Chapter 1362: To Be The Fisherman

“Why do you say that?” Ye Qing asked.

“First, the Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall, and Human Sovereign Mountain were sects descended from the ancient Three Sovereigns. They might not involve themselves in worldly affairs most of the time, but they have inherited the Three Sovereigns’ will and the responsibility to protect all of humanity. They will never allow anything that might threaten the continuation of humanity to occur.”

“The Four Evils most likely fall under this category. They of all people would not want the Four Evils to break free.”

“Second, the Earthly Sovereign may be the main lead behind the sealing of the Four Evils, but I am sure that the Heavenly Sovereign and the Human Sovereign have made many contributions as well. If the Four Evils were to break free, then they, the descendants of the Three Sovereigns, are obligated to stand at the forefront of the battlefield. Therefore, I am sure they would rather end the threat sooner than later.”

“Finally, the Earthly Sovereign Bell is the Earthly Sovereign’s Dao artifact and the sacred artifact of the Earthly Sovereign Hall. It shares deep connections with the Clear Sky Palace and the Human Sovereign Mountain as well. They will take action if only to save the Earthly Sovereign Bell from destruction.”

Feng Qingyou explained slowly and carefully, her voice naturally instilling confidence in Ye Qing the longer she spoke. “In conclusion, the Clear Sky Palace, the Earthly Sovereign Hall, and the Human Sovereign Mountain would never allow the Earthly Sovereign Bell to be destroyed or the Four Evils to escape their seals. When they find out about this, they will do everything in their power to stop Emperor Jing Run. Even better, they are one of the few sects who actually possess the power to do this.”

“... Huh.”

Ye Qing was speechless. Feng Qingyou’s plan to make the three sects their butcher’s knife certainly sounded very reliable. However, it was also pretty despicable. After all, assuming they were carrying out this plan, they would be using the greater good to coerce the Clear Sky Palace, the Earthly Sovereign Hall, and the Human Sovereign Mountain into action.

From their perspective, it would be as if disaster had suddenly fallen from the sky and hit them squarely in the head.

Then, he recalled all the utter horseshit he had received from the three sects, their holier-than-thou attitude and casual indifference toward all lives they perceived as beneath them, and all the underhanded, shameless things they had done in order to kill him and take the Earthly Sovereign Bell from him.

Just like that, that bit of guilt evaporated into thin air.

Besides, he already offended all three sects during the battle at East Radiance Mountain. Hell, one could even call it a blood debt. He was sure they would cause him much trouble in the future, so why should he sympathize with his enemies?

The more he thought about it, the more he believed that it was only right. Who better to screw over than an enemy who was plotting your demise?

“What’s wrong? Are you sympathizing with the Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall, and Human Sovereign Mountain?”

Mistaking Ye Qing’s silence for reluctance, Feng Qingyou giggled and consoled him, “For the past couple millennia, the world had been more or less at peace, nor were there any major threats that could threaten the continuation of the human race. As a result, it looks like Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall, and Human Sovereign Mountain have forgotten their mission and responsibility. Not only that, they have become aloof and remote, arrogant and conceited, unscrupulous and despicable.”

“Today, they are no longer the faithful descendants of the Three Sovereigns who only wish for the continuation and survival of humanity. They have long since forgotten their own mission and responsibility. This would be a good opportunity to teach them a lesson.”

“Oh no, I am not sympathizing with them. Trust me, I

love

your idea.”

Ye Qing smirked. “I’m just worried about their capabilities is all. Are they truly enough to stop Emperor Jing Run?”

“After all, Emperor Jing Run is a cornered animal right now, and the Earthly Sovereign Bell seems to be his only hope. The bastard will do everything to grasp it. Are we sure the three of them are enough to stop a crazed Emperor Jing Run?”

A small smile danced across Feng Qingyou’s lips. “What is your suggestion then, Joyless?”

“I’m wondering if it’s viable to leak the news to Yan, Wei, and Qi as well. Yan and Wei especially. They’re coveting Chu to begin with and are praying for Chu to rot everyday. If they know about this, I am sure that they will spare no effort to stop Emperor Jing Run, not to mention that they have the moral high ground as well.”

Ye Qing said thoughtfully, “Yes, the three sects plus the three empires will one, no, two hundred percent make sure that Emperor Jing Run’s plan will end in failure.”

“Your idea is even crazier than mine!”

Feng Qingyou burst out laughing but shook her head lightly. “It’s a good idea, but it’s unrealistic and excessive.”

“For one, you need to choose your timing carefully. You cannot drag them into this too early or too late. Too early, and they will target you instead of Emperor Jing Run since you’re an easier target. Not only that, Emperor Jing Run may be provoked into killing the hostages. You can’t be too late either, or Emperor Jing Run will win.”

“Therefore, the news must be leaked after you get back the hostages, but before Emperor Jing Run destroys the Earthly Sovereign Bell. This will be difficult to pull off if too many people know about this, not to mention that you run the risk of spoiling the broth if too many cooks are involved.”

“Two, Yan, Wei and Qi have been coveting Chu for a very, very long time. They all want to claim it for themselves. By leaking the news to them, you risk starting a great war involving all four empires. The world will plunge into chaos, and the people will suffer. That is not your dream, is it?”

“Three, you underestimate the Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Bell and Human Sovereign Mountain a little too much, Joyless. They are the successors of the Three Sovereigns with over ten thousand years of history. Their canopy is vast, and their roots are deep. Besides, they are in possession of ultimate treasures such as the Clear Sky Mirror and the Xuanyuan Sword. I am fairly confident that they can match Emperor Jing Run blow for blow.”

“And four, only when both sides are equally matched will they wear each other out, and only when both sides are worn out can we fish in troubled water.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that. Tell me.”

Ye Qing’s curiosity was piqued. There was nothing more he enjoyed than fishing in troubled water!

“You didn’t actually want to give away the Earthly Sovereign Bell, right? You’re not going to let the culprit go without paying the price, right?”

Feng Qingyou gave Ye Qing a meaningful smile. “Sure, our power is weak, but we should still struggle and resist, right?”

“If we inform the Yan, Wei and Qi about this, then they will do everything in their power to stop Emperor Jing Run. Combined with the forces of Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall and Human Sovereign Mountain, then Emperor Jing Run would be crushed like an ant. There would also be no opportunity for us to retake the Earthly Sovereign Bell or collect our dues.”

“But if we only inform Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall and Human Sovereign Mountain, then they would more or less be evenly-matched. Even if one side wins in the end, it would probably be a hard-won victory. They might even be on their last legs. We would be able to fish in muddy water or even play the oriole if we’re lucky, retaking the Earthly Sovereign Bell and more.”

“Even if we fail in the end, our losses would be limited, and we would have given it our all, am I right?”

“What a wonderful plan!”

What else could Ye Qing say? If Feng Qingyou’s plan actually worked, then they would be killing multiple birds with one stone. Not only would they be saving his friends’ families and his own, he would ideally reclaim the Earthly Sovereign Bell and even pit his enemies against each other. It was perfect.