Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: Lordbluefire
For the following period of time, Qin Wentian stayed in the governor’s manor and didn’t go out. The various major and minor powers of the northern city regions all took the initiative to come and pay up the contributions that they owed for the past tens of years. There was basically no need for the people of the governor’s manor to head out to collect tribute. In fact, Qin Wentian even gave the order for them not to head over for tribute collection. In this way, it actually increased the pressure the powers in the northern city regions was feeling. Nobody dared to not come and pay up.
In the manor, Xu Li came by to make a report. He stood before Qin Wentian, feeling a thousand sentiments in his heart as he stared at the handsome young man before him. Back then, he once heard the Barbarian Emperor saying that he wanted to kill Qin Wentian. Now, tens of years have passed and Qin Wentian was already so strong to this extent. He was like a divinity at the immortal-emperor realm. Even the Evil Emperor admitted that he wasn’t a match for Qin Wentian, he was far inferior.
If the Qin Wentian in the past had such combat prowess, maybe Ye Qianyu wouldn’t have been captured and the Jialan Monarch would have already become a dead man.
Let’s hope Qin Wentian can continue to grow, only when he reaches the level of the Lifire Empyrean would he have a chance to save Ye Qianyu.
“How is it?” Qin Wentian asked.
“The various powers of the northern city regions have finished paying contributions, the amount of contributions they didn’t pay during the past tens of years, were included as well.” Xu Li replied. The threatening power of that battle was simply too strong. Over twenty immortal emperors had fallen during the fight, including many peak-stage ones. Who would still dare to resist?
“Oh?” Qin Wentian’s eyes flashed, “Did ‘those’ powers pay up?”
“Mhm, the powers that were owned by the Jialan Clan on the surface have also paid up fully, including the contributions they didn’t pay for the past tens of years. They didn’t cause any trouble.” Xu Li nodded.
“Jialan Clan.” Qin Wentian mumbled. a cold light flickered in his eyes. Such an enemy was then the terrifying one. They wouldn’t do anything to you on the surface and wouldn’t give you any excuse to deal with them. But in the shadows, their killing intent was everywhere but you can’t even find a hint of their shadow.
“Be more careful about the Jialan Clan in the future.” Qin Wentian instructed.
“Mhm.” Xu Li nodded. He naturally understood how dangerous the Jialan Clan was. The Jialan Clan was like a venomous serpent. As for the contributions they paid, it wasn’t really considered anything considering the wealth of the Jialan Clan.
“The number of subordinates we have is too little. Should we recruit more?” Xu Li asked. Although currently, the prestige of the governor’s manor was very high, how could Xu Li not understand that Qin Wentian was the person that made all this happen? If he wasn’t strong enough, would the current situation be like this?
The battle at the Ancient River Auction House caused Xu Li to feel that the governor’s manor current number of experts were just too little. They were simply too weak. Just any first-tier power would have enough strength to contend against their governor’s manor. The number of immortal emperors they had was by far fewer. Once Qin Wentian left, the governor’s manor would have no more threat. He might as well take this chance to expand the governor’s manor, increasing its strength.
“Indeed.” Qin Wentian nodded, but he soon frowned. He then continued, “But there’s no hurry. Wait for me to return from the Lifire Palace, we should make the recruitment announcement after the Lifire Empyrean grants me 10% of the tributes. Those with high cultivations are not fools, they naturally understand that if they entered the governor’s manor now, it wouldn’t be as safe as it looked to be on the surface. Cultivation resources are the only things that can attract those powerful experts.”
“There’s also one point. The Evil Emperor has to be present when you are recruiting people. Do you understand my meaning?” Qin Wentian spoke.
Xu Li’s eyes flashed, he then nod his head. “I understand, it’s easy for spies to infiltrate us, but many people will definitely be unwilling to allow the Evil Emperor into their minds.”
“We will only be asking a single question and we can make a vow saying that we will not probe their other secrets. If they refuse to accept this, we might as well not recruit them.” Qin Wentian spoke. Xu Li nodded. After that, he turned and left.
Qin Wentian had a look of contemplation on his face after Xu Li left. He not only needed to be wary of the Jialan Clan, he also had to think about the situation in the Lifire Palace. If the northern governor’s manor expanded in strength, what if one day, the Lifire Empyrean wanted to deal with him? With just a command, the spearhead could be pointed to him and his men. What should he do then?
All these matters have to be thought of and be prepared in advance.
…
In the Lifire Palace, the five governors once again gathered in the beautiful courtyard of the Lifire Empyrean’s residence. Beautiful female servants were all around them.
However, the thing that was different now, was that the atmosphere was somewhat strange.
In the past tens of years, the northern governor Qin Wentian was so low-profile that it was terrifying. He didn’t really appear and every time he came here, he would hear mocking voices speaking ill of him. This was especially so with regards to central governor Xia Hou. He showed no mercy every time when he mocked Qin Wentian.
However this time around, the other four governors obviously had already learned about the situation in the northern city regions. Qin Wentian alone swept his way through so many immortal emperors with invincibility. Although they didn’t personally witness the battle, they could imagine how tyrannical Qin Wentian must be. In the past, Governor Xia Hou has always looked down and insulted Qin Wentian. After news of the incident in the north circulated out, it was like smacking his face. Even if Qin Wentian didn’t say anything, the atmosphere now still felt a little strange.
The five governors sat in their respective locations, away from each other. Qin Wentian was clad in white, he quietly enjoyed the taste of his tea while Xia Hou drank wine. Xia Hou didn’t say anything, but the lines of his face were scrunched up, it looked like he was very unhappy.
Xia Hou naturally had a reason to be unhappy. During the past tens of years, the incident of the Emperor Pavilion caused his central governor’s manor to be riddled with scandalous rumors. The Purple Moon Immortal Emperor, one of the personal handmaidens that followed the Lifire Empyrean, personally told him to clean things up. After that, the development of the Emperor Pavilion became unstoppable and had now become one of the largest transaction grounds and auction houses in the central city regions. Things were extremely prosperous for Di Tian, and every time he heard people saying that Grandmaster Di Tian forged another divine treasure for auction, Xia Hou would feel extremely unhappy.
Right now Qin Wentian, who had always been insulted by him, had finally risen up. It was rumored that all the tributes that he missed out on collecting in the past tens of years, were all collected in one-shot this time. No powers in the north dared not to pay up. He only used fifty years to do so and right now, he had also broken through to the mid-stage of the immortal emperor realm.
Beauty Xiao propped her chin up, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly at Qin Wentian as she smiled, “You are growing more and more handsome.”
In the past, whenever she praised Qin Wentian, Yin Qiu would start to insult him. But this time around, Yin Qiu merely silently sipped his tea as he glanced at Qin Wentian.
“I’ve invited governor Qin for tens of years, why have you never once come to my southern governor’s manor to pay me a visit?” Beauty Xiao’s eyes flashed with gentle charm, easily capable of stirring the souls of others.
“I’ve been busy with my cultivation during these years. Governor Xiao, please don’t take offense.” Qin Wentian smiled.
“You are now already at the mid-stage of the immortal emperor realm, you should have finish busying yourself, right? When will you be free to come over?” Beauty Xiao smiled wider, not discreet at all.
“If there’s a chance, I will definitely head over.” Qin Wentian smiled.
“If you are willing to come over, you can treat my place like your own home.” Beauty Xiao giggled, her voice containing an extremely obvious hint that Qin Wentian could do whatever he wants to with her. Yin Qiu turned pale, he glanced at Qin Wentian unhappily. This cheap slut kept seducing Qin Wentian on her own initiative. As for him, he put in all his efforts to get her but Beauty Xiao had always ignored him.
“Governor Qin, you can come to my city region to take a walk too if you are free.” Lin Ba laughed.
“He merely did something he ought to have done. Also, he actually used a total of fifty years to do so. Do you all need to act in this manner?” Xia Hou coldly spoke, his tone filled with dissatisfaction. Lin Ba started, he cast a glance at Qin Wentian, smiling and not commenting on Xia Hou’s words.
Beauty Xiao and Yin Qiu smiled as they glanced at Qin Wentian, only to see him sipping his tea before slowly placing the teacup down. A mocking smile curled his lips, regardless of him or his avatar Di Tian, this Xia Hou gave no face to the both of them. In the past, he wanted to keep a low-profile and didn’t wish to stir things, but this Xia Hou was still as arrogant as ever.
“How regretful. I, Qin, have too low a cultivation base and had to spend an entire fifty years before I could aid the palace lord in settling the northern city regions. Given Governor Xia Hou’s imposingness, I’m sure you could already rule your city region unchallenged when you had a mid-stage immortal emperor cultivation base. The northern regions have always been chaotic but the palace lord didn’t want to send Governor Xia Hou there. It must be because he feared that he would waste Governor Xia Hou’s great talent.” Qin Wentian sarcastically spoke, everyone could hear what he really meant by his words.
Xia Hou swept his gaze at Qin Wentian, “Stop speaking so ambiguously. This is just the beginning, if you are so easily satisfied, how can you accomplish greater things?”
“How can I be compared to Governor Xia? In the central city regions, you have control over everything. What can you not accomplish? Even during that year when the Emperor Pavilion was established in your central city regions, Governor Xia Hou was so lofty that he didn’t even give a damn about it.”
With a crisp sound ringing out, the wine cup in Xia Hou’s hand shattered, crushed by him. His eyes were icy to the extreme as he slammed his palm onto the table. “Are you provoking me?”
“Bang!” Qin Wentian also slammed his palm onto the table as a cold intent radiated from him. “Governor Xia Hou has mocked and insulted me for many years but I didn’t take it to heart. Now, I can’t even speak a single sentence to you? By speaking, it means that I’m provoking you? Governor Xia Hou, who the hell do you think you are?”
“What do you want?” Xia Hou’s gaze flashed with coldness.
Qin Wentian narrowed his eyes, an evil smile with charm flickered within. “Governor Xia, you have always disliked I, Qin. Why don’t we have a battle? The loser will quit his position as a governor and scram out of Lifire City.”
The people present all started, the light in Beauty Xiao’s eyes grew even brighter. Qin Wentian was getting more and more handsome from her perspective.
Lin Ba and Yin Qiu also stared at Qin Wentian. This fellow actually dared to challenge Xia Hou.
Xia Hou’s expression turned sinister. A mid-stage immortal king actually challenged him. The fact that this happened was already considered a face-smacking incident for him. It meant that Qin Wentian clearly held him in disdain.
“I’m happy to oblige.” Xia Hou coldly spoke.
“Have you guys talked enough nonsense?” A voice filled with the tone of scolding rang out. After that, everyone saw Zhuge Xiong walking into the hall.
“Grand governor.” Everyone stood up and clapped their hands to Zhuge Xiong.
“You two truly have guts to cause trouble here in the palace lord’s residence.” Zhuge Xiong snorted coldly.
“It’s good to have some anger in you. In addition, this time around, Qin Wentian has rendered great merit. If he doesn’t have some anger in him, how could he settle the northern city regions for me?” The Lifire Empyrean’s voice rang out. After that, he entered the hall with his two personal handmaidens with him!
