Borderless Heavenly Capital:
Although the Nation Suppression Army had not been publicly announced, Mo Yike had already started using Gu Hai’s decree to mobilize the Han Nation’s elite forces. Naturally, word of this matter soon reached various factions in all directions due to the resulting commotion.
When these factions received the news, they merely speculated Gu Hai was preparing for a counterstrike. No one could imagine Gu Hai would dare to lead an army south to fight the various factions. After all, there were too many of them, and the watchful eyes of the Huang Heavenly Dynasty were on him.
The various factions wanted to stand on the sidelines as the Huang Heavenly Dynasty and the Han Imperial Dynasty fought.
However, six major factions suddenly pledged allegiance to the Han Nation, which set alarm bells ringing among the bystanders.
With three middle-tier sects and three major imperial dynasties—each ent.i.ty equal in status to the Han Imperial Dynasty—surrendering without a fight, everyone wondered about the extent of the Han Imperial Dynasty’s schemes.
With this move, the forces of the Han Imperial Dynasty burgeoned.
It now had more than one individual at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm, along with two thousand cities; even a heavenly dynasty could not boast of such magnificence. The factions caught between the Huang Nation and the Han Nation became restless and anxious.
Armed with this news, Sima Changkong’s envoys hastened to the imperial dynasties. They traveled at an extraordinary pace, not in flying boats but escorted by cultivators in the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm and the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. In just a few days, they reached the imperial dynasties and sects and began their intricate dance of diplomacy.
Even before the Huang Heavenly Dynasty and the Han Imperial Dynasty began their battle, the political landscape started to seethe.
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Borderless Heavenly Capital:
Houqing’s injuries had almost completely healed after half a month of rest.
Standing at the entrance of a palace hall, he looked towards Gu Hai’s study in the distance, his eyes shadowed with uncertainty.
“Houqing, have you recovered?” Lady Houtu inquired.
“Elder Sister, I am almost fully healed. However, we cannot stay in this Borderless Heavenly Capital any longer. Elder Sister, please leave with me,” Houqing pleaded, turning his gaze to Lady Houtu.
“What are you saying?” Lady Houtu asked, her eyebrows knitting.
“Elder Sister, haven’t you noticed? Gu Hai is blatantly courting death. It’s one thing to make an enemy of the Huang Heavenly Dynasty, but now he has even issued a threat decree. Is he not inviting the whole world to oppose him? The allegiance of the six factions is not to deter others but to provoke them. Gu Hai has lost his mind!” Houqing argued, worry etched on his face.
“Lost his mind? Gu Hai established the Han Imperial Dynasty step by step, leading it to today’s grandeur. And you think your judgment is better? Houqing, are you still holding a grudge against Gu Hai, unable to let go of your resentment? Don’t forget, it was Gu Hai who saved you when you were trapped in the Yellow Springs Weak Water Ritual Array,” Lady Houtu said in a solemn voice.
“Elder Sister, yes, I still resent Gu Hai. Besides, he wasn’t the only one who saved me. You were there too. You would’ve saved me. My grat.i.tude is for you, not Gu Hai. Elder Sister, you heard it that day too. Ji Dihong grasped the divine Dao plundering and mind control. What can Gu Hai use to fight him? Ji Dihong even has the support of the Heavenly Demon Holy Land. Even Chiyou was defeated, right? Can Gu Hai compare to Chiyou? No. Chiyou’s world devouring was also taken away by Ji Dihong. It’s as if Ji Dihong has another Chiyou to help him. n.o.body in this world can suppress Ji Dihong anymore,” Houqing said, his voice filled with urgency.
“Meow! So, you’re planning to flee? To be a deserter?” Suddenly, Mao Tianyun walked out from a nearby spot.
“I’m speaking to my elder sister. Who are you to interrupt?!” Houqing glared.
“Humph! Well, I’m interrupting. What about it? Houqing, you wouldn’t be planning to join Ji Dihong, would you?” Mao Tianyun sneered.
“How could I possibly join Ji Dihong? Elder Sister, I want to go to the Yan Heavenly Dynasty to find Jiang Ba. Elder Sister, please come with me. Staying here means waiting for death. Gu Hai’s playing with fire; it will definitely not end well,” Houqing implored.
”That’s enough!” Lady Houtu said coldly.
“Elder Sister?”
“Houqing, I won’t stop you whether you choose to stay or leave. I know I can’t stop you. You have your own thoughts, and n.o.body can change them. No, perhaps Jiang Ba could change your mind. However, I want to make one thing clear: you must reveal nothing about Long Wanyu, not even to Jiang Ba. If I find out that you’ve leaked any information, we will sever our sibling relations.h.i.+p. Moreover, I will hunt you down across mountains and rivers, without rest, to kill you,” Lady Houtu said, her voice chilling.
“Elder Sister, you can’t—” Houqing began urgently.
Lady Houtu fixed him with a cold gaze, silencing his protest.
“Elder Sister, are you really not leaving? Even if we take Long Wanyu with us, we…” Houqing tried again.
Lady Houtu’s gaze remained icy.
“Alright, Elder Sister, please take care of yourself,” Houqing sighed.
Mao Tianyun watched the siblings, its brow furrowed, but said nothing.
“Farewell!” Houqing said in a solemn tone.
Whoos.h.!.+
Without waiting for a response, Houqing stepped towards the horizon, quickly turned into a beam of light, and vanished.
“Hah…,” Lady Houtu sighed softly.
“Houtu, actually, what that brat Houqing said is not unreasonable. Are we all staying behind? This Gu Hai is at the eye of the storm, and his position is fraught with danger.” Mao Tianyun voiced its concern.
Lady Houtu shook her head. “Our mission is to protect Long Wanyu, isn’t it?”
“But this Gu Hai—” Mao Tianyun started to object.
“Yes, Gu Hai is surrounded by danger, but isn’t it because of that danger that opportunities also abound around him? Staying here might not be a bad thing!” Lady Houtu interjected while shaking her head.
”Are you referring to Kong Xuan, Shangguan Hen, Gu Han, Long Wanqing, and Chen Xianer reaching the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm?” Mao Tianyun asked, puzzled.
“The Mosquito Daoist and Ao Sheng have also improved to a certain extent, didn’t they?” Lady Houtu pointed out.
“But we’re already at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. Why would we need to stay? What if Long Wanyu accidentally gets hurt?” countered Mao Tianyun, its brow furrowed.
“No, that won’t happen. Gu Hai is a man of honor. He’ll do everything in his power to protect Long Wanyu. Here, she is safe. But if she were to leave Borderless Heavenly Capital, could the two of us protect her forever? It’s a different world from before now,” sighed Lady Houtu.
“So, you’re saying that Gu Hai’s side is the safest place?” asked a surprised Mao Tianyun.
Lady Houtu simply nodded.
“All right, then. If you say so, it must be true. You lot are certainly smarter when it comes to plotting and scheming. It’s a pity about Ensnaring Performance, Purple Subtlety, and Longevity. Even with their memories of their past lives, they are useless. Their lack of intelligence is alarming, and their cultivations are merely in the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm. Such a shame,” Mao Tianyun lamented.
“You’re mistaken! They’ve achieved more than us now!” Lady Houtu shook her head.
“What? Houtu, are you joking? Those three oddb.a.l.l.s? Their grasp of the music Dao origin, the calligraphy Dao origin, and painting Dao origin is just pa.s.sive and far from matching us!” Mao Tianyun refused to believe her.
“We five divine envoys grasped the Great Dao of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth previously. Now, they’re using music, calligraphy, and painting. Do you think the music Dao, the Go Dao, the calligraphy Dao, and the painting Dao are simply four Great Dao?” Lady Houtu scoffed.
“Huh?”
“Music, Go, calligraphy, and painting are all parts of cultural cultivation. Each kind of cultivation fully encompa.s.ses the three thousand Great Dao. Do you understand what I’m saying? Each one! You underestimate cultural cultivation. They’re not just four heavenly Dao but four Great Dao as the foundation to encompa.s.s the usage of the three thousand Great Dao. Each one can drive a certain type of power from seven hundred fifty Great Dao,” Lady Houtu explained seriously.
“You’re joking! That’s impossible!” Mao Tianyun retorted, wide-eyed.
“That’s the truth. Music, Go, calligraphy, and painting belong to cultural cultivation, and unlike the other Great Dao, they can drive the power of seven hundred forty-nine Great Dao each. Gu Hai and Old Mister Guan Qi grasped most of their Go Dao through comprehension and hard work. Ensnaring Performance, Longevity, and Purple Subtlety were born with theirs. While they only grasp the origin of laws, do you think they are now useless? In fact, they’ve reached another realm, having cast off all impurities. They won’t engage in scheming because their temperaments have changed,” Lady Houtu said seriously.
“Why can these four Great Dao command the three thousand Great Dao?” Mao Tianyun asked, confused.
“The creator of cultural cultivation must have planned for it to be this way. He used music, Go, calligraphy, and painting as the foundation, invoking the power of the three thousand Great Dao, much like Heaven Cang invoked the power of three thousand Great Dao with the golden blessings dragon. Ensnaring Performance, Longevity, and Purple Subtlety are just beginning their transformation, but they’re already ahead of us. Don’t underestimate them and don’t be complacent. If you add Gu Hai’s Go Dao to them, you get a complete lineup of cultural cultivation. So, do you still think Gu Hai’s place is dangerous?” Lady Houtu asked.
Mao Tianyun was momentarily stunned before nodding. “It’s indeed strange!”
Lady Houtu shook her head and looked in the direction of the study room.
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The emperor’s study:
Gu Hai sat behind his desk. On his left stood Gu Qin and a group of corps commanders. On his right were the six faction leaders that had just joined the Han Imperial Dynasty. All of them had been given n.o.ble t.i.tles and were now part of the Han Imperial Dynasty’s court.
At that moment, the six faction leaders looked at Gu Hai with a hint of confusion.
“We have already said it during the morning a.s.sembly, but thanks to your support, our Han Imperial Dynasty could grow in peace,” Gu Hai said, looking at the six men.
The six men showed bitter smiles.
They had indeed made a promise to Sima Changkong in the past, but when the Huang Heavenly Dynasty attacked, the six factions hesitated. At that time, Sima Changkong spread rumors in their court, using public opinion to force the six men to take a stand. Eventually, they joined the Han Imperial Dynasty, albeit reluctantly.
However, no one would mention that now.
“The rank of marquis may not be as prestigious as the emperor or leader of a sect, but our Han Nation rewards and punishes fairly. Are you willing to contribute to the Han Imperial Dynasty, to expand our territory?” Gu Hai asked the six men.
They looked at Gu Hai, taken aback.
Typically, a sovereign or sect master who pledged allegiance was made a carefree marquis with no real authority at best for the sake of long-term stability in the nation. But what was Gu Hai implying?
“We value talent and are not worried about you rebelling,” Gu Hai said calmly.
“We dare not!” The six men bowed almost simultaneously.
“Don’t worry. As we said, we’re not worried about you rebelling. However, you should consider the cost of rebellion should you think of doing so. These corps commanders on your right were once our opponents, our enemies. Now, they are dukes. Why would I worry about those who have pledged their loyalty like you?” Gu Hai chuckled.
Kong Xuan, the Mosquito Daoist, Gao Xianzhi, Long Shenying, Mo Yike, and Sima Changkong all smirked. They were once Gu Hai’s opponents, indeed.
The six men were taken aback; then their eyes lit up. One of them said earnestly, “We admire Your Reverence’s magnanimity!”
“The Han Imperial Dynasty will soon ascend to a heavenly dynasty. A duke of a heavenly dynasty is no lesser than a sovereign of an imperial dynasty or a middle-tier sect’s sect master. All six of you have established imperial dynasties and middle-tier sects. You’re not ordinary people; you have your methods. Why would we waste your talents by leaving you idle?” Gu Hai said, smiling.
“Your Reverence is wise!” the six men said with a hint of grat.i.tude.
“This is a critical moment for the Han Nation. We have an opportunity for you to expand our territory and establish meritorious service. Show your capabilities, and when this major matter is over, perhaps everyone here might become dukes when the Han Nation advances to a heavenly dynasty,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Your Reverence, please make the arrangements!” The six men took a deep breath, their eyes s.h.i.+ning with excitement.
Having such an enlightened sovereign was a blessing for all.
Gu Hai looked at Mo Yike and nodded.
Mo Yike understood immediately. He was to include these six men in the Nation Suppression Army’s roster.