Chapter 124: Negotiations (Part 2)

“This calls for serious contemplation about where we should head next...” Ye Chengtian and the others began to furrow their brows, the atmosphere suddenly growing heavy and oppressive.

“Excuse me, are you Elder Ye Yi Ye?” Suddenly, someone stepped forward, addressing Ye Yi.

Ye Yi glanced at the newcomer, seemingly unsurprised that he had been recognized. After all, they had not concealed their identities on their journey; anyone observant could tell.

“That’s right, I am,” Ye Yi replied, then looked at the man, hoping to confirm what he suspected the visitor wanted to discuss.

Along the way, numerous parties had extended olive branches to them. Since leaving the reach of the Sky Sovereign Empire, many had asked if they would join their ranks.

Almost every time they passed through a neutral kingdom, someone would inquire.

“I represent the Thirteen Allied Nations,” the man said. “I wish to discuss a potential collaboration between us.”

As expected, another faction sought to recruit Ye Chengtian and the others.

“I assume, since you know who we are, you also understand our position. We will not be joining any faction at this time,” Ye Yi said decisively. “Thank you for your kindness, and I hope we can cooperate in the future.”

“Wait! Elder Ye, you may not be aware that we are not a single kingdom but an alliance of multiple kingdoms. By joining us, you would not be pledging to any one kingdom; your stance would remain unchanged!” the man hurriedly explained.

The Thirteen Allied Nations did indeed have a unique position, effectively composing a coalition of states, but...

“Not joining one kingdom but joining thirteen seems like a worse deal!” Seventh Brother interjected. He and Seventh Sister had remained outside during the recent coup, avoiding the assassins sent by Zhao Yarou, and had now come to join the group.

It was worth mentioning Seventh Brother here. Though Ye Family’s seventh son appeared to be engaged in clerical or administrative affairs, leading many to underestimate his strength, he was in truth a hidden master, with power beyond most people’s imagination.

Among Ye Lang’s generation, he would easily rank in the top three, and that generation was filled with young experts, save for Ye Lang himself.

Having escaped the turmoil, the two had received secret information from the Ye Family and understood the full story. Rather than wasting time, they chose to head directly to Ye Yi and the others.

Within the Ye Family, Seventh Brother belonged to Ye Chengtian’s faction. Although he could have stayed and continued his career within the family, first, his father was already present, so there was little reason to remain; second, fearing that Zhao Yarou might target Seventh Sister, out of love for his wife, he absolutely would not return to the Sky Sovereign Ye Family.

As for Seventh Sister, she still struggled to believe her eighth sister could have committed such acts. Seeing the Seventh Princess stirred feelings she could neither articulate nor contain.

“We assure you, no single kingdom among us has the authority to command you. On the contrary, they are obliged to fulfill the tasks you assign!” the man hastened to explain.

“Oh, that does sound promising,” Seventh Brother remarked. Skilled in negotiation, he was usually the one to handle such matters.

The man glanced around respectfully before saying, “This is not an appropriate place for such discussions. If interested, we can talk properly at the palace.”

“Let’s talk then. I’m curious to see what surprising terms you might offer,” Seventh Brother agreed readily, perhaps driven by recent boredom.

Of course, his willingness to negotiate did not imply the others would join him—Ye Chengtian and the rest understood this well and paid no heed to his words.

They merely said, “Go quickly and return promptly; don’t delay our journey!”

“No rushing. We all go together. Our negotiations may take the whole night,” Seventh Brother said seriously, casting a subtle glance back at the group.

The others were somewhat puzzled, but Seventh Sister and Third Brother soon caught on.

“Ahem, yes, we’ll all go together. I’m sure the palace has accommodations for us,” Third Brother coughed and added.

At this, nearly everyone understood that Seventh Brother intended to get everyone invited to the palace, enjoying free lodging and hospitality, sparing the trouble of finding an inn—and most importantly, saving money.

This Seventh Brother was not only a skilled negotiator but also adept at managing finances. He had helped Ye Lang earn before, and now he slightly regretted not being more ruthless in considering the empire’s interests.

Staying in the palace not only saved expenses but also came with a group of free bodyguards. They all knew that none of these people bore ill intentions toward them; even if they did, no one could act overtly.

“Fine, then we all go!” Ye Yi sighed at the younger generation’s enthusiasm but appreciated their spirit.

Thus, they headed to the palace—or rather, what was actually the city lord’s mansion. To them, this “palace” was just an ordinary residence.

As Ye Lanyu put it:

“Seventh Brother, is this really a palace? It looks so shabby, not even a tenth as grand as my home! There are so many of us—can we even fit?”

“It should be fine, just a bit cramped. We’ll share rooms in threes,” the Seventh Princess replied. Along this journey, she usually stayed with Ye Lanyu and Zhen Xiaoyan.

“It’s not that bad. My home is about this size,” Zhen Xiaoyan said. Her family was just an ordinary noble house, much smaller than the Ye Family, but still comparable to this “palace.”

“Not too shabby—at least better than an inn!”

Small but well-equipped, the mansion was considered large by common standards.

After entering the city lord’s mansion, Ye Chengtian and the others greeted the hosts and then sought their rooms to rest, leaving Seventh Brother alone to negotiate.

“What’s going on?” The representatives from the Thirteen Allied Nations looked a bit stunned. They had expected to negotiate with Ye Yi and the others but were surprised that the group merely exchanged greetings and then dispersed.

Seventh Brother smiled gently and said, “They’ve been traveling and are tired. I have the authority to negotiate on their behalf. As for the rest, prepare a banquet to entertain them.”

His smile was warm and sincere...