Chapter 795: Probing for Partnership (III)

“Wine, commander?”

“Just a little!”

“Alright!” Chen Yao smiled and waved a jug of wine into existence. An enticing fragrance drifted through the air when he opened it. Two cups of white jade appeared in the air; one of them landed in Li Hao’s hand.

Seeing that Chen Yao was about to pour him a drink, Li Hao smiled and manifested water mist. He swirled it over the cup to clean it, causing Chen Yao’s expression to stiffen. What was this if not the height of impudence?? Did Li Hao hold him in such contempt?

However, the man didn’t say anything. He directed the wine into the form a water dragon and into Li Hao’s cup. Chen Yao lifted his own cup for a sip, finally feeling able to relax slightly. “Does Commander Li know how the nine ministries were established?”

“I’m not sure. The books have some records that the people groveled in abject misery eighty years ago, leading to the rise of nine saints. There were those from the dynasty, from the martial world, and the military among them. They were dissatisfied with the unlawfulness of the Skystar royal family and overthrew the previous king. After forcing the royal family to withdraw behind the curtains, they formed the nine ministries and commenced their age of the nine ministries...”

Chen Yao nodded, not minding the slightly sarcastic tone that Li Hao used when mentioning the “nine saints”. “Honestly speaking, if you ask any elder over one hundred years ago if life is better now or eighty years ago, the answer will speak for itself.”

“I’ve never denied that the nine ministries have accomplished a great deal. I heard about them back when I was in Silver City. After I reached White Moon City, I said that the nine ministries have done well in the world. But later, I discovered that I thought too much, that they’re all the same! They look good, but they’re even darker in reality.”

“The nine ministries really did want to break the feudal system at first and build a stronger dynasty,” Chen Yao responded after prolonged silence. “We wanted the people to be at peace and happy, for the nation to be prosperous. But later, we discovered that it wasn’t possible!”

“Not possible?”

“It really isn’t.” Chen Yao nodded. “Particularly after the rise of the supernatural. The ancient existences also stir up trouble, aided by local overlords. The three great organizations, seven divine mountains, various monster spirits, various local tyrants, pirates of the Four Seas... all prove impossible to deal with!”

He sighed helplessly. “The world’s situation wouldn’t be thus if these were the only obstacles. The nine ministries still have our own level of strength. However, the key is that the royal family was only barely suppressed back in the day. They, too, have always agitated at their restraints. What would you have the nine ministries do then?

“In the end, we decided to just follow the same path and take it one day at a time. If it came down to it, we’d break the status quo and start all over again. Rebuilding is easier than repairing sometimes.

“This dynasty has issues starting from its foundation. The nine ministries cannot keep a complete lid on it and can only patch things up here or there. In the end, we came to a tacit agreement to let the house of cards collapse as it would. It might be easier to rebuild after everything breaks.”

Li Hao didn’t say a word as he sipped at his wine. Perhaps Chen Yao made logical sense, but if this was truly how the nine ministries thought, why maintain the status quo to present day? It’d be better to completely let go sooner!

Holding a bureaucratic position, yet not enacting any policy was worse than Yao Si’s withdrawal from his duties. These guys were neither shitting nor getting off the pot!

“But that’s neither here nor there, I can tell that you don’t really want to listen to this!” Chen Yao laughed. “Let’s speak of what you do want to hear. The greatest enemy of the nine ministries is the royal family!

“The old Skystar King is still alive, and the ruins that we explore in the world were not just discovered in recent years. We knew about them a long time ago, but most of the plant and animal spirits had not awakened then. You should know a bit about the Skystar Army—they’re the suits of armor in these ruins. The royal family later created the Black Armaturas out of them.

“Eighty years ago, the nine old ministers suppressed the Skystar King and the nine royal princes at that time. We killed and destroyed whoever we could, including some of the commanders of the Black Armaturas. However, the old Skystar King fled into the ruins with the remnants of his supporters.

“The two sides settled down into a stalemate after that. We wanted to wipe them out entirely, but were unable to do so. The ruins being difficult to enter is one point, the royal family being strong is another. The ancient monster spirits are also involved...

“While they hadn’t fully awakened eighty years ago, their mental strength still lingered on the sites. It wasn’t as strong as they are now, but it still wasn’t something we could measure up to.” Chen Yao looked at Li Hao. “Therefore, both sides could only compromise that the old Skystar King abdicate in favor of the current Skystar King. And yet, the royal family wasn’t willing to fade away into obscurity. Certain developments occurred along the way...

“The most major of them was the revitalization of the supernatural twenty years ago. The old Skystar King obtained many benefits from his position in the ruins. He sought to return after his defeat and the nine ministers paid an exceedingly high price to defeat him. They suppressed him and utilized the nine divine weapons, as well as the ultimate art of Tranquil Star, to completely seal him away...

“Ultimately, however, they weren’t able to kill him. The plant spirit in his camp had awoken by a great deal twenty years ago. It employed core origin power to pull him back to safety at a crucial moment. The plant spirit likely wants to gain greater benefits through the royal family so that it can quickly recover. The royal family has become its representative, so it won’t permit the royal family to perish.”

“......”

Li Hao listened attentively to Chen Yao’s lengthy explanation. “What’s the situation now?”

“The old Skystar King is still hiding in the ruins. He’s been sealed away and has to walk out of the ruins if he wishes to break the seal. He won’t be able to shatter it if he doesn’t emerge...

“We utilized the special sealing method of Tranquil Star, combining the blood essence of the old ministers with the nine characters and divine weapons to seal him away. That was why the old king saw an opportunity when some of the old ministers attacked you last time. He wanted to break free of the ruins and undo the seal, but was ultimately suppressed again...

“But after you kill Hu Xiao and Qian Wanhao, that seal might have loosened again.”

Li Hao nodded, then asked, “Why are you so wary of the old king breaking out?”

Was there a need for that? So what if he broke out? Why let the situation develop to the point in which the two premier heavyweights from the Ministry of Armed Forces and Administration couldn’t move around freely? They could only keep their eyes on the royal family and quickly respond whenever that one made an attempt to break out.

“He’s too strong.” Chen Yao smiled.

“Too strong?”

“Correct.”

“Stronger than the plant spirits?”

“Not to that point,” Chen Yao explained. “Being strong is one thing, the second is to prevent the old king from obtaining even more benefits after he breaks the seal. The previous king was quite an extraordinary character—he is highly authorized in the ruins. You know just as well what kind of benefits a high authorization in the ruins brings. He was a Golden Armor twenty years ago!”

Golden Armor, twenty years ago!

Li Hao’s face twitched slightly. That meant he’d been a division leader twenty years ago!

“Do you understand now?” sighed Chen Yao. “The royal family’s ruins haven’t been excavated to a large extent, but the family is so strong even so. How dare we let that old guy wander around freely? He’s kept under firm suppression now, with no use for his identity, status, or strength. We’ll sense him as soon as he departs from the zone of the plant spirit’s protection and obliterate him!

“Therefore, the stalemate stretched on. We don’t dare let him obtain more authorization—it would be an unmitigated disaster if he assumed control over the Skystar Troops. All of the ruins would belong to the royal family and they would claim all benefits. The nine ministries would only barely hang on then.”

“The supernatural had only just reawakened twenty years ago,” Li Hao was surprised. “The strongest of martial masters then was only Dominator of Thousands. How could he have been a division leader then?”

That was incredible!

“You forget one thing,” laughed Chen Yao. “It’s true that the supernatural awoke twenty years ago, and it’s true that there were few powerhouses then. But remember, whether it was the armored warriors in the ruins or others... they were all in a state of hibernation. It was easier to obtain authorization then, assuming that one possessed sufficient strength and luck.”

There were fewer powerhouses in the world, but also more inactivity throughout the ancient existences. If an Arcanus could become a division leader now, then one could be a division leader twenty years ago as a Dominator.

“Is that so?” Li Hao raised a brow. “Then my master didn’t obtain that many benefits for his efforts in the ruins early on.”

“It’s not the same. Silver Moon had only just awakened twenty years ago and it was sealed away before that. There were signs of awakening in Skystar City two hundred years ago. It likely has to do with how the ancient records mention that this area held the energy mine for the Silver Moon Territory.”

Li Hao blinked with understanding.

“This is why the nine ministries and royal family are in a stalemate.” Chen Yao took a sip of wine. “I tell you this to point out that it makes it easier for the old Skystar King to break free if you kill a few more of the old ministers. There will be a world of trouble then, which is why Qi Pingjiang doesn’t wish for you to keep killing anymore.

“Not to mention, you’re so strong that he knows all of the nine ministries must mobilize if they want to kill you. That will also free the old Skystar King then. Will he not retaliate after being confined by the nine ministries for so many years? It’s a tough situation on both ends, so he might as well put one down for now.”

Li Hao inclined his head without saying anything else.

“Everyone’s waiting for the second awakening,” Chen Yao had to continue upon lack of response from the young man. “Once the void is stable after the second awakening, everyone will be able to break through. No matter how strong the old Skystar King is, seven element Arcanus is available to all after the second awakening. They will be on par with the Apex of the ancient civilization, which means that everyone stands at the same starting line then. By then, it will come down to the strength of everyone’s backer. How many backers and level of strength will be the key.”