Yefutidaolu

Chapter 314? Huh?!

Takashi stood on the Sharp Blade Plain.

The air was filled with a faint smell of blood and the metallic tang of the seeds of the Sharp Blade Grass. He could almost imagine how these hard, sharp seeds would cut his mouth and be swallowed mixed with blood when he chewed and swallowed them with difficulty.

This is indeed a difficult problem to solve.

Upon seeing Yang Ling and Gao Jian arrive, Qilin Shen turned his gaze to the area south covered by the Temple of Heaven. His eyes held no fervor, only a deep, calm, and calculating quality.

Gao Jian suppressed the chill in his heart, which was being eroded by the deathly intent of heaven and earth, and strode forward.

He walked over, even past Yang Ling, and took the initiative to face Qilin Shen in front of him.

Yang Ling quickly followed and said, "Qilin Shen, this is the student I mentioned earlier, Gao Jian, who is also supporting our current affairs."

"As long as we get his permission, we can take over the border, and the Qilin tribe and the other tribes can get a little breathing space on the border."

Qilin Shen turned around, his gaze calmly landing on Gao Jian.

The chieftain was tall and had a resolute face. His bronze skin was etched with the marks of time and faint, seemingly innate lines. His eyes were deep, without immediate hostility, only scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible weariness.

"I am Gao Jian, Qilin Shen." Gao Jian nodded: "So... what's your opinion? If I don't agree, are you going to force me to agree?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ling looked at Gao Jian with some shock.

At this point, since the decision has already been made, why ask such questions that would anger Qilin Shen?
However, Gao Jian was no fool, so Yang Ling chose to keep quiet and did not interrupt his conversation with Qilin Shen.

And the other side.

Qilin Shen's expression remained calm as he said to Gao Jian, "Well, I am the patriarch of the Qilin tribe. There's no need for my name; just call me Qilin Shen. So... Mr. Gao, is this all you came to ask me?"

Clearly, Gao Jian was testing him with these words, and Qilin Shen seemed somewhat resistant to such a test.

Gao Jian, however, seemed not to care much about him, and continued, "Yes, this is a very important question, and even if it is a bit presumptuous, I have to ask it."

Qilin Shen nodded in agreement, then looked at an elder beside him.

He began to speak with the clan elder, his voice low, but the content sounded like a boast:
"...How much grain is stored?"

"We'll be able to withstand a full six months of intense attacks," the clan elder said.

"When will the warriors of all tribes be able to gather?"

"Within three days, all will arrive at Shouya Cliff."

"Good, in this battle, we can only advance, not retreat. The gateway to Liangzhou of the Divine Dynasty must be breached."

A burning desire flashed in the elder's eyes, and he bowed and nodded.

Qilin Shen then looked at Yang Ling and Gao Jian: "To be honest, I don't completely trust you, nor do I trust the Qilin tribe, or even the tribes beyond the Great Wall."

Qilin Shen looked at the two of them and said calmly, "Our children are born with the markings of strange beasts, or they will surely die; our food is gathered by cutting our hands and eaten by cutting our throats. This is our fate. Beneath the Heavenly Altar of the Divine Dynasty, there is fertile land for thousands of miles, with gentle winds and nourishing rain, where infants are born safely. That is your fate."

“I don’t blame fate, but we can’t just sit here and wait to die. If we stay here, our population will dwindle and our grasslands will become barren. It’s a dead end. Going south is a way to survive, a chance to catch our breath, and a way to give my people a less painful path to life.”

He opened his eyes, his demeanor lacking any imposing presence, his tone devoid of anger, calm and collected, as if he were discussing not a matter of life and death, but rather what to eat for dinner that night.

There were no accusations, no lamentations, just a calm recounting of his decision.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian seemed somewhat gratified and said, "That's certainly how it should be. To be honest, if I were you, I would be even less likely to believe what those two kids say."

“You’re not just little brats anymore; you’re all capable people. It’s just that I can’t afford to gamble on many things. The Qilin tribe is one of the larger powers in the grasslands, but it’s still very difficult for us to prepare for such an attack. If we fail, we might be wiped out.” Qilin Shen remained calm, showing neither anger nor worry, as if he were talking about trivial matters.

There was no seething grief or hysterical fear. To him, the extermination of his clan was merely a possible outcome, a cold, hard risk parameter to be considered, just like calculating the loss of provisions or soldiers.

This extreme composure, on the contrary, made Gao Jian feel a deeper sense of resolute determination.

Qilin Shen had clearly placed the fate of the entire tribe on the gambling table, single-mindedly focused on victory or defeat.

Gao Jian understood this resolute attitude, so he continued, "No matter what, we're already at the gambling table. It seems that whatever our purpose is, you're prepared to launch a full-scale attack. You don't trust us, and you don't care about trust."

Qilin Shen nodded slightly in agreement.

Indeed, he did not trust Gao Jian and Yang Ling. There was no need to explain why, because at present, almost everyone in the Divine Dynasty believed that Gao Jian and Yang Ling's behavior was abnormal.

What kind of person would do things like Gao Jian and Yang Ling, doing things that are completely selfless and in order to protect the interests of the Hu people?

“Whether there is trust or not, the root of the matter is not what you have done,” Qilin Shen’s gaze seemed to pierce through the two of them, and was directed at the invisible yet omnipresent web of the Divine Dynasty’s rules, “but rather, how incompatible your actions are with the Divine Dynasty.”

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone finally carrying a faint, almost mocking insight:

"Within the Divine Dynasty, everything has its price. Scholars seek fame and fortune, merchants pursue great profits, warriors strive for a bright future, and even the old farmers in the fields carefully calculate for a peck of rice or half an acre of land. Self-interest is a matter of course, and this is your fate."

He continued:
"And what about you two? You've traveled thousands of miles to this deadly place of Sharp Blade Plains, not for rewards, not for fame, and certainly not for any great profit. Yet you've gone to such lengths to try and find a so-called 'way out of life' between the Hu people and the Divine Dynasty?"

Qilin Shen shook his head slightly, as if stating an utterly absurd joke:

"In the eyes of everyone in the Divine Dynasty, this behavior is nothing short of delusional, either foolish or insane, or even... harboring malicious intentions. The word 'profit' alone cannot explain your motives, so the word 'profit and harm' is reduced to 'harm.' What I can think of is that your plan to harm the Divine Dynasty's interests is of great benefit to you." Qilin Shen's words dissected the Divine Dynasty's ironclad rule of prioritizing "profit" with chilling clarity. In the Divine Dynasty's understanding, any action without profit must conceal a larger, detrimental scheme.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian laughed and said, "Qilin Shen underestimates us. In this world, besides the words 'profit and loss,' there is another word called 'righteousness.'"

Gao Jian was not discouraged by Qilin Shen's words; instead, he felt that he could have a good talk with him.

Qilin Shen's "distrust" did not stem from malice, but rather from a rational judgment based on a profound understanding of the rules of the Divine Dynasty. In the eyes of this patriarch, who calculated for survival, Gao Jian and Yang Ling's "unconventional" behavior was itself the greatest source of risk.

However, even so, he still agreed to cooperate with Yang Ling and personally came to meet Gao Jian.

And the reason is exactly what Gao Jian said.

Although Qilin Shen was composed, when he gazed towards the distant Divine Dynasty, his eyes also revealed an undisguised deep longing for that "land under the blue sky."

Therefore, Gao Jian did not talk to him about the advantages and disadvantages at this time, but said that in the world there is righteousness in addition to advantages and disadvantages.

He and Yang Ling sought neither personal gain nor to harm others, but only for the sake of righteousness.

Qilin Shen's eyes finally flickered slightly, a faint ripple spreading across the deep pool. His gaze was no longer completely indifferent, but rather filled with scrutiny and inquiry. He did not refute, but simply waited for what was to come.

Gao Jian then continued without hesitation: "Our actions are undoubtedly foolish in the eyes of the aristocratic families of the Divine Dynasty. Indeed, in the eyes of those who are eager to make a living and only care about every penny, doing something that is not profitable is extremely foolish. In the eyes of the powerful and wealthy who enjoy riches and treat the people like pigs and dogs, making a living for the lowly is naturally a sign of evil intentions. In the eyes of those who are full of suspicion and only measure people by their own interests, our actions are naturally suspicious."

"But are there really only people in this world who are driven by profit?"

"Qilin Shen, now that you are in this desolate and desperate place, you should understand even more that if only the two words 'profit and loss' remain in this world, and everyone only seeks to protect themselves and only considers gains and losses, then this dead land will be the final destination for everyone. Everyone will harm each other, and everyone will only seek self-interest. In the end, they will be crushed by the more powerful selfish ones. Today, the Divine Dynasty treats the common people as worthless grass. In the future, there will be even more ruthless ones who will treat the Divine Dynasty as fish and meat. The cycle will continue, and the war will never end. The deathly atmosphere in this world will only grow stronger. This is the dead end of the path of only profit and loss."

Gao Jian spoke eloquently, seemingly trying to prove something, but at this moment, Qilin Shen interrupted Gao Jian and said, "So what? Heaven and earth are dead. I admit that courage and righteousness can achieve great things, but in the development of the Divine Dynasty to this point, most of the courageous people die on the road ahead. It's like a war: those who dare to die die first, and those who are afraid to die die later. After a war, most of the dead are those who dare to die. If there are more wars, all the courageous ones will be wiped out, and those who are left are all cowards. The world is like this. In the development of the Divine Dynasty to this point, how many people like you are left?"

At this point, Qilin Shen revealed a self-deprecating smile: "Of course, someone like me who enjoys your benefits has no right to say such things. However, I still want to ask, is that really the case?"

Clearly, Qilin Shen did agree with Gao Jian's words to some extent. If Gao Jian and Yang Ling were indeed as he thought, then the Qilin tribe was indeed the one who benefited and could be considered to have received a favor from Gao Jian. Therefore, he asked Gao Jian for his opinion again.

Gao Jian did not hesitate and continued, "Seeing the suffering of all living beings makes one more aware of the hardships of the world. Today I see the Qilin tribe, born and raised here, their reproduction constrained by the Qilin pattern, their food sourced from the Sharp Blade Plain, their clan hanging by a thread of survival. This is not just the suffering of one tribe, but a microcosm of the struggle of all people against the shackles of heaven and earth. Countless people within the Divine Dynasty are also limited by this. If Qilin Shen is willing, then the children of your Qilin tribe will have more opportunities to grow up in peace, and the people of the Divine Dynasty will be spared the calamity of war."

"But you'll be the one to bear the risks," Qilin Shen reminded him.

Trust Qilin Shen. Once the border is opened, Qilin Shen will lead the entire Qilin tribe, along with all the other beast tribes, to the border, thus forming a sufficient force to resist the oppression of the Divine Dynasty families and the Netherworld.

Good strategy, but it's practically handing over your heads to Qilin Shen, letting him decide the fate of Gao Jian and Yang Ling.

In the Divine Dynasty, or rather... in the eyes of any rational person, entrusting one's life and death to a complete stranger, or someone one has only met a few minutes ago, is an extremely unwise choice.

Gao Jian is a student of the Imperial Academy. Students of the Imperial Academy are born into the upper echelons of the Divine Dynasty and are destined to be beneficiaries and ultimate privilege holders of the Divine Dynasty in the future.

Would such a high-ranking official of the Divine Dynasty, destined for the future, really do such a thing?

Qilin Shen was skeptical, so... he was prepared to go it alone. He was cooperating with Yang Ling and Gao Jian in a way that was exploitative, even if Gao Jian and Yang Ling were a trap set by the Divine Dynasty, he was prepared to step into it.

At this moment, faced with Gao Jian's words, Qilin Shen offered his own reminder.

Gao Jian simply smiled and said, "Me? How could I? I am a hero who built the border."

Qilin Shen said, "As long as I am not confined to the border, then you are not a meritorious official, but a traitor who colludes with the barbarians."

"No, it won't happen." Gao Jian shook his head.

Then, Gao Jian drew his knife.

The moment Gao Jian drew his sword, the tribal warriors beside Qilin Shen, the warriors of the Qilin tribe, immediately took their actions. They instantly became alert, their hands on their weapons, their eyes like those of hawks.

Qilin Shen reached out and stopped them, gesturing for them to stop.

So these people stopped.

Gao Jian ignored them, but simply stretched out his rusty knife, pointed it south, towards the Divine Dynasty, and said, "I dare to invite Qilin Shen to die."

Upon hearing this, Qilin Shen burst into laughter, and his eyes, which had been like a deep pool for millennia, were no longer purely calm.

“Very well! I am willing to die, and I ask Mr. Gao to be my witness.”

"Wait!" Yang Ling finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He looked at Gao Jian, then at Qilin Shen, his gaze shifting between the two, his tone nonsensical: "No, what happened? Why did things have to develop to this point? We could have directly allowed the tribes beyond the Great Wall to occupy the border and resist the aristocratic families of the Divine Dynasty. With Gao Jian's identity, we could have wiped out the Jin family and forced the Youming Dizu to retreat. After that, I could have smoothly entered the Divine Dynasty's officialdom as the one who 'subdued the tribes beyond the Great Wall.' It was clearly a win-win-win situation, so why did it suddenly turn out like this?"

Clearly, this was Yang Ling's plan.

With the help of the various tribes of strange beasts, the banner of Gao Jian, and his own investment, he completely occupied the ecological niche of the Liangzhou aristocratic families and thus stepped onto the political stage!
So he didn't understand.

What are Qilin Shenhe and Gao Jian up to?!

what? !

(End of this chapter)