"Speak!"
Qing Lan Shangren was very pleased. He thought that after his explanation,
Ji Shiyou would surely understand the responsibility he bore and change his previous views.
He must now understand his painstaking efforts and be ready to pledge his loyalty.
"Master, as a son, I first represent my father in thanking you for saving his life.
Otherwise, I would not exist.
Secondly, your disciple thanks you again for the arrangements you have made for him.
If it weren't for your tireless efforts, I would not have grown up safely.
Furthermore, I thank you for your five years of diligent teaching, which has equipped me with skills.
However, I do not agree with your methods. I admire and envy my father.
He is willing to do anything for the one he loves.
Restoring the kingdom might be your goal.
But the matter of restoring the kingdom is our family affair.
Since my father was unwilling, why do you insist on imposing it on him?
Twenty years ago, my father was unwilling.
Twenty years later, I am also unwilling.
The Tianxuan Kingdom is already history, so why force it?
Now the world is peaceful, and the people live and work in peace and contentment.
Why should we engage in war again to restore the Tianxuan Dynasty?
War only leads to waste of resources and hardship for the people.
It will leave the people of the world displaced. I do not wish to disrupt the peace of the world.
Moreover, I share the same sentiment as my father; I only wish to spend my life with the one I love.
For this, I am willing to give up everything, including my current status and position."
Ji Shiyou deeply admired his biological father, whom he had never met.
In his heart, his father was not as cowardly as Qing Lan Shangren described.
To give up the world and his life for the one he loved, how courageous that was.
To pursue happiness regardless of the cost, this was exactly what he sought.
Furthermore, his intentions were clearly expressed.
It was as if he was directly saying, whether to restore the kingdom or not
is our family's business, what does it have to do with you, Qing Lan Shangren?
"Unfilial disciple, just like your father.
You are devoid of ambition and only obsessed with romantic entanglements.
How can you face the past emperors of Tianxuan? You are truly unworthy of your ancestors!
I feared that you would follow in your father's footsteps.
That is why I demanded that you sever all emotional ties and stay away from romantic affections.
I have explained myself so clearly, yet you remain so stubborn?
You are infuriating me! You are forcing me to act and sever your desires!"
Qing Lan Shangren feared most that Ji Shiyou would become like his father,
his mind clouded by love, abandoning the great cause of restoring the kingdom.
He believed that the Crown Prince of Tianxuan had abandoned the restoration of the kingdom
because his ambition was eroded by romantic love. Otherwise, twenty years ago,
the kingdom would have been restored and his great enterprise achieved.
Therefore, Qing Lan Shangren was extremely vigilant with Ji Shiyou,
even forcing him to take the Soul Severing Pill to make him sever all emotional ties.
Yet, it was all in vain, and history was repeating itself with striking similarity.
Seeing Ji Shiyou about to tread the same path as his father,
Ji Shiyou's words enraged him and filled him with malice.
He decided that Mingyue could no longer be allowed to live, or there would be endless troubles.
"Master, what are you going to do?
I will tell you the truth, Master. If you dare to harm a single hair on Mingyue's head,
I will, even if it means mutual destruction and our master-disciple relationship being severed,
I will make you pay the price.
At worst, I will follow my father's example and die with Mingyue.
At that point, the only bloodline of the Tianxuan royal family will be extinguished. Then, how will you restore the kingdom!"
Upon hearing his master's words, Ji Shiyou's eyes also turned red.
He knew that his cultivation was inferior to Qing Lan Shangren's,
but he still stated his bottom line, threatening to die.
Now, he knew that everything Qing Lan Shangren had done had a purpose.
The gratitude he once felt towards Qing Lan Shangren had vanished.
Their master-disciple relationship had completely disappeared as Qing Lan Shangren pressed further,
threatening to harm Mingyue.
Therefore, he no longer cared about the ethics of the master-disciple relationship and argued his case.
"Good, good disciple, I have taken on a good disciple.
You have learned to threaten your master. Very well, let us both take a step back.
As long as you promise to send troops to Tianlang and unify the Tianxuan Continent, I will not harm Mingyue.
Nor will I interfere with your relationship. What do you say?"
Ji Shiyou's unyielding spirit, like a bamboo that bends but does not break, shocked Qing Lan Shangren.
He also feared that if he pushed Ji Shiyou too hard, as Ji Shiyou said, everything would be lost, and they would both perish.
So, he laughed heartily and, showing weakness, asked Ji Shiyou to send troops to Tianlang.
"Send troops to Tianlang? Why?
Isn't Tianlang country under your control? Why send troops?
If I'm not mistaken, you should be the leader of the Bloodthirsty Hall in Tianlang country, right?
If you want me to unify the Tianxuan Continent, you can simply order your nephew.
Let the Emperor of Tianlang, Rao Disha, surrender to Langyue country, and that would suffice.
Why engage in a large-scale war, causing hardship to the people and devastating the Tianxuan Continent?"
Since the relationship had already broken down, Ji Shiyou no longer followed Qing Lan Shangren's orders
to serve him unconditionally without asking why.
He was not a cruel or tyrannical person.
On the contrary, he detested war.
War between two countries would result in the loss of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
Then, parents would lose their children,
and children would lose their fathers. This was something he did not want to see.
"You are mistaken. I am no longer the leader of the Bloodthirsty Hall.
Tianlang country is also no longer under my control.
My nephew, in terms of both methods and character, is more suited to be an emperor than you."
Qing Lan Shangren let out a bitter laugh.
The reason he had been so tolerant towards Ji Shiyou was actually because Tianlang country was no longer under his control.
When the new emperor of Tianlang was young, he acted as regent.
Given the lessons of the past, he established the Bloodthirsty Hall
to serve as his own force to restrain the civil and military officials of Tianlang country.
The young new emperor was also obedient and willing to be his puppet.
Tianlang country was entirely under his control, and the civil and military officials obeyed his commands.
He was confident that if he proposed sending troops to Langyue again,
it would not be met with opposition as it had been in the past.
Therefore, he went to find Ji Shiyou with peace of mind and stayed in Wuman for five years.
When he returned to Tianlang, he found no anomalies.
In five years, the new emperor had grown into a man.
But he was still respectful and obedient to him.
The Bloodthirsty Hall also showed no abnormalities. He believed it was all under his control.
He enjoyed a few years of comfort, and when Ji Shiyou ascended the throne,
he came to Langyue to instruct Ji Shiyou to send troops to Wuman.
His plan was that after Ji Shiyou annexed Wuman, he would have Tianlang country submit to Ji Shiyou.
Everything was proceeding according to his plan, with no apparent anomalies.
Who knew that the Emperor of Tianlang, who seemed to be his obedient puppet, and his nephew Rao Disha,
whom he had supported, was the one who was truly cunning and had hidden the deepest.
When he learned that Ji Shiyou had successfully annexed Wuman and incorporated its territory into Langyue country,
Qing Lan Shangren was ecstatic because his plan was about to succeed.
Therefore, the next day, he announced
that the national title of Tianlang country would be abolished and it would join Langyue country.
The new Emperor of Tianlang outwardly did not object and readily agreed.
However, the state letter sent to Ji Shiyou only expressed peaceful coexistence between the two countries,
non-aggression, and made no mention of merging into Langyue country.
Qing Lan Shangren waited for more than half a year. Each time he inquired, the new emperor would use Ji Shiyou's lack of reply as an excuse.
Until he could no longer bear it and checked the archives,
he discovered that he had been deceived.
He immediately questioned the new emperor about what had happened.
What followed was something that greatly shocked him.