Sovereign of the Three Realms

Commander Yan was a rather important individual in Bluesmoke. Though he led only the Blue Eagle Guard, those more influential than him around these parts could be counted on with one hand.

If even he couldn't give much information about this divine senior, then the individual was mysterious indeed.

According to the commander, the god had only come to Bluesmoke in the last half year. That was roughly when Jiang Chen had returned to the human domain as well.

Thus, the young lord had no impression of these events. If he was in Myriad Abyss, surely he would've heard of a divine expert who'd escaped from the Boundless Prison.

"I've been to Miracle City more than once before. Though you were domineering in the past, you've never been so blatantly abusive before. Tell me, is your newfound behavior related to this divine expert? Do you feel that his backing allows you to do whatever you wish?"

It would be laughable if that was the case. Even the most churlish of upstarts wouldn't be so foolish.

Miracle City had a ton of people going to and fro all the time. Just about anyone from anywhere could pass through without much notice - visitors from the Ten Divine Nations included.

This kind of loud, reckless modus operandi only painted a target on Bluesmoke's own head.

Commander Yan looked somewhat sad and upset. Jiang Chen's question cut deeply into him.

"What, you're brave enough to do the deed but not to own up to it?" Jiang Chen sneered.

Ruefulness filled the commander's eyes. "Keeping the truth from you wouldn't do me any good. The divine expert demanded all this of us. After he came to Bluesmoke, the emperor has listened to his every word. The expert said that to create a divine nation, a tremendous amount of wealth is needed. Accumulating it by ordinary means is nearly impossible."

"Is that why you resorted to such underhanded methods to amass wealth?" Jiang Chen snickered.

"Ah, we know that this is the same as killing the golden goose for its eggs as well. Alas, the divine expert's instructions cannot be disobeyed. The emperor doesn't have the courage to defy him."

"Do you?" Jiang Chen smiled coolly.

Commander Yan froze, then smiled with some self-deprecation. "No," he shook his head. Saying this, he immediately glanced in a challenging fashion at Jiang Chen. "Do you?"

Jiang Chen curled his lips. "Do you think that you're representative of the entire world?"

Commander Yan sighed. "You don't understand. A divine senior's strength isn't something that empyrean cultivators can stand against. A god's will cannot be opposed."

"Tch!" Yan Qingsang spat with disdain. "Are you supposed to do anything a divine expert tells you to do? A real man should do what is right, even if it costs him his life to do it. You're no saint, Yan. Don't pretend like you're innocent."

The commander cast an icy glare at the other youth. "And who the hell are you?! I lost to young lord Jiang Chen, but I don't see how any of that relates to you. What right do you have to make these claims?"

Yan Qingsang flared up with anger. He instinctively wanted to walk forward to beat the captive commander, but a little thought revealed that the man was right.

He didn't have the right to shame someone who'd lost at Jiang Chen's hands. That didn't prevent him from huffing though. "Yes, you can ignore my words if you like. However, I'd just like to state that Jiang Chen here is a stark counterexample. House Xiahou and the Martial Divine Nation rebels both had divine experts. The young lord fought them without fear anyway."

"Hmph. Those are big, unsubstantiated words." The commander was clearly doubtful.

"Tsk, tsk. You're still in denial?" Yan Qingsang was furious. "Jiang Chen's loyal companion, the senior Vermilion Bird, is also a god. A sacred beast god… isn't that stronger than any senior you might've seen?"

"The Vermilion Bird is a god?" Commander Yan was stunned. Hadn't rumors circulated that the sacred fowl was only a demigod before?

Were the reports wrong?

If that was the case, Jiang Chen certainly didn't need to fear other gods. A sacred beast naturally had a fighting advantage against humans. Having nothing to say, he wilted rather than press his nonexistent point.

After a long while, he worked up the courage to look at Jiang Chen once more. "Young lord, how do you mean to deal with me?"

Jiang Chen smiled easily. "How would you like me to? If you can't bring yourself to part ways with Bluesmoke, suicide is an open option. I won't stop you."

Commander Yan had no viable response.

"Just tell me if you want me to die, young lord Jiang Chen." He decided on a shameless approach instead.

"I haven't decided yet. I obviously can't just release you, unless Bluesmoke is willing to pay up. Considering that we're already enemies, I doubt that'll happen." Jiang Chen seemed to be talking to himself.

Commander Yan utterly despaired when he heard this. Any ideas he had of going back were crushed.

"Even if I did release you though, do you think your emperor would still trust you the same way he did before? Without your elites, do you think he'll need you like he did before?" Jiang Chen suddenly asked, feigning curiosity.

The commander paused once more to reflect on this. He found it difficult to answer. The emperor always favored new allies and subordinates that were more useful to him. In fact, he was currently acting solely on the advice of the divine expert.

The commander had been an appropriate thug before, so there'd been good reason for the emperor to care about him. But now, he had lost imperial family face as well as all of his elite forces.

If he went back by himself, whether the emperor still wanted him around was a real question. Disregarding the possibility of punishment, it wasn't likely he'd be placed in a position of any importance either.

"Never mind that. Let's decide on things later when I go back to Eternal Divine Nation." Jiang Chen didn't want to think too much right now. "Three or five years locked up will do you some good."

Commander Yan sweated bullets from his forehead. "Young lord Jiang Chen, you might as well kill me instead!"

"So you want to die still?" Jiang Chen blinked.

The commander was very upset. He couldn't settle on one or the other that was in any way favorable to him. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Young lord, I think I am reasonably useful as an individual. Since I can't go back to Bluesmoke, I'd like to make myself useful under your leadership."