Yue Qinglong was now completely stunned, completely devoid of any other thoughts. While Ming Qi's appearance had changed slightly, those were merely traces of time. To him, Ming Qi was still the same Ming Qi. But at that moment, he suddenly realized that nothing was as it had appeared. In fact, a profound transformation had already taken place.
The Ming Qi of today was no longer the Ming Qi of the past.
Under the pressure of Ming Qi's imperial power, Yue Tianhe, resembling a clay sculpture, suddenly stirred a few times before unexpectedly opening his eyes.
After waking from a state of deep thought, Yue Tianhe immediately noticed Ming Qi standing before him. Clearly no fool, despite having only just woken, he immediately sensed Ming Qi's terrifying strength.
"Excuse me, venerable one, what are your wishes for my visit to Yaoshan?"
Yue Tianhe stood up politely and saluted Ming Qi.
It must be said that the shrewd and experienced Yue Tianhe possessed remarkable concentration and scheming. Not everyone could maintain such composure when facing an Emperor Realm expert.
Ming Qi waved his hand and asked bluntly, "Because Qinglong and I are friends, I've come here in person today to ask you about something. I hope Master Yue won't hold back."
"Of course. If I know anything, I won't hold it back."
Yue Tianhe's response was respectful and almost impeccable.
"Well, then, let's talk about the siege of the Liuli Sacred Land on Qiankun Mountain."
Ming Qi casually pulled over a chair and sat down.
Yue Qinglong, however, was now visibly overly nervous. He stood behind Yue Tianhe, not daring to look at Ming Qi. The distance between them, once close friends, suddenly felt so distant.
"Excuse me, sir?"
Yue Tianhe didn't mention the siege of Qiankun Mountain first.
"I am the master of the Glazed Holy Land."
Ming Qi said calmly. Yue Tianhe's composure surprised him somewhat; such composure wasn't something that came naturally.
"Glazed Holy Land? Oh, well... well, regardless, our Yaoshan participated in the siege of Qiankun Mountain. I, Yue Tianhe, naturally bear the blame. However, I dare to ask Your Excellency to show mercy and spare the lives of all the people of Yaoshan."
Yue Tianhe's tone shifted several times before he sighed.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Tell me the whole story."
"Qinglong, bring me some tea."
Yue Tianhe gestured for Yue Qinglong to make some tea, then spoke, "Regarding the siege of Qiankun Mountain, it all started three years ago."
Ming Qi nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Three years ago in the summer, the Liming Trading Company held a grand auction at its branch in Xiongfeng City. Meteorite iron, a divine-grade forging material rarely seen in the entire Tianhuang World, appeared at the auction. This immediately caused a huge sensation. Meteorite iron is extremely rare, and even in the eyes of the peerless masters of the Divine Realm, it is extremely valuable."
"The Chief Consul subsequently paid a huge sum for this piece of meteorite iron. But even though the divine-grade material had already been taken, many people still sought to discover its origins through various channels, both open and covert. It wasn't until half a year later that someone reported that it came from the depths of Qiankun Mountain."
"Your Excellency, you are aware that meteorite iron has a magical property: it rarely appears, but once it does, it will always be present in significant quantities. Because of this, everyone who knew of this information believed that there must be more meteorite iron beneath Qiankun Mountain."
By the time Yue Tianhe spoke, Ming Qi had roughly guessed what was going on.
Meteorite iron—even emperor-level powerhouses would covet it. Since they knew it might be found beneath Qiankun Mountain's bowels, their eyes would inevitably be fixed on it.
"Who leaked this information?"
"In my opinion, this is probably a conspiracy."
Yue Tianhe didn't directly answer Ming Qi's question, but instead stated his own assessment.
Indeed, Yue Tianhe's words were exactly what Ming Qi was thinking. This was the only possible scenario. As the master of Qiankun Mountain, he knew better than anyone whether or not there was meteorite iron beneath the mountain's bowels.
But someone was using meteorite iron to point the finger at Qiankun Mountain's Liuli Holy Land. The hint of conspiracy was clear.
"It's obvious, and this conspiracy is targeting me."
Ming Qi paused, then continued, "Lord Yue, I'll note your sincerity. Now tell me where that news came from."
Yue Tianhe shook his head and said, "I don't know where that news came from either. It was just over half a year after the auction, and suddenly, it came out. And strangely, no one who received it even questioned its authenticity."
"Including you?"
"Yes, including me, because the Chief Consul told me this personally."
Yue Tianhe had basically finished his story. It was now Ming Qi's turn to make his judgment and determine the future fate of Yaoshan.
"Alright, your information is very useful. I won't embarrass Yaoshan, but I have one condition."
Ming Qi had already stood up; negotiating terms took no time at all.
"Please, Your Excellency."
Yue Tianhe also stood up.
"Yaoshan, from now on, you will be under my command and work for me."
"It is my honor to serve you, Your Excellency."
Yue Tianhe agreed without a second thought, agreeing without hesitation.
At this moment, Yue Qinglong finished preparing the tea and brought it over, only to pass by Ming Qi on his way out.
Watching the two men leave, Yue Tianhe's expression darkened. This time, Yaoshan had escaped disaster for the time being, but the matter was inherently complex. If the true mastermind could not be found, the bloodbath in the Xilan Province cultivator community would remain unaffected.
"Qinglong, go and tell Dongqing to come back immediately and ask her to join your venerable friend."
"Ah!"
Yue Qinglong was startled, putting down his tea. "Father, are you planning to make Dongqing his woman?"
"I am?"
Yue Tianhe twirled his beard and pondered, "That's not my plan. You know, your friend is an Emperor Realm powerhouse who could slaughter millions of Guangling City's inhabitants with a single wave of his hand! If, and I mean if, Dongqing can win his favor, it would be an extra layer of security for Yaoshan. After all, I can't watch Yaoshan fall to ruin."
Yue Qinglong smiled wryly. "Can't we find another way? You know Dongqing's personality. If she doesn't want to do something, it's hard to persuade her."
Yue Tianhe shook his head and said, "Go ahead. She'll agree to this."