A master of comedy!

"Brother Zhou, how I wish this cup of wine were drunk with you in a mountain tavern, in the fields, instead of here and now."

Bao Ying looked at this familiar yet unfamiliar close friend, sighed softly, and had a touch of melancholy in his eyes.

The two who once fought side by side and shared life and death are now forced to stand on opposite sides.

He sat down, finished his drink, and then looked at Zhou Sheng seriously, asking, "Brother Zhou, is a fight absolutely necessary?"

After a brief silence, Zhou Sheng said calmly, "Whether we fight or not is up to you. I only want Luoyang."

Bao Ying understood the hidden meaning in his words.

This war could have been avoided if the emperor had been willing to cede Luoyang.

“Brother Zhou, this is Luoyang. You know His Majesty will never agree to this. Moreover, the land and its people are of paramount importance, and we, his subjects, will not yield an inch of it either!”

Zhou Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, "Then there's nothing more to say. Once I've really hurt that old emperor, I believe he'll consider it."

Didn't you mobilize all your resources to attack Luoyang?

Then I'll make you feel really bad!
Zhou Sheng's tough attitude infuriated the other envoys, but no one dared to criticize him, because they knew very well what kind of vicious person he was.

Only Bao Ying spoke up, "Brother Zhou, why are you so fixated on Luoyang?"

He sensed something was wrong, because in his mind, Zhou Sheng was never a ruthless warlord who liked to conquer the world, but a carefree and chivalrous hero.

Zhou Sheng shook his head and remained silent.

He must obtain that dragon vein in Luoyang.

However, this is something that cannot be discussed with others. If the old emperor were to learn about the dragon vein, he would likely become even more frantic.

"I'll say it again, Brother Zhou, are we really going to fight?"

Bao Ying stared at him, a hint of pleading appearing on his upright face. He said, "When two armies clash, countless lives are lost. Even this city of Luoyang may be reduced to ruins. Brother Zhou, don't you care about any of this?"

This war not only involved a vast army, but also three thousand cultivators, as well as human immortals and earth immortals.

If a war breaks out, it will be earth-shattering; the city of Luoyang might even be wiped out.

He couldn't believe that Zhou Sheng, whom he knew, would be so indifferent to the lives of ordinary people.

Sure enough, Zhou Sheng's expression turned slightly serious upon hearing Bao Ying's words.

"We will definitely fight."

Bao Ying's pupils dilated, revealing a look of disappointment.

"But how to fight is something we can discuss. Since you, Brother Bao, have personally gone to Luoyang to negotiate, I will naturally give you face."

Zhou Sheng suddenly changed the subject, which made Bao Ying's eyes light up.

"How can we discuss this?"

"Since neither of us wants Luoyang to suffer further devastation, let's settle this with a single battle."

Zhou Sheng smiled slightly, his voice carrying an air of domineering arrogance: "Brother Bao, please arrange a battle between Tongtian Daoist and Patriarch Prajna for me in the outer heavens. I will fight them both alone. If I lose, Luoyang will be returned to the court."

"Of course, if I win, I will ask that old emperor to personally issue an edict to cede Luoyang."

The others were immediately invigorated by these words.

Zhou Sheng actually wants to fight two powerful beings at the Earth Immortal Realm by himself?
Has he gone mad?!
That's a celestial being!
Even though Zhou Sheng had a glorious record of killing two Earth Immortals, that was one-on-one. Moreover, Tongtian Daoren was someone who had survived six Heavenly Tribulations. Although Prajna Ancestor was only at the fifth level of the Heavenly Tribulation, he was at the peak of the fifth level and only one step away from the sixth level.

According to the deductions made by Da Xuan, Zhou Sheng is only at the sixth tribulation realm.

In this situation, to fight two against one is undoubtedly an overconfident act. After all, those who can cultivate to become Earth Immortals are all extraordinary geniuses.

You want to cross borders to kill enemies, but which of the earth immortals wasn't a master who crossed borders to kill enemies as easily as drinking water back then?
When two Earth Immortals join forces, it's not just one plus one equals two; it will bring about a tremendous qualitative change. Throughout history, no one has ever been able to defeat two Earth Immortals single-handedly when their cultivation levels are not too different.

This was an extremely dangerous duel. If Zhou Sheng lost, not only would he not be able to return to Luoyang, but his own life would likely be in danger. The other envoys all looked excited, wishing they could agree immediately.

Yang Ying's gaze was complicated as he looked at the figure that often appeared in his dreams. As the former general who had fought against the traitors, he couldn't help but feel a sense of worry for Zhou Sheng.

Bao Ying stared at Zhou Sheng, clenching his sleeves, and remained silent for a long time.

He didn't want Luoyang to suffer devastation, but he also didn't want his friend to be in danger, and he felt deeply ashamed.

In his view, the reason Zhou Sheng proposed such a dangerous challenge, deliberately putting himself at a disadvantage, was out of consideration for him and because he didn't want to put Zhou Sheng in a difficult position.

Seeing that Bao Ying remained silent for a long time, the official who was the deputy envoy finally couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately pointed at Zhou Sheng excitedly and said, "Is this really true?"

Zhou Sheng did not look at him, nor did he even answer.

Jinse snorted coldly, her voice like thunder, causing the deputy envoy to shudder violently, cough up blood, and stagger to the ground.

Then she glared at him coldly, her gaze authoritative, with a hidden murderous intent.

"Who do you think you are, to dare point fingers at the troupe leader?"

The beauty held a murderous aura, cold as ice.

"And you, Bao Ying, let me tell you, hundreds of thousands of followers have gathered in Luoyang City. They are united and fearless, and have set up an astonishing killing formation with countless rare treasures. They are itching for a fight and can't wait to start a big battle!"

"The reason my troupe leader proposed such a dangerous challenge is twofold: firstly, for the sake of the people of Luoyang, he cannot bear to see them suffer and die, which is a matter of goodwill; secondly, he does not want to put you in a difficult position, so that you will not be punished after returning empty-handed, which is a matter of loyalty to your brother!"

"But what about you? If it weren't for the troupe leader back then, you would have died countless times. Now, for that tyrannical, dog-like emperor, you actually have the nerve to go on a mission to Luoyang and make things difficult for the troupe leader?"

Bao Ying was struck dumb, and remained silent for a long time.

From the moment Zhou Sheng was willing to take the risk and challenge the two Earth Immortals, he had already felt the heavy weight of their friendship and was tormented by their emotions.

"The people have suffered for too long. Countless corrupt officials have harmed the common people. That old emperor is an even more incompetent ruler. Last year alone, the construction of the palace caused countless deaths. For three years, he was busy building some kind of water pagoda, and tens of thousands of people were soaked in the water until their legs were infested with maggots..."

Jinse, as expected of the leader of the Longhua Sect, spoke sharply and knew everything about the sect, leaving the envoys speechless and unable to lift their heads.

"Our troupe leader once said that the world belongs to all people, not to one family or one clan. We are determined to take Luoyang!"

Bao Ying took a deep breath, did not refute, but stood up and bowed, saying, "I will convey the matter of the challenge, Brother Zhou... take care."

He turned and left, his steps unusually hurried, as if he instinctively wanted to escape.

It felt as if every extra moment spent there was an extra moment of torment.

The other envoys also hurriedly left. Yang Ying walked behind and looked back at Zhou Sheng, only to find that the other party did not even look at her and was just drinking quietly by himself.

She felt inexplicably lost, because Brother Zhou hadn't even glanced at her once throughout the entire ordeal.

Am I not his... reincarnated wife?

It wasn't until a voice reached her ears that she showed a look of joy.

"Xiao Ying, the troupe leader is deliberately ignoring you. After all, you are now... on their side. If he shows you any concern, it will only bring you trouble."

"That's the kind of person the troupe leader is. No matter what happens, he will never let his friends or the people he likes be in a difficult position. He will just bear it all by himself."

In an instant, all the bitterness and grievances in Yang Ying's heart disappeared. Looking at that lonely figure silently drinking, she felt an overwhelming pang of heartache.

I felt that Brother Zhou seemed to have grown even taller in my heart.

Even Uncle Bao, whom I once greatly admired, is far inferior to him.

"Sister Jinse, you, you should spend more time with him, don't let him be sad..."

Upon hearing her telepathic message, Jinse couldn't help but reveal a strange look in her eyes.

...(End of this chapter)