Chapter 630: Isn’t All That Impressive After All

No sooner had the announcement been made than the sound of footsteps echoed, and a tall man strode into the imperial hall without waiting for the king’s permission.

The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with sword-like brows and piercing eyes, appearing to be around forty years old. He wore a crimson robe with a pure black cloak flowing behind him, exuding an imposing aura as he walked.

Chu Liang immediately sensed that this man was at the seventh realm and quickly understood the subtle tension in the hall.

The disciples from Grand Wind Hall hadn’t had a chance to explain the kingdom’s situation to him earlier.

The royal uncle of High Moon Kingdom was the brother of the previous king, and he was around the same age as the current king. Back when they contended for the throne, the current king had been the stronger contender, both in ability and cultivation, and thus ascended the throne.

Perhaps due to the current king's focus on governing affairs, his cultivation progress had stalled. Meanwhile, the royal uncle, having experienced defeat, seemed to have gained enlightenment and became the first to achieve a breakthrough and stepped into the realm of the Heavenly Gate.

With the royal uncle becoming the only seventh-realm expert in the kingdom, the king’s position had become somewhat awkward.

The king had, on occasion, suggested abdicating and giving the position of king to the royal uncle, though it was unclear as to whether such a suggestion was sincere. However, the royal uncle, having attained the seventh realm, now focused his attention more on cultivation and declined the chance to become king.

This led to a stable arrangement where the king managed affairs of the kingdom while the royal uncle oversaw Grand Wind Hall. As they were both part of the royal family, the arrangement worked.

However, the royal uncle often showed a lack of deference to the king, and though the king refrained from openly expressing displeasure, tensions inevitably built up over time.

“Your Majesty,” the royal uncle stepped forward, giving a slight bow before stating, “The envoy from Taotie City has arrived, and I have specially brought him here to see you.”

“Taotie City?” The king frowned. “Didn’t the officials of the royal court already decide on the day before yesterday that we would work with the Mount Shu Sect this year?”

“The envoy from Taotie City has traveled a great distance, and they have offered equally generous conditions. Your Majesty should at least hear them out before deciding,” the royal uncle insisted.

“But the Mount Shu Sect had not only offered us a good price, but they had allowed us to send a disciple of the Grand Wind Hall to their sect each year to learn their skills and techniques. That is something Taotie City simply cannot match,” the king said, his expression turning slightly displeased.

Listening from the side, Chu Liang couldn’t help but blink in surprise.

The Mount Shu Sect even offered to accept a disciple from the Grand Wind Hall? That is quite a clever move.

For a small kingdom like the High Moon Kingdom, purchasing cultivation resources with spirit stones was important, but having enough powerful experts was even more critical. Cultivators raised in their environment would never match those trained in the immortal sects ranked in the Divine Nine.

In the past, neighboring kingdoms might not have valued the Mount Shu Sect as much. However, six years ago, Mount Shu’s decisive victory at the Assembly of Immortal Sects had left a profound impact.

This meant that the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect were the strongest of this generation.

Such influence was the reason disciples of various immortal sects were willing to risk their lives for glory.

If the youths of the High Moon Kingdom had the chance to cultivate and study at Mount Shu, they would return completely transformed. One disciple per year was no small opportunity, and the king would undoubtedly prioritize sending his own children. Upon their return, they would easily outshine their peers at Grand Wind Hall.

Even if the price of Crimson Moon Celestial Grass continued to rise, the benefits of this arrangement far outweighed the cost.

For Mount Shu Sect, there was no need to spend any extra resources. This was an advantage that the Taotie City lacked.

After careful consideration, the civil and military officials of the High Moon Kingdom decided not to work with Taotie City this year, choosing instead to build a favorable relationship with Mount Shu Sect.

Yet now, the royal uncle had stepped in to interfere.

The king could easily guess that Taotie City, realizing they had no chance with the royal court, had likely bribed the royal uncle. While their offer to the High Moon Kingdom might not have been particularly generous, the bribe to the royal uncle was surely substantial.

The royal uncle frowned and said, “It’s only natural to compare offers in business. Why limit ourselves to just one option? Even if Your Majesty meets with them, how would the Mount Shu Sect ever find out?”

“Hmm...” The king cast a glance at Chu Liang.

“I can pretend I didn’t hear anything,” Chu Liang said seriously.

“You’re from Mount Shu?” The royal uncle turned sharply to look at him.

“Heh.” Chu Liang smiled. “I’m just passing through and don’t represent Red Cotton Peak. I haven’t returned to Mount Shu in years, so there’s no need to worry.”

“As I thought...” The royal uncle said, turning back around. “If someone like White Jade Fan or Mountain Tiger had come personally, that would be another story. If the Mount Shu Sect actually sent some nobody, that would be looking down on us and the High Moon Kingdom!”

“Enough,” the king said with a wave of his hand. “Bring in the envoy from Taotie City. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

...

An attendant immediately brought two people into the hall.

On the left stood a middle-aged man dressed in a long robe with a jade belt. An embroidered insignia on his chest marked him as a second-rank honored ally of Taotie City.

In recent years, Taotie City, eager to compete with Red Cotton Peak and the Immortals’ Square, had been rapidly promoting its members. As a result, the number of ranked honored allies increased and the title was no longer as valuable and prestigious as before.

The middle-aged man had a pale face with a faint mustache, and his sharp, bright eyes revealed the cunning of an experienced merchant.

Beside him stood a young man with messy, shoulder-length hair and pitch-black eyes. His wary gaze swept across the room, observing everything in an odd, cautious manner.

“I am the Second-Rank Honored Ally Tian Mingtai of Taotie City,” the middle-aged man said. “Greetings to the King of High Moon Kingdom.”

“Shopkeeper Tian, there’s no need for such formalities,” the king replied. Though he had seemed reluctant earlier, his tone remained polite. “You’ve traveled a long way, and if High Moon Kingdom has not welcomed you properly, I ask for your understanding.”

“Ah.” Shopkeeper Tian smiled and said, “The royal uncle has already shown great hospitality, so how could there be any neglect? Today, I’ve come to discuss the matter of the Crimson Moon Celestial Grass.”

“Well...” The king mused, “You may share Taotie City’s proposal.”

“We are aware of the price Red Cotton Peak offered you,” Shopkeeper Tian began. “On that basis, Taotie City is willing to increase the price by another ten percent. The condition remains the same: all the Crimson Moon Celestial Grass produced must be exclusively supplied to us.”

“

Haaaaa.

” The king let out a long sigh. “Neither of your sides is willing to share the Crimson Moon Celestial Grass, which puts us in a tough spot. As a small kingdom in the Western Regions, how could we dare offend either a faction in the Divine Nine or Terrestrial Ten?”

“We’re aware of Mount Shu Sect’s offer to accept disciples from Grand Wind Hall,” Shopkeeper Tian continued. “In response, we can promise that if High Moon Kingdom partners with us, we, too, will accept one disciple from Grand Wind Hall each year. However, not to Taotie City—but to the Penglai Supreme Sect.”

“Hmm?” At these words, the king’s eyebrows immediately relaxed. “Is this true?”

The others in the hall, upon hearing this, showed visible astonishment.

Although the Mount Shu Sect had seen tremendous growth in recent years through Red Cotton Peak, offering top-tier benefits for its disciples, it had only managed to win a single Assembly of Immortal Sects. The unshakable dominance of Penglai Supreme Sect as the leader of the righteous path remained unmatched.

If a choice had to be made, Penglai Supreme Sect would undoubtedly be the far superior option compared to Mount Shu Sect.

In the past, if any kingdom in the Western Regions managed to produce a disciple accepted by Penglai Supreme Sect, the entire nation would prosper once that disciple rose to prominence.

However, such occurrences were extremely rare.

The king had been merely going through the motions earlier, but now he was genuinely tempted.

“Of course, the Penglai Supreme Sect wouldn’t agree without a price,” Tian Mingtai continued, “but the cost will be entirely covered by Taotie City. And to be frank with Your Majesty, Mount Shu Sect’s current strength is nothing but a flash in the pan. Red Cotton Peak... won’t last much longer.”

“Well then...” The king chuckled. “The conflicts between the factions in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten are none of our concern. But as for the matter of the Crimson Moon Celestial Grass, we can certainly discuss it further.”

“I haven’t finished yet,” Shopkeeper Tian continued. “When we arrived, we heard about the disappearance of your princess, and I was deeply concerned. So, I specially brought along a third-rank Honored Ally, Han Lu, from our city. He’s an expert at locating people and objects and will certainly help Your Majesty find the princess.”

As he spoke, he gestured toward the young man beside him.

The young man named Han Lu raised his eyes to glance at the king and gave a slight nod, appearing rather aloof.

“But I’ve already entrusted this matter to Young Hero Chu...” The king glanced at Chu Liang, looking troubled.

“Just have this Mount Shu Sect's disciple leave,” the royal uncle said firmly.

Upon hearing that Chu Liang was a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, Shopkeeper Tian’s eyes flickered. His sources had informed him that Mount Shu’s representatives were only expected to arrive tomorrow; he hadn’t expected that one would already be here in the main hall of the High Moon Kingdom.

If this information were to reach the Mount Shu Sect ahead of time, the Red Cotton Peak might then have time to prepare a counteroffer, potentially causing unexpected complications.

Chu Liang saw through the situation instantly. He understood why the king had allowed him, a disciple of Mount Shu, to stay and listen for so long. The king likely wanted him to relay this information back, so that when Red Cotton Peak’s representatives arrived tomorrow, they could present a stronger offer.

In essence, the king was subtly ensuring the message got passed along.

Chu Liang smiled but hadn’t yet responded when Shopkeeper Tian suddenly spoke up, his tone sharp.

“This disciple of the Mount Shu Sect is only at the fifth realm. What use could he possibly be? How dare he take on the task of finding the princess? If something happens to her, can you bear the responsibility?”

As he finished, he suddenly struck out, unleashing a powerful pressure that crashed down on Chu Liang like a towering mountain.

Chu Liang immediately understood his intention.

This seasoned schemer wouldn’t lose his temper for no reason. It was clear he was trying to provoke Chu Liang into retaliating so he’d have an excuse to strike back. While he wouldn’t dare kill him, he could at least injure him badly enough to knock him out for a day or two. That way, the Mount Shu Sect would lose any chance to gain the upper hand before their representatives arrived tomorrow.

As Chu Liang was a cunning fox as well, he naturally would not be fooled by such schemes.

Instead, Chu Liang simply smiled and calmly asked, "Shopkeeper Tian, what is your cultivation level?"

“You can’t tell?” Tian Mingtai sneered, intensifying his pressure until it surged like an unstoppable tide. “I am but a humble cultivator. After over forty years of effort, I have reached the later stage of the sixth realm.”

“Is that so?” Chu Liang replied with a slight nod.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, Chu Liang appeared exactly where Shopkeeper Tian had been standing, calmly retracting his right foot.

As for Tian Mingtai, he had been sent flying by Chu Liang’s kick, crashing straight through the palace wall, soaring across several wide corridors, and finally landing with a thud in another hall far away.

On the other side, palace maids and attendants screamed in panic, their shrieks echoing through the chaos.

Everyone in the hall stared at Chu Liang in stunned silence, including the king and the royal uncle. None of them had expected a fifth-realm cultivator to strike so boldly against someone at the sixth realm.

Even more shocking was the fact that Chu Liang had nearly taken him out with a single blow.

This doesn’t make sense, right?

That was the thought on everyone’s mind.

Under everyone’s gaze, Chu Liang nonchalantly pulled back his foot and resumed his calm, smiling expression.

“The sixth realm...” he said with a casual shrug, “isn’t all that impressive after all.”