The Beast Empress then said, “Prince must be joking. Although His Majesty has been in charge of sparrow spirits all the time and this Empress knows nothing about mining, I still know how much each of us will save and store every year in warehouses after mining for the next year’s needs. I heard that the warehouses in the West Land can hollow out the entire Parasol Mountain, so the amount will never be too small.”
Yue Tufeng said, “How can we continue to eat into our storage? To be honest, I am very ashamed. In fact, we have been eating away at our savings since a few years ago, and the warehouse has become a lot emptier. This year, there was really no way to do it, so I personally came to the Empress to confess our guilt. What’s more, the Yue Family is also willing to marry the pearl of our eye to the White Tiger Clan. You can also see our attitude from this. If the two families are united, how can the West Land be willing to watch the brother-in-law suffer if they are really helpless?”
Speaking of this, the Beast Empress didn’t want to make a fuss with them. She directly asked, “How many more spirit stones do you need to change this to last year’s quantity?”
Yue Tufeng shook his head. “I have said that it is just an issue with the stocks. You can’t change this no matter how many spirit stones you spend.”
After he said this, the Beast Empress said with a smile, “If it is really the lack of sparrow spirit, it’s fine. But if there was no shortage of sparrow spirit, and the West Land will use it for other purposes, it’s hard to say what will happen if Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital knows and finds out what the problem is.”
Yue Tufeng’s voice became colder. “What does the Empress mean by this?”
The Beast Empress said, “You can understand the reason why you are guilty. The Central Divine Land collects tributes of sparrow spirits from the Eight Lands every year. I don’t know whether the younger generations are clear about it, but the Lord of the Land must know it clearly in his heart. If there are more sparrow spirits, you will have the capital. You may have heard about how the current clan drove the Xuan Clan back to their hometown in the East Lands and how they were able to safely sit in that supreme position ever since. If you haven’t heard of it, I suggest that you go back and ask the seniors in the clan to find out. There are some things that are convenient for others and for yourself, which are mutually beneficial.”
Hearing this, Yin Nian couldn’t help turning his head to ask Yan Tianhen, “Hey, how did the Yan Family drive out the Xuan Clan in the first place?”
A glint flashed through Yan Tianhen’s eyes, and he had some ideas and schemes in his heart. “Nothing more than a disaster brought on by sparrow spirits.”
In the past, sparrow spirits were all managed by each clan. There was no mention of paying tribute, and there was no rule that the sparrow spirits could only be traded within the Divine Clans.
Thousands of years ago, the Yan Family usurped the throne where the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital Xuan Clan had sat for ten thousand years. It was partly because the five rulers of their Lands, led by Xuan Jiuxiao, all fell when sealing the Divine Devil. The other, more important reason was that the Yan Family had been secretly accumulating sparrow spirits for many years and had formed a powerful and invincible ghost army. Sparrow spirits were heaven-sent divine items, and just a single piece could support the operation of an entire large array. It was the powerful spiritual power backing the Yan Family that defeated the Xuan Clan, and the Xuan Clan retreated to the East Lands thus living in seclusion isolated from the world, so they were not exterminated. Since then, the Yan Family, probably because they themselves used the sparrow spirits to usurp the throne, began to worry that other Divine Clans would also use this method to usurp the throne and seek rebellion, so they began to exert absolute control over the business of sparrow spirits.
Yin Nian’s eyeballs turned, and he said with deep meaning, “I really don’t know if the South Lands truly didn’t have enough sparrow spirits, or if they have other ideas. If it is the former, it would be better to say, if it is the latter,…” He didn’t go on.
Yan Tianhen was a Prince of the Emperor’s family, and he naturally had more ideas in his heart than outsiders.
Yan Tianhen, however, had a look of disregard, and he was very arrogant and honest. “So what even if it’s the latter? If it’s discovered that they have untoward intentions, don’t tell me we’ll just sit still and wait for death?”
Yin Nian saw this and stopped talking for the time being.
In the mirror, after the Beast Empress had finished speaking, Yue Tufeng and Yue Lingxi’s attitudes changed clearly. To put it bluntly, they absolutely did not have any intentions of treason. After saying that the Beast Empress should refrain from instigating discord, where a third party could take advantage of it, they hurriedly said goodbye and left, with expressions and behavioral reactions as if they had been insulted.
Yin Nian snapped his fingers, and all the pictures on the mirror disappeared. It became an ordinary mirror that merely looked pretty.
Yin Nian wiggled out of the grass, stretched out his waist, and said, “My master is still waiting. I won’t talk to you more. I will leave first.”
Before Yan Tianhen had time to stop Yin Nian, he took out a magic treasure in the shape of a shuttle. After standing on it, he disappeared.
Yan Tianhen suddenly wanted to meet the Demonic Spectre Venerable whose crafting abilities were rumored to be even more powerful than the Pavilion Master of Heaven and Earth Pavilion.
Who knows how far his Dao attainments were and what his purpose was in sending the Young Palace Master of Reincarnation Palace over to sound out Yan Tianhen’s intentions and tried to win him over?
However, the fox would always show his tail eventually, and Yan Tianhen was not in a hurry. He had plenty of time and patience, enough to wait for the fish to slowly take the bait.
In White Tiger City’s branch of Reincarnation Palace.
Yin Nian stood at Demonic Spectre Venerable’s door and listened to the sound inside. After a long time, he bent his finger and lightly knocked on the door.
The door opened without wind. Yin Nian went in. He closed the door with the back of his hand, and looked at Demonic Spectre Venerable, who had half of his face covered and was now single-handedly refining equipment with his eyes closed. Yin Nian stood still and said, “Master, you guessed it correctly. This year, the Yue Family in the West Land has reduced the output of sparrow spirits in large quantities, and they’re also much more arrogant than before. Their disloyal intentions are abundantly clear.”
Demonic Spectre Venerable didn’t even lift his eyelids and made a closing motion. The magic treasure floating above his palm lit up for an instant, then quietly landed in his palm. “What’s the attitude of the Beast Empress?” asked Demonic Spectre Venerable.
“The Beast Empress didn’t seem to like Yue Tufeng very much, and from what this disciple can see, she is a sensible person and doesn’t intend to associate with the Yue Family.” Yin Nian walked to Demonic Spectre Venerable’s side, pulled another futon, and sat down cross-legged, curiously looking at the cup in his hand. “Master, what good things have you crafted this time?”
“Nothing more than a wine cup.”
He put the cup away and said, “Right now, the Southwest Land’s Fu Family is too busy worrying about themselves, and the Beast Emperor’s situation is still unclear, so naturally, the Beast Empress doesn’t want to cause more trouble. However, the Yan Family is not stupid. The excuse given for the decline of the tribute of sparrow spirits in the West Land has been becoming more and more creative year by year. Of course, there is a problem here.”
Yin Nian asked, “Can’t it really be because the sparrow spirit mine has been hollowed out?”
Demonic Spectre Venerable said, “You pay a visit and see for yourself.”
Yin Nian sighed and said regretfully, “It’s a pity that Little Prince Yan is not willing to do business with us. If he does, I can tell him a lot of useful information.”
Demonic Spectre Venerable seemed to lift the corner of his lips, and said, “He is very clever and naughty; he has countless schemes and ideas. You can’t rope him in with just a few words.”
“If you are smart, you must tell the Purple Emperor Heavenly Capital. Then, there will be a good show to watch.”
“If he’s smart, he will definitely tell Royal Heavenly Capital about the Yue family’s situation. When that happens, there will be a good show.” Yin Nian held his cheek, smiled cunningly, and said, “However, this matter has already been revealed to him.”
Yin Nian was still young. He had been following Demonic Spectre Venerable ever since he was a child. His cultivation was much higher than those of his peers. He also had countless magic treasures and medicinal pills on him. Therefore, he had developed a fearless nature; he was simply afraid that the world would not be chaotic. He wasn’t worried at all about being caught in the crossfire if great powerhouses fought one day; he was just afraid of life being too boring. Yin Nian imagined the scene of the Royal Heavenly Capital looking for trouble in the West Land for a while. He grinned darkly and chuckled twice, then immediately sat up under the gaze of Demonic Spectre Venerable, his expression serious. “Speaking of which, what method do we have to resolve the Dream Ghost plaguing the Beast Emperor?” Yin Nian frowned, very lost.
Demonic Spectre Venerable said, “The Beast Empress only asked us to find a solution, but did not ask Reincarnation Palace to save the Beast Emperor and wake him up.”
Yin Nian paused. “Does Master already have a solution?”
Demonic Spectre Venerable said indifferently, “A few years ago, the same incident happened in the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital. Consort Ye personally investigated and found that it was a Dream Ghost. When the Dream Ghost talked with Consort Ye, he asked for a person by name.”
Yin Nian’s eyes lit up. “Who is it?”
“Huarong Sword Immortal.”
Yin Nian was stunned. “Why does the Dream Ghost want to find Lin Xuanzhi? He is far away in the immortal island overseas, and he has never been involved in worldly matters. The Dream Ghost has no reason to target him.”
“The reason for this is unclear.” Demonic Spectre Venerable got up. “Out of many considerations, Consort Ye and the others have suppressed the Dream Ghost’s request. We just need to let the Beast Empress know who to look for to solve the problem. We don’t need to interfere too much.”
Yin Nian also stood up and followed Demonic Spectre Venerable. “But we have no evidence. How can the Beast Empress listen to our one-sided statement?”
“Isn’t it true that you also never doubted whether what your Master told you was true or not?” Demonic Spectre Venerable asked back.
Yin Nian answered, “That’s because Master has never lied to me.”
Demonic Spectre Venerable said deeply, “Reincarnation Palace’s reputation is much more effective than any evidence.”
Yin Nian was stunned for a moment and clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
“Master is right. In the past few years, Reincarnation Palace has never said a word of falsehood to the outside world, and the news that was found was eventually confirmed to be true. Even though Reincarnation Palace is both good and evil in the eyes of the world and not easy to get along with, no one doubts its credibility.”
Yin Nian felt that he was more upright.
“It’s a pity that Little Prince Yan still doesn’t like us.” Although Yin Nian said it was a pity, his tone held no trace of regret.
Demonic Spectre Venerable smiled slightly, pinched a little of spices ground from the South Sea’s ten-thousand-years-old driftwood, and put it down in the exquisite and small incense burner. His movements were very elegant.
“Regarding the matter with the sparrow spirits, he will find us again sooner or later. Just you wait and see.”
After Yin Nian left, Yan Tianhen also left the Beast Emperor’s Palace. He thought that the Beast Empress would not be in a good mood now, so he would not disturb her for the time being, and would pay attention to the situation in the Southwest Land some other day.
After going back, Hai Kuanglang and Wan Yitong were out. Bei Shitian was meditating. Qi Feiqing looked out the window in a daze.
Yan Tianhen walked over and said, “Feiqing, what are you thinking?”
Qi Feiqing returned to his senses, turned to look at Yan Tianhen, and frowned. “I was wondering whether or not to tell my elder brother about the private contact between Reincarnation Palace and the White Tiger Clan.”
“I’m afraid your brother already knows,” Yan Tianhen said.
Qi Feiqing narrowed his eyes. “Since he already knows, why won’t my brother give me any indications!”