Longzang

Chapter 850, Chapter 847: Negotiation
Wei Yuan remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

The room remained quiet for as long as Choi Sung-hyo remained silent, and even Choi Yu felt the oppressive atmosphere and became somewhat restless.

After a long while, Cui Chengxiao nodded slightly and said, "Young man, you have an extraordinary demeanor and unwavering composure. Taichu Palace has struck gold. It's a pity you don't have the surname Cui."

"Thank you for the compliment, senior." After saying this, Wei Yuan fell silent again.

Cui Chengxiao coughed and said, "It seems you want us to state our conditions first. Fine, I'll be frank. If the Cui family of Qinghe provides full support, then the Song Kingdom will provide full support. In the Song Kingdom, everyone except the King is surnamed Cui."

Wei Yuan smiled slightly and said, "The Song Kingdom ranks in the middle to lower range among the nine kingdoms, perhaps slightly higher than the Western Jin. However, the Western Jin Northern Army is a battle-hardened force, and its weak combat power is due to poor weaponry and insufficient food and supplies year after year. The Song Kingdom has not fought a war for a thousand years, so its soldiers must be both arrogant and weak. In this harsh land of the Western Regions, it will probably be difficult for them to gain a foothold."

Cui Chengxiao said calmly, "Whether the soldiers are weak or not will be known after a couple of battles. Even if they are weak to begin with, as long as my Cui family does not avoid battle and is not afraid of battle, we will become stronger after a few more battles. Moreover, when fighting against foreign tribes, a weak army can become a strong army."

Wei Yuan was filled with respect and said, "What Lord Cui said is very true."

"Then it's settled?"

Wei Yuan fell silent again.

At that moment, they faintly felt the earth tremble in the room, and then a distinct smell of blood wafted to their noses. This was a sign that the witch clan was altering the great principles of heaven and earth, casting a blood curse.

"Doesn't the Lord of the Guardian need to command on the spot?" Cui Chengxiao asked without even lifting his eyelids.

Wei Yuan also looked three feet in front of his feet, picked up his teacup and took a sip before saying, "The generals at the front are fighting with the Wu tribe every day and are already familiar with the Wu tribe's tactics. There is no need for me to intervene; they will make their own decisions."

"I've long heard that Qingming is now the strongest army in the world. Today, after seeing just a glimpse of the whole picture, I know that this is no exaggeration."

"You flatter me, senior."

Silence fell in the room again. Cui Yu narrowed his eyes, remaining silent and motionless, lost in thought.

In Ding'an City, Bao Yun was inspecting the city's strategic material preparations. Ding'an City was now quite large. Although it was no longer a front-line position, it was backed by the place where True Monarch Huang Yun had passed away, making it a hub for the spiritual wood industry in Qingming and a transit point for trade with the Wu Clan. More than 500,000 people had settled in the city.

Just then, an attendant rushed over and presented a report, saying, "General Cui just sent a message through the system. It's extremely urgent and requires your personal attention."

Bao Yun opened the report, read it through, and then laughed, "This Senior Brother Cui has become cunning too."

She put away the report, returned to the city lord's mansion, tidied her appearance, and changed into a luxurious dress with exquisite details. Her hair was adorned only with a single beaded hairpin, from which hung seven mermaid pearls of the sea tribe. All seven pearls were spiritual treasures and of uniform size.

With everything prepared, Bao Yun headed to the Immortal City. When she entered the room, Wei Yuan and Cui Chengxiao were still drinking tea in silence, and the servants were already serving the second can of tea.

Bao Yun first bowed to Cui Chengxiao and said, "Bao Yun from the Bao family greets Senior Cui."

Cui Chengxiao dared not be disrespectful, so he stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "I have long heard that the Bao family has produced a prodigy in this generation, and now I see that it is indeed true. In another hundred years, I may be surpassed by you."

"Senior, you flatter me." Bao Yun then turned to Wei Yuan and said, "I hope the Realm Lord won't mind that I came uninvited?"

“Of course not.” Wei Yuan then called his attendants to arrange a seat for Bao Yun and serve her tea.

After Bao Yun sat down, she said, "Back then, I sacrificed myself to elope with you..."

With a "pfft," even Cui Yu, who had calculated his composure well, still spat out a mouthful of tea. Wei Yuan and Cui Chengxiao barely managed to remain calm, but Cui Chengxiao's eyebrows twitched, clearly showing that he was also shocked.

Bao Yun continued, "...The ancestors of my family had no choice but to accept this matter and thus took Ding'an City as a betrothal gift. But my Bao family's return is much more than that, which can be considered as my dowry. I heard that the Realm Lord is going to give up another city, so I came to listen and see what's going on. After all, I gave up being the future wife of the Island Lord of Qiongshan Immortal Island and ran to this land of suffering to help you build a city from scratch. I can't let you let me down again."

Cui Chengxiao felt a little embarrassed. Baoyun's words were clearly meant for him; even a three-year-old could understand that.

The problem is that this statement makes sense. If the Cui family of Qinghe wants an enclave, doesn't the Bao family want one too? As long as a family is strong enough, no one would complain about having too many enclaves.

Having said what she needed to say, Bao Yun fell silent and began to drink her tea in silence.

At this moment, Xiao Yu's voice rang out from outside the door again: "I have come uninvited, please forgive me, Realm Lord."

Cui Chengxiao's face initially showed displeasure, but when he saw that it was Xiaoyu who came in, although he didn't recognize her, Xiaoyu's aura of a star lord was not hidden, and a faint blue light was floating between her eyebrows.

Cui Chengxiao possessed exceptional insight and extensive knowledge. He immediately recognized Xiaoyu's Dharma Image as that of an extremely rare celestial official incarnate, imbued with immense fortune. Even if such a person came from a humble background, let alone a top-tier aristocratic family, Cui Chengxiao wouldn't dare kill him for such a profound blessing.

"Who is this……"

"Xiao Yu of the Xiao family, and her grandfather Xiao Nian." The name Xiao Yu alone reveals her background. Xiao Nian of the Xiao family and Bao Shu of the Bao family have similar identities; both are the heads of their respective families in the world, and therefore are well-known to their families. Moreover, their names alone indicate that they are direct descendants of immortals.

Upon hearing this, Cui Zhengxiao immediately understood and said, "So it's my nephew Xiaoyu. When the Xiao family held the Dharma Image Ceremony for you, they also sent an invitation to the Cui family."

Xiao Yu exchanged a few polite words, then fixed her gaze on Wei Yuan, her face turning cold. She said icily, "Wei Yuan! Back when you first established your Dao Foundation, a single letter lured me from thousands of miles away to come to your aid. When I achieved the Dharma Aspect, I even neglected my family's grand ceremony to rush to Qingming, risking offending the Sword Palace for you. And then you gave me the empty title of City Lord? Not even a city? Is it that I, the Shaoyang Star Lord, am unworthy, or that my Xiao family is unworthy?!"

These words were spoken with conviction, and Wei Yuan's face showed shame. He muttered to himself, thinking that Xiao Yu was using his position for personal gain and was actually taking the opportunity to scold him.

But as soon as Xiao Yu finished speaking, the voice of Shao Yang Xingjun rang in her mind: "You can just say Xiao family, don't mention my name!"

Xiao Yu was taken aback: "It's just to put the Cui family in check, what's wrong with that?"

"It's more than just inappropriate! I, the Star Lord, am only ranked eighth. What face do I have to ask for the city? You, Xiao Jia, are worthy, but I, the Star Lord, am not!"

Xiao Yu was immediately embarrassed. Recalling his impassioned words just now, he felt like hiding under the table. Fortunately, he had received the true teachings of the Tai Chu Palace and often associated with the Tian Qing Hall. He had long since learned the art of remaining unmoved when embarrassed, and on the surface, he showed no abnormality.

Cui Chengxiao said to Wei Yuan, "The Realm Lord's arrangement is indeed very thoughtful."

Wei Yuan smiled wryly: "These two are my fellow disciples and classmates, and we read it together. They are my classmates and close friends, not my subordinates. Elder Cui's words are inappropriate."

Bao Yun still wore a gentle smile and said, "Senior, are you saying that I'm here to work for Wei Yuan? I will definitely tell the entire mountain of the old ancestors about this."

Bao Manshan is known for his fierce protectiveness and ruthlessness, as well as his exceptional strength. Even Xuan Yue Zhenjun was ambushed by him and suffered a minor loss, which speaks volumes about his abilities.

Although Cui Chengxiao had a high opinion of himself, he dared not say that he could surpass Bao Manshan. He coughed lightly and said, "I was just speaking without thinking, that's not what I meant."

He then turned to Wei Yuan and said, "Now that everyone knows the basics, if the Realm Lord has any questions, please feel free to ask."

Wei Yuan's expression turned serious, and he said, "Then I'll get straight to the point. Can the Cui family's Immortal Ancestor make a move?"

(End of this chapter)