Chapter 145: The Meeting

Outside the capital city of Kyoto, Murong Hai cast a cold gaze at the silent Kong Mo and Ou Ai, the fury burning in the depths of his eyes seeming ready to erupt at any moment.

"Explain yourselves. What on earth is going on?"

Having lived for a very long time, Murong Hai, despite his explosive temper, was not entirely devoid of social tact. Although Kong Mo and Ou Ai stood before him like two reprimanded children, they were, after all, men of advanced age who commanded immense respect and prestige in the eyes of others. He could not completely strip them of their dignity. Suppressing his wrath, he pointed his finger at Ou Ai and demanded an explanation.

Stationed as he was as the guardian of the Northern Frontier, the sudden eruption of such events naturally compelled him to uncover the absolute truth.

Faced with Murong Hai's gloomy expression, Ou Ai offered an awkward smile and explained, "It is not that I was unwilling to intervene, Senior, but I truly did not foresee this nocturnal raid by the Tidi tribe. Although I eventually sensed it and even alerted the Prince of Changwu and the Prince of Beichang, as to why the two of them failed to dispatch their troops, this junior is genuinely unaware."

Hearing this, Kong Mo made a cold, skeptical sound from his nose, clearly unconvinced.

Murong Hai, upon listening to Ou Ai's account, found himself at a loss for how to cast blame. Given that the Tidi tribe's own saint had not entered the fray during this invasion, it was indeed inconvenient for Ou Ai to become directly involved. Now that Ou Ai claimed he had warned the two feudal princes and that they had simply failed to take it seriously, there was little more to be said.

Seeing that Murong Hai remained silent, Kong Mo could no longer hold his tongue and turned to interrogate Ou Ai with a rebuke, "Then how do you explain your abrupt return to the capital this time, disguised in my likeness?"

At Kong Mo's questioning, Murong Hai immediately fixed his gaze on Ou Ai with lingering suspicion, realizing that Kong Mo had voiced the very question on his mind.

While Ou Ai harbored a certain degree of awe toward Murong Hai, he held nothing but disdain for Kong Mo. He shot Kong Mo a chilling glance, narrowed his eyelids, and offered his justification.

"Had my true identity appeared abruptly within the imperial palace, I feared that little girl of an emperor would not trust me. Therefore, I simply borrowed Brother Kong's name to offer some well-intentioned counsel, urging her not to panic and thus commit the cardinal sin of military command."

"The cardinal sin of military command?"

Kong Mo let out a cold laugh. Although both he and Murong Hai were revered saints, it was impossible for them to overhear conversations taking place thousands of meters away between Ou Ai and Feng Yewu. At most, they could merely perceive the presence of powerful individuals. After all, saints were not omnipotent immortals.

The deep-seated animosity between Kong Mo and Ou Ai meant that neither would readily believe a word spoken by the other, viewing every statement with inherent suspicion.

Although Murong Hai was well aware of their mutual grievances, he could not be bothered to meddle in their petty squabbles. Upon hearing Ou Ai's explanation, he found nothing particularly unreasonable about it. Frowning deeply, he looked back at Ou Ai and pressed further, "Have you remained in the Northern Frontier ever since the Tidi tribe launched their invasion?"

Sensing Murong Hai's scrutiny, Ou Ai hastily nodded and replied, "This junior has stayed in the northern territory, secretly observing the Tidi tribe. I was concerned that their bloodlust might suddenly surge, and had they begun slaughtering the common folk, this junior would certainly have stepped in to issue a warning."

Hearing this, the anger in Murong Hai's heart abated slightly. He then asked, "And how have those two youngsters, Wei Siyuan and Chen Sinian, reacted over these past few days?"

Ou Ai lowered his gaze slightly, a flicker of contemplation crossing his eyes. After a moment of reflection, he answered, "Following the Tidi invasion, the northern lands were indeed ill-suited for immediate military maneuvering. While dispatches and military intelligence flooded the residence of Beichang Prince Wei Siyuan, I detected no trace of panic in him; he has been calmly formulating strategies. As for Changwu Prince Chen Sinian, he departed the Beichang Prince's estate a day or two after the conflict erupted, leading his troops back to his own encampment."

Upon hearing Ou Ai's description, Murong Hai nodded slightly and fell into deep thought.

"Are those two not anxious at all?" Kong Mo chimed in, feeling somewhat displeased by the report. An alien tribe had invaded, yet neither man had made an immediate move to discuss war preparations. Instead, one was calmly plotting while the other rushed off to leave, which clearly showed a reckless disregard for the safety of the northern populace.

Ou Ai let out a cold sneer at Kong Mo's perplexity and offered no explanation, instead folding his arms and gazing into the distance. Since Murong Hai had not asked him directly, he could not care less about answering Kong Mo's inquiries.

Noticing Ou Ai's silence, Murong Hai gave a faint smile and turned to enlighten Kong Mo.

"You do not understand. I watched those two grow up. If they had truly rushed blindly into battle preparations, I would have been far more concerned. It is quite likely that those two have some hidden collusion with the Tidi tribe, but given their current reactions, I am actually much more at ease."

Despite Murong Hai's words, Kong Mo remained baffled. Beside them, the Prince of Xiyue felt compelled to speak. After offering a respectful bow to Kong Mo, he stepped forward to clarify.

"Mr. Kong is unaware that Brother Siyuan excels in strategy and winning victories from a thousand miles away, but he is not naturally gifted in commanding troops on the battlefield. The fact that he can calmly gather intelligence and begin plotting in secret upon the outbreak of war in the north demonstrates that he has already made genuine preparations for a prolonged campaign. Meanwhile, Brother Sinian, born of a military background, returning immediately to his fiefdom to secure the northeastern border is the most prudent course of action."

The Prince of Xiyue addressed both Ou Ai and Kong Mo in a slow, measured tone. Murong Hai remained silent, merely sipping his wine, a tacit approval of the prince's explanation to Kong Mo.

"After all, the front lines of this war are extensive. Eleven cities encompass nearly the entirety of our dynasty's northern defensive perimeter. Only by returning to their respective domains in advance can the two of them ensure they are not caught utterly helpless as the Tidi tribe pushes deeper."

Hearing the explanation from Prince Qian Jingxi, Kong Mo experienced a sudden flash of enlightenment, his respect for Qian Jingxi rising significantly. Had Qian Jingxi not possessed a temperament that made him indifferent to the struggles for supreme power, he would undoubtedly have been prime material for an emperor.

"When you returned this time disguised in his likeness, what did you say to the little emperor?"

Murong Hai tilted his head back to finish the wine in his cup, then glanced at Ou Ai and gestured toward Kong Mo, posing the question directly and without pretense.

Kong Mo immediately perked up his ears to listen. After all, if this man had used his appearance to utter improper remarks—though Kong Mo was himself reluctant to see a woman like Feng Yewu ascend the throne, she was currently the reigning monarch—any misunderstandings created would ultimately require his own clarification.

Knowing he could not brush Murong Hai off as he had Kong Mo, Ou Ai replied respectfully, "This junior merely reminded Her Majesty that the Tidi tribe's invasion may be tied to the Heavenly Retribution. The Tidi have long been plagued by this tribulation and have long harbored ambitions to push south and invade our dynasty. If we launch a reckless counter-offensive without long-term preparations for a protracted war, we are bound to suffer."

At the mention of the Heavenly Retribution, a subtle shadow crossed the depths of Murong Hai's eyes.

The sheer terror of the Heavenly Retribution was enough to send a chill through the heart of even one as immensely powerful as Murong Hai.

This time, upon hearing Ou Ai's words, Kong Mo uttered no further sounds of contempt; clearly, he too harbored a profound dread regarding the matters of the Heavenly Retribution.