The Carefree Marquis did not hesitate for long. After a brief moment of deliberation, he nodded and said: "Very well. I shall entrust you to negotiate with Shao Yuan. Xiahou Ying is no issue. The family treasures may also be offered to him in appropriate measure. Any resources he requires, our Xiahou clan can do our best to provide!"
It had to be said, having reached this point, the Carefree Marquis truly had no other choice. If sacrificing some interests could secure Shao Yuan's leniency, the Carefree Marquis would not hesitate to do so.
Even though he hated Shao Yuan to the bone and wished he could tear his flesh and drink his blood.
Yet now was the time for rationality, not for acting on impulse.
As one of the foremost powers of the Eternal Divine Kingdom, the Xiahou clan's resources and foundations were truly formidable. The Xiahou clan was, after all, wealthy and powerful.
Upon receiving the Carefree Marquis's approval, that elder's face lit up with joy. "Marquis, please rest assured. Your subordinate will not fail this mission and will return with good news."
"If you can accomplish this meritorious deed, when the time comes to reward according to merit, you shall certainly receive a great share of the credit," the Carefree Marquis declared with finality.
The elder immediately accepted his orders and departed.
Before long, the elder arrived at the area where Jiang Chen was stationed. The Divine Vermilion Bird, having finished a devastating bout, had temporarily pulled back to rest.
After the Divine Vermilion Bird's rampage, the entire Xiahou family fortress had been left riddled with damage. Though it had not completely collapsed, its vitality had clearly been dealt a serious blow.
"Pant, pant—Chen Shao, this Xiahou family is truly remarkable. With my Divine Ability, with such momentum behind my attacks, I still couldn't breach the outer defenses of their fortress. I could only cause some superficial damage. To completely break through the Xiahou family's stronghold, everyone will need to work together."
The Divine Vermilion Bird rarely praised anyone, but this time, it genuinely commended the Xiahou family in a few words.
Jiang Chen merely smiled faintly. "The fact that this Xiahou family has managed to hold on until now, nearly succeeding in their rebellion, is proof enough that their foundations are anything but lacking."
"Mm, but compared to the Eternal Sacred Land, they still fall short of that certain bearing. The Xiahou family ultimately lacks just a touch of that quality."
While they were speaking, Jiang Chen's spiritual sense stirred as he noticed a figure that had actually managed to infiltrate his assigned area under the dense defensive perimeter.
"Brother Vermilion, I must trouble you once more. Go bring that fellow here."
The Divine Vermilion Bird swooped down in a single leap and seized the man in its claws, bringing him before Jiang Chen.
"Lord Shao Yuan, I carry a secret message from the Marquis and have come specially to request an audience with Lord Shao Yuan."
"The Marquis? The Carefree Marquis?" Jiang Chen was slightly taken aback. What business could there possibly be to discuss between himself and the Xiahou clan's patriarch, the Carefree Marquis?
"Lord Shao Yuan, please hear me out. Our clan patriarch holds your talent and cultivation in the highest regard. He has instructed me to offer Xiahou Ying to Lord Shao Yuan. Furthermore, our Xiahou clan is willing to add a considerable fortune to enter into a transaction with Lord Shao Yuan."
"What kind of transaction?" Jiang Chen asked with a half-smile.
"As long as Lord Shao Yuan can ensure that Senior Vermilion Bird does not intervene and grants our Xiahou clan a way out, our clan patriarch is willing to present the clan's treasures into your hands."
"My, my. Since when has the Xiahou family become so generous?" Jiang Chen clicked his tongue in mock admiration.
"It is not that the Xiahou family is generous, but that our Marquis is very perceptive. He understands that once the Xiahou clan is breached, these things will eventually belong to the Eternal Sacred Land regardless. Rather than letting the Sacred Land reap all the benefits for free, it would be far better to use them in a transaction with you, my lord, and purchase some convenience."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, offering no particular response for the moment.
The elder continued in a measured, unhurried tone: "Young Master Shao Yuan, you are an independent cultivator by origin, not a direct descendant of the Eternal Sacred Land. With your talent, I imagine you have no great desire for the Sacred Land's inheritance. Besides, can the Eternal Sacred Land truly trust an outsider like you one hundred percent, without reservation? Do you think they would ever hand over the position of Sacred Land successor to you?"
"A person must always look out for themselves. Young Master Shao Yuan, you have rendered great service to the Eternal Sacred Land time and again. But what has the Eternal Sacred Land done for you in return?"
This elder of the Xiahou family truly possessed outstanding eloquence. Every sentence seemed to zero in on the critical point, striking at the most sensitive spots.
If Jiang Chen were an ordinary genius, this kind of persuasion would have planted at least a small seed of calculation in his heart, even if it hadn't produced any obvious change in his convictions.
But he, Jiang Chen, was anything but ordinary.
Rather than being moved by this speech, Jiang Chen treated it as nothing short of a joke. His eyes rested on the elder with open amusement.
"I've disrupted your plans more than a few times, haven't I? Doesn't your Marquis of Xiaoyao hold a grudge against me?" Jiang Chen asked with a grin.
"There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Young Master Shao Yuan, right now, the only force in the entire Eternal Divine Kingdom capable of giving the Eternal Sacred Land trouble is our Xiahou family. If the Xiahou family is destroyed and the Eternal Sacred Land achieves complete unification, their attitude will surely change once again. Can you be certain that you, Young Master Shao, will always be the young genius the Eternal Sacred Land values most? That the Sacred Land's best resources will definitely be poured into your hands?"
"What a fine saying — no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. It seems the sincerity your Xiahou family has brought this time is truly considerable."
"Yes, yes! Our Xiahou family is absolutely brimming with sincerity. As long as Young Master Shao Yuan names his terms, whatever you want, our Xiahou family will provide."