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Chapter 212 - Betrayal
The peak of the Western Mountain.
A forest of pine needles rustled in a churning sea of clouds.
Two sets of tables and chairs stood in a clearing, facing each other.
Provincial Governor Xiang Tianqiu, as well as the heads of the Zhao, Bai, and Yu Families, were already seated and chatting amongst themselves.
These were men who could shake the entire provincial capital with a single stomp of their feet. All four illustrious authority figures seemed perfectly at ease.
Yu Baiting keenly picked up on the two unfamiliar faces seated beside Xiang Tianqiu.
One was a weather-worn, white-haired elder. He had a simple appearance, and he wore Daoist robes patterned with wind and fire. He seemed utterly serene.
The other was a handsome middle-aged man with a feather fan. He’d clearly put an enormous amount of thought into every article of clothing he wore, and both his movements and his bearing were graceful and poised.
Xiang Tianqiu hadn’t introduced either of them, but Yu Baiting was already certain that, whoever they were, their origins were nothing to sneeze at.
It was even highly likely that these two were Xiang Tianqiu’s long-hidden trump cards!
As soon as this thought occurred to Yu Baiting, he rejected it. No, an old fox like Xiang Tianqiu undoubtedly has more than that in reserve.
Just as he was mulling this over, the sound of sonorous drumbeats emanated from the foot of the mountain, followed by a booming shout:
“His Sixth Highness has arrived—!”
The voice reached all the way into the clouds.
When Xiang Tianqiu heard it, he looked around and laughed. “Everyone, let’s see just how many delightful surprises His Sixth Highness has brought for us.”
They couldn’t help but laugh. All of them were leisurely and at ease.
Xiang Tianqiu then glanced at the golden-robed man beside him and chuckled, “Your Lordship Zhang, after today’s Tea Party, you are to become the new governor of the Imperatorial Province. You’ll have to treat us all to a proper banquet to celebrate.”
The man in golden robes was majestic and imposing, and his hair and beard were dark as ink. This was the governor of the Huai’an Prefecture, Zhang Lingyu.
He hurriedly clasped his fists in response. “Governor Xiang, I’m grateful for your auspicious words. Last night, I already ordered my subordinates to arrange a banquet at the Cloudscouring Tower. All everyone has to do is show up!”
Before long, they heard the sound of footsteps traveling up the nearby path. Xiang Tianqiu and his companions promptly ceased their conversation and looked over.
They then saw the sixth prince, Zhou Zhili, leading a group toward the clearing.
“Sixth Highness, we’ve been waiting for you! Please, right this way!” Xiang Tianqiu greeted him with a burst of hearty laughter, then took the initiative to welcome him.
Zhou Zhili’s expression already had the dignified majesty of an imperial prince. He lightly clasped his fists. “I’ve kept you waiting.”
“We only just got here,” said Xiang Tianqiu with another laugh. “Please, take a seat.”
Zhou Zhili nodded and asked, “Is the Cloudlight Marquis present?”
He saw the Redscale Army standing guard at the foot of the mountain, so he’d assumed that the Cloudlight Marquis, Shen Jiusong, was already waiting for him on the mountain.
Xiang Tianqiu smiled. “Last night, the Cloudlight Marquis went to Heaven’s Origin Academy to visit an old friend. He doesn’t plan to participate in our Tea Party in person.”
Zhou Zhili responded with a simple “oh”, then said no more.
But it was then that Chang Guoke exclaimed, “Senior Apprentice Brother Kang? What are you doing here?”
The rustic-looking white-haired elder said calmly, “Junior Apprentice Brother Chang, Junior Apprentice Sister Qing Jin, I’m here on another’s orders too.”
Chang Guoke and Qing Jin glanced at each other. Their hearts sank.
The elder was called “Kang Shanjing”, and he was one of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s outer sect deacons. He followed the vice sect master, Shi Fengliu.
And Shi Fengliu was the third prince’s master.
In other words, Kang Shanjing was in the third prince’s camp!
Chang Guoke certainly hadn’t forgotten that, not long ago, three of the third prince’s Grandmaster-level retainers had chased him through the wilderness with the intent to kill!
Seeing Kang Shanjing here now, Chang Guoke didn’t even need to pause to think. It was immediately obvious that the old man was here to support Xiang Tianqiu!
He was a supporter of the third prince, yet he’d appeared in the second prince’s camp. This was actually rather easy to understand; the two princes had long since formed an alliance.
Zhou Zhili’s heart thudded in his chest, and his gaze was instantly solemn. He didn’t recognize Kang Shanjing, but he could tell that he was from the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect!
“Well played, Your Lordship.” Zhou Zhili sighed.
Xiang Tianqiu laughed heartily back. “This certainly wasn’t my doing. I don’t have that kind of influence.”
He then turned to the crowd. “Everyone, this is an expert from the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect, Daoist Kang Shanjing, a third-level Grandmaster. He’s a true reclusive expert!”
Yu Baiting’s heart shook, and he inwardly sighed. Who could have guessed this? It’s just a ‘tea party’, yet even experts from the Great Zhou’s number-one holy land are getting involved!
The head of the Zhao Family, Zhao Qing, the head of the Bai Family, Bai Hanhai, and Zhang Lingyu’s hearts shook as well. When they next looked at Kang Shanjing, their expressions had changed.
Only the handsome-bordering-on-beautiful man with the feather fan remained as calm as he had before. It seemed he already knew about this.
In contrast, Zheng Tianhe and Mu Zhongting’s hearts sank. They’d only just arrived at the mountaintop, yet the opposition was already showing off their strength.
None of them had even considered the possibility that Kang Shanjing might appear here!
Cha Jin was somewhat nervous. She was from the Great Wei’s Wheel of the Moon Sect. In a place like this, it was hard to avoid fear of others seeing through her identity.
But it was soon obvious that she’d worried for nothing.
Although those present exclaimed over her beauty, they didn’t pay much attention to her.
Only Su Yi remained unmoved by what was happening; it was as if he didn’t even see it.
Those present might possess towering authority within the mundane world, but to him, they were nothing but a bunch of strangers. Who cared about their origins or their statuses? None of that mattered. He naturally couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to them.
“Your Highness, please, take a seat,” said Xiang Tianqiu invitingly.
Zhou Zhili nodded, then took a seat at the head of the other table.
Chang Guoke and Zheng Tianhe both took their seats, but Su Yi just paused to survey his surroundings. Finally, he chose a spot near the cliffside and said, “Put the wicker chair over there.”
Cha Jin hurriedly did as she was told. Then, beneath the crowd’s dumbstruck gazes, Su Yi slumped back into his wicker chair.
From the angle of his back, he could see the roiling sea of clouds. It was a magnificent sight.
Those nearby were looking at him strangely, but Su Yi ignored them completely.
When Su Xuanjun conducted his affairs, how could he possibly pay the opinions of the mundane world any heed?
How could the sight of mundane men squabbling over mundane authority possibly compare to the sheer beauty of the cloudy skies?
When Zhou Zhili, Zheng Tianhe and the others saw this, they found it strange too. Judging by his lazy demeanor, it really did seem like Su Yi was here on vacation….
But it was strange; for some inexplicable reason, seeing this actually made them feel calmer.
It seemed that the lazier Su Yi was and the less he acted in accordance with conventional rules, the more obvious he seemed.
But to Xiang Tianqiu and his allies, the word “impudent” was no longer sufficient to describe Su Yi’s behavior. He was simply arrogant beyond reasoning!
But each of them was shrewder than the last. They naturally wouldn’t lose their tempers or resort to raising their voices over this.
“Sixth Highness, might that be Young Lord Su?” chuckled Xiang Tianqiu.
“That’s right,” said Zhou Zhili flatly.
Xiang Tianqiu sighed. “What’s youth without a little frivolity? Young Lord Su’s bearing is truly different from others his age.”
Zhou Zhili’s brow furrowed slightly. “Your Excellency, we’re all here, so why not get right down to business?”
Xiang Tianqiu couldn’t agree more. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
He then pointed to the governor of the Huai’an Prefecture, Zhang Lingyu. “Your Highness, this is the new provincial governor we’ve chosen. So long as you give the nod, today’s Tea Party can end with a mutual celebration.”
Zhou Zhili snorted coldly. “I’m here on my Imperial Father’s orders specifically to take responsibility for appointing the next governor of the Imperatorial Province. How could you possibly decide this matter? Don’t tell me you tend to disobey his orders?”
Xiang Tianqiu was briefly stunned. Then, he laughed. “But to the best of my knowledge, His Majesty also said that if His Second Highness had a suitable candidate, he could recommend them to compete for the position. And the esteemed Zhang Lingyu is the man His Second Highness has selected. He’s experienced, powerful, and proficient in strategic thinking. None could be more suitable for the role of Provincial Governor than him.”
Zhou Zhili responded with cold indifference. “The way I see it, Mu Zhongting is the superior candidate.”
As they spoke, they stared daggers at each other. The atmosphere throughout the entire Tea Party was instantly stifled.
Only Su Yi didn’t even seem to notice. He just leaned back in his chair, sipping wine and snacking on the refreshments Cha Jin had prepared as he admired the vast sea of clouds and the radiant, hazy light of the rising sun. He was perfectly leisurely and at ease.
“Sixth Highness, how about we lay everything out in the open? It seems that, given the circumstances, you no longer have any chance of electing Mu Zhongting to the seat of provincial governor.” Xiang Tianqiu stared intently at the prince and smiled. “At the same time, I have no desire to ruin our relationship. How about… you take a step back?”
He spoke with complete assurance, his expression filled with confidence and disdain, as if he knew he already had this in the bag.
Zhou Zhili snorted coldly. “Why don’t you back down?”
Xiang Tianqiu’s smile instantly faded, and he sighed, “I respect you, Your Highness, but if you insist on making this difficult, we’ll have to argue for what is right.”
Zhou Zhili sneered. “Enough. Drop the nonsense. Hurry up and show me your cards. If I can counter them, then I’m sorry, but you cannot decide your replacement.”
Xiang Tianqiu couldn’t help but laugh. “Your Highness, you’re straightforward and to the point. In that case, I apologize for any unpleasantness.”
He then glanced at the head of the Xue Family, Xue Ningyuan. “Brother Xue, might you join me over here?”
Zhou Zhili and company were momentarily stunned. Then, their expressions shifted.
They could only watch as Xue Ningyuan rose, sighed, clasped his fist, and said, “Sixth Highness, it’s not that I don’t support your way of doing things, but I really do think that the second prince’s chosen candidate, Zhang Lingyu, is the superior choice for the position.”
Just one simple declaration, yet the entire venue fell silent.
Zhou Zhili and his allies’ expressions changed erratically; all of them had been caught off guard.
None of them could ever have anticipated that Family Head Xue had long since betrayed them and chosen to join the second prince’s camp instead!
When Yu Baiting saw this, he couldn’t help but glance at Xiang Tianqiu once more. So, the old fox was hiding a card like this up his sleeves!
When he saw Xue Ningyuan proceed to the opposition’s side, Zhou Zhili’s expression instantly darkened. “Xue Ningyuan, you’re the head of your family, yet you’ve gone back on your word. You’re capricious and unfaithful. Aren’t you afraid of the world’s mockery?”
The elegant, scholarly Xue Ningyuan sighed. “A fine bird carefully chooses where to build its nest. Similarly, a wise man carefully chooses his patron. I carry responsibility for the entire Xue Family on my shoulders. I naturally cannot follow you down the path of no return.”
He paused, then said lightly, “Your Highness, a wise man adapts to the circumstances. You can see it too: you are currently at a disadvantage. Why not back down?”
“First you betray me. Now, you’re telling me to lower my head and submit?” Zhou Zhili was so angry that he laughed.
“Your Highness, fury won’t solve your problems.” As Xue Ningyuan, he pointed to the cliffside, where Su Yi was reclining. His voice was rife with disdain. “Or are you going to tell me that you really think that complacent, arrogant, self-impressed Su Yi can help you turn the tides even now?”