Chapter 140: The Landscape of the Realm Has Changed

Outside Luming Academy.

"Thank you for your hospitality today, Holy Mistress," Fan Li said with a smile.

Hospitality?

Hearing this, the Holy Mistress of Hanyue felt her cheeks flush slightly.

They had originally planned to listen to a great Confucian scholar lecture, so who could have anticipated such a massive commotion?

In particular, Master Yichuan and Zhu Ziyang—that master and disciple—possessed truly disgraceful character.

If Fan Li had not been genuinely learned and talented, it would have been difficult to avoid their deliberate heckling today.

"If the Holy Mistress has no other business, this Duke will take his leave and return to the manor," Fan Li added.

He was practically dying to grease the soles of his feet and run as far away as possible.

The Holy Mistress of Hanyue was inherently an extremely dangerous entity; now that she had broken through to the fourth rank of the Mahayana realm by observing the scroll, her danger coefficient was soaring ever higher.

"Do you have matters at home?" the Holy Mistress of Hanyue asked with some confusion.

"Not particularly family matters, but..."

"Then why are you in such a rush to leave? Do I disgust you to such a degree?"

Hanyue frowned, and Fan Li’s heart skipped a beat!

He quickly straightened his expression and said, "Although there are no family matters, as the one overseeing all military and political affairs of Great Chu, this Duke has an endless stream of official business to attend to every day!"

"Oh."

It was a plausible excuse, and the Holy Mistress of Hanyue could find no fault with it.

Yet she fidgeted awkwardly for a long while, seeming to have something she wanted to say to Fan Li, yet holding back out of reserve and embarrassment.

At last!

The Holy Mistress of Hanyue gritted her teeth and spoke with a serious expression, "My accidental breakthrough today was indeed thanks to your favor. I have never been one to remain in debt, and I will certainly repay you. Do you have any difficulties that require my assistance to resolve?"

Fan Li fell into contemplation.

Difficulties?

There were far too many of them.

Emperor Jiajing of Great Ming, all the holy mistresses of the Pure Land apart from Qingqiu, including Hanyue herself—were these not all Fan Li's difficulties?

Yet of these matters, it seemed none were things she could actually resolve.

Seeing him remain silent, the Holy Mistress of Hanyue said, "How about this: I promise to do three things for you, as repayment for your kindness."

"Anything?" Hearing this, Fan Li felt a rising surge of anticipation.

However, the Holy Mistress of Hanyue misunderstood his intent.

Her cheeks flushed crimson as she rebuked angrily, "Am I that kind of casual woman? Whatever I promise to do for you must not violate the conscience of heaven and earth or the principles of morality, otherwise I would rather die than agree!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Hanyue instantly regretted it.

Fan Li had not even made a request yet, and here she was acting so aggressive; it truly lacked the sincerity of someone trying to repay a favor.

"Understood, understood," Fan Li replied with a smile.

He had never counted on Hanyue doing anything for him anyway.

Yet with this promise, she surely wouldn't move against him in the short term.

Moreover, a promise from a fourth-rank Mahayana realm expert was simply too tempting!

"That..."

The Holy Mistress of Hanyue calmed down, wearing an expression that suggested she had more to say.

"This breakthrough has benefited me immensely; I must return to the Pure Land to enter secluded meditation for a period of time."

"If you miss me... or wish to find me to get things done, you can either wait until I emerge, or come to the Pure Land to seek me out."

Fan Li rolled his eyes in exasperation.

This woman was truly completely unreliable!

She had just agreed to do things for him, and now she was immediately going into seclusion?

"Very well, then thank you," Fan Li replied with a depressed and perfunctory tone.

Unless he was tired of living, why would a Foundation Establishment cultivator run to the Pure Land to court death?

"Whenever you encounter trouble, just come to the Pure Land to find me. I will ensure you remain safe and sound!"

Four swords condensed from spiritual energy floated around the body of the Holy Mistress of Hanyue.

She offered this final injunction.

Guarded by the four swords, Hanyue slowly drifted into mid-air.

She cast one last deep look at Fan Li.

"I am leaving."

In an instant, she transformed into a white beam of light, tracing a long arc across the sky before vanishing into the distance.

"Being able to fly... damn it, how wonderful..."

Fan Li muttered to himself.

Just as he was lamenting, a voice suddenly echoed from the distant horizon—an expert was employing supreme cultivation to transmit sound over a vast range.

"We are the Han Emperor Liu Bei. Effective immediately, Great Han establishes diplomatic relations with Fanyin Pure Land, and We recognize the Holy Mistress of Yaoguang as co-equal to the Son of Heaven!"

"We are the Wei Emperor Cao Cao. Effective immediately, Great Wei establishes diplomatic relations with Fanyin Pure Land, and We recognize the Holy Mistress of Yaoguang as co-equal to the Son of Heaven!"

"We are the Wu Emperor Sun Quan. Effective immediately, Great Wu establishes diplomatic relations with Fanyin Pure Land, and We recognize the Holy Mistress of Yaoguang as co-equal to the Son of Heaven!"

Fan Li was utterly shocked!

He had been completely unaware of this matter beforehand!

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan had not leaked a single whisper of advance notice.

What on earth was going on?

With sound transmitted by Mahayana realm experts, presumably the entire mortal realm could hear it.

Just as Fan Li was rapidly pondering the future relations between Great Chu, the Three Kingdoms, and the Pure Land, yet another familiar voice resounded across the mortal realm!

"We are aware."

Merely four words, yet they exuded an all-encompassing, supreme sovereign hegemony!

Looking across the entire mortal realm, only a single monarch dared to respond with such a lofty posture.

Emperor Jiajing of Great Ming.

...

"What should we do?"

"My beloved ministers, what should We do?"

"Will someone please speak? Have you all turned mute?!"

The next day, during the Great Chu court assembly.

Xiang Chong was in a state of utter panic, shouting repeatedly, yet the loyal ministers standing below the imperial steps all remained silent.

Among the hundred officials of Great Chu, only Fan Li was conspicuously absent.

"How could We have been kept completely in the dark?"

"Why did the Holy Mistress of Yaoguang not inform Us first?"

"Could it be that the Holy Mistress has found a new ally and intends to abandon Us?"

"We can do it too! Great Chu can also recognize the Holy Mistress of Yaoguang as a generational empress; We are more than willing!"

Hearing this, the officials of Great Chu felt an inexplicable pang of sorrow.

The dignified Emperor of Chu possessed words and deeds entirely devoid of imperial bearing. Moreover, he was so cowardly and feeble-minded, fixated solely on clinging to the powerful while failing to grasp the simple principle that 'a gentleman strives ceaselessly for self-improvement'?

Truly, this was not the nation's fortune.

The ministers could not help but yearn for Xiang Ning.

She was also a young sovereign, yet Xiang Ning's performance during the [Tri-Empire Alliance] had caused the officials and citizens of Chu to look at her in a brand-new light, filling them with confidence in her future.

"Duke of Jin... when on earth will you go to the Pure Land to welcome Her Majesty back?" the ministers wondered inwardly.

"His Grace the Duke of Jin arrives~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

Suddenly, a chanted announcement rang out.

Everyone cast their gazes to the side, and sure enough, they spotted that familiar figure!

The officials finally broke their silence, speaking in unison, "All is well, Duke of Jin."

With a stern expression, Fan Li maintained a resolute and steady pace.

He walked straight to the very front of the court assembly, stepped up the imperial steps, and only stopped beside the dragon throne.

"Ah, you..."

Xiang Chong was already a Nascent Soul expert, but facing Fan Li, who possessed merely Foundation Establishment cultivation, he inexplicably felt a trace of dread mingled with a desire to lean upon him for support.

"Your Majesty, you must have heard the words of the emperors of Han, Wei, and Wu, right?"

"We... We heard them."

"This Duke asks Your Majesty, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Xiang Chong opened his mouth wide, so astonished that he could not speak for a long time.

This question-and-answer session felt precisely like a private school tutor testing a student.

"We do not know."

Xiang Chong drooped his head, his voice dropping a few octaves.

"We beg the Duke of Jin to instruct Us."

Fan Li had posed this question merely to probe Xiang Chong and see whether Fanyin Pure Land had had any contact with him.

Now it appeared that Xiang Chong was utterly useless, to the extent that even the Pure Land did not consider him worth the trouble.

Fan Li turned around, facing the officials of Great Chu directly.

"Last night, this Duke received the envoys dispatched by the Three Kingdoms at my manor."

"All three envoys stated that their interactions with the Pure Land will in no way affect the alliance between the Three Kingdoms and our Great Chu!"

"My lords, can you rest easy now?"

Hearing this, the officials finally set down the heavy stones in their hearts.

They bowed in unison and declared, "With the Duke of Jin here for a single day, Great Chu shall surely enjoy peace and prosperity!"

Xiang Chong also breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet a sudden realization dawned upon him: such a monumental event had occurred, yet the emperors of Wei, Han, and Wu had chosen to brief Fan Li first instead of notifying him, the legitimate Emperor of Chu?

"Am I... am I truly regarded with such indifference?" Xiang Chong thought with bitter depression.

Being an Emperor of Chu like this tasted utterly wretched!