Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The air in the main hall was somewhat stagnant, and the cup of bitter tea that Su Qing had rejected was still steaming on the table.

Liu Qingshan sat on the stone chair, his fingers stroking the armrest, a fake smile that never changed on his face.

"What Prime Minister Gu said was rather domineering."

Liu Qingshan leaned back slightly, adopting a defiant stance: "Although Luofeng Slope is within the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, that phoenix tree was entrusted to our sect's ancestor by the two Phoenix Emperors ten thousand years ago. The land deed doesn't mention the Great Zhou Dynasty, and there's no official seal of the Great Zhou Dynasty engraved on the tree. How can my Moving Mountain Sect retrieving something I entrusted to them be considered stealing?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Gu Xiang with a hint of smugness: "Besides, the tree is now inside my sect's forbidden area, connected to the earth's veins. This land abandoned by the gods is more than a hundred miles from the capital, separated by endless wastelands. Even if Prime Minister Gu were the prime minister of a country, no matter how far his reach extends, he probably couldn't control this uncivilized land."

The meaning behind these words is clear: the tree is right here, we moved it by our own abilities. This place is far from the reach of the emperor, the laws of your Great Zhou have no jurisdiction over it, and the army of the Great Zhou cannot get through.

Elder Tie, listening from the side, felt a surge of satisfaction. He pounded his chest loudly and said in a deep voice, "Senior brother is right! When you come to our territory, dragons must coil up and tigers must lie low! Want a tree? You'll have to step over my dead body!"

Su Qing sat on the snow fox fur cushion, rolling her eyes as she listened.

These people are not only poor, but also lazy and unreliable; they're the kind of people who are completely shameless.

Just as she was about to lash out, she felt a warm hand gently press on her shoulder.

Gu Xiang gave her a reassuring look, then turned away, not getting angry at Liu Qingshan's shameless remarks.

He even smiled, a gentle smile, as if he were watching a corrupt official, oblivious to his impending doom, make his final, desperate attempt to justify himself in the imperial court.

"Elder Liu is right."

Gu Xiang nodded and slowly adjusted his cuffs: "This place is indeed a land forsaken by the gods. The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty cannot govern it, and the iron cavalry of the Great Zhou Dynasty is indeed unable to cross the vast wilderness."

A hint of smugness flashed in Liu Qingshan's eyes, thinking that the young prime minister had backed down.

But the next moment, Gu Xiang's tone suddenly changed.

"However, before I came here, I specifically went to the Ministry of Revenue to check the files."

Gu Xiang pulled a thin booklet from his sleeve, casually flipped to a page, and read aloud in a flat tone: "In the land forsaken by the gods, the earth elemental energy is violent, grains cannot grow, and spiritual herbs are hard to cultivate. The more than three hundred members of the Moving Mountain Sect need to purchase their daily spiritual rice, meat, and low-grade talismans and pills for cultivation from outside sources."

Liu Qingshan's eyelids twitched suddenly, and that ominous premonition surged into his heart again.

Gu Xiang closed the booklet, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Liu Qingshan: "As far as I know, your only source of supplies is transported by the 'Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's' flying ships every three months. And the headquarters of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce is in the capital."

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Gu Xiang took two steps forward, the soles of her shoes striking the black jade floor with a crisp sound, each strike feeling like a blow to Liu Qingshan's heart.

"Elder Liu may not know, but the president of the Sihai Chamber of Commerce just sent his granddaughter to study at the Imperial Academy last month. It was personally approved by me."

"With a single imperial edict from me, from this day forward, no merchant guild within the Great Zhou territory shall have even the slightest contact with the Forsaken Land. Those who disobey shall have their property confiscated and their entire clan exterminated."

Gu Xiang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling undertone.

"I do not need to send troops to attack, nor do I need experts to suppress it."

"All I need to do is cut off your supply lines."

"Three months from now, you elders at the Transformation Realm might still be able to hold on by practicing Bigu (a skill for cultivating immortality), but what about your disciples who are still at the Casting Cauldron or Foundation Establishment Realms?"

Gu Xiang pointed to Zhao Shanhe and the others, who were standing in the corner with pale faces: "What do they eat? What do they drink? What do they use to cultivate?"

"At that time, without me lifting a finger, your Mountain Moving Sect will fall into chaos on its own."

"Elder Liu, do you believe it or not?"

These words struck the Mountain Moving Sect like a heavy hammer blow, hitting its Achilles' heel.

Liu Qingshan's face turned deathly pale instantly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He had calculated everything, knowing that Gu Xiang wouldn't bring a large army and that the place was easy to defend and difficult to attack, but he forgot that the Moving Mountain Sect was not truly isolated from the world.

They still need to eat and survive.

The Great Zhou Dynasty, on the other hand, controlled a vast network of resources and trade.

This is the method of a prime minister of a great power.

kill without spilling blood.

"You...you're despicable!" Elder Tie trembled with rage, his finger shaking as he pointed at Gu Xiang. "A scholar of your stature, resorting to such underhanded tactics! If you've got the guts, fight me for real!"

Gu Xiang glanced at him, his eyes filled with disdain: "Warfare is based on deception. I was trying to reason with you, but you insisted on resorting to force. Now that I'm talking about survival, you accuse me of being despicable?"

"You can't all get the best of everything in this world, can you?"

"You!" Elder Tie roared, unable to contain his anger any longer. He grabbed the giant axe and charged forward, shouting, "I'll chop you down, you treacherous minister!"

This time, Liu Qingshan did not stop him.

Because he knew that what Gu Xiang said was true.

If Gu Xiang really cuts off the supply lines, the Moving Mountain Sect will be wiped out in less than half a year.

Rather than waiting to die, we should leave these two here now!

A murderous intent erupted instantly within the hall.

Several elders stood up at the same time, their spiritual energy surging and shattering the tables and chairs in the hall.

Gu Xiang remained expressionless, his long sword unsheathed half an inch, and a righteous aura soared into the sky, firmly protecting Su Qing behind him.

"Want to make a move?"

Gu Xiang sneered: "You are welcome to try. Since I dared to come, I have no intention of leaving empty-handed. If I cannot leave this hall today, the Great Zhou's blockade order will spread throughout the world tomorrow."

"When the time comes, those who will be buried with your Mountain Moving Sect will be all your disciples and their descendants!"

The two sides were on the verge of exchanging blows, the air so tense it seemed as if it would snap at any moment.

At this critical moment.

A weary, aged sigh suddenly came from the darkness deep within the hall.

"well……"

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a strange magic, instantly calming the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air.

Elder Tie's giant axe, which he had raised, froze in mid-air, unable to strike down.

Liu Qingshan's imposing aura deflated instantly, like a punctured balloon.

Everyone instinctively looked towards the depths of the main hall.

There, a hunched figure slowly walked out.