Chapter 6: The Golden Lotus

  What's up?

  Xianbei tribe's Tiding?

  Xiao Yao furrowed his brow, he had heard of this name long ago.

  As the ruler of the underground kingdom of Sheng Long, Xiao Yao not only has to arbitrate the grudges and struggles of the Jianghu martial arts world, but also manage the operation of a vast commercial network, which requires him to be well-versed in all major events and forces at court.

  Although the Great Plains are far from Sheng Long, not only in terms of distance but also in terms of lifestyle, customs and habits. However, because the Great Plains is a must-pass place for the mainland highway connecting Sheng Long, Da Shi, Yin Yue and even the Western Continent, it directly affects the operation of the Silk Road; at the same time, Xiao Yao has always been worried that the ethnic groups in the Great Plains who are good at riding and shooting, and fighting for farming, may become a big threat to Sheng Long's north in the future, so he has always paid close attention to changes there.

  Xianbei tribe's Tiding is really a very loud name on the vast grassland in recent years.

  It was precisely because of the heavenly whip Ti Ding, known as the first brave warrior on the grassland and the undefeated king of Xianbei, that the Xianbei tribe could rise rapidly in just five or six years, quickly becoming one of the top tribes on the grassland, with a hint of unifying the entire grassland.

  And this commander, who was brave on the battlefield, has also been widely circulated as a legendary hero on the grasslands. According to legend, this prince of the Xianbei tribe would often wear a ferocious mask and don a black cloak when going into battle, striking fear into the hearts of all who heard of his approach.

  In addition, this prince is not only a brave and fierce general who has fought his way through the three armies, but also a wise and strategic commander. Xiao Yao had carefully studied several battles he commanded, whether it was the use of tactics or the deployment of strategy, all were impressive, really an unbeatable military genius, with a reputation for being invincible on the vast grasslands.

  Until recently, the Xianbei tribe had internal strife, Laokhan was critically ill, his brother took regency, and Prince Tiding was sent to the Holy Capital as a hostage, only then temporarily calming down the Xianbei tribe's menacing momentum.

  Never in a million years did I think that Tidin, who was listed as a very dangerous person on the grasslands by myself, would actually become sworn brothers with me in Shengjing.

  Tiding didn't notice the change in Xiao Yao's expression, he seriously inserted the incense sticks he got from his boss into the window, then brought over two bowls and poured wine. Next, he took out a knife, cut open his own finger, and dripped fresh blood into the bowl. After finishing these things, he turned the handle of the knife over and handed it to Xiao Yao.

  He hesitated for a moment, although he had always been worried about the situation in the north. However, he was a straightforward person by nature and didn't have the usual prejudices and arrogance of the Holy Dragon Clan. Seeing Tiding being so serious, coupled with the fact that they really got along well, he decided to become sworn brothers with him after all.

  Xiao Yao took the knife from Ti Ding and cut his own finger, dripping fresh blood into the bowl, mixing it with Ti Ding's.

  Two men knelt on the ground, facing the bright moon. Ti Ding spoke first: "Heaven is above, disciple Ti Ding wishes to form a fraternal bond with Xiao Yao, sharing hardships and joys together, creating a great undertaking, and enjoying the prosperity of the country! If I betray this oath, may I be punished for this lifetime, unable to draw my bow or ride into battle!"

  A sudden chill in his heart, although he had long been aware that this sharp and ambitious Xianbei prince was no ordinary person, but only noticed his extraordinary military talent, never thought that this guy would have such ambition, which is absolutely not the blessing of the holy dragon!

  But since I've already agreed to be sworn brothers with him, it's not good to shirk now. At the same time, Xiao Yao was also deeply moved by this guy's sincerity, you know that in the grasslands, people value bravery and martial prowess above all else, if one can't make a name for oneself on the battlefield, they're no different from a useless person, and will be despised by their own tribe, it's absolutely better to die than live like that, so this oath is extremely heavy.

  So, Xīao Yáo also raised his wine cup, looked up at the sky and said loudly: "Disciple Xīao Yáo, I am willing to make a pact with Tí Dīng as sworn brothers of different sexes. We will face difficulties together, share good fortune, save the world from danger, and eliminate injustice! If I break this oath, I am willing to accept the punishment of heaven and earth, ruin my reputation, and be rejected by family and country!"

  Having said that, the two of them drained the bowls of blood wine in one gulp, smashed the bowls to the ground, clasped each other's hands and laughed loudly towards the sky.

  Both of them were people who had experienced life and death, and they had long since put the words "life" and "death" in a light perspective. Therefore, neither of them brought up the saying that it's not necessary to be born on the same year, month, and day, but it's necessary to die on the same year, month, and day. Their oaths were made with different intentions, but they were both sincere and heartfelt, coming from the bottom of their hearts, and there was a heroic spirit between heaven and earth.

  Between the two of them, a heroic affection was born.

  The sworn brothers' ceremony was completed, and in order of age, Ti Ding at 23 years old was the eldest, and Xiao Yao at 19 years old was the youngest.

  Ti Ding burst out laughing, and one after another, he toasted Xiangyao. This group of people didn't know that Xiangyao had the ability to drink without getting drunk outside his body. Looking at Xiangyao's unchanged expression, they were even more impressed.

  After three rounds of drinking, Ti Ding's face was already red and his ears were flushed. Although Xiao Yao used his internal energy to constantly expel the wine, he was originally not a match for the wine's potency and had become somewhat unsteady on his feet.

  At this time, only Ti Ding opened his mouth and said: "Brother, to be honest, I am the prince of the Xianbei tribe. On the vast grassland, everyone knows that I am the number one brave warrior. I didn't expect to be designed by those bastards and sent to Shengjing. But fortunately, the long-lived heaven blessed me to meet a good fellow like you! As long as we two brothers join hands, we will definitely unify the grassland!"

  Xiao Yao frowned and said: "Why must the Great Prairie be unified? Since the time of Sheng Taizong, the prairie and the Divine State have been trading with each other, exchanging goods and supplies. As long as the tribes on the prairie submit to the emperor, they can live in peace and prosperity, relying on themselves for food and clothing. Why bother starting a war, causing suffering and death?"

  "No, no!"

  Ti Ding excitedly slapped the table and shouted: "Brother, you are a holy dragon person, don't know the hardships of the vast grassland.

  We, the people of the grasslands, have been fighting and killing each other since birth, even for a piece of sheepskin or a mouthful of highland barley, blood would flow all over the fields! The hard-won cattle and goods are exploited in trade with your Holy Dragon People and Big Eaters, even if we know we're being cheated, we can only swallow our losses. Moreover, those powerful countries have brought no benefits to the Great Grasslands, some of them just stir up strife among the tribes for their own interests, yet the tribes of the Great Grasslands have to offer cattle and children to these powerful countries year after year, even if they don't have enough goods for themselves.

  Is this what you call a happy and contented life?

  Why is all this?

  It's not because we grassland people have been fighting among ourselves, weakening our strength in the process. As a result, we grassland people are not only oppressed by the Holy Dragon people, the Big Eaters, and the Continental Empire, but also by our own people. Those fat and warm tribal leaders and chiefs have cozy tents, women, and livestock, while the brave warriors of the grasslands suffer from hunger and cold. This is so unfair! That's why I want to unify the Great Grassland, let the true heroes enjoy honor and wealth, let the tribespeople of the Great Grassland no longer fight among themselves, no longer be bullied by those merchants, let the tribes of the Great Grassland no longer have to pay annual tribute to those powerful countries, and distribute these tributes to the people of the Great Grassland so they can live a better life!

  "Isn't this right?"

  Speechless and carefree.

  As a Holy Dragon person, he has always considered the rise and fall of the Holy Dragon's great cause, and never thought about anything else. Originally in his view, the grassland people's looting came from their inherent savagery and greed, but he did not expect that Tiding had such a grand reason for unifying the grasslands.

  But isn't it hard to refute that the Holy Dragon people are also pursuing their own survival, safety, wealth and power? If viewed from a grassland person's standpoint, Tiding's idea is indeed not unreasonable.

  But from the standpoint of the Holy Dragon people, the unification of the grasslands means that the northern part of the Holy Dragon is under serious threat.

  Since Sheng Taizong's one move, Sheng Long has been unprecedentedly powerful, with vast territory. In the east and south, it is a boundless ocean; in the west, it is an insurmountable mountain range. Although there are some hidden dangers in these places, they are absolutely not enough to shake the foundation of Sheng Long. Only the north...

  The north is both the forefront of Sheng Long's expansion and the base from which it suffers invasion.

  After hundreds of years, another pride of the divine state after Sheng Taizong - Feng Yu once commented on Sheng Long: "Sheng Long is a land of a hundred battles, and if it prospers, it can expand the world, but if it declines, it will be subject to the control of the world."

  In the era of Xīangyáo, although there was no powerful nation that could cross the ocean to pose a mortal threat to Shèng Lóng, the danger of the battlefield was not so serious. However, in terms of the balance of power with the Great Prairie, it was already as Fēng Yǔ said: "When prosperous, they can expand their territory to dominate the world; when declining, they will inevitably be controlled by the world."

  If the Holy Dragon prospers, the grasslands split, then the Holy Dragon Empire can infiltrate its power and influence into every corner of the Eastern and Western Continents through the Silk Road, thus creating a grand occasion where various countries pay homage to the Sacred Taizong as the "Tian Kehan".

  If the grasslands are unified and the Holy Dragon declines, the land of Shenzhou will become a hunting ground for nomadic tribes. At the same time, when the empire is weak, the southern barbarian tribes, the eastern island nation of Japan, and the western countries of India, Arabia, and Tibet will all be eager to move. When that happens, the entire land of Shenzhou will be in turmoil, with every inch of land filled with smoke and fire, and every village suffering from plunder and looting.

  The people of Holy Dragon, who are accustomed to defending their land and fields with city walls, will be completely exposed to the enemy once the city walls and fortresses are breached. In one-on-one combat, farmers holding farm tools are no match for hunters and bandits. The men of Holy Dragon, who are used to a life of ease and comfort, are even more unable to contend with the barbarian tribes who have learned to kill and plunder from birth.

  The homeland of the Holy Dragon will be looted, the women of the Holy Dragon will suffer brutal treatment, the young and strong of the Holy Dragon will become slaves, and the old and weak of the Holy Dragon will die in poverty, illness, and starvation...

  This situation is absolutely not allowed to happen as a Saint Dragon person's carefree life.

  Is it really fate playing tricks on me, making myself and this good brother who met once destined to be at odds with each other?

  A carefree heart is somewhat heavy.

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