Chapter 50: Negotiation

Hearing this, Xiao Long was overjoyed. He leaped up from the dragon throne at once and walked toward the entrance of the grand hall.

Lu Xingchen chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, I trust you have been well."

Although Xiao Yue and Lu Xingchen had a personal grievance, it did not hinder his loyalty to Xiao Long.

This sovereign was quite competent. Though his abilities were mediocre, his greatest strength lay in appointing people on their merits.

Internally, he employed Peng Zhihao to handle state affairs, and externally, he utilized Lu Zhaoyang to guard the borders, keeping the Great Dayan Kingdom in good order.

Xiao Long strode up to Lu Xingchen and gave him a hearty embrace.

"Lu Xingchen, you've finally returned! Right now, only you can save the Great Dayan Kingdom."

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "I have returned precisely to help the Great Dayan Kingdom. Rest assured, Your Majesty, the Great Dayan Kingdom and my old man will both be safe and sound."

"What about the enemy troops outside the royal city? How did you manage to get in?" Xiao Long asked with some confusion.

Lu Xingchen chuckled lightly, "The enemy troops have already been repelled by me."

Xiao Yue let out a long breath, feeling much more at ease.

"That's good, that's good. Lu Xingchen, you've truly grown capable, being able to repel an army of tens of thousands. I wonder how many experts the Sky-Soaring Sect sent to assist?"

Lu Xingchen said softly, "The Sky-Soaring Sect is bound by the Righteous Alliance and cannot interfere in wars between nations. Therefore, I only brought back my Senior Sister, Lin Jing."

Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed across Xiao Long's face. "Just two people? This time, the number of Great Martial Masters appearing on the side of the Fengming Kingdom can be counted on two hands. Otherwise, the Grand General wouldn't have been captured."

Lu Xingchen said in a solemn voice, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. With the power of the two of us, it is more than enough."

"Sigh, I hope so!"

Xiao Long did not blame Lu Xingchen.

After all, it was already commendable enough that he could risk his life to return to the country.

Now that the Grand General had been taken prisoner, they had no choice but to pin their hopes on Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen continued, "Your Majesty, tell me about the situation in the Great Dayan Kingdom. And where did the reinforcements for the Fengming Kingdom come from?"

Xiao Long replied, "The Tianhui Kingdom has been assisting the Fengming Kingdom."

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen was slightly taken aback.

"The Tianhui Kingdom? Never heard of it."

Xiao Long let out a soft sigh. "I hadn't heard of it before either. The intelligence was investigated and compiled by Prime Minister Peng Zhihao."

"The Tianhui Kingdom is a medium-sized nation located to the east of the Great Dayan Kingdom, thousands of li away, separated by more than a dozen countries in between."

"The Fengming Kingdom suffered heavy vitality and was utterly devastated by us last time. Having lost their minds with desperation, they took the initiative to seek an alliance with the Tianhui Kingdom. The alliance treaty was extremely unequal; all the territories conquered by the Fengming Kingdom had to be handed over to the Tianhui Kingdom. Driven by immense interests, the Tianhui Kingdom dispatched troops to provide support."

A jolt ran through Lu Xingchen's heart.

"This Fengming Kingdom is truly doing something that harms others without benefiting themselves."

Xiao Long sighed once more.

"Who is to say otherwise? The two nations have harbored deep grievances for a long time, so it is somewhat understandable that the sovereign of the Fengming Kingdom would resort to such a move. However, I could never compromise the interests of the citizens of the Great Dayan Kingdom, which is why I would never do something like that."

Lu Xingchen then asked, "How many troops did the Tianhui Kingdom send to support the Fengming Kingdom? With the two countries thousands of li apart, they surely didn't dispatch a massive army, did they?"

Xiao Yue said in a deep voice, "The Tianhui Kingdom only dispatched a little over a thousand men, but they are exceptionally elite. There is a thousand-man battalion composed entirely of low-star Martial Masters. In addition, there are at least ten Great Martial Masters and one Martial Spirit expert."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xingchen drew a sharp intake of breath.

"You've got to be kidding me? An entire battalion of Martial Masters! The Tianhui Kingdom is certainly extravagant!"

Xiao Long's expression turned gloomy. "Who is to say otherwise? Relying on this Martial Master battalion, the Fengming Kingdom advanced like a hot knife through butter, having already captured two-thirds of our nation's cities. If you hadn't returned in time, I'm afraid I would have already died for my country."

Lu Xingchen nodded heavily.

"Very well, I understand the situation. Then where is my old man right now?"

Xiao Long said solemnly, "The Grand General led the soldiers and officers to defend our homeland, but alas, the disparity in strength between the enemy and us was too vast, and unfortunately, he was captured. The Grand General is currently imprisoned in Zigui City, which has already become the main stronghold of the Fengming Kingdom's army."

Lu Xingchen nodded again. "Good, I understand."

Xiao Long said anxiously, "Lu Xingchen, you must not act rashly! Not only is there a massive army in Zigui City, but there is also the single Martial Spirit expert dispatched by the Tianhui Kingdom stationed there."

"Of course the Grand General must be rescued, but we cannot be too hasty. If you were to be killed by the Fengming Kingdom, our Great Dayan Kingdom would truly perish."

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "I know. I will definitely proceed with caution."

"Your Majesty, I will return to my room to rest first."

With that, Lu Xingchen took Lin Jing and left the grand hall.

Inside a room deep within the imperial palace, Lu Xingchen dismissed Lin Jing and took out the Primordial Chaos Umbrella.

Having left this mysterious woman hanging for so many days, it was time to communicate with her.

Lu Xingchen opened the Primordial Chaos Umbrella, and the mysterious woman appeared in the room.

However, a white curtain of light surrounded her—that was the seal of the Primordial Chaos Umbrella.

As long as Lu Xingchen thought of it, he could continue to seal her inside the umbrella.

During her imprisonment over these past few days, the mysterious woman had already finished hurling every curse she could think of and had greeted every ancestor in Lu Xingchen's lineage.

Now that she was released, she appeared extremely calm, saying not a single word, only glaring coldly at Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "Young lady, what is your honorable name?"

"Yun Li," the mysterious woman replied coldly.

"You mentioned earlier that you are a Saintess of the Cangxuan Sect. I wonder how the Cangxuan Sect compares to a medium-sized nation in terms of strength?"

Hearing this, a flash of pride crossed Yun Li's eyes. She lifted her chin slightly and said with a haughty demeanor, "A mere medium-sized nation can be annihilated with a wave of the hand."

Hearing this, great joy surged in Lu Xingchen's heart.

"That's truly wonderful. How about we strike a deal? I can release you, but I need you to help me do one thing."

"Annihilate a medium-sized nation? I cannot do that!"

"I left the sect this time for a trial by fire. My master sealed my battle Qi, limiting my realm to that of a Great Martial Master; otherwise, you would never be a match for me."

"Once I break the seal or prematurely expose my identity, the trial will be considered a failure, and I will face severe punishment."

Lu Xingchen said indifferently, "If I keep you locked inside the Primordial Chaos Umbrella, you won't be able to return to the Cangxuan Sect on time either, and the trial will still be considered a failure."

A flash of annoyance appeared in Yun Li's eyes upon hearing this.

"Very well, then let us wear each other down. I have a positioning artifact on my person. If I cannot return to the Cangxuan Sect three months from now, the experts within the sect will come searching for me. By then, you will be dead without a doubt."

Lu Xingchen patted his head, feeling a slight headache coming on.

This woman was truly difficult to deal with.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "Let us not make things so unpleasant. Let us discuss this properly."

"I don't need you to help me annihilate the Tianhui Kingdom. I merely hope you can display your identity as a disciple of the Cangxuan Sect to deter the Tianhui Kingdom and make them dare not continue supporting the Fengming Kingdom."

"As for the remaining problems, including that Martial Spirit expert in Zigui City, I will handle them myself. What do you think?"