Banshee Family Training Record

Page 285

Compared to the Hundred Thousand Mountains where the Qingyun Sect is located, the distance between the capital of Jin Kingdom and this place is not that far. Yun Chuan, Sheng Linglong and Ge Xiang did not fly at full speed, but even so, half an hour later, they arrived at the capital of Jin Kingdom.

Before even reaching the vicinity of the capital, Yun Chu'an felt the surging and powerful spiritual energy around him, as if he were being swept away and attracted by some immense and terrifying force, converging towards a central store in the distance.

He squinted and looked into the distance. As he got closer, he saw a huge vortex in the sky above the distant capital, like a funnel, constantly gathering and compressing immense spiritual power from all directions, finally taking shape in the middle.

Within that constantly rotating funnel-shaped storm of spiritual energy, lightning could be faintly seen, its immense power causing Yun Chu'an to tremble involuntarily.

Beside him, Sheng Linglong noticed the change in his expression. Immediately, she smiled and said softly, "That is the Spirit Gathering Stone Array of the capital. Every vassal king who intends to establish an independent kingdom must master this ability and set it up in his own capital."

"With it, the royal family can harvest hundreds of millions of low-grade spirit stones every day. If there is an emergency, my father can personally speed up its operation, and then it can harvest hundreds of millions of low-grade spirit stones every hour, which is equivalent to an unlimited resource."

Her nonchalant manner left Yun Chu'an utterly stunned. But then, he mentally performed some calculations, and his expression became one of understanding.

That makes sense. Only such a massive spirit-gathering array could support the spirit stone consumption of so many cultivators throughout a cultivation kingdom.

This magic circle isn't a big problem.

He sighed inwardly as he followed Sheng Linglong towards the towering city walls, landing before the city gate. Since Sheng Linglong was a princess, the guards at the gate naturally didn't stop her and allowed her to pass without hindrance.

Yun Chu'an followed her, walking along the streets of the capital. This was also a super-large city of cultivators. On the ground, old men rode deer or tigers, and people flew through the air on flying swords. Merchants on both sides of the road sold powerful talismans or magical treasures, dazzling and mesmerizing.

However, after taking a closer look, he realized that compared to the major cities of Zhao, this place, despite being the capital of a country, was far less prosperous.

Indeed, the State of Jin has now transformed from the once dominant power in the Central Plains into a second-rate state that can't even touch the edges of a major power.

He concealed his thoughts, his expression reserved, and continued forward with the princess.

After traversing the long main road, the three arrived at the magnificent royal palace. Thick, crimson logs served as beams, supporting the towering palace. The palace's interior was rich in spiritual energy, almost comparable to that of the Qingyun Sect.

Yun Chu'an followed Sheng Linglong up the marble steps. Prime Minister Ge parted ways with them here to attend court in the main hall. However, the two of them did not go together, but instead went to a side hall to listen in on the proceedings.

In the very center of the main hall, an old man with a yellow python robe, a white beard, and a face full of wrinkles sat on the head seat. He was the current Duke of Jin, Sheng Linglong's father, and the only Nascent Soul cultivator in the country.

Below him, middle-aged men and women dressed in gorgeous robes of different colors sat on futons, all of them at the Golden Core stage.

Yun Chu'an peeked from the side hall and saw that Prime Minister Ge had also changed into a black robe and was sitting at the head of the group, participating in the discussion.

"it is good."

Seeing that Prime Minister Ge had already taken his seat, the Prince of Jin, who was seated at the head of the table, nodded slightly: "Now that everyone has arrived, let's begin."

"The first thing we need to discuss is whether to accept Zhao's invitation to form an alliance and fight against Qin together..."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chu'an was shocked. He turned to look at the princess beside him, his expression incredulous: "What happened? What's going on? I've only been at the Qingyun Sect for a few days, and now this...this..."

"Has the world changed? Aren't Jin and Zhao sworn enemies? Why are they starting to discuss forming an alliance?"

Sheng Linglong took his hand and said, "You've been at the Qingyun Sect these past few days, so of course you haven't heard anything. And since you came back, you've been busy with family matters, so I haven't had a chance to tell you..."

"In fact, Qin still went to war with Zhao. Although they found a reason, this action was not in accordance with the Zhou rites. Therefore, according to the Zhou rites, all the states under heaven should unite and work together to fight against the tyrannical Qin."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chu'an immediately understood: "I see... Ah... Oh, I get it."

He nodded slightly. After all, Jin and Zhao were enemies, and it would be too difficult to ask Jin to help support Zhao under these circumstances.

Although the binding force of the Zhou rites was getting weaker and weaker, they could not be disobeyed. After all, Jin was not a powerful state like Qin. People dared not join forces to fight against the tyrannical Qin, nor did they dare to invade Jin under the pretext of "you have violated the Zhou rites".

Therefore, this matter must be discussed in detail to find a solution that satisfies both sides.

Chapter 569 Martial Arts Tournament

Just as Yun Chu'an had thought, the many ministers in the court who were holding court at this moment were also quite uneasy about this.

They took turns expressing their views, which were broadly divided into two factions. One faction argued from various perspectives that there was no need to support the State of Zhao. Some people believed that this was in accordance with the Zhou rites, while others believed that the Zhou rites were no longer important.

The other faction believed that support should still be given to the State of Zhao. As a weak state, the State of Jin should take the initiative to uphold the Zhou rites. Even if it was weak, it should still show the attitude of upholding the Zhou rites, because the State of Jin was able to exist because of the order maintained by the Zhou rites.

If the system established by the Zhou emperor were to truly collapse, the state of Jin would only face an even more tragic end.

The two sides stuck to their own arguments, arguing endlessly, neither able to convince the other. King Jin sat on his throne, his eyes lowered in deep thought. He knew that most of the ministers' statements were not sincere, but rather deliberate justifications sought out based on the interests of their respective families.

It is commonly known as shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target.

He had his own judgment and considerations regarding these matters. He didn't say much, but listened quietly, pondered carefully, calculated the pros and cons, and filled in any gaps in his thinking to avoid overlooking anything.

Time passed by, and in the blink of an eye, two hours had gone by. The Golden Elixir ministers in the court were getting tired of talking and looked up at Prince Jin on the head seat.

The elderly Duke of Jin had already made his decision, but he was in no hurry to speak. Instead, he slowly and deliberately asked, "Have you finished?"

The chief minister, Prime Minister Ge, bowed and replied, "I beseech Your Majesty to make the decision."

The Prince of Jin remained silent, saying, "This matter is of great importance and requires further investigation. Let's set this aside for now and discuss the remaining matters."

He glanced at the assembled officials and asked, "I recall that Minister Sima was preparing for a Golden Core Martial Arts Tournament. How are the preparations going?"

Below, a thin, middle-aged man with a long beard looked up and bowed to the Duke of Jin: "I am deeply honored that Your Excellency is still thinking about this matter. In fact, the martial arts tournament is almost ready, the plan has been finalized, and we are just waiting for Your Excellency's approval to allocate a batch of spirit stones from the national treasury..."

Duke Jin said, "Bring me your plan. I've approved it. This matter needs to be handled as soon as possible. We need to let the whole country know about it as soon as possible, attract all the Golden Core cultivators in the country to participate, and at the same time, secretly find out about their current situation so that we can assess whether we should go and support Zhao."

His deliberate and unhurried manner imbued the plan with a new mission. The minister of the Situ family was overjoyed and immediately exclaimed, "Our lord is wise!"

The other ministers who held the Golden Elixir position also offered their praise, but the Duke of Jin paid them no mind. He then brought up several other important matters that the ministers had previously raised, and discussed them one by one.

But none of these were the key issues anymore. Sheng Linglong yawned, feeling that their meeting would end in a while, turned around and took Yun Chuan'an's hand, leading him backward: "Come on, I'll arrange your accommodation first, and then I'll take you to meet Father King later."

Yun Chu'an didn't refuse and was led away from the main hall to the princess's courtyard on the side. As soon as they got close, Yun Chu'an smelled a fragrance, and when they entered the garden planted with paulownia trees, they felt refreshed and relaxed.

He slowed his pace and strolled along the pebble path in the garden. Sheng Linglong took his hand and led him inside, saying, "I live here. You are my guest. There are also a few guest rooms over there. Come on, I'll take you to see them."

She walked over, and suddenly several figures appeared in the distance. Sheng Linglong's expression tensed for a moment, but when she saw that the two approaching were her maids who were at the Qi Refining stage, she immediately became confident and took Yun Chu'an's hand and walked forward.

Two elegantly dressed maids approached, intending to greet their princess, but upon seeing her holding hands with a strange man, their expressions instantly turned to one of utter shock.

However, Sheng Linglong immediately gave her a cold look and said, "Don't talk nonsense."

The two maids nodded hurriedly, then turned and left quickly. Sheng Linglong, still holding Yun Chuan'an's hand, led him to a guest room that had already been prepared. She pushed open the door and entered with a beaming smile: "Please stay here for the next few days, Master Yun."

She teased him, addressing him that way on purpose. Yun Chu'an smiled and pushed her into the room: "Knowing you've wronged me, why don't you hurry up and make my bed, and while you're at it, gather some more fairy fruits to bring me over?"

Sheng Linglong chuckled softly, playfully rolling onto the bed with him, thoroughly enjoying herself. The two sat on the edge of the bed and chatted for a while longer. In the distance, a Golden Core cultivator flew back to his residence. Upon seeing the other's figure, the girl's expression changed: "The court session is over. Quickly, tidy your clothes and come with me to the palace to meet my father."

Yun Chu'an stood up, and the two straightened their clothes, returning to the main hall of the palace. The court session had already ended, so they didn't enter through the main gate but went directly into a side hall. There, the Duke of Jin had already removed his magnificent yellow robe and was sitting in only a close-fitting casual garment.

Behind him, a young woman in the Foundation Establishment stage was massaging his back.

Sheng Linglong bowed to his side and called out, "Greetings, Father." Yun Chuan also knelt on one knee according to the etiquette of the era and cupped his hands, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The Duke of Jin opened one eye, seemingly uninterested: "Get up."

Yun Chu'an stood up. This old man, who had experienced many storms and vicissitudes, still seemed unwilling to say much. He slowly and deliberately asked Sheng Linglong, "You should have listened to the meeting just now, right?"

Sheng Linglong replied, "Reporting to Father, I have heard everything."

The Duke of Jin pressed further, "Then do you think we should send troops to reinforce the State of Zhao?"

Sheng Linglong replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate."

"Why?"

"Our country has fallen to this state because of the rebellion of the King of Zhao. Now, everyone in our country hates the State of Zhao to the bone. Even if we take the Zhou rites as an excuse, who can remain calm when we see those enemies who have taken our land with our own eyes? I'm afraid that more troubles will arise then."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, although the Zhou rites are great, all countries are openly and secretly violating them. Even if we want to uphold the authority of the emperor, it shouldn't be a small country like ours that takes the lead. It would be better to hold back for now and wait for the situation to change. If the Qin king's terracotta army seems intimidating but is actually easily defeated, then it won't be too late to re-enter the battle."

After saying this, she lowered her head again and said, "These are my views. If Father thinks that I am wrong, please criticize and correct me."

Duke Jin remained noncommittal, turning to look at Yun Chu'an. Only at this moment did the aged Nascent Soul expert finally give him a proper look: "Yun... Chu'an, right? I don't think I've misremembered your name?"

Yun Chuan said, "That's right."

"What do you think?" he asked. "Or do you share Linglong's opinion?"

Yun Chu'an hesitated for a moment, then heard the Prince of Jin say again: "There is no need to be shy. There are no outsiders here. Even if you two disagree, you can speak frankly and have a sincere discussion."

Sheng Linglong said, "Yes, just say what you think. Even if you say something wrong, it's still an opportunity to be taught by Father."

Yun Chu'an cupped his hands and said, "Then, I dare to suggest that we should respond to the call as soon as possible to protect the Zhou rites."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Linglong's expression shifted, while the Prince of Jin remained expressionless, simply nodding slightly: "Hmm, what's the reason? You must know, the State of Zhao is our country's enemy."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chu'an immediately realized that the Prince of Jin actually leaned towards his own viewpoint.

His confidence surged, and he continued, "There are no permanent friends, nor permanent enemies, only permanent national interests. Everything we do should be for the greatest benefit of the nation, and we should move forward with that goal."

The Duke of Jin had already turned around to face him directly and asked, "Where is the benefit?"

Yun Chu'an cupped his hands in greeting: "Just now, all the esteemed officials have already explained in detail. My eloquence is no match for theirs, and I dare not presume to say more." (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

The Prince of Jin said, “I know they have already said it, but now, I want to hear it from you.”

Chapter 570 Prince Jin Bestows a Marriage?

Yun Chu'an bowed his head: "Yes, Your Majesty. I believe that the Zhou emperor's prestige still remains. For many years before, the Qin state has been mindful of the Zhou rites and dared not start a war rashly, which is proof that they are afraid."

"This time, their invasion of Zhao is probably not something the King of Qin himself is entirely confident about. Moreover, Zhao is equally powerful and has a strong army. Even if Qin can achieve final victory, it will require many years of fierce fighting."

"Therefore, we took the initiative to join, firstly to have a legitimate reason to stand on the Emperor's side, and secondly to take the opportunity to open our country's doors and obtain more benefits from our more prosperous allies."

He said that for many years, the border between Zhao and Jin had been closed. If Jin were to take the initiative to support Zhao now, they would have a reason to send people deep into Zhao's territory. However, the latter's forces, in order to guard against Qin, would hardly be able to do anything in Jin's territory.

Therefore, doing so would only benefit the State of Jin unilaterally.

As Yun Chu'an explained it this way, a hint of appreciation appeared on the face of the Duke of Jin.

However, he was shrewd and calculating, and even though he actually appreciated his views, his face remained calm and indifferent: "I understand, you may leave."

If it were an ordinary person, not knowing whether the Prince of Jin admired or disliked them, they would definitely feel uneasy and anxious, and then be manipulated by him at will.

However, Yun Chu'an had already guessed his true intentions from his reaction just now, so he remained calm and didn't say anything more.

Afterwards, a palace maid stepped forward and led him away from the palace. Once he was out of sight, the Duke of Jin revealed a bright smile, his face full of admiration, and turned to look at his daughter: "Linglong, this time, you have truly found a prodigy."

Sheng Linglong was surprised to hear this; she never expected her father to agree with Yun Chu'an. But seeing her father's smiling face, a surge of joy welled up in her heart, and a proud smile involuntarily appeared on her lips: "Yes, of course!"

She didn't care whether her views were affirmed or denied; she believed in her father's wisdom and would carry them out regardless of the outcome.

As she spoke, she went around behind the Duke of Jin and gently squeezed his shoulder: "Dad, let me tell you, he's incredibly powerful. When I first met him, he was only at the Qi Refining stage..."

Prince Jin maintained his smile. Sheng Linglong had already reported this matter to him before, but he hadn't expected that she would not only make such rapid progress but also have such a clear mind. Given time, she would surely become a talent fit to assist a king.

and……

He turned his head slightly and glanced at his daughter out of the corner of his eye. He saw the undisguised excitement and fondness on Sheng Linglong's face as she chattered incessantly about Yun Chu'an.

For a moment, he was absolutely certain that his girl was particularly fond of that man.

Well, well, if it works out, that would be a wonderful thing...

He saw through his daughter's thoughts but didn't expose them. His mind raced, and he suddenly spoke up, suggesting, "Linglong, you must have listened in on the martial arts tournament before, right?"

Sheng Linglong's chattering was interrupted, and she nodded, "Yes, of course. It was prepared by Lord Sima. You also want to take this opportunity to find out the attitudes of the country's talents. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just think that whether he has real talent or not, we should let him show it for himself first," said Prince Jin. "When we get back, you should also persuade him to participate in the competition and get a good ranking. That way, I can take the opportunity to introduce him to the whole country. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Linglong's eyes lit up. She nodded repeatedly and replied, "Yes!"

Her heart was burning with excitement, and she was so excited that her mouth was dry. She had thought that her deep-thinking father would not trust an outsider like Yun Chu'an so quickly, but she never expected that the latter would be so outstanding, gaining her father's approval in just a few words.

Great, so great!

Overwhelmed with excitement, she kept replaying Yun Chu'an's face in her mind and decided to go find him right now and tell him the news.

And some of her decisions about him.

Swallowing hard, the girl had made up her mind. She made up a flimsy excuse to appease her father, then turned and ran out of the palace, heading straight for her princess's quarters. Prince Jin sat alone in his side hall, watching his daughter's hurried movements. He couldn't help but shake his head, letting out a bitter smile, but he didn't interfere, letting her go.

Over there, Yun Chu'an followed the palace maid back to the guest room in the side courtyard of the princess's residence. However, she had only sat down for a few seconds when a series of hurried footsteps came. It turned out that Sheng Linglong had hurriedly followed her.

She rushed into Yun Chu'an's room with an excited smile on her face, and her expression towards Yun Chu'an was full of tenderness.

Yun Chu'an was puzzled, not knowing what the father and daughter had talked about after he left. He quickly asked her to sit down and then inquired what had happened.

Sheng Linglong took his hand and pulled him to sit up on the bed, their bodies almost touching. She wanted to say something, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her face flushed, and she turned her face away, not daring to look him in the eye. Her lips trembled, and in the end, she could only force herself to remain calm: "It's nothing, it's just... my father admires you very much..."

Yun Chu'an wondered what was wrong, and upon hearing this, he immediately smiled, then humbly said, "I am fortunate to have received such favor from the King, but I am unworthy of it."

Sheng Linglong looked at him, growing more and more fond of him. After a moment's thought, she whispered, "Hey, Chu'an, why don't you participate in that martial arts tournament in a few days?" (Mei...I...I think you're free...Lin Zaizai...)

Yun Chu'an was taken aback: "Huh? Isn't that a stage for young people to shine? Why would I join in?"

While listening to the proceedings in the court, he also heard about the conference. In his view, the conference was a martial arts examination held by the Jin Kingdom, giving outstanding Golden Core cultivators who had not obtained official positions an opportunity. If they could win first place, they could enter the court and serve the king.

But Yun Chuan doesn't need these things. His strength was clearly seen by both Sheng Linglong and Ge Xiang during the battle against the Yellow Python Ancestor. They knew that he was not only powerful but also had unlimited potential.

The Prince of Jin must already know about his situation, so subconsciously, Yun Chu'an felt that he no longer needed to compete with other Golden Core cultivators for this opportunity.

Seeing that he was about to give up this opportunity, Sheng Linglong immediately said coquettishly, "Oh dear, what are you being so modest about? Although we all know your talent, there are still so many people in Jin who don't know it."

“We must keep the matter of Ancestor Huangmang a secret from the outside world. Therefore, if Father wants to promote you, there must be a plausible reason. Isn’t this a good opportunity? You…you must get a good ranking.”