"So... why are you inviting here?" Wei Chen asked, then sipped the tea.
The mont the tea touched his tongue, the warm liquid gradually turned cool. A light, refreshing taste flowed through his mouth and down his throat. After he swallowed, a rush of freshness followed by a returning sweetness blood across his tongue.
Wei Chen had tasted high grade green teas several tis in his life, including Longjing tea in China when he once visited a high end teahouse with his ex. Even those were not comparable to this tea.
"Hu..." Wei Chen let out a breath as he appreciated the flavor and set the cup down. "This is the best tea I have ever had," he said sincerely.
Hearing the praise, Xin Hao showed a proud smile. "If Brother Wei likes it, I will give you a few packages. I have plenty of it."
"Oh, thanks. I appreciate it," Wei Chen replied with a casual smile.
Xin Hao turned toward Xiao i. "Xiao i, go to my private stash and bring a few packages of Spirit Cleansing Tea to ." He said this as he tossed her a golden key.
Xiao i paused for a mont after hearing the order. What Xin Hao asked required ti, because opening his stash needed two identical keys, and she also had to bring Xin Hao’s Dao Protector with her.
That Dao Protector was currently in a eting to ensure Xin Hao’s safety during tomorrow’s tournant. She would need to wait until the eting ended, which would take so ti. This ant Xin Hao wanted to be alone with Wei Chen and clearly intended to have a private conversation.
Understanding the hidden aning, she bowed to Xin Hao.
"Yes, Young Master. I will bring them to you." With that, she left the artificial garden, leaving Xin Hao alone with Wei Chen.
After Xiao i left, Xin Hao chatted lightly with Wei Chen for a few minutes before getting to the point.
"Brother Wei, the reason I invited you here is because I want to give you a warning," Xin Hao began.
"Oh? What kind of warning?" Wei Chen asked, staring at Xin Hao with interest.
Seeing the look, Xin Hao raised both hands to show he ant no harm.
"Please do not misunderstand, Brother Wei. I consider this repaynt for your favor in educating about the Heaven’s Chosen. I do not an to threaten you in any way. This is simply a warning so you can prepare yourself."
"Then tell . What do you want to warn about?" Wei Chen asked.
"So people in the Vermilion Bird Empire have designs on the Primordial Ruin you discovered, Brother Wei. They plan to take action during this Martial Exchange Event. I have also heard that so factions within the Azure River Province are helping them," Xin Hao said.
"Huh? What?" Wei Chen blurted out in confusion. He did not expect to hear sothing like this.
Xin Hao continued. "Right now, the only factions I have confird to be involved are the Murong Clan and the Sacred Fla Valley. Other than that, I do not know. You should warn Lady Mo Xingyao to prepare and fortify the Primordial Ruin."
Wei Chen frowned. "Then why are they using this opportunity? Are they not afraid of tarnishing their reputation? Or are they not afraid this will escalate into a war between provinces?"
"Even though the Vermilion Bird Province is stronger than the Azure River Province, the difference is not overwhelming. If a war breaks out, there will be casualties and heavy losses. Even if the Vermilion Bird Province wins, it would be a pyrrhic victory," Wei Chen concluded.
Xin Hao set his teacup down and shook his head. "No, Brother Wei. It will not escalate into a war. First, the forces inside the Azure River Province only issued a bounty through the Bounty Guild. It just so happens that the forces who accepted the bounty are all from outside the Azure River Province."
"Second, by using this event as an opportunity, those outside forces enter as guests. As long as they do not cause enough trouble to destabilize the province, they enjoy a certain level of immunity, and there will be no consequences."
"Third, the target this ti is a demonic path force. You know how the righteous path usually acts. They are a bunch of hypocrites, and the righteous path controls most of the power in the Free State Council within the Azure River Province."
"And as you know, the Azure River Province is not an empire like the Vermilion Bird Empire. It is made up of city states. That is why guests have a certain degree of immunity, as long as they do not destabilize the province as a whole," Xin Hao explained.
"But they are still outsiders. No one likes outsiders ddling in their territory, right?" Wei Chen argued.
"As I said, Brother Wei, the Azure River Province is not an empire. It is fragnted into city states and sects, governed by a council that loosely oversees overall stability. As long as the outsiders do not touch their interests, no one will move," Xin Hao replied.
"Also, this is only considered outside reinforcent. The Azure River Province is not a unified state like the Vermilion Bird Empire, so inviting outsiders to deal with a single faction inside the province is not considered inviting wolves into their ho," Xin Hao added.
"Why are you telling this? Are you not also from the Vermilion Bird Empire?" Wei Chen asked with suspicion. "Are you..."
Xin Hao smiled. "What are you trying to say, Brother Wei? Do not misunderstand . This is just a job from the Bounty Guild. The Xin Clan is not so desperate that we need to take such jobs. This has nothing to do with the empire itself. Besides..."
Xin Hao paused, then calmly sipped his tea and placed the cup down as he let out a satisfied breath.
"I clearly said so people in the Vermilion Bird Empire. I did not an the Vermilion Bird Dynasty itself, so do not accuse like that. Even though the Murong Clan is a die hard supporter of the dynasty, it does not an the dynasty is the one behind this plan. I think you understand what I an," Xin Hao said with a smile filled with layered aning.
Wei Chen looked into Xin Hao’s eyes, and an idea struck him. "Do you have beef with the Murong Clan? Is that why you are telling this? You want to kill people with a borrowed knife."
Xin Hao did not deny it, nor did he confirm it. He only smiled, poured more tea, and took a sip. His silence was more than enough confirmation for Wei Chen.
With the bigger picture becoming clear, Wei Chen clutched his head and let out a long sigh before cursing.
"F*cking hell, I really hate politics."
"What a coincidence, too. I would rather enjoy my wealth and live a carefree, hedonistic life. Unfortunately, I cannot do that anymore," Xin Hao said half jokingly.
"Heh, people need to grow up soday, whether because of circumstances or because soone wakes them up," Wei Chen quipped.
"That is true, Brother Wei. That is true..." Xin Hao agreed with a tired sigh.
"So, what is their plan? How are they going to attack and seize the Primordial Ruin secret realm?" Wei Chen asked.
"I do not know, Brother Wei. In this plan, the Xin Clan is rely an outsider who happened to hear so juicy gossip, and I decided to tell you about it," Xin Hao replied.
Wei Chen sighed and shook his head in disappointnt.
"But if I were them..." Xin Hao began, drawing Wei Chen’s attention. "I would use the chance to throw a match, then withdraw from the competition. After that, I would use the excuse of leisure travel within the Azure River Province and head toward the Primordial Ruin."
"And since it would not be a total war, the best vessel that could be used would only be a large flying ark, packed with as many warriors and soldiers as possible. If I were you, I would watch out for those who lose in the early rounds and withdraw with a large flying ark," Xin Hao explained.
"Thanks, Xin Hao. I owe you a favor this ti," Wei Chen said with gratitude.
"Do not ntion it, Brother Wei. Besides, you can repay by telling how to avoid the consequences of going against a Heaven’s Chosen," Xin Hao said with a smile.
"You an..." Wei Chen’s words trailed off.
"I an Yun Feng. I am certain that he must be a Heaven’s Chosen. And Xiao i is his childhood sweetheart," Xin Hao said with a wry smile. He felt like a child who had been caught by his parents stealing a cookie from the jar.
"And you f*cked a Heaven’s Chosen’s childhood sweetheart? F*ck, man... you are f*cked..." Wei Chen clutched his head and shook it repeatedly. This was beyond saving.
"Brother Wei, even if I had ten guts, I would not dare touch that goddess of calamity. Please listen to , alright?" Xin Hao said, hurriedly defending himself.
"Fine... lay it out for . What the hell actually happened, so I can help you," Wei Chen said.
Xin Hao nodded. "It’s like this, Brother Wei..."
Thus, Xin Hao began telling Wei Chen about his deal with Xiao i, as well as his folly when he bullied Yun Feng.
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