“A city?” Jiang Moran looked at them with a bizarre expression. What did they mean by the treasure map's destination being a city?
“You guys didn't just hear about some one-day sightseeing tour, did you?”
“Of course not!” Ning Qingzhu retorted vehemently. “This news came from Jinling City. Uncle Chen went there to ask around and brought it back.”
“It's spreading like wildfire in Jinling City!”
“So many people already know...” Jiang Moran muttered. Uncle Chen had indeed made a great contribution, but now that they knew what the parchment scroll was hiding, the mystery was gone. It had lost its allure.
“Oh.” Jiang Moran nodded half-heartedly, turning back to lie on his bed. What was so special about a city? He had traveled far and wide across the land for so many years; what kind of city had he not seen?
Seeing his attitude, the others knew he had completely lost interest and intended to just lounge around here.
Fengqingzi nudged Zhang Wuji with his elbow and whispered, “Wanna bet? I can pique his interest.”
“You?” Skepticism dripped from his voice.
Zhang Wuji gave him a bizarre look, hesitating slightly before saying, “Brother Feng, I don't mean to discourage you, but from what I've observed, the senior doesn't seem to have... any inclinations toward men.”
Hearing this, Fengqingzi gave him a hard kick and snapped, “Piss off and just watch!”
Under Zhang Wuji's doubtful gaze, he slowly walked over, cleared his throat twice, and spoke up.
“Senior, do you really not plan on going?”
“No. I fought a battle with Li Lu and suffered severe internal injuries.” Jiang Moran rolled over, turning his back to them.
Li Lu, standing at the door: ?
If his memory served him right, hadn't he been the one who was one-sidedly thrashed? Did Jiang Moran suffer internal injuries in his fists from beating him up?
Fengqingzi didn't believe him for a second and just went on with his performance:
“Ahem. That city is situated at the junction of the north and the south. These kinds of places are usually surrounded by mountains, but the treasure map actually marks a hidden path that connects the Central Plains directly to the North. Naturally, the city built along this path enjoys the unique...”
“...cuisines and local 'customs' of both territories.”
He put an extra emphasis on the word 'customs.' Instantly, every male present shared a silent mental link and smiled knowingly.
Cuisines? Customs? Jiang Moran's eyes, which were facing away, lit up. Holy crap, why didn't you say so earlier if there was such a good thing?
Fengqingzi knew he had successfully hooked him. Now, only the final step remained, addressing a common weakness shared by all legendary experts.
“Actually, the entire jianghu knows that a city has appeared in the Northern Desert. A mere city might not catch anyone's eye, but what if it was marked on a treasure map left behind by a centurial clan ancestor of Fengcheng?”
“Instantly, that city is shrouded in mystery. And only someone of your caliber, Senior, can keep the entire jianghu in check!”
Now that a perfect stepping stone was laid out, anyone would gladly take the cue.
From this moment on, Fengqingzi utterly crushed Zhang Wuji, establishing himself as the senior's number one lackey.
“Sigh, fine. It looks like I have no choice but to take a trip with you guys.”
Jiang Moran slowly sat up, wearing an expression that said he was only doing this out of sheer helplessness. The others looked at one another and smiled in shared understanding.
“We get it.”
“Old Chen, ask around to see what kind of regional cuisines they have there... Ah, no, I mean, find out who has gone there,” Jiang Moran ordered.
But before Old Chen could speak, Qiu Zhiya had already pulled out a sealed letter.
“I've already purchased the intelligence. The chief of the Tianxia Association set off in that direction yesterday. Aside from him, the Five Heroes of the Jianghu, as well as Luo Feng the Scythesman, and many other notable figures have also headed over there.”
That old man went too? Jiang Moran raised an eyebrow, feeling rather surprised.
When the old Emperor was alive, that old man barely even stepped out of the imperial palace. Yet as soon as the Second Prince ascended the throne, why did he start running between the north and the south?
Something wasn't right. What exactly was this Second Prince planning...
“Wait, what did you just say about that city?” Jiang Moran suddenly asked.
“Ah?” Caught off guard, Fengqingzi blinked in confusion before replying, “Because that city is in the Zhang Family Ancestor's...”
“The sentence before that,” Jiang Moran interrupted.
“...Because that city is situated at the junction of the south and north, which serves as a secluded pathway, thus drawing...”
Jiang Moran didn't hear the rest. His eyes grew deep and dark. No wonder an imperial prince would be so obsessed with some so-called treasure.
“What grand ambition, Your Majesty.”
...
Fengcheng, the Imperial Study.
The Second Prince, Ji Ye—or rather, the current Son of Heaven—had a sandbox map before him. Grains of rice were piled to represent the mountain ranges separating the northern and southern domains, with only a single path leading directly northward.
But a small flag was planted right on that path, marking the location of a city.
Ji Ye held two flags in his hands: one was marked with the character for 'Association,' while the other bore the character for 'Army.' His gaze remained fixed on the sandbox map, refusing to budge for a long time.
Just then, a figure clad in black martial attire appeared behind Ji Ye.
“Your Majesty, Elder Li has departed.”
Ji Ye nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the sand table. He asked in a flat tone,
“How long do you think it will take for the Kingdom of Liang to receive the news?”
The figure in black fell silent for a brief moment before answering, “Within three days, the Kingdom of Liang will certainly know.”
Three days. Ji Ye's eyes flickered. Three days was more than enough.
He then firmly planted the flag marked 'Army' right into the location of the city, commanding in a deep voice, “Order the Zhenbei Army to seize this city!”
The person behind him was utterly shocked. Hurriedly dropping onto one knee, they pleaded anxiously, “Your Majesty, please reconsider! This move is tantamount to declaring war on the Northern Emperor! Moreover, the Kingdom of Liang will never let us have our way!”
Ji Ye merely gave a faint smile and spoke with absolute resolve:
“The North and the Central Plains are separated by a natural chasm of endless mountain ranges. This north-south corridor is the only shortcut. As long as we occupy the city on this pathway, we will possess a strategic stronghold from which we can both attack and defend.”
“As for the Kingdom of Liang...”
Ji Ye let out a cold laugh. He placed the other flag right between the borders of the two nations. It wasn't just a simple flag; it represented a massive barrier composed of the formidable combat forces of the martial world.
“The Tianxia Association will be our strongest shield.”
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