Chapter 82

It was a piece of animal skin paper, covered with countless symbols that were neither like characters nor runes, extremely peculiar.

"You can actually communicate with the barbarians?" the man in white said in shock.

The barbarians were called barbarians because of their beast-like behavior, but they also had their own crude civilization.

The symbols before him, resembling the tracks of insects, were the barbarian script. Many people had seen them but did not know how to identify them. It was unexpected that the Fourth Prince could do so.

"Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it. To achieve my goal, I had to put in all my efforts to reap the rewards.

When I was still young, I saw through my own fate. At that time, I began to collect the chips to change my destiny.

I sent countless people to try to integrate into the barbarians, but most of them were eaten as food. However, there are always exceptions, and one person was actually accepted by the barbarians. Then, I gradually gained the ability to communicate with them." The Fourth Prince said calmly.

"I and my mother fulfilled our duties as pawns while cultivating our own power. To be honest, three years ago, I had the strength to help you take Fengming without spilling a drop of blood, but if I did that, I wouldn't get any benefits."

The man in white nodded. "Continue."

"So, to deal with Long Tianxiao, I deliberately did not provide him with supplies and secretly directed a large number of poor people to the border under his jurisdiction.

I secretly built up Long Tianxiao's reputation, making everyone believe that he was their protector. I understand Long Tianxiao's character; he would never abandon those civilians." The Fourth Prince sipped his tea and said calmly.

"A hero can be deceived by clever means. Chu Xia, you are indeed cunning." The man in white praised the Fourth Prince for the first time.

It could be said that the Fourth Prince's move was extremely clever. Using those civilians, he effortlessly locked Long Tianxiao in place.

Most importantly, it was an unsolvable situation. Even if Long Tianxiao knew, he could do nothing. Ignoring the lives of a million civilians on the border was something he could not do.

A simple strategy had firmly locked Long Tianxiao at the border, and even the man in white felt a bit of admiration.

"Unfortunately, those barbarians have disappointed me greatly. Over the years, I secretly supported them with a lot of food and supplies.

They still could only barely match Long Tianxiao, turning it into a prolonged war of attrition. They truly are a group of uncivilized savages." The Fourth Prince shook his head.

The man in white, after a moment of thought, said, "I want to know how Long Chen is doing now."

"He should be dead. If my calculations are correct, his head is on its way back to the capital.

This Long Chen is indeed a monster, but I am not a person who likes surprises, so I sent Yingzhao to deal with him. I believe you know Lord Ying, Yingzhao." The Fourth Prince said.

The man in white's expression changed slightly, but he did not react, saying, "I know him. His cultivation is quite good, but sending him to deal with a mere Qi Gathering Realm youth is a bit of an overkill."

The Fourth Prince's expression remained unchanged, but from the man in white's tone, it seemed that Lord Ying, a Sinew Transformation Realm expert, was not taken seriously by him.

This showed that the young man, who was about the same age as himself, had extremely terrifying strength, making the Fourth Prince even more cautious.

"Ha ha, I said I am a cautious person. I don't do things without being sure. Just like this time, I used Long Chen's hands to kill the fool Xia Changfeng." The Fourth Prince said.

The man in white nodded. "You are indeed much stronger than Xia Changfeng. I can overlook his death and fulfill your wish.

However, if you don't do a good job replacing Xia Changfeng, I can tell you bluntly that death will be a very luxurious thing for you."

As he spoke, the man in white's gentle tone turned sinister, and a strange aura spread in the air.

The Fourth Prince ignored the man in white's threat and smiled slightly. "Rest assured, sir. I have been patient for so many years for this opportunity. I value it more than you do."

"That's good. Now that Long Chen is dead, I need to know your subsequent plans." The man in white said.

Although he did not underestimate Long Chen, in the pursuit of a Sinew Transformation Realm expert, Long Chen had no chance at all.

"After Long Chen's death, Yingzhao will return to the capital with his head and bring the recording of Long Chen killing Xia Changfeng.

At that time, you need to communicate with the Daxia Empire and have them send elite troops to surround the capital.

At that time, I will recall Lord Ying and Lord Wu. When they confront the city, Daxia will demand that we hand over the murderer. For the 'friendship' between the two countries, I can hand over all the Long family members legally and choose an appropriate time to execute them." The Fourth Prince said.

"What is the appropriate time you mentioned, and who are the 'they' you mentioned, not just the Long family members, right?" The man in white said calmly.

The Fourth Prince smiled slightly. "Talking to a smart person is indeed easier. Yes, when I execute the Long family, I will choose the time when the barbarians attack Long Tianxiao's base.

At that time, I will inform him of the execution of his family. Facing the barbarian invasion and the death of countless civilians, he will not lead his troops back to the capital.

Based on my understanding of him, he will leave all his troops to defend and return to the capital alone to rescue his family. Hehe, at that time, with Lord Ying and Lord Wu working together, killing Long Tianxiao will be no problem, and we will have a legitimate reason, making everything reasonable and not causing too much commotion.

As for 'they,' they are a group of people who refuse to submit to me. Long Chen, under the 'instruction' of the First Prince, killed Xia Changfeng, and his personal guards can testify.

At that time, as long as we collect some 'evidence,' for the great friendship between the two countries, even the First Prince will become a sacrifice.

And those followers, although not directly involved, are still major suspects. To show the Fengming Empire's emphasis on the friendship between the two countries, we will have to make a painful sacrifice."

The man in white looked at the Fourth Prince and sighed after a while. "Such deep scheming. This way, the entire Fengming will easily fall into your hands. Chu Xia, you are a talent."

"Thank you for the praise, but you can rest assured. My spiritual roots are ordinary, and I cannot pursue cultivation, posing no threat to you." The Fourth Prince said.

The man in white smiled slightly. He had indeed secretly investigated the Fourth Prince's body and found him to be a person of very ordinary talent.

For a person with such high intelligence, even he had to be cautious. He did not want to unknowingly fall into someone else's trap.

If the Fourth Prince were a person of extremely high talent, he would be a great threat. Who knew if the Fourth Prince would use him to climb to a higher position.

Now, with many of his concerns dispelled, the Fourth Prince could not cultivate the righteous path and only cared about secular power. As he said, both sides would benefit.

He gently picked up a cup of tea and smiled. "Very good. Xia Changfeng's death is well-deserved. I hope we can cooperate pleasantly."

The Fourth Prince also picked up his teacup, using tea as a substitute for wine, and clinked cups with the man in white, drinking it all in one go.

The man in white suddenly remembered something. "Doesn't Xia Changfeng have a sister? Is she still in the palace?"

Hearing the man in white's question, a look of disgust appeared on the Fourth Prince's face. "Yes, that foolish woman is left to supervise us."

"Didn't you kill her?"

"No, after all, she is a Dan Tu, with a special status. I found her two handsome, strong men to serve her. Now she is indulging herself and won't interfere with our big plans." The Fourth Prince said.

The man in white nodded. Xia Baichi was indeed a fool, more likely to cause trouble than to be of any help. Now that the Fourth Prince had made arrangements, he was relieved.

As for her brother's death, she would not care at all. There was no real affection between them. As long as she did not cause trouble, it was fine.

Besides, Xia Changfeng was killed by Long Chen. Even if she had a bit of resentment, it would be directed at Long Chen.

"By the way, Brother Luo, I have a favor to ask of you." After reaching an agreement with the man in white, the Fourth Prince directly addressed him as brother.

"Go on."

"You know, I lured Lord Ying and Lord Wu to my side by promising them half of the kingdom when the time comes.

At that time, I thought I had no hope of getting Fengming, so it was a promise I could make without feeling bad.

But now, with the entire Fengming about to fall into my hands, how can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed? So..."

The man in white's eyebrows twitched. "You want me to help you subdue them?"

"Something like that. I hope Brother Luo can teach me how to make them obedient and prevent them from rebelling." The Fourth Prince said cautiously.

The man in white smiled. "Chu Xia, Chu Xia, indeed a great hero, using every means to achieve your goal, regardless of the methods. Fine, I agree. After the matter is settled, I will teach you a method to make them your slaves."

Hearing the man in white's agreement, the Fourth Prince was overjoyed. Now everything was proceeding according to his plan, and he was close to his goal. Lord Ying and Lord Wu were his biggest problems.

When he made the promise years ago, giving them half of the kingdom meant they would be like kings in their own right. Who wouldn't want to do as they pleased?

So, the Fourth Prince used both soft and hard tactics to bring Lord Ying and Lord Wu under his control, secretly reaching an agreement that only the three of them knew.

Now that the Fourth Prince had the opportunity to turn the tide, he was unwilling to share his kingdom with others. The man in white's promise today finally put his mind at ease.

Although the Fourth Prince did not fully understand the man in white, he knew that his background was terrifying, beyond his imagination.

So, he needed to rely on the man in white. With his support, he could get whatever he wanted from both the Daxia Empire and the Fengming Empire.

Now, everything was ready except for the final push. He just needed to wait for Lord Ying's news. However, what they did not know was that in this world, there was something called—unexpected.