Chapter 216: A Sudden Incident
“Eh, have you heard? The neighboring country has been frequently provoking us recently, wanting to go to war with us. The adults in the palace are very anxious about this. I really don’t know what will happen in the future.”
“What else can happen? If they want to go to war, then let’s go to war! We’re not afraid of them!”
“Of course we weren’t afraid before. But now that Her Majesty the Empress is unconscious, it’s really unsettling.”
“That’s true. I really hope Her Majesty can get better soon!”
As soon as he stepped outside, he heard the conversation of two passing maids, which surprised Su Yan a little. The neighboring country is provoking them? They should be talking about the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, right? While I was peacefully reading, did something happen?
At this thought, Su Yan could no longer sit still and quickly ran towards Long Bing’s bedchamber.
Of course, there was no one here. He called a maid to ask, but she didn’t know where Long Bing had gone either.
“She’s probably out investigating. It’s not over yet.”
Su Yan was anxious, but there was nothing he could do. He could only wait here slowly. And so, he waited until night.
“You’re finally back.”
Seeing Long Bing return, Su Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
“Junior Brother, you’re…”
Long Bing’s face was full of confusion. It was already night. Why was he here instead of resting in his own room?
Su Yan said, “I heard some things today, news about the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. Did something happen?”
Hearing Su Yan’s question, Long Bing’s face immediately darkened. She nodded and said, “The news travels fast. Even you know about it. This is what happened…”
As Long Bing explained, Su Yan gradually understood the situation.
The Dragon Kingdom was a large power where cultivators and mortals coexisted. As a country, it had a vast territory. And with the growth of its territory, of course, it would face various problems…
“Our conflict with the Vermilion Bird Kingdom has a long history. We once fought fiercely over the ownership of the land on the border. But in the past few decades, we have been at peace. However, just in the past few days, an envoy from the Vermilion Bird Kingdom visited and provoked us. A war may be unavoidable.”
At this point, a look of unease appeared on Long Bing’s face. If her mother were not in a coma, it would be fine. But now, if a conflict broke out between the two countries and the country had no leader, who knows what would happen.
“I see. To think that such a thing happened.”
Su Yan nodded. But wasn’t this a bit too coincidental? The moment the empress fell into a coma, the Vermilion Bird Kingdom came out to cause trouble. It was hard not to connect the two.
Su Yan voiced his thoughts. Long Bing frowned and said, “You mean, my mother’s matter is very likely the work of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom? They are the masterminds behind it?”
“That’s what I mean.”
Su Yan nodded. Nothing in the world happens without a reason. As a high-ranking member of the Dragon Kingdom, why would they rebel when they were living a good life? Were they bored?
Of course not!
There must be a great benefit involved. If the Vermilion Bird Kingdom was causing trouble from within, then everything could be explained. They had the strength to offer enough benefits.
Long Bing also thought of this, and her expression became very unpleasant.
Indeed, the Vermilion Bird Kingdom was very suspicious.
First, as a country, it had enough strength to bribe the high-ranking members of the Dragon Kingdom. Whether it was power or tangible treasures, they could easily do such a thing.
And thinking of the special nature of the gu worm, this kind of thing had not appeared for many years. Ordinary people could not come into contact with it at all. This undoubtedly deepened her suspicion.
“By the way, what did you mean by provocation?”
Su Yan suddenly asked.
Long Bing said, “It’s nothing, just the usual framing. The envoy of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom condemned us for entering their territory without their permission, killing and burning there, and doing many evil things. They expressed strong condemnation and hoped that we could give them an explanation. Otherwise, they would not let it go.”
“I see.”
Su Yan nodded. A battle between countries was not like a fight between two cultivators. They had to find a legitimate reason. This way, they could be united from top to bottom, and it would be more convenient to deploy. In order to occupy the moral high ground, it was very common to frame the enemy. It’s just…
“Have you investigated?”
Su Yan asked.
“Investigate what?”
“About what the envoy of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom said.”
“No, because there’s no need to investigate. They’ve done this kind of thing more than once, making up baseless lies.”
Su Yan was not surprised by Long Bing’s answer. If the Dragon Kingdom and the Vermilion Bird Kingdom often had conflicts, then they should have used all sorts of means. Framing was not strange.
“I think it’s better to be rigorous.”
If it were any other time, Su Yan would not think so much. But now that the empress was in a coma and the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had come to provoke them, it made him inevitably suspicious.
He had read many detective novels in his previous life. You could never guess who the real culprit was until the last moment. Adhering to the principle of suspecting everything, Su Yan made such a hypothesis.
“The empress’s matter is very likely the work of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. It’s also possible that it’s not them, but just to confuse the public and be used by someone with ulterior motives.”
He did not say his thoughts out loud, because Su Yan had no evidence. He wanted to investigate this matter. Anyway, he was idle. He might as well move around a bit.
“If you want to investigate, then investigate.”
Long Bing rubbed her forehead and gave Su Yan her own waist token. This waist token could represent her. He could go anywhere unimpeded and could also deploy a certain degree of official power.
“Leave it to me.”
Su Yan accepted the waist token.
Long Bing did not have much hope for his investigation and felt that it was meaningless. But thinking that her junior brother was bored, she did not stop him.
After getting the waist token, Su Yan secretly investigated this matter. Actually, he didn’t have much hope either. After all, it was just a suspicion in his heart. It might just be a whim.
However…
Crossing the border between the two countries and coming to the sphere of influence of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom… for Su Yan, who was already a Golden Core cultivator, these mortal armies could not stop him at all. He easily came to the scene of the crime that the envoy had mentioned.
“It’s actually true!”
Su Yan saw the burnt houses and the crying crowd, which surprised him greatly.
Through illusion techniques, he learned what had happened. People from the Dragon Kingdom had come here, burning, killing, and looting in various places, committing many crimes.
As for why he was sure it was the Dragon Kingdom…
“I knew it as soon as I saw their attire. And they even left something at the scene.”
The so-called “something” referred to a wooden plaque engraved with the pattern of the Dragon Kingdom. In the eyes of the people of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, this was a blatant humiliation. It was as if they didn’t care even if their identity was known. They were fearless. But Su Yan found it very strange.
“Burning, killing, and looting, and even leaving a mark at the scene… there’s a problem here!”
Would a normal person do that? To say who you were at the scene of the crime?
“There’s a suspicion of deliberate provocation.”
Thinking carefully, the Dragon Kingdom, because the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had been doing this for years, had long since stopped falling for this trick and felt that the Vermilion Bird Kingdom was just looking for trouble. But they hadn’t expected that all of this was true and that the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had not lied.
“One thought the other was lying, and the other thought the other had done something and was denying it. What would happen if this continued?”
Su Yan knew just by thinking about it. Because of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom’s past actions, the Dragon Kingdom was very distrustful and felt that they were lying, not taking this matter to heart.
But how could the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, which had really suffered a great loss, stand the Dragon Kingdom’s attitude? The civilians of the country had been innocently killed. They had to be given an explanation. The Dragon Kingdom’s perfunctory attitude would make them furious and thus trigger a war.
“Normally, at most, it would just be a war of words. But this time is different!”
At this thought, Su Yan sensed a crisis. He collected the evidence and hurried back to the Dragon Kingdom.
Before he even reached the imperial palace of the Dragon Kingdom, Su Yan felt a tense atmosphere. Because the previously slightly relaxed capital was now filled with people discussing one topic: whether to go to war with the Vermilion Bird Kingdom.
“Have you heard? The Vermilion Bird Kingdom has been frequently provoking us recently, saying they want to go to war with us. It seems like there’s going to be a war.”
“How can this be? We’ve been at peace for decades. I thought it could continue. Why is this happening?”
“You’re actually asking such a naive question? Of course, it’s because they want to invade us. What other reason could there be?”
“But I heard from others that it seems we were the ones who provoked them first?”
“Who did you hear that from? You believe whatever she says? How many times has the Vermilion Bird Kingdom done this? This is just a diplomatic tactic, an excuse to start a war. Besides, many people are speculating that the empress’s coma is related to the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental?”
“They’re simply too despicable!”
…
Su Yan heard the conversation of two passersby and was a little surprised. The two countries had indeed fallen out. This was completely within his expectations. But the empress’s coma was related to the Vermilion Bird Kingdom… who had spread this rumor?
“Could it be the mastermind behind the scenes?”
Su Yan guessed that there was this possibility. But for the people of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom to come here so coincidentally, it was inevitable that people would be suspicious. So it was not certain.
“Forget it. I don’t have to worry about these things for now.”
Su Yan shook his head. The most important thing now was to return to the imperial palace, to inquire about the progress of this matter, and what exactly had happened.
At this thought, Su Yan headed towards the imperial palace. After notifying that he was back, Long Bing came here not long after.
“How is it, Senior Sister?”
Su Yan asked curiously.
Long Bing’s expression was unpleasant. She recounted the matter one by one. The negotiations with the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had not been smooth. Because the high-ranking members of the country had always suspected that the empress’s incident was the work of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, they hadn’t even questioned the other party yet, but they had been accused first by the villain. Who could stand this!
“And their attitude is too terrible! They actually insisted that we give them an explanation and hand over the culprit who had slaughtered the civilians! They said the lie as if it were true! I think they’re determined to start a war.”
At this point, Long Bing took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead in frustration.
To encounter so many things as soon as she returned… it was driving her crazy. She really wanted to go back to the sect and ignore these things. But she couldn’t. This was her home, and there were still many things to do.
