High Regard

Heading south from the Great Xia Prefecture, all the way south past Nanyuan and over Starfall Mountain, one entered the territory of the Great Ming Prefecture. The Great Ming Prefecture was vast! At the very least, its territory was immense, and its population was substantial. Great Xia had only twenty-eight cities, but Great Ming had a full seventy-six. Unfortunately, its overall strength was mediocre. Among the Thirty-Six Prefectures, Great Ming was not the weakest, but it was far from strong. It ranked squarely in the middle—neither good nor bad, merely muddling through. Be a bit weaker, and people would notice you. Be a bit stronger, and people would also notice you. Occupying that middle ground between strong and weak made it the most unremarkable. Geniuses were reluctant to come, and Great Ming failed to produce any truly formidable talents of its own. It remained lukewarm. Weaker prefectures could still attract some talents; after all, there were geniuses who were merely average in Great Xia and not quite top-tier in Great Ming, but in a weaker prefecture, they could enjoy the finest treatment. Yet Great Ming looked down on those lesser talents. Consequently, over recent years, even though Zhu Tiandao had scouted everywhere to recruit people, he had reaped next to nothing. The prefectural capital of Great Ming Prefecture. The capital possessed its own distinct name—Tiandu Prefecture. Tiandu was colossal, with a population bordering on a hundred million. It was exceptionally prosperous, yet lacked an air of chilling solemnity. Under the Zhu family's governance, Great Ming was neither as unyielding as Great Xia nor as dignified and scholarly as Great Zhou. Tiandu gave an impression of everyday ordinariness, with cultivators and commoners mingling side by side. ... At the center of Tiandu stood a massive, palace-style complex. That was the seat of the Zhu family. As for the Zhu family of Great Ming, King Daming was formidable—quite mighty, ranking near the top among the veteran Invincibles—yet his descendants were nothing impressive. King Daming had two sons. The eldest had died at the age of nine, securing a place in history as the first person to bathe in the blood of gods and demons: entering Qianjun in a single day, and dropping dead that very same day. The second son, Zhu Tiandao, was getting on in years, though not excessively old—just past ninety, not yet a hundred. His cultivation had reached Sun Moon, but he was far inferior to Xia Longwu of the Xia family or Zhou Potian of the Zhou family... Middling! The second generation fell short, the third was mediocre, and the fourth... well, the less said, the better. Zhu Tiandao was both grieving and helpless. Each generation was worse than the last! Everyone claimed the Zhu family's second generation was incompetent, saying he was inferior to his elder brother... To hell with that! His brother had died at age nine; how the hell did they know he was inferior? Even putting that aside, his sons and daughters... were also hopeless. The third generation had yet to produce a single Sun Moon. They were no younger than Xia Longwu and his peers, but their results were pitiful: a handful of Shanhai cultivators. How could they uphold the heavens for the Zhu family? And the fourth generation... was even more miserable. There were only three direct descendants in the fourth generation, the strongest among them merely at Lingyun. Upholding the family was entirely out of the question. In the garden. Zhu Tiandao sighed repeatedly. "That damned fat dog opened his jaws wide enough to swallow an elephant! To authorize Great Ming to spread the aperture fusion method, he demands one million merit points for the low-tier version, three million for the advanced version, and on top of that, other licensing fees... How is anyone supposed to survive like this?!" Across from him, several old men acted as though they hadn't heard a thing. Fatty Xia's heart was indeed black! Zhu Tiandao snapped again, "And that Su Yu... he's just as infuriating! Instead of focusing on proper cultivation, he fiddles with techniques and sells them straight to the Xia family! Is the Xia family your daddy? Put it up for auction, dammit! Fatty Xia didn't pay a single copper and walked off with the authorization! Does Su Yu have shit for brains?!" He kept cursing, one sentence after another. Su Yu was a pig! A giant dumb pig! Why didn't you auction it?! Great Ming was right next door; they would have had plenty of time to attend! What was wrong with spending a bit more money to buy it back fair and square?! One old man in the group could no longer hold back and cleared his throat softly. "Prefecture Lord, mind your language." "Heh!" Zhu Tiandao snorted and glanced at an intelligence report, full of disdain. "Serves him right! Suppressed by the Single Divine Character Faction, wasn't he? Did the Xia family stand up for him? People like him deserve to be crushed! Not right in the head, giving good things to the Xia family... Why didn't you give them to me?!" The elders sighed in resignation. *You're just crying sour grapes because you can't have them!* If Su Yu were from Great Ming, Zhu Tiandao would probably have exploded with excitement. What was the point of venting all this nonsense? They were well accustomed to his bluster. Soon, an elegant middle-aged man smiled and said, "This Su Yu... is indeed an extraordinary talent. As for deducing cultivation methods, he likely benefited from the legacy of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. I find it hard to believe he could deduce such a complete technique entirely on his own... Though, of course, there are exceptions to everything. What intrigues me more is his innate talent. Even if he acquired some inheritance, just look at him..." Lightly waving a folding fan, he remarked with deep emotion, "He entered the academy barely four months ago. From Kaiyuan until now, he has opened 320 acupoints! Terrifying! That averages out to nearly three acupoints a day. Furthermore, he had to cultivate willpower. Look at that—willpower no weaker than a Tengkong, and seven or eight Tier-2 divine characters... A fellow like this would be virtually one-of-a-kind even in the Quest Realm!" Inheritance alone could never account for this; raw talent was essential. Su Yu possessed both fortune and talent; he merely lacked a bit of luck, being ruthlessly suppressed in the Great Xia Prefecture. Had this been fifty years ago when the Fifth Generation was still alive, he would probably already be the leading figure among Great Xia's younger generation—perhaps even among all young Civilization Masters in the Human Realm. Zhu Tiandao dismissed it casually. "Just someone who struck it lucky, that's all. Stumbled across an inheritance—nothing special. He might not even match some of our own geniuses in Great Ming. The world simply loves to exaggerate..." Even as he spoke, a transmission talisman on the elegant middle-aged man lit up. The man frowned slightly, retrieving it to read. Zhu Tiandao was still running down Su Yu! Regardless of what anyone said, the boy was no good! Even if he was good, he wasn't! With a peculiar look in his eyes, the middle-aged man spoke softly. "Prefecture Lord, pause for a moment..." "What is it?" Zhu Tiandao continued to scold like a street gossip. He couldn't help it; he was thoroughly bitter. Fatty Xia had demanded four million merit points right off the bat, nearly driving him mad with fury. As if he would say a single kind word about Su Yu! Birds of a feather! Scoundrels, the lot of them! The middle-aged man murmured, "Prefecture Lord, the person you're cursing... seems... rather interesting." "Huh?" "That kid you're cursing... seems like... he's about to become one of ours?" The middle-aged man wasn't entirely certain. He stared at Zhu Tiandao, and Zhu Tiandao stared right back. At that moment, the other elders all turned their eyes upon him. What did he mean? The middle-aged man said hesitantly, "A message just came from the Great Xia Prefecture, sent by our envoy stationed there. Su Yu... reached out to our people, saying he wants to join Great Ming, and asked Great Ming to send someone to negotiate..." "..." The garden fell dead silent. Zhu Tiandao nodded, broke into a calm smile, and said, "Not bad. Even though I haven't met the lad, I can tell he has an eye for greatness, understands the big picture, and knows when to advance or retreat! Great Ming is wonderful! Great Ming is fantastic! Great Ming... is truly magnificent!" Everyone stared at him. *Wasn't that the exact opposite of what you were just saying?* Zhu Tiandao paid no mind to their stares. He stood up, paced in a circle, and beamed. "Coming to Great Ming... is an excellent choice! I knew last night's intelligence felt off. The kid held back for months, then suddenly erupted last night. He's made up his mind to leave! I knew it! As expected, my judgment never fails!" With a grin, Zhu Tiandao asked, "What terms do you think the boy will demand?" The middle-aged man pondered for a moment before speaking. "Prefecture Lord, it's not a question of what terms he'll ask for. I'm considering whether his arrival might draw targeting and retaliation from the Single Divine Character Faction..." Zhu Tiandao looked surprised. "Those folks at the Great Ming Civilization Academy? Not likely. Those old fogies are just like me—pretty laid-back..." "I'm referring to Great Xia and Great Zhou." Zhu Tiandao paused, then replied faintly, "Wait... aren't you getting things backward? They should thank their lucky stars I don't go looking for trouble with them; how would they dare make trouble for me? Does Zhou Polong want to give up on attaining the Dao? And if Great Xia causes trouble, does Xia Longwu want to give up on attaining the Dao?" Chuckling, Zhu Tiandao shook his head. "Old Hou, aren't you overthinking this? My Zhu family doesn't ask for much, but would the Single Divine Character Faction dare provoke us? My old man is at least the second-in-command of the Quest Realm. Whoever makes trouble, we'll beat them to death and be done with it. Do you think we're Great Xia?" Curling his lip, Zhu Tiandao added, "As for me, attaining the Dao is still a long way off. I've only just entered the ninth stage of Sun Moon; who knows when I'll ever break through! I'm not like Xia Longwu or Zhou Potian. Frankly speaking, even that dead fat pig of the Xia family will probably reach the Dao before me!" His tone was somewhat resentful. Yet it was the truth! Dropping that topic, Zhu Tiandao muttered, "Coming to Great Ming... splendid! What remarkable vision! A genius with such keen judgment is just my type! We don't even need the aperture fusion method; just hand over a few dozen copies of that Soul Devour Art or whatever. The boy is fierce—slaying Tengkongs already! Impressive! Give him two years, and slaying Lingyuns shouldn't be much of a problem, right?" His eyes glittered. "Isn't the Star Astral Mansion opening in two years? That's a golden opportunity! When I approached that bastard Xia Longwu earlier, he could barely be bothered to speak to me..." The middle-aged man remarked quietly, "Prefecture Lord, earlier you claimed Xia Longwu practically knelt and begged through tears to cooperate with us." "Did I?" Zhu Tiandao flatly denied it! The past was too painful to recall; best left unmentioned. At this thought, Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Fascinating, truly fascinating. The kid genuinely has an eye for opportunity. I never expected he'd leave Great Xia right now. Then again, taking a step back opens up a whole new world. At worst, he can fight his way back in a few years! He wants to negotiate terms now to see if Great Ming is sincere..." The middle-aged man nodded. "Prefecture Lord, let me go. Su Yu likely has plenty of trouble to sort out, and loose ends need to be tied up cleanly. Without reassurance, he probably won't dare leave rashly..." The man's surname was Hou; he was the head of Great Ming's Yuqiang Department. A Sun Moon realm expert! The head of Great Ming's Yuqiang Department had previously been stronger than his counterpart in Great Xia, though Ji Hong of Great Xia had recently broken through to Sun Moon as well. Ji Hong was younger than Hou and exceptionally talented. Sending Hou would show ample sincerity. However, Zhu Tiandao suddenly chuckled. "Forget it, I'll go myself! It won't work if you go. Fatty Xia and the others are a huge pain to deal with, and there's Wan Tiansheng—who knows if he'd let the kid leave? I'll go in person!" "Prefecture Lord!" Shock crossed the faces of the elders. The middle-aged man said urgently, "Prefecture Lord, showing humility before talent is fine, but for you to personally negotiate with a student... Prefecture Lord, that won't do! First, Su Yu might become arrogant from being so indulged! "Second, Su Yu might look down on Great Ming! "Third, it leaves room for gossip. The Prefecture Lord of Great Ming personally sneaking off to Great Xia to poach a student... this... this damages your prestige far too much!" Zhu Tiandao waved it off. "It doesn't matter. It's more convenient if I go! Great Xia won't dare make trouble for me, but if you go... that's another story. I can't be bothered bickering with them! Worst comes to worst, I'll just grab Su Yu and run. What, will they surround and kill me? Aren't they afraid my old man won't lift a finger when the time comes, leaving Xia Longwu doomed?" With a sigh, he muttered, "It all comes down to having useless descendants! Otherwise, why would I need to step in? If I'd sired a son like Xia Longwu, I could just send him. Would I need to handle everything myself? Such a headache!" The elders remained reluctant. Soon, one old man said, "Prefecture Lord, it's truly inappropriate for you to go! If necessary, let me handle the negotiations!" "You? Forget it. You're a bag of old bones without much temper; you'd only suffer humiliation there. Those folks in Great Xia are arrogant and insufferable!" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Enough talk, I'm heading over! When Xia Longwu was ambushed last time, even though I didn't fight, I at least showed up. Won't they give me even that much face?" The group gave him bizarre looks. *Wait a minute!* *When you returned last time, you claimed that aside from the cult master of the Heavenly Archer Cult, you personally killed all the other gods, and that Xia Longwu shamelessly pocketed their corpses.* *How did that turn into 'I didn't fight'?!* *Prefecture Lord, could you please not contradict yourself and shoot your own foot next time?* Zhu Tiandao paid no attention to their stares. Laughing, he said, "I have nothing better to do anyway. I'm going, right now! Hopefully this kid can give me a pleasant surprise or two. Sigh, Great Ming gets worse with every generation; everyone has grown too comfortable. What do you think, should we bring in a ruthless character to shake things up?" "..." The elders shook their heads. *Spare us. If things really get shaken up, you'll be the one losing sleep and appetite every day!* Zhu Tiandao said no more. With a laugh, his figure vanished into thin air. He left just like that! Once he was gone, the remaining elders looked at one another. "Old Hou, do you think... could this be a trap?" Director Hou chuckled wryly. "What trap could there be? Unlikely! It's just the Prefecture Lord going in person... I'm still somewhat worried about stirring up trouble. Su Yu humiliated the Single Divine Character Faction this time, and his ties with Liu Wenyan run deep. I'm afraid of dragging Great Ming into the mud." "That is true. But the Prefecture Lord makes a good point, too. The Single Divine Character Faction—including those Invincibles on their side—wouldn't dare lightly provoke outsiders like us." Someone shook their head. Forget it, the trouble wouldn't be too great. There was little to fear! Generally speaking, the Zhu family had nothing to lose; none of them were on the verge of breakthrough, so they had no reason to indulge anyone. If you made trouble to the point of annoyance, a slap across your face would put you in line. The factional feud between Single and Multiple Divine Characters in Great Ming barely made a ripple. During the big battle around Liu Wenyan last time, almost no one from Great Ming took part. In other words, everyone was laid-back: fight all you want, and we'll live our own lives. "That kid seems like quite the troublemaker, with immense talent and strength... Everyone, since the Prefecture Lord went to negotiate in person, he clearly intends to recruit him. Once he's brought over, we'd better keep an eye on our own younger generation. To put it bluntly, that boy is already drenched in blood; he cut down the top student of Great Xia Civilization Academy without blinking. Best tread carefully!" One elder warned, and the others nodded in agreement. That was true! He was a ruthless character! He slaughtered whoever stood in his path, and immediately prepared to flee afterwards rather than deal with their nonsense. Clearly, he was no gentle soul. Truth be told, Great Ming was somewhat behind Great Xia in strength. Average strength, that is! It wasn't that their cultivation techniques or resources were inferior; the prevailing culture was simply less warlike. Great Xia was far more aggressive! Having fought for centuries, every citizen was a soldier. Even the Single Divine Character Faction members Su Yu despised were used to watching members of the All-Races Cult get beheaded. Even young girls barely flinched at the sight of Su Yu killing someone, looking pale at most. In Great Ming... a scene like Su Yu slaying Zhai Feng and Wang Zhen would have made plenty of people vomit. That was the honest truth! Great Ming wanted to change... but centuries of accumulated habits were not easily overturned. The elders exchanged glances. A raptor was crossing the river! Though he was still weak and far below their level, he could not be underestimated. Zhu Tiandao had rushed off to fetch him; whatever he said outwardly, he was probably ecstatic inside. Anyone making trouble right now would only get themselves burned. ... Just as they expected. At that moment, Zhu Tiandao tore through the void, grinning from ear to ear. What a bargain! *Go on, Great Xia, keep fighting!* *Fuck!* *A massive windfall!* Not only had he reeled in an unmatched genius, but also a research expert! Even if Su Yu had ridden on the coattails of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, that faction had researched for decades without producing major results. Look at Su Yu—one breakthrough after another the moment he arrived. The kid clearly had real capability! *Bai Feng was supposed to belong to our family in the first place!* Zhu Tiandao muttered inwardly. Dammit, the boy had been snatched away! Zhu Tiandao hadn't paid much attention back then, but when Bai Feng killed a Lingyun and blasted Xia Yuwen to pieces, he had been so furious he nearly beat the bastards of the Bai family to a pulp! Great Ming was already short on talent; did they lack a Multiple Divine Characters Faction? And yet they had sent Bai Feng away! He had only spared them because it was unseemly to strike his own people. The Fifth Generation had truly caused endless trouble, seducing away their geniuses even from beyond the grave. Fortunately, the tables were turning now. Zhu Tiandao was thrilled! The void trembled. Crossing a hundred li in an instant, time and again, a great mountain materialized before his eyes in the blink of an eye—Starfall Mountain. Without sparing it a glance, he pressed on. Moments later, Nanyuan City came into view. Sweeping his gaze over it, he curled his lip. Several Shanhai experts were lying in wait, along with Sun Moon cultivators... Was Great Xia searching for Su Yu's inheritance ruin? *That's mine too!* Just as he prepared to leave, a figure flickered, and an old man appeared before him. Bowing, the elder said, "Greetings, Prefecture Lord Zhu!" "At ease!" Zhu Tiandao replied, preparing to move on. The old man said hastily, "Is Lord Zhu heading to Great Xia's capital?" Zhu Tiandao beamed. "No, I'm heading to the Great Shang Prefecture and merely passing through. Why are you stopping me? Want me to help you investigate something?" With that, he turned as if to dive toward Nanyuan. The elder panicked and said quickly, "No, no need! We wouldn't trouble Prefecture Lord Zhu. Your business is urgent, Lord Zhu; we won't detain you any longer!" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Never mind. To my eyes, Nanyuan possesses restrained treasure aura and naturally generated divinity; there must be treasures here. But since you're already here, I won't pry. Farewell!" Before the words faded, he had already vanished. The old man did not pursue. After a moment's thought, he quickly sent word to the Great Xia Prefecture. Why had Zhu Tiandao entered Great Xia out of the blue? Going to Great Shang? What could possibly warrant his attention in Great Shang? Unable to figure it out, he didn't dwell on it. As the lord of an entire prefecture, Zhu Tiandao was far beyond his jurisdiction. ... In Great Xia Prefecture. Marquis Xia glanced at a transmission talisman, his face impassive. Standing before him, Chief Hu said softly, "Marquis, what are Su Yu's intentions? You should have stopped him last night. This is detrimental to his growth. He's too young and acts without considering the consequences." "No, he considered them," Marquis Xia replied flatly. "He considered them very clearly! Old Hu, stop limiting yourself to your own mindset. In your mind, a genius of Great Xia will always be a genius of Great Xia, without exception!" It was an undeniable truth. A blind spot for many people. In the eyes of most, Su Yu would never leave. How could he possibly leave? This was Great Xia, one of the top three prefectures! Su Yu had been born here and raised here; his family, his teachers, and his friends were all here. Would he leave? Don't be ridiculous! Where would he go? To Great Zhou to seek death? Or to Great Qin to walk the path of a warrior? Great Xia was the most suitable place for Su Yu; he would never leave. It was completely impossible. Chief Hu froze for a second, his expression shifting. "You mean... he... wants to leave?" He hadn't anticipated this! He felt a wave of shock! Su Yu wanted to leave? "Yes!" Marquis Xia said calmly. "What would he stay for? Unless the Xia family intervenes, or Wan Tiansheng takes action to sweep away all his obstacles. Tell me, is that possible?" "Not right now..." "Then there you have it!" Marquis Xia sneered. "Since that's the case, he'll simply change locations! Somewhere else, there will naturally be people who don't care about the Single Divine Character Faction, who will give him room to spread his wings." "But..." Chief Hu fretted, "Is this... really appropriate? Marquis, if we let him go, won't we..." "Suffer a massive loss?" Marquis Xia laughed. "Forget it, everyone has their own ambitions! If you can't provide what he needs, just let him go. Zhu Tiandao coming in person shows how much they value him. If you force him to stay, you'll only make an enemy of him! While there is still some goodwill left between us, let him leave. Leaving might even be for the best." Chief Hu sighed helplessly. "Prefecture Lord Zhu is here?" "Yes!" Marquis Xia smiled. "Never mind him." Chief Hu gave him a surprised look. This didn't fit Marquis Xia's personality at all—wouldn't he extort a hefty sum? As if reading his mind, Marquis Xia said wearily, "Don't look at me like that. There's no need. If I squeeze them for money, given Zhu Tiandao's temper, he'd immediately tell Su Yu that the Xia family sold him and that Zhu bought him with gold. That would sever the last shred of goodwill!" He loved doing business and coveting wealth, true. Yet his greed was never for himself; it was for the Great Xia Prefecture! He only wished for Great Xia to grow stronger! Driving Su Yu away was not what he wanted to see. Yet it had become inevitable! Now that Su Yu was leaving, demanding a sum from the Zhu family would likely succeed, but... doing so would extinguish every last bit of sentiment. Su Yu might not reach Invincible, but reaching Sun Moon seemed virtually guaranteed. Why bother? The Multiple Divine Characters Faction had Liu Wenyan, Bai Feng, Xia Yunqi... so many outstanding figures. To ruin that goodwill for petty gain would be penny-wise and pound-foolish. He was no fool! Exhausted and heartsick, Marquis Xia stood up and waved a hand. "Act as though we haven't seen Zhu Tiandao. As for Su Yu's father... protect him as we must. If his father dies, we truly turn into bitter enemies! If the Single Divine Character Faction dares interfere in military affairs... execute every last one of them! "If Su Yu asks Qiusheng for anything recently, satisfy his requests as best as possible." After a brief pause, he added, "He'll probably leave within a month, maybe even sooner, before the end of the month. We'll see what he decides." "Understood." Chief Hu also let out a sigh of regret. Shortly after Chief Hu departed, an extra person appeared in the room, sitting down and tucking into the food. "Xiao'er, fetch your old man a bottle of wine!" "..." *You're lucky you're my father; if you weren't, I'd beat you to death!* "Old man, is Longwu's safety truly guaranteed? Don't just stuff your face!" King Daxia retorted dismissively, "Yes! Of course it is! Do you think your old man is a useless freeloader? Don't worry!" "You said the exact same thing when Eldest Brother tried to attain the Dao!" King Daxia paused briefly, then snorted. "Xiao'er, you've got some nerve, scolding your father day in and day out!" Ignoring him, Marquis Xia sighed. "Eldest Brother is dead. If anything happens to Longwu... Old man, how could you face Eldest Brother?" Chewing his food, King Daxia mumbled, "What's there to fear! If he dies, eighteen years later he'll be a hero again! If he dies, you'll take over. If everyone in our Xia family dies, your old man won't have any restraints left—all will fall before the Heaven-Cleaving Blade! Who truly dares push your old man that far?" "Keep bragging!" "Me, bragging?" King Daxia glared at him, tearing off a bite of meat and swallowing it down. "Does your old man need to brag? Let them try! Old Ghost Zhou and I have an agreement: no meddling in trifles. When someone from his family attempts to attain the Dao, I'll help; when Longwu attempts it, he'll help... Not a thing will go wrong, relax!" "Don't jinx it! You said the exact same words back then, and the moment they left your mouth, Eldest Brother croaked!" Marquis Xia sighed. His father's words were utterly unreliable; he didn't believe a word anymore! "Your elder brother..." At the mention of his eldest son, King Daxia hesitated slightly before snapping, "Death is death! If he hadn't died, Longwu wouldn't be this strong. His death wasn't in vain either—he took plenty down with him!" Marquis Xia sighed once more. "Is King Dazhou truly not the mastermind?" "How the hell should I know!" King Daxia retorted bluntly. "Who knows what that old ghost is thinking? Losing a younger brother might have just been a ploy to deceive me! Only a ghost knows what's in his head! Forget about whether he is or isn't; just keep an eye on him!" Having finished eating, he grabbed Marquis Xia, wiped his greasy hands on his son's robes, and casually tossed him aside. "As for that Su Yu kid, I looked into him. His talent is solid, probably gained some divine character inheritance... Your old man has no time to meddle in such trifles right now. I have to head to the All-Heavens Battlefield; things are brewing over there!" His expression grew solemn. "Those two old fogies from the Primordial God Race and Primordial Demon Race haven't shown themselves in a long time! I need to scout things out. Keep an eye on things at home. Let them make a ruckus; ignore it for now. Longwu attaining the Dao takes priority over everything else... Put the rest on hold!" "I know." "You need to speed up your cultivation too!" King Daxia added briskly. "Attain the Dao faster. If Longwu dies, you're up next. If you die, your old man's hands will be completely untied, and I promise to astonish you by slaughtering several Invincibles in one go!" "..." Exhaustion overwhelmed Marquis Xia. "Old man, stop cursing your own son. I'm the only son you have left. If everyone's dead, who will you be slaughtering them for?" "True!" King Daxia nodded with a chuckle. "Makes sense! Just speaking off the cuff, don't take it to heart!" After a brief sense of his surroundings, King Daxia laughed. "That Zhu kid is certainly attentive! Forget it, let him be! I must leave immediately. Handle things at home as you see fit... Oh, and compile a list for me of everyone who needs killing! Send it over later so I can take a look when I have time!" Marquis Xia nodded and asked, "Zhou Mingren and the others still can't be touched?" "Not for now!" King Daxia stood up and headed out, saying, "What's the rush? They're all small fry, let them fatten up! When your old man strikes, it will be on a grand scale!" With those words, he was gone. Marquis Xia sat down helplessly, surveying the messy table and shaking his head. *The old fellow still eats like a pig!* *Wasted on such great strength, without an ounce of refined taste!* Just as the thought crossed his mind—*Wham!*—a massive palm descended, smacking his head until golden sparks erupted—literal golden light! "Xiao'er, dare curse your father again and I'll cleave you in two!" With that, he was truly gone. Rubbing his head, Marquis Xia sighed. No more cursing; it was useless anyway! ... Meanwhile. Zhu Tiandao entered the prefecture capital. He was somewhat surprised. *No one's stopping me?* *The Xia family is intriguing!* *Are they handing him over for free?* Not bothering to dwell on it, he stepped straight into Great Ming's embassy, unseen by anyone. ... At Great Xia Civilization Academy. Su Yu was still cultivating. Today, visitors from the Great Xia War Academy had arrived for an exchange, but he had no interest in watching. He was awaiting a reply. Just then, his transmission talisman lit up. "Tonight, third floor of Xia Clan Restaurant, meeting!" Su Yu's eyes flickered. *So fast?* *Someone has arrived?* *Or was it someone already stationed in Great Xia?* It had barely been any time since he spoke with Qian Zhihua. Astonished by their efficiency, he couldn't help pondering: if it was this fast, it likely wasn't someone sent from Great Ming itself, meaning the person meeting him might not hold very high status. "I'll see tonight, then!" Su Yu exhaled and stepped out of the cultivation room. Looking at his Senior Sister and Wu Lan, who were still busily working, he sighed inwardly. *I'm sorry, but I have to go.* *However... I will definitely return!* *Without fail!* There were too many unresolved matters here, too many loose ends left untied, too much taken that needed to be reclaimed. His home was still here, his father was still here, and his teachers, relatives, and friends were all here. *I will return!* *And it won't be like today, restrained at every turn, afraid even to step outside for fear of dropping dead in the street.* *I refuse to remain trapped in this tiny corner of the world!* *Great Xia Civilization Academy is too small!* *In this shallow pond lies a swarm of dragons, and staying here, I cannot grasp what I desire.* In the archive room, Wu Lan and Wu Jia both turned to look at Su Yu. Somehow, Su Yu seemed different today; his gaze carried... such deep sorrow. Yes, sorrow. A single glance stirred that exact thought in both of them, leaving an inexplicable ache in their hearts.