Chapter 275: The Vessel (1)

After hearing Xu Yuan’s account, Xu Yinhe did not immediately give his opinion. Instead, he gave his son a meaningful look and asked, “Turning a blind eye is certainly one solution. But Changtian, what happens if one of the sects bypasses both me and Li Yaoxuan, then openly mobilizes its forces in the name of dealing with the calamity and sets itself against us? Li Yaoxuan and I might not even learn of it until afterward. They could act first and report later.”

Uncertainty crept into Xu Yuan’s expression.

The sects were warlords through and through. They possessed their own military systems, and some of the larger sects had even established complete production networks within the provinces they controlled. They did indeed require tiger tallies to mobilize their troops.

Just not tiger tallies issued by the imperial court. Would they truly deploy their armies and confront the imperial court’s forces head-on? Given the sort of bastards running those sects, it was hardly beyond them.

Father and son walked silently toward the inner residence.

Xu Yuan said nothing, and Xu Yinhe walked quietly ahead, waiting for him to reach his own conclusion.

Thoughts rose one after another in Xu Yuan’s mind. Then, all at once, one point became clear, and the rest followed with it.

“If the sects merely go through the usual motions, public denunciations, petitions, and remonstrances, then it won’t matter much. But actually deploying troops… Father, aren’t the sects already doing exactly that? They’ve secretly fed information to the barbarians on the battlefield. They even went so far as to sever the supply lines and send the troops of the First Martial Princess’ Feathered Forest Army to their deaths. As for deploying troops to confront the Imperial Army on the battlefield…”

Xu Yuan met Xu Yinhe’s gaze. His eyes were cold and indifferent. “Then they are rebels. We simply wipe them out along with the rest.”

A faint, obscure light stirred in the depths of Xu Yinhe’s eyes. His voice grew heavier. “Changtian, always pressing for war is not a good habit.”

An immense pressure rolled from the middle-aged man in the black dragon robe.

Xu Yuan did not break stride. His voice remained calm and steady. “Father, I say that because the sects would never dare mobilize troops to obstruct us directly. And even if they did and their forces were destroyed, they would have no choice but to swallow the loss.”

Xu Yinhe chuckled, his voice low. “Changtian, have you still not understood? When their own interests are at stake, the sects have no bottom line.”

Xu Yuan shook his head and pointed toward the Imperial Palace. “A true dragon nearing the end of its life may lash out with one final fit of madness. Who would dare gamble against that? Would the people in those sects dare?”

“They would not.”

Xu Yuan spread his hands, his own voice growing more forceful. “Father, the imperial court and the sects have coexisted for 1,000 years. Aside from a handful of exceptions… many, and I mean far too many of the sects in the Great Flame Empire have already rotted from within. Their noble-born disciples cultivate and grow stronger not for some grand ideal, but to secure their clans’ position and use their cultivation to seize even more power within their own little domains.”

He slowly raised his right hand. “On this side lies a wager with their lives. If they lose, the realm descends into war, and all the power and wealth they possess may vanish overnight.”

Then he raised his left hand. “And on this side is appeasement. All they need to do is stall until the present Emperor dies. That would spark an internal struggle between the imperial clan and us. If they can then drag matters out until you die as well, they will remain the same lofty sects they have always been, enjoying their privileges and all the conveniences afforded by ancestral law for generations to come.”

Moonlight poured down like a waterfall, tracing a silver edge around his blood-red robes.

Xu Yuan gazed at the middle-aged man before him, whose temples were already flecked with white. A cold light flickered in the young man’s dark eyes as he enunciated each word. “Father, if you were one of the sects’ leaders, which would you choose?”

After a long silence came a soft sigh, and the oppressive aura faded away.

Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan with gentle eyes, no longer the mighty Chancellor, but merely an ordinary, aging father.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan quickly lowered his hands and cupped his fists. “These are merely some of my thoughts. I ask Father to correct me where I am wrong.”

Xu Yinhe smiled and waved a hand. “Changtian, I discussed this matter with your eldest brother as well. He also favored war, but he did not mention any of the points you just raised.”

Xu Yuan glanced toward the inner palace and curled his lips before reluctantly saying, “Xu Changge’s skull may be packed entirely with muscle, but he should still be capable of working it out. He simply isn’t good at putting his thoughts into words.”

Xu Yinhe appeared to be in a good mood. He gave Xu Yuan an amused glance. “That is enough. Everything your brother did in the past was for your own good. Back then, you could not cultivate, and your body could not withstand the medicinal effects. Every time he finished beating you, he and Xinyao would carefully prepare the ingredients for your medicinal bath.”

Xu Yuan said nothing. What century is this? Smack me around, then give me a treat afterward. What was this, the NBA? Commit a foul and then hand out free throws?

Besides, his dislike of Xu Changge had nothing to do with what had happened in the past. Their personalities simply clashed.

Xu Changge had the temperament of some domineering tyrant. Even Xu Yuan, a man famous, at least in his own mind, for his excellent temper, could not stand him. He truly had no idea how that sister-in-law of his from the Heavenly Master Sect had fallen for such an insufferable bastard.

At that thought, he suddenly remembered the similarities between the Young Heavenly Master and Tian Yan’s cultivation art.

Before he could ponder it further, however, Xu Yinhe smilingly steered the conversation back on course. “Your brother’s reasoning differed from yours. He focused more on the Emperor’s approaching end than on the sects themselves.”

After a slight pause, Xu Yinhe’s voice grew more serious. “Changtian, in this respect, you truly are more capable than your brother.”

Xu Yuan froze for a moment. Then it suddenly dawned on him. His father had not truly been asking for his opinion earlier. He had been testing him. Testing whether he could genuinely shoulder the weight of the Chancellor's Manor after his father passed away.

After considering his words, Xu Yuan asked softly, “Then what do you intend to do, Father?”

Xu Yinhe glanced toward the south and smiled. “Even aboard flying demonic beasts, the journey from the border between the Great Flame Empire and the Great Wasteland to the Imperial Capital would take at least a month and a half. I have arranged a few small gifts for them along the way. By my estimate, they should reach the imperial capital in roughly four months.”

“Four months…” Xu Yuan murmured under his breath.

Four months from now, Tian Yan would arrive openly in the imperial capital. Judging by her attitude when they had last parted, that washboard Saintess probably would not do anything too extreme to him… right?

As he pondered the matter, Xu Yuan suddenly gave a careless smile. It did not matter. He could always call for backup. This was the imperial capital. With so many top-tier experts in his own household, was he really going to let that washboard bully him?

Watching the expressions flicker across his youngest son’s face, Xu Yinhe’s gaze grew somewhat complicated. “Changtian, the relationship between you and that Saintess of the Heavenwatch Pavilion…”

Xu Yuan came back to himself and chuckled. “It is rather complicated. I believe that woman and I went through certain things together inside the illusion, but after leaving it, I could no longer remember what happened.”

Xu Yinhe said softly, “I can choose not to interfere in your relationships with the Heavenwatch Pavilion’s Saintess or Ran Jianli’s precious disciple. But I hope you will think things through carefully.”

Ran Jianli was the Great Flame Empire’s Imperial Preceptor and the Sect Master of the Celeste Sword Sect, but he represented an interest group fundamentally opposed to the Chancellor's Manor. If marriage alliances could solve such problems, there would not be so many wars in the world. Not unless the man abandoned the ideals he had spent his entire life pursuing.

Xu Yuan’s expression turned solemn, and he nodded. “I understand, Father.”

Xu Yinhe asked nothing further and quietly continued toward the main hall.

Neither spoke again along the way. When they reached the entrance, Xu Yuan spotted a familiar old man.

It was Hua Hong, chairman of the Calm Sky Merchant Association. He had a long beard, snow-white hair, and a loose, flowing robe. Were it not for those narrow eyes of his that always made others vaguely uncomfortable, he might have passed for a venerable Immortal.