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This time was different from before; once he boarded the ship... there was likely no turning back.

The Emperor’s words didn’t just demand an attitude from him, but his efforts!

In the four directions, Fei Jun from the Vermilion Bird Palace had already been reserved by the Siao Family; they must seize it at all costs.

In the North, judging by the positions of those giant serpents, it was clear they were determined to claim the Black Tortoise Palace, where Bai Su resided.

As for the other two directions, the situation was comparatively more chaotic.

Most of the Four Holy Guard were gathering towards the Azure Dragon Palace in the East, aiming to at least control one pavilion.

Chen Ying was Chen Qing’s man, but Chen Qing was presently unable to ensure Chen Ying’s safety, and, as it happened.

.. in another place, the White Tiger Palace in the West, there was also Chen Qing’s man.

This was quite interesting. In the trial of the Four Saints, the biggest beneficiary was Chen Qing.

Among the descendants of the Four Spirits, in fact, there were three people Chen Qing could contend for.

Chen Ying and Shen Yuan went without saying; even Fei Jun, who shared a deep friendship with Chen Qing, could join Chen Qing’s side if Chen Qing possessed enough dominant strength.

But now, Chen Qing’s life or death was unknown, the Western Sea Army was restrained and unable to enter the fray. It was feared that nobody was related to Chen Qing anymore, including Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan... a bastard child once alienated from the Jiangnan Shen Family; in Capital City, he belonged to a third-rate clan.

By being the first to take refuge under Chen Qing, he learned the skills of an Array Master.

He returned to Capital City, amazed all quarters, and became famous all over the world, but was such a person truly loyal to Chen Qing?

If Emperor Siao offered a better stake, and with Chen Qing possibly perishing here, it wouldn’t be impossible to swoop everything up into his grasp.

Among the four directions, Shen Yuan was given the least attention but was the most likely to be contested by all parties!

Out of the four, Shen Yuan seemed to have the lowest qualifications, which is why no one chose him initially.

However, as the second choice, he was most likely to be contended for.

The armies of the three powers didn’t clash at first but chose to secure their base.

Thus, the final conflict would probably revolve around the inconspicuous Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan was Chen Qing’s man, and if someone seized Chen Qing’s man during his time of weakness, committing this act of kicking a man when he was down, the feud would be considered established—it would be equivalent to cutting off his own future path to join forces with Jiangnan!

The Emperor’s question was forcing him to make a choice.

Chen Baifeng looked at the Emperor, while his psychic sense briefly swept over the Family Heads of the Noble Families behind him. Apart from the Nie Family, nearly all the elders of the clans seemed very tempted.

Initially, many families had left Capital City for the Southern Sea, seeing the Emperor as weak.

Unexpectedly, the Siao Family kept their power deeply hidden.

Once unleashed, they showed formidable momentum, not only matching the Ghost King themselves but also having experts under their command who were no weaker than the Emperor.

With the support of the rumored King Gui Xiang and those hundreds of thousands of elite Ghost Army troops, it was not at all an exaggeration to call them the strongest visible force now!

The South Sea Noble Family had their homeland stealthily taken away; it was obvious the Nanhai Dragon Palace was using them.

At this time, returning to Capital City, where their previous foundation and official positions still stood, seemed like a very good choice; no wonder so many were moved by the idea.

But Chen Baifeng truly didn’t like it...

He was not unfamiliar with the Mother and Child Ghost Temples; a leader capable of sacrificing the Human Race as livestock, how would they treat you at a critical moment?

He didn’t dislike heroes of the times, but he always felt that sometimes, perhaps it’s worth considering a different way of life...

Taking a deep breath, Chen Baifeng clasped his hands and said, "We are Your Majesty’s subjects and naturally will follow Your Majesty’s commands, but..."

"But?" The Emperor gave a faint smile, looking at him—unexpectedly, Chen Baifeng seemed to have the intention to refuse!

"But... His Highness King Qin has been gracious to me, and to the Chen Family. At this time, with his life and death unknown, if I were to kick him while he is down, I wouldn’t be able to get over it in my heart.

Of course... this is my personal sentiment, and since it’s personal, I cannot impose it on others. .."

Turning around, Chen Baifeng addressed the crowd: "You are all Your Majesty’s subjects, and you should serve your sovereign. Now that Your Majesty needs your efforts, what do you say?"

The group was startled, then came to a realization; Chen Baifeng was trying to get them out of this...

Has this fellow gone mad?

But one after another, they hastily paid their respects, "We humbly comply with Your Majesty’s orders!!"

Over a hundred magicians, more than half of whom were Dragon Vein Sorcerers, plus the potential of the younger generation, indeed made for a considerable force. The Emperor looked at these people, his brow slightly furrowed.

In theory, if only the Chen Family was unwilling to follow him, the problem wouldn’t have been too great.

The only noteworthy person the Chen Family could present was Chen Baifeng, and while there were potential successors, they were just that.

He had taken the lead in persuading others to join his forces, inadvertently setting himself apart.

His intention was clear: You can have everything you want, I just ask to get out with my skin intact. ..

To be honest, if he were to push them too hard and annihilate them at this time, it would have been a bit too cruel.

After the Mother and Child Ghost Temples incident, his reputation had already taken a hit, and it would take at least a decade to recover.

Now, if he couldn’t even tolerate the existence of someone as harmless as Chen Baifeng, it would only backfire.

"Chen Aiqing is truly a clever person..." the Emperor said with a warm smile, though a cold light flickered in his eyes.

The other party was indeed clever. If he had refused right away, the Emperor could have used it as an excuse to showcase his authority and executed a direct suppression.

However, the other party didn’t do that and had instead secured the Emperor’s desires before distancing themselves on moral grounds, making it difficult to act against them.

The Chen Family had produced a Chen Baifeng, which was a stroke of luck for their ancestral graves. Now that he had chosen Chen Qing, it seemed they might become adversaries in the future. Of course, as an adversary, Chen Baifeng still didn’t quite qualify.

"Your Majesty is too kind..." Chen Baifeng paid his respects, "I am currently unable to serve Your Majesty loyally. I am guilty. Should I survive this and return, I will certainly go to the Capital City to present a confession wreathed in thorns."

With the conversation reaching such a state, the Emperor naturally had nothing more to say and let out a cold chuckle, "Very well, then I shall await Chen Aiqing’s return!"

With that, he looked toward the Nie Family’s family head, "Does Nie Aiqing also wish to stay behind?"

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty," the Nie Family head kneeled and said, "My beloved son is still in the hands of Chen Qing..."

Hearing this, the Emperor nodded, said nothing further, and with a sweep of his sleeve, he led the way toward the West. A group of family elders hurried to follow, and as they left, some looked back at the Chen and Nie families with puzzlement.

They couldn’t understand the rationale behind their decisions. Right now, the Siao Family was clearly a rising power. Why pass up such an excellent opportunity to ally themselves with it and instead choose to stand aside? What were they thinking?

Chen Qing’s current situation was uncertain, and even the future existence of Jiangnan was in question. Wasn’t this wager a bit too risky?

Regardless, Chen Baifeng hadn’t dragged them down with him. It was their own choice to make, and it wasn’t their place to say anything. After paying their respects, they wished him well and hurried off to the North following the Emperor.

Chen Baifeng watched everyone leave. The noble families he had painstakingly rallied were so fragile. After sharing so many resources, when the critical moment came, only the Nie Family was willing to stand by him. It seemed that the path of the Clans Alliance was indeed unworkable.

He sighed, looked at the members of the Nie Family, and smiled, "Have you all thought this through?"

"Since we’ve decided to stay, chasing after them now would probably not be well-received.

.." the Nie Family’s elder laughed, "It’s alright.

The Nie Family was once a reclusive clan.

If Jiangnan fails to hold up, we can always return to our traditions.

In these troubled times, vying for power isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially not when following a tyrant like His Majesty.

He wouldn’t bat an eye sacrificing anyone when necessary.

Although risks are everywhere in chaotic times, I’d rather face destruction because of my own choices than being sacrificed by those above. "

"Old Nie certainly sees the bigger picture," Chen Baifeng instantly laughed. Without further ado, he led the way toward the location of the Western Sea Army.

At this moment, the Western Sea Army, held hostage by that mysterious figure, remained motionless. As all sides contested for the Four Spirits, they seemed to be staying out of it.

Chen Baifeng took a deep breath and used the Wind Technique to leap directly into that space fragment.

Naturally, this action attracted the attention of countless Western Sea Army soldiers.

Their tense nerves tensed further, not knowing what the sudden intrusion of an outsider meant. Could it disrupt the current stalemate?

Yet strangely enough, after Chen Baifeng entered, the mysterious person holding Tian Heng did nothing, acting as if he hadn’t seen anything, continuing to sit there with a cold gaze, like a sculpture.

Chen Baifeng took this in, and his previously tense mood relaxed. A conjecture surfaced in his heart!