Chapter 346: Expedition against Tianshu

As Xiao Hongye's visage vanished, the red crystal shattered. Xiao Nanfeng pursed his lips in regret. He immediately bowed to Han Bingdie. "Thank you for your help, Senior Aunt."

Han Bingdie gave him a complicated look back. She could clearly tell that Yu'er was interested in Xiao Nanfeng, and she wasn't against their relationship in principle. However, her family situation was complex, and she couldn't unilaterally arrange Yu'er's future on her own.

"I'm sure you have plenty of work to get back to," Han Bingdie replied neutrally.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded, bowing.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He exchanged a look with Yu'er, then flew toward the battlefield in the distance, leaving just Yu'er and her mother on the mountain peak.

"Yu'er, you had better drop any notion of being together with Xiao Nanfeng," Han Bingdie said, sighing.

"Mother! I—" Yu'er was flustered.

"You know your father already has your future planned out. I allowed you to sneak out and apprentice yourself to the Taiqing Immortal Sect because I saw how unhappy you were, hoping you would have a chance to relax. This major business with the Tianshu Empire will surely make its way back to him. What do you think he'd do if he were to learn of your ambiguous relationship with Xiao Nanfeng?" Han Bingdie asked.

"Father would—" Yu'er blanched.

"If you don't want Xiao Nanfeng to die, you'd better not think of him romantically," Han Bingdie warned.

"I—I, how..." Yu'er's face crumpled.

Han Bingdie couldn't bear to see the sight of her daughter so upset. She patted her gently on the back.

Outside the city of Yongding, after the three-pronged battle ended, the peach branch cursed effigy reappeared and rushed toward the Immortals' corpses. Xiao Nanfeng didn't stop it. Rather, he even facilitated its actions by commanding all his subordinates to avoid the battlefield for the moment.

Eleven of the Xiang Immortals had perished, alongside seven of the Tianshu Immortals. There were eighteen corpses in all. By the time Xiao Nanfeng flew over to the scene, they had all vanished and the peach branch had grown a size larger. It bounded up to Xiao Nanfeng

and deposited six luscious blood peaches into his hands, then vanished from sight.

"Thank you, Senior," Xiao Nanfeng replied gratefully.

Xiao Nanfeng claimed the six peaches, alongside all the discarded storage treasures remaining on the battlefield. By then, the smoke and dust had largely cleared.

Not long afterwards, a group of Taiwu and Tianshu cultivators appeared outside Yongding in order to reclaim the corpses of their fallen Immortals, but there was nothing left of them by then.

Meanwhile, the Dazheng cultivators that had participated in the conflict were gathered by a military drill ground as they tended to their injuries. When Xiao Nanfeng flew over, everyone got up and bowed.

"King Xiao, we worked together to take down an Immortal. I give thanks for the loan of this Immortal weapon, and now return it to your care," the Sanyuan sect master began.

The various sect masters all bowed despite their wounds. They glanced at their weapons with longing, but still handed them over.

"You may keep the loan of these Immortal weapons for the time being. Claim them with the merit you earn in the future," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The cultivators' eyes widened in surprise, then gratitude. These Immortal relics would significantly enhance their strength. If they dared to be greedy, they would long since have claimed the weapons for themselves.

"Thank you, King Xiao!" the cultivators chorused.

Although they were glad for the promised weapons, they were a little confused. After all, they had earned significant merit for themselves during this battle. Why couldn't they use that to claim these weapons for themselves?

"For defending the capital, you've all earned significant merit. I intend to reward you with two blood peaches," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"What?!" the crowd cried out.

Even the Immortal weapons paled in comparison to the blood peaches. The Immortal weapons might possess great strength, but they were ultimately just physical possessions. How could that compare to their being Immortals in their own right?

"There are only a limited number of blood peaches. I intend to give the Sanyuan and Chongshan sect masters one each, then have them lead you in earning more merit. I will award you with more blood peaches then in order to aid you all in becoming Immortals as soon as possible."

The sect masters were actually divided into two factions: those who had initially been followers of the Tianshu Empire and Xiang clan respectively. The two factions were led by the Sanyuan and Chongshan sect masters.

Although Xiao Nanfeng's unequal distribution of blood peaches left the other sect masters somewhat upset, it was as fair as things could get.

"Thank you, King Xiao!" All the sect masters bowed down in gratitude.

The Sanyuan and Chongshan sect masters gratefully claimed a blood peach each. Without any hesitation, they swallowed them whole. A purple aura manifested around them.

Of the remaining four blood peaches, one went to You Jiu as a reward for one of his spectral guards, one to Zhao Yuanjiao for one of his confidantes, and two to Ye Dafu for his lackeys.

And of the two blood peaches prior, one went to Ye Sanshui, and the other to Tang.

Before the Divine Emperor left, she had killed the ancestor of Prime Minister Whale and sealed its carcass, then handed it to Xiao Nanfeng. That giant whale spirit was no ordinary spirit Immortal, and it would provide enough resources to bring quite a few blood peaches to maturity. Xiao Nanfeng intended to nurture his ten golden crows a little longer before using the giant whale to form a blood peach and assist in his Immortal ascension.

Within a locked hall in the Tianshu capital, Nalan Qiankun sat on a draconic throne as a paper figure held Cui Haitang tightly down by his side.

Cui Haitang roared in outrage, "Are you really my Dear Sister? don't hold me down. I'm going to take revenge for my sons—I'm going to kill Xiao Nanfeng!"

Even so, the paper figure refused to let Cui Haitang go.

Nalan Qiankun spat out a mouthful of fresh blood as he slumped over.

Cui Haitang blanched. She quieted down, then looked fearfully at Nalan Qiankun. She rushed over to support him.

"Husband, what's the matter? How are you so badly hurt?" Cui Haitang exclaimed.

"I've been through too many difficult fights recently. Ku Jiang wounded my yin body severely, as did Lu Yan when I had to restrain him. Then, during my fight with Xiang Shaoyang, Lu Yan tried to batter down my restraints, distracting me and causing me to sustain more injuries. If we had continued fighting any longer, I might really have died," Nalan Qiankun wheezed, coughing out more blood.

Cui Haitang cried out in fear, "Husband, it's my fault. I didn't realize you were so badly wounded. I was unreasonable when I asked you to keep fighting."

Nalan Qiankun wiped away Cui Haitang's tears. He consoled her, "Haitang, I'm upset that all our sons are dead too, but we're still around. We can have more children."

Cui Haitang sniffed and nodded. "As long as you're alright. We don't have to worry about revenge just yet. We can take our time to handle that Xiao brat."

Nalan Qiankun nodded.

The couple chatted a little more before Nalan Qiankun closed his eyes in meditation and began to recuperate.

Cui Haitang walked up to the paper figure. "Dear Sister, I misunderstood you."

The paper figure nodded. It didn't speak; instead, its body flickered as it vanished from sight.

Ten days later, within a hall of the Xiao manor, Xiao Nanfeng and his hundred officials of court convened. The Dazheng Palace was still under construction, and the officials were aware of Xiao Nanfeng's ambitions. No one considered the hall too shabby, and all were honored to be present.

Xiao Nanfeng sat at the head of the hall as he looked toward the officials.

"I hereby appoint Ye Sanshui commander of the Zi forces, responsible for taking down Marquis Zi's lands. I hereby appoint Ye Dafu commander of the Cui forces, responsible for taking down Marquis Cui's lands. Set off immediately!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

His attendants handed a token of authority over to each cultivator.

"Understood!" Ye Sanshui and Ye Dafu shouted.

"Generals, I await your swift return!" Xiao Nanfeng continued, smiling.

"Understood!" the sect masters chorused.

They had been waiting for this day for a long time. Only by expanding the borders of the Dazheng kingdom would they be able to earn merit for themselves. The Sanyuan and Chongshan sect masters had become Immortals, and the remaining coveted the same reward.

The Dazheng kingdom had already established itself as an enemy to the Tianshu Empire, and Xiao Nanfeng had no intention of waiting for Nalan Qiankun to make the first move. He needed to expand his territory rapidly so that he could amass more fortune when transitioning into an empire.