337 A Foregone Conclusion?
Translator:Vicky_ | Editor: Vicky_ /Nyoi-Bo Studio
The king of Qin looked at the people from various forces who were deep in thought. He knew that they were somewhat shaken.
It was certainly not easy to convince these people to attack the Cottage alongside Qin Dynasty. Even though Fuyun Sword Clan and Royal Xuan Temple were close to Qin Dynasty, they would still be unwilling to face an enemy like the Cottage. Every force was selfish. Only when the Cottage really threatened their existence would they consider making this decision.
Today, he was trying to tell everyone that the threat Qin Dynasty posed them was far less than the Cottage. Otherwise, why would these people follow the Qin Dynasty and fight against the Cottage?
“In the past when the Qin Dynasty was the king of the Eastern Barren Territory, various forces here coexisted and different clans still developed in good order. Our dynasty ruled the world but did not interfere with the existence of clans. In the future, it will remain the same. If the Qin Dynasty can rule the world again, we will surely share everything we have with all of you. We and Donghua Clan jointly established Dongqin College for the cultivators in the world. The situation in the future will not be very different from now.”
The king continued to persuade them, “Now, we have even found the tomb of our ancestors. There are many ancient books in them. As a result, we even teach techniques of the Qin Dynasty in Dongqin College to disciples. When we establish a new era together, this will even be more so. Qin Dynasty will definitely not keep all the good stuff to ourselves. Instead, we wish that all the forces can develop and grow together, unlike what the Cottage is doing. When forces such as Sword Saint Mountain fill every corner of the Eastern Barren Territory, there will be no place for you.”
Everyone’s eyes sparkled and they felt even more worried. Indeed, Qin Dynasty had obtained the tomb of their ancestors and their powers must have grown significantly. Furthermore, they had already stated clearly that they were going to revive the Qin Dynasty.
“Your Majesty, you’re right. Now, the Cottage is already ignoring all the other forces and is extremely arrogant and supercilious. What will it be like in the future?” an elder from Yin Family echoed.
“In the future, any Cottage disciple can shake the Eastern Barren Territory with a single sentence,” someone said.
Many people also echoed this, but the people from various top forces still kept quiet. Would Qin Dynasty really behave in the way that the king of Qin had described? They would obviously not believe him so easily. After all, the destruction of Liu Kingdom was a living example. If the Qin Dynasty really unified the Eastern Barren Territory, nobody would know what would happen.
Currently, both the Cottage and Qin Dynasty were already far stronger than any of them. If a force was to fight against them alone, its outcome would certainly be just like the Liu Kingdom.
This was also the most difficult problem each force was facing at the moment. They were too weak, but Qin Dynasty declared its ambition to rule Eastern Barren Territory and wanted them to state their position. However, they would be in danger regardless of whether they made their position clear. If they chose not to declare their position now, Qin Dynasty might win and find them afterward. They would end up just like the Liu Kingdom. If they chose to stand on Qin Dynasty’s side, they would face the risk of losing.
Now, nobody knew clearly what the Qin Dynasty and the Cottage really had. Qin Dynasty was confident because they were strong, had allied with Donghua Clan, and found the tomb of their ancestors. On the other hand, the Cottage was very mysterious. Nobody knew whether Mr. Du from the Cottage really knew about cultivation or not, or how strong he was.
“I know that you still have concerns and are worried that I will not keep my promise. But please rest assured. As long as you are willing to attack the Cottage with us, I will bring you to the tomb. There, you will be strengthened by our ancestors and obtain sage ritual implements. I am even willing to take a blood oath with you in front of the tomb. The only goal of the Qin Dynasty is to restore the glory we once had and not to own everything in the world,” the king of Qin announced loudly. When he finished speaking, many people could feel their hearts trembling. Their eyes brightened and they were somewhat shaken.
Only real benefits could move a person.
Eastern Barren Territory would be unified sooner or later. They could not resist the general trend at all. When Qin Dynasty destroyed the Liu Kingdom and the Cottage killed Qin Ge, the situation in the Eastern Barren Territory changed from being subtle to clear. A war could erupt at any time, and the current era seemed to be approaching its end at an accelerated pace. Nobody could stop the torrents of this trend.
Just now, Qin Dynasty had been discussing the Cottage’s threat. Now, they mentioned about being strengthened by their ancestors and obtaining sage ritual implements. How could they not be moved?
Suddenly, Xia Luo, a disciple of the first lord of Royal Xuan Temple, said to his master secretly, “Master, if we want to get the upper hand in the future, we must get their trust now. There is no time to hesitate. The relationship between Royal Xuan Temple and the Cottage is already unrepairable unless we tie the fifth lord up and give him to the Cottage.”
The first lord’s eyes sparkled. He knew that his disciple was only describing the reality, but Royal Xuan Temple would obviously not give the fifth lord to the Cottage. Otherwise, Royal Xuan Temple would no longer be able to have a firm standing in the Eastern Barren Territory.
Noticing that his master was still hesitating, Xia Luo added, “Master, it’s time for us to make a decision. There is a difference between being the first to accept and being forced to accept. If the five lords in Royal Xuan Temple can all be strengthened and get sage ritual implements, we will definitely be able to have a place in Eastern Barren Territory in the future. Now, we only want to maximize our benefits.”
The first lord clearly knew what his disciple was saying was all correct. He glanced at the people from other forces and discussed secretly with the other lords. The fifth lord, He Yulu, obviously supported this idea. Soon, the first lord said, “The Cottage is uncontrolled in their behavior and forced my Royal Xuan Temple disciple to die. We have been unhappy about this since long ago but we could only tolerate them because we were too weak. Now, Qin Dynasty is willing to call upon the world to attack the Cottage, and Royal Xuan Temple is, of course, happy to know that. We will join you in the battle.” When he finished speaking, the place fell into complete silence. There was finally a top force that made their decision. Everyone knew that from the moment he said this, Royal Xuan Temple would really be tied to Qin Dynasty’s war chariot.
Qin Dynasty, Donghua Clan, and Royal Xuan Temple had allied.
The king’s eyes glittered. Finally, a force declared its position. What Qin Dynasty needed the most at the moment was such a primer. The statement from the first lord of Royal Xuan Temple was sufficient to break the mental defense of the other leaders.
The outcome was already a foregone conclusion—they had to join the Qin Dynasty.
Thinking about this, he glanced inadvertently at Xia Luo who was sitting behind the first lord of Royal Xuan Temple. Xia Luo’s real surname was Qin and he had stayed in Royal Xuan Temple for many years, all for this moment. In the future, he could assist his brother Qin Yu in ruling.
Xia Luo was also extremely excited at the moment, but he still controlled himself. He was sent to Royal Xuan Temple when he was young, so naturally, he was very adept at hiding his emotions. In the many years at Royal Xuan Temple, he had never once displayed any relationship to Qin Dynasty. He even did not really contact the Qin Dynasty. Only in Chaoge City did he start to execute Qin Dynasty’s plan. Finally, at this very important moment, he played a key role.
He knew clearly that at such a time, the leaders of various forces only needed a primer, and he had played his role well, causing the first lord of Royal Xuan Temple to make the decision.
“Great. With your decision, Qin Dynasty, Donghua Clan, and Royal Xuan Temple will definitely achieve a lot. Who else is willing to join me and establish a new era?” the king asked loudly.
“Your Majesty, we will follow you,” a person from Yin Family made his stance.
“Your Majesty, we will follow you and fight against the Cottage.” Many people announced their decisions one after another. The forces which followed the Qin Dynasty naturally knew what they should do at the moment. Royal Xuan Temple had already nodded, so it was time to let the other forces feel that the torrent of change was unstoppable.
The various top forces all felt some pressure from the situation. The eyes of the Fuyun Sword Clan leader sparkled, after which he also said, “Fuyun Sword Clan will also follow Qin Dynasty.”
“Fantastic. With the aid of Fuyun Sword Clan, we can accomplish anything,” the king said, grinning.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. You will certainly destroy the Cottage and rule the Eastern Barren Territory.” The voices of people became stronger and stronger. The cultivators from the Witch Clan, Ji Family, and the Moon Clan sat on their seats. Looking at the scene before them, they all sighed in their hearts.
Although the true strength of the Cottage was unknown, they would probably not be able to fight against so many major forces. Even if Mr. Du from the Cottage knew how to cultivate, he should not be stronger than the College Chief. The top cultivators from Qin Dynasty and Donghua Clan would be able to deal with him.
In the Qin Imperial Palace, the sound waves turned into a terrifying mass which spread outwards continuously. The crowd in the distance felt the power of the torrent and was deeply shocked. A new era was approaching. Were the College and the Cottage going to be destroyed?
Suddenly, a man in a black shirt appeared among the vast crowd outside the palace. He looked ordinary and was wearing a black robe which swung in the air. He also had long, black hair. On his usual-looking face, however, there was a pair of eyes which looked as mysterious and deep as the stars, making him somewhat unusual.
Through the loud noises, he walked calmly towards the palace step by step. Occasionally, some people would look at him and notice his special temperament. They would frown and think about why he had attracted their attention although he looked ordinary. It felt as if at the moment they saw him, they knew that he was certainly extraordinary, unlike his appearance.
Very soon, the man reached the gates of the palace and continued to walk forward.
Seeing him, a guard outside the Qin Imperial Palace questioned, “Who are you?”
The person ignored him and still walked slowly towards the palace. From his body, a faint might was being released.
Seeing the scene, a guard walked forward and shouted, “Stop.” However, the person did not seem to have heard anything and continued to advance. A murderous aura was emitted from the guards but in the next instant, the man in black shirt took a step forward and an invisible current started to flow. Immediately, the space around him seemed to freeze. The guards stopped and stood motionlessly at their spots like statues. They just watched as the person walked past them and into the palace.
Very soon, the guards could move again. They could all feel their bodies being filled with cold sweat and only astonishment could be seen on their faces. Such a terrifying person! Just now, they felt that if they were to move even slightly, they would be crushed into a million pieces!