There Are No Enemies, Only Interests

There Are No Enemies, Only Interests Li Guanqi smiled. So Chen Ce of Donglin City wasn't as unflappable as he'd imagined, after all. He had only just gone to Beizha City when Chen Ce, unable to wait a moment longer, rushed over to East City to find Chu Yuan. Wasn't it simply because he feared that once Xialin City and Beizha City joined forces, East City and Donglin City would be left isolated and without aid — and so he wanted to ally with them and form a three-way standoff? But what Chen Ce of Donglin City had never imagined was that after Li Guanqi reached Beizha City, he would be blocked outside the gate by a gate servant, only to turn right around and come to East City! Li Guanqi turned the lid of his teacup, skimming off a little of the foam, and spoke in a calm voice. "Since you've chosen to forge an alliance amid this great tide, Castellan Chu, why not include our Xialin City as well?" "If I'm not mistaken, someone from the two southwestern cities must already have set out for Beizha City by now, wouldn't you say?" "And even if no one has yet, so long as I stay in East City longer than an incense stick's time, they absolutely won't be able to sit still." Li Guanqi's analysis was spot on. The moment he left Beizha City, the news spread throughout all six cities of the bay in an instant. Nearly everyone believed Huyan Lie had simply disdained to grant him an audience. Because word of the earlier setback had spread as well, Huyan Lie had turned Li Guanqi away at the door. Since they were now enemies, the two southwestern cities had no reason to give up on Huyan Lie — so great a source of strength!! Chu Yuan pursed his lips slightly, his gaze toward Li Guanqi shifting again and again. Before he could speak, Li Guanqi went on. "Once Huyan Lie learns I'm here, he'll likely expect an alliance between East City and Xialin City as well." "And in that case, the only one Huyan Lie can turn to is Donglin City." "But..." Li Guanqi paused briefly, fixing his eyes on the screen, and chuckled softly. "Castellan Chen must be here in the manor right now, isn't he?" "And the most anxious person at this moment... isn't me." Chu Yuan lowered his head, adjusted his robe, and gave a soft sneer. "What makes you so confident that I'll definitely ally with Xiahou Cang?" "Now that Castellan Chen and I are joining forces, all that's left is your Xialin City and Beizha City." "Four houses split into two sides to divide the two cities between us — isn't that a fine arrangement?" Li Guanqi wagged a finger, his gaze fixed on the man's eyes, and said softly. "If that's really how it is, I'll immediately lead Xialin City and Beizha City to join the two southwestern cities." Li Guanqi's calm eyes made it seem as though he were speaking of some trifling matter. "Four against two — what do you say to that?" Boom!!! An exceedingly formidable oppressive pressure erupted with a roar!! That mighty pressure bore down on Li Guanqi like several great mountains!!! Boom! The immortal primal energy within Li Guanqi roared. He put on the ghost mask, and Xue Ming flashed out as he raised a hand to cleave the heavens!!! Bang! Boom-crack!! In an instant, thick dark clouds shrouded the sky above the entire Castellan Manor. The power Li Guanqi had unleashed in that instant was terrifying. Beneath the mask, his blood-red eyes looked calmly at the man, and he spoke. "I'd advise you not to entertain any thought of killing me." "The consequences... are not something a mere True Immortal like you can bear." With that, Li Guanqi took off the mask. Chu Yuan's throat bobbed slightly; the formidable power Li Guanqi had just unleashed left him deeply shaken and afraid. In that moment, Li Guanqi's identity had become shrouded in a layer of mist. In all of Qingxuan Province, those who knew Li Guanqi's true identity were exceedingly few. Only Yu Su knew a little of Li Guanqi's affairs. Chu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he spoke in an icy voice. "Are you threatening me?" Li Guanqi shook his head and flicked a finger, shooting out a wisp of cold energy!! This cold energy was precisely the wisp that had been forced out of Pengluo's body. It was a supremely pure ice-cold power, and moreover carried the aura of the Cold Soul Jade Glaze. No sooner had Chu Yuan sensed it than his expression changed drastically and he shot to his feet! "This is..." An inexplicable smile on his face, Li Guanqi picked up a cluster of spirit fruit, popped it into his mouth, and said softly. "This is the true backing of Xialin City." With that, he looked toward the screen and said softly. "Why don't you come out and have a look as well, Castellan Chen?" The words had scarcely left his mouth when a young man in a black brocade robe stepped out. The young man's features were unremarkable, but his bearing set him apart; at a glance, one could tell he was long accustomed to standing in high places. Chen Ce and Chu Yuan exchanged a glance. Li Guanqi raised a hand and tossed the cold energy to Chen Ce. Chen Ce sensed it briefly, and his expression shifted again and again. "So the Cold Soul Jade Glaze really did appear in Xialin City!" Li Guanqi set down the spirit fruit. "How do you two lords mean to decide?" The two men's expressions shifted by turns, and after a long while Chen Ce spoke. "What does Xiahou Cang intend? Win-win cooperation, or... does he merely wish to lean on us to weather his current predicament?" "You should know that by now, quite a few cultivators of the two southwestern cities are already scattered throughout Xialin City." "No one knows when they might make their move." Li Guanqi sneered inwardly. "Tch, so impatient, are they..." On the surface, though, he smiled. "Of course it's win-win cooperation. As for how the Cold Soul Jade Glaze is to be divided, that is a matter for Castellan Xiahou to discuss with you." "My only role is brokering the alliance." Chen Ce frowned slightly at this, not having expected Li Guanqi to toss the question back to Xiahou Cang. "Then why doesn't he come to negotiate in person?" Li Guanqi curled his lip. "If you two seniors were to reject Castellan Xiahou, wouldn't Huyan Lie of Beizha City then think he could handle Castellan Xiahou however he pleased?" With that, Li Guanqi pointed to the old man waiting outside. "I'll give the elder a spirit herb, and afterward have him escort me out — that's no problem, is it?" "Those outside will simply think I enjoyed a most agreeable chat here in East City, and that Steward Zhang himself saw me out at the end." "The people of the two southwestern cities won't know the details, so naturally they won't dare act rashly." Chu Yuan and Chen Ce both drew a sharp breath. They had never imagined that this young man before them could be so deep and calculating in mind!! Suddenly, something seemed to occur to Chu Yuan... "Being stopped at the Beizha City Castellan Manor — was that also deliberate?" "Did you say something to that gate servant?" Li Guanqi shrugged, making no attempt to hide it from the two. "It was nothing much — I simply hurled a few insults at him before we'd even met." Chen Ce was inwardly astonished; for a moment he actually had the illusion that everything was within Li Guanqi's grasp!! Suddenly, Chen Ce spoke. "How long did it take you to travel from Xialin City to Beizha City?" A keen glint flashed in Li Guanqi's eyes, and he gave Chen Ce a deep, searching look. This Castellan of Donglin wasn't as unimpressive as he'd taken him for. Li Guanqi chuckled softly. "An incense stick's time, plus the time it takes to drink a cup of tea." Chu Yuan, in his green, cloud-patterned robe, saw the inquiring look in Chen Ce's eyes and said with a frown, in a deep voice. "From there to East City took him less than an incense stick's time!" Chen Ce drew a sharp breath and, staring at the young man whose face remained utterly composed as he went on sipping his tea, murmured. "Swaggering out of the city in plain view, heading straight for Beizha City, drawing the eyes and ears of spies from the other five cities." "Forcing me and Brother Chu to hasten our meeting and talks, lest Xialin City and Beizha City unite and leave us isolated and without aid." "And then you changed your mind at the very last moment and headed for East City — the aim being to corner me here as well! And to heighten Huyan Lie's sense of crisis all the more." "Even if we here were to turn you down, you'd still be in a position to sweet-talk Huyan Lie and make Xialin City the dominant force!" The more Chen Ce spoke, the more he felt that Li Guanqi was truly terrifying. Chen Ce's eyes flickered; staring into Li Guanqi's eyes, he slowly drew near and asked in a deep voice. "If Brother Chu and I don't agree to your terms, what will you do?" Li Guanqi picked up the lid of his teacup and gently capped two spirit fruits beneath it, saying lightly, as though it were nothing at all. "I'll use the right to enter the Cold Soul Jade Glaze barrier to force the four cities to unite and annex East City and Donglin City." There was not the slightest ripple of emotion in Li Guanqi's words; having said it, he even lifted his head and smiled at the man closing in on him. "Among powers and factions, where is there any such thing as an enemy? There is only interest." Chu Yuan felt a chill creep down his spine; every single step of his had been calculated to the finest detail by the other man!! Chen Ce and Chu Yuan exchanged a look, and at last Chu Yuan rose and said in a deep voice. "Very well — East City and Donglin City are willing to ally with Xialin City!" Hearing this, Li Guanqi smiled faintly, rose to his feet, lifted the cup lid, and popped those two spirit fruits into his mouth. "Senior Chu and Senior Chen truly are wise men." "Then... I'll have to ask Castellan Chu to put on one more show with me." "And while you're at it, make your preparations — we're about to carve up the two southwestern houses!" As the words fell, even Chen Ce felt a chill shoot straight to the crown of his head!