Chapter 472 - Not Intentionally Targeting Anyone
After coming down from the Seven Peaches Mountain, Liu Mengde did not head to Xi Liang but instead, turned back to the state of Da Xi and had an audience with the Monarch of Da Xi.
The Monarch asked, "National advisor, why did you return so swiftly? What did the Master of the Xi Liang City said?"
Liu Mengde answered, "You need to stop fighting if you want to protect Da Xi."
The Monarch responded, "What do you mean?"
Liu Mengde said, "The Master of Xi Liang City had a son who was a phenomenon person and he could single-handedly turn the state of Da Xi around. If you insists of fighting, I do not dare to take action on behalf of the state."
The Monarch smiled, "I"ve always knew that you are a wise person but it"s ridiculous that one person can single-handedly turn a country around. The city of Xi Liang is expanding and blooming. Sooner or later, they will come and violate me. If they do not give a proper explanation, how can I face our people?"
Liu Mengde tried his best to convince the Monarch but to no avail, and he left. The Monarch of Da Xi had other plans in mind. His objective was to make Xi Liang surrender to them and dispel their rising momentum. It does not necessarily mean that they had to go to war.
The highest form of general s.h.i.+p was to counter-attack the enemy"s plans; the next best was to prevent the junction of the enemy"s separated forces; and the worst policy of all was to besiege walled cities. Unless necessary, the Monarch of Da Xi would prefer to avoid war, but this does not mean that he was afraid of using force.
Moreover, he did not believe that a person could single-handedly overturn a country.
The waters of the Luo River surged as the troops of Da Xi stood by the other side of the river. The troops gathered together like a cloud of warriors. Even the tigers, leopards, and other beasts were intimidated by their them. Once the water level of the Luo River decreases, they would cross over from the shallow part of the river.
The state of Da Xi did not only had Liu Mengde as their national advisor, they also had a medium who was an expert in astronomy and geography. The medium predicted that the water level would go down in three days and the weather had been really sunny for the next few days. The water evaporated fast and the water level decreased greatly. Soon enough, the water level receded to around a person"s waist-height and the state of Da Xi decided to cross the river that night.
On the other hand, the troops of Xi Liang city were on standby across the river.
Chen Qing visited the camp personally with a solemn face. Although the majority of her subordinates had cultivated the Shenzu Scripture, not all of them were capable of flying on eaves or walking on walls. Furthermore, their combat experience were not as much as their opponents who were capable of intimidating tigers and leopards. This showed how dangerous this battle could be.
She had done plenty of preparations for the battle, so much so that she had not been getting proper sleep for the past few days and depended on Shen Lian"s holy water to keep her moving. She had more responsibilities on her shoulder now, she had to fight for her people as well as for the sake of her daughter.
Compared to Shen Lian, she had invested a lot of love in her daughter.
This war would be quite dangerous and that was why she entrusted her daughter under the care of Shen Lian who was at Mount Jieyang.
This time, she did not want to rely on the powers of Shen Lian and wanted to make a career with her own hands. Although she unified a land spanning three thousand miles, it was still nothing to Shen Lian.
Chen Qing observed the drop in the water level and knew that at one point, the opponent would overcome the trials of nature and the warriors that were more ferocious than the untamed beast would charge towards them. That would be a great war.
On the evening of the third day, a paper crane flew into the camp. Chen Qing took over the paper crane and read the message on it. She let out a bitter laugh and ordered the troops to return to city of Xi Liang. They were also told to abandon the heavily weighted items and to depart immediately.
The opponent across the sh.o.r.e noticed the commotion and reported to the Monarch of Da Xi. Many generals laughed upon hearing the news that the girls of Xi Liang were so afraid of them crossing the river that they abandoned their heavy items to escape.
The Monarch of Da Xi was the only person who was puzzled by the actions of Xi Liang. He could not find a reason why they would do so.
On Mount Jieyang, Liu Mengde came over to Xuan Du Temple after resigning from the position of the national advisor of the state of Da Xi.
An adorable little girl was playing under the peach tree. With fallen petals and peach flowers, it was a beautiful sight.
Shen Lian let out a laugh and said, "This cup of wine is known as the peach blossom brew. The last time you came, you were considered as our nation"s enemy and that was why I did not offer you a cup. Now you can have some."
Liu Mengde hesitated. After all he was the manifestation of the peach. It would be weird to drink the brew of the peach blossom.
Shen Lian noticed his hesitation and said, "Fallen flowers aren"t heartless creatures, they turned into spring soil to protect the flowers. Life and death, death and life, are you still not over it?"
Liu Mengde lifted the tea cup and placed it down.
Shen Lian said, "A cup of peach blossom brew is worthy of a year of cultivation for you."
Liu Mengde sighed and said, "I am over it, but I am not used to it."
Shen Lian laughed and said, "I only have one thing to say. Keeping the fire will alive is going to be a matter of course. You and I are beyond mortals and naturally we are not constrained by moral etiquette. But after awhile, it is inevitable to have some fixed habits. But if cultivation became something fixed, there would not be anything interesting about it. Just like the peach blossoms that came from the same tree. Some would end up along the streams, some would fall around the well while others would fall into the muddy soil. It"s all in their luck."
Liu Mengde was convinced down to his spirit, he said, "What you said was profound and I have gained from it. Although in different shapes, but the heart remained the same. Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
He meant that cultivators come in all types of appearances but the heart of cultivation would never change. If today was not the day, there would still be next year.
Shen Lian responded, "I look forward to it."
Liu Mengde said, "I was really panicky when I met my Grandmaster at the Xuan Zhen Temple. But I"ve spoken to you twice and and I am not as terrified anymore, as if the spring wind just breezed through me. I really don"t understand why because the Grandmaster treated me equally too."
Shen Lian gazed leisurely as a peach blossom fell and landed on his younger sister, Xiao Ke"s head. He said, "Any ordinary being will feel solemn when they see a tall mountain. But the sky is higher than the mountain and people tend to take that for granted. Your next question to me is how would I deal with the country of Da Xi, am I right?"
Liu Mengde said, "That was my intention. Da Xi treated me well. Although the Monarch refused my advice, but I do not want to just fold my arms and look on when they are in trouble."
Shen Lian calmly said, "They are not worthy of me. But Da Xi would fall for sure. Supernatural powers could never beat fate ordained by the heavens. It"s close to night, you should hurry and go to the Luo River. Maybe you still can rescue some people. It all depends on the will of heaven."
Liu Mengde was shocked, "Senior, what was it that you are trying to say?"
"Thunderstorms, earthquakes and landslides. The heavens were not intentionally targeting anyone but these natural disasters would still happen. For instance, would you care about the ants at the side of your body before you turn your body over when you are in bed?" Shen Lian replied.
Shen Lian got up, he went to the peach tree and carried his sister Xiao Ke. He caressed her hair and asked, "What do you feel like having today?"
Xiao Ke looked at the Black Tiger and swallowed her drool, "Can we have dog meat?"
The Black Tiger trembled and angrily thought to himself, "My little Master, I am a tiger! I allow you to ride on me everyday and yet you still want to eat me."
Shen Lian looked at the black tiger and said, "Yinyin, this is not a dog."