If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1111 Coercion and inducement

Yang Li continued to use the phrase "the Mandate of Heaven of Qin," which frightened Marquis Lieyang and others into doubt.

Suddenly, a streak of light descended from the sky.

Before they even reached them, Grand Tutor Yu's voice drifted over from afar, "Hurry up, hurry up! The negotiations have broken down, prepare for battle!"

Marquis Lieyang was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise and anger, "We haven't even started talking yet, how did the talks break down?"

They were still waiting for the initial meeting between Taibai Xingjun and Yu Taishi to end so they could be formally received!
Without any hesitation, Yang Li turned and ran, following Grand Tutor Yu. As he ran, he called out irritably, "It's so obvious, can't you see? Taibai Xingjun only cares about Grand Tutor Yu."

He looked down on everyone else and didn't care about them at all.

Just like when Taibai Xingjun was having a private talk with Yu Taishi, the Four Heavenly Kings and 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals stayed down there, staring at us blankly.

How noble and lofty is the status of the Four Heavenly Kings?

They're already doing us a favor by sitting at the same table with us! You should be grateful~~

Marquis Lieyang was still in shock and anger, but he did not stay there in a daze.

He chased after Grand Tutor Yu, shouting, "Yu Fengxian, explain yourself! What did you discuss with Taibai Xingjun? Why did the discussion break down?"
I'm telling you, you're not qualified to represent the Great Qin.

Don't think that just because Xianyang now has hundreds of thousands of elite troops, we're obligated to follow you and bear the consequences of your recklessness and stupidity.

“That’s right. You made a decision without consulting us, and we don’t approve of it. The Great Qin doesn’t approve of it.”

Li Si shouted a few times to Grand Tutor Yu, then turned around and shouted to the gods in the sky: "I am Li Si, the Prime Minister of Qin. Whatever the angels want to talk about, they should talk to us."

Only I, Prime Minister Feng, Marquis Lieyang, and Prince Huhai can truly represent the attitude of the Great Qin.

We came to heaven not to merely accompany Yu Fengxian, but to be the ones in charge.”

Xiao Yu said irritably, "The Heavenly Emperor wants to recruit me with high-ranking positions and generous salaries. The condition he offered is that I abandon you bunch of dead ghosts and go to the Heavenly Court to become an 'Immortal of the Western Palace,' leaving you all to die a horrible death."

I resolutely refused, so what are you all still clamoring about? Aren't you ashamed?"

Not to mention Li Si, Marquis Lieyang, and Zhao Gao, even the usually good-tempered Prime Minister Feng and his son were filled with anger and anxiety.

Upon hearing Grand Tutor Yu's angry rebuke, their expressions froze, and their shouts abruptly ceased.

Yang Li gloated, "Hehe, I told you long ago that you don't understand fate and are just pieces on the chessboard that are moved around at will."

To deal with the chess pieces, you only need to manipulate them casually.

If the Heavenly Court needed to consult with you, why would Taibai Xingjun only summon Grand Tutor Zou Yu?

It's obvious that Taibai Xingjun will only give benefits to Yu Taishi.

We recruited her and made her make choices that would be detrimental to you.

Therefore, I will avoid you, and you need not know.

Marquis Lieyang angrily said, "The Heavenly Court is too arrogant! Do they really think my 30,000 Fire Crow Army is just for show?"

If my mind wavers, the situation in the world will surely change drastically.

Who dares to disregard me, who can ignore my will?

Yang Li chuckled and said, "The facts are right in front of you, yet Marquis Lieyang still refuses to face them—"

Suddenly, the voice of Venus, the Star Lord, drifted slowly down from the sky, "Marquis Lieyang, Prime Minister Li, Prime Minister Feng, please wait~~~"

Everyone was stunned and turned around to see the old man already chasing after them on auspicious clouds.

"Gentlemen, why did you turn and leave without saying a word? I just finished speaking with Fairy Yu and was just about to have a private talk with you!"

The old man was kind and approachable, polite, and his eyes and expressions conveyed respect and courtesy.

Feng Quji and his companions were somewhat flattered.

However, they were not ordinary people after all.

Grand Tutor Yu's words are still echoing in my ears!
Feng Quji asked in confusion, "What else does Taibai Xingjun want to talk to us about? Surely Grand Tutor Yu isn't lying and deliberately misinterpreting Xingjun's intentions?"

Taibai Xingjun frowned.

Even Feng Quji now subconsciously addresses Yu Fengxian as "Grand Tutor".

It should be noted that Feng Quji had never opposed Li Si's "selection of Grand Tutor".

He glanced slyly at the "flirtatious boy" who was curiously looking around not far away: It's all this guy's doing!

He was clearly a true cultivator of the Dao Palace, but now he has willingly fallen into depravity and become Yu Fengxian's lackey.

Knowing that the Heavenly Emperor did not want him to reveal heavenly secrets, he still deliberately helped Yu Feng Xianren appear holy in front of others and said many things he should not have said.

This caused Li Si, Feng Quji, and Yu Yu to all begin to deviate from their predetermined destiny.

"Fairy Yu may not have lied, but she only stated the result, not the reason. More importantly, she is herself, you are you, and Great Qin is Great Qin. They cannot be treated the same."

Taibai Xingjun stood opposite them and earnestly recounted the story of Yama's complaint to the emperor.

"If the only goal is to capture her and bring her to the Heavenly Court for trial, why offer her amnesty?" Marquis Lieyang asked.

Taibai Xingjun sighed, "General, in your campaigns for the Great Qin, have you ever offered amnesty to any 'rebellious bandits'?"

Marquis Lieyang squinted and said, "Recruiting the enemy's most capable general will make the enemy collapse and disintegrate even faster."

This is common sense in military strategy, and I have indeed done it quite a few times.

"The Heavenly Court's offer of amnesty to Yu Fengxian—whom do they want to eliminate even faster?"

Taibai Xingjun shook his head and said, "Surrender and amnesty should not be confused."

Offering up enemy generals to surrender is a tactic used against enemy countries.

The targets of the amnesty were only the rebellious bandits who posed a threat to the enemy, in order to reduce unnecessary casualties.

In the Three Realms, who is worthy to be an enemy of the Heavenly Court?

No.

The fairy Yu killed Yama, causing chaos in the underworld, much like a bandit in the mortal world killing a county magistrate, robbing the county town, and then immediately fleeing to a farmhouse outside the city.

The imperial court's expedition is troublesome and not worthwhile.

The imperial envoy, however, had a compassionate heart and gave the rebels a chance to repent, hence the offer of amnesty. You are merely servants and stewards employed by peasant families.

The head of this household has never done good deeds or accumulated merit in secret, and his family business has declined and is about to die out.

The imperial court only cared whether peasant households had broken the law.

Will it bring prosperity and many children, or will it lead to decline, ruin, and extinction of the family line?

The imperial court will not interfere, nor does it care.

Does the master's desire to work hard and revitalize the family business have anything to do with the imperial court, or does it hinder the imperial court?

As long as you don't break the law or violate regulations and operate normally, the government won't bother you.

The problem now is that the notorious bandit has taken refuge in a farmer's house, and the authorities have come knocking.

Are you, my 'household servants,' going to take pitchforks and sickles and resist the county constable and his soldiers?

Marquis Lieyang sneered, "A pitchfork and sickle might not be able to kill the county magistrate."

Taibai Xingjun said calmly, "What happens after the county magistrate is killed? The imperial court has military commanders!"

Feng Quji said in a deep voice, "Grand Tutor Yu is the steward of a peasant family. She is not looting the county town; she is helping her master with household affairs."

Taibai Xingjun said, "A household can only have one head steward. You all consider yourselves 'household servants' and regard Yu Fengxian as your head steward?"

Li Si frowned and said, "Star Lord underestimates us too much. Of course we would not consider ourselves 'servants,' but we will not allow outsiders to stir up trouble in our own home."

Taibai Xingjun sighed, "Handling family matters and killing the county magistrate are two different things."

Regardless of why "Butler Yu" killed the county magistrate.

She cannot escape the crime of murdering the county magistrate. The imperial court has already drawn up a map of her whereabouts and is determined to bring her to justice.

I don't want to sow discord; I'm just telling you the facts.

Furthermore, I must remind you all once again that you are all renowned "wise men."

Taibai Xingjun glanced at the group and said meaningfully, "The court does not respond to your prayers during festivals and sacrificial ceremonies, but it knows everything and records them in the Heavenly Book. These are all good deeds!"
The imperial court will never allow talented people to remain in the countryside.

They may be promoted to official positions based on their talents and good fortune (listed in the Heavenly Register of True Immortals), or they may be recommended to be officials based on their conduct (entering the path of gods and becoming righteous gods in the Heavenly Court), all of which are their due.

I earnestly hope that everyone will respect themselves, reflect on their actions, be vigilant, and strive for self-improvement!

—What a shameless old man! Since you can't recruit Grand Tutor Yu, you've changed your target and want to recruit others so they can continue to challenge Grand Tutor Yu, right?

Yang Li couldn't hold back any longer and cried out, "Star Lord, what about me? If I am willing to be recruited by the government, can I become an immortal?"

Taibai Xingjun's old face twitched slightly a few times, and he said woodenly, "Your heart is tainted by worldly dust. You should stay away from the mortal world, go into the mountains to cultivate for a thousand years, and perhaps you will have the opportunity to ascend to immortality."

—This star lord will remember you. In this life, the next life, the life after that, and the next ten lives, you will never become an immortal. You have no immortal fortune!

The old man was annoyed, but he didn't directly rebuke or deny it.

Otherwise, angering Yang Li, that frivolous young Taoist, and letting him shout out "the destiny of the Great Qin," could also cause considerable trouble.

—Which Taoist palace does this guy belong to? I'll summon his grandmaster to the Jade Palace and give him a good scolding, so his ancestor can teach him what it means to be "as stern as a prison, and to be cautious in speech and action"!
"Whoohoo~~"

At this moment, a gust of wind swept up from the ground and into the sky, bringing with it Yu Taishi's impatient shouts: "Venus, the Four Heavenly Kings, what are you still dawdling about in the sky for?"
On the battlefield, a battle between gods and men is raging. Please be serious, professional, and quick! I need to get home for lunch after this!"

"Yu Fengxian, you won't get a chance to eat lunch!" The Heavenly King Duowen, holding the Chaos Pearl Umbrella, leaned down and roared at the ground, "The breakfast you ate this morning is your last meal before you are beheaded!"

He was originally on a celestial cloud ten thousand feet above the ground.

When he stretched his head out and bent down, half the sky was covered by his golden, majestic face.

It was as if he had transformed into the heavens, judging Grand Tutor Yu on the ground as "the Azure Heaven".

It looks quite horrifying.

"Enough talk, let's get started!"

His response was still a raging storm.

With Grand Tutor Yu already challenging them, Taibai Xingjun lost interest in continuing to seduce them.

"At this moment, in the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West sat in the highest seats, with hundreds of star lords and civil and military officials of the Heavenly Court lined up on both sides."

There is Li Tianwang and Prince Nezha, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Nine Luminaries, the Twelve Earthly Branches, and the Five Directions Protectors.
They were all looking down at the lower realm, looking in this direction.

Taibai Xingjun scanned the group, finally fixing his majestic and cold gaze on Hu Hai's eyes, which were filled with barely concealed panic. "The outcome of today's battle is already decided. No one can change it, and it's useless for anyone to come."

—All the demons and gods in the heavens are watching. This time, the Heavenly Court is waging a massive war, and only victory is allowed; defeat is not permitted. Even if Yu Fengxian defeats the Four Heavenly Kings, there is still the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and numerous Star Lords! You'd better know your place.

Leaving behind unfinished words, Taibai Xingjun's figure rapidly rose higher and disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

"Dong dong dong~~~" As he left, the heavenly soldiers and generals in the sky seemed to receive some kind of command, and a mighty god vigorously struck the marching drums.

Led by the Four Heavenly Kings, 100,000 to 50,000 heavenly soldiers and generals formed a golden cloud of war spirits.

The Giant Spirit God was the vanguard.

Following them were the umbrella-wielding male demon Li Hong and the sword-wielding male demon Li Qing.

Mo Lihong, wielding the Hunyuan Pearl Umbrella, prepared to collect Yu Fengxian's magical treasures and weapons, and was on the defensive; Mo Liqing, riding the Qingyun Sword, prepared to launch a fatal blow, and was on the offensive.

Further on, there are ten guardian deities leading an army of 50,000, forming a "composite military formation".

That is, ten military formations of five thousand men each, combined to form a large immortal formation.

The other two Heavenly Kings, the Pipa Man and the Fox-Weasel Man, are positioned on the left and right sides of the celestial formation, respectively, guarding the flanks of the army formation and launching sneak attacks from the sides.

Judging from its layout alone, this immortal formation is both offensive and defensive, and is almost perfect.

As the heavenly soldiers and generals slowly descended, Prime Minister Feng looked anxious and asked, "Prime Minister Li, Marquis Lieyang, how can we help Grand Tutor Yu?"

Zhao Gao said, "Prime Minister, we are blocking the path of the Heavenly God Army. Let's move aside for now."

Marquis Lieyang stared at the vanguard commander, Giant Spirit God, and said, "I'll head back to the camp first!"

After saying that, he turned around and landed in the direction of Xianyang City.

The remaining people quickly followed.

(End of this chapter)