Chapter 27: Qinghe Water Mansion

Many people would consider the Qingjiang Water Palace, rather than the Cui or Lin families, or even the prefect's residence, to be the wealthiest place in Qinghe Prefecture. This is because all the treasures and riches of the seven-hundred-mile Qingjiang River are gathered within the Water Palace, and its extravagance and luxury are often spoken of.

The Water Palace, located at the bottom of the Qingjiang River, suppresses the seven-hundred-mile waterway. The architectural complex stretches and undulates, filled with curiosities, precious lights, and beaded brilliance.

In a side hall, a handsome man in gorgeous robes sat high above, sipping tea.

Below him, an envoy wearing a white bone mask said in agitation, "Young Lord, this is not what we agreed upon! We have paid so much, why are the Qingjiang water tribes only patrolling the river surface?"

The man in the gorgeous robes clicked his tongue, "Well, this Emerald Tea is indeed good, nourishing the spirit. Envoy, won't you have some?"

The envoy, perhaps tired from speaking, picked up the fragrant tea next to him and drank it all in one gulp, then said, "The Qingjiang Water Palace has always been known for its trustworthiness. Back then, the Lord of the Palace fought with all his clan for a promise to Zhuang Chengqian, staining the Lan River red, which is still praised to this day. Why does the Young Lord go back on his word? Are you not afraid of damaging your lord's reputation?"

The Lan River is a major river in the Yong territory. The envoy was referring to the founding battle of the Zhuang Kingdom. The Yong Kingdom advanced by land and water, intending to destroy Zhuang in one fell swoop. It was the Lord of the Qinghe Water Palace who fought with all his clan, defeating the Yong Kingdom's navy on the Lan River. At that time, the blood stained the Lan River red, and the boats could not moor. This solved the worries of Zhuang Chengqian, the founding ancestor of the Zhuang Kingdom, allowing him to fight without reservation and ultimately successfully establish the country.

The alliance between the Qingjiang Water Palace and the Zhuang Kingdom has continued ever since, right up to the present day.

The man in the gorgeous robes gently placed his teacup on the table. Although he still had a smile on his face, the atmosphere had changed completely.

"Envoy, that reminds me. My father and the Zhuang Emperor have a long-standing alliance. If I agree to help you, wouldn't that be violating my father's faith? That would be very unfilial."

"Someone come." The man in gorgeous robes tapped on the table, and a guard came in. "Pass down the order, telling Yu Yong's troops to withdraw three miles and not disturb the creatures on the shore."

"Young Lord!" The envoy in the white bone mask stood up in anger.

"Stop acting." The man in gorgeous robes held up a finger in front of him, his expression calm, "The entire army of Qinghe Prefecture is on guard against us and dare not leave lightly. You can do whatever you want at your leisure. The goal has been achieved, so don't be so... greedy."

"We agreed beforehand that you would just casually harass the shore..."

The man in gorgeous robes interrupted him, "Do you think it's possible for us to go ashore? The water tribes lose their foundation when they leave the water, just like you humans lose your foundation when you leave the land. Unless you can really make me determined to fight the Zhuang court, but do you have the capital to do that?"

The envoy's face was hidden under the white bone mask, so his expression could not be seen, but his voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, "What I gave you was a whole dragon pearl!"

"It is indeed a valuable gift." The Young Lord of the Qingjiang Water Palace smiled, very satisfied, "But it's only worth me doing this much."

Seeing that things were beyond redemption, the envoy with the white bone mask brushed his sleeves and left.

Only he was left in the side hall. The man in gorgeous robes sneered, "How can a hidden, cowardly person talk to me about credibility?"

At this moment, a majestic voice sounded in his ear, but the owner of the voice did not appear, "Qingyue, tell me your thoughts."

Song Qingyue, the Young Lord of the Qingjiang Water Palace, restrained the arrogance in his eyes, and his sitting posture became more upright. "The Zhuang court and my Qingjiang Water Palace have had an alliance for hundreds of years, and they have become increasingly arrogant. Now this Zhuang Gaoxian is even more ignorant, really treating us as his subjects. He even sent a message earlier, asking for Qingzhi to marry his son, nominally saying that she would be honored as the Crown Princess and forge eternal friendship..."

"I absolutely cannot agree to this. Back then, my aunt married that Zhuang Chengqian, not only did she put her heart and soul into it, but she was also plotted against and died in the cold, deep palace! How could I let my sister repeat the same mistake? I was just looking for an opportunity to move around, to let that Zhuang kid know who is in charge of this seven-hundred-mile waterway. But the scale of this also needs to be grasped well. After all, the human race is strong now. Even if we overthrow this Zhuang court, the monarchs of other countries may not be any better. Thirty thousand naval troops patrolling the Qingjiang River is just right. But these people from the White Bone Sect came to my door and offered a dragon pearl, which is really a pleasant surprise."

The majestic voice sighed, "Your aunt and Zhuang Chengqian were also in love back then. It wasn't that I wanted to arrange a marriage... Forget it, let's not talk about this. What are your plans for Qingzhi?"

Song Qingyue pondered, "Now that we have a bad relationship with the Qinghe Prefect, and that Zhuang Gaoxian is shameless, Qinghe City is not a good place to stay. But it's time for Qingzhi to start her education. I was thinking of sending her to Mapleleaf City for a while to study."

The voice asked again, "Why Mapleleaf City?"

"I can't hide it from Father." Song Qingyue said, "This time, the White Bone Sect is willing to send even a dragon pearl, so there must be a huge movement in Mapleleaf City, enough to shake the Zhuang territory. But in this way, Mapleleaf City will be the most peaceful place in the future, which is perfect for studying. Secondly, it's also a little bit of my own thought. If Qingzhi goes to Mapleleaf City, we can openly send people to protect her. Mapleleaf City is small, there are no experts, and they won't interfere with us. I'll take the opportunity to look for clues about the White Bone Sect and explore their foundation. The White Bone Sect has revived this time, and I always feel that there is some big secret. Besides, the White Bone Sect has a long history after all, and there must be a lot of good things. Everyone should punish demons and heretics, and a dragon pearl can't satisfy me."

The majestic voice did not comment on Song Qingyue's cunning thoughts, but simply said, "The affairs of the Water Palace are already entirely in your hands, so do as you see fit."

"Yes." Song Qingyue nodded, "By the way, I have already sent the dragon pearl to outside your closed-door cultivation room, please remember to refine it."

"I have seen the dragon pearl, there are some tricks in it, which I have erased. You can use it with confidence, which can save you a thousand years of effort. As for me, I am already old and sick, and I have no hope of becoming a dragon. Your aunt has been dead for two hundred and seventeen years and three months, and Zhuang Chengqian has been dead for almost two hundred years. Of the old friends of the past, very few remain. I am still alive, but I am only just alive. Now I am just protecting you for a while longer. The dragon pearl is good, but it is useless to me."

The voice became lower and lower, and finally turned into a sigh, disappearing in the side hall.

Song Qingyue leaned gently on the high chair, suddenly feeling bored.

…

The envoy with the white bone mask left the Water Palace and boarded a small boat. The boat seemed to be made of white bones, but it had no bottom, but it traveled very fast in the water. If it encountered fish and crabs that could not dodge in time, it would just crush them, without leaving a trace of blood.

The bottomless white bone boat quickly came out of the water, and the envoy went ashore. It turned around and dived into the water, disappearing without knowing where it went.

The envoy walked silently and quickly, his steps did not touch the dust. He seemed to know the deployment routes of the Qinghe Prefecture army like the back of his hand, and he could move freely between the deployments. He soon left the area and went up a mountain.

The mountain looked like a bull's head from a distance, and it was quite beautiful up close. The envoy walked to a stone wall and walked straight into it without stopping.

There was another world inside.

Various bloody and terrifying murals covered both sides, and the long passage was paved with green bricks.

As soon as the envoy came in, someone greeted him and asked, "How is it?"

The person with the white bone mask said hatefully, "That bastard Song Qingyue swallowed the bait, but only lightly brushed against the hook!"

The other person said, "That old thing Song Hengjiang is not dead yet, he won't let Song Qingyue mess around. We didn't expect them to really break with the Zhuang court and start a war."

"That's true, but it's still hateful. That's a dragon pearl! It has been extinct since the Middle Ages, and each one is rarer than the last." The person with the white bone mask sighed.

"Once the matter in Xiaolin Town is completed, our goal will be achieved. These minor details don't need to be taken into account. Besides, our dragon pearl, I'm afraid that the little beast will not be comfortable eating it..."

"He thought he could play with my White Bone Sect, but he doesn't know..." The person with the white bone mask became fierce when he said this: "When the Taoist child appears in the world, the first thing he will do is to slaughter the Qingjiang Water Palace! Let the entire seven-hundred-mile Qingjiang River become white bones!"