were willing to give the Lane family some additional benefits in private, would they consider lending public office to private gain?

Also, the Kalan Duchy was once part of Sefren Country but later became independent, forming a duchy.

The relationship between the two countries has always been delicate; perhaps sowing discord could distance them further.

Such are the various strategies.

This is Ye Ze’an’s way of having the Civil Servants reason.

It’s negotiation, but also a unique form of warfare between countries!

Not only bloodshed on the battlefield counts as national war.

During this time, Li Fei remained in the Imperial City.

These individual negotiations didn’t require his involvement or attention.

He immersed himself in cultivation daily.

For the Lifebound Magic Items to ascend from the Earth Level to the Heavenly Level theoretically required acquiring ‘Thirty-six Heavenly Gang’ and ‘Seventy-two Earthly Fiends,’ a total of one hundred and eight Mid Third Grade Implants.

But Li Fei’s Flying Sword Body only incorporated twelve Mid Third Grade Implants, forming an [Permanent] Divine Skill, which advanced him from the Profound Level to the Earth Level.

Hence for future upgrades, he will need to tread a path unwalked by predecessors.

A path solely his own.

Such pioneering cultivation wasn’t something achievable overnight.

Nor could it be completed within a single generation.

However, Li Fei mastered the Magic of Nightmare Sect, allowing him to simulate and deduce in the Dream Realm.

He also possessed notes from Lin Tianyi, obtained from the Xiao Family, on Magic and Martial Unity written during the Great Grandmaster and Top-level True Master stages.

What’s more crucial, he had the Myriad Blood Pearl and the “Five Phases Reversal Technique,” enabling trial and error without fearing injuries or jeopardizing his foundation.

These fortuitous conditions collectively gave Li Fei the possibility to deduce a new path in a short time!

He has now basically determined the first Magic Implant he’s going to incorporate —

A Sixth Grade Fire Attribute Implant [Fierce Mountain Armor].

Sixth Grade Implants are all exceedingly rare.

Even within the Royal inventory, not all types of Sixth Grade Implants were available.

The necessary [Fierce Mountain Armor] isn’t found in the Royal inventory.

Fortunately, Tiansha Mountain harbors Exotic Beasts with the Sixth Grade Fierce Mountain Flame Armor Beast.

Li Fei already sent a request to Tiansha Mountain, hoping to trade resources for a Sixth Grade Fierce Mountain Flame Armor Beast.

Tiansha Mountain naturally didn’t refuse.

The Exotic Beast is currently on its way, and once it arrives in Lanling City, Li Fei can have someone begin crafting the Implant.

…

Southern Border.

Nanping Town, one of the twenty-eight military towns in the Southern Border.

When the Eldest Prince and Prince Li led a rebellion, the highest officer in Nanping Town, Governor Jiang Yufei, led over thirty loyal subordinates out of the town to resist.

They all met their demise at the hands of the Imperial Camp Army sent to suppress them.

After the fierce battle at Bai Feng Plain, the vanguard of the Southern Border Army was defeated, with five thousand troops that hadn’t yet arrived opting to surrender or flee.

In the end, barely thirty thousand Border Army made it back to the Southern Border.

Although the court replenished some troops from various places, the entire Southern Border’s military strength now totals just over sixty thousand.

Currently, Nanping Town has only eight hundred soldiers patrolling, with more than half being City Guard Army who’ve never been to the border.

When the warning horn atop the watchtower suddenly sounded, most people in the military town were bewildered.

Soon, everyone felt the ground trembling beneath them.

Outside Nanping Town, yellow sand billowed.

A Yellow Dragon surged forward!

This was the scene created by over ten thousand cavalry charging!

When the newly appointed Governor of Nanping Town hastily climbed the high tower and saw the flags fluttering in the distance, he sat down in despair.

In the distance, the flags were black, embroidered with an eight-armed Asura.

This was the flag of the Royal Iron Cavalry ‘Asura Army’ of Xuanmo Country, one of the Two Desert Countries!

The Asura Army was not as strong as the Da Lan Dynasty’s Imperial Camp Army, but they were all Martial Artists!

Without a moment’s hesitation, the new Governor of Nanping Town decided to open the city and surrender.

Quickly, an internal strife unfolded within the town.

When the Asura Army arrived, the military town gates were slowly opening….

In the forty-ninth year of Hong Guang, November 27.

The Two Desert Countries raised troops and invaded the Southern Border!

…