Duke Li laughed derisively: "Impossible." "Absolutely impossible." "With talents like ours, we can barely stand firm ourselves. Just a mere traveling merchant." "Even if there is a hidden identity, it would mostly be an outstanding disciple from some noble family able to hold one city; to occupy forty-two cities would be nothing short of a miracle." "Might end up being overwhelmed by one’s own ambitions." "The situation in the Western Regions is turbulent and chaotic, the complexities among the Thirty-six Tribes resemble a cage, like Tian Ge’er, even Zhaowen; they’re all talents, dashing young luminaries." "Yet in these Western Regions, they are just two birds trapped by their circumstance." Xiahou Duan, honest and brave, said: "The Military School says, one must first consider defeat before contemplating victory." "But what if the tide turns?" "You say, if someone comes to claim you, to make themselves heir whenever needed." Duke Li said: "Therefore... I say, both she and that boy are caught in the cage of this great tide. How could I make my daughter Duke? It is only due to the current predicament that we must rely on their strength and thus have to say so." Xiahou Duan remained silent. Duke Li said: "This world is layers upon layers of cages. Zhaowen’s cage is my city of Xiyi, is family affection, and the boy’s cage is the complexities of the Western Regions, is the swirling winds and clouds of the world." "If they cannot escape this cage, they remain mere beautiful birds within it." "But if they do escape..." He paused, saying softly, "Then they would become phoenixes." "Let this old man be their stepping stone to fame." "It’s just a matter of gambling with fate and accepting the outcome." "Whence comes the phoenix, whence goes?" "Surely not all in my Western Regions?" "But rather, with such circumstances, tell me, has the struggle between Dangxiang and that old wolf reached its peak yet? Does that woman from the Dangxiang Kingdom wish for us to be stopped, or for us to break through?" Duke Li raised his eyes to look outside. Xiao Yuxue at this moment was also looking from the heights of the Dangxiang royal palace at the distance, her sleeves fluttering, murmuring to herself: "... Li Shude, you wouldn’t have expected, would you, that even within your city of Xiyi, there are those of my Holy Sect." "What a pity, what a pity." "Li Shude, a hero of his age, with his eldest son holding the family line and two daughters free-spirited." "But your third son is incompetent, ensnared by a few song-girls unto perdition, even the timing and route of your departure from the city could be easily uncovered, a shame for such a formidable figure being defeated by his own son." A strikingly beautiful yet indifferent-eyed woman stood at a height, softly saying: Latest content published on nοvelfire.net "Let Yemen Pass bury your ambitions, old man, your third son is a fine pawn, stirring discord between your elder son and two daughters, Xiyi will be influenced by us." "With your death, Ying Country will have enough reason to dispatch troops..." "The pressure on Chen Country will lessen." "He Ruoqihu, the world’s fourth greatest general, has yet to make any moves." "He acts dominantly, entering the Western Regions, sweeping and slaying across all tribes; the Thirty-six Tribes cannot resist him, and the Wolf King, once the Fourth Divine General of the world, and now the Fourth Divine General." "Struggling within the Western Regions." "Only then can Dangxiang survive, can my Holy Sect survive." "Li Shude, use your head to invigorate this deadlock in the Western Regions!" Wu Xuefei lowered her head— Even she could see it. Xiao Yuxue was stirring the grand tide of the world, once her plan was truly executed, the entire Western Regions, and possibly the whole world would change accordingly, reviving the Dangxiang Kingdom, and the Qi Fortune of the Holy Sect, which had seemed severed. Wu Xuefei was at a loss for words. She felt this person was as fanatical as a demon, twisted and frightening, but ultimately was the most outstanding Sect Hierarch of the Holy Sect in hundreds of years, ruthless yet strategic, with a vision so grand that she could sway the grand tide with the aura of a Martial World daughter. This situation had already been set. Xiao Yuxue lowered her gaze, seemingly seeing over distant mountains and rivers, seeing Yemen Pass. Her fingers were white and slender, reaching out slowly, thus the Thirty-six Tribes of the Western Regions, Chen Country, Ying Country, Xiyi City, and more, all converged under her palm, a tangled chess game. Commanding Dangxiang, moving the Seven Tribes, stirring up winds and clouds, steering Xiyi. The entrant of this game was led by her. If victorious in this struggle, a mighty Qi Fortune would surge, reviving that White Emperor, regrouping the Holy Sect. It was meant to be so. Li Guanyi raised his eyes to look into the distance, Li Zhaowen smiled and said: "My father must have been a bit tipsy, the talk of an adopted son, brother you need not pay it mind, but I can’t call you by name anymore, so I can only call you Pharmacist Brother." Li Zhaowen gazed at the distance, suddenly chuckling: "However, if one wishes to become family, there isn’t just the adopted son method." Li Guanyi raised his brows. Li Zhaowen smiled leisurely: "Pharmacist, with the tides as they are, how do you think it should go?" Li Guanyi looked at the distance, said: "Wait, their military spirit is already in disorder, once we’ve charged through and returned, Erlang, remember what you said, you will compose me a song." Li Zhaowen laughed: "And have the world’s most beautiful woman play the zither." In this brief tranquility after the battlefield, Li Guanyi spoke softly: "The time is not yet ripe." "I want to win decisively!" Beat them into submission! Subjugate these Seven Tribes of the Western Regions, take Forty-two Cities, rise completely, and can be deemed a formidable hero of a locality. Li Shude, Li Zhaowen, Li Guanyi, each tribe of the Western Regions, Xiao Yuxue, Chen Country, Ying Country, the situation of these four corners now converged upon this battlefield, victory, life and death, would influence future direction. Just a few hours remain until the battle, widely sung by later generations, and never forgotten through the millennia. At the same time, dozens of miles outside the battlefield of Yemen Pass, hoofbeats thundered. Qibi Li and Fan Qing led ten thousand elite troops. The top-quality armor and weapons escorted by Changsun Wuchou.