Bamboo Chest Chapter Thirty-Six: The Future White Plains Kingdom

Although only a few months had passed since they last met, the reunion felt like a meeting between old friends who had been separated for years. Anluo was the first member of the Wild Demon tribes, other than Lu Cui, to show the boy kindness, and he cherished this hard-won bond dearly.

"So, you really are the Daoist Yun from the White Plains Kingdom!" Kesa gripped his wooden staff tightly, yet in the presence of Lady Deyue, he dared not strike. Consequently, the High Priest of the Changxing Kingdom found himself in an incredibly awkward position.

"Brother Lu, may we talk later? I need to handle this first," Anluo said, gesturing toward Kesa.

Lu Yun nodded. "Please, go ahead."

Kesa watched with a grim expression as Anluo approached him. In just a few months, Anluo had truly grown into the stature of a prince; every gesture radiated a majesty that even Kesa could sense.

"Senior Kesa, tell me, why must we fight?" Anluo smiled as he walked to Lady Deyue’s side. "The person beside me is a true immortal. Like her, our White Plains Kingdom cannot bear to see the common people suffer, regardless of whether they are subjects of the White Plains or the Changxing..."

"What exactly are you trying to say?!" Kesa demanded, furious.

"What I want to say is..." Anluo pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Kesa. "Couldn't we just avoid the war?"

Kesa took the paper with hesitation. After reading it for a few moments, his knuckles whitened. "This is outrageous! Is your White Plains Kingdom trying to humiliate us?!"

Anluo did not answer; he simply smiled at Kesa. He knew that despite the High Priest’s fury, he would never dare to attack. If Kesa were to flee from Lady Deyue, the Changxing Kingdom would lose its top combatant, making its destruction at the hands of the White Plains inevitable.

Kesa dared not gamble, even with the paper listing the three conditions of the White Plains Kingdom in his hand:

First, the Changxing Kingdom must submit to the White Plains Kingdom and become a province under its rule.
Second, the Emperor of the Changxing Kingdom must be demoted to a feudatory prince stationed in the White Plains, and Kesa himself must remain in Qianjing City, forbidden from leaving without orders.
Third, the Changxing Kingdom—or rather, the Changxing Province—must unconditionally execute any decree issued by Qianjing City from this day forward.

In Kesa’s eyes, these three terms were no different from the total annihilation of his nation. If the Changxing Kingdom were to survive under such humiliation, it would inevitably be completely absorbed by the White Plains Kingdom as time went on.

"We are not in a hurry. You have one day, High Priest. Consider it carefully." Anluo did not force an immediate answer; sometimes, being too aggressive could lead to the opposite of the desired result. Patience was the second most valuable lesson he had learned from his grandfather. As for the most valuable...

"Come, Brother Lu, let’s go have a drink!" Anluo turned and clapped a hand on Lu Yun’s shoulder, laughing heartily. "I’ve missed you to death!"

Although Lu Yun’s expression showed a trace of disdain, the corners of his mouth curled upward ever so slightly.

Fengfeng watched their departing backs, her brows knitting together.

"Are you willing to join forces with me?" Kesa looked at her. "I can guess what you want. You simply don't want the city you represent to be completely swallowed by the White Plains Kingdom. You want to retain some autonomy, so that when your cultivation is successful in the future, you can lead them to break away."

Fengfeng remained silent. What Kesa described was exactly what she had been thinking. That was why she had orchestrated the ship hijacking—to let the people know she was still alive and had escaped the oppression of the White Plains. But she would return, and when she did, she would restore their freedom.

But now... her plans had been thwarted by Lu Yun and Anluo, and the people in the city might even turn to suspecting her.

After a long silence, Fengfeng nodded. "I agree."

Outside the borders of the Changxing Kingdom, an army slowly advanced toward the great river that originated from the Sacred Mountain and flowed to all corners of the world. The river surged, and Yun Mo, surrounded by his retinue, stood at the water's edge.

"I wonder if the handful of water he once scooped up came from this very river," Yun Mo whispered.

"Don't dwell on it." Standing behind him was a spirited woman with red hair—Hong Yu. She was dressed in a pale green palace gown with white trim, and her simple shawl was embroidered with a few orchids, exuding a sense of grandeur.

Yun Mo turned back and smiled at her. "I just felt a sudden trance. Seeing this river, it’s as if the people of yesterday have appeared before me. I can hear them questioning me..."

Hong Yu stepped forward and took his hand.

Yun Mo stroked her hand, which was as smooth as white jade, and murmured, "They are asking me: 'On what grounds do you, Yun Mo, think you can advance the White Plains Kingdom and keep it from being crushed by the other great powers of the Wild World?'"

Then, looking at the rushing river, Yun Mo laughed aloud. "I will not answer them. I will show them slowly!"

One day, the White Plains Kingdom would stand at the pinnacle of the Wild World, revered by all nations. By then, it would be just as Yun Mo had envisioned: a land of orderly government, harmonious people, and thriving prosperity.