Legend Management Bureau Chapter 265

[ … words ]

Hearing these words from the Yan Emperor, Du Yu slowly opened his mouth in shock.

He had caught several key pieces of information in that exchange.

Xing Tian and Chiyou were actually brothers?

And everything Zhurong had done was simply to give Xing Tian a reason to leave the tribe?

Zhurong chimed in at this moment, “Nameless, I have already posed as the Yellow Emperor’s forces and attacked our villages multiple times. However, the Great High Father and I both understand that even with these provocations, our people still won’t march in full force to help you slaughter the Xuanyuan Clan. After all, peace is the most precious thing right now. If you charge in there alone, it will stabilize the hearts of the Jiang Tribe while allowing you to get your wish…”

“I understand everything. Patriarch Zhurong, Great High Father, you do not need to say any more,” Xing Tian said solemnly. “I am already immensely grateful that you two have helped me create this justification. I have considered all the consequences, and I am fully prepared for them.”

Hearing Xing Tian say this, the Yan Emperor stepped forward to personally help him up, then added, “Nameless, no matter when you plan to leave, you must remember to bid farewell to Houtu.”

“Bid farewell?” Xing Tian paused, not understanding the Yan Emperor’s meaning.

Seeing his confused expression, Zhurong could not help but sigh. “Nameless, my granddaughter Houtu has always carried a knot in her heart. When my son Gonggong left, he did not say goodbye to her. From then on, she had to grow up without a father, and it made her terrified of losing anyone. Therefore, no matter when you decide to leave, you absolutely must say goodbye to her.”

Zhurong flashed a look of mild anger at that response. “Nameless, do you truly not know, or are you just pretending to be ignorant? I don’t need you to say goodbye to the entire tribe! My granddaughter is completely enamored with you, and yet you still plan to treat her exactly the same as any ordinary tribesman?”

Xing Tian was taken aback. “Patriarch Zhurong, I don’t quite understand…”

The Yan Emperor’s eyes grew somewhat wistful. He interrupted their conversation and said to Xing Tian, “Nameless, no matter how profound Houtu’s cultivation is, she is ultimately still a young girl. You must come back alive; only then can I offer her hand in marriage to you. Do you understand?”

Xing Tian’s eyes widened instantly. “Great High Father! How can that be? I am nothing but a sinner… I…”

“A sinner?” The Yan Emperor smiled and shook his head. “What kind of sinner are you? How could I be unaware of this?”

“I…” Xing Tian lowered his head in remorse. “I watched my brother die right before my eyes and did nothing to save him… I am a heartless, disloyal coward…”

“Others might not know, but do you think I am blind to it?” the Yan Emperor replied. “The war between Chiyou and the Yan-Huang Alliance has always been the most agonizing event of your life. Your suffering, your inner turmoil, and your resentment have tangled around you to this very day. You could neither help the Yellow Emperor kill Chiyou, nor could you betray our Jiang Tribe. That you now wish to seek revenge against the Yellow Emperor all by yourself is completely within my expectations.”

“Great High Father… you knew everything…” Xing Tian muttered softly.

“Nameless, spare us the nonsense,” Zhurong grumbled. “If my father and I didn’t know the kind of man you are, why would we go to such lengths to help you?”

Xing Tian gazed at the two men with immense gratitude, completely at a loss for words.

“Alright, today’s ‘attack’ ends here,” the Yan Emperor declared. “Hurry back and keep Houtu company. Remember what I said: you must give her a proper farewell. Do not cause her any unnecessary heartbreak.”

“Yes!” Xing Tian bowed deeply to them both. He pondered for a brief moment, then summoned his Giant Axe and soared off into the sky.

“My son Zhurong, you should leave as well,” the Yan Emperor said slowly. “Remember to lead the tribe in putting out the fires as soon as you get back.”

“Yes, Great High Father!” Just as Zhurong turned to leave, he glanced back at the Yan Emperor in confusion. “Then… what about you, Great High Father?”

“I am going to meet a friend. I will return to the village later.”

Not daring to press further, Zhurong simply nodded. He conjured a cloud of flame and flew off, leaving a wave of scorching heat in his wake.

Seeing the two depart one after the other, Du Yu initially intended to use a Fleeing Spell and slip away as well. However, human curiosity is a difficult thing to control. Hearing that the Yan Emperor was going to “meet a friend,” Du Yu couldn’t resist the urge to take one last peek.

What Du Yu didn’t expect was for the Yan Emperor to slowly turn his gaze toward the very bushes where he was hiding. With a faint smile, the Emperor asked, “Little brother, you have been hiding in the grass for quite a while now. Aren’t you tired?”

Du Yu jolted in surprise, realizing how naive he had been.

Trying to conceal his presence from someone of the Yan Emperor’s caliber was simply overestimating his own abilities.

Seeing that there was no use hiding, Du Yu slowly stood up and met the Yan Emperor’s eyes. He flashed an awkward smile and said, “Ah… if it isn’t the Great High Father. What a coincidence…”

The Yan Emperor chuckled amiably, his expression warm and benevolent as he asked, “And for what reason has this little brother been hiding here?”

Du Yu had no idea how to smoothly execute a brilliant deception to cover this up, as he could not alter the plotline of the Legends in any way.

“I…” Du Yu deliberated for a long time but ultimately refrained from telling the truth. Instead, he spun another lie. “I just followed the trajectory of the Fireballs to get here. I wanted to see who was attacking the Jiang Tribe, and I didn’t expect to stumble upon the three of you talking…”

The Yan Emperor slowly turned his back to him and said, “While this matter is not exactly a closely guarded secret, I still hope that you will keep your lips sealed…”

Seeing the Yan Emperor’s accommodating attitude, Du Yu suddenly felt he could fish out some more useful intelligence. He asked, “Great High Father, I don’t quite understand. This entire situation sounds incredibly simple—it’s just about having one person leave the tribe. Why make such a massive fuss over it?”

The Yan Emperor’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. “Little brother… what exactly are your intentions?”

‘Intentions?’ That word completely stumped Du Yu. Could he voice his true intentions? Would the Yan Emperor even help him?

“Great High Father, I cannot reveal my intentions for the time being. You only need to know that I hold absolutely no malice. I do not wish to hurt anyone.”

“I believe that,” the Yan Emperor nodded. “You carry no wicked intent on you, yet your actions are bizarre and impossible to read.”

“Great High Father, you don’t need to try and figure me out,” Du Yu replied. “I will accomplish my own tasks and then quietly depart from the Jiang Tribe.”

The Yan Emperor mused for a moment, peered deeply into Du Yu’s eyes, and slowly asked, “Little brother, do you know why the Xuanyuan Clan has never dared to wage war against my Jiang Tribe?”

Du Yu paused, then answered, “It’s because of Xing… because of that Nameless, right?”

“Correct,” the Yan Emperor nodded. “Nameless possesses exceptionally profound cultivation, rivaling even mine and the leader of the Xuanyuan Clan. He is the ultimate guarantor of our tribe’s stability and prosperity.”

“I understand that much.”

After all, before coming to these Legends, Dong Qianqiu had mentioned that it was precisely because of Xing Tian’s existence that a delicate balance was maintained between the Yan Emperor and the Yellow Emperor.

“You know this, I know this, the Xuanyuan Clan knows this, and our entire Jiang Tribe naturally knows this as well,” the Yan Emperor said with a troubled expression. “To have a tribe’s ‘guardian’ step away from his people is a devastating blow, no matter how you look at it.”

Du Yu finally began to grasp what the Yan Emperor was getting at. “So… Great High Father, you orchestrated all of this just so everyone could accept Nameless’s departure?”

“Exactly,” the Yan Emperor nodded. “Lately, the ‘Xuanyuan Clan’ has been constantly harassing our tribe, but our people do not want war. Under these circumstances, having Nameless personally go and confront the Yellow Emperor is naturally the best choice.”

“Do you believe Nameless will kill the Yellow Emperor?” Du Yu asked.

“I can only say… there is a very high probability that Nameless will slay the Yellow Emperor,” the Yan Emperor said slowly. “If Nameless wins, this world will belong to the Jiang Tribe. If he loses, this world will belong to the Xuanyuan Clan. No matter the outcome, this is merely a matter between the three of us. It will not drag the innocent commoners of the world into bloodshed.”

Du Yu fully understood now. If Xing Tian truly struck down the Yellow Emperor, then naturally no one in the world could rival the Yan Emperor anymore, allowing him to seize control of the realm without bloodshed. If Xing Tian was killed by the Yellow Emperor, the Yan Emperor wouldn’t fight on; he would simply choose to submit. After all, with Xing Tian gone, the balance of power would be shattered, and fighting on would be completely meaningless.

Furthermore, by that point, Xing Tian would have already severed ties with the Jiang Tribe. In theory, his assassination attempt would have absolutely nothing to do with the Yan Emperor.

Practically and logically, it was an incredibly airtight scheme.

Xing Tian’s departure was undeniably a massive success from a political standpoint. But from Houtu’s perspective, this blow would be entirely devastating.

“Great High Father, I understand everything now,” Du Yu said. “I will do my absolute best to help you accomplish this goal.”

The Yan Emperor gave a noncommittal nod before asking, “And what about you, little brother? What is your goal? Do you need my help?”

“You can’t help me with that…” Du Yu replied. “I’ll figure out a way myself.”

The Yan Emperor offered him a smile and said no more.

Bidding farewell to the Yan Emperor, Du Yu turned and dashed back toward the village.

A vague idea was forming in his mind, though he wasn’t sure if it could ultimately be realized. If he could pull it off, there was a high chance he could complete this Legends mission once and for all.

Now, he just needed to see Houtu one more time, and everything would become clear.

In about fifteen minutes, Du Yu sprinted back into the village. By now, the tribesmen had extinguished most of the flames, but the air was still thick with a pungent, scorched scent.

Du Yu wandered around until he finally spotted Houtu standing in front of a ruined hut.

Houtu’s face was smudged with soot, and she wore a deeply dejected expression.

“Boss Houtu!” Du Yu yelled out.

Hearing his voice, Houtu immediately froze. Then, she slowly turned her head to look at him.

Before Du Yu could say another word, her eyes swirled with a remarkably complex mix of emotions.

“You!” Tears welled up in Houtu’s soot-stained face as she marched toward him in a fury, screaming, “Why did you run off without saying a single word?! I thought you were never coming back!”