Chapter 399
by fanqienovelChapter 399: Mu Lin: East Sea King, You’re Unworthy to Bargain With Me!
Panicked and enraged, Ji Yu cursed at Mu Lin repeatedly. His outburst stemmed from a growing sense of danger—a lethal threat.
As Mu Lin’s destruction spread across the East Sea Kingdom, the East Sea King’s glare toward Ji Yu grew colder and more ruthless.
Ji Yu sensed his father now wished desperately to kill him.
The sole reason the king held back was pride—he refused to let others believe he’d bowed to Mu Lin’s pressure by executing his own son as penance.
Though spared death, Ji Yu found himself confined under house arrest, with no hope for mercy in the days to come.
Beyond his father’s hatred, what gnawed at Ji Yu was the growing resentment from other members of the East Sea King’s manor.
His uncles and brothers, their wealth diminished by the chaos, now despised him utterly.
Meanwhile, the East Sea King clung to his ambitions and pride, refusing any truce with Mu Lin.
But the rest of the manor’s clan lacked such resolve. They cared only for exploiting the common folk and indulging in luxury, desperate to escape this nightmare of fear.
This terrified Ji Yu—he feared they’d soon abandon the fight and sacrifice him to end it.
His fear… was justified.
With powerful clans scheming, ordinary civilians swayed by propaganda and Manjusaka’s influence branding the king a tyrant, the manor’s elders approached the East Sea King to negotiate peace.
"Tianhai, cease this madness! You’ll drain the family’s resources entirely. Become the manor’s greatest disgrace? That can’t be your aim."
"Uncle Tianhai, it’s pointless. Ji Yu isn’t even your chosen Legitimate Son. Why waste our Family Resources shielding this disgrace?"
"His petty jealousy cost us everything! Any clan would disown him. Protect him longer, and you’ll lose the kingdom’s faith."
Those in power must balance justice and mercy—even emperors bow to this law.
Long ago, a Tang Emperor executed Yang Guifei and Yang Guozhong under pressure.
Ji Yu’s crimes dwarf Yang Guozhong’s. Keep shielding him, and your people will revolt."
The East Sea King knew this truth. Facing the clan elder—an Earth Immortal vital to their power—he chose reason over rage.
"I’ve no desire to protect that fool. Once this ends, whether he’s crippled or slain matters not to me."
"Once resolved, you may punish Ji Yu as you see fit."
His voice hardened as he continued:
"What I defend is our manor’s honor."
"A mere Transformation cultivator invades us, slaughters our people—if we show weakness, our authority crumbles to dust."
"Without that authority, will the powerful clans still obey us?"
"Will they surrender our mines, spirit fields, or city taxes?"
"Lose those resources, and your comfortable lives—your cultivation—vanish."
His piercing gaze swept the room.
"Don’t be fools."
"Everything you enjoy was ripped from other clans. We feast on their flesh and blood."
"While strong, this sustains us. But falter? Those jackals will devour every scrap we stole. Then your privileges—your very sustenance—will bleed dry."
“At that time, our East Sea King’s manor would slowly decline and perish, ending up in the same wretched state as Prince Liang’s residence.”
A colder sneer twisted East Sea King’s lips as he continued:
“You likely remain ignorant of Prince Liang’s circumstances. With scarce resources, they expel any clansmen beyond three generations of direct lineage—leaving them to rot—unlike you lot clinging to East Sea Kingdom’s power.”
“Their weak control over Dragon veins also limits Prince Liang’s residence to producing only one Earth Immortal per generation.”
“Mock me all you want. Should you wish to sever your roots and futures, I’ll not stop you.”
“Even in surrender, I’ll retain my Earth Immortal status and manor resources. But you? You’ll scramble for scraps.”
“Remember—the powerful clans fear our resurgence. Expect relentless suppression if you abandon this household.”
“Any brave soul confident enough to thrive without our resources while defying those clans? Step forth now.”
……
Silence answered him.
East Sea King’s ruthless competence shone through—not only deflecting blame but transferring desperation to his kin.
The gathered clansmen shuddered at visions of impoverished exile. Life mattered, yes—but status and resources outweighed survival itself. Any fool knew commoners bled themselves dry climbing society’s ladder, often dying mid-ascent.
“Our house shall not fall by my hand!”
This burning resolve made them more eager than their king to crush Mu Lin.
Yet doubts lingered. The clan elder frowned:
“Our shattered prestige weakens leadership. Killing Mu Lin would restore honor, but… can it be done?”
“Two Earth Immortals already fell to him. Other clans’ immortals won’t aid us now. Alone…”
East Sea King understood the unspoken fear—failure could leave them worse off than Prince Liang. Even a costly victory might topple their dominance. Only an overwhelming triumph would suffice.
Yet Mu Lin’s strength created a deadly paradox.
*Bang!*
“Ji Yu’s fault! His blunder doomed us!” roared the clan elder.
East Sea King wavered—protective of his house’s glory yet uncertain of victory. Finally, he ordered dual approaches: “Plot against Mu Lin while negotiating terms.”
The clan elder nodded. His caution stemmed from preserving resources, not mercy toward Mu Lin.
They established bargaining positions:
“Tell Mu Lin I’ll cease the Chase if he apologizes and returns the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron…”
……
The clan elder added harsher terms, his loyalty unquestioned. Predictably, when Yan and Chu families relayed these demands, Mu Lin laughed.
“Inform East Sea King: What blades cannot claim, words won’t seize. The aggressor who lost this war bargains from weakness.”
“If he wishes to surrender, he’ll grovel properly—with true remorse.”