Zhao Rucheng took a swig of mare’s milk liquor and simply said, "I’m used to it."

Yuwen Ze thought for a moment and said, "I can arrange for someone to continue to work with you, and I’m sure I can rely on them. That lad would be more than happy. But..."

He looked at Zhao Rucheng across the brazier and the roasted lamb, "My Ye Gai, you are a dazzling person like the sun, are you really going to live forever in the Border Wilderness, living a dim and lightless life?"

Zhao Rucheng swayed the wine sack, smiled, and said, "A dim and lightless life is very happy, you wouldn’t understand!"

"Ye Gai, Ye Gai," Yuwen Ze shook his head and sighed, saying, "There’s an opportunity that I can fight for you. The Yellow River Gathering! Do you know about it?"

Zhao Rucheng guzzled his mare’s milk liquor but did not respond.

Yuwen Ze shifted his position to get closer and said, "The slots for the Inner Mansion Realm have already been decided, but his strength is not convincing enough! In my view, you are far superior to him. I can fight for the opportunity to push him aside. Our Da Mu Empire, has always respected the strong and despised lineage and status. With your talent and skills, you are bound to rise! This Yellow River Gathering is your chance! Ye Gai!"

Zhao Rucheng belched and casually tossed the now-empty wine sack aside.

Then he turned his head and didn’t speak, just looked at Yuwen Ze with those beautiful, slightly drunk eyes.

Looking at this plains "brother" he had worked with for so long.

Although he did not care about the situation in the Mu Empire, with his intelligence, what could he not understand?

Yuwen Ze touched his nose, aware that he couldn’t deceive anyone with his little tricks.

This Ye Gai, though he fights day after day in the depths of the wilderness, seeming only to know battle, like a cultivation fanatic, his eyes were bright! Like a hawk soaring through the skies.

Yuwen Ze thought it over and decided to lay it all out, "I won’t hide it from you, Ye Gai. Our Yuwen Family does not get along with the Gold Family, and I particularly dislike that lad Jinge... But this opportunity is real, I swear by the God of Cangtu, if you can beat him, the spot at the Yellow River Gathering will be yours!"

Jinge is the representative of the Mu Empire for the Yellow River Gathering from the Inner Mansion Realm and the son of Jin Yandu, the head of the Iron Cavalry.

The Iron Cavalry is the second strongest mounted military force in the Mu Empire and ranks sixth among the top ten cavalry forces in the world.

The rivalry between the Gold and Yuwen families goes back generations.

This Yellow River Gathering, Jinge could represent the Mu Empire in the decisive Inner Mansion Realm battle while the Yuwen Family gained nothing. It’s said that after the big discussion at the Royal Court, Grandfather was so angry that he strangled a beloved horse to death at home.

Yuwen Ze thought, even if he couldn’t surpass Jinge, just displacing him would be a great achievement.

But Zhao Rucheng just smiled, picked up the Little Knife, and continued cutting the mutton, "I’m not interested in the Yellow River Gathering."

Yuwen Ze persisted anxiously, "Winning the Yellow River Gathering, fame, status, beauties, you’ll have it all!"

Seeing Zhao Rucheng still unresponsive, he added, "Don’t you want to become stronger faster? Winning at the Yellow River Gathering, His Majesty will greatly reward you, special achievements, secret techniques, divine grace... you can have whatever you want!"

Zhao Rucheng was still all smiles, eating his meat and said, "Greed is the original sin, Brother Yuwen. Having wine to drink and meat to eat is enough for me!"

"How can it be enough?" Yuwen Ze was almost jumping in frustration, "You are an eagle, meant to soar in the high skies. You are a steed, meant to gallop across plains. From south to north, from ancient times to now, heroes only stay silent for a while, not for a lifetime. Ye Gai, believe me, you shouldn’t be unknown, you should be radiant!"

Such inspiring words, however, had no effect on Zhao Rucheng.

His hands didn’t stop cutting meat, nor did his mouth stop eating. He just ate without responding.

"You are really driving me mad, Ye Gai." Yuwen Ze, desperate to persuade Zhao Rucheng, became somewhat careless with his words, "Don’t you feel remorse? You’ve been cultivating so diligently; you must be seeking revenge? If you win at the Yellow River Gathering, the Yuwen Family can help you! The Mu Empire can help you!"

Zhao Rucheng, as he wished, stopped his hand.

But his smile also stopped.

With the Little Knife stuck in the mutton, Zhao Rucheng once again turned his head and looked at him coldly and emotionlessly.

The chilly and harsh intent to kill filled the military tent in an instant.

Yuwen Ze felt difficulty breathing, a chill running down his spine!

He was going to die!

In that moment, he suddenly had this intense feeling.

He would be killed by this excessively handsome man in front of him, like killing a Yin Demon, or like slaughtering a sheep—effortlessly!

Miscalculation...

He thought to himself.

Through all this time of interaction, he had never touched on this topic. It was precisely because he knew it was likely a taboo for the other party.

They had maintained this cooperation for so long because Zhao Rucheng never asked for anything beyond supplies, and he never pried into Zhao Rucheng’s past.

But perhaps due to soon returning to the Royal Court, perhaps because of the impending entry into the Cangtu Divine Cavalry, he felt an unperceived inflation in his heart.

He had foolishly, brought up such a topic.

Am I going to die today?

Yuwen Ze of the respectable Yuwen Family, soon to join the Cangtu Divine Cavalry of the Da Mu Empire, thought so.

Zhao Rucheng looked at him, causing his hair to stand on end with fear-filled eyes, then calmly said, "Yuwen Ze, don’t overestimate the Yuwen Family, and don’t overestimate the Mu Empire."

What did he mean? The Yuwen Family couldn’t help him? The Mu Empire couldn’t help either?