Volume 5 Chapter 42
by Need_More_SleepVolume 5 + Chapter 42: The Diplomatic Meeting Between Dragon Clan And Fox Clan
“Drink, drink… I want more… I’m not drunk, really, I’m not!”
When Xia Yi returned to their lodgings, she found Elly lying on the floor, clutching a wine flask in her hand, rambling drunkenly and thoroughly sloshed.
She stood before Elly, amused by the sight of the little green dragon maid in this state.
“What are you just standing there for…? Pour me… more wine!!”
Elly sat up and shouted at Xia Yi, remarkably assertive.
Clearly, she was out of it.
“Alright, sure.”
Xia Yi didn’t argue with Elly. Instead, she took the wine flask, refilled it with a generous amount of hangover cure, and handed it back.
“Feed me!” Elly demanded, as if she had every right. “I’m the boss here!”
“Fine, fine, you’re the boss.”
Xia Yi brought the flask filled with the hangover remedy to Elly’s lips and poured.
Gulp, gulp.
After downing the cure, Elly’s consciousness gradually returned. She blinked, her vision clearing, and realized the person before her was Xia Yi.
“Huh? Your Highness, the Princess?”
“Boss Elly, is there anything else I can do for you?” Xia Yi asked, a smile playing on her lips.
“Ah!!”
Elly snapped back to reality. She had been bossing her own princess around, not just shouting but also making her pour drinks!
What was Xia Yi’s status, and what was hers?
This was tantamount to showing contempt for the Dragon Clan royalty! It wasn’t just her head on the line her entire family’s safety was at risk!
All traces of drunkenness vanished, replaced by cold sweat trickling down her back.
“Waaah! I’m so sorry, so sorry, Your Highness!! It was my fault, all my fault! I was too drunk to recognize you!!” Elly began to plead for mercy.
“Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you. Don’t worry about it.”
“Really…?”
“Go get some rest. Maybe drink a little less next time.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!!”
Elly bowed to Xia Yi, her face burning with embarrassment. Feeling she had utterly disgraced herself, she scurried away.
Xia Yi remained in her room, eating some of the food the Fox Clan had sent over. She hadn’t attended the banquet and hadn’t eaten much while out.
After she had filled her stomach, a knock came at the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Your Highness, it’s me, Karami. I hope I’m not disturbing you?” Karami’s voice came from outside.
“Come in.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Karami pushed the door open and entered respectfully, a worried expression on his face.
“Your Highness, where did you go earlier? You mentioned you would join the banquet soon, but we waited and waited, and you never showed up.”
“I slipped out for a while.”
“Out?”
“Yes, into the city of Greenfield. I wanted to understand the current state of the Fox Clan by interacting with the common foxes.”
“That sounds very dangerous! What if something had happened while you were alone?”
“Well, actually, something did happen.”
“What?!”
“The situation probably went something like this…”
Xia Yi described the general sequence of events to Karami.
The situation regarding Bai Lian and the White Night Sect.
Karami was quite astonished after hearing it.
Yet, he also marveled inwardly at Xia Yi’s decisive and remarkably bold actions. It confirmed that she had been serious when she previously spoke of winning over the Fox Clan.
“Karami, what are your thoughts on this?” Xia Yi asked. “Regarding the White Night Sect.”
“Your Highness, you wish to hear my opinion?”
“Yes.”
“Your Highness, what follows is just my humble view. If I’m wrong, please don’t mock me for it…”
“Go ahead.”
“Very well, Your Highness. Regarding the White Night Sect matter, this is how I see it,” Karami paused. “The Fox Clan’s internal faith has always been in the legendary Fox God, and there are no other sects. In terms of religion, it’s safe to say the Fox Clan royalty holds absolute control. They would never permit the emergence of another religion.”
“Yes, that does seem to be the current situation.”
“But now, a White Night Sect has suddenly appeared, one that even worships the Fox God revered by the royalty. From your description, their actions show a measured degree of progress. While developing their followers, they’ve also managed to remain hidden beneath the surface, unknown to the Fox Clan royalty. This suggests a mature development plan, a stable internal system, and long-term implementation. Therefore, this cannot be a newly formed religion. If it continues to develop, it might even shake the foundations of the Fox Clan royalty.”
“Karami, my view aligns with yours. Furthermore, the White Night Sect has a shrine maiden, a Nine-Tailed Fox just like Yue Liu. It’s almost like a mirror image.”
Xia Yi pondered for a moment.
“The White Night Sect undoubtedly harbors some ambition. They’ve been continuously recruiting new followers, providing them with holy water to maintain control. Those fanatical followers are practically soldiers in the sect’s hands.”
“So, Your Highness thinks…?”
“Perhaps, before long, a huge change will occur within the Fox Clan,” Xia Yi said.
“…!”
Hearing Xia Yi’s words, Karami’s heart surged with emotion. It further confirmed what he had been thinking.
The direction of all this was exactly as he had anticipated. Perhaps the opportunity for the Princess to move on the Fox Clan was imminent!
…
…
The next day.
The talks between the Fox Clan and the Dragon Clan resumed.
“Ugh, I didn’t sleep well at all last night. All because of my fated rival… going on about… dates and such…”
Yue Liu had dark circles under her eyes and seemed a bit lethargic.
She looked at Xia Yi, feeling somewhat displeased.
Her original plan had been to use the banquet to lull the Dragon Clan into lowering their guard. But who would have thought Xia Yi wouldn’t even attend, running off instead, causing a minor commotion, and saying things that bothered her immensely. It had completely disrupted her focus on how to handle the talks.
How wicked! That Silver Dragon was definitely full of mischief!
“Hmm?”
Noticing the little fox’s strange stare, Xia Yi tilted her head in confusion.
Had she done something to upset her?
Probably not.
“Silver Dragon Princess, let’s restart the talks we suspended earlier,” Yue Liu said.
“Mm.”
Xia Yi nodded in agreement.
The other dragons and foxes present began to grow tense, focusing on the direction these talks would take.
“Silver Dragon Princess, I wish to know how the Dragon Clan views the Fox Clan from their perspective…”
“No need for testing the waters. I’ll be direct.”
Xia Yi interrupted Yue Liu.
“As the heir to the Dragon Clan royalty, representing the Dragon Clan here in Fox Hill, I came to convey one main idea, the Dragon Clan hopes to establish diplomatic relations with the Fox Clan and become allies.”
This statement caused murmuring among the Fox Clan delegation.
Establishing relations with the Dragon Clan held considerable allure, but it also had drawbacks.
The Dragon Clan’s power was immense, witnessed by all during the Anti-Vampire War everyone saw how reliable they were as allies.
However, allying with the Dragon Clan would undoubtedly damage the Fox Clan’s relationships with other countries and races, marking them as targets due to their association with the Dragon Clan.
Moreover, the Dragon Clan had recently been revealing their ambitions. Who knew what they were secretly planning? It might not bode well for the Fox Clan.
“The Fox Clan can consider establishing relations with the Dragon Clan, but we cannot announce an alliance publicly. We could maintain an alliance secretly,” the little fox replied. “The matter of the alliance could be made public gradually in the future. Announcing it directly right now would put the Fox Clan in a difficult position.”
“No, the Dragon Clan cannot accept a secret alliance,” Xia Yi shook her head. “That would be meaningless for us. It must be an open, public alliance.”
“The Dragon Clan wants to use the Fox Clan’s influence in the international community, don’t they?”
“Of course. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be interested in the Fox Clan,” Xia Yi admitted.
“That’s an infuriating thing to say… so arrogant…”
The little fox narrowed her eyes.
This reflected the sentiment of others the Fox Clan had considerable pride, and being looked down upon certainly stung.
“I’m just stating facts. A secret alliance benefits you, the Fox Clan, not us.”
“Don’t think the Fox Clan can’t see it. The Dragon Clan simply wants to drag us into the same boat, making our fates intertwined. Then, if any problem arises in the future, the Dragon Clan can do what they’ve always done, retreat to the far north of this continent, surrounded by mountains, and remain safe as always. But we, the Fox Clan, are different. If we take this step, there’s no turning back. We have many neighboring countries opposing them that would ultimately bring disaster upon us.”
Yue Liu, representing the Fox Clan, was unwilling to concede.
“Therefore, a public alliance is impossible. Unless the Dragon Clan can offer the Fox Clan sufficient conditions, only then would we agree.”
“The condition wouldn’t be…”
“Exactly. The Blackstone Kingdom!”
The little fox’s stance was firm.
They had circled back. The Fox Clan still wanted the Blackstone Kingdom.
On one hand, Blackstone bordered both the Dragon Nation and Fox Hill, holding significant geographical importance.
On the other hand, its mineral veins were incredibly rich, a highly coveted prize.
Given these two factors, it was impossible for the Fox Clan not to covet Blackstone.
“We won’t give it,” Xia Yi replied.
Why would the Dragon Clan hand over the Blackstone Kingdom to the Fox Clan?
Ultimately, there was no real bond between the Dragon and Fox Clans. The two nations had no prior close relationship, their histories were marked by friction. Why should they trust each other?
“So, there’s nothing to discuss?” Yue Liu said.
“The Dragon Clan won’t hand over the Blackstone Kingdom, but… we can offer other conditions.”
“What conditions?”
“The Vampire Clan, having lost the war and being unable to pay their post-war reparations, have agreed to accept the aid plan provided by our Dragon Clan.”
“Why bring that up now… what are you trying to say?”
Yue Liu was aware of this information without needing to be told. After all, the Fox Clan hadn’t received their significant share of the reparations yet.
“If the Fox Clan agrees to establish diplomatic relations with the Dragon Clan, we can guarantee that the Fox Clan will definitely receive their war reparations from the Vampire Clan, and much faster than other countries.”
“You…”
“Furthermore, we can open special trade channels for the Fox Clan within the Blackstone Kingdom, selling magic crystals at preferential prices. I imagine… the Fox Clan wouldn’t refuse these things, would they?”
“…”
The little fox fell silent.
Magic crystals had an incredibly wide range of applications. They were used not only for weapon materials but also for everyday magical tools—valuable for both military and civilian use.
If she agreed to the Dragon Clan’s request, the Fox Clan could first obtain a large sum of money, and then use that money to purchase vast quantities of magic crystals from Blackstone at discounted prices.
It was a considerable proposal.
After all, making the Dragon Clan hand over Blackstone seemed like a fantasy to the Fox Clan themselves, practically impossible. But the conditions just proposed by the Dragon Clan were actually achievable…
“Well?” Xia Yi smiled. “Not tempted? This is a treatment no other race can enjoy. Special preferential treatment just for the Fox Clan~”
The little fox thought hard for a long while, then finally looked up and gave her answer.
…
…
“Your Highness, why did we still fail in the end?”
Elly sighed.
“The Fox Clan still didn’t agree to our alliance request.”
In the end, the Fox Clan didn’t accept Xia Yi’s proposal, ending the talks without further progress.
This outcome had disappointed the Dragon Clan somewhat.
“Fail? We didn’t fail, Elly,” Xia Yi laughed. “Our mission to Fox Hill was always about testing the Fox Clan’s attitude. Now we’ve tested it. The conditions we offered have shaken them.”
“But the Nine-Tailed Fox Princess refused, didn’t she?”
“That’s just a surface refusal. The Fox Clan is already tempted by the Dragon Clan’s proposal. Now that they have that inclination, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to leverage it in the future. At the very least, we’ve achieved our fundamental objective this time.”
“Oh, I see now, Your Highness!!” Elly suddenly understood.
Karami, listening nearby, felt a tinge of regret.
It seemed securing the Fox Clan would require some time and maneuvering. Achieving it in one go was too difficult.
However, he had already placed his hopes for the Dragon Clan’s hegemony on Xia Yi.
…
…
“The conditions the Dragon Clan offered were actually quite good. But I can’t truly represent the entire nation and make a final decision…”
The little fox stayed in her room, troubled, nearly losing her appetite for tea.
She had already shown a crack back then and couldn’t continue the talks, otherwise she would definitely have been manipulated by the other side.
In the end, she chose to conclude the talks and hastily rejected the Dragon Clan’s proposal.
After all, this engagement was more about testing the Dragon Clan’s attitude, not making decisions that would change the Fox Clan’s fate.
“Princess Yue Liu.”
A voice came from outside the door, Hongshan.
“Hongshan, what is it?” the little fox inquired.
Hongshan reported from outside, “Princess Yue Liu, we’ve just received news. In the capital, all preparations for the Fox God Festival are nearly complete. Now they’re just waiting for you. The Fox Emperor is also urging you to return to see him quickly after finishing your work with the Dragon Clan envoy.”
“Alright, I understand.”
The little fox agreed she felt it was time to head back to the capital and discuss matters with her father.
But just as she stood up and began clearing away the tea set before her, a sudden, jarring sound broke the silence.
Crack.
The teacup she had just picked up shattered inexplicably right before her eyes.
“How strange. Isn’t this a new teacup? Why is the quality so poor…”
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