Chapter 418 - 319: Pre-War Agreement (Part 2)
After hearing the explanation, the Cultivator who had asked the question nodded thoughtfully. He then took out a few silver pieces and tipped the attendant.
Once the attendant had happily departed, the man took a sip of the richly fragrant Monkey Wine and spoke to the Cultivator meditating beside him.
"Senior Brother Han, it seems the Qingyuan Sect has some skill when it comes to secular business. These new rules are exactly what the White Mountain Loose Cultivators desire. They have a strong penchant for gambling, so of course they’d flock to this sort of thing."
The man addressed as Senior Brother Han opened his eyes. Gazing at the still-bustling crowd of Loose Cultivators in the distance, he said softly,
"These are just petty tricks, nothing to be taken seriously. Don’t pay them any mind. We should be thinking about how to approach our negotiations with Fang Qingyuan."
At the mention of official business, the Cultivator’s expression immediately turned serious. He cast a wistful glance at the lively scene before him before settling down to wait in silence.
A short while later, a Cultivator with a plain and unremarkable face quietly approached. He sat down directly in front of the two men and, with a casual wave of his hand, conjured a sound-insulating barrier to enclose the three of them.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Senior Brother Han subconsciously started to rise, but the other party gestured for him to remain seated, and so he did.
The newcomer was none other than Fang Qingyuan. He had chosen this place for their meeting precisely to avoid suspicion.
The Qingyuan Sect had been enfeoffed for three generations and, on paper, could not get involved in the conflict between the Pill Alliance and the Spirit Wood Alliance. Thus, he got straight to the point, stating his position clearly.
"Let’s make this quick, Han Ping. The White Mountain Beast Taming Sect has chosen to remain neutral this time. They can no longer help your Pill Alliance."
Upon hearing this, the calm expression vanished from Han Ping’s face. Although he had been mentally prepared for this, hearing the words come directly from Fang Qingyuan’s mouth still made his heart skip a few beats.
"Likewise, due to the rules of our enfeoffment, the Qingyuan Sect is also unable to offer assistance. I’m afraid we must disappoint you."
After Fang Qingyuan finished speaking, the faces of Han Ping and his junior brother darkened slightly. In the end, however, Han Ping broke into a laugh.
"Sect Leader Fang, let’s not mince words. Let’s speak plainly. Even if the Pill Alliance isn’t guaranteed a victory this time, we certainly won’t suffer a miserable defeat. You should know, our Elder Han is still on the mountain."
Han Ping was implying that the Pill Alliance possessed Nascent Soul Battle Power. Even if the two factions went to war, it would be impossible for the Spirit Wood Alliance to annihilate the Pill Alliance. The subtext was clear: if they didn’t help the Pill Alliance now, once the Pill Alliance recovered, the Qingyuan Sect and the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect would be in for a rough time. Oh, no, not the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect; the Pill Alliance wouldn’t dare offend them at present.
That left only the Qingyuan Sect. Their future would surely be difficult. Even though the Qingyuan Sect was enfeoffed and couldn’t be attacked directly, it would be all too easy to find a pretext to cause trouble for them.
Fang Qingyuan understood Han Ping’s underlying threat. He chuckled softly and said in a placating tone,
"Steward Han, please, be patient. While the Qingyuan Sect cannot offer direct aid, we *can* provide a War Beast rental service. When your esteemed sect squares off against the Spirit Wood Alliance, you’ll need beasts to charge their formations, Transport Beasts for supplies, Turtle Beasts to carry Array Discs, insect beasts for mobile reconnaissance, and Eagle Beasts to deliver messages. All of these can be rented. Of course, we welcome purchases as well."
With that, Fang Qingyuan casually produced a list detailing the prices and types of various Spirit Beasts and placed it before Han Ping. Han Ping picked it up, and his eyes widened as he exclaimed,
"A Dragon Turtle Transport Beast with battle power comparable to a Golden Core Cultivator? You dare to sell something like this?"
"Ahem, that one isn’t for sale, only for rent. If you look further down the list, anything marked with a red ’X’ is for rent only."
’It was no joke. These Dragon Turtle Transport Beasts were special support from Zongshan, intended for pioneering the Barbaric Wilderness. The back of each turtle was inscribed with numerous Arrays. As long as the Dragon Turtle was alive, the area around it was an extremely safe zone. Even a Golden Core Cultivator would be unable to break through its defenses.’
’The White Mountain Beast Taming Sect only possessed three such Dragon Turtles. By offering two of them to the Pill Alliance, Lechuan was already taking a huge risk.’
Han Ping’s expression relaxed slightly at Fang Qingyuan’s explanation. He had indeed been stunned. As Han Ping continued to read down the list, his excitement began to build.
"The Seven-Star Cloud Kite, a high-altitude predator. In terms of aerial mobility, no Foundation Establishment Cultivator below the Golden Core realm can match it. We can provide five of them. Place one in each cardinal direction, and you’ll control the skies.
"The Thousandfold Marsh Python, king of the swamplands. It’s thirteen zhang long and is the absolute best asset for ambushes and harassment in marshy terrain. I recall the Pill Alliance has a territory that includes the Death Swamp, correct?
"And then there are the Blast Flame Spiders. Each one’s self-destruction is comparable to a High-level Sun Flame Talisman. We can provide five thousand. Additionally, we have Rock Elephants and Golden Rhinoceroses for charging formations. Are you interested?"
Fang Qingyuan rattled off his sales pitch for these War Beasts. Most of them were on loan from Zongshan; only a small portion actually belonged to the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect. Furthermore, Fang Qingyuan had also added his own sect’s various insect beasts to the list.
The reason Fang Qingyuan was pushing so hard was simple: it was profitable. He had already arranged with Lechuan that the Qingyuan Sect would receive a cut from every War Beast the Pill Alliance rented or bought.
Han Ping listened to Fang Qingyuan’s pitch while carefully studying the list of War Beasts.
After a moment, Han Ping put down the list and asked a crucial question:
"How can you guarantee that these War Beasts will obey our commands? What’s to stop them from fleeing out of fear?"
In response to Han Ping’s concern, Fang Qingyuan stated directly,
"You can rest assured on that front. You send your people, and we’ll handle the training. We guarantee they’ll master it. It won’t be a problem for you."
Han Ping scoffed and retorted,
"The war is about to break out any day now. Do we have that kind of time to wait?"
"Then what are you proposing?"
"You send your own people to control these War Beasts. Let the professionals handle it. At the same time, you’ll need to personally oversee and manage these beast-taming disciples."
At these words, Fang Qingyuan’s expression changed. He had no desire to get mixed up in a war between the two factions. ’Blades have no eyes,’ he thought. ’My life is far too valuable to take such a risk.’
’Ultimately, he was only willing to do all this to earn some Spirit Stones for the Qingyuan Sect and the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect. But the prerequisite for everything was his own guaranteed safety.’
’It wasn’t worth taking such a huge risk just for some Spirit Stones. Worst case, he just wouldn’t make the money.’
Seeing Fang Qingyuan’s attitude suddenly turn cold, Han Ping quickly added,
"Sect Leader Fang, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not asking you to fight personally or get directly involved. Are you aware that when the White Mountain Sects engage in battle, other sects often send representatives to observe? It’s commonly called ’battle observation.’ I’m suggesting you attend as the Qingyuan Sect’s observer. That way, you can monitor the battle’s progress firsthand while also secretly directing the War Beasts. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?"
’He’s proposing we toe the line,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. He considered Han Ping’s words carefully and found some merit in them. ’But it’s a blatant loophole. Would the Spirit Wood Alliance really accept it?’
Fang Qingyuan wasn’t sure. He’d rather pass on the deal than give anyone leverage against him. Again, it just wasn’t worth the risk.
So, Fang Qingyuan replied,
"Battle observation is acceptable. As for remotely controlling the War Beasts, that’s out of the question. The people of the Spirit Wood Alliance aren’t fools. You think they wouldn’t notice? I will only be responsible for observing the battle. Everything else is off the table. If you agree to those terms, we have a deal. If not, then feel free to leave."
Having laid down his terms, Fang Qingyuan stared at Han Ping, awaiting his response. Han Ping’s face twitched under the intense gaze. Finally, he sighed and nodded, accepting Fang Qingyuan’s conditions. Compared to having Fang Qingyuan’s direct involvement, the War Beasts themselves were what the Pill Alliance could not afford to pass up.
Seeing that they had reached an agreement, Fang Qingyuan smiled faintly and said,
"Then please, Fellow Daoist Han, take this list back with you. The next time you come, please bring sufficient Spirit Stones according to the listed prices. If you’re short on Spirit Stones, other valuable items are also acceptable. I’ve heard your alliance’s Elixir Pills are second to none. I happen to have a list of things I’m looking for... would Fellow Daoist Han care to take a look?"
Suppressing his annoyance, Han Ping took the second list from Fang Qingyuan. He knew the alliance was about to pay a hefty price. With a war looming, he didn’t believe for a second that Fang Qingyuan would be selling these War Beasts at their usual rates.
But what could he do? The Pill Alliance was the one asking for a favor. They had no choice but to accept Fang Qingyuan’s prices.
With everything settled, Fang Qingyuan stood up and departed. After he was gone, Han Ping glanced again at the White Mountain Loose Cultivators scrambling over a few Low-grade Spirit Stones and shook his head. He finished the Monkey Wine on the table and quietly returned to the Pill Alliance.
「Six months later.」 The Pill Alliance and the Spirit Wood Alliance had both completed their preparations. For the first time since the pioneering wars, the tides of a massive conflict, one involving tens of thousands of Cultivators, were stirred once again in this Land Realm.