Chapter 387

Chapter 387: Marry Me?

No one had expected Yan Mengqing to do such a thing, cutting meat from the same goat leg Zhang Yang had been eating. Though he had only eaten a small portion, the gesture spoke volumes, igniting the imaginations of many, particularly the men.

Zhang Yang noticed that even the two maids behind Yan Mengqing appeared stunned. He couldn’t help but wonder what this woman was up to.

Her beauty was undeniable, but seeing her up close, he realized it wasn’t just beauty. She carried a charm so disarming, it could quietly snare anyone’s heart.

“Haha, the grand princess is surprisingly down-to-earth,” Zhang Yang said with a grin.

Yan Mengqing replied, “If the Lord of the Sacred Forest is a commoner, then what is Mengqing?”

Zhang Yang gave her a playful look. “Are you here for revenge over Yan Donghuang? Just look at how one small gesture from you has drawn so many murderous stares in my direction. I’m starting to suspect that if you take one more bite, I might get ambushed the moment I leave the Sword Pavilion.”

“Anyone bold enough to try and kill the Black Cloaked Strategist wouldn’t be fazed by such threats,” Yan Mengqing said calmly.

At that, many of the cold stares receded in fear.

It wasn’t just about her or Zhang Yang, it was the weight of that name: the Black Cloaked Strategist. Even in death, his reputation cast a long, oppressive shadow over the Western Desert, keeping even the most reckless ambitions in check.

Zhang Yang responded lightly, “Plenty of people have dared to kill. The real question is: who can actually do it? I’ve never claimed credit for his death. The Black Cloaked Strategist died because of his own misjudgment. It’s not that I was strong enough to kill him, it’s just that I was afraid he’d survive and take me down instead. So, I made sure he had no chance.”

He had subtly drawn a line between daring to kill and being capable of doing so. And everyone listening understood: this wasn’t just a comment, it was a message to all of them. A reminder of what had happened to the once-feared strategist.

In essence, it wasn’t Zhang Yang’s strength that had felled the Black Cloaked Strategist, it was the strategist’s own mistakes.

“The Battle God of the Southern Region is being too modest,” Yan Mengqing said with a soft laugh.

Zhang Yang replied calmly, “Praise too lavishly and it starts to feel like poison.”

Yan Mengqing smiled, though her two maids showed signs of unease.

They knew full well that Zhang Yang’s slaying of the Black Cloaked Strategist had stirred forces far beyond what was visible. The surface tension from the Taixu Dynasty was only the beginning.

The other dynasties and holy lands had their own thoughts.

Who didn’t know that everything the Black Cloaked Strategist once possessed had ultimately ended up in Zhang Yang’s hands?

And who could dare claim that none of it contained things they deeply coveted that might even shift the entire balance of power in the Western Desert?

Under such circumstances, Yan Mengqing, the most beautiful woman of the Western Desert, displaying such friendliness was like igniting a fire on dry tinder, stirring strong emotions among many present.

Zhang Yang couldn’t fully grasp Yan Mengqing’s intentions, nor could he guess the motives of the Crimson Flame Dynasty. But he knew one thing: coming here without any backing placed him in an extremely precarious position.

Of course, he wasn’t afraid.

He had come here precisely to stir things up. If he were afraid, he wouldn’t have come at all.

The problem was that he had a far more thrilling plan for the night, and he didn’t want anything to interfere with it.

He was confident that after tonight, regardless of who harbored ill intentions, they would begin to see him in a different light and wouldn’t dare act rashly. Only then could he truly intimidate the Western Desert, and perhaps even influence the still-unstable situation in the Cold Moon Dynasty.

“Mei, pour the wine,” Yan Mengqing said.

The maid named Mei immediately filled a cup with wine.

Yan Mengqing took the cup and downed it in one swift motion.

Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow. Was this an apology? He observed that beneath Yan Mengqing’s seemingly gentle exterior lay a cunning mind, capable of effortlessly shifting the room’s focus onto him while gracefully neutralizing her own awkwardness. Everything she did flowed so smoothly, even more so than Bing Yuyan, making the latter appear more innocent and wholly devoted to martial arts.

Yan Mengqing turned her cup upside down, showing not a drop remained.

Without a word, Mei took the empty cup away and set it aside.

Yan Mengqing spoke again. “Mengqing has a thought she wishes to share with the Lord of the Sacred Forest.”

“Please, go ahead,” Zhang Yang replied, alert and cautious.

“The Lord of the Sacred Forest has established the Vast Forest in less than a year, breaking the ancient patterns of the Southern Region and creating a truly new holy place. I wonder, do you have any thoughts about doing the same in our Western Desert?” she asked.

The so-called "ancient patterns" of the Southern Region referred to the broader world, where the fall of sacred dynasties and empires left behind no genuinely new forces. Even the Great Xia Empire wasn’t considered a new power. The Mu family, who founded it, had long been destined for sainthood—the empire title was just a formality.

Only the Vast Forest could be regarded as the first true holy place to emerge in the vast world in thousands of years.

“I’m not quite sure what the princess means,” Zhang Yang replied.

Yan Mengqing’s beautiful eyes locked onto him, clearly aware he was playing dumb. Yet she pressed on, asking, “I want to know if the Lord of the Sacred Forest is interested in establishing another holy place in the Western Desert?”

Zhang Yang’s heart skipped a beat.

Had the Falling Star Holy Place been exposed?

Impossible. It had only just been founded and hadn’t yet expanded outward. Its members were all insiders. Even Heavenly Reaching Mountain hadn’t been fully organized. To the outside world, it merely appeared to be a Vast Forest base in the Western Desert, which wasn’t unusual, as every major region had branch strongholds.

That made Yan Mengqing’s question particularly provocative.

Especially in this setting, her words were like stones cast into still water, rippling out and capturing everyone’s attention.

The Western Desert was divided among three major dynasties, four major holy places, a forbidden zone, and the encompassing Nine Top Saint-level Forces. These powers controlled resources and shared dominance, leaving little room for new elite forces or top talents to emerge.

Such was the depth of control exerted over the region.

Any attempt to break that balance would immediately attract hostile attention. The Cold Moon Dynasty, for instance, had long been targeted by the Taixu Dynasty.

Zhang Yang could clearly feel the sharp gazes of the Four Holy Sons, as well as Jin Liuli and even the moon-returning dragon.

Of course, every gaze held different emotions, deep and unreadable.

“If the Crimson Flame Dynasty is willing to help,” Zhang Yang said with a smile, meeting Yan Mengqing’s eyes, “then I am indeed a bit interested.”

Yan Mengqing asked calmly, “And how can I help?”

Zhang Yang grinned. “Marry me.”

The entire scene fell instantly silent. Though everyone had appeared to be chatting among themselves, they had been closely eavesdropping on this conversation.

At the same time, Zhang Yang once again felt the pressure of murderous gazes, sharp enough to cut the air around him.

But unexpectedly, the most beautiful woman in the Western Desert simply smiled and said, “Sure, as long as the Lord of the Sacred Forest offers the Phoenix Flame Holy Sword as a dowry, Mengqing will gladly accept the proposal.”