Chapter 521: Young Lord Cai Fang, Chu Tianxu Yields |
"Not Beast Emperors, they're puppets, Great Xia's Frost Beast puppets. Weren't they only supposed to be Beast King level? How can there be Beast Emperors, and two of them at that? This is impossible..."
Chu Tianxu currently had no time to worry about his arms being clamped in the jaws of the Three-Headed Wolf Emperor. His gaze was fixed firmly on Xia Hong, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
Beast Emperor puppets, Great Xia possesses two Beast Emperor-level puppets...
This thought dominated his mind, but he quickly realized something, his expression suddenly freezing.
Who said there were only two? Xia Hong had only brought out these two Beast Emperors now, but who could guarantee he only had these two in his possession?
No wonder the other party dared to so brazenly slaughter Chu Xuanling and the others, showed not a trace of fear when facing him, and even dared to utter the ruthless words that Yang Zun would definitely die!
So it turns out this guy was holding a trump card like Beast Emperor-level puppets in his hand...
"You..."
Chu Tianxu was still maintaining his giant Battle Body Golden Body form, his hundred-meter-tall figure naturally exuding immense intimidation.
The Fire Suanni and the Three-Headed Wolf Emperor were both over two hundred *zhang* in length, with shoulder heights around a hundred *zhang*. Setting aside their strength for now, in terms of sheer size alone, Chu Tianxu was utterly crushed.
Although he was still locked in a stalemate with the Three-Headed Wolf Emperor, Chu Tianxu had already lost all Fighting Spirit in his heart. He turned his head to look at Xia Hong, his tone somewhat halting, as if unsure what to say.
The Fire Suanni hovered just a hundred meters above him. Its pair of bright azure pupils were fixed intently on him, yet it took no further action.
Clearly, Xia Hong had no intention of going for the kill.
The ironclad rule of the Ice Abyss that Frost Beasts of the same realm overpower humans still held true at the Five Luminaries Realm and Tribulation Body Realm stages.
Chu Tianxu was at the Second Transformation Realm, with a base strength of 210 *Jun*. He could roughly sense that the Three-Headed Wolf Emperor puppet biting him had a strength of only around 140-plus *Jun*. The Azure-Eyed Fire Suanni puppet that hadn't moved was even stronger, probably over 160 *Jun*.
In a one-on-one fight, he shouldn't have much trouble against either, given his near-overwhelming strength advantage.
But one against two? That wouldn't work!
Moreover, these two Beast Emperors before him weren't normal Frost Beasts he'd dealt with in the wilderness before. These were puppets controlled by Xia Hong. Who knew if they had any other tricks up their sleeves?
Not to mention, Xia Hong might have more than just these two Beast Emperor puppets!
"I can't keep fighting. The miasma in the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor has dissipated, which confirms it was deliberately done by those Abominations from the Blood Mire Plains. That means there's a high probability they've been watching the Southern Foothills territory all along. If I unleash my full power, I might very well attract them. Even if I don't attract them, what if I attract some other terrifying entity..."
Thoughts raced through Chu Tianxu's mind, and an internal struggle began.
While Tribulation Body Realm cultivation was undoubtedly powerful, its limitations were also evident. Because the internal organs of a Tribulation Body Realm human were extremely precious and coveted cultivation resources for Abominations and Frost Beasts, they couldn't stay in populous areas for long, couldn't act casually, and even tried to avoid venturing into unfamiliar territories.
That Chu Tianxu could make this trip to the Southern Foothills territory was already quite an effort. Unleashing his full power was definitely out of the question. Earlier, upon seeing the corpses of Chu Xuanling and the other clansmen, he had been furious, yet he hadn't attacked Xia Hong. Now, it was even more impossible for him to take action.
But to back down and submit here and now... he really couldn't bring himself to lower his head that much...
Xia Hong still hadn't ordered the Fire Suanni to charge. The Three-Headed Wolf Emperor continued to bite Chu Tianxu's arms but took no further action. Chu Tianxu, for his part, neither spoke to yield nor resisted physically, his gaze remaining fixed on Xia Hong.
The situation had actually reached a stalemate!
"Commandery Governor Chu, hand over Yang Zun and that six-armed green-faced..."
Xia Hong roughly guessed Chu Tianxu's thoughts, knowing this Commandery Governor still couldn't quite swallow his pride. After a long silence, his tone softened slightly as he prepared to speak, intending to give him a way out.
But he stopped himself mid-sentence, then turned his head to look towards the southern sky.
Chu Tianxu coincidentally also turned to look south, clearly sensing something, his expression changing slightly.
"Commandery Governor Chu, run into a tough opponent, have you?"
A somewhat flippant young voice suddenly came from the southern sky. A moment later, a streak of intense light pierced through the clouds, arriving directly above the Lord's great hall and stopping less than three hundred meters from Xia Hong.
It was a... young man.
Truly a young man. The newcomer's features were sharp, but he looked only about thirty years old. He wore a set of dark green brocade robes, held a moon-white long sword, had a slender build, and his posture, though clearly arrogant, wasn't off-putting because a faint, elusive smile always played at the corner of his mouth.
The most striking feature was undoubtedly his confident and flamboyant eyes, which now roamed freely over the Three-Headed Wolf Emperor and the Fire Suanni. After examining the two Beast Emperors and giving Chu Tianxu a look, he finally shifted his gaze to Xia Hong, his pupils filled with curiosity and scrutiny.
"Cai Qiuhu..."
Seeing the young man, Chu Tianxu was immediately taken aback, clearly not expecting Caiqiu to send Cai Qiuhu. But he soon figured something out, and his expression instantly darkened again.
"Isn't the Young Fang Bo currently leading men to help Cao Qianyang defend Yangju Town? What brings you, with such leisure, to Beishuo City?"
Xia Hong had long been secretly observing the four battlefronts, so upon seeing the young man's Caiqiu attire and his Tribulation Body Realm aura, he directly identified him as Cai Qiuhu.
Hearing Xia Hong's form of address for him, which clearly carried a teasing undertone, Cai Qiuhu's face showed no anger. Instead, he looked at Xia Hong with great interest, examining him further, then laughed and said, "I never imagined that this small Southern Foothills territory could not only produce a fierce tiger like Yang Zun but also nurture a figure like Lord Xia. It truly has opened my eyes."
Cai Qiuhu's tone even carried a hint of flattery.
And it was extremely sincere, not the teasing kind.
Xia Hong's eyebrows rose slightly. Although he knew there was a high probability Caiqiu wouldn't choose to antagonize Great Xia, this Cai Qiuhu's ability to respond so mildly to his provocation was still somewhat beyond his expectations.
No wonder he was designated as the next Fang Bo by Cai Qianshan so early on...
Since Cai Qiuhu was showing goodwill, Xia Hong naturally wouldn't continue provoking him. Smiling, he cupped his hands and said, "I, Xia, have merely received some minor fortune. I don't deserve such praise from the Young Fang Bo..."
On the other side, seeing Cai Qiuhu and Xia Hong conversing so amiably, Chu Tianxu's already gloomy expression grew even more somber. He had clearly begun to sense something.
As for Xia Hong, after exchanging pleasantries with Cai Qiuhu for a while, he didn't waste more words. Smiling, he got straight to the point: "May I ask, Young Fang Bo, what is your intention in appearing here today?"
Cai Qiuhu hurriedly waved his hand with a smile. "I, Cai, do indeed have important matters to discuss with Lord Xia today. But there's no hurry. We can talk after Lord Xia finishes handling the matters at hand."
As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Chu Tianxu, the expression of schadenfreude on his face exceptionally thick. He was clearly delighted to see Chu Tianxu's current predicament.
After all, with the highest overall strength, Chencang had always been relatively dominant within the Four Feudatories territory. As the next Fang Bo of Caiqiu, Cai Qiuhu taking pleasure in seeing Chencang suffer a setback was not at all strange.
"Then I must ask the Young Fang Bo to wait a moment..."
Xia Hong naturally understood this. He smiled and nodded. He also had an idea of what Cai Qiuhu wanted to discuss with him, but since the other party wasn't bringing it up, he couldn't very well ask first.
After exchanging courtesies with Cai Qiuhu, he turned back to look at Chu Tianxu and spoke softly, "Since Commandery Governor Chu has come to the Southern Foothills territory, you should be aware of the abnormal miasma change in the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor..."
He paused here, then continued, "Commandery Governor Chu is a smart man. I probably don't need to elaborate on what those Abominations from the Blood Mire Plains are scheming. Since Beishuo has already fallen, there is no longer any connection between your Feudatory and the Southern Foothills territory. I, Xia, have long held Chencang in high esteem. Now that our two sides are neighbors, it is only fitting that we establish good relations and join forces to prevent the expansion of the Blood Mire Plains. I wonder if Commandery Governor Chu agrees with my words?"
Without waiting for Chu Tianxu to answer, Xia Hong directly waved his hand. The Three-Headed Wolf Emperor immediately released its jaw grip and retreated several dozen meters.
The anger had long since vanished from Chu Tianxu's face. Once his hands were freed, he immediately reverted to his original form. Although his expression remained dark, he finally gave a slight nod, answering Xia Hong's question.
Smart people, after all, still understood the greater good...
A trace of satisfaction appeared on Xia Hong's face as he smiled and said, "In that case, for a man who is already as good as dead, there's even less reason for Commandery Governor Chu to engage in a major conflict with me here. The Southern Foothills territory is, after all, unfamiliar to Commandery Governor Chu, and those Abominations from the Blood Mire Plains are most likely watching from the shadows..."
Although Xia Hong didn't finish his sentence, someone as intelligent as Chu Tianxu couldn't possibly miss his implication.
The Abominations from the Blood Mire Plains were watching from the shadows. If he dared to engage in a major conflict with Xia Hong here, regardless of whether he won or lost, the outcome probably wouldn't be good.
Chu Tianxu's expression was extremely unpleasant. Although he knew Xia Hong was right, the feeling of being manipulated was truly hard to bear.
After pondering for a moment, he ultimately still didn't want to yield. He shifted his gaze to Cai Qiuhu on the other side, and his expression began to flicker.
He saw very clearly that from the moment Xia Hong's tone softened, Cai Qiuhu's expression had become somewhat somber.
Cai Qiuhu's mindset wasn't hard to understand. Caiqiu was located right in the center of Mo'ao Chuan, surrounded by the other three feudatories, making it a veritable battleground on all sides. Coupled with their recent expansion being hindered and their feudal town's strength stagnating, core high-level personnel like Cai Qiuhu naturally felt a strong sense of crisis.
The rise of Great Xia in the Southern Foothills was absolutely good news for Caiqiu.
It was just that Cai Qiuhu's calculations were too obvious. Xia Hong's initially rigid attitude had begun to soften, clearly because he had seen through this. Seeing that Xia Hong intended to ease relations with Chencang, lacking the initial tense, confrontational stance, Cai Qiuhu's expression naturally began to change.
So, there was still room for maneuver...
Countless thoughts flashed through Chu Tianxu's mind, though in reality only an instant had passed. Having discerned Cai Qiuhu's current thoughts, he sheathed his long sword, and a smile slowly surfaced on his face. Addressing Cai Qiuhu from a distance, he spoke softly, "Young Fang Bo Cai, the Xia troops have destroyed Beishuo. Their next step should be to take Jinshan and Wuchuan. If a powerful neighbor truly emerges in the south, it won't be just my Chencang that needs to worry..."
Still unwilling to yield, he had actually started trying to provoke Cai Qiuhu.
Xia Hong didn't interrupt Chu Tianxu. He simply turned his head and looked at Cai Qiuhu with interest, wanting to see how this Young Fang Bo Cai would respond.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Chu Tianxu's provocation, the somber expression on Cai Qiuhu's face immediately cleared. He then raised an eyebrow and looked at Chu Tianxu, smiling as he said, "What Commandery Governor Chu says makes sense. If a powerful neighbor emerges in the south, everyone will have to worry. But the ones who will worry the most will definitely be your Chencang..."
Xia Hong understood the seemingly cryptic meaning behind Cai Qiuhu's words immediately. Recalling Chu Tianxu's words when he tried to recruit him back in Yanling Commandery, a thick smile appeared on his face.
Among the four major feudal towns of Mo'ao Chuan, Chencang's overall strength ranked first. Moreover, Chu Longteng's ambition to unify Mo'ao Chuan was practically out in the open. The nail that sticks out gets hammered. How could the other three feudatories not be wary of Chencang?
As for Cai Qiuhu's statement, it clearly meant that Chencang had the greatest ambition. Therefore, once a powerful neighbor appeared nearby, they would inevitably be the most concerned. The other three feudatories, lacking both the strength and ambition to unify Mo'ao Chuan, would conversely be less resistant to a powerful neighbor appearing nearby.
What a fine Young Fang Bo Cai. With such a light, dismissive response, he directly rendered Chu Tianxu's attempt at sowing discord ineffective.
Of course, not falling for the provocation was secondary. The key was that Cai Qiuhu clearly understood who Caiqiu's greatest enemy was. Being able to grasp this point was quite impressive.
Xia Hong couldn't help but view this Young Fang Bo Cai in an even higher light. He then turned back to Chu Tianxu with a smile and said, "It seems Commandery Governor Chu's attempt at sowing discord didn't have much effect. In that case, hurry up and hand over Yang Zun and that Abomination! I, Xia, will say this without courtesy here..."
He paused here, the smile vanishing from his face, his tone suddenly turning low and heavy as he continued, "Even if Fang Bo Chu himself came today, Yang Zun would still undoubtedly die!"
As soon as Xia Hong uttered these words, the expressions of both Chu Tianxu and Cai Qiuhu changed instantly. The former was mostly furious, the latter mostly shocked, but beyond that, a clear trace of doubt and suspicion appeared simultaneously in both their pupils.
Neither was stupid. How could they fail to grasp the deeper meaning behind Xia Hong's words?
These two Beast Emperor-level puppets before them were not yet Great Xia's ultimate trump card!
"Lord Xia Hong, there's no need to provoke me with words. This time, the disciples of the Chu Clan's Yanling branch who came south have been slaughtered by your Great Xia. My Chencang will not let this matter rest easily. When Fang Bo personally graces the Southern Foothills with his presence, I hope Lord Xia Hong can remain this bold then. Hmph..."
Chu Tianxu naturally wouldn't be intimidated by a single sentence from Xia Hong. But he also realized he definitely couldn't save Yang Zun today. Feeling his face had taken a bit of a blow, he ultimately left a harsh remark. With a cold snort, he tossed out Yang Zun and the green light he had intercepted earlier. Without giving Xia Hong a chance to respond, he immediately rose into the air and flew northward.
Xia Hong had only brought out two Beast Emperor-level puppets and never intended to kill Chu Tianxu in the first place. Since Yang Zun had been handed over, he naturally wouldn't try to stop him.
"A jade carving..."
Xia Hong caught the two items. He first threw Yang Zun to Xia Chuan behind him, then looked down at the green light he was holding in his hand.
The green light turned out to be a thirty-centimeter-tall dark green jade carving. The carving depicted a six-armed, green-faced figure with fanged teeth and crimson pupils. Its uppermost pair of arms held a white long spear. It was unmistakably the miniature form of that six-armed evil Abomination from before.
"My lord..."
Held in Xia Hong's palm, after three or four breaths, the jade carving slowly retracted its fangs. Then its eyeballs rolled a few times, and it came to life. Seeing Xia Hong staring at it, it hurriedly knelt down before him.
It really didn't die...
Xia Hong had indeed intended to spare the six-armed evil Abomination's life. Seeing it recover, he gave a slight nod. Now wasn't the time for conversation, so he directly stored it in his sleeve. Then he turned to look at Cai Qiuhu beside him.
"Young Fang Bo Cai, what important matter did you want to discuss with me?"
Xia Hong asked nonchalantly while waving his hand to recall the two Beast Emperors.
Seeing the two Beast Emperors disappear, a faint glint flashed in Cai Qiuhu's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. Cupping his hands with a smile, he said, "I, Cai, wish to plead for mercy on behalf of Lord Cao. I wonder if Lord Xia Hong would be willing to grant me this favor?"
Caiqiu had sent over a hundred Sun Manifestation Level experts. Barring accidents, they should have already taken control of Jinshan and Wuchuan towns by now. Once the incident at Longgu Town City occurred, they immediately dispatched people to Yangju to assist Cao Qianyang in defending the city.
Not only were they overreaching, now they were even coming directly to negotiate with him...
Xia Hong looked at Cai Qiuhu and asked with a smile, "Since Young Fang Bo Cai has spoken, I naturally must grant this favor. But I'm not sure how to grant it? Does Young Fang Bo Cai mean for my Great Xia to withdraw its troops?"
"To be frank with Brother Xia, that was indeed my initial thought. But now, that's clearly not appropriate. If Lord Xia would just give one month's time for Lord Cao to lead his people in withdrawing to Caiqiu, how would that be?"
Hmm?
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Xia Hong's face.
Not withdrawing troops, but having Cao Qianyang lead a group of people to withdraw to Caiqiu.
This Cai Qiuhu was truly not simple!