It had to be said that Su Chen’s decision was very bold and even arrogant.
But Su Chen had the right to be arrogant, and he needed to be arrogant.
A secret like the Deep Sea Sorrow, which was openly planted on a mountain and supplied water for tens of thousands of people to use, could not be kept a secret forever.
As such, it made more sense for Su Chen to simply announce it publicly so that everyone knew that the Deep Sea Sorrow was in his hands.
At the very least, this would allow him to prepare appropriately for his guests.
The current Boundless Sect was not weaker than any other country. In the past, they had been somewhat lacking in peak-tier cultivators. Now, however, with Su Chen, Gu Qingluo, and the Void Seahorse, they had nothing to fear.
Of course, if the Seven Kingdoms banded together, they would definitely still be stronger than the Boundless Sect.
Even so, the Seven Kingdoms would never bring out their full strength to deal with Su Chen. After all, they all had their own issues to worry about.
Cloud Rising was constantly under attack from the Beasts, and they had a hard time even keeping themselves afloat. Even if they did send troops to partic.i.p.ate in the fight, it would be for symbolic purposes only. The Chu Clan was kept in line because of Su Chen’s control over the three curses. They were merely there to demonstrate their alliance with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Water Sheen could help the Boundless Sect now that the threat of the Oceanids was no longer present, but their Subdued Sea Branch was still under Jiang Xishui’s command, and there was no way that Jiang Xishui was going to just hand over control now.
As for Long Sang? Sorry, but they’re toast already. Their strength already belonged to Su Chen.
As such, if they were to truly fight, only Greatwind and Liaoye would probably be capable of mustering forces to fight.
But even Liaoye needed to take the Harpies into consideration.
Eternal Night was still banking on Su Chen fulfilling his end of the bargain and bringing him the Immortal’s Soul. If Su Chen were to ask him to help in fighting against Liaoye, Eternal Night would definitely b.u.t.t in.
In any case, the Seven Kingdoms may have been of the same intentions, but none of them could afford to make great changes in order to deal with this threat.
Unless they really planned on putting it all on the line against the Boundless Sect, who had easily swept Long Sang’s armies aside, there was no point in them trying to threaten Su Chen.
As such, Su Chen could afford to be fearless.
Yes, I’ve turned the Deep Sea Sorrow into my personal treasure. If you have the ability, feel free to try and take it from me!
If you don’t, get out of my way.
As for Long Sang, sorry - it’s mine, just like the Deep Sea Sorrow.
You cannot ask me to spit out what I have already eaten. Long Sang and the Deep Sea Sorrow both are not an exception.
Li Wuyi very quickly realized that there was no longer a point to negotiating any further.
He sighed. “Sect Master Su, your bravery is truly astounding. The Seven Kingdoms have always been branches growing from the same tree, but now it seems that we are fated to have one cut off today.”
“Not necessarily.”
Unexpectedly, Su Chen changed the subject.
Li Wuyi was taken aback. “Sect Master, you mean?”
Su Chen said, “Well, let’s hear your conditions first.”
Chu Jiangyu took the opportunity to speak. “The fault lies with Lin Mengze for attacking the Boundless Sect first. But they are still the descendants of those with a Desolate Beast bloodline, and they will be important for the future of the......”
He had wanted to ask Su Chen to preserve that Desolate Beast Bloodline for the sake of the future of the human race, but given how many powerful individuals the Boundless Sect had managed to produce, it was almost inevitable that the human race would graduate from bloodlines in the future. As such, it was not fitting for him to complete that thought, so he changed tacks. “I hope that Sect Master will give the Lin Clan a chance. We are willing to concede everything west of Swallow River City to Sect Master......””
“Is that all you’re offering?” Su Chen said calmly. “I thought that I would be able to get something from the Six Kingdoms as well.”
Li Wuyi understood what Su Chen meant.
In Su Chen’s eyes, Long Sang already belonged to him. He wasn’t interested in being given what already belonged to Long Sang - he wanted to see what the Six Kingdoms would give him.
Hey, isn’t your appet.i.te a little too great?
Su Chen, however, said, “The seven Desolate Beast Bloodlines have dominated the political landscape for three thousand years. Even though my sole ambition has been to develop a bloodline-less cultivation technique, I unwittingly made enemies of the Bloodline n.o.bility Clans. Even so, they are still currently the backbone of the human race’s defenses against foreign races. But if you all want to keep the Lin Clan safe, you must pay a price. Don’t try to entice me with what belongs to Long Sang. After all, Long Sang is already mine anyways.”
He raised his hand. “If you have any precious treasures, you can gather them all together and I will accept it. Of course, I won’t be taking them for nothing - I will also sell a certain number of medicines refined from the Deep Sea Sorrow for the lowest possible price. How does that sound?”
So that’s how it was.
That made things interesting.
Li Wuyi and the other glanced at each other before Li Wuyi smiled. “That’s easy. My country’s treasury has a Ink Jade Chrysanthemum. If Sect Master likes, we are more than willing to gift it to Sect Master.”
Chu Jiangyu said, “Sect Master isn’t currently lacking in Lifesource Candles, but we do have a Blood Ape Tooth that we are willing to gift to Sect Master.”
“Cloud Rising will gift Thousand Beast Saliva.”
“Owl Country will gift a Demon Speaks Not.”
“Greatwind will gift a Wind-Carved Stone.”
“Water Sheen will gift a Frost Rose.”
As expected, each of the Six Kingdoms had quite an impressive treasury available to them.
Su Chen nodded enthusiastically when he heard this. “Very good, very good. If that’s the case, I accept.”
Li Wuyi asked, “Then, Sect Master Su, how are you planning on handling the Lin Clan?”
Su Chen replied immediately, “Actually, I believe that cultivators should not focus on minute matters too much. The path of cultivation is long, and a cultivator shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry. Entangling oneself with too many secular matters will only divide one’s heart and slow one’s progress. The Boundless Sect relies on cultivation and won’t overly interfere with secular matters, much less become another empire. As such, this place will still belong to the Lin Clan.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Li Wuyi chuckled.
He understood Su Chen quite well and wasn’t immediately moved by his words. Instead, he waited with bated breath to hear what Su Chen was going to say next.
The Boundless Sect had fought bitterly to arrive at Long Coiling City not just to teach Lin Mengze a lesson before departing.
Indeed, Su Chen continued, “Of course, there are some rules that need changing.”
Li Wuyi: “Please speak, Sect Master.”
Su Chen began to calmly lay out his demands.
Upon hearing Su Chen’s requests, however, Li Wuyi and the others couldn’t help but whistle in amazement.
You say that you aren’t planning on eliminating them, but your demands are basically going to accomplish the same effect.
The total number of requests was not high and mostly boiled down to the following:
The first was that the Boundless Sect would become the country’s inst.i.tution, and their territory would be expanded to three times its current size.
This was a normal request.
The second was that, from this day onwards, all of Long Sang’s officials tier three and above would only keep their position if the Boundless Sect allowed it.
In other words, without the Boundless Sect’s approval, all of these important officials would be violating the law.
Even the leader of the country was no exception.
Su Chen had constructed a crown and attached significance to it: only a person wearing this crown could rightfully reign as Emperor of Long Sang.
As the country’s main inst.i.tute, the Boundless Sect would be responsible for bestowing this crown. Anyone who didn’t have the crown was not allowed to be Emperor.
In other words, even the Emperor himself had to be approved by the Boundless Sect - the crown was just to make it sound prettier on paper.
The third was that Long Sang needed to pay the Boundless Sect a thirty percent tax every year.
Of course, just like with the crown, Su Chen chose to call it something slightly less demeaning: an offering.
Even though Long Sang made quite a bit of profit, their expenses were also very significant. Tacking on a thirty percent pay cut on top of that basically meant that they would barely have any left to spend.
The fourth was that the Boundless Sect’s disciples be given a special command medallion allowing them to exercise authority over officials and soldiers at the corresponding rank.
This was blatant usurpation of authority, and Su Chen had a hard time trying to make it sound better, so he didn’t bother doing it at all and merely wrote it off as a privilege that the disciples of the inst.i.tute should possess in the first place.
In any case, these conditions could all be summed up in one sentence: the Boundless Sect was the boss of the country, and the country existed to serve the Boundless Sect and work for it.
Even Li Wuyi was dumbfounded by Su Chen’s demands.
He wasn’t going to slaughter the Lin Clan - he was going to turn them into his slaves!
Li Wuyi coughed slightly and said, “Sect Master Su, aren’t these conditions a little...... extreme?”
Su Chen chuckled. “Whether or not it’s extreme is up to the Lin Clan, right? Why don’t you let them make the decision?”
Rubbis.h.!.+ Even an idiot knew that being a slave was better than dying.
Li Wuyi’s expression sank slightly. “If you do this, it will be difficult for the Six Kingdoms to save face.”
Su Chen harrumphed. “It’s better than wiping out the Lin Clan, isn’t it? I know that this will be a bit difficult for you all to bear, but if you weren’t even willing to accept this little, what kind of concessions would this be? Any concession you make is going to be hard to swallow.”
Li Wuyi coughed. “Sect Master Su is truly elegant. Since you have made your decision, I will inform Lin Mengze. He should be the one to decide the matters that pertain to him.”
Unexpectedly, Su Chen shook his head. “He won’t need to make a decision on this one.”
“What?” Everyone was taken aback.
Su Chen replied, “Just because I am willing to preserve the Lin Clan doesn’t mean that I will spare Lin Mengze. My plan has no place for Lin Mengze, Lin Wenjun, Lin Xiaochu, Lin s.h.i.+lang, Lin Yuexin, Lin Liusheng, Lin Baixi......”
Su Chen immediately listed a long string of names, which basically included all of the members of the Lin Clan with any significant amount of authority.
Only one person was the exception.
Lin Chenyuan.
The young prince who had made an agreement with Su Chen before.
Li Wuyi finally understood.
Su Chen could spare the Lin Clan, but he wouldn’t spare Lin Mengze.
He was only planning on leaving one source of the Lin Clan’s bloodline alive in the form of Lin Chenyuan.
Despite the fact that he had agreed not to slaughter the Lin Clan, he was still basically tearing them up by the roots.
Li Wuyi stared at Su Chen in shock. “You’re going to kill that many people?”
Su Chen, however, shook his head. “I won’t be the one killing them - you will.”
“We will?” Li Wuyi was stunned.
“Yes, you. Weren’t you going to inform Lin Mengze of my decision? I think that he would rather die than become a slave. You won’t be able to convince him. If that’s the case, why not just execute him then and there to bring this matter to a close? That would be much better.”
Someone said unhappily, “Sect Master Su, now you’re being too extreme, aren’t you? We are here to help mediate on behalf of Long San, not to become your a.s.sa.s.sins.
Su Chen continued calmly, “From today onwards, I am Long Sang, and Long Sang is me. You are correct in that you came to help Long Sang, but you are not only helping me - you are helping yourselves.”
“Helping ourselves?”
“Yes!” Su Chen nodded confidently. “If you are the ones who attack, you won’t have to worry about losing face, because it’s no longer my will but yours...... You acted of your own accord to forsake the Lin Clan to ally with the Boundless Sect, and as such I was moved by your act of goodwill and became your ally. Isn’t this a matter worth celebrating?”
As he spoke, he turned to glance at Chu Jiangyu.
Chu Jiangyu understood. “Very well. Sect Master Su indeed speaks with words in his words.”
Two hours later.
The Six Kingdoms were unable to convince Lin Mengze to capitulate and instead executed him on the spot, then appointed Lin Chenyuan as his successor.