Chapter 6: No Other Choice

On the summit of a large mountain stood a Grand Pavilion. Its gate lay in the south, the watchtowers were to the east and west; and the main hall stood grandly to the north, towards the peak of the mountain.

In the main hall, a discussion was taking place between two figures regarding a pressing issue.

"Lord Ba Zi, I humbly ask you to review your decree regarding the amount of jade that is to be given to you as tribute." The two figures were at the end of the main hall; one of them was standing a few meters away from a grand throne, while the other sat in silence.

"You dare defy my decree, Bing Cao." The man on the throne spoke in a low tone, making it difficult to hear him. However, the silence in the hall allowed Bing Cao to hear him clearly.

"Of course not, Lord Ba Zi; I would not dream of doing such a thing," Bing Cao had lived for over fifty years and in that time, he had learned how to calmly assess situations and adapt to changes in circumstances.

So far, the situation was going exactly had imagined it, which is why he already had a good guess of what Ba Zi's next statement would be about.

"You act like a city lord when in fact you're nothing but a pathetic adviser of a lord too afraid to come here himself," Ba Zi looked at Bing Cao with visible scorn on his face, a gaze normally reserved for filthy creatures and vermin. "I tend to be blunt with my words; hopefully you can understand me after I have been more direct with my vocabulary

Ba Zi leaned forward from his throne and looked at Bing Cao with a scornful gaze as he posed a question to Bing Cao. "Enlighten me Bing Cao, what exactly gave you the audacity to come here and demand that the quota of jade I receive from your city be lowered?"

Before Bing Cao could answer Ba Zi's first question, another was presented to him in rapid succession. "Also, how do you intend to persuade me into letting you leave this place alive?" The short gap in his sentence was due to him using one hand to reach out for the saber on his left.

"Now then, I give you the opportunity to persuade me to spare you." Bing Cao could feel an oppressive gaze upon him; this was a situation he had wanted to avoid. "Choose your words carefully; otherwise, your city lord will have to make arrangements for a funeral.

"Lord Ba Zi, the city lord, would have come here himself; it's just that the recent discovery of the mineral cache has prompted the city lord himself to take action in order to suppress the commotion." The silence that followed prompted Bing Cao to continue speaking.

"In fact, the reason a mere adviser such myself had to beg you to reconsider your decree is because the city lord was putting down the riots due to the high market prices, which were put in place by..." Bing Cao didn't even finish his words when he heard the sound of a saber being drawn from its scabbard.

As Ba Zi drew his weapon and brought out a slash using a single fluid motion, The blade of the saber gleamed with intense heat, the flames leaping and flickering along its length like the fiery breath of a dragon. Ba Zi took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Bing Cao as he raised the saber above his head.

The air around Ba Zi seemed to grow hotter, the very fabric of reality shimmering with the intensity of the flames that surrounded him. With a fierce cry, he brought the saber down in a powerful slash, the heat of the flames radiating outwards in a searing wave. If Bing Cao were to face such an attack head-on, his journey to the yellow springs would begin earlier than expected.

[1st move of the Flame Sumatra—Vengeful Vedas]

'Must you attack me so suddenly' Bing Cao couldn't help lamenting on his poor fortune, and as the saber covered in a sea of flames descended upon him, he executed a move of his own.

[1st move of the Gale Fist: Whirlwind strike]

With a swift wave of his hand, Bing Cao unleashed a blast of wind from his fist, the force of it meeting Ba Zi's saber with a deafening clash. The two forces collided, and for a moment it seemed as though the saber would break through the wind and strike Bing Cao. "I warned you, Bing Cao; perhaps this will teach you to choose your words carefully."

The force of the attack was overwhelming—a blistering sea of fire that threatened to engulf him. Bing Cao could only sigh to himself; Ba Zi was known to lash out at his subjects. It often happened when a subject brought up a topic considered taboo; in this case, Bing Cao brought up the effects of Ba Zi's previous decree.

Although Bing Cao was an established warrior in the mid-stages of the Sky gathering realm, how could he compare to a warrior that was at the peak of the Sky gathering realm. "Forgive me, Lord Ba Zi; I forgot my place." He had no other choice but to beg for mercy, as he was gradually getting suppressed under the scorching flames.

It was already miraculous for him to bear the attack from an opponent that was several levels above his own, even more so when meeting it head-on. It was an outcome any warrior in his position could be proud of. However, his achievement brought no joy to his face; instead, he felt deep anguish as he thought of his current predicament.

After releasing such a brutal attack, Ba Zi was still calmly seated on the throne as if he hadn't done anything; the same couldn't be said for his saber, however, as it had developed a red hue. The color of Ba Zi's saber could reflect his current temperament; the red hue of the saber meant his anger had begun to rise.

 

"Bing Cao, as the protector of this province, it is my duty to rule the people of this land in the name of our emperor." Ba Zi had relaxed his grip on the saber, causing the flames that were besieging Bing Cao to dissipate entirely. "The only reason you are breathing is by the grace of the emperor; as one of the advisers to a direct subordinate of the emperor, I am giving the emperor face by sparing you.

Bing Cao couldn't help but hold his breath as he thought to himself, 'Are you really sparing me because of the emperor or do you believe I could be used to help you gain access to the jade cache.'

"You may have your doubts towards my intentions, Bing Cao, but I have been defending these lands for decades. The emperor himself has acknowledged my contribution over the years; therefore, he has allowed me to govern my homeland on behalf."

'Homeland? How dare a foreigner like you call the Qianlong region your homeland?!' Bing Cao's mind went into a fit of rage after hearing the filthy lies shamelessly flowing out of Ba Zi's mouth. In truth, Ba Zi's was not originally from the north; he was rumored to have actually born in a village somewhere to the eastern regions, namely the barbaric Quanzhou province 

Ba Zi had later journeyed to the north to pursue a career in the emperor's army, which brought him much prestige, leading to his current position as protector of Qianlong.

The countless victories in battle had caused his background to fall under obscurity, and he would often avoid linking himself to the eastern regions. This led to various rumors surfacing regarding his background, particularly his place of birth.

"Lord Ba Zi, I know of your countless achievements; you have almost single-handedly brought peace to this region." Bing Cao didn't miss the chance to stroke Ba Zi's pride as he prepared to utter his next words by taking a deep breath, It must be noted what happened when he didn't choose his words carefully.

"However, I have also heard of your wisdom and benevolence towards your subjects; therefore, I beg you to once again show your favor and pardon our city for not handing over a larger tribute." Bing Cao bowed his head deeply as he went on his knees, He knew that if Ba Zi wanted to take his life, resistance would only delay the inevitable.

"I admire your bravery, Bing Cao; you came here despite knowing the risks for the sake of your city." Ba Zi spoke in a low tone that sounded sincere; after all, many claimed he always admired those who put their people's wellbeing before their own.

"It is simply my responsibility to obey the wishes of my city lord as his adviser; you, as the protector of the northern territories, must understand this as well." Bing Cao remained on his knees with his head down; he did not dare take the praise he was bestowed wholeheartedly. It had a negative impact on his mindset by heightening his already tense nerves.

"I see that you remain humble even after receiving praise; I am tempted to put your request under consideration, however." Nothing in this life was ever free; this is a saying Bing Cao knew all too well. In order to prevent Ba Zi from obtaining the lion's share of the jade cache, the city lord had to offer up something of similar value in order to appease the appetite of this protector.

"Bing Cao, has the city lord's eldest daughter been well?" Bing Cao didn't even raise his head; when he heard the question, he knew this was what Ba Zi truly coveted. "Am asking purely out of concern; you see, my son has been meaning to visit her after last year's Martial Gathering."

"My son was truly impressed by her performance during the gathering, so much so he wished to have a word with her after the event." Ba Zi spoke as if he were distressed by retelling the story. "However, fortune was not with him on that day, as he found out that she had already departed with a young man." 

"Lord Ba Zi, isn't Ba Tao already engaged to Ming Wei?" Bing Cao couldn't help interrupting Ba Zi's narration, as he was deeply troubled with the direction the conversation was heading. "I don't think it would be appropriate for him to be visiting another woman while he is already engaged.

"So, what if he is? A man isn't allowed to have another lover!" As if provoked by Bing Cao questioning, Ba Zi rose from his seat with his sword in hand.

"Of course he can; it's just that I thought he would be satisfied with the young lady of Ming family, after all, Ba Tao did profess his love to her." Bing Cao was careless when he posed that question because Ba Zi himself was a well-known polygamist. "It would not be good for his reputation if he did decide to have another lover so early on in life."

"Hmm.. my son does not know the importance of having several offspring yet, and as his father, I can't allow him to bring me a shameful excuse of a grandson." Ba Zi shoved his saber deep into the floor, causing a visible crevice to appear in the floor.

Ba Zi had a fear he had never disclosed to others; he was afraid of his bloodline being cut off or declining due to producing weak descendants. A man with as many enemies as him always had such fears; as a result, they had offspring with various women to ensure their bloodline did not die out.

Bing Cao glanced at the saber that had been impaled into the floor; the action by itself showcased Ba Zi's savage strength. "Lord Ba Zi, I understand your thoughts, but I cannot make this decision on my own."

Ba Zi made low snort as he rose from his seat with his saber in hand. 

"Bing Cao, I am afraid you leave me with no other choice."