Free Web NovelAfter returning from the Lantai Secret Garden, Su Ming settled down in a secluded courtyard behind the External Affairs Office.
His daily life was extremely routine. Apart from necessary meals and rest, he spent most of his time sitting cross-legged beneath the old locust tree in the courtyard.
Sometimes, he would extend his index finger and trace something in the void with excruciating slowness. As his fingertip moved, a barely perceptible ripple would stir in the air, as if some invisible force was being forcibly twisted and imprisoned.
Those were the runes he had newly comprehended from the stone gate of the Lantai Secret Garden: "Lock," "Seal," "Ban," and "Suppress."
These runes were entirely different from the ones he had learned before, such as "Gathering," "Flow," and "Concealment." They were filled with an absolute sense of control. Using the spiritual energy of the *Like Water Art*, Su Ming attempted to understand the deeper principles behind them.
Ever since he had settled the mortal ties of karma at Qingshi Town, his state of mind had undergone an indescribable transformation. The deep-seated worries and concerns he once harbored for his family had solidified into a firm foundation, making his Dao heart more stable than ever.
This perfection of his state of mind was directly reflected in his cultivation. The operation of the *Like Water Art* was smoother and more seamless than ever before. The liquid spiritual energy within his body was no longer merely a surging river; it had gained a newfound stillness and depth, like a profound pool.
One afternoon, a soft knock sounded at the courtyard gate.
Zhou Tong, the junior clerk of the External Affairs Office, bent over respectfully and walked in cautiously, his face plastered with a deferential smile.
"Senior Master Su, forgive me for disturbing your meditation." Zhou Tong stopped about ten yards away, not daring to come closer.
Su Ming slowly opened his eyes. The faint fluctuations of spiritual energy around him vanished in an instant, and he returned to the image of an ordinary young man in gray robes.
"Is there something, Junior Clerk Zhou?"
"Reporting to Senior Master, we just received an urgent military dispatch from the Northern Frontier." Zhou Tong took a letter sealed with wax from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "The Northern Barbarian peace delegation entered Great Xing's borders this morning. They are being 'escorted' towards the capital by three thousand Imperial Guards."
Su Ming did not reach for the letter. He simply asked calmly, "When will they arrive?"
Zhou Tong quickly replied, "Calculating their pace, they are expected to reach the capital in three days."
Su Ming nodded and did not ask any further questions.
Seeing this, Zhou Tong tactfully bowed and began to withdraw.
"Oh, by the way," Su Ming suddenly spoke, "if any strange guests come to visit in the next few days, there's no need to stop them."
Zhou Tong's heart tightened, and he promptly answered, "Understood."
He knew that the "strange guests" Senior Master Su was referring to were definitely not ordinary people. As an outer sect disciple, the best thing he could do was to mind his own mouth and keep his eyes shut.
After Zhou Tong retreated, the courtyard fell silent once more.
Just then, a cyan jade talisman materialized before him without any warning, emitting a faint glow.
Su Ming reached out and took it, probing it with his divine sense.
Elder Qingquan's familiar voice echoed in his Consciousness Sea, concise and to the point.
"During the peace talks, you don't need to say a word. Just sit there."
Su Ming was slightly taken aback.
Just sit there? What did that mean?
He had originally thought that Elder Qingquan had brought him along to use his formation methods to exert pressure on the Northern Barbarian delegation at a critical moment, or as some kind of hidden trump card.
But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
Holding the now-dim talisman, Su Ming fell into deep thought.
He recalled the scene outside the East Straight Gate, where he had killed eighteen death-men with a single finger. He remembered the calm composure of Elder Qingquan in the Northern Barbarian court, effortlessly suppressing a whole nation's royal preceptor.
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
So that was it.
Su Ming slowly let out a turbid breath, a hint of knowing amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He finally understood Elder Qingquan's true intention.
Sometimes, existence itself was the greatest deterrent.
A grandmaster of formations who could easily level the Northern Barbarian court. A Foundation Establishment cultivator who could casually destroy the evil cultivator stronghold on Black Wind Mountain. When these two sat silently behind the negotiating table, they themselves represented the Cloud Hidden Sect's stance.
This silent intimidation was far more effective than any verbal threat.
With this thought, Su Ming's heart settled completely.
He tucked the talisman into his sleeve, closed his eyes once more, and immersed his divine sense once again in the complex and profound world of runes.
Three days later, the Northern Barbarian delegation arrived in the capital.
...
It was an autumn day in the capital, the sky high and the clouds thin.
Both sides of the wide Vermilion Bird Avenue had long been cleared by soldiers of the Capital Region Guard. Commoners were held back at the street corners, craning their necks and gazing curiously into the distance.
"They're coming! They're coming!"
Amidst a commotion in the crowd, a long procession, "escorted" by several hundred black-armored Imperial Guards, slowly came into everyone's sight.
At the very front of the procession were over a dozen Northern Barbarian officials wearing exotic clothing. They rode tall northern steeds. Although they tried their best to appear humble and respectful, the glances they stole at their surroundings hid a barely concealed pride and resentment.
The leader was an old man with white hair and a white beard, dressed in the purple official robe of a Northern Barbarian chancellor. His face was gaunt, his expression calm, betraying no emotion.
Behind the delegation were dozens of horse-drawn carts piled high with various gifts. Northern furs, precious medicinal herbs, finely polished jade wares... an array of dazzling luxury.
Yet, as the capital's citizens looked upon these things, there was no envy on their faces. Instead, they wore expressions of smug satisfaction.
"Bringing so many gifts now? Where were you all this time? You fought for four years and still came crawling here to beg for peace!"
"That's right! I heard their so-called invincible iron cavalry was completely crushed by our Great Xing's army formations!"
Voices of discussion rose and fell. Though not loud, they clearly reached the ears of the delegation. Several young Northern Barbarian officials had flushed faces, their hands gripping the reins so hard that veins bulged on their hands. But seeing the cold eyes and murderous auras of the surrounding Great Xing Imperial Guards, they eventually swallowed their pride.
The delegation passed straight through Vermilion Bird Avenue, but instead of being led to the main gate of the Imperial Palace, they were taken to the Court of State Ceremonies, the office responsible for receiving foreign guests.
The Great Xing Emperor had not received them in person.
This was a stance. The stance of a victor towards the vanquished.
The main hall of the Court of State Ceremonies had already been prepared.
The person responsible for the first round of contact with the delegation was not an official from the Ministry of Rites, but the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Xu Qing.
When the Northern Barbarian chancellor led his entourage of officials into the main hall, this was the scene that greeted them.
Xu Qing sat upright in the seat of honor. He was wearing a brand-new second-rank official robe, a black gauze cap on his head, his face calm. In front of him was only a cup of clear tea, the curling steam blurring the expression on his face.
He did not stand up to welcome them. He did not even show any enthusiasm.
The Northern Barbarian delegation performed their salutations and paid their respects. Xu Qing merely nodded slightly and raised his hand in a gesture.
"You all have traveled far and labored. Please, sit."
