BSI Chapter 87 The Northern Barbarians Invade! Is Xu Longxiang going to join forces with the Northern Ba
Chapter 87 The Northern Barbarians Invade! Is Xu Longxiang going to join forces with the Northern Ba
The Northern Frontier, the Prince Zhenbei's Mansion.
Inside Zhenyue Hall, candlelight shone brightly.
The tallow candles on the bronze candlesticks burned brightly, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime.
But the bright light could not dispel the heavy, suffocating oppression within the hall.
Xu Longxiang sat in the center on a tiger-skin armchair, dressed in a black outfit, with a jade belt around his waist and cloud-patterned boots on his feet.
He stood ramrod straight, his hands resting on the armrests, his fingertips tapping rhythmically, producing a monotonous "tap, tap, tap" sound.
The candlelight illuminated his face, and his once handsome and resolute features were now shrouded in an inescapable gloom.
Those eyes, once sharp as an eagle's, were now filled with fine blood vessels, and deep within them burned an almost insane flame.
Five people stood in front of him.
These were his five top advisors: Sikong Xuan, Fan Li, Tie Tu, Liu Hongyan, and Mo Shen.
The five men stood solemnly with their hands at their sides, their expressions grave. The air seemed to solidify, making it hard to breathe.
They have been standing here for a full hour.
Since Xu Longxiang returned from Tingtao Garden last night, he has been distraught and acted like a madman. Later, he locked himself in his room, and there were sounds of howling like a trapped beast and the sound of walls being smashed.
When he reappeared before everyone, he appeared calm on the surface, but everyone could sense it.
The crown prince has changed.
That change wasn't superficial; it came from within.
It was as if something within him had been completely shattered and reassembled.
It eventually solidified into a cold, hard piece of stubborn iron called "Destruction".
"A terrestrial immortal..."
Xu Longxiang finally spoke, his voice hoarse like the friction of sand and gravel, breaking the deathly silence.
He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the five people in front of him with an almost tangible intensity, finally settling on Sikong Xuan:
"Mr. Sikong, you are very knowledgeable. In your opinion, what price would be needed to deal with a terrestrial deity?"
Sikong Xuan felt a chill run down his spine.
This old advisor, who had followed Xu Xiao for thirty years and weathered many storms, suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine.
He hesitated for a moment, his aged voice echoing in the hall, filled with deep worry:
"Your Highness, I dare to speak frankly—the immortals of the mortal realm are no longer ordinary beings."
He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, trying to make the young lord understand the terrifying existence they were about to face:
"The Celestial Realm allows one to harness the power of heaven and earth, splitting mountains and shattering rocks, making it the pinnacle of human achievement. But ultimately... it still falls within the realm of humans."
"And the immortals on land..."
A complex look of awe and fear flashed in Sikong Xuan's eyes:
"That is the existence that has touched the threshold of the Dao. True Qi transforms into essence, resonating with heaven and earth. Every move is no longer a simple contest of strength, but... the application of rules."
He looked at Xu Longxiang and spoke earnestly:
"Your Highness, consider this: on Mount Qinglan, why was that second-rank disciple named Kuailai able to defeat Li Wuhen in one move? It was not due to his own strength, but rather because the terrestrial immortal behind him manipulated things remotely, using supreme sword intent to find the slightest flaw in Li Wuhen's sword technique and then amplifying it."
"This is something that ordinary martial artists cannot do. It requires an understanding of the way of the sword, true qi, and the rules of heaven and earth, reaching a level that is unimaginable to us."
"To deal with such an existence..."
Sikong Xuan shook his head with a wry smile:
"To confront them head-on is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. Even if all five of us come out together, in the eyes of a terrestrial deity, we would probably be like a swarm of ants, easily crushed with a single step."
This statement is extremely blunt and extremely cruel.
The other four people in the hall all looked extremely grim.
Tie Tu, a fierce general known for his bravery and fearlessness, clenched his fists, his eyes filled with resentment, yet he had to admit that Sikong Xuan was right.
The color drained from Liu Hongyan's beautiful face. She recalled Qin Mu's hand roaming over her body in Zhenyue Hall last night, and the humiliation that almost tore her apart.
He then recalled the mysterious figure behind Qin Mu, who could control a second-grade disciple to defeat a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert... A chill ran through him.
Mo Shen, this extraordinary man who was proficient in divination, mechanisms and hidden weapons, frowned, seemingly calculating something rapidly, but in the end he could only sigh in despair.
Only Fan Li, the disciple of Guigu, known for his wisdom and strategy, had a glint in his eyes, as if he was still pondering a solution.
Xu Longxiang listened quietly, his face expressionless.
He already knew the answer; he just needed to confirm it with Sikong Xuan.
"Therefore," Xu Longxiang said slowly, "we cannot confront them head-on."
"What should we do then?"
Tie Tu couldn't help but speak, his voice deep and thunderous, "Are we just going to let that dog emperor ride roughshod over us? Let him... humiliate the Crown Prince, humiliate the Northern Border?!"
He practically roared out the last few words, his eyes blazing with fury.
Xu Longxiang glanced at him, his gaze as cold as a knife, which made even the fierce general Tie Tu unconsciously shut his mouth.
"Of course not."
Xu Longxiang's voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling undertone:
"Not being able to confront them head-on doesn't mean we can't deal with them."
He stood up, walked to the map of the Nine Provinces hanging on the wall, and pointed to the location of the Qin Imperial City:
"Even the strongest terrestrial deities are still human. As humans, they have weaknesses, constraints, and... things they have to consider."
"Qin Mu's biggest weakness is that he sits in that position."
Xu Longxiang turned around, the candlelight casting a long shadow behind him, like a lurking beast:
"He is the emperor. He needs to rule the country, maintain balance in the court, and appease the people."
"As long as he remains emperor, as long as he wants to stay in that position, he cannot do whatever he wants. He must follow certain rules, certain... rules that we can take advantage of."
Fan Li's eyes lit up, and he replied:
"Does Your Highness mean... leveraging influence?"
"good."
Xu Longxiang nodded. "We cannot contend with the power of a terrestrial deity. But the emperor's status places countless shackles upon him. What we need to do is not to fight against that power, but to pry open those shackles."
"How do we pry it open?" Liu Hongyan asked softly.
Xu Longxiang's lips curled into a cold smile:
"Liyang, Xiliang, Beimang... In this world, we are not the only ones who want him dead."
He sat back down in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest:
"Zhao Qingxue, that woman, has just completely consolidated military power and needs a victory against external forces to solidify her prestige. Liu Yuan of Xiliang is ambitious and his military strength is at its peak. Northern Mang..."
A complex look flashed in Xu Longxiang's eyes when the Northern Barbarians were mentioned.
The Xu family has guarded the northern border for three generations, fighting against the Northern Barbarians for decades, and has long since formed a deep-seated blood feud.
But at this moment...
"Report—!"
The sound of hurried footsteps and announcements outside the hall interrupted his thoughts.
A guard stumbled into the hall, knelt on one knee, and his voice was distorted with extreme terror:
"Your Highness! Urgent military intelligence! The Northern Mang... the Northern Mang army is making unusual movements!"
"What?!" Xu Longxiang suddenly stood up!
The five people in the hall also had their expressions change drastically!
"Explain yourself!" Xu Longxiang's voice was chilling.
The guard, panting heavily, said urgently:
"Half an hour ago, the border beacon towers were lit one after another! Scouts reported that Tuoba Lie, the younger brother of Tuoba Hong, the Left Wise King of Northern Mang, personally led 200,000 iron cavalry and suddenly appeared a hundred miles outside Yanmen Pass!"
Their advance is aimed directly at my northern defenses! Judging from their posture... it doesn't seem like ordinary raiding, but rather... a large-scale offensive!
"boom--!"
This news struck Zhenyue Hall like a thunderbolt!
Northern Barbarians!
Two hundred thousand iron cavalry!
At this critical juncture?!
Xu Longxiang's face instantly turned so dark it could drip water!
He stared intently at the line on the map that marked the border between the Northern Border and the Northern Barbarian Lands, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
Qin Mu had just left the northern border and was on his way back.
The Northern Mang army was at the city gates.
Is this a coincidence?
Or... is someone secretly manipulating things?
"Tuoba Lie..." Xu Longxiang murmured, savoring the name. "When did that brute develop such courage and decisiveness?"
Tuoba Lie, the younger brother of Tuoba Hong, the Left Wise King of Northern Mang, was known for his bravery and cruelty, but he was always reckless and impulsive.
Suddenly leading an army of 200,000 to press on the border is definitely not his usual style.
"Your Highness!"
Tie Tu took a sudden step forward, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, his voice booming:
"How dare those barbarian invaders of the Northern Barbarians at this time! This humble general requests permission to lead 50,000 elite troops to reinforce Yanmen Pass immediately! We will ensure that Tuoba Lie never returns!"
He was a pure military commander with a straightforward mindset.
If the enemy comes, then fight!
But Fan Li frowned and said in a deep voice:
"General Tie, please calm down. This matter... is strange."
He looked at Xu Longxiang:
"Your Highness, Qin Mu left just moments before the Northern Barbarian army pressed in. The timing was so precise; it's probably no coincidence."
"What does Mr. Fan mean?" Xu Longxiang looked at him.
"Two possibilities."
Fan Li held up two fingers, his eyes gleaming:
"First, Qin Mu secretly colluded with the Northern Barbarians, taking this opportunity to deplete our northern border forces and weaken the Crown Prince's strength."
"second……"
He paused, lowering his voice, "The Northern Barbarians, upon learning that Qin Mu has personally come to the Northern Border, believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and intend to launch a surprise attack while our Northern Border is receiving the Emperor, with our forces dispersed or our defenses relaxed."
Xu Longxiang remained silent.
Both possibilities make sense.
But either way, it means...
The northern border is in danger.
"Your Highness!"
Another advisor spoke up. This person was named Zhou Ce, the youngest advisor outside of the five chief advisors, and he was skilled in diplomacy and strategic maneuvering.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and his voice was urgent:
"In my opinion, this is a golden opportunity!"
"Oh?" Xu Longxiang looked at him.
Zhou Ce strode to the map and pointed to the location of Northern Mang:
"Your Highness, the true enemy of Northern Mang and our northern border is that dog emperor sitting in the imperial city!"
He turned to Xu Longxiang, his tone agitated:
"Why should we guard the frontier for Qin Mu? Why should we use the blood of our northern soldiers to protect his kingdom?"
"Why not... take this opportunity to negotiate peace with Northern Mang! Or even... form an alliance!"
"If we promise substantial benefits, such as... ceding three northern states and sharing the Central Plains equally with the Northern Barbarians after the matter is accomplished, the Northern Barbarians will surely be tempted!"
"At that time, we will join forces with the Northern Mang allied forces and march south to seize the imperial city! Even if Qin Mu has a terrestrial immortal by his side, can he possibly withstand a million-strong army from two nations?!"
These words were highly inflammatory, and the expressions of the people in the hall varied.