Chapter 436: The Two Yanluo Lords' Alliance

The two Yanluo Lords glared at Xiao Nanfeng, clearly dissatisfied with his 'honesty'.

"Yanluo Lords, are the two of you interested?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"You think you can win our support with such trifles?" the Monkey Yanluo demanded.

"Do you consider two Yanluo Courts mere trifles? After you take down the Rabbit Yanluo, you'll even have a third Yanluo Court and the Rabbit Yanluo's cursed spiritual avatar. Isn't that enough to move you to action?"

The two Yanluo Lords thought about the proposed deal. In the past, this would have been an incredible prize, but it felt lacking compared to what the Tiger and Ox Yanluos now possessed.

"I know both of you are devious and intending to compete against the Tiger and Ox Yanluos," Xiao Nanfeng continued.

The two Yanluo Lords glared at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Don't just glare at me. Consider my terms. If you cooperate with me, you'll surely benefit. What I offer might not render you on par with the Tiger and Ox Yanluos, but it's far better than what you have now. If you then ally with each other, you'll be able to defend yourselves."

"And why should we cooperate with you? Why wouldn't we work with the Rabbit Yanluo instead?"

"Are you certain that the three of you will be able to defend against the Tiger and Ox Yanluos? Furthermore, what if the Tiger and Ox Yanluos themselves choose to ally with each other? Without my two Yanluo Courts, will the two of you be able to boost your strength to a sufficient degree? You once ruled over the world, so you should well be aware that having diffuse, rather than concentrated, power means that you have to take far more things into consideration. A single misstep could lead to your deaths."

The two Yanluo Lords glared at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Why not take advantage right now while the Tiger and Ox Yanluos are in secluded cultivation? Strengthen yourselves immediately! Do you intend to wait until all the opportunities pass you by? You should know even better than I do that you must control your own strength if it's to be meaningful. If all you do is ally with others, sooner or later, they'll turn on you."

"And how are we to trust you? You told us that you intended to flee during our melee!" the Monkey Yanluo replied.

"Isn't it normal that I would do so? I don't trust the two of you, and there's no need for you to trust me, either."

The two Yanluo Lords glared at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Don't look at me like that. Do we still need to feign some sort of friendly relationship between us? We're all acting in our self-interest, without any real trust in each other. The two of you must have schemed against each other countless times before, but you're forced into an alliance now because of mutual profit. Don't make it seem like you're on friendly terms. We have limited time to spare, so let's not bother with all this."

The two Yanluo Lords: ...

"Don't worry about whether I'm trustworthy or not. I'll have to leave the Netherworld Palace eventually, don't I? If I don't keep my word, the two of you can send your forces here and prevent me from leaving. The two Yanluo Courts are useless to me, and I might as well hand them to you then in exchange for safe passage," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"That's not sufficient. Cede the Yanluo Courts to us now," the Monkey Yanluo demanded.

"Really? Do you think me a fool? These two Yanluo Courts are what preserves my value. The moment I hand them over, you'd get rid of me. Let's be realistic."

"And why should we help you take down the Rabbit Yanluo?" the Monkey Yanluo retorted, refusing to give up.

"I've already made myself clear, haven't I? Let me provide another reason, then. The Rabbit Yanluo allied herself with a group of Heaven Immortals to ambush me in order to claim my two Yanluo Courts. Did she inform you of that in advance? I expect not. It's clear that she intends to claim all the benefits for herself, to grow strong on her own before taking you both down secretly. She wouldn't have to fear anyone else then."

The two Yanluo Lords fell silent. Put in the Rabbit Yanluo's position, they would have done just that. It was obvious.

"The Rabbit Yanluo certainly is no friend of yours, so why stand up for her? Don't you want to retaliate against her instead?"

The two Yanluo Lords were silent. They knew that Xiao Nanfeng was trying to turn them against each other, but his argument was compelling and reasonable. How were they meant to refute it?

"Once you deal with the Rabbit Yanluo, the two of you can even start fighting each other. Perhaps you'll be able to take the other down," Xiao Nanfeng continued.

"What sort of treachery are you anticipating?!" the Monkey Yanluo demanded.

"This is your so-called 'alliance'? You're trying to get us to kill each other?!" the Rooster Yanluo added.

"Calm down. Haven't you already thought about what I just said? Think of the big picture. Once my deal with the two of you is over, you're free to do whatever you want. However, I insist that the first objective be the Rabbit Yanluo."

The two Yanluo Lords' faces twitched. What sort of cursed diplomacy did Xiao Nanfeng practice?

"Since neither of you have brought up any objections, I'll assume that you're both interested. Now, let's discuss the details," Xiao Nanfeng said expectantly.

Within the Yanluo Court in the capital of Mao, the Rabbit Yanluo sat on a jeweled throne. Yin Tianci and his five Heaven Immortal subordinates were arrayed before her. There were two other thrones by the side on which Lan Jiguang and his wife were seated. However, they had both been taken over and were now nothing but the Rabbit Yanluo's avatars.

In the center of the hall was an orb of blue light containing Lady Yaoguang. She sat cross-legged in the center of the orb, her cursebane sword automatically defending her against any threat. The cultivators had no recourse against her.

"Holy Maiden Yaoguang, you saw Xiao Nanfeng leave, too. He has no interest in you. He's only interested in his own self-preservation!" Yin Tianci said.

Lady Yaoguang scoffed. "Do you think he's a fool like you?"

Yin Tianci frowned.

"You really are shameless, aren't you? You knew that my mother's physical body was in the Rabbit Yanluo's hands, so you deliberately chose to work with her to deal with Nanfeng and me. My parents were loyal subjects of the divine empire of Dayin and had all but given their lives for the empire. On the other hand, you, the crown prince of Dayin, chose to work together with the cursed effigies you guard and betray your loyal officials! How much more shameless could you get? If you represent the empire of Dayin, then the empire must be done for," Lady Yaoguang surmised.

"Insolence!" Yin Tianci roared.

Just then, the Rabbit Yanluo couldn't help but smile. "Lass, you've got a silver tongue, but you can't change the fact that you're just a prisoner now."

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Rabbit Yanluo, gloat while you can. The moment the Tiger and Ox Yanluos emerge from secluded cultivation will be the day of your death. It won't be long until then," Lady Yaoguang replied, smiling coldly.

The Rabbit Yanluo narrowed her eyes. "You really are insolent, aren't you?"

"No. I simply hate you. My hatred is beyond compare. You've killed my parents. I'll watch you die as I avenge them," Lady Yaoguang roared, her eyes red.

The Rabbit Yanluo emanated killing intent. "Do you really think I can't do anything against you?"

"Feel free to try. Perhaps you'll succeed where the Horse Yanluo couldn't," Lady Yaoguang replied disdainfully.

"So be it."

The Rabbit Yanluo's main body didn't make a move, but one of her avatars did—the one that had possessed Lady Yaoguang's mother. A huge blue moon floated behind her head.

"Impossible! The Shangqing blue moon is a specialized art that cursed effigies can't cultivate. How could you control it?!" Lady Yaoguang shouted.

"Are you afraid?" the Rabbit Yanluo sneered.

"Impossible. Could my mother still be alive? Does this moon belong to her?" Lady Yaoguang exclaimed.

"Her? You could consider her dead. Her soul has been shattered, after all. On the other hand, it's true that she isn't dead. Her soul exists in symbiosis with my avatar. Do you know what that means?" The Rabbit Yanluo smiled.

"My mother's truesoul has attached to your cursed spiritual avatar. Is that why you can control her Shangqing blue moon? And your will's suppressing hers?!" Lady Yaoguang blanched.

"That's right. I wouldn't have allowed this arrangement if not for the fact that her blue moon is interesting. I didn't want to lose it, so I let things be. If I'm not mistaken, that blue sword that protects you was once your mother's."

"What are you planning?!" Lady Yaoguang suddenly reared back in shock as she thought of a possibility.

"That sword's known as the cursebane sword, isn't it? Your mother was once its owner. It might attack others, but would it attack her?"

The Rabbit Yanluo's avatar invoked her blue moon as her palm reached out through Lady Yaoguang's blue moon barrier. Her hand extended within it and clenched tightly around Lady Yaoguang's neck. The cursebane sword vibrated, as though recognizing its old owner, and didn't attack.

"Impossible!" Lady Yaoguang cried out.

"Nothing's impossible. The Horse Yanluo might not have been able to deal with this cursebane sword, but that doesn't mean that I can't. It's a treasure of significant value, and I'll be claiming it for myself."

Her other hand tightened around the cursebane sword and began to suppress the sword's sudden unease.

"No!" Lady Yaoguang shouted.

Beside her, Yin Tianci smiled in glee. "Rabbit Yanluo, may I have this woman? Conveniently, her parents' bodies are right here. Please have them oversee my vows as I take her hand in marriage!"

"Hmm?" The Rabbit Yanluo glanced doubtfully at Yin Tianci.

"I know the timing is a little inappropriate, but I need this woman to solidify my standing. Don't worry. After consummating the marriage, I have my own means of enforcing her loyalty. I'll have her cooperate fully in pursuing Xiao Nanfeng, and my subordinates will help you deal with the other Yanluo Lords. What do you think?" Yin Tianci smiled evilly.

"Oh? You do know a fair number of sinister arts." The Rabbit Yanluo smiled in response.

"Just a few tricks here and there. Will you approve, Rabbit Yanluo?" Yin Tianci beamed in anticipation.

"Very well."

"Thank you, Rabbit Yanluo!" Yin Tianci's smile grew wider.

"No!" Lady Yaoguang cried out.

Just then, from within Lan Jiguang's body, a burst of red light exploded forth.

"You bastards! You dare harm my daughter? All of you shall die!"

"Father! You're still alive?!" Lady Yaoguang cried out.

The red light bloomed, illuminating the entire palace.

"No! This is the light of the Taiqing red moon. We're about to be transported into the legendary red moon illusory realm. Run!" one Heaven Immortal shouted.

"The red moon illusory realm?" the other cultivators exclaimed.