Chapter Sixty-Five: The Emperor's Invitation

After hearing Elder Li’s transmission, Feng Juechu’s last shred of wishful thinking was extinguished; he understood that today’s matter was truly beyond remedy. A hint of regret crept over him for not taking action immediately after the incident. Though he had not been prepared then and victory was uncertain, at least there had been hope. Now, with the situation blown out of proportion, any designs on the Myriad Medicines Valley were out of reach, and even making a move on Li Xingyu openly would be nearly impossible. All he could do was hope Elder Li might deal with him in secret.

Feng Juechu, after all, had presided over a top family for many years—a master strategist, ruthless and decisive. Once he sized up the situation, his mind was made up. Now, he had to consider how to minimize the impact of this incident on the Tianfeng family. The other powers within the Divine Gift Empire were already wary of Tianfeng; if this was mishandled, their whole plan might be scrapped and many lingering troubles would be left behind.

Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he said directly, “Your Majesty, I came here in a moment of distress, seeking an explanation because my son was gravely injured by Valley Master Zhong’s granddaughter and Li Xingyu, who is now within the Myriad Medicines Valley.” His words deftly avoided the main issue, focusing only on the surface reason. But since his son truly was seriously wounded, and as the eldest son and heir of Tianfeng, his actions today could be justified, at least on the surface.

Zhong Xuanhuang and the others were well aware of the real reasons, but since Feng Juechu’s explanation was reasonable and there was a hint of concession in his tone, they did not wish to press him too hard, lest desperation drive him to act rashly. Zhong Xuanhuang had no desire to see the guests he invited suffer heavy casualties, and others felt much the same. Thus, after Feng Juechu spoke, no one from Li Xingyu’s side said anything.

The emperor, having some idea of the underlying causes, saw that no one objected and did not want to complicate things further. With so many forces present, an open conflict would have too great an impact on the empire, and not even the royal family could guarantee control. Thus he said, “So that’s how it is. How is your son’s injury now? I believe there’s been some misunderstanding here. Let’s go inside and discuss things clearly. Once the misunderstanding is resolved, all will be well. What do you all think?” The emperor neither probed the deeper reasons nor followed Feng Juechu’s narrative, chalking the injury up to a misunderstanding. In the world of politics, the struggles between great powers are often left with room for compromise; if every conflict were taken to the limit, requiring a fight to the death, there would not be so many established powers surviving in the Divine Gift Empire.

To have his son so gravely injured, yet the emperor merely offered a brief, casual inquiry, and even hinted at protecting the Myriad Medicines Valley rather than holding them responsible, made Feng Juechu deeply uncomfortable. It wasn’t just anger at the emperor’s lack of support for his wounded son; rather, he sensed the royal family’s wariness and veiled warning toward his own. As the mightiest family after the imperial house, it was galling that the emperor wanted him to negotiate with the valley as equals. Yet, given the circumstances, he had no choice but to compromise, silently plotting revenge once their plan succeeded. Outwardly, he said, “Since Your Majesty has spoken, I have no objection. I only wonder what Valley Master Zhong’s thoughts are.”

“I had intended to seek an explanation from the Feng patriarch for your son’s deeds as well. Since His Majesty suggests it, let us all discuss inside the valley. Please!” With that, Valley Master Zhong turned and walked inside without waiting for a response. The Mu clan leader followed after some thought, while the emperor glanced at Feng Juechu.

Though furious at Zhong’s words, Feng Juechu knew that arguing now was pointless. Despite his grim expression, he brought along two elders from his clan and headed into the valley. Bringing the elders was both a precaution, in case Zhong’s people made a sudden move, and because the outcome of this meeting could greatly affect the family’s future—some decisions, even for a patriarch, required the elders’ counsel. No one found this action surprising. Seeing the main parties entering, the emperor glanced at Li Xingyu and then followed alone.

Although imperial power was heavily checked within the Divine Gift Empire and could not coerce the great powers, the royal family’s prestige and strength were still unmatched. Confident in his own abilities as well, the emperor had no fear of entering the valley alone.

Li Xingyu had intended to enter as well—after all, he was at the center of the incident and the real target of the Tianfeng family’s move. But noticing that the black-robed man from Tianfeng and the old man from the royal family remained outside, he reconsidered. Whatever was decided, it would not affect him greatly. Even if all three sides attacked him, if he unleashed his full power and used his laser gun and spacesuit for protection, escaping would not be difficult. Besides, with Mu Chenhua there—who still wanted more cultivation methods from him—he was in no real danger. So Li Xingyu simply stood where he was, observing the black-robed man and the royal elder, lost in thought.

After the leaders entered the valley, those outside realized that with the main figures in negotiations, no one would be fighting today. The atmosphere relaxed; members of the Myriad Medicines Valley and Mu Chenhua’s group began to chat quietly with those around them. Some loners even sat down to meditate. The Ouyang clan head and others merely exchanged glances with Li Xingyu from afar before quietly consulting among themselves. After all, with the Tianfeng clan between them and Li Xingyu, approaching directly could cause misunderstandings. Though determined to help Li Xingyu if needed, none wished to fight if it could be avoided.

The black-robed man from the Tianfeng clan neither looked at Li Xingyu nor the royal elder, merely standing with head slightly bowed, deep in his own schemes. The royal elder, seeing no move from the black-robed man, considered him for a moment, then shifted his gaze back to Li Xingyu. Truthfully, the young man’s appearance astonished him. He even wondered if he might exchange insights with Li Xingyu, since on this planet, Li Xingyu was the only other cultivator to reach the Spirit Condensation stage, and at such a young age! This spoke of extraordinary fortune. Perhaps, by communicating, he could break through his own decades-long bottleneck. Who could say if Li Xingyu’s appearance was not a stroke of fate for him?

An hour later, those who had entered the valley returned to their respective groups. The emperor, Mu Chenhua, and Valley Master Zhong all wore smiles, but only Feng Juechu’s face was dark as thunder. He shot Li Xingyu a deep look, said, “Let’s go,” to his clan, and turned to leave. His people quickly followed suit.

Just as the emperor was about to depart, he heard a transmission from the royal grand-uncle and glanced curiously at Li Xingyu. Then he said, “Young Master Li, I’ve heard tales of you before and always wondered what kind of person you are. Meeting you today, I see you are truly a dragon among men, so talented at such a young age. Should you ever come to the capital, please be sure to visit the palace.”

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