Chapter 458: Chapter 278: Golden Crow New King, Uniting Against Great Yan, A Divine Envoy Descends, Scheming in the Mortal World

After Lu Mingyuan’s ascension to the throne, Jiang Shan returned to the Silver Frost Empire.

After all, he was the Imperial Tutor of the Silver Frost Empire, and his trip to Great Yan had been for ulterior motives from the start.

It was just that their interests had been aligned before.

Lu Mingyuan had also been happy to facilitate Jiang Shan’s spreading of Buddhist Technique.

Now that their goal was achieved, their positions had diverged significantly.

Jiang Shan was merely a nominal Tributor of the Eastern Palace Mansion.

The term "nominal" meant he could come and go as he pleased.

Regardless, Lu Mingyuan still held a measure of respect for the incomparably handsome White-robed Monk.

But respect was still just respect.

If Jiang Shan were to move against Great Yan, Lu Mingyuan would not hesitate, much less show any mercy.

He would fight when he must, without the slightest reservation.

This was Lu Mingyuan’s stance.

...

At this very moment, on the other side of the distant, snowy mountains, the lamps in a military tent burned brightly.

A strikingly handsome and martial man stood before a topographical map. He wore a Golden Silk Shirt and a red cape, with a Treasure Sword at his waist. Under the light, his Crown, shaped like a Three-legged Golden Crow, reflected a dark golden sheen.

He frowned deeply and said, "This is not good. Our movements have been discovered by the defenders of Jiayu Pass. The Emperor of Great Yan will certainly not let this go. We need to plan our withdrawal route."

"Lingxiao, there is no need to panic. At worst, we can just find another route. The most important thing now is to figure out how our plans were leaked."

A young man in flowing green robes with a tall hat fastened by a Jade Hairpin comforted him from the side. On his wrist was a frost-blue, dragon-patterned treasure bracelet. With a high-bridged nose and deep-set features, he did not look like he was from the Central Plains. This was none other than the current Emperor’s Son of the Silver Frost Empire, Wuxun.

’How did Lu Mingyuan find out?’

Wuxun was completely baffled. They had been exceedingly cautious, confining all craftsmen and soldiers involved in the operation. Yet, they were still exposed, drawing an ambush from Great Yan’s elite forces.

Luo Lingxiao sighed. "The Military Saint once said, ’Openly repair the plank roads while secretly crossing at Chencang.’ It was all for this moment. To be discovered by Great Yan now... doesn’t this mean all of the Golden Crow Country’s hard work over the past six months has been for naught?"

"That Great Yan Emperor is no ordinary man. You cannot judge him by common standards."

The White-robed Monk, Jiang Shan, who was attending Wuxun, spoke softly with his palms pressed together.

"The Imperial Tutor is right."

Wuxun nodded slightly. "That Lu Mingyuan is a ruthless man who came out on top of the Nine Dragons Struggle for the Throne. He killed an emperor to become one himself. Regardless of whether the nine princes involved were worthless or formidable, Lu Mingyuan is not someone to be underestimated."

Luo Lingxiao affirmed this with a nod. "Lu Mingyuan is a hero of our time. He is definitely no weaker than any of the current heirs of the Six Kingdoms’ dynasties."

Jiang Shan said, "The Nine Dragons Struggle for the Throne was a conspiracy by Emperor Yong’an from the start. All the legacies of the other eight princes have been absorbed by him. I’m afraid the term ’hero’ is no longer sufficient to describe him, nor can you say he is ’no weaker.’ He is likely much, much stronger."

Luo Lingxiao, who had thought his estimation was already high, realized he had still underestimated the man.

"All the legacies..."

He murmured, "You mean the Second Prince’s underground network, the Seventh Prince’s Yunwan Commerce Association, plus the support of the Confucian Temple, the allegiance of the Dao Alliance..."

Jiang Shan nodded. "The people of the Three Religions are behind him."

Wuxun said meaningfully, "Imperial Tutor, no matter how you put it, you did help him, and my Father Emperor was supportive of this. It’s true that we each serve our own master, but for you to speak up for him like this... well, we might get jealous."

If, before, his Father Emperor had supported Jiang Shan’s journey to Great Yan in order to trip up Emperor Yong’an and sow discord, there was no longer any need for that now. Yet Jiang Shan’s stance was still biased toward Lu Mingyuan, which surprised him.

’To think that even with Emperor Yong’an gone, the Great Yan of today is still so difficult to deal with.’

Jiang Shan smiled gently. "No matter how you look at it, he is my little junior brother."

This explanation was rather fitting.

Lu Mingyuan had absorbed the Seven Ancestors’ Relics. In a way, he was a successor of the Buddha.

And he, as the witness, was more like a Guardian.

Although their positions were different now, he still hoped that Lu Mingyuan would continue to do well.

After all, Lu Mingyuan was already complete. Even without him, he could still soar through the Nine Heavens like a dragon.

Today’s Great Yan had no internal threats; its ruler and subjects were of one mind.

The combined power of the entire Great Yan was definitely not something the Golden Crow Country and the Silver Frost Empire could stand against. It would likely take a coalition of the Six Kingdoms to contend with them.

"Fighting amongst one’s own sect is a heinous crime in the Buddhist Sect. Therefore, Your Highnesses, it would be best to plan for the long term."

Faced with Jiang Shan’s reminder, the heirs of the two nations contemplated for a long time.

In the end, Luo Lingxiao chose to believe in himself.

His gaze sharpened. "There is no retreat on the path of cultivation. Since I, this king, am destined to lead the Golden Crow to glory, I am fated to battle Great Yan. If we cannot overcome Great Yan, how can we even speak of inheriting the Celestial Mandate?"

"Our goal is the same."

Wuxun agreed with a faint smile. "Compared to the Song Dynasty’s goal of jointly resisting the Great Netherworld, this objective is far more relevant."

"You and I both know full well that if Great Yan does not fall, there’s no point in us talking about vying for the Celestial Mandate. First, we destroy Great Yan. After that, it’s every man for himself."

"Precisely."

Luo Lingxiao waved his hand. "Let’s withdraw the troops. We must seek the aid of the Great Sui Dynasty and the Great Wu Dynasty. Our strength alone is likely not enough."

"Agreed."

After Wuxun nodded, he withdrew, and Jiang Shan followed him out.

Once Luo Lingxiao watched them leave, an Alchemist in a black robe emerged from behind a curtain.

The face beneath the black hood held a look of mockery.

"They speak with such self-righteousness, yet they’ll be at each other’s throats in the end. Is this the ambition of the Human Dynasties? Their reputation is truly well-deserved."

Luo Lingxiao, however, ignored the meaning behind his words and said flatly,

"If we destroy Great Yan first, can we really obtain more Celestial Destiny and Fortune?"

The black-robed Alchemist smiled faintly. "Even if you don’t believe me, do you not believe in your Golden Crow Country’s Ancestral Gods, the Golden Crow?"

Luo Lingxiao shot him a cold glance. "And if the Golden Crow Country is destroyed before Great Yan, will you still be able to smile then?"

"There can be no reward without sacrifice. Even if the final outcome is unknown, you should understand this principle better than I."

Luo Lingxiao said, "Besides instigating conflict like this, do you Divine Beings have any other way to help?"

"Regrettably, I would like to help you, but the environment here is simply too poor. Even if I could help, I would only be able to use a tenth of my strength, and I would be monitored by those fellows in the heavens."

The black-robed Alchemist said with a shrug.

"Also, I am no Divine Being. The Lord God is great."

"You can call me... a Divine Envoy."

...

「Seven days later.」

The grand army led by Lu Mingyuan finally arrived at Jiayu Pass.

He was leading two hundred thousand of Great Yan’s elite troops on a majestic march to the Border Pass. In addition, hundreds of thousands more soldiers were rushing over from all parts of Great Yan.

However, this was not the true full strength of Great Yan.

The total military force of the entire Great Yan was a million strong.

He could already mobilize more than half of them.

The remaining forces had to guard the Northern Great Wall and the border cities in other regions.

Along the way, passing through many States and Counties, Lu Mingyuan witnessed the local customs and traditions of Great Yan and was quite moved.

The people of this land were all living their lives earnestly.

’And as their Emperor, my duty is to protect this peace.’

Lu Mingyuan stepped out of the Nine Dragon Carriage and saw Fairy Ci Hang, Sui Yuqing, slowly descend. She was no longer flying, and her face was flushed a rosy red, as if she were drunk.

It was a very strange sight.

"Fairy, are you alright?" Lu Mingyuan called out with great concern.

Ever since he ascended the throne and his Realm broke through to the Twelfth Realm, his way of addressing Sui Yuqing had changed.

He no longer called her ’Senior,’ but ’Fairy’ instead.

It wasn’t out of arrogance. In the Cultivation Realm, seniority was determined by strength. As his power grew, he couldn’t possibly call her ’Senior’ for the rest of his life.

"I’m... I’m fine."

Sui Yuqing stammered in reply, her words halting.

"If you’re not feeling well, you should get some rest."

Lu Mingyuan advised her.

After he spoke, he suddenly remembered that the Mid-Autumn Festival was just a few days away.

For a moment, his expression turned strange.

’Since she’s a Demoness, what she said must have been a lie, right?’

...