Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The two chatted happily with each other in the living room.

Lord Chengtian was definitely not someone who would cast aside the matter of taking credit and hide himself after accomplishing something.

The decision by the Imperial Palace had been finalized, and very soon, a decree would be passed. Lord Chengtian had to make preparations beforehand.

As such, Hundred Saint was sent to visit Qin Yu.

Qin Yu smiled gleefully and he truly felt at ease.

Although Hundred Saint had not explicitly said it, it was obvious that Qin Yu would have to 'interact with the Barbarian Clan in the future'.

This was perfect.

"Brother Ning Qin, this is an invitation from my uncle, Lord Chengtian. If you need to seek him out in the future, you can just head into his mansion." Hundred Saint smiled.

Qin Yu accepted the invitation with two hands, "Please help me to deliver my thanks to Lord Chengtian."

Hundred Saint smiled even brighter.

This was not as simple as an invitation. It represented a silent agreement.

The agreement was something that could not be put into words.

After escorting Hundred Saint out, Qin Yu smirked as he held the invitation in his hands.

His setup had worked out.

Another Later Ye Family? He wanted this to happen.

The Imperial Clan of the West Desolate assumed that everything was under their control. However, they did not know that this was just the beginning of a play.

Yun Die came in and informed Qin Yu that Li Zhouyi had invited him into his hall.

Qin Yu's eyes flashed. The Sixth Prince had experienced hell before and after stepping out of it, he was very sensitive.

There was no need for delay. Qin Yu took a last glance at the invitation before he stepped out of his room.

Qin Yu briskly walked through the glorious-looking palaces and arrived before Li Zhouyi's hall. He stepped inside.

Sitting on the main seat of the hall, Li Zhouyi observed the invitation in Qin Yu's hand instantly. His expression flickered but his face melted into a warm look.

Smiling, he waved his hand and instructed, "All of you, please leave."

There was silence in the palace, with only Qin Yu and Li Zhouyi present.

Li Zhouyi asked, "Lord Chengtian?"

Qin Yu nodded in confirmation, "Yes."

He briefly told Li Zhouyi about his conversation with Hundred Saint and did not hide anything.

This direct and open relationship allowed Li Zhouyi to relax. He smiled and said, "Ning Qin, what do you think?"

Qin Yu explained, "The decision by the Imperial Palace is aligned to Your Highness' thoughts. I don't have any reason to reject it. Your Highness, don't worry, I know who I should be close to."

"Hahaha!" Li Zhouyi burst into laughter, "Ning Qin, you are truly smart!"

The laughter faded away, "Lord Chengtian's support is strong, but it is only a side branch of the Imperial Clan, making it impossible for them to fight for the throne. However, if I redeem myself, the opportunity will arise for me to inherit the throne of the West Desolate King!"

This was a reminder and also a warning.

Qin Yu said, "If I have the support of Lord Chengtian, your chances of success will be higher."

A look of admiration crossed Li Zhouyi's eyes and he said, "I will have to rely on you for this. I believe in your capabilities."

After a few casual sentences, Qin Yu left the hall.

Border Cliff Saint stepped out from behind the curtains. He frowned slightly and said, "Your Highness, the Darkness Ruler is still a cultivator from the fragmented area. Now that he is recognized by the Imperial Palace and has the support of Lord Chengtian, you don't have to be so wary of him."

After experiencing the effects of being the 'Minister Right Arm' of the Sixth Prince, he knew that he was tied to the Sixth Prince already and there was no way for him to cut off their connection.

As such, he was particularly worried about Li Zhouyi's future.

"Border Cliff Saint, your way of thinking is wrong." Li Zhouyi stood up and his eyes flashed with confidence, "Ning Qin was invited into the West Desolate from the fragmented world by me. I managed to redeem myself and regain the opportunity to fight for the throne. Just from this fact alone, he cannot break off our relationship. Did you really think that my brothers and sisters would have no issues with me?

"He has been dragged into this mess and Ning Qin has to choose someone eventually. He is naturally a smart person and he knows that his best option would be to support me."

Border Cliff Saint came to a realization, "Your Highness is so wise!"

Li Zhouyi smiled. Although he did not reveal much on his face, he was very agitated.

Ning Qin had been chosen to enter the military. Whatever achievements he had there would increase Li Zhouyi's support.

This would create more opportunities for Li Zhouyi.

Like what Ning Qin said, if he had the support of Lord Chengtian, his future would be bright!

……

In the Demon Sect, the Night Demon Sect Master frowned as he looked at the people before him, "The matter has been investigated and things are as they are; there is nothing wrong."

"Thank you Sect Master, but can I request for a further investigation?"

"Hmph! Don't go overboard." Night Demon Sect Master snapped as his expression darkened.

The person opposite him fell silent. He cupped his hands together and said, "It is my fault for stepping over my boundaries, farewell."

He turned and left. He was not angry about the Sect Master turning him down because his objective had been reached.

Declining sects obviously did not have the courage to defy the commands from the military.

Furthermore, the first investigation had confirmed that this was the case.

As he stared at the man leaving, the Night Demon Sect Master frowned. The disturbances in the capital should not affect them.

……

Zhe'er's surname was Zhe.

This surname came with other implications. It was one of the important lineages in the capital of the West Desolate and many family members eventually married into the Imperial Clan.

They could be considered the Later Clan of the royal bloodline.

Ever since she returned from the imperial tomb, Zhe'er had not been in a good mood. She was now in the living room meeting guests.

There was a poor atmosphere in the room but Zhe'er did not know the details of why. Once the guests left, Zhe'er's expression was ugly.

She quickly returned to her room with a deep frown on her face.

Someone was investigating Ye Wangu's death.

It was easy to guess the background of the person who was investigating the matter.

Hmph!

The military was becoming more and more brazen.

However, she had to admit that even the Zhe Family had to be courteous when facing the military.

Otherwise, as the young miss of the Zhe Family, she would not be required to meet any random guest.

Zhe'er had heard of Ye Wangu's death a long time ago. In her opinion, he deserved to die.

However, Ye Wangu had a mysterious and scary background. She was ordered not to reveal anything about him.

Now the investigation…could there be something more to this?

Back then, Ye Wangu's task was to take the lantern from Ning Qin's hands. Could this be…Zhe'er's expression fell and she hurried out of her palace.

……

Qin Yu had the confirmation of the good news from Hundred Saint. Everything appeared to go as he expected. Unfortunately, he did not know that an undercurrent had already been set in motion.

The origin of this came from Ye Wangu. Information flowed from the Imperial Palace and many hands were involved in this matter.

For instance, the power of the Imperial Clan in the military…many people did not want to become puppets controlled by the higher ups where they would be taken away and killed without the chance to put up resistance.

When a matured, balanced, and completed mechanism was disrupted with change, that change would definitely face resistance.

This was especially so if the 'change' was delicate.

In such turbulent times, one could not avoid change even if one did not want to face it.

The waves would come and one would need to ride the waves or sink into the ocean. One did not have any other choice.

……

In Fighting Tiger Hall of the Later Ye Family, Ye Dingding muttered to himself, "Ning Qin…" There was a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Lord Chengtian alone was not powerful enough to do this.

The wind was stirring and it was certain that the Desolate King was involved in this.

Honestly, Ye Dingding did not want to go against the Desolate King's wishes. After many years of being his underling, Ye Dingding knew the Desolate King's measures well.

Some things were decided regardless of one's will.

For instance, he was the family head of the Later Ye Family and one of the two mountains in the military. He was also the father of Ye Wangu.

The Desolate King could strengthen the Imperial Clan's foothold in the military. However, he should not have done it now and with that person.

Even without concrete evidence to prove it, there were some things that did not require evidence.

Looking at the outcome was sufficient.

Ye Dingding looked up and coldly ordered, "Tell the Eldest Princess that my son's death cannot be in vain."

The Eldest Princess was an ambitious person who would not stay silent. She would want to mend their relationship and she ought to know what to do.

Directly opposing the Desolate King's orders was a stupid thing to do, but he had another way to showcase his stance.

……

Zhe'er did not head to Li Zhouyi's palace.

She did not want to drag the Zhe Family into this mess.

"Aunty, the Later Ye Family is investigating Ye Wangu's death and they have already come to question me. They will start acting very soon." As she said this, she frowned.

At this moment, those in the capital who were privileged enough to know about the Tomb of the Barbarian King knew that everyone had been saved by Ning Qin.

If something happened to Ning Qin and they did nothing, they might get stabbed in the back.

Back then, Zhou Chengshan had told her that Zhe'er could find her if there was anything wrong. This was a promise.

As such, Zhe'er came to consult Zhou Chengshan.

Zhou Chengshan had the main opinion and she would know what to do.

The Imperial Clan Ruler frowned and a flicker of worry crossed her eyes.

The Later Ye Family was one of the two mountains in the military and they had boundless privileges and power.

Even if she was from the Imperial Clan and was a peak-level Ruler who was only a step away from the King realm, she could not provoke them easily.

However, she could not ignore this. Firstly, she owed a favor and she had to repay it. Otherwise, who would want to help her next time?

Secondly, Zhou Chengshan knew about the arrangements for Ning Qin. She had to protect Ning Qin and she also knew that this was the will of the Imperial Clan.

These were things that the Desolate King would regard as important. Even though he did not say it explicitly, he took all of this to heart.

After all, the lantern that Qin Yu brought back was now in the Imperial Palace. It was not decided how it would be used yet.

Zhou Chengshan had some ideas for that.

To receive gains, there had to be losses too. Everything in this world came at a price.

She breathed in deeply and slowly instructed, "Zhe'er, head to the Eldest Princess' palace and let her know that I would like her to visit me."

Zhe'er knew that the Ruler had made her decision. She bowed and turned to leave.

……

Not long later, the Eldest Princess was in a horse carriage traveling along the streets of the capital.

Her eyes were shut and her expression was cold. There was a slight hint of dissatisfaction at herself on her face.

The capital was not short of smart people. Her current circumstances were seen through by many.

It was a dumb move to oppose the Desolate King's orders, but the Later Ye Family's direction was important too.

The royal seat in the Imperial Clan changed constantly but there was a rough cycle to it.

However, it has been really long since the Later Ye Family took charge of the military. It was Ye Dingding who was in charge of the affairs now.

More importantly, this also meant that the Desolate King did not have much time left.

It was obvious which side she should choose.

The Eldest Princess knew what Zhou Chengshan was trying to imply. As such, she rushed over as soon as she saw Zhe'er.

Before this, she had already sent men out. If everything went well, now was the time for her to take action.

……

Qin Yu sat on the floor of Li Zhouyi's palace. The darkness vibrated slightly and fresh blood oozed out of it. Qin Yu frowned deeply and his expression was icy cold.