Chapter 1018: Heavenly Timing, Advantageous Terrain, and Human Harmony

The Southern Yan Sect sought to support Prince Yu, plotting their rise to power in the twilight of this chaotic era.

It was not a wise choice.

But this was none of Ping'an's business; how they operated had nothing to do with him.

"Your Highness, the North-South Martial Alliance currently has no interest in the realm's disputes..."

Wang Ping'an refused.

This left the envoys from the Southern Yan Sect somewhat stunned.

They had assumed this trip would be a guaranteed success, only to leave disappointed.

Prince Yu remained relatively calm. Amid the arguments of the crowd behind him, he simply cupped his hands in salute, offered no reply, and led his people away.

After they left, the North-South Martial Alliance returned to tranquility.

The Blind Man approached Wang Ping'an and asked, "You refused?"

"I did," Wang Ping'an replied.

"Haven't you been waiting for this person to appear? Now that he has, why refuse?"

"That person only tasked me with stabilizing the hidden martial factions."

With that, Wang Ping'an turned and walked back into the building behind him.

The Blind Man paused, turning sideways. After a moment of thought, he simply shook his head.

He did not understand what Wang Ping'an meant.

...

At the Border Pass.

A faction had suddenly risen to power.

It bore a striking resemblance to the era when the Grand Ancestor was still alive.

Marching under the banner of "Restoring Great Jing, Protecting the Rivers and Mountains," this faction used the royal bloodline of the Yan Clan to rally troops, leveraging untold wealth to recruit soldiers and buy warhorses on a massive scale.

Furthermore, the Border Pass was currently in a state of crisis.

The Prince of Yan had abandoned the Border Pass, and this faction seized the opportunity. Answering the call to "protect the rivers and mountains," they quickly recruited countless men. Furthermore, with the assistance of the Southern Yan Sect—the second-largest faction in the jianghu—they gained an untold number of highly skilled martial artists.

Rumors even claimed that Prince Yu had secured the backing of the realm's greatest mercantile guild, the Tang Family Trading Firm, leaving them with no worries about wealth or funds.

Their army kicked up clouds of dust, their momentum completely unparalleled.

Holding heavenly timing, advantageous terrain, and human harmony, this faction had already risen to power before anyone could even notice.

This caught everyone completely off guard.

What happened next left people even more astounded.

This surviving bloodline of the Yan Clan did not march south or north; instead, he rallied his army and charged directly at the Northern Desert forces invading their homeland.

It was a baffling move, but in reality, it reaped every possible benefit.

The Border Pass had long been gripped by panic. In such despair, the people desperately needed a wise ruler to step forward. A single call brought a hundred responses; without breaking a sweat, they won the hearts of the people, breathing life back into a stagnant pool.

But there were gains and losses. They now had to endure the arduous struggle of fending off foreign invaders, making it difficult for them to participate in the realm's broader civil war for the time being.

"Great Jing?"

Stationed in the border regions, Zhao Wuji was utterly stunned when he heard the news.

He remembered that his imperial father had wiped out the entire bloodline of Great Jing.

Had someone actually slipped through the net?

He thought about it carefully but couldn't find an answer for a long time.

In the early years, the Grand Ancestor of Xiang had indeed slaughtered all remaining members of the Yan Clan's bloodline to prevent future troubles. The only one spared was Yan Ruchu. However, after returning, Yan Ruchu never proved the Yan Clan lineage of any heirs, so it clearly wasn't them.

Zhao Wuji truly could not figure out who this suddenly emerging bloodline was.

He shook his head, glanced at the road ahead, and continued walking.

Although he didn't know who this person was, the man had done exactly what Zhao Wuji himself wanted to do. Even if there was a conspiracy hidden within, it was still a good thing.

...

In Shangjing City.

The resurgence of the Yan Clan's name sparked another wave of turmoil, shocking the Imperial Court into awareness.

The figure sitting on the imperial throne was barely over ten years old. The officials in the hall argued endlessly below, but the young ruler simply stared blankly, completely unaware of what they were fighting about.

"In this old subject's opinion, the Imperial Court currently has ample troops and horses. We must not be indecisive; we must deploy our forces immediately just in case!"

"Lord Wu's words are simply absurd! Deploying troops is one thing, but if we march on the Border Pass now, where will the reputation of Great Xiang fall? When the Northern Desert forces invaded our homeland, we ignored them. Now that someone is finally stepping up to handle it, we want to stop them? We will be mocked by the entire realm! Absolutely not!"

"What do you know? The Yan Clan has the ambition of wolves! They now hold heavenly timing and advantageous terrain. If we do not stop them and allow this little snake to grow, it will lead to endless disaster!"

"The spit of the realm's people would be enough to drown you!"

The arguments below continued without pause, looking as though a brawl was about to break out at any moment.

Meanwhile, the figure on the Dragon Throne remained completely lost.

He couldn't quite understand it. There were so many rebel armies in the realm—Prince Jin, the Prince of Yan, and even The Prince from the past—yet these officials had never panicked like this before. Why did the mere appearance of the Yan Clan send them into such a frenzy?

The little emperor couldn't figure it out, and as he thought, his mind wandered off into the clouds.

He wondered what delicious foods had been prepared for him in the Imperial Study today, or shifted his body because sitting was uncomfortable, or thought about a certain concubine in the Imperial Harem. He was constantly distracted.

It wasn't until the officials in the hall actually started trading blows that the little emperor snapped back to reality.

"Why are you fighting?" the little emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, this old thief is misleading the state and ruining the people! He enrages me! He truly enrages me!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The clamor was endless.

Growing impatient, the little emperor waved his hand. "Alright, alright, what is there to argue about? It's just the Yan Clan. Is there a shortage of people rebelling? What's the big deal?"

"Your Majesty..."

"Say no more." The little emperor waved his hand again. "We are feeling a little..."

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed a gaze sweep over him.

Following the gaze, he saw the Prime Minister, standing at the very front of the officials, smiling at him—but that look seemed to hide daggers.

The Prime Minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, state affairs must take priority."

The little emperor opened his mouth, suddenly snapping out of his daze. Exhaling a breath, he asked, "What are the opinions of my beloved subjects?"

The crowd exchanged glances with one another.

A look of helplessness flickered in all of their eyes.

A brawling court, a hijacked emperor, and these absurd state affairs.

This was no longer the Imperial Court it used to be.

...

Ruyi felt utterly bored and wanted to find something to pass the time.

She simply opened a clothing shop in the city. After all, she didn't know how to do much; apart from fighting and killing, all she knew was needlework and women's crafts. Though she had practically forgotten everything she learned in her childhood, there was no shortage of skilled people. Now that the men in the city had gone off to war, the women were left at home with nothing to do, making it incredibly easy to hire help.

Traveling the jianghu over the years, she had saved up quite a bit of silver, so opening a shop didn't cost her much.

She comfortably settled into her role as the shopkeeper.

Just like when she was a manager under Sister Yun, she only had to put her hands on her hips to make people look at her in fear.

Life was fairly peaceful.

Lihua enjoyed the good days right alongside her, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, and growing quite a bit chubbier.

"Ruyi made money!"

Ruyi rapped her knuckles against the cat's head. "Do you have to act so surprised that I made money?"

Lihua blinked. "Just a little bit."

Ruyi snorted softly. She rubbed Lihua's head, messing up its fur until it was a complete tangle.

"Ruyi is so annoying!"

Ruyi smiled and said, "Once I make a lot of money, I'll open a shop for my mother, too, so she can get some proper rest. And I'll buy a tavern for Uncle Chen. I heard he used to love drinking... Ah, no, it's better to open a teahouse..."

One person and one cat chattered away endlessly, and before long, the sun sank below the horizon.