The emperor’s study, Everlasting Nether Capital, the nether realm:
Gu Hai sat at his desk, processing a stack of official documents.
Expanding the Han Imperial Dynasty’s territory, especially when the northern nether realm had no powerful experts, was no longer a challenge. With four commanders and eighteen armies, Gu Hai knew his forces were unstoppable.
However, founding a nation was one thing; governing it was another. Capturing cities was easy, but managing them, winning the people’s hearts, and making all the ghosts genuinely accept the Han Imperial Dynasty was a different story altogether.
In the past few days, Mo Yike, Chen Tianshan, and Sima Changkong had been busy with these affairs, recruiting civil officials, strategizing, and constantly submitting new proposals for Gu Hai’s approval. Gu Hai did his best to review the proposals and would make inquiries with Mo Yike and the others whenever he saw something not quite right.
“Your Reverence, we just received word from Ancestor Mang Shan’s domain. Ancestor Mang Shan is gathering the ancestors of the various domains to launch a full-scale counterattack against us,” Mo Yike informed him.
Gu Hai paused in his writing and looked up.
“Is this the same Ancestor Mang Shan who recently broke through to the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s ninth layer?” Gu Hai asked, slightly startled.
“Yes. The Blood Uniform Guard reported that their forces seemed to be in high spirits. They’re mobilizing ghost soldiers in preparation for marching our way—no, they should already be on their way with many ghost Dao experts. They’re so confident they’re not even rushing. They even brought along weak ghosts who announce their plans everywhere they go,” Mo Yike explained.
Gu Hai chuckled. “What’s your take, Mister Mo?”
“They’re too arrogant. News spreads slowly in the nether realm. They’re clueless because the use of zither puppets has not propagated. They are far behind,” Mo Yike said, laughing.
Gu Hai nodded. “Alright. You handle it.”
“Yes! This official shall take his leave first!” Mo Yike nodded.
Gu Hai had been inundated with paperwork and really did not have the time for such trifles.
“Oh! Wait a moment!” Gu Hai suddenly called out as he raised his head.
“Your Reverence, please give me your instructions!” Mo Yike said respectfully.
“Kong Xuan and the others must be feeling smothered. Since these people are sending themselves over, let Kong Xuan and the others have some fun with them. Just don’t annihilate everyone. Keeping them would be better for governing the northern nether realm,” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes! Rest assured, Your Reverence. This official was thinking the same thing!” Mo Yike said with a smile.
“Mister Mo, with you on the job, we’re at ease!” Gu Hai nodded.
“You give me too much credit, Your Reverence!” Mo Yike replied, chuckling.
“Speaking of which, tell Chen Tianshan to start coordinating the ceremonies,” Gu Hai said.
“Ceremonies? Your Reverence, is our Han Imperial Dynasty declaring our ascent to the rank of a heavenly dynasty?” Mo Yike exclaimed, his eyes widening with delight.
Gu Hai nodded. “Exactly, and it should happen very soon, within the next few days.”
“But what about the land of the living? Isn’t Ji Dihong mobilizing his troops against the Yan Heavenly Dynasty?” Mo Yike asked, surprised.
“Ji Dihong set a trap for us, aiming to put us in a fatal situation. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s digging his own grave. We have the White Emperor’s intel to thank for that. Ji Dihong’s fate is sealed; it’s just a question of whose hands he’ll die by,” Gu Hai declared, a steely resolve flashing in his eyes.
“Understood! We’ll await your good news, Your Reverence!” Mo Yike said with a broad grin.
------
An open-air pavilion in Borderless Heavenly Capital, land of the living:
Gu Qin and Gu Han—two crown princes—stood respectfully to one side, seemingly unqualified to sit.
In the pavilion shelter, Gu Hai’s true body gestured to Cangjie in invitation.
“Mister Cangjie, please sit.” Gu Hai smiled.
Cangjie, his cultivation sealed, looked at Gu Hai with mixed feelings. “Imperial Emperor Gu, you are too kind to a prisoner like me. I don’t deserve this.”
“If Ji Dihong can treat you as an honored guest, why can’t we?” Gu Hai countered, smiling.
“An honored guest? You mean, one whose cultivation is sealed and who is imprisoned?” Cangjie retorted.
“This is the only way we can invite you to share a quiet drink with us, right?” Gu Hai chuckled.
Cangjie remained silent.
“Mister Cangjie, while we have sealed your cultivation, we have not prevented you from seeing or hearing anything in the Han Imperial Dynasty, right?” Gu Hai smiled.
After a moment of silence, Cangjie sighed. “True, if it were anyone else, they would have been executed by Imperial Emperor Gu by now. I should have no complaints about being alive.”
“Mister Cangjie! Please,” Gu Hai repeated his invitation.
Cangjie hesitated no more; he nodded and sat down.
“You’ve seen Ji Dihong’s actions over the past few months. What are your thoughts?” Gu Hai smiled.
“All that information was meant for me to see, wasn’t it? His Holy Eminence has moved Chiyou’s severed head to Xuanyuan City and is guarding it closely. He blames Ba for Hou Yi and Xingtian’s attack on Xuanyuan City while the Huang Nation and the Han Nation fought, viewing that as a declaration of war against the Huang Heavenly Dynasty. He is now leading an army against the Yan Heavenly Dynasty to destroy Great Desolation City and avenge Xuanyuan City!” Cangjie said gravely.
“Indeed, Ji Dihong’s found an excellent excuse to act against Great Desolation City. Haha!” Gu Hai took a sip of wine and smirked.
Cangjie studied Gu Hai in silence for a while.
“Mister Cangjie, won’t you have a drink?” Gu Hai prompted, smiling.
After a moment of hesitation, Cangjie finally asked uncertainly, “Imperial Emperor Gu, have you figured it out?”
“Hah! If you’ve caught on, how could we not? Ji Dihong is deploying his troops to the Yan Heavenly Dynasty, taking all his consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm experts with him and leaving Xuanyuan City vulnerable and Chiyou’s head hanging in Blood Maple Forest. It’s a great opportunity, isn’t it? Doesn’t he just want me to go to Xuanyuan City?” Gu Hai snorted.
Cangjie’s grip tightened suddenly as if a secret had been exposed.
“Imperial Emperor Gu, aren’t you planning to go?” Cangjie still asked, regardless.
“Should I go or should I not? What do you think, Mister Cangjie?” Gu Hai asked, smiling.
Cangjie fell silent again.
Right now, my cultivation is sealed. I cannot do anything. How frustrating!
“Ostensibly, Ji Dihong sent soldiers against the Yan Heavenly Dynasty, but his true target is not Ba; it’s me, right, Mister Cangjie?” Gu Hai chuckled.
“I’m just a prisoner now, Imperial Emperor Gu. How could I know such things?” Cangjie shrugged.
“Would you like to know if I’ll go or not?” Gu Hai inquired, still smiling.
Cangjie looked up abruptly, clearly stunned. Although his hood covered the upper half of his face, his shock was obvious.
His Holy Eminence has left a fatal trap in Xuanyuan City, waiting for Gu Hai to deliver himself to death. Since Gu Hai knows already, he definitely will not go. What does Gu Hai mean by saying this now?
“Imperial Emperor Gu, are you toying with me?” Cangjie asked, his voice grave.
“No, we’re just letting you know that, like Ji Dihong, we can treat you sincerely. You’re incredibly talented in your lifespan Dao abilities and your strategic vision; both are rare talents in the world. Ji Dihong’s success today owes much to your counsel. The Han Imperial Dynasty needs someone of your caliber to help us achieve great things,” Gu Hai quickly assured him.
“Hah! Imperial Emperor Gu is too kind. My plans are nothing compared to yours; they’re laughable,” Cangjie replied dismissively.
“That’s just bad luck on Mister Cangjie’s part, just like a few months ago in the Hungry Ghost Path Secret Realm. Your plans were excellent; it was our other fortuitous encounters that tipped the scales. If not for those, we might not have won,” Gu Hai insisted.
“Imperial Emperor Gu, what’s the point of all this talk?” Cangjie asked.
“We told you: we want you to help us achieve great things,” Gu Hai repeated earnestly.
“Imperial Emperor Gu, you’ve got the wrong guy; I’m just an official from your enemy’s court.” Cangjie shook his head.
“Mister Cangjie, do you know what the relationship between my Han Imperial Dynasty and Mo Yike and Sima Changkong was before they joined the Han Imperial Dynasty?” Gu Hai asked, grinning.
Cangjie paused. Mo Yike and Sima Changkong were both enemies of the Han Imperial Dynasty before joining it, right?
“Sorry, Imperial Emperor Gu, I have no interest in joining any nation after this defeat.” Cangjie shook his head, declining.
“Mister Cangjie, don’t be in a rush to refuse. We invited Mister Cangjie here to chat to make a wager. Would Mister Cangjie oblige us?” Gu Hai smiled.
“Huh? Wager on what?” Cangjie looked at Gu Hai, puzzled.
“We want to bet on us against Ji Dihong. We know you’ve always chosen wise leaders to assist. Before you helped Ji Dihong, you were the aide of a sovereign of a royal dynasty. Sadly, that sovereign surrendered to Ji Dihong out of fear for his life, rendering all your plans useless. Ji Dihong is certainly a wise leader, but we aim to prove that we’re a better man to stand by,” Gu Hai declared solemnly.
“How will you prove that, Imperial Emperor Gu? You’ve accomplished a lot, but His Holy Eminence is no slouch, either. You might not even be a match for him,” Cangjie retorted.
“Just watch us step into the trap Ji Dihong set for us. Not only will he fail to harm us, but that trap will also become his grave,” Gu Hai said with a chuckle.
“That’s impossible; that’s Xuanyuan City you’re talking about. Do you even know what kind of trap he’s set for you?” Cangjie scoffed.
“That’s why we want to make this bet with you. If we lose, we die in Xuanyuan City. But if we win, we’d like you to join our Han Imperial Dynasty. We don’t ask for too long, just forty years. What do you say?” Gu Hai said, still smiling.
Cangjie stared at Gu Hai in disbelief, astonished by his audacity.
“The royal emperor whom Mister Cangjie assisted in the past eventually submitted to Ji Dihong. I sent someone to investigate. Later on, that royal emperor died mysteriously. I’m sure Mister Cangjie can easily guess why, right?” Gu Hai smiled.
Cangjie remained silent for a moment. He knew the royal emperor had died because Ji Dihong valued him, Cangjie, highly and eliminated the royal emperor as a precaution.
“If we win, all we’re asking is for you to give us forty years. You won’t refuse, will you?” Gu Hai said, looking straight into Cangjie’s eyes.
Cangjie paused before replying, “Imperial Emperor Gu, forty years is no small commitment. Hah! The Han Imperial Dynasty hasn’t even been around that long, has it?”
“Does that mean you agree?” Gu Hai’s eyes lit up.
“As a prisoner, I’m in no position to negotiate. This humble one is grateful for Imperial Emperor Gu telling me so much. However, I have nothing good to say about Imperial Emperor Gu’s risking your life for a mere prisoner. Besides, I firmly believe His Holy Eminence will make sure you never leave Xuanyuan City alive. If you go and meet your death, don’t blame anyone but yourself,” Cangjie said gravely.
“Your words are more than enough. Regardless of the outcome, we have already instructed our two sons to set you free. We hope you don’t mind the offense caused during this time,” Gu Hai said, smiling.
Cangjie fell silent.
Over the past few months, Gu Hai had treated him with great respect, except for sealing his cultivation, while displaying genuine sincerity. Respect is earned, not given. Despite being on the opposing side, Gu Hai had acted so honorably that Cangjie saw no reason to make a fuss. Moreover, he doubted Gu Hai could escape Ji Dihong’s trap, so he did not refuse the bet.
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