Qinglan Shangren felt a moment of helplessness when Ji Shiyou refused his offer.
He assumed Ji Shiyou suddenly gave up on Mingyue, not wanting to be threatened because of her.
This was how he measured Ji Shiyou based on his own thoughts.
As the saying goes, the Buddha sees the world as Buddha, and everyone as Buddha.
The ghost sees people as ghosts, and all beings as ghosts.
How could Mingyue, whom Ji Shiyou cherished so deeply, be abandoned?
"As you said, the Soul-Shattering Poison has already taken effect.
Mingyue will die after sunset.
It's impossible to conquer Tianlang in such a short time.
It's even more impossible to get Rao Disha's head.
That's why I said it's impossible, and don't measure me with your own thoughts.
You are not human at all, you have no human emotions.
You will never understand that in this world, nothing is more important than the feelings between two people."
Ji Shiyou looked at Qinglan Shangren, his eyes filled with disgust and pity.
"So that's the reason. You don't need to worry about this.
I was prepared. Although I don't have the antidote with me,
I brought a medicine that can delay the Soul-Shattering Poison.
As long as you take it, the onset of the Soul-Shattering Poison can be postponed for a month.
So you have a month to attack the Tianlang Kingdom.
As a token of my sincerity, I'll give you the medicine first. What do you say?"
Qinglan Shangren had a false alarm. His thoughts now were completely different from before.
He actually hoped that Ji Shiyou and Mingyue's feelings were deep.
This way, he could control Ji Shiyou through Mingyue and make him work for him.
He took out a small, emerald green medicine bottle, the size of a fingertip, from his pocket.
Qinglan Shangren tossed it to Ji Shiyou, sighing in relief in his heart.
Ji Shiyou's reaction just now had startled him.
He thought Ji Shiyou had lost control and his plan had failed.
At this moment, Ji Shiyou could not afford to consider anything else.
He poured out a pill from the medicine bottle and gave it to Mingyue.
Qinglan Shangren's goal was to control Ji Shiyou through Mingyue.
He would not tamper with the medicine and cause further complications.
After Mingyue took the pill, she woke up not long after.
Her ashen complexion returned to a healthy glow, and she moved her body as if she were perfectly fine.
"Alright, you only have a month. I won't delay any further.
As long as you bring me Rao Disha's head, you can come to me for the antidote."
Qinglan Shangren knew that Ji Shiyou hated him to the core.
His objective achieved, he did not wish to linger and turned to leave.
"Stop!"
Seeing Qinglan Shangren turn to leave, the recovered Mingyue shouted.
"Leave the antidote for the Love-Devouring Pill before you go.
Don't tell me you don't have it with you.
If you truly don't have it, then stay in the palace and refine it on the spot."
Mingyue's face was frosty, and she spoke menacingly.
She knew without asking that Ji Shiyou had agreed to Qinglan Shangren's demands for her sake. In truth, she didn't care about her own life.
But if she were to die, she wanted to remove the poison from Ji Shiyou.
She couldn't bear to see Ji Shiyou suffer and be in unbearable pain.
"Are you threatening me?"
Qinglan Shangren turned back, looking fiercely at Mingyue.
He hated being threatened the most.
He was always the one doing the threatening.
"Yes, I am threatening you.
Believe it or not, I will commit suicide right now.
You can imagine, if I die.
Will you still be able to control Ji Shiyou? What will he do?
He will not only refuse to send troops to Tianlang, but he will also spare no expense to kill you.
Do you want to try? Then I will fulfill your wish."
Mingyue, already poisoned, did not hold back.
She walked up to Qinglan Shangren, holding a dagger to her own throat.
She looked at Qinglan Shangren with a half-smile, forcing him to produce the antidote.
Ji Shiyou was anxious and wanted to stop her, but Mingyue's glare halted him.
She believed Qinglan Shangren would eventually compromise.
"You win. Here's the antidote."
Indeed, Qinglan Shangren's objective had been achieved, and he did not want further complications.
He readily handed over the antidote for the Love-Devouring Pill and then floated away.
"Mingyue, you shouldn't have risked your life for the antidote.
Even if you wanted to scare him, there was no need to injure yourself."
Ji Shiyou rushed forward, snatched the dagger from Mingyue's hand, and pulled her into his embrace.
He had truly feared that with Mingyue's fiery temper,
if Qinglan Shangren had hesitated any longer, Mingyue might have actually harmed herself.
"Take the antidote first. I risked my life for it.
It shouldn't be wasted. You could take the Love-Devouring Pill for me,
so why can't I risk my life to get the antidote for you?"
Mingyue eagerly put the antidote into Ji Shiyou's mouth.
"Do we really have to attack Tianlang as Qinglan Shangren demands?"
Xing Sheng led the imperial guards and elite soldiers away. In the study, only Mingyue and Ji Shiyou remained.
Mingyue sat opposite Ji Shiyou and suddenly asked.
She knew Ji Shiyou was a compassionate person who disliked war.
She did not want Ji Shiyou to go against his conscience and do something he was unwilling to do for her sake.
"We will fight! We must fight!
Mingyue, don't put pressure on yourself.
Even if Langyue and Tianlang are at war, it's not primarily your fault.
Attacking Tianlang, although coerced, was to get the antidote for you.
But besides being Ji Shiyou, I am also the Emperor of Langyue.
To expand our territory, unify the land, and become a legendary emperor.
This is the dream of every emperor throughout the dynasties. Qinglan Shangren misunderstood me.
Besides wanting to protect you, I also have great ambitions.
I had plans to annex Tianlang long ago.
It's just that your situation has accelerated the plan.
So this has nothing to do with you, don't overthink it."
Ji Shiyou stood before Mingyue, his demeanor one of looking down upon the world and commanding with power.
"Then, if you have such aspirations,
I will do my utmost to help you achieve them.
Let us fight side by side and unify the Tianxuan Continent!"
Mingyue knew in her heart that Ji Shiyou said this to alleviate her burden.
She did not expose him. Since the decision was made, she would stand with Ji Shiyou.
War was not child's play. They discussed it in the study for an entire afternoon.
Three days later, Ji Shiyou led an army of two hundred thousand troops on a personal expedition.
Mingyue, also in military attire, accompanied the army.
The Yun Shu brothers, leading a hundred thousand warriors from Wuman, came to assist.
The northern expeditionary army reached the border of Tianlang five days later.
They advanced like a broken bamboo, heading straight for the capital of Tianlang.
The Emperor of Tianlang, Rao Disha, led his troops in a fierce resistance.
Ten days later, after a desperate battle, the city was breached.
Fifty thousand Tianlang soldiers were killed, and Rao Disha was captured alive in the Wolf God Temple.
The Tianlang Kingdom was thus destroyed, and its entire territory was incorporated into the Langyue Kingdom.
After thirty years of division, the Tianxuan Continent was unified once again.
This northern expedition, from departure to triumphant return,
lasted twenty days and was completed before Mingyue's poison took effect.
News of the unification of heaven and earth spread throughout the continent.
Ji Shiyou renamed the kingdom in Mingyue's honor, calling it the Mingyue Dynasty.
Yun Shu was enfeoffed as the King of Wuman, and Mingyue's second brother was made the King of Tianlang, governing the regions of Wuman and Tianlang.
From then on, the Tianxuan Continent lived in peace, and all were one family.
The people could rest and recuperate, and there was widespread celebration.
As time passed, the month-long deadline for the poison's effect drew nearer.
Ji Shiyou became increasingly anxious because Qinglan Shangren had not appeared.
Ji Shiyou sent people to search everywhere, but there was no news.
Qinglan Shangren seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.