Xiao Shuang looked at Bu Jiang and asked, “Does Your Majesty mean that you are not going to agree to them?”
“Not exactly,” Bu Jiang replied, propping her chin up with one hand and casually gazing at the long letter on the table. “After all, the spiritual veins of Heishi City are also on the verge of collapse. Who knows what those old geezers in the immortal cultivation world know? If there really is an immortal remedy in the Golden Gate Ruins that can restore the spiritual veins, it might be worth a visit. You also know,” she sighed, “that the Demon Race alone cannot open the Golden Gate Ruins.”
When Gui Diaotang was being hunted, Bu Jiang had just given birth to Zanxing. At that time, there were also some disgruntled former subordinates of Gui Diaotang in Heishi City. With sect cultivators in front and internal enemies behind, Bu Jiang had to remove the Demon King’s mark from Zanxing and hide her among humans.
Bu Jiang had to suppress the internal strife in Heishi City, so she couldn’t join Gui Diaotang in confronting the enemy. Of course, this was also Gui Diaotang’s decision. He realized that being hunted by the major sects of the immortal cultivation world, and having fallen into madness himself, his situation was dire. Thus, he fled to the Golden Gate Ruins.
The Golden Gate Ruins is said to be a passage connecting the heavenly realm and the mortal realm. Gui Diaotang had once seen the Golden Gate Ruins open by chance. To be precise, he did not actually enter the Golden Gate Ruins; instead, he picked up a pearl that rolled out when the Golden Gate Ruins opened.
That pearl was the Xiao Yuan Pearl.
“He only gave me one key,” Bu Jiang said lightly. “In the end, he didn’t tell me what the key was for. I only know that to open the Golden Gate Ruins, the power of the Demon Race alone is not enough. The Demon King’s power is yin, while the human race’s power is yang. Only with the balance of yin and yang can the key turn. Back then, he used this method to lure Qinghua to follow him, intending to use Qinghua to hide in the Golden Gate Ruins, but he ended up perishing inside instead.” At this point, Bu Jiang’s voice grew a bit melancholic. “That’s fate.”
“But now, those sects…”
“I see they are eager to enter the Golden Gate Ruins, disregarding even ancient grudges, which means they are truly at their wit’s end. After all, the flood is still rampant, and while the Demon Race can resist it to some extent, the common people cannot. Moreover, without the spiritual veins to supply spiritual energy, it is far more terrifying for the sects than having another ruthless Demon King emerge.”
Xiao Shuang hesitated for a moment, “Does Your Majesty have other plans?”
“Now, there is no other option. We must go to the Golden Gate Ruins. However, we cannot follow their rules,” Bu Jiang said with a slight smile. “Now that they are begging us and offering us such a good opportunity on a silver platter, how can we refuse?” She waved her sleeve, and a long piece of parchment appeared before her. Xiao Shuang handed over the paper, and Bu Jiang clicked her tongue, tilting her head in thought. “What should we ask for?”
“If Your Highness is not in a hurry, I can draft a list for Your Highness to review and choose from.”
Bu Jiang admired Xiao Shuang and praised, “You are indeed considerate.”
The letter sent by Sect Shaoyang Zhenren Zhenren to Heishi City was only one page, but the reply from Heishi City was a full ninety-nine pages.
The reply did not mention much else, only stating that the Demon Race had been relentlessly pursued by sect cultivators over the years and had to hide in Heishi City, making their lives very difficult. The Demon Race was so impoverished that they sometimes suffered injuries from attacks by cultivators and had no spiritual herbs or pills for treatment. Their food and necessities were far from what they used to have.
Since the immortal cultivation world said that past events were all a misunderstanding, they could not keep clinging to old grievances. With the current flood disaster, the demon and human races should join hands to overcome the crisis.
Therefore, as friends, should they not offer a helping hand upon seeing their neighbors in such dire straits?
Heishi City’s people were neither opportunistic nor extortionists. Along with the letter, they included a list of ninety-nine pages detailing the supplies needed by the city and requested their ‘friends’ to extend their assistance.
After reading the letter in the Jinhua Hall, Daoist Lingxin almost fainted from anger. “Shameless! How is this any different from extortion?”
“You might as well call it a transaction,” Rong Shuang replied coldly.
“Even if it’s a transaction, it’s still a bargain,” Fu Ronghua said with a slight cough. “After all, spiritual veins are the foundation of the major sects. These are just external items.” As he read through the list page by page, his face gradually turned pale. Finally, he managed to say, “The people of Heishi City are really not being polite.”
The various sects were currently low on resources, and the Demon Race really dared to make such high demands.
“It’s a bit excessive, but if everyone chips in, we might barely manage to gather enough,” Fu Ronghua said, his gaze falling on the end of the long letter. “However…”
Rong Shuang asked, “However, what?”
“However, the letter states that to obtain the key, the sects of the immortal cultivation world must send their own representatives. Since Zanxing once practiced in the Taiyan Sect, only Shaoyang Zhenren from the Taiyan Sect is allowed to enter Heishi City this time. No one else is permitted to enter.”
“Why?” Daoist Lingxin said angrily. “Why can’t we go in?”
“Why else? Of course, it’s because they don’t trust us,” Xuan Lingzi said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, his tone laced with sarcasm. “What if the major sects arrive at Heishi City, make a big fuss after entering, and start fighting or ambushing the Demon Race? The people of Heishi City are not fools, they naturally need to be cautious.”
“Doesn’t he fear turning on us?” Daoist Lingxin pointed to the silent Shaoyang Zhenren.
Xuan Lingzi’s smile was sincere. “You mentioned that our Taiyan Sect is in cahoots with the Demon Race, so naturally, our relationship with them is deeper than that of other sects.”
“You!”
Rong Shuang coldly interrupted the argument, turning to Xuan Lingzi. “It seems the Demon Queen of Heishi City trusts Shaoyang Zhenren quite a bit. In that case, Shaoyang Zhenren should go. However, since we are all in the same boat in the immortal cultivation world now, it’s impossible for only the Taiyan Sect to bear the risk alone. We will wait on the other side of the Mingming River. Once Shaoyang Zhenren obtains the key, he should come out immediately.” She glanced at the others in the hall. “As for the disciples of the Taiyan Sect, we will certainly keep an eye on them as well.”
Her words were a blatant threat: if Shaoyang Zhenren dared to leave with the key alone, the entire sect would face a siege from the major sects of the immortal cultivation world.
Even though the major sects of the immortal cultivation world and the people present had known each other for years and had deep connections, the conflicts among the human race had never ceased—neither before the flood nor after it.
The hall fell silent.
Rong Shuang looked at the person on the high seat, her gaze carrying a hint of mockery. “What does Shaoyang Zhenren think?”
After a moment, Shaoyang Zhenren replied lightly, “Fine.”