Chapter 858: Response

Chapter 858: Response

Li Huowang paused mid-step, staring at Li Sui with disbelief. It was hard to imagine that these words could have come from Li Sui. His lips trembled slightly before he opened them again. "This is adult business—stay out of it, you young one!"

Li Huowang buried his head and continued on his way for a while longer, only to halt once more beneath his feet. "Whether she accepts it or not is her choice. But first, I will use this opportunity to tap the bamboo pole of the Mother of the Unborn, giving her the freedom to choose."

"Fine, you're in charge," said Li Sui as his body gradually descended into the earth. "Father, don't blame me for speaking harshly, some matters are better resolved sooner rather than later. Prolonging things never leads to anything good."

Li Huowang flickered slightly, vanishing into thin air—he had become invisible.

The imperial capital of Shangjing wasn’t far away; Li Huowang arrived quickly. This time, he found Gao Zhijian in the Imperial Study, reviewing memorials.

Li Huowang got straight to the point, explaining the entire sequence of events to him rapidly.

Half an hour later, observing Gao Zhijian's contemplative expression, Li Huowang hurriedly reminded him, "Don’t try to play wolf against tiger. The White Lotus sect has countless followers who are already interwoven with ordinary citizens."

Gao Zhijian looked at him impatiently. "I’m not so foolish as to let foreign armies run rampant in Daliang. That’s no different from handing over the dragon throne."

"That’s good then. I understand your conflict with the White Lotus Sect. Don’t worry, there’ll be a solution eventually."

Gao Zhijian scratched his forehead in frustration. He really didn’t want Li Huowang involved in this matter. He himself had no idea how to handle it.

"So what do you think, Senior Brother Li, how can we resolve such a situation?"

"I have no solutions—I only sit between both sides to prevent mutual destruction. Everything else can be negotiated slowly!"

"If either side dares defy me, I’ll deal with them!"

After saying that, Li Huowang suddenly raised his head toward the ceiling. "Don’t pretend to be dead! That was also meant for you! If you dare pull any tricks, I’ll go find trouble for you in Baiyujing!"

"Ah, Senior Brother Li, aren’t you just being unreasonable? Forget it, no need to talk anymore. With a great enemy at hand, let’s set this aside temporarily. Once we’ve dealt with everything thoroughly, we’ll address this issue then."

"Fine, let’s do it that way." Li Huowang’s expression lightened somewhat. As long as it worked, he didn’t mind continuing to bicker.

"What are you going to do next?" Li Huowang asked.

"This is a major matter requiring careful handling. We shouldn’t rush into decisions. Let’s wait until other officials arrive."

After thinking for a moment, Gao Zhijian turned to Li Huowang and asked, "Senior Brother Li, are you still delivering grain to Great Qi?"

"Yes, why? You want to control even the rice grown by Niu Xin Village?"

"No, I won’t interfere. Not only will I not interfere, but I’ll even have the Ministry of Revenue open its granaries to distribute half a year’s worth of grain." Seeing the stark contrast in attitude compared to before, Li Huowang felt puzzled.

What was going on with this guy? If he hadn’t known about the Dragon Vein being immune to such tricks, he might have thought he’d been fooled by the Way of Forgetfulness.

But Gao Zhijian’s next words made Li Huowang immediately understand his intentions.

"Not just grain. Weapons, armor—even magical artifacts, pills, talismans stored in the Inner Treasury of the Sky-Watching Department can all be transported there. Just return them when used."

Li Huowang looked at him with a complex expression, then slowly said, "Now I know what you’re up to. You want Great Qi to serve as the wall for Great Liang."

Before, facing the tragedy in Great Qi, he wouldn’t give even a grain of rice. Now he was so generous—it must have a reason.

From the emperor’s perspective, the only logical explanation was to arm Great Qi and use them to keep the people of Tian Chen outside the borders of Great Liang.

If such a huge problem could be solved merely by providing food and supplies without losing a single life, it would be an incredible bargain.

"Why not? Both sides benefit from this arrangement," Gao Zhijian spread his hands. "Of course, if Senior Brother Li doesn’t want it, I won’t force it upon you."

Li Huowang sensed something was off but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. "Stop wasting time. Hurry up. Prepare the goods first. I need to return to Great Qi immediately to prevent them from making a mess."

As he spoke, Li Huowang drew out his rib sword, preparing to tear open a rift.

"Senior Brother Li," Li Huowang lowered his hand and looked at Gao Zhijian.

"Senior Brother Li, humans are always human, and the Fates are always the Fates. Those not of our kind will always harbor ill intent."

"So you all think like this? Then suppose someone is both human and Fate—how would that be calculated?"

Li Huowang didn’t wait for Gao Zhijian’s answer. He simply tore open a rift and stepped through.

Looking at the empty Imperial Study, Gao Zhijian sighed deeply. One wave had not yet calmed when another rose. A Great Liang riddled with holes was about to face further trials. Who knew when the common people would finally live in peace? "Another war is coming. Increase the agricultural tax by ten percent this year."

"That won’t work. The items sent to Great Qi cannot rely solely on Great Liang. Other regions must contribute too. Notify the other officials that we have urgent matters to discuss."

"Understood, old servant understands," came a line of elderly eunuchs emerging respectfully from behind the screen.

Gao Zhijian pondered again and said, "At this critical time, isn’t it reasonable for me to know every move of Li Huowang?"

"Mm," Xuán Pìn’s body emerged from the ground.

Gao Zhijian seemed uneasy and issued another imperial decree. Soon, an old man with white eyes and holding a white banner was dragged into the study by a eunuch wielding a stick.

This man had met Gao Zhijian once before—during the divination prior to the battle with the Daoist sect. He appeared even older now.

"Master, how does this great calamity affect Great Liang?"

"Hmm," the old man nodded silently, knelt down, and pulled out a tortoise shell about the size of a palm covered with red lines.

Trembling, he took out eight copper coins and tossed them into the shell, raising it above his head and shaking it vigorously.

While shaking, he muttered under his breath: "Zi Wu Mao You by the roadside, Yin Shen Ji Hai returning home..."

"Jia Zhen Yi Li Bing Xin Kun, Ding Qian Wu Kan Ji Xun Men..."

Just halfway through his chant, the tortoise shell cracked open. The broken shell slashed the old man’s hand, blood staining the eight copper coins scattered across the floor.

This scene caused Gao Zhijian to frown, and the atmosphere in the study grew heavy.

The old man wiped the blood from his hand with his clothes, then trembled as he reached for the coins on the ground. When he touched the spot where his own blood had splattered, his whole body shuddered.

Still, he said nothing. After carefully feeling each coin’s position and whether it landed heads or tails, he bowed his head to Gao Zhijian. "Your Majesty, it is a very auspicious omen."