Chapter 1249: Contract
Li Qiye noticed Hong Tianzhu's awkward demeanor and flatly said: "I understand now. You no longer have the contract from back then! It was written by the ancestors from the Zhang Clan, so their withdrawal cut off the alliance between you and the Exquisite Valley!"
"How do you know that?!" Hong Tianzhu was shocked to hear this. This was a story so ancient that even their lake had almost forgotten about it.
Hong Tianzhu wouldn't have recalled this matter if Li Qiye didn't bring up working together with the Exquisite Valley. Even juniors from the lake didn't know about this contract, let alone outsiders.
Li Qiye didn't answer his question directly: "After severing this contract, your lake's descendants didn't have the ability to form another one. In the end, the valley stopped caring about your lake."
Hong Tianzhu's old face became a bit hot. He coughed and said: "I, I won't deny that. Dongting Lake is indeed inferior compared to the past. We descendants have not done well, so the lake isn't strong like before. This inevitably made others underestimate us."
Hong Tianzhu sighed after saying this. Suddenly, he felt as if he was one generation below Li Qiye in the hierarchy.
Li Qiye sighed as well and stared at Hong Tianzhu. He couldn't give up on him, so he pointed the way for him: "The valley didn't ignore you because of the decline. Even though the Zhang ancestors were the ones who signed the contract, the Hong and Xu ancestors were most likely involved in passing it down as well."
"Take a moment to reflect on what your lake has become. The clans are distancing themselves from each other, and all of you have long forgotten the teachings of your ancestors. Today, one clan will be on top, tomorrow, another will take its place. Everything has become such a mess with a total failure to comply with your legacy's own teachings."
Li Qiye paused before continuing: "With this abandonment, your sect has become chaotic. All of its energy and resources are consumed by internal conflicts, do you feel that your lake can still be powerful under these conditions?"
Hong Tianzhu was a bit tongue-tied after hearing this.
"The lake was built upon the labor of all three clans. Without this system that was fortified by an agreement, your group is nothing more than a bunch of stray dogs competing for a piece of meat! Think about it, the continuous changes in leadership in such a capricious manner rendered the entire system useless. Do you think the valley would want to be involved with your lake under these circumstances? Each of your clans has their own agenda while lacking the will to carry out a strategy that will benefit the entire lake as a whole."
"I…" Hong Tianzhu didn't know how to respond.
Li Qiye gently sighed: "It is not impossible to form an alliance with the Exquisite Valley. The descendants of your clans need to sit down. Let go of what should be abandoned, do what must be done, follow your lineage's old teachings and become a solidary whole once more. Repent and more opportunities shall arise."
"Well…" Hong Tianzhu hesitated. He didn't know why Li Qiye knew so many things about them, but he was taking Li Qiye much more seriously.
He eventually said: "Young Noble, this isn't that simple. Even if I want to reform the union, the other ancestors might not necessarily agree. Moreover, the clans themselves might not be willing to follow the ancestral teachings again."
Hong Tianzhu's remark was not unreasonable. After all, who would be willing to give up their power after being in charge? This was simply asking for the impossible.
No one could withstand the temptation of power. This was precisely the reason why several generations later, the lake abandoned their teachings and contended over resources and authority. This led to the chaos in the lake and, not long after this, many long-term agreements could no longer be sustained.
Li Qiye nonchalantly replied: "Let the souls of your ancestors decide in accordance with their ironclad teachings. Kill those who dare to disobey without showing mercy."
Hong Tianzhu was dazed after hearing this. It sounded like a joke, but he didn't dare to say it.
The souls of the ancestors were an intangible and spiritual matter. It was only a way of commemorating the ancestors and their glorious achievements.
It was impossible to seek these spirits and ask for their arbitration. Who would listen to such an ethereal idea?
"It seems like you all don't even know what you have lost." Li Qiye shook his head and said: "After abandoning your union and contract, even the ancestors have been forgotten. It's no wonder why the valley looks down on your lake. It has thrown away all of its ancestors' prestige and even the most precious inheritance they left behind. Why would the valley care about you?"
"You think that the Hundred-Saints Hall is storing treasures, right?" Li Qiye coldly stared at Hong Tianzhu.
Hong Tianzhu became quite embarrassed. Some of their ancestors did think that the hall stored treasures. Some of them had even tried to open it to no avail.
Li Qiye felt a bit helpless at these descendants and told Hong Tianzhu: "Then let me ask you, has your lake been worshiping the souls of the ancestors and the lake itself?"
"Well…" Hong Tianzhu coughed awkwardly and couldn't say anything for a long time.
The frustrated Li Qiye shook his head and said: "I don't know what to say regarding your stupidity. If I was your ancestor, I would surely strangle you group of fools with only power in your eyes!"
"Do you actually think that you have been able to defend Dongting Lake because it has a superb defensive terrain with your insignificant strength? Don't you know how important this treasure ground is? Your ancestors expended countless efforts in order to obtain it. In the Dragon Demon Sea, all of the great lineages like the Seven Martial Pavilion, the Roaring Conch, and the Dream Empyrean could easily destroy the lake whenever they want!"
He went on to say: "Do you think defending the lake is to your group's credit? To put it bluntly, the Dream Empyrean's Meng Zhentian can easily annihilate you all by himself, so why is it that none of them have maneuvered against the lake? Is it because of your few contemporary ancestors? Haha, in the eyes of others, these ancestors are no different from insects.
"The real reason why your lake has survived till now is due to the souls of your ancestors protecting everyone. Because of them, your enemies do not dare to act recklessly! Without their protection, within this Dragon Demon Sea where the sea demons reign supreme, you ants would have been treated like fat pieces of meat and torn asunder by a group of bloodthirsty sharks!"
He snorted sarcastically as he finished his monologue: "But today, you have forgotten about their souls! To actually not be performing the lake ceremony as well as worshipping your ancestors… how ridiculous!"
Hong Tianzhu stood there murmuring to himself: "The souls of the ancestors…?"
Li Qiye gently shook his head again with frustration: "You can't be thinking that their souls are just an intangible concept?"
Hong Tianzhu smiled wryly and had no response again. Hong Yujiao, sitting to the side, couldn't comment either because she didn't know about the souls of the ancestors. As for the teachings and contract, she wasn't privy to them either. Many of the current elders in the lake didn't want to mention them.
Of course, it was their direct ancestors who chose to abandon these rules in favor of power; they naturally wouldn't want to bring it up again.
Hong Tianzhu mustered up his courage and asked after some musing: "Young Noble, if we were to let the souls of the ancestors make the decision, how do we go about it?"
"Do you really have the determination?" Li Qiye looked at him and said: "Right now, your Hong Clan has a lot of power at the lake and the Xu also have several docks, right? The poorest among the clans is the Zhang, they don't even have a place to stay despite the lake being so large."
Hong Tianzhu didn't know too much about the power struggle back then either, but he had heard a few things about it. Even though the Zhang ancestors lost, they still had one dock remaining out of the eighteen. However, these ancestors were furious at that time and chose to leave Dongting Lake. The rest of them then divided the Zhang Clan’s assets; this wasn't a proud event at all.
Li Qiye nonchalantly looked at him and said: "Will your Hong Clan be willing to give up your power and resources?"
Hong Tianzhu eventually answered: "I don't know what the ancestors will say, but you are right, our lake is indeed in disarray due to the power struggles. We only do what we want, so many of our covenants and pacts with others can't be implemented. If this keeps up, the lake will be even more fragmented and become weaker."
"I understand after listening to you today." He gently sighed: "We must be the ones to reshape the order of the lake. Otherwise, no one will respect us."
As the master of the lake, he understood that many of their current agreements couldn't be carried out at all.
Chapter 1250: Marriage Proposal
Li Qiye watched over Hong Tianzhu for a bit before speaking: "Very well, if you are truly sincere, then it will be for the best. I will give your lake one last chance; if you can't seize it, then you are on your own in the future."
Hong Tianzhu became excited and quickly bowed: "Thank you, Young Noble."
Even though he knew neither what Li Qiye was capable of or about the souls of the ancestors, his intuition was telling him that this was a once-in-a-million-years opportunity for their lake. If they were to miss it, then they would truly be on the verge of a real decline.
Hong Yujiao was also confused at this moment. They didn't know who this man was, but she felt an unfathomable aura from him. When he sat there, it seemed as if he was the master of all. Both she and her father felt their statuses lowered while he would remain the same for all eternity.
Li Qiye asked Hong Tianzhu: "Did you come to Dragonwell to celebrate the Jian Clan's birthday?"
Hong Tianzhu quickly answered: "Young Noble, you are correct. Our lake was invited for the 8,000th birthday, so we came to give the Jian Grandfather our blessings."
"Very well, we'll go together then. Having an audience with the Grandfather will be good." Li Qiye gently nodded: "As for whether you can build a friendship with the Jian Clan in the future or not, that will depend on your own fortune."
"Meet the Grandfather?" Hong Tianzhu was both excited and nervous. Even though their lake did have some ties with the Jian Clan, it was a very shallow relationship.
To a large extent, the only reason they were invited to this celebration was most likely because they were also humans.
Their lake was not qualified to see the Grandfather alone. This was something left to behemoths like the Seven Martial Pavilion and Roaring Conch.
How could he not be shocked by this development? It was truly a good opportunity for Dongting Lake.
"Your Highness, please stop, our master is in a meeting." The voice of a disciple from the lake came from outside.
But before this disciple could finish, the person had already barged inside. The intruder was the Wyvern Crown Prince, Shangguan Feilong.
The disciple outside couldn't exactly stop him, so they were at an impasse.
Hong Tianzhu and Hong Yujiao were surprised to see this sudden intrusion and slightly frowned.
After coming inside, Shangguan Feilong felt annoyed when he saw Li Qiye and snorted. However, he didn't push it further and decided to ignore Li Qiye. He cupped his fist towards the other two and said: "Uncle, Sister, please excuse my rude interruption, I was simply too anxious."
The deed was done, so despite feeling unhappy, Hong Tianzhu managed to ask: "Nephew, is there an important event?"
Shangguan Feilong was visually happy. He bowed and carefully spoke: "My big sis wants to invite you to the Jian Clan to talk about the marriage between Sister and me."
"What marriage?" Hong Yujiao's expression shifted.
Hong Tianzhu grimaced as well and said: "Nephew, this joke is going too far. It is too early to talk about marriage."
"Uncle, it isn't early." Shangguan Feilong gloated: "My big sis has sent messages to the ancestors of the lake, and they have agreed. Moreover, our marriage will be administered by the Seashield Prince."
Both the father and daughter were alarmed upon hearing this sudden development. They couldn't react in time.
"The ancestors of the lake have high hopes for this marriage and wish for it to happen soon." The happy youth spoke: "My big sis heard that Uncle was staying at Dragonwell, so she told me to come and invite you to the Jian Clan to discuss things further."
Hong Tianzhu raised his brows and asked in a serious manner: "When did the ancestors agree to this?"
"Just a while ago." Shangguan Feilong was all smiles: "Sister and I are a perfect match. This marriage is a match made in heaven—"
Hong Yujiao coldly interrupted him: "I'll be in charge of my own marriage, the ancestors don't need to worry about it."
Hong Yujiao was quite dissatisfied with the ancestors from the lake suddenly deciding her marriage for her.
Hong Tianzhu felt the same way, evident by his grimace. He understood why the ancestors agreed so quickly. To a large extent, it was due to Feilong's older sister, Shangguan Feiyan.
She was one of the most excellent geniuses of the Roaring Conch. Plus, there had been rumors of her marrying her senior brother, the Seashield Prince, to become the future mistress of that sect.
If the lake could form this marriage pact with the Wyvern Country, they would also be able to suck up to the Roaring Conch. It would be very beneficial to have such a strong backing.
However, he was not happy about this marriage. His daughter had the most excellent bloodline among the lake's younger generation. He naturally didn't want their Hong Clan's best bloodline to go to a foreign race.
Shangguan Feilong quickly responded to Hong Yujiao: "Sister, we are childhood friends. You have the best bloodline while I will inherit the Wyvern Country. Our children will be dragons and phoenixes amongst men, they could even inherit the true dragon's bloodline from my forefathers…"
"Since when did the Wyvern Country have a true dragon's bloodline?" A very blunt voice interrupted Feilong. Li Qiye coldly commented: "A little snake crawling up from the seabed dares to claim to be a true dragon?!"
Li Qiye didn't show Feilong any respect: "The Wyvern Country is nothing. How can it be qualified to marry a daughter from the Hong Clan? When the ancestors from the Hong Clan lorded over the world, your forefather was only a little snake at the bottom of the ocean!"
"You!" Feilong's expression became quite unsightly after the hurtful words. He furiously pointed at Li Qiye and spat: "Li, don't think you're all that because you’re the Peacock Tree's disciple. It can only be invincible at Peacock Land and will never be able to leave! Without its protection, you are nothing and can be killed at any time!"
Li Qiye was too lazy to give him another glance. He stood up and told Hong Yujiao: "Your marriage is for you to decide. Those geezers from the lake are hopelessly stupid; in order to gain a backing, they are willing to give up their best bloodline to a foreign race as a cauldron! Truly a bunch of idiots."
"If you want to marry, then do it. If you don't, then you don't have to worry about anyone forcing you! Just let me know and I shall deal with them. These other races are not qualified to marry the excellent bloodline of the Hong Clan!" Having said that, he walked towards the door.
Feilong was enraged by Li Qiye and shouted: "Motherfucker, I dare you to say that again!"
Li Qiye ignored him and left the lobby.
Hong Tianzhu quickly consoled him: "Nephew, a marriage is a happy event, but it is also very important. Wait until I come back and talk to the ancestors to figure things out, then I'll meet your sister. Of course, I'll probably see her at the birthday celebration anyway."
"Uncle, after this feast, my sister will be going back to the Roaring Conch. She wants to arrange the marriage before leaving." Feilong had to ignore Li Qiye and replied to Hong Tianzhu: "If this can be done, she can also invite the Seashield Prince to preside over our wedding."
"I understand your eagerness as well as Miss Shangguan's line of thought." Hong Tianzhu was conflicted. The ancestors didn't bother talking to him before deciding his daughter's marriage.
He continued to appease Feilong: "Don't worry, I will give your sister a definite answer before she leaves."
It took a while before Tianzhu managed to calm Feilong down and send him away.
"The ancestors are too unreasonable. How can they make a decision about my marriage like this!" Hong Yujiao expressed her dissatisfaction after Feilong's departure.
Hong Tianzhu sighed and insipidly said: "Do you still not see it? There is only one reason why the ancestors from our Hong and Xu Clans could reach an agreement in such a short amount of time. Even though we have a lot of power in the lake right now, several of our Hong ancestors are near the end of their lifespans. If they die, then the Xu Clan will have a chance to close the gap. The Roaring Conch is the most powerful lineage right now with a great amount of divine medicine. If I'm not mistaken, the ancestors must have reached an agreement with Shangguan Feiyan; they want to use this marriage to trade for some medicine!"
He sighed helplessly after coming to this conclusion.