Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

The Old King suddenly looked up, his somewhat cloudy old eyes fixed on Qiu Chen. After a long moment, he smiled and said, "In this entire country, you are likely the only one who would speak so bluntly to my face. But, that said, your idea is a good one. If we treat them like another hidden family, then I imagine Ling Xiao will attend the upcoming gathering of hidden families in the East Sea. I will have my own family propose that the Ling Family be accepted into their ranks! Better yet... we can push for them to elect an Alliance Leader for all the hidden families and sects. Haha, that would be even more perfect!"

Qiu Chen watched the Old King and shook his head helplessly. ’It seems that as long as he’s on the throne, he’ll never give up on his desire to exterminate all the hidden families and sects.’ Exploiting their internal conflicts to make them fight amongst themselves was something His Majesty the King had often discussed with Qiu Chen in his younger days.

However, the people from the hidden families and sects were hardly idiots. They wouldn’t make such a basic mistake, as they had their own systems of checks and balances among themselves.

Still, Qiu Chen felt that the suggestion His Majesty the Old King had just put forth was truly insidious! His intentions were utterly malicious!

Gather all those powerful families and sects, then suggest they elect an Alliance Leader. If that suggestion were actually adopted, none of the hidden families or sects would know a day of peace for the next several hundred years. The bickering would never stop until they had all exhausted their strength fighting one another.

This Alliance Leader would be like an Emperor in the Mortal World. Who wouldn’t want that position?

Besides, another key difference between the aloof hidden families and the Mortal World was that the benefits of becoming the Alliance Leader of all sects and families were simply immense! What did the hidden families and sects desire most?

Crystal Cores, sword techniques, Cultivation Techniques... not to mention all sorts of Elixirs, scrolls from Ancient Ruins, and the secrets of Alchemy... The list went on and on.

To become this Alliance Leader would mean being able to command all kinds of resources and manpower at will. In essence, it would be like becoming the overlord of the entire continent!

Who with even a shred of ambition wouldn’t want to be this Alliance Leader?

Qiu Chen nodded lightly and said with admiration, "If this suggestion is adopted, then the Royal Families of every nation on the continent will truly have Your Majesty to thank!"

His Majesty the Old King let out a booming laugh, a smug look spreading across his face. He then snorted, "Those people always think strength is everything, that with enough power they can trample over royal authority. The scions of those great families have never shown a shred of respect for the Royal Family! That includes my own kin... the Western Li Family! If I had the choice, I’d rather see them all destroyed! I won’t let such monstrosities, who upset the world’s balance, continue to exist! I’ve never understood why the Holy Sanctuary only accepts experts at the Sword Saint level or higher. Those Sword Sects, Sword Emperors, and Sword Venerables! None of them should be allowed to exist in this world! Their very existence is a sharp sword hanging over the throne, giving me... no peace, day or night."

Qiu Chen gave a faint nod. No matter what, his bond with the Old King had been forged over decades of shared life-and-death battles. As long as His Majesty the King wasn’t plotting against Ling Xiao, his loyalty remained with the Old King.

Just then, a Guard rushed in from outside, his expression filled with terror. He shot an uneasy glance at Qiu Chen. Marshal Qiu Chen rose to his feet and said, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured. As for the Ling Family, I will write a letter to their third son. I believe he will grant this old minister some face!"

The Old King nodded. This Guard was one of his trusted confidants, and his sudden appearance filled the Old King with a sense of unease. He looked at Qiu Chen and said with a smile, "Then I must thank you, my old friend."

A smile touched Qiu Chen’s lips as he recalled the days when they fought side-by-side on the battlefield. He gave a slight bow. "This old minister is not yet decrepit, Your Majesty. Should you have need of me, I can still wield a blade and slay your enemies!"

The Old King’s heart warmed. "I hope that we, sovereign and subject, will have the chance to fight side-by-side again!"

After seeing Qiu Chen off, the Old King’s expression darkened. He turned to the Guard and demanded, "What happened?"

The Guard gritted his teeth and fell to his knees. Trembling, he stammered, "This humble servant deserves death! Just now... just now, I saw... I saw the Crown Prince... fleeing from... from the Empress’s bedchambers... his clothes in disarray, in a panic..."

"What!" His Majesty the Old King erupted in fury. His face turned livid, and his eyes looked as though they would bulge from their sockets. Lips trembling, he pointed a finger at the Guard, who didn’t dare to breathe, and ground out through clenched teeth, "Say that again... What... happened?"

"An hour ago, this humble servant saw the Crown Prince go to the Empress’s chambers, and I thought nothing of it. After all, it’s perfectly natural for the Crown Prince to visit the Empress. Especially since the Empress just gave birth to the Third Prince, it’s only right for the Crown Prince to pay his respects, so I didn’t find it suspicious. But who knew... the Crown Prince didn’t leave until an hour later. And when he did, his clothes... they seemed to be in disarray, and his expression was panicked, and also..."

"Say no more!"

The Old King gasped for breath, his face deathly pale. A wave of weakness washed over him, and he slumped back into his chair. His voice was suddenly ancient and hoarse as he asked, "How many other people saw this?"