Beside the scenic Wolihan River stood the Silver Moon Khanate.
Beneath the setting sun, the Great Khan's golden pavilion caught the evening light, blazing in fiery crimson and gold. Over the pavilion's surface ran patterns of overlapping scales, making it resemble an ancient behemoth bathed in flames when viewed from afar.
Within the grand pavilion, the Silver Moon Great Khan—still bearing the guise of a youth—had laid out a banquet within a valley for his most trusted generals and tribal chieftains. The feast took place in a valley because the pavilion soared three thousand feet high, enclosing an entire small mountain within its expanse, complete with craggy rocks, scattered woods, babbling streams, and abundant spiritual qi.
The entire grand pavilion was fashioned from the intact pelt of a gigantic beast, the first Silver Moon's proudest battle trophy. The scale-like patterns on the exterior were not mere designs either, but actual scales several fathoms across. They overlapped in layers and constantly flared and settled, as if the giant beast were still breathing.
Amidst the feast, the wine flowed and the roast meat filled the air with its aroma. A Liao general, towering far above the average Liao warrior, held a roasted hind leg weighing several dozen jin in his hand. Gnawing on it, he spoke up, "Great Khan, did we truly hand over the Three Rivers Khanate just like that? Doesn't that make things far too easy for those monkeys?"
The Silver Moon Great Khan offered a faint smile and asked, "Between eight hundred thousand iron cavalry and the Three Rivers Khanate, which would you choose?"
"Need you even ask? Let alone eight hundred thousand, I'd take the cavalry even for a hundred thousand! The ground beneath Three Rivers has rotted straight through. Just cultivating there makes my skin crawl."
"There you have it. Besides, there is another reason. Word from the Shamans indicates that one detachment of their army intends to cut right through the Three Rivers Khanate and thrust deep into our southern heartland, bypassing our defensive lines before swinging north in an encirclement, just as they did over two hundred thousand years ago. By ceding the Three Rivers Khanate now, we leave the humans to block those Shamans for us."
Another general, petite and alluring, remarked, "Will that even work? If it were me, I'd simply let the Shamans pass. It's not as though we'd lose anything."
"Others might do so," Silver Moon replied, "but Wei Yuan will not. There are still fifteen million Liao people living on that land."
"Aren't lowly peasants as plentiful as dirt? Why would Wei Yuan care about them?" The generals and chieftains looked utterly baffled.
Silver Moon smiled enigmatically. "In that man's eyes, those lowly peasants are more precious than anything. Even if offered a Scenery Command cultivator in exchange, he wouldn't trade them away."
The generals remained half-convinced at best.
Just then, a personal guard strode up briskly and reported, "Great Khan! News from Batu of the Three Rivers Khanate—Dunyan has been captured by Qingming, and his fate is unknown!"
Silver Moon's expression shifted slightly. "When did this happen?"
"Six months ago."
"Then why is it only being reported now?!" Silver Moon finally flared with anger.
The guard had no idea of the reason and naturally could not answer. But Silver Moon would soon understand why. At that moment, another personal guard dashed forward in a panic, calling out, "Qingming Realm Lord Wei Yuan has reached the border of our territory and requests an audience with the Great Khan!"
Shock rippled through the gathered generals. This place lay over ten thousand li deep within the Liao domain—how could Wei Yuan be so daring?
Silver Moon quickly regained his composure. "Just as well. I shall go meet him."
A general rose, saying, "Great Khan, your person is more precious than gold. Let me go in your stead!"
Silver Moon replied, "He has not even attained the Immortal tier and dares come alone. I possess an Immortal body at the very least—why should I shrink back?"
Refusing to let any of the generals accompany him, he departed the pavilion alone.
At the edge of the Silver Moon Khanate's territory, Wei Yuan stood atop a snowcapped peak, gazing out over the boundless grasslands below.
Silver Moon materialized silently beside him and said, "What puts you in such high spirits that you've come all the way to my lands to admire the scenery?"
Wei Yuan pointed ahead. "If I hadn't come to see it for myself, I never would have imagined that the grasslands of the Liao domain could be golden. Over at the Three Rivers Khanate, they are green."
Silver Moon laughed heartily. "The Three Rivers Khanate gave rise to a Supreme Dharma King, reducing the land to a wasteland that will take twenty thousand years to recover. Only then will you see golden grasslands there."
Wei Yuan sighed softly. "A pity my lifespan isn't quite that long."
"If you like golden grass so much, I can give you one of the tribes under the Khanate. You may come by to look whenever you please."
Wei Yuan finally withdrew his gaze and studied Silver Moon. "Back then, I never expected that someone I casually let go would turn out to be such an eminent figure in the Liao domain."
Silver Moon laughed again. "Back then, I was a nobody, and you were much the same. Now we both command a realm, so we are still on equal footing! Out with it, then—what is it you want?"
Wei Yuan said, "You dumped that mess of the Three Rivers Khanate on me, planning to use me to hold off the Shamans, didn't you? The payment you provided wasn't nearly enough."
Silver Moon offered a slight smile. "Even if it wasn't enough, you didn't mention it at the time. It is too late now."
"Fair enough," Wei Yuan said. "The reason I came this time is that I require the Great Khan's assistance with something. I would like to borrow an item from you."
"It wouldn't happen to be the head on my shoulders, would it?" Silver Moon asked.
"The Great Khan seems remarkably well-versed in human idioms! But I think your head is better off remaining where it is. I came this time to borrow a Scenery Command expert."
Silver Moon froze for a moment before asking, "Borrow a Scenery Command? How do you borrow a person?"
"Indeed, a Scenery Command expert. At the very least, they must have achieved perfection in the early stage, begun constructing their spirit manor, and possess over a century of lifespan remaining. Oh, and one more thing—their soul must be untainted by demonic or yin qi." Wei Yuan reeled off several conditions in a single breath.
Silver Moon was even more bewildered. "When will you return them?"
Wei Yuan replied, "I will show you a different Three Rivers Khanate."
Silver Moon frowned. "Wait, did you say *show* me?"
Wei Yuan chuckled. "What else? Did you actually expect to take that land back?"
Only then did Silver Moon realize that Wei Yuan had simply come to demand a Scenery Command expert outright—no tricks or subtleties, just pure extortion.
"Why should I give you one?"
Wei Yuan smiled. "As I said, I will show you a different Three Rivers Khanate."
"And what if I don't care to see it?"
"Then you will never see it. Are you truly prepared to miss out?"
Silver Moon wrestled with the thought for a long moment before gritting his teeth. "Wait here!"
His figure vanished. A moment later, he reappeared, carrying an unconscious Liao giant by the scruff of his neck. Judging by the man's attire, he was likely the chieftain of some tribe.
Wei Yuan chuckled, reached out, and took the man. "That completes the set. Rest assured, Great Khan, you will not be disappointed. In ten years at most, five at the earliest, you will see it."
Silver Moon looked at him with utter disgust. "Get out of here! Any longer, and I might just change my mind."
Wei Yuan gave a ringing laugh and took flight toward the south, carrying the Liao Scenery Command expert with him. In the blink of an eye, he vanished beyond the horizon.
Silver Moon narrowed his eyes slightly, standing in place for a moment before returning to his pavilion.
***
Within the Splendor of the Many Realms, Wei Yuan landed atop the ancient full moon. In his hands rested four golden-yellow Primordial Spirits. These were the complete Primordial Spirits of four Liao Scenery Command experts, their mindscape worlds enclosed within. One came from Dunyan, two belonged to Liao Scenery Command generals slain on the Eastern Jin battlefield, and the last had just been "borrowed" from Silver Moon.
The light upon the full moon suddenly dimmed slightly as the immense shadow of a three-eyed bird head slowly manifested, its three eyes fixing upon Wei Yuan. The moment it appeared, the entire Splendor of the Many Realms fell utterly silent; every living being instinctively refrained from speaking.
In a small pit far in the distance, a chubby little hand reached out, slowly shifting the loose soil until it had covered itself entirely.
Wei Yuan looked up at the three-eyed bird head, which was nearly as massive as the ancient full moon itself, and asked, "Are these enough to open the passage to the world of my origin once more?"
The three-eyed bird head offered no reply. Instead, it tilted its head and pecked forward, plucking the Gate of the Many Realms straight out of the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven before setting it down upon the full moon, right before Wei Yuan.
On the other side of the gate lay that dead world.
Chapter 1310