Chapter 218 - Commoners? (1)

When news of the coming war reached the luxurious restaurants clustered beside Seaport Falls, the leisurely young nobleman was still drinking wine and admiring the graceful figure of the dancing girl before him.

As the sounds of panicked crowds and frightened horses outside grew steadily clearer, the dancer and musicians instinctively stopped.

Their sudden pause immediately displeased the young nobleman. He did not lose his temper, however. Instead, he teased them with a smile. “Why stop? Keep playing, and you keep dancing. Anyone fleeing now either has a formation inscribed ship or a flying demonic beast. Do you?”

The dancer fell silent for a moment, then resumed her graceful movements to the musicians’ strings. Her long, pale legs flashed between the folds of her costume as she danced, her slender waist swaying with delicate grace. With fine wine in hand and a beautiful woman before him, the room felt unnaturally peaceful amid the chaos consuming the town.

As the dance continued, an effeminate man quietly pushed open the door. Holding a small slip of paper, he walked up behind the young nobleman.

The young nobleman glanced at his expression and more or less guessed the result. “It seems the Chancellor's Manor has no intention of giving the Myriad Manifestations Sect a choice.”

The effeminate man’s face was grave. He leaned closer and whispered into his ear. “Young Master, the eastern district has fallen.”

The relaxed smile on the young nobleman’s face abruptly froze.

The effeminate man continued in a sinister murmur, “The Chancellor mobilized troops without the imperial court’s approval. His Majesty should have another reason to bring down the blade now.”

The young nobleman’s brows slowly drew together. “Idiot. Shut your mouth. If Xu Yinhe dared mobilize his forces, then he must have evidence capable of destroying the sect and a legitimate reason to deploy his army.”

The effeminate man froze, then hurriedly dropped to his knees. “Third Young Master, this lowly one failed to consider the matter properly...”

The young nobleman pondered for several breaths before exhaling and waving a hand. His tone returned to its usual lazy ease. “Enough. Get up. If I remember correctly, it has only been about half an hour since that man called out his ultimatum. With the town’s grand defensive formation in place, how did the eastern district fall so quickly?”

Zhang Rou replied softly and presented the small slip of paper with both hands. “Young Master, this is the general account sent by the Imperial Shadow Guard.”

The young nobleman accepted it. After reading it carefully, he let out a long sigh. “The Blackscale Army’s combat strength has already reached this level? At the very least, their military equipment is far ahead of ours.”

Zhang Rou said quietly, “Young Master, they were prepared while the defenders were caught unaware. Myriad’s garrison had no time to react.”

The young nobleman shook his head. “Zhang Rou, denying the enemy any time to react is also a kind of strength.”

He then slowly rose and crossed the room to the window. Looking up, he stared at the enormous black eagle still hovering in midair. “The man inside that black eagle pavilion is truly ruthless. The Sect Master refused to answer, so he simply attacked the town. Tsk, tsk.”

With that, the young nobleman swung one leg over the windowsill, apparently preparing to jump straight down.

The effeminate man stared at him in bewilderment. “Young Master, what are you...?”

“Running away, obviously. What, did you think I was going to stand here and wait to die?” The young nobleman spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

“Someone in the Myriad Manifestations Sect knows I’m here, and I slipped into the town in secret. With the town in chaos and that man in the sky being so ruthless, he might casually kill me along the way, and no one would ever know.”

Zhang Rou had nothing to say to that.

News that the eastern district had fallen rapidly spread throughout the town through every available channel.

The Myriad Manifestations garrison consisted only of second-line troops trained in martial academies rather than true elites, but no one had imagined they would collapse so quickly even under the protection of the town-protecting grand array.

Neither the Sect Master nor the Grand Elder had expected it.

Fortunately, after seizing the eastern district, the Blackscale Army did not press deeper into the town. Instead, they began restoring order amid the chaos.

The black eagle pavilion was utterly silent.

Xu Xinyao stood off to one side without speaking, looking cold and aloof.

Xu Yuan sat alone upon the cushioned couch, while the two old men knelt on meditation mats before him, neither showing the slightest displeasure.

Moving at an unhurried pace, he poured each of them a cup of wine and pushed the cups forward. “Seniors, I was washing up and getting dressed just now, so I was a little slow.”

He paused, then added meaningfully, “The Blackscale Army was following the plan. I lost track of the time and failed to send the signal, so they went ahead and began the first phase on their own. I hope neither of you takes offense.”

The Sect Master’s expression did not change, but his tone had become far more courteous, with none of its earlier gloom. “Young Master, you were so focused on your affairs that you forgot about outside distractions. This old man naturally understands.”

Xu Yuan smiled at that. So anyone could become a bootlicker when the situation called for it.

After a brief pause, the Sect Master asked with some hesitation, “Still, might I ask what you meant by the first phase?”

Xu Yuan made no attempt to conceal it. “The plan is actually quite simple. The first phase expands from a point into a line. The second expands from a line across an entire area. As for the third phase...”

At that, he gave them a meaningful smile and left the rest unsaid.

The Sect Master remained perfectly composed, unmoved on the surface.

Xu Yuan merely smiled gently. “There’s no need to be nervous, Senior. The next phase probably will not begin for another four hours. We still have time.”

The Sect Master smiled faintly and raised his cup for a sip. “Four hours?”

Xu Yuan did not answer. Instead, he rubbed between his brows and spoke with a troubled expression. “Just look at this memory of mine. I can’t quite recall. Perhaps it was two hours?”

He paused, then glanced sideways at Xu Xinyao. “XIaohe, how long did we set it for again?”

Xu Xinyao kept her lips firmly shut. She still looked cold and aloof, with absolutely no intention of answering.

Xu Yuan frowned, his voice turning stern. “XIaohe?!”

At that moment, the Sect Master suddenly spoke. “Young Master’s maid happens to share the same name as my daughter. I suppose that could be called fate.”

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, then said coldly to Xu Xinyao, “I’ll deal with you later.”

The moment he finished speaking, his expression changed as swiftly as a Sichuan opera mask. He turned to the Sect Master with open interest. “Oh? The same name? Now I’m curious. Could Senior introduce us?”

The Sect Master gave a light cough. “XIaohe has been occupied with other matters lately. Once this affair is settled, should you be willing to visit the Myriad Manifestations Sect as a guest, I can naturally arrange it. For now, however, perhaps we should discuss the matter at hand.”

Having been refused, Xu Yuan frowned. He leaned back against the cushioned couch and crossed one leg over the other. “But I’m terribly curious. If you cannot introduce us, perhaps we should continue our discussion another day?”

The Sect Master stared at the boot swaying before his eyes, drew a deep breath, and maintained his smile. “For you to take an interest in her is my daughter’s honor.”

With that, source qi surged around him. He sent out a voice transmission that shot past the windowsill and streaked toward the Myriad Manifestations Sect’s mountain gate.

Xu Yuan burst into laughter. “I’ve long heard that Senior is a straightforward man. Now that I’ve met you, I see the rumors were true. Very well, let us discuss business. You can begin.”

The Sect Master fell silent for a moment, carefully weighing his words before speaking in a low voice. “Young Master, there appears to be some misunderstanding between the Myriad Manifestations Sect and your esteemed manor. May I ask what it would take for you to withdraw your troops?”

“Withdraw my troops?” Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. He was deeply dissatisfied with what the man considered the matter at hand.

Even now, they were still avoiding any mention of Sageridge.

On second thought, however, it made perfect sense. These men were experts in internal power struggles. Their political instincts were usually razor-sharp. The moment they discussed Sageridge, they would be admitting to a capital crime. Refuse to mention it, and there was still room to negotiate.

After a brief pause, Xu Yuan decided to play along. “And how exactly would I withdraw them?”

Before the Sect Master could answer, the Grand Elder spoke in a voice heavy with compassion. “Young Master, wherever armies march, it is the common people who suffer. The lives of Myriad’s three million citizens now rest upon a single thought from you.”

Xu Yuan frowned.

Seeing this, the Grand Elder smoothly changed his tune. “The Chancellor's Manor has graciously helped the Myriad Manifestations Sect conduct a military exercise. Now that the exercise is complete, our sect is willing to reimburse your estate’s military expenses, along with an additional five million taels of silver as a token of gratitude. Payment can be made immediately.”