In the Holy City of Jia Ma, inside a carriage on its way to the Mittel Clan, Yan Qingshan meditated with his eyes closed, while Ya Fei and Princess Yao Ye spoke in hushed tones.
Since leaving the Imperial Palace, Yan Qingshan had been in this state, showing no intention of conversing with Princess Yao Ye.
This stirred a flicker of resentment in the proud and aloof royal heir, and she naturally didn't attempt to initiate a conversation with him.
It wasn't until they arrived at the Mittel Clan that Princess Yao Ye realized she had done something foolish. She hadn't managed to say a single word to Yan Qingshan before his figure slowly vanished into the clan's inner pathways.
Even the smartest woman can do something foolish when her emotions are out of balance. Initially, Yan Qingshan had shown a strong interest in Princess Yao Ye, which inflated her sense of pride and led her to look down on him. The situation had then reversed at the Imperial Palace.
At this point, Princess Yao Ye realized the mistake she had made earlier. While she wanted to make amends, she couldn't bring herself to swallow her pride.
Yan Qingshan's casual remark during their conversation in the palace might have stuck in her mind, giving her the illusion that he still had some feelings for her. This would cause another subtle shift in her mentality.
This was like a couple in a heated argument. No matter whose fault it was, the woman would always expect the man to be the one to coax her. But Yan Qingshan was playing a little game. He had clearly planned this out, so he remained silent the entire way, giving Princess Yao Ye no opportunity to speak.
The journey from the Imperial Palace to the Mittel Clan was not short. However, Princess Yao Ye, expecting Yan Qingshan to speak first, lost her best chance to talk. As the journey passed its halfway point, it became even harder to find a reason to start a conversation.
And so it was that this royal princess was given the cold shoulder by Yan Qingshan all the way to the Mittel Clan, having accomplished nothing.
"Hehe... You're so naughty, brother Qingshan..."
Ya Fei linked her arm with Yan Qingshan's and entered the pavilion. Only when they were alone did she burst into laughter, holding her stomach. The thought of a clever woman like Yao Ye being played in circles by Yan Qingshan was too amusing for her to resist.
"It's not about being naughty," Yan Qingshan said calmly, shaking his head as he leaned back onto a long chair. "It's just that this woman is a bit of a hassle. For now, I'm not that keen on getting involved with her."
"Princess Yao Ye is the heir to the throne," he continued. "Getting entangled with her would only add another condition I'd have to consider during negotiations with the imperial family, which wouldn't benefit me. This isn't the right time. Even if I were to get to know her, it would have to be after the negotiations are settled. That's the only way to keep business and personal matters separate."
"You really are strange," Ya Fei said softly, sitting beside him. "You act like a man who puts profits first, yet you're a lustful philanderer. You seem so selfish, but you can also separate official and personal matters so clearly. I really can't figure you out!"
Yan Qingshan chuckled, pinching her plump cheek. "It's fine if you can't figure me out. All you need to do, Sister Ya Fei, is be a good girl and listen to me."
"Giggle... Thinking naughty things again! I don't have time to play with you right now; I have business to attend to!" Ya Fei giggled, dodging his other hand. With a quick movement, she left the pavilion. She was a clever woman and refused to be a mere trophy.
"Your Majesty!"
Yan Qingshan was momentarily stunned as he watched Ya Fei's retreating figure, then shook his head and smiled. He then took out the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python from his chest. With a flash of colorful light, Queen Medusa appeared in his arms.
"In the Imperial Palace just now, why didn't you state your conditions directly?" Queen Medusa asked, lying quietly in his embrace. At this point, she was no longer so resistant to him.
After all, he was negotiating with the Jia Ma Empire for a large sum of benefits for the Snake-People Race, seemingly to find them a suitable new home.
"When negotiating with the emperor in the Imperial Palace, it's enough to give them a warning and let them prepare themselves. This isn't the best time yet. The most basic condition for negotiation is that both parties are equals," Yan Qingshan replied, shaking his head and looking out towards the distant palace.
"I am willing to help the Snake-People Race leave the Tager Desert, but you also know that many of the Snake-People are hostile toward humans. The Jia Ma Empire is, after all, my homeland. I cannot harm the overall interests of the empire and let the Snake-People dominate the humans."
"The Snake-People can leave the desert, but they must not attempt to clash with humans. How do we ensure this? I believe the upper echelons of the Snake-People Race are calm enough, but if the power gap between the two sides is too great, it's possible that the people below will harbor ambitions they shouldn't."
"You have now broken through to the Dou Ancestor stage, while the strongest on the Jia Ma Empire's side is only a Dou Emperor. If we were to let the empire cede land to the Snake-People right now, it's possible some people within your race would become infinitely greedy and want more. And because the status and strength are unequal, the people on the empire's side would also harbor resentment."
"I don't want to see a situation of 'the lower challenging the higher' or 'the guest dominating the host' between the Snake-People and the Jia Ma Empire. So, I hope to maintain a balance, at least a clear check and balance on the surface. Do you understand what I mean?"
Yan Qingshan spoke softly, his hand gently stroking Medusa's hair. Her soft and beautiful long hair was incredibly smooth, his fingers gliding through it without any resistance.
"I understand!" Queen Medusa finally nodded, resting her head gently on Yan Qingshan's chest, quietly listening to his heartbeat.
They belonged to the Snake-People and human races. As strong cultivators, no one could interfere with their union, but there was an absolute conflict between humans and Snake-People due to a history of blood feuds.
Without strong suppression from the upper echelons, the conflict could not be minimized.
Currently, the Snake-People had a Dou Ancestor, while the Jia Ma royal family had none. Even if the royal family were to willingly give the Snake-People a place to live, the common folk would interpret it as the royal family ceding land under the threat of a Dou Ancestor. The lower ranks of the Snake-People would also likely develop a sense of superiority.
This imbalance could easily be exploited to incite conflict. At that point, the lower ranks would force the upper ranks to take sides, eventually dragging the highest levels into a battle, which could easily lead to a great war.
This was not an exaggeration. The First World War, in Yan Qingshan's previous life, was triggered by a small fuse—an incident that could have been resolved but wasn't handled properly.
Parties in a truly equal negotiation must have mutually restraining power, even if it's only on the surface. A Dou Ancestor is equivalent to a nuclear weapon. For great powers to be considered equals, their top-tier fighters must be matched.
If a royal family with only Dou Emperors cedes land, the common people will feel it's a forced compromise. This would also breed arrogance among the lower ranks of the Snake-People.
But if both sides have a Dou Ancestor, the outcome will be seen as the result of a negotiation. The lower ranks of both sides would naturally exercise restraint, and neither would feel superior to the other. This is the balance that Yan Qingshan wanted to maintain. Ultimately, he was still a human.
"So, what do we do now? Do we just wait?"
Queen Medusa asked softly, leaning against Yan Qingshan's chest.
"We wait. Although waiting can be a bit boring, we should get used to it, get used to this boredom," Yan Qingshan said with a faint smile, leaning down to gently kiss Queen Medusa's cheek. "You go to sleep first. I also need to spend some time cultivating and stabilizing my foundation."
"Okay!" Queen Medusa smiled sweetly. With a twist, she transformed back into the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python amid a colorful shimmer. The small python appeared in his palm, its mouth agape with a sleepy expression, as if it were incredibly tired.
After putting the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python away, Yan Qingshan smiled and leaped into the quiet room of the pavilion. He had known for a long time that one could not be impatient when handling matters. The time spent waiting should also not be wasted. It was best to cultivate for a while.
The news of Princess Yao Ye bringing guests from the Mittel Clan into the Imperial City was just a piece of gossip that lasted two days in the Holy City before being replaced by more popular topics.
The Holy City remained prosperous, and the Mittel Auction House was still as bustling as ever, but signs of an undercurrent had already emerged beneath the noise. Whether it was the Mittel Clan, the imperial family, or other major clans, various forces were already making moves in secret.
And outside the Holy City, the Misty Cloud Sect, though everything was still hidden beneath the surface, was also not entirely peaceful.
The Misty Cloud Sect was located on Misty Cloud Sect Mountain, just a few dozen miles from the Holy City. At the foot of the mountain, the empire's most elite military corps was stationed. The royal family's Holy City and the Misty Cloud Sect on Misty Cloud Sect Mountain were very close, like two behemoths facing each other.
In the main hall of the Misty Cloud Sect, a white-haired elder walked into the heart of the faction's power. Many disciples along the way stopped to bow to the man, respectfully addressing him as the Great Elder.
This was Yun Leng, the Great Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect and a junior brother of the old sect leader, Yun Shan. However, compared to his senior brother Yun Shan, who had long since achieved the Dou Emperor stage, Yun Leng was only a peak Dou King.
Not to mention Yun Shan, even Yun Shan's beloved disciple and the current sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect had a cultivation far superior to his. But this did not affect his power and status within the Misty Cloud Sect.
"Sect Leader!" Yun Leng entered the main hall and stood at the entrance, calling out respectfully.
"Great Elder, please come in!" a woman's voice came from inside the hall. Yun Leng entered the main hall alone. Through a curtain of thin gauze, one could vaguely see a person sitting in the inner chamber—a woman whose face was unclear but whose aura was undeniably extraordinary.
"Sect Leader, the people below have reported that recently, the communication between the royal family and the Mittel Clan has been very frequent. The three major clans and the Dou Master have tightened their influence, the guarding of the royal forbidden ground has become more stringent, and there has been no specific news from the royal protector, Jia Xingtian, for several months..."
Yun Leng reported each piece of intelligence separately, and then offered his own opinions, connecting all the messages to draw certain conclusions.
"I know. For now, let this matter be. As long as the imperial family doesn't make a move, we in the Misty Cloud Sect cannot move lightly, even if we are being suppressed," a voice came from behind the curtain a long time later. Yun Leng's eyes dimmed slightly, but he ultimately remained silent.