The Three Teachings Converge into One: The Path of the Mortal and the Saintly is the Same

Poetry:

The wind rises over the desert, scattering clouds; the war drums silently urge on the sorrowful valleys.

A military plan was hidden in a single document, yet he single-handedly stood up for justice and stopped the spearhead.

So, Su Qingxuan asked Old Chen for help in arranging a meeting with three people.

Su Qingxuan listed them one by one:

Ambassador Ayman al-Anshi to Sands Cotai, Haizan Amir

He was a confidant of High Priest Arias, and relatively pragmatic.

Through him, I will deliver a message to Arias.

"Secondly, William Burns, Counselor of the Federal Republic of the Eagles in Sands City."

He is the deputy station chief of the Western Wilderness Station of the Federal Security Bureau, and has direct access to the Federal central command.

"The third one," Su Qingxuan paused, "the security officer of the Ambassador of the Canaan City-State to Sands City."

"A Raven Hall agent, codenamed 'Night Owl,' I need to speak directly with the Raven Hall's higher-ups."

Old Chen gasped, "Mr. Su, this is too dangerous!"

Especially when meeting people from the Dark Raven Hall, they might...

"They won't," Su Qingxuan shook his head. "The Dark Raven Hall is an official secret intelligence agency."

They are not heretical practitioners or bandits.

On Jinsha City's territory, they dared not touch the high-ranking special envoy of Great Xia.

Moreover, I want to pass on a message to them, a message they have no choice but to hear.

"What did you say?"

Su Qingxuan took off the pendant and placed it on the table.

The pendant gleamed with a tri-colored light under the lamp.

"Tell them that I know about the existence of the 'Gate of Truth'."

I also know that Benjamin was a core member.

If the city-states of Canaan insist on war, I wouldn't mind sharing this information.

It was leaked to the opposition in the Canaanite city-states, and to news agencies across the continent.

Old Chen's pupils contracted sharply: "Mr. Su, are you... coming clean?"

"Yes, let's lay our cards on the table," Su Qingxuan said coldly, "Some things are done in secret."

Everyone is tacit.

But once it's brought into the open, it's a different story.

Even if Benjamin were insane, he wouldn't dare let the whole continent know.

He believed in a cult and worshipped ancient demon gods.

"But that would completely expose you," Old Chen said anxiously.

"The Gate of Truth will stop at nothing to eliminate you!"

"They've wanted to get rid of me for a long time." Su Qingxuan put away the pendant.

Four years ago, in Kunlun Ruins, in the Qinling Mountains, on the continent of Europa,

"How many things have I ruined for them? This one is nothing."

Su Qingxuan stood up: "Old Chen, go and make the arrangements."

"Meet Ambassador Ahn first, tomorrow morning, at a location that is absolutely secure."

Old Chen took a deep breath and nodded emphatically: "Okay!"

……

The following morning, deep in the desert of Jinsha City, at a private estate...

This place belongs to a certain prince of Jinsha, and is heavily guarded and isolated from the outside world.

Su Qingxuan arrived by car, secretly escorted by members of the "Candle Dragon Camp".

In the manor's reception room, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sands,

Haizan Amir has been waiting for a long time.

Amir was around sixty years old and had a meticulously trimmed beard.

Wearing a dark dress, she looks more like a scholar.

But the occasional glint of shrewdness in his eyes revealed him to be a seasoned foreign affairs envoy who had weathered many storms.

"Mr. Su, I've heard so much about you," Amir said in fluent Common Tongue, extending his hand.

"Mr. Ambassador, it's a pleasure to meet you," Su Qingxuan said, shaking his hand.

The two sat facing each other on a brocade carpet.

The waiter served black tea and dates and then left the living room.

The heavy wooden door closed, leaving only two people in the room.

"Mr. Su, is your visit to Sands Cotai Central really just to attend the 'Dialogue Among Civilizations Forum'?"

Amir took a sip of tea, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"On the surface, yes, but in reality..." Su Qingxuan looked directly at the other person.

"I'm here to save Anxi."

Amir's hand trembled, spilling a few drops of tea, but he quickly regained his composure.

He put down his teacup: "What do you mean by that, Mr. Su?"

"Mr. Ambassador, let's not beat around the bush." ​​Su Qingxuan took out his briefcase...

Take out a folder and push it over.

"This is the military deployment of the Canaan City-State and the Eagle Union."

Three heavily armed Xuanjia divisions, five hundred Xuanjing chariots, and two ocean-going warship squadrons.

And... sixty tactical crystal bombs are deployed in the Nega Desert.

Amir opened the folder, glanced at it, and his expression changed.

The level of detail in this intelligence far exceeds what the Anshi State Secret Intelligence Department possesses.

"The start of the war will be October 28th," Su Qingxuan said slowly.

"On the anniversary of the city of Canaan, they will 'purge and eliminate heretical sects',"

Under the guise of "preventing the spread of the Mystic Crystal Core",

Launch a full-scale offensive.

The first wave of airstrikes targeted Tara, Fortress, and Sala...

In the second wave, ground troops advanced in three columns.

Objective: Overthrow the current High Priest, seize the Moon Gate Strait, and establish the "Greater Canaan Empire."

Amir's fingers trembled, and he almost dropped the folder.

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

Why did Mr. Su tell me all this?

"Because I don't want to see war," Su Qingxuan said sincerely.

"If war breaks out, how many people will die in Ancy? 100,000? 200,000?"

Still one million?

Civilians were displaced, cities were reduced to ruins, and civilization was destroyed in an instant... Such tragedies...

I've seen too much of this in ancient books; I don't want to see it again.

Amir stared at Su Qingxuan, seemingly trying to discern the truth from his eyes.

After a long while, he sighed.

"Mr. Su, you are right."

The problem is, it's not that we want to fight; it's that the Canaan City-State and the Eagle Federation are forcing us to fight.

We endured decades of suppression and siege.

But now, they're not even leaving us a way to survive; they want to completely wipe us out.

"So, what else can we do besides fight to the death?"

"Negotiation," Su Qingxuan said, enunciating each word clearly.

"Return to the negotiating table and resolve the issue through diplomatic channels."

We can act as mediators to help ease some of the repression.

In exchange, Anxi agreed to halt the development of the Mystic Crystal Spirit Core and accept multi-party supervision.

Amir smiled wryly: "Mr. Su, you're too naive."

The city-state of Canaan does not want us to stop developing the Mystic Crystal Core.

They want us to perish and our race to be wiped out.

They, as Benjamin said:

"Ancy either surrenders or is destroyed; there is no third way."

"What if," Su Qingxuan leaned forward, lowering her voice, "then what if..."

"Can I prevent the city-states of Canaan from waging war?"

Amir was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"I have some... special methods." Su Qingxuan didn't say it explicitly.

"But Anxi's cooperation is needed."

First, immediately cease all provocative actions in the border region and withdraw troops stationed in the Xulan area.

Second, release the detained citizens of the Eagle Federation Empire.

Third, publicly express a willingness to return to the negotiating table.

"This..." Amir hesitated, "The hardliners in our country won't agree."

Samira, the commander-in-chief of the Holy Vanguard Guard, and old Ashm, a senior defense official,

They advocate a hard-on-hard approach.

"Ashm has a problem," Su Qingxuan suddenly said.

"What's the problem?"

Su Qingxuan pulled out a video from the folder and pushed it in front of Amir.

In the photo, Ashm is seen having a private conversation with a man in black robes at a secluded club.

On the sleeves of the man in the black robe, the embroidery of black lotus could be faintly seen.

"This is..." Amir's expression changed drastically.

"The Gate of Truth, an ancient and heretical sect of cultivation," Su Qingxuan said in a deep voice.

"They infiltrated Anshi's top brass, including Ashim, the commander of the Clean Light Brigade, Karen,

Elder Reza of the Preservation Council, and two... deputy priests.

These people's goal is to provoke war and use the blood of Anshi.

They offered sacrifices to the ancient demon god they worshipped.

Amir suddenly stood up, his face ashen: "This is impossible!"

We all worship the Holy Fire God... Besides, Ashm is a descendant of a founding hero.

His father died in the Great Patriotic War, how could he...?

"The corruption of evil paths is more terrifying than swords and blades." Su Qingxuan also stood up.

"Mr. Ambassador, please immediately report this situation confidentially to High Priest Arias."

His Excellency the Grand Master.

The greatest threat to Ancy now is not the external Eagle Federation and the city-states of Canaan.

Rather, it's the worms inside.

Amir slumped back into his chair, burying his face in his hands, remaining silent for a long time.

The news was so shocking and disruptive that he found it hard to accept at first.

"I will...I will report it." After a long silence, he raised his head, a resolute look in his eyes.

"Mr. Su, thank you."

Regardless of the outcome, the people of Ahnsy will remember your kindness.

"I just hope that fewer people will die." Su Qingxuan stretched out his hand.

"Please tell High Priest Arias to give him twelve hours to consider."

If there is no positive response after twelve hours,

I will consider this Ancy's choice to wage war voluntarily.

Amir nodded emphatically and shook hands with Su Qingxuan.

The meeting ended.

Su Qingxuan quietly left the manor.

In the car, Old Chen looked back from the passenger seat:

"Mr. Su, the next event, with the Eagle Federation Counselor, is scheduled for 3 PM."

A yacht club on Golden Penang Island.

"Okay." Su Qingxuan closed his eyes to rest.

The first step has been taken, but the real battle is yet to come...

……

3 PM, Golden Penang Island, Crescent Yacht Club.

This is the most exclusive private club in Sands City, where members are all extremely wealthy and powerful.

The marina is home to hundreds of luxury yachts, the smallest of which is at least thirty meters long.

Azure sea and sky, dotted with white sails, a scene of luxury.

Su Qingxuan boarded a 40-meter-long yacht, led by a waiter.

The yacht's interior is extremely luxurious, featuring crystal chandeliers, genuine leather sofas, and gold-embroidered carpets.

But the person sitting in the living room didn't look like a tycoon; instead, he was dressed in a casual suit.

The white man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, around fifty years old, looked more like a university professor.

"Mr. Su, welcome." The man stood up, also speaking in standard Bactrian.

"I am William Burns, Counselor of the Federal Republic of Eagles to Sands City"

Of course, you surely know my other identity.

"Deputy Station Chief of the Western Wilderness Station of the Federal Security Bureau." Su Qingxuan sat down opposite him.

Burns smiled and gestured for the waiter to bring the wine: a bottle of 1983 Lafayette.

Two crystal glasses.

"Mr. Su, I'm very curious..." Burns swirled his wine glass, the crimson liquid rotating within.

"Why would a cultivator from the Xuanmen sect be so interested in the situation in the Western Wilderness?"

They even went to such high-level diplomatic channels to insist on seeing me?

"Because I witnessed disaster," Su Qingxuan said without touching his wine glass.

"Mr. Burns, the Eagle Federation and the Canaan City-State are planning a..."

A war that will destroy the entire Western Desert.

As someone who practices spiritual cultivation, I feel obligated to stop it.

Burns' smile remained unchanged: "Mr. Su, you flatter me."

We are simply making necessary defensive preparations.

Anxi Kingdom supports heretical cultivation forces and develops mystical crystal cores, threatening regional security.

The city-states of Canaan and the Commonwealth of Eagles have the right to defend themselves.

"Does self-defense require assembling three heavily armed Xuanjia divisions? And deploying tactical Xuanjing explosive bombs?"

Su Qingxuan looked directly at the other person.

"Mr. Burns, we don't need to beat around the bush."

I know the war will begin on October 28th, and I know the battle plan.

I know all the military deployments.

I also know the purpose of this war…

Burns' smile gradually faded...

He put down his wine glass, leaned forward, and his eyes sharpened.

"Mr. Su, your information is very accurate."

But I'd like to know, where did you get it from?

Your secret intelligence network? Or... your predictive methods?

This last sentence has a hidden meaning.

Su Qingxuan knew that the Federal Security Bureau must have investigated his background and knew that he was not an ordinary person.

The events of Kunlun Ruins and the Qinling Mountains four years ago, although classified as top secret,

However, given the capabilities of the Federal Security Service, they are able to uncover some clues.

"That's not important," Su Qingxuan said calmly.

"The important thing is that once this war breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The price of Spirit Source Ore skyrocketed to at least 300 silver coins, causing the entire continent's economy to collapse.

Millions of refugees flooded into the continent of Europe, triggering a humanitarian crisis;

In desperation, Anshi Kingdom resorted to using foul gas poison bombs and even foul crystal bombs.

The entire desert will become wasteland... Mr. Burns,

Is this what you wanted?

Burns paused for a moment, then slowly said:

"Mr. Su, the scene you described is terrifying."

But have you considered that if we don't attack Anxi Kingdom and allow it to develop the Xuanjing Spirit Core, the consequences will be even more terrible?

Anshi, possessing a Mystic Crystal Core Bomb, would threaten the survival of the Canaan city-state.

It will threaten the stability of the entire Western Desert Sea.

At that point, the death toll won't be hundreds of thousands, but potentially millions.

"So you're going to strike first and kill hundreds of thousands of people?"

Su Qingxuan countered with a question,

"Mr. Burns, this is typical domineering logic—"

I see you as a threat, so I can eliminate you.

If one day, my Xuanmen sect also considers the Eagle Federation a threat,

Could we also strike first and destroy Vidon City with a Xuanmen Spirit Core Bomb?

Laren City?

Burns' expression changed: "Mr. Su, please watch your words."

This is a blatant threat!

"No, I'm just stating a logic," Su Qingxuan said calmly.

If the law of the jungle is the only rule...

We can also follow this rule.

But we didn't, because we are an ancient civilization.

We believe dialogue is better than confrontation, and peace is better than war.

Su Qingxuan stood up, walked to the porthole, and gazed at the azure sea:

"Mr. Burns, I am here on behalf of Great Xia."

This also represents a message from all peace-loving practitioners to the Eagle Federation:

Let's return to the negotiating table and resolve the issue through diplomatic channels.

We are willing to take the lead in convening multilateral talks to persuade Anshi to abandon the spirit core.

Exchanging this for the release of suppression is a win-win situation.

Burns also stood up, walked to his side, and whispered:

"Mr. Su, you are very idealistic."

But the reality is that the Eagle Federation and the Canaan City-State are already poised for conflict.

The council has authorized the work, the military pay has been allocated, and the troops have been mobilized...

Stopping it now would come at too high a price...

The president couldn't handle the pressure, and Benjamin couldn't handle it either.

"What if," Su Qingxuan turned around and stared into Burns' eyes, "then what if..."

"Can I get Benjamin to change his mind?"

Burns was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"I know one of Benjamin's secrets," Su Qingxuan said, lowering his voice even further.

"A secret that could ruin his reputation and even land him on trial."

If this secret were exposed, the people of Canaan would be the first to overthrow him.

By then, the Eagle Federation will have no reason to start a war.

Burns' pupils contracted: "What secret?"

It is:

The spy's power concealed deep treachery; a single, shocking statement exposed a massive deception.

Undeterred by the sharp edge of danger, they single-handedly upheld peace and turned the tide.