The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 298 - 110: Cause and Intelligence

"It’s nothing much; I simply don’t believe in such convenient coincidences."

Qing Yu spread his hands and said, "General Yi Qianshan’s slaying of Bo Han before Kuocang Pass and the annihilation of a hundred thousand troops—if we’re talking about an urgent report, it’s just not possible that a soldier would deliver it by mouth rather than on paper.

Besides, a soldier drenched in blood making his way directly into Wanfu Pavilion—that doesn’t seem normal no matter how you think about it."

Of course, there was another point Qing Yu hadn’t mentioned.

Feng Tianming’s performance was a bit exaggerated; the surprise on his face after hearing the good news lasted several seconds. For most people, surprise is fleeting unless they are struck dumb by shock, not something that lasts for several seconds.

As the Emperor of a nation, Feng Tianming should not be so easily unsettled, let alone shocked dumb by good news.

This point, due to the risk of offending the Emperor, was left unspoken by Qing Yu.

The first two points were enough; there was no need to go overboard.

"Very good," Ouyang Yan nodded with satisfaction, "your ability to see through these two points is extremely impressive."

"It’s nothing, just that after losing my hearing, I’ve become more adept at observing the world with my eyes," Qing Yu humbly professed.

"Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise," Ouyang Yan said with a sigh of regret as he looked at Qing Yu’s ears.

Then, his expression turned grave and he spoke earnestly, "Meng De is right, tonight’s banquet was indeed orchestrated by His Majesty. The great victory at Kuocang Pass happened the day before yesterday, and the soldier carrying the report arrived in the Divine Capital yesterday, only to be secretly suppressed."

"But Teacher, why would Father Emperor do such a thing?" Feng Jiu asked.

"For the Emperor Martial Art," Ouyang Yan said in a low voice.

’Sure enough.’ A glimmer of understanding flashed through Qing Yu’s eyes.

"Emperor Martial Art?" Zeng Yue murmured to himself.

It had been less than a year since the last Literary Arena struggle, and Zeng Yue could still recall the faces of the students who had entered the Small Secret Realm with him. Most of those people died, including Lin Chenfeng, the elder he admired most. And now, that term emerged once again.

"For the Emperor Martial Art," Ouyang Yan affirmed, "ever since the Academy revealed it was harboring the Emperor Martial Art, winning the Literary Arena has not stopped others from coveting and probing. Not to mention Daqian, even our Great Zhou Emperor has mentioned the Emperor Martial Art several times, albeit in a veiled manner.

And considering the recent developments, it seems His Majesty can no longer wait; he wants to leverage the power of the Esoteric Sect to force the Academy to surrender the Emperor Martial Art. His message is clear: if the Academy still refuses to hand over the Emperor Martial Art, then do not blame him for truly allowing the Esoteric Sect to establish itself here.

Tonight could very well be His Majesty’s final ultimatum."

"Then why won’t the Academy just hand over the Emperor Martial Art? If they did, wouldn’t that dissolve His Majesty’s suspicions and unite Great Zhou as one solid front?" Zeng Yue said.

Thinking of the companions he had lost during the last Literary Arena struggle, Zeng Yue was still filled with sorrow. If the Esoteric Sect were to settle in, Northern Zhou would face a struggle between two tigers, and the number of fallen comrades might far exceed those lost in the Literary Arena.

"It’s not as simple as that," Ouyang Yan shook his head, "While indeed it may make Great Zhou unified, His Majesty is too impulsive. He is constantly thinking of counterattacking Daqian and reclaiming the lost territories of Great Zhou, yet he overlooks the disparity between Great Zhou and Daqian."

Yes, the disparity. The gap between Northern Zhou and Daqian was just too vast.

Two dynasties, one occupying the land of Seven Provinces and previously even Qing Province before it was taken down, while the other had only the land of two provinces, located in the bitter cold of the north.

This state of affairs had lasted for three hundred years, who knows how vast the disparity in resources might be, the difference in military strength, and even the gap between their master warriors.

Ouyang Yan continued, "The gap between the two is too vast. If not for Mountain Master Meng’s presence in Great Zhou, Daqian might have attacked long ago. Yet, it is also because of Mountain Master Meng alone that the entirety of Great Zhou is preserved, which makes His Majesty think that the power of a warrior can determine the fate of a nation, but..."

The following words, Ouyang Yan did not utter, but others could guess.

Indeed, the power of a warrior can determine the fate of a nation, but the Academy does not believe that after obtaining Emperor Martial Art, Feng Tianming would reach the level of Meng Shanhe.

If Emperor Martial Art were that miraculous, not only would the Daqian Royal Family take an interest, but any Martial Artist would as well. Even if one cannot Cultivate, merely pondering its profound mysteries could reap immense benefits.

Now, apart from the Daqian Royal Family, no one else has shown any interest in Emperor Martial Art, which indicates that Emperor Martial Art is not as miraculous as believed.

Feng Tianming placing all his hopes on Emperor Martial Art is akin to madness. Mountain River Academy refuses to give Emperor Martial Art to Feng Tianming out of fear that upon receiving it, he would become utterly engrossed.

When that happened, it wouldn’t matter if he destroyed himself, but the fear is that he would drag the whole of Northern Zhou into an explosion with him.

With the crux of the matter revealed, the carriage interior suddenly fell silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts.

The silence persisted until Qing Yu broke it.

Qing Yu suddenly lifted the carriage curtain, as if to check outside, and said, "Teacher, up ahead is Tongfu Inn where I am currently staying. I shall alight here."

Ouyang Yan nodded in understanding and called out, "Coachman, halt."

"Whoa—"

Following the coachman’s command, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

"Teacher, this student takes his leave," Qing Yu said as he clasped his hands in farewell.

"If you encounter any troubles, feel free to inform me at the Academy," Ouyang Yan said.

"I will, thank you, Teacher."

With that, Qing Yu turned and jumped down from the carriage.

"Teacher and my two senior brothers, take care," Qing Yu waved after them, watching as the carriage dwindled into the distance.

Not until the carriage was out of sight did Qing Yu slowly lower his waving hand, standing in front of the Tongfu Inn with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Dragon Chief, the intelligence from Shadow Pavilion." A figure materialized behind Qing Yu at some point and reported to him.

Beneath the dim light of the lantern in front of the inn, one could see that this figure was the Pharmacist, disguised after changing his appearance.

If the Pharmacist was personally delivering the intelligence, it must be crucial.

"Oh? So soon? The speed of Shadow Pavilion is beyond imagination," Qing Yu reached out to receive the intelligence handed over by the Pharmacist.

This intelligence was something Qing Yu had sent a message to Shadow Pavilion about that morning, tasking Shadow Pavilion’s agents to gather it. Unexpectedly, it had arrived tonight, well ahead of Qing Yu’s expectations.

Unfolding the intelligence, Qing Yu examined the details in the faint light. With his eyesight, everything before him was as clear as day; a little light was more than sufficient.

The intelligence was briefer than expected, Qing Yu could scan it in a glance, and the content was even more shocking and intriguing than anticipated.

"Heh, it’s time to send Qingxu on his way..."

This was Qing Yu’s first remark after reading the intelligence.