Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

Duanmu Rong quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Su Qingshan, his expression respectful and his tone humble: "Chief Su, there's no need for such formalities. We have come today with important matters to ask of you, and we apologize for troubling you." Duanmu Rong was over seventy years old, somewhat overweight, with wrinkles all over his face, but his eyes were very sharp, clearly indicating that he was a man who had long held a high position and was deep in thought.

"No need for formalities, please have a seat." Su Qingshan waved his hand with a smile and greeted them warmly. As he spoke, he took the lead and sat down at the table, gesturing for the two to sit down as well.

With Su Qingshan's invitation, Morishige and Duanmu Rong no longer stood on ceremony and sat down at the table, their posture casual, clearly not considering themselves outsiders. The innkeeper quickly brought over a pot of freshly brewed tea, filled the cups for the three of them, and then tactfully withdrew, gently closing the door behind him, leaving the three of them alone.

The guest room fell silent instantly. Su Qingshan picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and slowly broke the silence: "Your Highnesses and Patriarch, you've come so late at night. There must be something urgent. Please speak frankly."

Duanmu Rong was the first to put down his teacup, his face showing weariness and urgency. His tone carried a hint of complaint: "Chief Su, to be honest, we've been in the Great Qian Imperial City for so long, and every day we've had to hide, constantly peeking out from the shadows, afraid to show our true faces. This kind of life is truly unbearable. His Highness the Second Prince and I have discussed this at length, and today we've come to ask Chief Su, when can we finally make our move? When can we completely take over the Great Qian Imperial City?"

Su Qingshan put down his teacup and said calmly, "The reason I haven't been in a hurry to act and haven't set a date is to confirm Xiao Yuanhou's fate. Now that Xiao Yuanhou has been confirmed dead, and the royal family no longer has a Grandmaster in charge, this is the perfect time for us to make our move."

He paused, his tone becoming serious, and added, "However, there is something I must tell you both. Lin Zhengying, the sixth elder of the Tianwu Sect, has also arrived in the imperial city, and after arriving, he successfully broke through to the Grandmaster realm. He is now a true Grandmaster expert."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, the attendant beside Duanmu Rong was taken aback, a look of surprise on his face.

Duanmu Rong's brows furrowed slightly, his expression turned serious, and his fingertips tapped the table unconsciously, clearly realizing the troublesome nature of the situation.

Morishita Uerou, however, was full of disdain, his tone brimming with confidence. He scoffed, "Elder Su, you're mistaken! You yourself are a Grandmaster-level expert, would you be afraid of a Grandmaster who has just broken through? With you here, what trouble can Lin Zhengying possibly cause?"

"Your Highness is unaware," Su Qingshan shook his head slightly, his tone sincere, without a hint of humility, but rather genuine apprehension. "The Tianwu Sect is no ordinary martial arts sect. It has a history of over ten thousand years, with profound foundations. The sect cultivates extremely advanced martial arts, and has produced numerous powerful figures throughout the ages. Lin Zhengying's ability to become the Sixth Elder of the Tianwu Sect and successfully break through to the Grandmaster level indicates that his strength is not to be underestimated. Even I would probably not gain any advantage against him, let alone easily defeat him."

Duanmu Rong, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately discerned the deeper meaning in Su Qingshan's words. He sensed that Su Qingshan's words were not mere modesty, but rather a genuine expression of apprehension. Su Qingshan was always meticulous and cautious in his actions. Before Xiao Yuanhou's fate was unknown, he had remained inactive. Even when he had the courage to lead men to infiltrate the palace, he never dared to linger for long, nor did he act too decisively. This was because he had a clear understanding of his own strength and was never blindly arrogant.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Moriue Uerou's confidence gradually faded, replaced by deep impatience, and his tone became impatient. "I don't want to keep hiding like this anymore. I don't want to live like this for another day!"

Su Qingshan pondered for a moment and slowly said, "If Your Highness is not in a hurry, we can patiently wait for two opportunities. One is to wait for Lin Zhengying to leave the capital. At that time, there will be no Grandmasters guarding the capital, and we can take advantage of the situation to take it down in one fell swoop. The other is to wait for the armies of the barbarians and the Northern Desert to invade the capital, and we can take advantage of the chaos to reap the benefits."

He paused, looked at Morishige Uerou, and said calmly, "If Your Highness is too anxious and doesn't want to wait any longer, you can send a message back to ask the Grandmaster of the Japanese tribe to come to the capital to help. At that time, we will have two Grandmasters on our side. With such strength, we will have absolute confidence to defeat Lin Zhengying and successfully destroy the Xiao royal family."

"Alright! I'll send a message back right away and tell the Grandmaster of the clan to come as soon as possible!" Morishige immediately slammed his hand on the table and said urgently. He really didn't want to continue hiding and swallowing his anger any longer. Lin Zhengying's arrival this time clearly indicated that he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, and the barbarian and Northern Desert armies wouldn't be able to reach the capital anytime soon either. He simply didn't have the patience to wait any longer.

Moreover, the alliance between the Japanese, the Duanmu family, and the Divine Judgment was aimed at invading the Great Qian capital before the barbarian and Northern Desert kingdoms could destroy it, seizing the initiative, and then dividing the Great Qian's land and resources with the two kingdoms. Morishige Uerou was not a patient person to begin with, and now that he heard there was a solution, he was even less willing to wait a moment longer. He didn't even bother to drink another sip of tea on the table, and got up to walk towards the door.

Once Mori no Uerou's figure had completely disappeared outside the guest room door, Su Qingshan slowly turned his head to look at Duanmu Rong beside him, a hint of doubt on his face. He asked curiously, "Patriarch Duanmu, why is the Second Prince in such a hurry? Doesn't he know that those who achieve great things must be able to remain calm? Such impatience will ruin our important plans sooner or later."

Duanmu Rong picked up his teacup, took a sip, and calmed his thoughts before cautiously saying, "Chief Su, you may not know this, but His Highness the Second Prince grew up in the Japanese royal family, pampered and privileged. He has never experienced such humiliation of hiding and concealing his identity. He has always loved these bustling metropolises, yet he insists on hiding in the shadows, unable to show his true face. Naturally, he cannot endure such a life, nor does he wish to continue."

He paused, lowered his voice even further, and continued, "Most importantly, the entire Japanese tribe is now in a state of panic. According to an ancient book treasured by our Duanmu family and the Japanese tribe, more than ten thousand years have passed, and the Tianyuan Continent where we live has undergone earth-shattering changes. Now, the sudden appearance of traces of ancient treasures on this land is a sign—the world is changing, spiritual energy is reviving, and in the future, the relics of ancient powerful beings or the treasures left behind by major sects will appear one after another."

"Ten thousand years ago, there were no powerful sects or experts in the East China Sea, and their influence was weak. Therefore, the Japanese and our Duanmu family had to enter this continent as soon as possible and occupy a large territory in order to gain a foothold in the future changes and avoid being swallowed up by other powerful forces."