“Heavenly Star Sect!” Upon seeing the token, the emperor’s expression changed immediately. Quickly, he ordered the general by his side to pass along the order to stop the Forbidden Army from approaching.
Hearing the emperor’s words, the expressions of Baili Han and the rest in earshot changed slightly. No wonder this old man was so arrogant. It turns out that he was actually the disciple of a sect.
Sects had a very aloof position in this mainland. Their cultivation was extremely tyrannical, even greatly surpassing the levels attained by experts across all countries. As it turns out, even in the current situation concerning various countries on the mainland, even such matters were inseparable from the influence of sects.
However, the existence of certain major sects were hidden from the world and except for people with certain family backgrounds like Baili Han and Fu Chengyu, even the vast majority of cultivators would never have heard of them. However, the influence these sects had were very huge to the point of being terrifying.
“It’s great that you recognize it. I shan’t bother making small talk with you anymore. Hand Ling Chuxi over and I will not make things difficult for you. Otherwise…” Ye Qianhe trailed off then waved a hand in a motion that sprinkled green powder all around him. The ten plus soldiers who were closest to him immediately all swayed and collapsed. After that, they let out miserable shrieks and cries as they rolled about on the ground.
Seeing this scene, even the emperor’s expression could not help but change. These kinds of effects from a poisonous powder was practically unheard of and never seen before.
“Senior, I’m not too sure how Ling Chuxi has offended you. However, I, your junior, am apologizing on her behalf. If Senior has any needs, I, your junior, will definitely do my best to assist you in fulfilling them,” said the emperor, putting down his identity as the monarch of a country and speaking to Ye Qianhe in the manner of cultivators.
As he was facing the disciple of a sect, even if he was the monarch of a country, he had no choice but to lay down his status. From this alone, one could tell how exceptional the stature of this sect was.
“Hmph, apologize on her behalf? If I don’t shred her body into ten thousand pieces myself, it will be hard to dissolve the hatred I feel within my heart,” retorted Ye Qianhe with a face full of malevolence. The last time he hunted down Ling Chuxi, he was ridiculed and mocked by her all the way. In the end, he was even sent flying with a slap from an expert who appeared from some unknown place. Such an odd humiliation was something he had never encountered in his lifetime. The moment Ye Qianhe thought about it, he would get so upset that even the bottom of his heart felt as though it was constricting.
“Senior, Ling Chuxi is indeed a citizen of Nan Xia Country, but…” the emperor said while pondering how to handle the situation. Ling Chuxi had contributed greatly to Nan Xia Country and had long been seen as an idol and a national symbol of hope to countless young people and disciples. Without mentioning that he was unwilling to hand her over, the emperor knew that even ordinary citizens would not agree to do so. If he just handed Ling Chuxi over like this, he feared it would ignite the rage of the citizens.
“If you don’t hand her over, I’m afraid that this poisonous powder will soon be floating around the whole capital of Nan Xia. And when that happens…” Ye Qianhe trailed off and began to giggle creepily.
Hearing this, the emperor’s expression changed. If Ye Qianhe really went ahead and poisoned the people of the city without any care for consequence, the entire Nan Xia capital would become a desolate place where life was not to be found.
Thinking about the innocent citizens who had to suffer for nothing, the emperor was heartbroken. Looking at the terrible situation in which the soldiers who were lying on the ground were in, he knew that Ye Qianhe’s words were definitely not merely for show.
What was he to do?
For the first time, the emperor experienced such a level of conflict and entanglement in his heart. Even when the doom of two hundred thousand soldiers from Feng Ze Country dawned upon the city back then, the emperor hadn’t faced such a difficult choice. If he were to invite Ling Chuxi here now, would there still be in time? Or so to say, would Ye Qianhe be willing to show his hand over the matter even if he did? The emperor himself was unsure of this fact in his heart.
The situation before him was that between hundreds of thousands of citizens and Ling Chuxi, who was more important? How should he choose?
Baili Han’s expression also turned extraordinarily ugly. He stood by the emperor’s side and was able to deeply feel the struggles of the emperor. Hand over Ling Chuxi? No! He would never let such a thing happen. But if he didn’t hand her over, what was he going to do about the safety of the citizens of Nan Xia Country? Baili Han felt a deep sense of helplessness in his heart. If he himself were a little stronger, perhaps things would not have turned out like this.