Chapter 317 - The Qin Dynasty’s Proposal of Marriage
Tu Ling stared at Ye Futian with his big eyes. He jumped up and wielded his hammer at Ye Futian. Swathed by a gust of Spiritual Qi, Ye Futian stepped forward. In an instant, multiple illusory figures appeared around him. Tu Ling’s hammer hit those illusory figures. Suddenly, with a loud explosion, a long staff slashed down on him. Tu Ling roared and turned around. He threw his hammer out again but all he saw were multiple layers of Ye Futian’s illusory figures.
Bang, bang, bang... Within a short period of time, Tu Ling was hit more than ten times. He fell down on the ground but wasn’t wounded. He glared at that figure in the air.
“You just can’t hurt me.” Tu Ling stared at Ye Futian maliciously.
“Try this.” Ye Futian’s body spun and rose up above the valley. He came down to those stone statues and danced in the air. For a moment, the power and pressure contained in those statues were gathered by his waving staff and converged to his body, making him stronger and stronger.
Ye Futian lowered his head and looked down at Tu Ling beneath. Then his body rushed down at Tu Ling with lightning speed. Seeing the figure falling from the sky, Tu Ling felt like those statues were alive. The statues’ deterrent force entered Ye Futian’s body, making him look like a god descending from the sky.
The heavy staff, thousand times heavier by the gravity spell, chopped down. The air shrieked and a line of light appeared in the air. Feeling the strong power, Tu Ling trembled a little. He roared with anger and wielded his hammer toward the sky.
Bang. There was a loud collision. Tu Ling’s hammer was cleaved. He closed eyes. The earth was shaking but he didn’t get hurt. He opened his eyes and found that the long staff had brushed past his shoulder.
Ye Futian ascended into the sky and smiled. “You are strong but you can’t win with only strength. This is your fatal weakness. Keep working.” Then he turned to Yu Sheng and said, “Let’s go.” Yu Sheng also flew up and went with Ye Futian. Loulan Xue had already left.
Around the training field, many people still looked at that fading figure with some surprise. His last blow seemly borrowed the deterrent force from those statues above the valley and was very formidable. If Tu Ling really got hit, he would very possibly have died.
When Ye Futian and Yu Sheng returned the Cottage, it happened to be lunchtime. Loulan Xue prepared the table diligently. Ye Futian wasn’t used to this.
“Junior Ye, Liu Feiyang and Liu Chenyu are your good friends, right?” Luo Fan asked.
Ye Futian was confused about his question but nodded and said, “Yes, we are very good friends.”
“Things in the Eastern Barren Territory are a little bit different now. Recently, the Qin Dynasty has been very active,” Luo Fan continued.
Ye Futian felt something ominous and asked, “Is there anything to do with Liu Feiyang and Liu Chenyu?”
“After returning from the Nandou Nation, Chu Yaoyao of the Moon Clan directly went to the Dongqin College for cultivation. Her romantic relationship with Qin Li is said to be confirmed. Besides, the Qin Dynasty also established diplomatic relations with the Royal Xuan Temple and the Fuyun Sword Clan. The two forces all have sent some disciples to Dongqin College for cultivation.”
Luo Fan continued slowly, “When the Dongqin College was found, the Qin Dynasty and Donghua Clan persuaded many forces’ disciples to cultivate there. It is very popular now. Not long ago, the Qin Dynasty claimed that they would go to the Liu Kingdom for a marriage proposal. Qin Yuan, the youngest son of the Qin emperor, will marry Liu Chenyu, the princess of Liu Kingdom.”
Ye Futian’s hand with chopsticks froze. His eyes turned cold. The Qin Dynasty was really officious.
“What do they want?” Ye Futian asked coldly. They hadn’t mentioned the marriage to the Liu Kingdom officially. How could they just directly claim to the public this news before the Liu Kingdom made its response?
“Obviously, they want to dominate the Eastern Barren Territory,” Xue Ye responded. “The Qin Dynasty has always regarded the College as the biggest rivalry. That means they think the College will be the biggest obstruction for Emperor Qin to dominate the territory.
“They once invited the College and the Cottage. If the College and the Cottage had agreed, the three top forces could absolutely dominate the Eastern Barren Territory. But we rejected, so they hurried to join hands with other forces so the College and the Cottage would be isolated and easier to be defeated,” Luo Fan continued. The Qin Dynasty finally revealed their true purpose.
“Will the king of the Liu Kingdom agree with the marriage?” Ye Futian asked.
“We have no idea.” Luo Fan and Xue Ye shook their heads. It couldn’t be so easy.
Ye Futian’s good mood was disturbed by this news. One reason was the romantic relationship between Ye Wuchen and Liu Chenyu. Besides, he wouldn’t be willing to see Liu Chenyu marry someone from the Qin Dynasty. However, from his stance, it seemed that it was none of his business. The Cottage had no reason to stop this either.
Liu Feiyang and Liu Chenyu were indeed his good friends. They were the prince and princess of the Liu Kingdom but they couldn’t decide Liu Chenyu’s marriage.
Ye Futian didn’t want to continue lunch anymore.
It was not only the College, but all of Eastern Barren Territory heard about the news, causing a sensation.
The top forces of the Eastern Barren Territory especially knew that Ye Futian and Liu Chenyu were very close. The Liu Kingdom even allowed Ye Futian’s group to ride its Roc when visiting the Nandou Nation. Therefore, when the Qin Dynasty announced its future relationship with the Liu Kingdom, everyone was surprised.
A few days later, the Qin Dynasty announced the exact date they would go to the Liu Kingdom for the proposal. The news rattled the Eastern Barren Territory again.
In the courtyard the Liu Kingdom’s imperial palace, a middle-aged figure in a dragon robe sat silently, resting his eyes. Soon, two figures walked to the sitting figure and bowed. “Father.” The two were Liu Feiyang and Liu Chenyu.
“What’s the matter?” Emperor Liu asked with his eyes closed.
“Father, the Qin Dynasty is very treacherous. We can’t let them take Chenyu away,” said Liu Feiyang. The Qin Dynasty had announced the date and he was very worried.
“The Qin Dynasty sent a secret ambassador to visit me. What I was told was that Qin Yuan, the youngest son of Emperor Qin, wants to marry Chenyu. But Chenyu won’t live in the Qin Dynasty. Instead, Qin Yuan will come to our kingdom and live here.”
Where they lived could make things totally different. If Liu Chenyu went to the Qin Dynasty, she was the hostage. Vice versa, if Qin Yuan lived in the Liu Kingdom, he would be the hostage.
Qin Yuan, the youngest son of Emperor Qin, was very talented. His mother was Emperor Qin’s favorite concubine. Everyone knew that Qin Yuan was the Emperor’s favorite son.
Liu Feiyang and Liu Chenyu were also stunned by the news. The Qin Dynasty had a sent a secret ambassador here? And Qin Yuan was going to live here? How treacherous Emperor Qin was!
“Father, you agreed?” Liu Feiyang asked.
“I neither agreed nor rejected them,” Emperor Liu answered.
“Father, even if Chenyu doesn’t have to go to the Qin Dynasty, but you know the Qin Dynasty. Everyone knows their wild ambition. If the Qin Dynasty manages to dominate the whole Eastern Barren Territory, our kingdom will only be a nation in name.”
“Even though the Qin Dynasty is going to be the dominator, they still need someone to govern places,” Emperor Liu said. “The Qin Dynasty promised that no matter what, the Liu Kingdom won’t be replaced. It doesn’t matter whether Qin Yuan is going to live here or not. The Liu Kingdom and the Qin Dynasty are allies. No need to worry.”
“Father, do you believe that?” Liu Feiyang asked.
“Is there any difference?” Emperor Liu opened his eyes and looked at his children. “Do you know why the Qin Dynasty suddenly established the Dongqin College and revealed its ambition?”
Liu Feiyang shook his head.
“I heard that the Qin Dynasty has found and opened the grave of the Qin Dynasty’s ancestors. You should know that the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty used to be the dominator of the Eastern Barren Territory.” As a ruler of a kingdom, Emperor Liu needed to consider what would happen if he agreed to this marriage and what the aftermath would be if he said no.
The Qin Dynasty had sent a secret ambassador before announcing to the public. They respected him enough to let him choose between friend or foe.
Liu Feiyang looked uncomfortable. He asked, “Father, are you willing to be subordinate to the Qin Dynasty? All the top forces know the Qin Dynasty’s true purpose. Why still choose to cooperate?” He couldn’t understand all of this.
“Feiyang, the world will be united after a long time of division and divided after a long time of solidarity. This is the inevitable rule. Once the balance breaks, the Eastern Barren Territory will definitely be united by a power that could override any other forces.” Emperor Liu sighed. Sometimes, one could only conform to the trend.
“But there are the Cottage and the College.” Liu Feiyang didn’t give up.
“You are too naïve.” Emperor Liu looked at his son and continued, “Do you know the Cottage? Do you know what they want?”
Liu Feiyang looked at his father without response. He did not know the Cottage very well. He only knew that it was a miraculous place.
“The Sword Saint, the first disciple of the Cottage, is famous enough for he is the founder of the Sword Saint Mountain,” Emperor Liu said. “Now, third disciple Gu Dongliu is also known to all because of that battle. In Chaoge City, everyone witnessed the second disciple’s ability. Let me ask you a question. If the second and third disciples of the Cottage go out, will there be two more Sword Saint Mountains?”
Liu Feiyang was stunned. He suddenly found that his father saw a much bigger picture than he did.
“Moreover, the Cottage has a fourth and fifth disciple as well as your good friend Ye Futian. You all know his talent now. When those people improve, no one in the whole Eastern Territory will be able to stop the Cottage.”
Liu Feiyang was speechless. His father was telling the truth.
“But the Cottage doesn’t want to dominate anything.” Liu Feiyang wasn’t convinced yet.
“Indeed, the Cottage doesn’t want to be the dominator. But they want to build a different Eastern Barren Territory,” Emperor Liu murmured, looking up at the sky. “Mr. Du of the Cottage is a strange man.”