nashuaworldcup Chapter 554 Everything for the Great Cause!!!
Chapter 554 Everything for the Great Cause!!!
Bai Yujing did not turn his head; his gaze remained fixed on the distance.
"Your Highness is too kind. I am merely a person from the East Sea, and I do not deserve such treatment from Your Highness."
Xu Longxiang shook his head: "Sir, you are mistaken. A person of your stature deserves to be treated with respect wherever he is."
He said this with sincerity.
He truly believed this. He had witnessed Bai Yujing's strength firsthand; his swordsmanship, which was close to that of a terrestrial immortal, was something he desired.
Bai Yujing did not respond.
He simply turned his gaze from the distance, focusing on his hands hanging at his sides, then back to the distance:
"I appreciate Your Highness's kindness. However, I have my own place to guard. Canglan City in the East Sea is where I have lived for most of my life. My family, disciples, and old friends are there, and I cannot leave."
Xu Longxiang listened without immediately refuting.
He was silent for a moment, as if he was reorganizing his thoughts:
"Sir, I am not saying that you must leave Canglan City forever. What I mean is that you can stay in the Northern Territory and become my person. After I have fulfilled my wish, you can go wherever you want. Whether it is the Northern Territory, Canglan City, or the whole world, you can come and go freely."
Bai Yujing finally turned around and looked at Xu Longxiang.
His gaze held an indescribable light, as if he were looking at something interesting:
"Your Highness, do you know the difference between a Finger-Pointing Realm cultivator and a Land Immortal?"
He suddenly asked this unrelated question.
Xu Longxiang was slightly taken aback, but did not respond.
Bai Yujing continued, "It's about needs. People in the Profound Realm still need many things: cultivation techniques, elixirs, weapons, status, and so on. But terrestrial immortals don't need these things. It's very difficult to win over someone who doesn't need anything."
He paused, his voice softening further: "What can Your Highness give me? What a terrestrial immortal desires, Your Highness cannot provide. And what Your Highness can give, a terrestrial immortal does not need."
His words were blunt, like a knife piercing Xu Longxiang's heart.
But Xu Longxiang wasn't angry. He remained silent for a moment, then spoke: "What if—it's not just me alone?"
Bai Yujing looked at him: "What do you mean?"
Xu Longxiang lowered his voice even further, with a hint of probing:
"That Zhao San has already agreed to stay in the Northern Border. If I can keep both him and you by my side, then you two can spar frequently. Isn't that exactly what you want?"
He felt a little guilty after saying that.
Zhao San did not agree to his request; he only agreed to go see Miss Suxin, and that was all.
But he had already made the promise, and he couldn't take it back.
He could only hope that he could keep Zhao San and turn the lie into reality.
Otherwise, this statement would truly be just empty words.
It seems we really need the Moon Goddess's help now; without her help, Zhao San would have no chance of staying.
Xu Longxiang sighed inwardly.
Bai Yujing's gaze shifted slightly.
When that extremely subtle change caught Xu Longxiang's eye, his heart skipped a beat.
He knew he had made the right bet.
Bai Yujing's interest in Zhao San was deeper than he had imagined.
Bai Yujing was silent for a moment, then spoke: "He really agreed?"
His tone carried a hint of uncertain confirmation.
Xu Longxiang nodded, his voice steady, as if stating something he had already decided: "I agree."
He didn't say much, nor did he explain how he agreed.
He was afraid that saying too much would reveal his secret.
Bai Yujing looked at him as if he were looking at something being re-evaluated.
Then he slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on the direction of the gray-clad figure who was no longer on the distant arena:
"If... Zhao San is really willing to stay in the Northern Territory, then I can consider it."
When the word "consider" reached Xu Longxiang's ears, he felt a warm current rise from his chest.
He didn't show any excitement on his face, but the fingers hanging at his sides curled slightly and then relaxed.
"Very well. Then I will await your news, sir."
He turned around and walked towards the high platform.
His pace didn't quicken; it remained steady as before. But after a few steps, his brow furrowed slightly, as if he were thinking about something.
Xu Longxiang suddenly realized.
He really needs to find a way to keep Zhao San.
If Zhao San doesn't stay, then in the end he won't even be able to keep Bai Yujing.
Therefore, the key to this matter lies with the Moon Goddess.
No matter the cost, we must keep the Moon Goddess in check on Zhao San. That way, he can gain two powerful generals out of thin air.
Xu Longxiang walked with his head down, not looking at the dispersing crowd around him. He told himself, "This is for the greater cause!"
But after he said that, he could feel a hint of excitement in his words that he didn't even want to admit.
The excitement was hidden deep within him, in a place he himself could hardly see, yet it was indeed there.
It's like a seed that has fallen into the soil; you never know when it will sprout.
Xu Longxiang thought to himself, if Zhao San stays, then Bai Yujing will stay too.
Two half-step terrestrial immortals.
With the alliance with the Northern Barbarians, the military strength of the Moon Goddess Cult, and the 300,000 iron cavalry of the Northern Border, he would not lose this battle again.
The thought lingered in his mind.
Xu Longxiang slowly loosened his clenched fingers.
He wasn't using the moon goddess, nor was he pushing away the woman he liked once again.
He is striving for a bigger goal.
He wasn't sacrificing her; he was using her strength to achieve their shared vision.
Xu Longxiang raised his head, his gaze becoming firm again.
He walked towards the high platform.
The autumn wind blew past him, making his robes flutter, but he did not turn around.
The competition on the arena continued.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Because of the battle between Zhao San and Bai Yujing.
No matter how the subsequent matches went, it was as if there was a thick layer of water between them, preventing the emotions from reaching the audience.
A martial artist wielding double hooks fought his opponent for more than ten moves on the stage. After winning, he clasped his hands in a fist salute and left the stage amidst sparse applause.
No one cheered, no one talked about it, and no one even remembered his name.
Another young man wielding a long spear stepped onto the stage. His spearmanship was agile, forcing his opponent to retreat to the edge of the ring several times. However, the gazes of the audience remained unfocused, as if they were still waiting for something that would never appear again.
Those experts who were favored by everyone before the martial arts tournament walked onto the stage one by one, and then walked off one by one.
Some people won, and some people lost, but those wins and losses, in the eyes of the public, were like ripples on the surface of water caused by the wind, which subsided before they even spread.
All the competitions passed by in a flash, like a fleeting glimpse.
The sun moved from the east to the west, and the shadow went from short to long, then short again, and then long again.
The remaining rankings were settled one by one in an almost silent atmosphere.
When Fan Li announced the names of the top eight, there was only symbolic applause from the audience, and some people hadn't even reacted yet.
Xu Longxiang stood at the edge of the high platform, watching the figures walking down the stage one after another. His gaze swept over them, but he didn't linger on any one person for long.
These are all promising talents. Normally, he would personally meet with them one by one to test whether they would be willing to stay.
But at that moment, his mind was not on them.
Xu Longxiang withdrew his gaze, turned his head, and lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard by a third person: "Mr. Fan, have you found out anything about Zhao San's background?"
Fan Li stood behind him, silent for a moment.
He spoke in a similarly low voice: "Not yet."
Xu Longxiang's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.
Fan Li continued, speaking slowly, as if he were reorganizing something he had already reviewed several times:
"I used the intelligence network in the north and also asked several people who travel the martial arts world year-round. No one had ever heard of the name Zhao San, nor had anyone seen him. It's as if he appeared in this city overnight."
He paused, then lowered his voice further:
"I even had someone investigate the Qingfeng Sword Sect. That sect does exist, operating in the northern border region. It's not large, with only a dozen or so disciples. The sect leader is an old man over sixty years old, with mediocre cultivation and no reputation in the martial arts world. I had someone ask that sect leader, and he said he has no disciple named Zhao San and doesn't know anyone named Zhao San."
Xu Longxiang's fingers twitched slightly inside his sleeve, then relaxed. "In other words, this person appeared out of thin air."
Fan Li neither nodded nor shook his head, but continued, "From the current perspective, this person is very likely using a false name and identity. His origins, mentors, and purposes are all a mystery."
He paused for a moment, as if waiting for Xu Longxiang to process his words, or perhaps considering how to say his next sentence: "Your Highness... a person of unknown origin is often more difficult to control than a person of known origin."
Xu Longxiang did not respond immediately.
His gaze fell towards the old locust tree at the edge of the training ground. The figure in gray was no longer there, but his gaze lingered there for a moment longer.
Then he spoke, his voice even softer than before, as if speaking to Fan Li, yet also to himself: "But his strength is real."
Fan Li did not refute.
Because he knew that what His Highness said was true.
That sword light that traversed the sky was something no one could fake.
He simply bowed his head slightly, his voice steady: "Your Highness is right."
Xu Longxiang added, "He agreed to stay. But there was one condition."
Fan Li did not ask what the conditions were.
He simply stood there quietly, waiting for Xu Longxiang to continue.
But Xu Longxiang did not continue speaking.
He was silent for a moment.
He changed the subject:
"Bai Yujing has also agreed. He said that as long as Zhao San stays, he will consider staying as well. So if Zhao San stays, Bai Yujing will stay as well."
Fan Li did not respond immediately this time.
He looked at Xu Longxiang's profile, at his tone that seemed to be trying to convince him, paused for a moment, and then spoke, his voice very low:
"Your Highness, what conditions does Zhao San demand?"
Xu Longxiang's fingers clenched slightly inside his sleeve, then relaxed. "He wants a woman."
His voice was flat, as if he were stating something that had nothing to do with him.
Fan Li's brow twitched slightly: "A woman? What kind of woman?"
Xu Longxiang's gaze remained fixed on the distance, and his voice remained completely calm: "Miss Suxin."
Fan Li remained silent.
Xu Longxiang seemed to sense Fan Li's silence. He turned his head, glanced at Fan Li, and then looked away.
"Sir, you don't need to worry. She herself agreed. She said she's willing to make some sacrifices for the greater cause."
After he finished speaking, he fell silent.
Fan Li stood behind him without saying a word.
He simply added a sentence to his mind.
But Your Highness, what she was willing to sacrifice was her freedom. And what you were willing to sacrifice was her.
He didn't say it aloud, but simply nodded, his voice steady:
"Understood, Your Highness. I will continue to investigate Zhao San's background and report to Your Highness immediately upon receiving any information."
After saying that, he seemed uneasy and added softly, "Your Highness, that Zhao San... if he truly has an unknown background, have you considered the price Your Highness will pay?"
Xu Longxiang did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the distant arena, where no one was now.
His voice drifted from ahead, very soft: "I've thought it through. For the greater cause, any price is worth paying."