Chapter 442: The Crow

Xu Sanyan was nearing completion. In just two or three more months, he would be able to deliver a small surprise to Emperor Qian.

Renewing his focus, Xu Sanyan continued carving the formation.

The chaos at the Chaotic Cloud Mountains had actually been a boon for him. Since Qian Prefecture was relatively far from the mountains, many families had fled here, bringing their belongings with them. Even housing prices within the city had risen as a result.

The more people present, the greater the formation’s power would be. Naturally, Xu Sanyan hoped for even more to arrive.

“Young Master Liang, you’ve been working hard. Miss Zhao has sent you this floral tea. Please enjoy it.”

Several servants arrived outside the city gate, carrying a complete set of tables, chairs, and tea utensils. After arranging the furniture neatly, they brewed the tea on the spot, attending to every detail with meticulous care.

Xu Sanyan smiled. “Thank you all for your trouble. Please inform Miss Zhao that such gestures are unnecessary in the future. I won’t be staying here much longer, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint her kindness.”

These servants were from a teahouse in the city, hired to deliver tea to him. Their employer, Miss Zhao, was the daughter of a wealthy family in the city. Ever since their brief encounter at the prefectural office, she had developed a fondness for him but couldn’t bring herself to visit him personally. Instead, she resorted to sending gifts through intermediaries.

Xu Sanyan felt a surge of disdain. You’re just the daughter of an ordinary family, yet you can’t lower yourself? Jiang Yun’er, the prefect’s daughter, serves her father day and night without complaint.

Even Qin Shutong, the associate magistrate’s daughter, holds a far more noble status than you. Yet you still can’t set aside your pride? How laughable.

Xu Sanyan silently rolled his eyes. Someone so obsessed with status will end up with nothing, not even a pair of underpants to sniff.

“This… I’m afraid I can’t say, sir,” the servant stammered, clearly uncomfortable. How could he possibly speak to Miss Zhao? He rarely even saw her maids.

Xu Sanyan nodded, not pressing the matter, and resumed carving the formation.

Three of the five cities required for the formation were already complete. He was now working on the fourth, Xin’an City, which was more than halfway finished.

The looming threat of the Chaotic Cloud Mountains weighed heavily on Xu Sanyan’s mind. He felt an increasing sense of urgency, a premonition that the calamity in the mountains wouldn’t end easily. To prepare for any eventuality, he needed to accelerate his progress.

The County Magistrate of Xin’an City had already been implanted with a Demonic Seed and was tasked with collecting fresh blood for him. His supply of soul crystals was currently ample, and he had a thousand Earth Core Stones. The only shortage was spirit stones.

Spirit stones were the simplest matter. Though he didn’t have any himself, others did—he could just borrow some.

While Xu Sanyan toiled away, Emperor Qian was on the verge of madness. Staring at the mountain of memorials that threatened to bury him, he even considered abdicating.

To hell with this damn emperor’s throne! Whoever wants it can have it. I’m done!

“Hah…”

Emperor Qian took a deep breath to suppress his inner turmoil. The thought of abdicating had been nothing more than a momentary outburst. He needed to regain his composure and continue processing the memorials.

The stack of approved memorials beside him numbered over a hundred, and not a single one contained good news. This led Emperor Qian to wonder if the Great Qian Empire was truly doomed.

Forcing down his agitation, he opened the next memorial. His eyebrows twitched slightly—could there actually be some good news?

“Your Majesty, Jiang Jing’an humbly requests your imperial blessings. In Qian Prefecture, there resides Liang Yongzhuo, a man past forty who has attained the realm of Grand Formation Master…”

Though Xu Sanyan had said it wasn’t necessary, Prefect Jiang still submitted a memorial seeking credit. When someone says it’s unnecessary, that’s just politeness. Failing to act would be seen as a lack of understanding.

Having navigated the imperial bureaucracy for nearly a thousand years, Prefect Jiang understood this principle perfectly. By seizing this opportunity to curry favor with the emperor and earn goodwill from both sides, he stood to gain on all fronts. Why wouldn’t he seize such an advantage?

Emperor Qian nodded slowly, surprised that such talent existed within the Great Qian. Remarkable.

Speaking of which, Emperor Qian suddenly recalled that the capital examination had likely begun. He had been so busy lately that he hadn’t been able to pay attention. He wondered if any exceptional young talents had emerged.

Emperor Qian placed great importance on nurturing the next generation of national talent. He had always appointed officials based on merit and employed the virtuous and capable. While not a sage ruler, he certainly deserved to be called a wise sovereign.

If not for Immortal Inquiry Mountain’s sudden upheaval, the Qian Kingdom would have been a realm of peace and prosperity, with few incidents. This was all thanks to Emperor Qian’s effective governance.

Emperor Qian scribbled a few lines on the memorial, then casually set it aside. Later, officials from the Bureau of State Affairs would collect the memorial and carry out the Emperor’s instructions.

On Prefect Jiang’s memorial, Emperor Qian wrote just two sentences:

“I am well. Your keen eye for talent and dedication to selecting capable individuals for the nation bring me great satisfaction. Liang Yongzhuo’s efforts to benefit the people and his virtuous deeds warrant commendation. Grant him one White Dragon Pill, one hundred soul crystals, and ten thousand spirit stones as a reward.”

“Your Majesty, Lord Xu of the Inner Cabinet requests an audience.”

The cautious inquiry came from a eunuch outside the door. They knew Emperor Qian had been in a foul mood lately, so they acted with utmost caution.

“Sigh… Why is he here? Let him in.”

Emperor Qian wearily rubbed his temples, not from physical exhaustion, but from mental fatigue.

Whenever Lord Xu requested an audience, it never boded well. He was like a cawing crow perched on a branch, always heralding misfortune.

Emperor Qian knew the crow didn’t bring calamity; rather, it sensed impending disaster and warned humanity in advance. Yet humans, in their arrogance, insisted the crow was the harbinger of doom.

Lord Xu was much the same, possessing an uncanny ability to foresee impending crises, which had cemented this negative impression in Emperor Qian’s mind.

Xu Ruhai pushed open the door, bowed deeply, and intoned, “Long live Your Majesty…”

“Enough. What is it now?”

Xu Ruhai brushed off his sleeves and straightened up, standing rigidly upright. “Your Majesty, after reviewing the memorials submitted from various regions, I fear a great calamity is imminent.”

“Hmm?” Emperor Qian frowned. “Another calamity? Isn’t the present one severe enough?”

As expected, nothing good ever comes of this…

Emperor Qian sighed inwardly, though he didn’t doubt Xu Ruhai’s judgment. Reluctantly, he had to admit the old fox had some merit.

Xu Ruhai was able to read the memorials because he was a minister of the Inner Cabinet, and reviewing these documents was part of his duties.

The Inner Cabinet was responsible for filtering out unimportant memorials before presenting the remainder to Emperor Qian for his judgment. Without this process, the emperor would have to sift through far more than the mere hundred-odd memorials he received daily—perhaps ten times that number or more.

“Speak,” Emperor Qian said, gesturing to a nearby chair. “Sit and explain.”

Xu Ruhai didn’t hesitate to take the seat and began, “The Chaotic Cloud Mountains have grown too powerful to control. If we don’t resolve this swiftly, I fear…”

“What do you fear?”

“I fear it will endanger the nation’s fate!” Xu Ruhai declared solemnly.

“Hmm?” Emperor Qian paused, startled. “How could that be? Once the Mist Tide recedes…”

He abruptly cut himself off, his voice hardening as he countered, “Are you suggesting the Mist Tide won’t recede?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. In my view, the Mist Tide will not only persist but intensify. I sent scouts to investigate the Mist Sea, and they found that the ancient seals laid by the Yaotian Holy Sect have weakened. If the demonic creatures within the Mist Sea break free…”

Emperor Qian’s heart trembled. He finally grasped the urgency of the situation—it was now imminent.

Yet the Mist Sea’s seals were the work of immortals, and there were no immortals left in the world. How could they possibly maintain them?

(End of the Chapter)