Gu Yunjing was already extremely old.

He was originally precisely one of Yunqin military’s oldest generals, and he was always watching over Dragon Snake Border Pass. Constantly being exposed to filth and hot humidity had left quite the toll on his body, making it so that his face didn’t have the radiance of normal Sacred Experts.

Right now, his face seemed to have aged a bit.

He looked at Lin Xi, solemnly and quietly asking, “What kind of transaction?”

Lin Xi said, “If general doesn’t die, or if the emperor doesn’t command the army to enter Heaven Ascension Mountain Range, I definitely won’t use this rebel army and Zhantai Qiantang’s Great Mang Army.”

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Gu Yunjing’s brows jumped slightly. “Your words are quite direct. Why has my even death become part of the condition?”

“Your respected self isn’t an ordinary person. You must do the things you must do, but you pursue inner peace. That is why you will care about the things in front of your eyes, that is why you do not wish to see Yunqin, this empire that was established by Green Luan Academy and the late emperor together fall into turmoil.” Lin Xi looked at this old general, saying respectfully, “With general overseeing this place, with general in Yunqin’s military, I will feel at ease. However, if your respected self is no longer here, there will already be no one left who can help us feel at ease. This border pass, this world, the things before us are looked after by Great General. If your respected self is no longer here, the matters afterwards, this Yunqin, I must ask Great General to leave it to us at ease.”

Gu Yunjing released a light sigh, saying with a bit of mockery, “It seems like your Green Luan Academy’s people have also already seen that I cannot hold out much longer?”

Lin Xi remained silent.

Even though they stood on different sides, after experiencing East Scenery City, he understood some of Yunqin soldiers’ stubbornness a bit more, their inflexibility, even their childishness.

He knew that if it was himself, in this entire life, he couldn’t be like Gu Yunjing and the others, becoming someone truly great.

This autumn, for Yunqin Empire, was just like a curse that swept away the old and welcomed the new. The elders leaving the stage of history was unavoidable, but during this autumn, the number of elders that left seemed a bit too many.

When he heard Gu Yujing’s expression of slight mockery, Lin Xi’s mood became indescribably complicated.

“If nothing unexpected happens, sticking it out for another eight or nine years shouldn’t be an issue. However, it is difficult for generals to avoid dying in war, you do not need to explain too much either, I understand your intentions.” Gu Yunjing looked at this junior who was like the morning son, putting away his smile of self-mockery, saying seriously, “It is just that even if I only tend to my own matters, Zhantai Qiantang’s Great Mang army is not five thousand men, but rather fifty thousand men.”

“These are fifty thousand people…” Gu Yunjing repeated, saying heavily, “You were even able to equip a rebel army in a place as barren as Dragon Snake Border Pass better than my Black Snake Army… I believe in your ability, that you can arm fifty thousand people. An elite troop of fifty thousand that are armed to the teeth, in Yunqin’s borders, are like runaway horses… The local armies are not a match at all. They might even be able to directly head to Central Contient City. A border army that has the ability to deal with this type of army can only chase after them from behind.”

Lin Xi knew that Gu Yunjing was still refusing him out of worries, but he didn’t show any expressions of disappointment, only calmly looking at Gu Yunjing and saying, “That is why I will make Great General feel relaxed as well. I will tell your respected self one of my lifelines. If I go against our agreement, your respected self can easily cut off my lifeline.”

Gu Yunjing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The choice at this type of time was extremely difficult for him, but in this life of his, he had made who knew how many difficult decisions. This made it so that regardless of what kind of horrifying time it was, he still wouldn’t show much hesitation. That was why his eyes immediately flickered with light, nodding and saying, “Please continue.”

Lin Xi also nodded, saying quietly, “Auspicious Virtue is mine.”

Gu Yunjing’s clothes trembled. His face that only had worry and helplessness displayed a hint of shock. This made it so that it seemed as if there were blades and swords flying in his eyes.

Even though Lin Xi’s words were extremely simple, when it came to someone like him, he understood what these words signified extremely well.

These words were even more shocking than saying that Lin Xi had another army of tens of thousands, leaving someone like him even more shocked.

“No wonder no one suspected you even when you went to Jadefall City before… It is because you went to deal with the Divine Elephant Army. However, defeating the Divine Elephant Army, calming Jadewater and Heavenfall Province’s situation, the one who receives the greatest benefit from this is naturally Auspicious Virtue.” Gu Yunjing’s eyes narrowed, the radiance in his eyes continuously flickering. “Food is the primary need. Yunqin’s foodstuffs price has recently increased by almost twenty percent. With Jadewater and Heavenfall Province’s stability, those other merchant companies do not have the ability to threaten Auspicious Virtue at all anymore. For you to be able to create this type of miracle for Auspicious Virtue, it will naturally make it even stronger and more powerful. That is why you have confidence in settling the issue of feeding the fifty thousand Great Mang troops. It is to the extent where in the future, at a certain time, you can decide which army of Yunqin’s does not receive enough provisions, which Yunqin’s troops do not have to worry about provisions at all. Who would have expected that you were Auspicious Virtue’s true master!”

“Auspicious Virtue is after all only an honorable and proper merchant company. By telling your respected self this secret, if your respected self wishes to deal with Auspicious Virtue, it will take but a slight effort.” Lin Xi looked at Gu Yunjing and said, “That is why Auspicious Virtue is the lifeline of Nangong Weiyang and Zhantai Qiantang’s troops, as well as my lifeline. What your respected self said is correct. This world isn’t actually a world where a cultivator leading some other cultivators can change it… are there any other areas where your respected self does not feel at ease over?”

“You are already powerful enough, but this still isn’t enough.” Gu Yunjing shook his head. He looked at Lin Xi and said this seriously.

“If Great General was Tang Niu, then you would know an old saying. Water can carry boats and overturn them, this will in the end be a struggle of human will.” Lin Xi spoke some amusing words, but his expression didn’t have any playful expressions. “Time will prove everything. I believe Yunqin’s people will make the best choice for themselves.”

Gu Yunjing didn’t say anything else, only reaching out his hand. One of Great Mang’s small banners on the sand table flew out from the sand table, entering the palm of his hands.

“I will help you deal with Wenren Cangyue’s troops. As for the others, it will depend on you.” His voice was full of worry, incredibly heavy.

…

Yunqin’s imperial court structure was different from any dynasty Lin Xi knew about.

To the two sides of the Imperial Palace’s main entrance to the throne room’s central axis main street were the palace halls of the eight sectors. The important officials in the eight sectors, after each day’s morning court session, would respectively enter these offices inside of these palace halls. If they had their own urgent matters, they would be delivered to the Grand Secretary’s cabinet manor. If the Grand Secretary couldn’t make a decision or if the emperor’s involvement was needed, after the Grand Secretary added his annotations stating his advice, it would then be delivered to the Imperial Defense Study.

Priest Hall was established precisely behind Religion Sector, in a corner closest to Imperial Palace city walls.

Since the Imperial Palace was extremely great and majestic, this place also located in the innermost depths, that was why Priest Hall was normally the most quiet and peaceful place.

Yet today, Priest Hall was instead exceptionally lively. Several dozen Imperial Palace servants surrounded several Trade Sector and Internal Affairs Sector officials, standing below on the palace entrance’s stone stairs, currently discussing some matters with some Religion Sector officials and priests.

The several dozen Religion Sector officials and priests were originally extremely cooperative, but after just listening to a few sentences, their expressions immediately changed to disbelief and anger.

“This type of renovation is something we can take care of ourselves… Even if it is your Trade Sector and Internal Affairs Sector who are in charge of repair, wishing for us to move out of this place, why must our Priest Hall be directly moved out of Central Continent City?”

When he heard the furious shouting of a Religion Sector official, the expression of the Trade Sector official in the lead didn’t change, saying with a gentle voice, “The repair and renovation is a unified process, we aren’t doing this to target all of you. The ones who are taking this chance to move out aren’t Priest Hall alone. His majesty presumably also feels like the repair of the palaces will take an extremely long time, that just trying to get by isn’t realistic, which is why he decided he should first help Priest Hall choose a secluded place.”

“If the moving of Priest Hall is good intentions, then in the future, when priests join Religion Sector, they are not permitted to enter the army, all priests in the military are to be called back, even spreading faith to the people and recruitment of new priests in the future has to go through Inspection Division and his majesty’s authorization, what then does this mean?” While this Trade Sector official said this calmly, a priest’s furious voice sounded. “Could it be that Priest Hall has already become a certain subsidiary office under Inspection Division, could it be that Yunqin already doesn’t need priests?!”

The gentle faced Trade Sector official released a light sigh inwardly. He revealed a warm smile, not saying anything, only thinking inwardly that these decrees his majesty have passed down were precisely meant to completely remove Priest Hall from Central Continent City. Only, because of Priest Hall’s support towards a certain person before, as well as the attitude they displayed during Jiang and Zhong Family’s matters, this angered his majesty. These were things everyone was well aware of, so what was the point of spelling out all of this? It would only increase everyone’s awkwardness and embarrassment.

This Trade Sector official was gentle and slick, but the officials behind him didn’t have his temperament.

One of them couldn’t help but coldly say, “This is his majesty’s decree, we are only carrying out his majesty’s will. If you have any objections, you can go and meet with his majesty right now. Don’t tell me that you dare criticize his majesty?”

In that instant, Priest Hall became deathly silent.

Several Religion Sector officials and priests’ bodies all began to shake from anger. However, after that day of heavenly punishment thunder radiance and his majesty’s prestige, all of them felt indescribable fear.

“If our heart is radiant, then there will be radiance under the sky. This is true no matter where we are.”

Right at this time, a calm aged voice sounded. “If his majesty wishes for us to move, then we will just move. What is there to argue about?”

When this voice sounded, the Religion Sector officials and priests immediately hung their head in shame and respect, not saying anything else.

…

Di Choufei was dressed in a set of silver colored, dragon scale embroidered official uniform, currently watching what was taking place in front of Priest Hall.

“What renovations, this is clearly disposing of Priest Hall.”

“Things like priests don’t have much use to begin with.” Full of confidence, a smile of complacence and mockery appeared on his handsome and arrogant face.

When he saw that there were no more disputes after that aged voice sounded, he turned around and entered a carriage behind him.

This carriage left the Imperial Palace, passing through Central Continent’s streets and alleys, arriving at Central Continent City’s outskirts.

There was a workshop next to a riverside, inside many craftsmen busying about. Piled up on some outdoor areas were cowhides that still hadn’t been processed. Even though it was already deep into autumn, the fluttering flies were everywhere like rain.

This was a Yunqin military standard equipment workshop, what they made was Yunqin’s ordinary standard light leather armor.

The workshop was currently working against the clock, everyone extremely busy. There weren’t many people who noticed the carriage that stopped by the riverside.

Di Choufei moved aside the carriage’s curtains, his nose wrinkling slightly, full of interest as he looked at the figures in this workshop. His eyes began to follow a short haired youngster’s body. This youngster was extremely well built, but his figure was always a bit stooped.

He stared at this youngster for a long time.

Only when the setting sun descended, did he come out of the carriage and walk into this workshop.