Chapter 808: The Sly Ox King
After eventually managing to calm down, the king took a deep breath and bowed towards Li Qiye: “Young n.o.ble Li’s visit is an honor to our country; your presence brings light to our humble dwelling. We did not know you were coming, so our reception has been lacking, please excuse us.”
The king knew that this Li Qiye was quite notorious, earning him an ill.u.s.trious reputation recently. This being the case, the king couldn’t help but feel afraid.
As the ruler, he had heard about the recent events in the Stone Medicine World! Not long ago, Li Qiye’s fame had surpa.s.sed the number one celestial being, Ye Qingcheng.
Killing Cao Guoyao, destroying the Xian Clan, defeating the white hair alchemist, fighting against the Alchemy Kingdom… any of these events would have shocked the entire world, so Li Qiye was t.i.tled Fierce by others in a short period of time.
Thus, when this man suddenly came to his country, how could he not be nervous? This ferocious monster even dared to fight against the Alchemy Kingdom. A little country like his simply couldn’t withstand this torture. He wanted to know why Li Qiye suddenly appeared in this location, but he didn’t dare to ask.
Li Qiye gently nodded as a response to the politeness: “Since you are so polite, I can say that I am only here for a bit and have no hidden intentions toward your country.”
How could Li Qiye not guess the king’s thoughts after seeing his expression?
Su Mingchen wryly smiled and quickly cupped his hands together once more: “It is our honor to be graced by Young n.o.ble’s presence. Please stay as a guest and let me know if you need anything. As long as it is within our capabilities, we will certainly do our best to satisfy you.”
He was certainly very smooth and tried to please Li Qiye from the outset. In fact, he was very experienced in this regard. His country was only a tiny one and could barely be considered a second-rate power. The strongest expert in the Ox-Herder Country was himself.
How could such a lineage be arrogant at all? If they wanted to survive between the great powers, they had to tuck their tails between their legs and please them!
Thus, despite being a Heavenly Sovereign, he was not arrogant at all. He did everything calmly with exquisite planning.
Disciples from the great powers couldn’t compare to him in this regard. Those great powers that had been strong always had disciples who were very arrogant and held their heads high as if they were the best in the world.
On the other hand, Su Mingchen was polite to any character that he encountered. Because of this, his country managed to survive.
Li Qiye’s eyes narrowed and he revealed a smirk after hearing Su Mingcheng. He leisurely said: “Since Royal Lord Su mentioned it, I won’t be reserved. I do have something that requires your a.s.sistance.”
Su Mingchen was scared out of his mind. Although Li Qiye had yet to reveal his request, he already had an ominous feeling. Of course, he had no other choice, so he had to bite his tongue and say: “What does Young n.o.ble Li need? As long as it is within my power, I shall do my best.”
Li Qiye smilingly said: “Only a small matter, no need to be so alarmed. You just need to send out a message for me.”
“Do tell, Young n.o.ble Li.” Su Mingchen’s scalp was tingling. How could he not be alarmed? This monster even dared to fight the Alchemy Kingdom. His little country was nothing in Li Qiye’s eyes.
Li Qiye spoke slowly: “Here’s the deal. I heard that this whatever Bird King wants to buy the Tie Clan’s territory. Royal Lord Su can tell this king in my stead that the Tie Clan shall be under my protection from now on. If they dare to have any ideas about the Tie Clan, I will hang their heads on top of the Heavenly Flame County’s gate.”
Tie Lan, standing to the side, only scowled after hearing this. Without a doubt, she did not accept Li Qiye’s decision.
The Ox King, on the other hand, felt his mind collapsing after hearing this. This was simply wanting to take his life!
“Young n.o.ble Li… this, can you rethink it…” Su Mingchen didn’t know what to say at this moment.
“Oh, Royal Lord Su, is this little matter too difficult?” Li Qiye glanced at him.
Su Mingchen took a deep breath and responded: “Young n.o.ble Li, I really want to carry this out for you, but this is indeed a bit problematic for me. Young n.o.ble Li must know that my Ox-Herder Country is only a weak nation.”
He paused for a bit before continuing: “We are only an insignificant lineage attached to the Heavenhoof Ravine and require its protection. However, Bird King Sheng Fei is not only a royal lord, he’s also a disciple of the ravine with the elders as his backing on top of being the junior brother of the Golden Crow Prince.”
“Thus you are afraid of him.” Li Qiye stated.
Su Mingchen responded with a bitter expression: “Young n.o.ble Li, I am a n.o.body, and the same applies to my country. We only wish to survive and have food to put on the table. A grand character like Young n.o.ble Li and a behemoth like the ravine are both peak existences while I am but an ant. If I’m not careful, I could be crushed at any time.”
He was very frustrated after bringing this up. Although he didn’t know why Sheng Fei wanted these ruins, Sheng Fei had started pressuring him. Both Sheng Fei and the people behind him were not something the Ox-Herder Country could afford to provoke.
Tie Lan not selling the Tie Clan was truly troublesome. However, he had ways to make Tie Lan back down. But now, a brute like Li Qiye stepped in and simply wanted to play hardball with Sheng Fei while he was stuck in the middle. This was not a good feeling at all.
Li Qiye chuckled: “Do you think it is easier for me to crush you or that Bird King to death?”
Su Mingchen wryly smiled and helplessly responded: “Young n.o.ble Li can crush me like an ant, but I still hope that you will show mercy and spare my life.”
These words were very sincere. A royal lord of a small nation between big countries needed to bow down at times.
“Your words are so pitiful that I’m a bit reluctant to take you down.” Li Qiye glanced at the king and smiled.
Su Mingchen quickly smiled in response: “Although I’m not in a position to warn the Bird King for Young n.o.ble Li, we are organizing a little banquet at my palace soon. The Bird King will also be there as a guest. If Young n.o.ble Li is willing, then I can introduce you two. This will be a rare chance to reach a compromise.”
He naturally wished for the two to talk since a peaceful resolution was the best outcome for him. Otherwise, the flames of war could burn his country into rubble.
Li Qiye touched his chin and smirked before responding: “Since Royal Lord Su has such good intentions, I’ll just take a trip there then.”
“Nothing could be better.” Su Mingchen became happy after hearing this: “The doors to my country are always open to Young n.o.ble Li.”
He was relieved after seeing Li Qiye’s att.i.tude. At the very least, he was not like the rumored legendary brute that would kill people at first sight. There seemed to be some reason left in him. It made the king have hope that the two might sit down and have a good chat.
He didn’t know that Li Qiye’s killing intent was very selective. He was the type that preferred soft treatment over hard retaliation. The more arrogant the enemy was, the more he would want to kill them!
In the end, Su Mingchen made some more small talk before saying goodbye to Li Qiye and left.
After he left, Tie Lan coldly stared at Li Qiye and uttered: “What do you want with my Tie Clan? What item are you trying to get?”
Li Qiye looked at the cold Tie Lan and chuckled: “Even if I wanted something, what can you do? I can kill you with a single finger. Plus, your Tie Clan doesn’t have anything that I want. I’m simply taking back what belongs to me.”
She coldly countered: “My clan doesn’t have anything that belongs to you!”
“How do you know that there isn’t such a thing? How much do you know about your ancestors or the past?” Li Qiye shook his head: “Stop repelling people from far away. I am here to help you since you alone can’t protect your clan. Do you think Su Mingchen can help you? These are harsh words, but when necessary, he will be more than willing to sell you before opposing the ravine. Do you think you are more important than the country to him?!”
“You…” Tie Lan’s expression sank. She could have guessed such a thing, but she was in denial. After taking a deep breath, she coldly said: “My Tie Clan does not need someone with an unknown origin and hidden intentions to help.”
Li Qiye glanced at her and smiled: “Kids shouldn’t think too highly of themselves. Your strength alone can be considered unfathomable among mortals, but in my eyes, you are simply an insect. I am only helping the Tie Clan, not you!”