Chapter 246: Chapter 160: Ulterior Motives
Translator: 549690339
What does it mean to hide away and cultivate one’s skill in seclusion, eschewing fame?
What does it mean to serve the motherland, leading the soldiers to quell the enemy?
Is it that simple for you to conceal yourself and cultivate to become an Inborn Grandmaster?
Are your battles fought against an army of over a hundred thousand, led by an Inborn Grandmaster right from the start?
Lu Yuan stared at the placid tone of Chu Wei and really wanted to land a punch. He found Chu Wei’s manner too ordinary.
But he had to admit it.
Chu Wei’s modesty had indeed left a deep impression on him.
The Shangguan family of the Golden Altar was one of the six names and seven clans in Linhai County.
However, among these top clans, the Shangguan family wasn’t particularly outstanding, similar to the Chu family that Chu Wei came from. They were among the latter in the ranking.
But such an unremarkable family had suddenly produced an Inborn Grandmaster at this time.
Although Chu Wei said that Shangguan Ming had just become an Inborn Grandmaster at the beginning of the year.
The timing was too coincidental. He appeared right when the Miao People had captured Baling City, shouting about avenging the country.
The implications of this were indeed thought-provoking.
Did Shangguan Ming happen coincidentally to break through, then decided to serve his country?
Or did he emerge as Baling City happened to be captured, to take charge of the cleanup?
Left guessing, Lu Yuan felt that he shouldn’t be excessively optimistic, and he inclined toward the conspiracy theory.
‘From a sinister point of view, Shangguan the Grandmaster could be the hidden trump card amongst the six names and seven clans. They could wield it when needed to unsettle their opponents.
A trump card is such that if you have one, you likely have two, and if you have two, you possibly have more.
The six names and seven clans have intermarried and helped each other for thousands of years.
There’s no wav such entrenched aristocratic families don’t have a few tricks up
their sleeves.’ Lu Yuan thought.
At this point, he looks back at the imperial court and the six names and seven clans behind the imperial court. He no longer dismisses them pessimistically, but rather, feels they are unfathomable.
Today they can produce Shangguan Ming, who knows if they will present another Grandmaster like Chu Ming or Li Ming in the future?
Forces like the Yuzhong Guo Family and Luyang’s Seven Star Sect, all have their families and sect inheritances. The six names and seven clans who control the resources of the whole Da Yue, can they be without such treasures?
If these thirteen aristocratic families have two or three who have deep roots and a rich heritage, it’s entirely possible that they could produce two or three innate experts, leveraging their family treasures.
At the current moment, they must not conflict with the imperial court.
To Lu Yuan, the grandeur of the Da Yue imperial court is, for now, still appealing.
With these thoughts in his heart, Lu Yuan happily said to Chu Wei after adjusting his strategy a little, “If we have two Inborn Grandmasters this time, the Five Poisons Miao thieves will surely be annihilated. Dongting County will be safe again, which would be a great thing.”
While being cordial, Lu Yuan also admitted weakness with slight embarrassment. “I must confess, Chu, since receiving the news of the fall of the county town, my heart has been in turmoil.”
“I fear every day and night that the Demoness Grandmaster of the Five Poisons might suddenly strike, aiming to take my life.”
“Now with two Inborn Grandmasters, even the monster will not dare to be reckless. Finally, I can rest easy.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Wei smiled gently, “General, rest assured. With two Grandmasters here, the demonic woman would not dare to target you or the local officials, if she is wise.
If she assassinates court officials, our two Grandmasters can also assassinate the high officials of the Five Poisons Sect.
Two against one, if she breaks the rules, the sect will face destruction.”
Lu Yuan slightly nodded, “Precisely.”
A grand banquet thus came to end amidst a mix of laughter and chatter.
Over the next two days, Lu Yuan hosted Chu Wei in the camp, assembled the army, demonstrating their drills and training for this imperial envoy.
He also discussed martial arts, subtly exhibiting his remarkable strength and inciting astonishment.
These actions serve to show goodwill, creating a bond.
Furthermore, they displayed his power to the imperial court, demonstrating that the Pingxi General has substantial strength.
If the imperial court sends two Inborn Grandmasters leading a hundred thousand strong army, what if they try to sideline him and seize military power?
Should Lu Yuan accept it? Or refuse?
All these possibilities could indeed occur.
To avoid these, just like Chu Wei last night, he showcased his own strength, before intimidating and compromising.
Lu Yuan’s confidence now lies in his upper-tier strength and his tens of thousands of soldiers.
With these two, he is confident that he can hold his own even against Inborn Grandmasters, the Five Poisons Sect, or the imperial army.
‘If I can gain something at the Tianluo Grand Meeting, and find a way to break through to Inborn, then once I become Inborn, I will be truly free and unrestrained.’
As Lu Yuan was accompanying Chu Wei, watching the soldiers’ drills, these thoughts came to him.
After two days, the envoy Chu Wei finally decided to leave and return to the imperial court.
Lu Yuan gave him ten thousand silver taels for his journey and personally escorted him out of the camp for ten miles, bidding farewell to the envoy..