Chapter 2312: Reverse Saying

“Oh, look at this vain fellow!” the Blood Demon muttered to himself. “Wearing such elaborate clothes to a desolate construction site in the middle of nowhere, does he always have to outshine you?”

He Lingchuan also smiled. “Fifteen years, and Grand Master Frostleaf is as radiant and splendid as ever.”

The last time he met Frostleaf was at a scenic spot outside the F realm, in the outskirts of Lingxu City. Back then, Frostleaf was also dressed in magnificent robes, exuding an air of elegance and distinction. Lingxu nobles had gathered in the valley to watch the competition, all from powerful families, yet only Frostleaf, with his mere presence and grand bearing, managed to completely overshadow everyone else.

His flamboyance and dominance truly remained unchanged.

The Blood Demon looked from one to the other, feeling that both men concealed daggers behind their smiles.

He Lingchuan reached out, and a cold gleam flashed from his sleeve!

Frostleaf saw it clearly but remained motionless, letting the cold light illuminate his face until it was stark white.

As expected, the cold light swirled before him, neatly leveling the top of a rugged boulder nearby.

The cut was perfectly smooth and precise, with no stone dust. Emperor Jiuyou's casual strike was as effortless as slicing tofu.

He Lingchuan strolled to the newly carved stone bench, sat down, and gestured, "Please, have a seat."

Frostleaf smiled, swept back his robes, and sat down gracefully, his back perfectly straight.

“Under the moon, before the mountains, all that's missing is a good pot of wine.”

No sooner had he spoken than He Lingchuan took out a gold goblet inlaid with rubies and two gold cups from his sleeve.

"When a friend comes from afar, how can there be no wine?" He casually filled two cups. "This was brewed by monkeys from behind the Chixiao Golden Palace; it has a unique flavor."

Frostleaf smiled, taking note of the word "friend." He raised his cup and tasted it: "Excellent wine. Even the monkeys in the royal palace are so capable."

He neither feared nor believed that He Lingchuan would poison the wine.

"Frostleaf, why didn't you send an official dispatch for your visit today?" He Lingchuan took a sip of his own wine. "Cangyan could then have welcomed you with state honors, preventing any breach of etiquette."

The words sounded polite, but they were actually a veiled jab, implying Frostleaf's impropriety in secretly infiltrating Cangyan to conduct unspeakable activities.

Frostleaf slowly said, "Among the three kingdoms, Cangyan has truly surpassed the others as a latecomer. I've admired it for a long time, so I simply had to travel incognito to truly understand its customs and people. It is said that seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times; the ancients truly did not deceive me."

He Lingchuan clearly knew why Frostleaf had come, and Frostleaf knew why He Lingchuan was asking, yet neither mentioned it explicitly.

"Oh?" He Lingchuan said, his face full of keen interest, as he refilled Frostleaf's cup. "Grand Master Frostleaf possesses unique insight and extraordinary methods; you must have gained something in Cangyan. Rather than choosing a specific time, let's seize the moment. Come, tell me your assessment of Cangyan."

The phrase "must have gained something" was again a double entendre.

He knew that someone like Frostleaf, traveling all this way to Cangyan, couldn't possibly be here just to retrieve a golden core. Causing some trouble and disruption in Cangyan along the way, to better understand how the nation operates, was likely also a significant part of Frostleaf's mission.

A nation's emergency response measures and capabilities often most directly reflect its way of thinking and system for handling problems. For instance, after He Lingchuan's own rebellion in the Heavenly Palace years ago, he had diligently observed Beijia's various reactions.

Now, he wanted to see what insights Frostleaf could offer.

"Then I shall speak at will, and Jiuyou may listen at will." Jiuyou wanted to hear, so he would say a few words. Frostleaf sat straighter and deliberately cleared his throat. "As I traveled, I saw tranquil wilderness, prosperous cities, and people living in peace and contentment. These points are similar to Beijia, so I won't dwell on them. However, what surprised me was how clearly demarcated Cangyan's celestial and mortal realms are, and how they do not interfere with each other. This time, with the Qixia Sect causing trouble and Wei'an City quelling the chaos, even common, seemingly foolish mortals dared to search mountains and plains for the sect's entrance, disregarding their own safety. This demonstrates the common people's loyalty to their home and country, a 'usable public will' rarely seen in other nations."

The people of Wei'an City helping the authorities search for the Qixia Sect's entrance was not an isolated incident; thousands went.

Was it that they didn't know the immortals were powerful, or that the expedition was dangerous?

The common people were not foolish; their actions stemmed from indignation against oppressors and trust in their city-state.

He Lingchuan said flatly, "That's obvious."

These were all plain to see, visible to everyone. What profound insights did Grand Master Frostleaf himself have to offer?

With just that, Emperor Jiuyou would surely be dissatisfied. Frostleaf smiled:

"With the support of the people's will and sentiment, I see that the military and political system Jiuyou has single-handedly established in Cangyan is centered on primal energy, unlike Beijia and Mou, which center on powerful cultivators. This has led to frequent strategic and tactical innovations, making them flexible and efficient. What's most commendable is the unity between military and civilians you've fostered, which truly maximizes the potential of mortals, allowing them to find their place in this era of great contention, no longer reduced to mere beasts of burden or fish on a chopping block. If Jiuyou could take this a step further and enable them to play a role in supernatural battles, that would truly be a blessing for all living beings."

Frostleaf gazed at the moon, his words full of admiration:

"The moment I first met Jiuyou, I knew your future was limitless."

That's why he wanted to recruit him.

"But I still underestimated you. You possess unparalleled talent; your strength, daring, charisma, and fortune are all top-tier, which is why you have achieved what you have today!"

"What a showering of praise! So sickeningly sweet!" The Blood Demon cackled with surprise on He Lingchuan's back. "This Frostleaf truly is a remarkable individual; he knows just what to say."

He Lingchuan's hand, holding the cup, paused.

He gazed steadily at Frostleaf for a while, then let out a soft laugh:

"As expected of Frostleaf. Those hundred-plus years as Grand Master certainly weren't for naught."

Frostleaf swirled the wine in his cup: "You flatter me. At best, I'm just a Grand Master. How could I compare to He Xiao, who transformed and ascended to the highest position? Come, I toast Jiuyou."

He looked at He Lingchuan's eyes, then at his smile, and knew that the other had understood.

With a mutual understanding, both drained their cups.

He Lingchuan knew that Frostleaf's words sounded like flattery, but in fact, every compliment was a backhanded one. If the listener were a little slow, they might genuinely believe they were being praised.

To truly understand what Frostleaf was saying, one had to reverse-engineer it, interpreting compliments as veiled criticisms.

He overtly praised Cangyan's military and political system for being centered on primal energy rather than powerful cultivators. What he was actually saying was that Cangyan simply didn't have many powerful cultivators, its foundation was weak, and it couldn't attract masters, so this approach was a necessity.

He overtly praised Cangyan's strategies and tactics as flexible and efficient. Why? Because without absolute power, they could only try to break impasses through skill.

True strength can overcome all techniques. Beijia itself was the best illustration of this saying.

He also praised Cangyan's skillful use of mortal strength, which could even be effective in battles against the Qixia Sect. But what about beyond that? Against the supernatural forces more powerful than the Qixia Sect in this world, what could Cangyan use to contend? Surely not just mortal strength again?

Mortals are just mortals; their limits are very low, which also means Cangyan's overall potential is very low.

Emperor Jiuyou, you wanted me to speak, didn't you? So I will speak thoroughly.

Every sentence was praise, but every word was a put-down.

Ostensibly, all were compliments; secretly, all were doubts.