Looking at Chongxuan Sheng, Jiang Chen said with a trace of apology, “I’ve put you in a difficult position.”
Chongxuan Chuliang had relented naturally because of Chongxuan Sheng. On an emotional level, uncle and nephew had a close bond. As for interests, Chongxuan Chuliang had already chosen Chongxuan Sheng in the internal struggle within the Chongxuan family.
Of course, given Chongxuan Chuliang’s current position, his support would necessarily have limits.
If Chongxuan Sheng stopped striving or grew arrogantly self-important, that support might yet shift elsewhere... After all, Chongxuan Zun was also his own nephew.
Chongxuan Sheng merely waved a hand. “I said in Qingyang Town that I wouldn’t make things difficult for you. So I won’t.”
Chongxuan Chuliang had only made time to meet him after hearing that Jiang Chen had killed the Dragon Mask. Because Jiang Chen had insisted, the meeting had ended hastily. Chongxuan Sheng would not mention that, however. There was no point complaining about what had already happened.
“You’d better not go back,” he said.
That was why he had asked Jiang Chen to personally escort the surrendered soldiers to the army camp. The appearance of the Dragon-Bone Mask had made him realize that the danger facing Jiang Chen was not limited to the area around Jia City, as he had previously believed.
Yet some matters involving military intelligence absolutely could not be revealed. For that reason, he had not even recalled the Chongxuan family’s extraordinary physician. He had decided to leave that person to fend for himself in Qingyang Town.
In fact, bringing Fourteen with him to Qingyang Town this time had already violated military regulations, and punishment afterward was unavoidable. On the other hand, forcing five thousand soldiers to surrender could count as a merit, perhaps enough to offset it.
Jiang Chen heard everything clearly, and saw everything clearly as well.
From the extermination of the Xi family to the handling of nearly five thousand surrendered soldiers from Jia City’s guards...
Everywhere, one could see the attitude of the Qi army. It was truly too brutal. From this, one could glimpse the future of the State of Yang: not even a sliver of daylight could leak through.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Qingyang Town could not escape the storm.
But Jiang Chen shook his head. “I still have to return to Qingyang Town. It’s not only to help you. My subordinates and friends are all over there.”
Especially during the Flying Snow Calamity, the people of Qingyang Town had, in a sense, saved his life. At a time like this, he would not turn a blind eye.
“Have you decided?” Chongxuan Sheng asked.
“What is there to worry about?” Jiang Chen smiled. “I’ve only just pushed open the Gate of Heaven and Earth. I’m at a time of rapid advancement. The danger before has passed, and things will only become safer from here on.”
Chongxuan Sheng did not argue with him about how dangerous the State of Yang would be in the coming period. He believed Jiang Chen had certainly thought it through.
So he merely sighed. “The news we received yesterday was that Wang Yiwu has broken through the limit of the Heaven-Piercing realm.”
“If the former limit was here...” Chongxuan Sheng shifted his feet and walked five steps forward. “Then he has gone this far beyond it.”
“He has redefined the limit.” Jiang Chen could not help sighing as well. “He truly deserves admiration.”
To redefine the limit of a realm was an event worthy of being recorded as a milestone in the transcendent world. Even if Wang Yiwu died now, his name could already remain in the annals of history.
Even as his opponent, neither Jiang Chen nor Chongxuan Sheng could ignore such an achievement.
If there was anything regrettable, naturally there was. Jiang Chen had originally had such an opportunity too...
Morning and evening lessons, regardless of winter or summer, he had never slacked off for even a moment. He had never been negligent, and his strength had steadily increased. He had not even touched a bottleneck, which showed that he had possessed the chance to reach that limit, perhaps even break it...
Yet, constrained by the circumstances of the time, he had been forced to break through ahead of schedule.
But there was no need for regret.
Wang Yiwu had a Martial God for a master to protect him, allowing him to explore at his leisure.
Jiang Chen was in a foreign land, as rootless as duckweed. Struggling to survive was already difficult enough.
There was no need to demand perfection in every matter. In the end, it came down to just five words: do your best without regret.
“Of course he’s admirable. But as an opponent, he’s not nearly as pleasant.” Chongxuan Sheng shook his head. “His shackles are gone. He can push open the Gate of Heaven and Earth with ease. Perhaps he has already formed a Soaring Dragon in his Dao meridian by now. And once he pushes open the Gate of Heaven and Earth, he will immediately rank among the strongest in the Soaring Dragon realm... At least, I’m not confident I could face him.”
“Is the cooperation between him and Chongxuan Zun truly unbreakable?” Jiang Chen asked curiously. “If we paid a certain price, would it be possible to turn enemies into friends?”
Challenging Chongxuan Zun was already an extremely difficult task, but having to face an enemy like Wang Yiwu was still inevitably worrying.
“If Chongxuan Zun tried to buy you off, would you agree?” Chongxuan Sheng said. “The relationship between Wang Yiwu and Chongxuan Zun isn’t as simple as you think. It can only be closer than the bond between you and me.”
Since Chongxuan Sheng put it that way, splitting them apart was clearly not a viable path.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment but said nothing. If they truly met in battle, then he would fight. There was nothing more to say.
“I have to say, your staying in Qingyang Town is a good thing for me.” Chongxuan Sheng spoke seriously. “To launch this expedition into the State of Yang, I’ve already wagered everything I possess.”
From the moment he learned that the Qi army’s commander was Chongxuan Chuliang, Jiang Chen had already formed some guesses.
He wanted to say that Chongxuan Sheng was too fond of gambling, but then he felt that without taking such a gamble, Chongxuan Sheng might never have had a chance to defeat Chongxuan Zun.
“My uncle and I have staked all our political resources. I want the whole State of Yang. I want a share of the power that comes from dividing this great pie.”
Chongxuan Sheng spoke softly, yet his voice was full of ambition. “My uncle’s army is outside, trapping this pie and guarding it. You are inside, eroding it. The better you do in Qingyang Town, the more clearly the ugliness of the State of Yang’s bureaucrats will be revealed. While the State of Yang is tossed about by wind and rain, you must turn Qingyang Town into a paradise beyond the mortal world, making it a place all the people of Yang long to visit. The very existence of a place like Qingyang Town can make the Yang court lose all support among the people.”
At that moment, he revealed his goal.
Jiang Chen’s earlier idea had been to consolidate all of the Chongxuan family’s businesses within the State of Yang and make them Chongxuan Sheng’s granary. But Chongxuan Sheng himself wanted more, and his ambitions were greater.
No matter how great a price they paid to make the State of Qi send troops into the State of Yang and appoint Chongxuan Chuliang as commander, there was no way they could monopolize the entire State of Yang. But they could possess the power to “divide the pie.”
Who received a share and who did not, who received more and who received less... It would be easy to weave an entire network of interests.
It could be said that if Chongxuan Chuliang successfully conquered the State of Yang and incorporated it into the territory of the State of Qi, military honors and acclaim would be secondary. The opportunity to divide the pie afterward would be the real point.
It would be enough to make Chongxuan Sheng’s faction swell explosively. Exactly how many times it grew would depend on how the division was handled.
“Nothing I’ve done in Qingyang Town has been an act,” Jiang Chen said.
“I know that, of course,” Chongxuan Sheng said. “But you have to help me.”
“I know what to do.” As he spoke, Jiang Chen took the Azure-Heaven Cloud Ram, reduced to half its original size, out of the Storage Casket. “This is for you, as I said before.”
Chongxuan Sheng accepted it without the slightest hesitation. They had agreed on this long ago.
Jiang Chen left without lingering in the army camp. Xiang Qian’s injuries had not yet healed, and Qingyang Town currently had no powerful expert stationed there. He needed to hurry back as soon as possible.
He would never ask when Chongxuan Sheng had settled on this plan, or when he had decided to stake everything on plotting for the whole State of Yang.
He would never ask whether, when Chongxuan Sheng had invited him to the State of Yang outside Nanyao City, he had already planned everything up to this day.
He only needed to know that after receiving news of the Dragon Mask, Chongxuan Sheng had immediately rushed to Qingyang Town.
That was enough.
Everyone had their own thoughts, principles, privacy, and secrets.
Between friends, all that mattered was seeking common ground while reserving differences.