Regarding the content of the negotiations, everyone was in agreement.

Xiang An and others initially did not want to negotiate peace. However, as rough and unrefined individuals, there were some things they didn’t quite understand. Listening to it, they felt that bilateral trade seemed like a good thing, primarily because those lands were originally territories of the Youzu anyway, and they hadn’t been the ones to conquer them… so they truly had no objections.

It wasn’t like they were fighting their way into Jujiaoguan; that would be a completely different matter.

Especially since this also concerned the safety of Zhao Jiayong and others.

They were all part of the military; who didn’t have a few friends? For example, Xiang An and Zhao Jiayong weren’t close, but among the other captured generals was one of Xiang An’s sworn brothers. And among those present, there were also former generals of the Pei family; Pei Zhao, a prominent figure of the Pei family, was also among the captured.

If they refused to negotiate, would they all be doomed?

Thinking this way, people immediately felt that Lu Xingzhou’s negotiation skills were truly extraordinary. He had actually managed to persuade the Yaohuang to negotiate peace, personally ushering in an era of peace.

“Lu Xingzhou is a national scholar!” Xiang An, who had already received Lu Xingzhou’s favor, exclaimed loudly, “I, Xiang, have no objections!”

Even Xiang An, the most hawkish, had no objections, so Huo Xingyuan, who was the first to advocate peace, was even less likely to undermine his “son.” The Emperor had even told him to manage his household affairs better and keep them from becoming a mess.

The general direction was unanimously approved, which greatly surprised Gu Zhanting.

It was truly not easy to get these fierce generals, who were superficially harmonious but inwardly at odds, to agree on one thing.

Gu Zhanting then called Long Zheng in and asked, “What kind of trade does the Dragon Emperor wish to achieve?”

Long Zheng blurted out, “That depends on how generous Your Majesty is and what level of exchange you are willing to achieve. Civilian crafts and the like should be fine, but the key involves cultivation… For example, our Youxiu body-tempering techniques, our Emperor believes can be exchanged. What about Your Majesty?”

Gu Zhanting’s expression shifted slightly.

Aside from his collusion with a certain demon, speaking purely of cultivators in general, many people were indeed stuck in their cultivation and coveted the Youxiu body-tempering methods, hoping to find an alternative path to a breakthrough. As a result, they risked being discovered by the Zhenmosi and secretly practiced, becoming neither human nor demon, like Xu Bingkun, the former city lord of Xiazhou.

If Long Qinghuang was willing to release orthodox Youxiu methods, humans could indeed practice them and even develop cultivation methods more suitable for humans.

Could Long Qinghuang really be so generous? What did she want to gain?

“If the Dragon Emperor is willing to conduct such an exchange, what does she want in return?”

Long Zheng said, “Alchemy methods.”

Gu Zhanting nodded slightly, understanding.

He knew that the Youzu lacked alchemists.

From a higher perspective, the Youzu didn’t actually need alchemists. Their cultivation system was different. Humans spoke of internal and external alchemy, which was a philosophical distinction and unity between one’s own Golden Core and an external Golden Core.

Dan (丹) means single, one, and the Dao is unrivaled; this is a very important concept in the human cultivation system. However, human cultivators often do not form Golden Cores, so the so-called Golden Core Dao, whether it refers to forming one’s own Golden Core or swallowing a Golden Core into the abdomen, has been a subject of debate since the existence of human cultivation.

Youxiu don’t care about any of that; they will always have a demon core no matter how they cultivate. External alchemy is meaningless to them, and the related philosophical debates are an incomprehensible mess.

If purely for healing, the Youzu have their own healing system, closer to witchcraft, which may not be weaker than alchemy.

But just as humans have their own perfectly good body-tempering methods yet always like to learn techniques from Youxiu, Youxiu themselves, with their perfectly good ancient wisdom, also covet human alchemy. After all, everyone encounters bottlenecks, and once they reach a bottleneck, they always want to try other paths. Humanity and demon nature converge here.

Rationally speaking, Gu Zhanting felt that this exchange had no practical significance for either side. The only significance might be to make the people on both sides happy.

But this significance seemed to have value at this time.

Gu Zhanting finally smiled, “Since the Dragon Emperor is so generous, I, as the Emperor, will naturally not be stingy. In what form does the Dragon Emperor intend to exchange? Exchanging classics?”

“Classics alone without interpretation are meaningless,” Long Zheng said. “Our Emperor’s intention is to organize a team to study at your alchemy academy. Of course, your side can also organize personnel to study in the Youyu.”

“That won’t do,” Gu Zhanting blurted out.

Are you kidding me? Letting demons swagger around the capital to study? How much trouble would that cause?

Not to mention the theft of more secrets, just consider that under these tense circumstances, officials of Daqian would not dare to do anything to the demons. Would they have special privileges as superior beings? How would murders and arsons be handled? Would they even demand “study companions”?

If he actually did that, Gu Zhanting would be infamous for ten thousand years.

Thinking of this, Gu Zhanting proactively said, “How about our side sends a team of alchemists to teach in the Youyu? And the Youxiu methods can also be brought back by them, saving a lot of trouble. I see that the Dragon Emperor also mentioned wanting to appoint specific individuals in this negotiation draft, didn’t she?”

Long Zheng was expressionless: “Our Emperor said that, naturally, she has the same concerns as Your Majesty. Any random cats and dogs are not qualified to go to the Youyu.”

Gu Zhanting thought for a moment: “What about Lu Xingzhou?”

Long Zheng: “…I don’t know about that; it depends on Your Majesty’s decision.”

I know exactly what she wants.

It was too normal for this outcome to emerge… As long as people didn’t take the rumors of “Yaohuang stealing a man” seriously, they naturally wouldn’t think that Long Qinghuang’s goal was truly such a childish act of stealing a man… and then they would naturally assume that since Long Qinghuang could accept Lu Xingzhou’s negotiations, she would accept him as part of the exchange delegation.

Unfortunately, our Emperor is truly that childish… The Emperor of Qian, projecting his own thoughts, truly held her in too high regard.

The result was that she clearly wanted this, but others were still begging her to accept it.

It was clearly Long Qinghuang’s successful scheme, but at this moment, Long Zheng actually felt that the Qian Emperor’s broader vision was superior to his own Emperor’s. Unfortunately, he was afraid he would die if he even entertained such a thought.

Gu Zhanting said, “Then go report back to the Dragon Emperor. Hmm… Regarding the detailed rules for market trade and the treasures needed for ransoming people, Lu Xingzhou will be fully responsible for the negotiations. His meaning is my meaning; there’s no need for back-and-forth communication. I believe Lu Xingzhou will not harm the interests of Daqian. Furthermore, ask Lu Xingzhou whom he wishes to take with him in the envoy delegation; let him decide that himself.”

“Alright, I’ll go report back now.” Long Zheng, with a belly full of complex emotions, decisively took his leave.

Just as he stepped out the door, he was grabbed. Turning around, he saw Sheng Yuanyao with a child, indignantly pulling him to a secluded spot: “I knew you, with your shifty eyes, were no good! When you couldn’t get me to surrender, you tried to steal my man… friend. Is that how disgusting you demons are?”

Long Zheng looked at this valiant female general, who had resisted him for three days, now looking like a resentful woman, and said helplessly, “I’m just a messenger; what does that have to do with me? Besides, dispatching Lu Xingzhou as an envoy is your own Emperor’s decision. What does it have to do with me?”

Sheng Yuanyao almost drew her saber: “I finally had a chance to be alone with him… I’ll chop you!”

Anuo clung tightly to her leg: “Sister Yao, calm down, calm down…”

Poor Long Zheng, a vanguard general who had nearly cut down Sheng Yuanyao earlier, now didn’t even dare to fight back. He covered his head and said, “An envoy delegation should naturally have an escorting army. Can’t you be the commanding general?”

“Huh?” Sheng Yuanyao’s eyes widened.

A scene suddenly flashed in her mind: riding horses with Lu Xingzhou, galloping across the Youyu… blue sky, white clouds, no one else around.

When she came back to her senses, Long Zheng had already fled.

Damn it, people hadn’t even gone yet and it was already like this. Long Zheng always felt that if Lu Xingzhou really went to the Youyu, he could easily make the monarch neglect court.

The one who would bring chaos to the Youyu must be this person.

Anuo: “…”

“What are you looking at?” Sheng Yuanyao sheathed her saber and pinched Anuo’s cheek: “Your gaze is very disrespectful to me right now, Lu Nuonuo.”

Anuo said, “I just think that if you go to the Youyu, you’ll only be an incompetent brother.”

Did she really expect no one else to be around? When the Dragon Empress’s eyes glared, Anuo couldn’t even imagine.

But… go to the Youyu?

Anuo’s heart pounded, a mix of fear and anticipation.

“I’ve made a name for you this time. What do you say?” In the demon encampment, Long Qinghuang leaned back in a soft chair, leisurely sipping tea, and asked Lu Xingzhou, who was sitting upright before her.

Lu Xingzhou truly hadn’t expected that she would not only intentionally protect his reputation but also deliberately boost it. He could imagine how highly regarded he must be in the court and public opinion of Daqian right now.

His reply now was sincere: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“So if Gu Zhanting truly sends you as an envoy to the Youyu, you can take everyone you want, like Lu Nuonuo and others… From then on, could you not return to Daqian and focus on working for me?”

Lu Xingzhou was silent.

Long Zheng hadn’t returned yet, but he could largely predict the outcome. Gu Zhanting had asymmetric information and had no idea that Long Qinghuang wanted Lu Xingzhou specifically. The answer he would arrive at could only be wildly off the mark, and it was highly probable that it would ultimately fulfill Long Qinghuang’s wishes.

Under such circumstances, going to the Youyu would indeed not harm his reputation in any way. Long Qinghuang had truly done her utmost.

But how could he take the people he wanted to take… He had no sense of belonging to Daqian, but alas, they were all in Daqian.

Long Qinghuang was fine in other respects, and perhaps she was indeed very special to him… but she absolutely wouldn’t care where he wanted to be or what he wanted; she just wanted to obtain. Unless this attitude changed, they couldn’t get along.

Seeing his silence, Long Qinghuang’s expression darkened: “Lu Xingzhou, I’ve been good enough to you. Can’t I win you over?”

Lu Xingzhou said, “If Your Majesty truly forces me to stay, aren’t you afraid of causing more trouble?”

“What? Ye Tinglan comes knocking? What can she do? Venture deep into the Youyu alone? Ha.” Long Qinghuang scoffed, “The number one under heaven, what a grand title, but you know better than anyone how powerless she truly is.”

“The feeling is mutual, Your Majesty also has many powerless moments, not as glamorous as it appears on the surface,” Lu Xingzhou calmly said. “Is Your Majesty not afraid that I might glimpse the true state of the Youyu, and then the one who brings chaos to the Youyu will not be Ye Tinglan, but me, Lu Xingzhou?”

Long Qinghuang narrowed her eyes at him.

“Your Majesty has been very kind to me, and I am grateful. However, I believe I have also been good to Your Majesty, attempting to establish good relations with you time and again,” Lu Xingzhou said. “The reason I still cannot get an equal attitude is simply that Your Majesty is accustomed to being high and mighty… But Miss Long seems to have forgotten, from Dongyue Hanchuan to the Youzu Sacred Mountain, it has always been you who needed me, not I who needed Your Majesty.”

After speaking, he didn’t wait for Long Qinghuang’s response, but stood up on his own, smiling brightly: “Since this envoy is appointed by Gu Zhanting, I will naturally go. The scenery of the Youyu, I have longed for it for a long time… However, there are some things I have already said: it is for the girl wearing old clothes, never for the Yaohuang.”