Human Clan Defender-Chapter 717 - s Difficult Decisions, The Moment for the Rise of Great Liang (Four-in-One for Monthly Tickets) _6

As long as they haven't broken the boundary, they won't be able to contend with me. That way, there's no possibility of them rivaling me.

The Liang Emperor nodded. "Defender Ran seems quite confident. That's good. Now that Great Zhou has fallen, Great Qin is Great Liang's greatest threat. Since Gu Xuanji has just passed away, the power of Great Qin Nation has somewhat weakened. If we don't seize this opportunity to act now, once Great Qin regains its strength, Great Liang will be thrown into a passive state."

Between nations, there were no true alliances. In the past, there was no mutual conquest because the threat of Demon Evil loomed large. However, with the establishment of the Star Plate, there were almost no disturbances from Demon Evil within Great Qin's borders. This gave the enemy an opportunity to recuperate and rebuild.

The Liang Emperor wouldn't forget just how formidable Great Qin had been at its peak. There was no need to say more. The mere fact that Great Qin, in just over three hundred years since its foundation, had surpassed forces like Great Liang and Great Zhou, which had stood for a thousand years, was testament enough. It could be said that at its peak, Great Qin virtually swept through the Eight Desolations. Neither Great Zhou, nor Great Liang or Dayue, had the strength to resist. Even the Barbarian Clan were beaten back into the Barbarian Desolation, daring not to raise their heads. That era was truly the golden age of Great Qin. The reason for their decline began with the chaos wrought by Demon Evil.

Now, with the Demon Evil issue resolved, the Liang Emperor was very worried that Great Qin would return to its former peak. Should that happen, Great Liang's situation would become very dangerous.

There used to be Great Zhou as a buffer. But now that Great Zhou had fallen, only Great Liang and Dayue remained. If they were to face the Great Qin of legend, which swept through the Eight Desolations, the odds of victory would not be high, even if the two countries joined forces.

Therefore, the Liang Emperor did not plan to give Great Qin any further chances. The situation was changing every moment. The emergence of the Star Plate and the demise of Great Zhou doomed any possibility of Great Liang and Great Qin continuing as allies.

"The problem with Great Qin is indeed significant. If Your Majesty decides to take action against Great Qin, then your servant has no objections," Ran An stated solemnly with a fist-clasping bow.

Now stronger, he sought an opportunity to prove himself. Being able to publicly suppress Shen Changqing and Dongfang Zhao would certainly bring him immense fame. There was nothing that could possibly hold more sway than subduing two of the era's greatest powerhouses.

"With Defender Ran's words, I am reassured," the Liang Emperor nodded in satisfaction. Then, he changed the topic. "However, if we are to take action against Great Qin, Great Liang cannot act alone; I must also send someone to communicate with Dayue. Before that, I do not wish to see any more scouts from the Heavenly Inspection Guard in our Capital City. This matter, the Demon-Subduing Division should handle well, right?"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will have the Demon-Subduing Division root out all the scouts from the Heavenly Inspection Guard one by one and eliminate them," Ran An's expression turned colder. The Heavenly Inspection Guard of Great Qin was known for its pervasive reach, with spies infiltrated into the Great Zhou Capital City and the Demon-Subduing Division itself. In the past, he hadn't bothered to deal with it much. But now that the Liang Emperor had spoken, he could no longer turn a blind eye. The time had come to uproot them entirely and let Great Qin understand that their much-vaunted intelligence capabilities meant nothing in the face of the Great Liang Demon Suppression Department.

"But—Your Majesty, I must remind you, Dayue cannot be fully trusted either," Ran An added finally. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

「Dayue Capital City.」

On the throne in the imperial court, an imposing figure in a purple imperial robe sat motionless, his mere presence exuding a commanding awe. This person was the Emperor of Dayue.

After the envoy from Great Liang withdrew from the court, Emperor Yue looked towards his ministers with a calm demeanor. "What are your thoughts on what the Great Liang envoy has just proposed?"

As his voice fell, a civil official stepped forward and respectfully saluted. "Your Majesty, though Great Qin is a youthful nation, its foundation is profoundly solid. The former Emperor Qin, Gu Xuanji, was ambitious. While the present Emperor Qin has not yet shown any such signs, we must remain vigilant. Moreover, most of Great Qin's ministers harbor aggressive and expansionist intents; should they influence the new Emperor Qin, it's likely he will entertain certain notions. Dayue, despite its thousand-year history, was no longer at its former peak. It had not recovered its vitality from the war a hundred years ago, and this remained a problem."

Speaking of the war a century ago, the expressions of many present darkened. For Dayue, that was a disgrace.

A hundred years ago, the Demon Saint had not immediately invaded Great Qin but had attacked Dayue first, with numerous Demon Evils rising in assault. In that conflict, Dayue suffered grievous losses. Not only was its national power more than halved, but even the previous Emperor Yue fell in battle against the Demon Saint. However, although the previous Emperor Yue fell, the Demon Saint was repelled. Soon after, the Demon Saint ceased its assault on Dayue and moved on to Great Qin.

It was from that time that the name of Emperor Qin, Gu Xuanji, began to formally shake the world. It couldn't be helped. When the Demon Saint attacked Dayue, it left the country in disarray; yet when it attacked Great Qin, it was almost killed on the spot by the newly ascended Gu Xuanji. This stark contrast naturally catapulted Gu Xuanji to widespread renown.

So, for Great Qin, that battle was a matter of honor; for Dayue, it was a disgrace, one that could not be washed away even after a hundred years.

"What happened a hundred years ago is past; there is no need to mention it again," Emperor Yue said indifferently, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger. "The Ghost Saint has perished in Luo'an Prefecture, and today, there is no second Demon Saint in the world."