Chapter 500: Chapter 168: Since You’ve Met the Barbarian King, Why Not Bow?

In the distance, Tang Nian and Xiaozhao were quietly observing the movements in the Eighth Company Cities.

Xiaozhao was somewhat shocked and a bit confused.

She was amazed by her father’s strength, but what puzzled her was why her father called himself "Zhenyan Yuan," and why he chose to subdue the enemy instead of killing them.

Weren’t these bad people invading the Cloud Mountain Path? Wasn’t her father supposed to kill them?

Tang Nian seemed to be lost in thought.

Xiaozhao couldn’t help but ask, "Sister Nian, why does Daddy do this?"

Tang Nian replied, "Godfather... he wants to subdue these Ice Barbarians."

"Why subdue them? Aren’t these people all bad and cruel? Why not just kill them..." Xiaozhao was puzzled. During these days, she had seen and heard a lot, and all she saw and heard was hatred and fear of the Ice Barbarians.

Being steeped in such an environment, she naturally felt such anger.

She thought her father was here to avenge the Cloud Mountain Path, as she had visited many sects as the "Little Saintess of Tang Sect." These sects, some righteous and some evil, often had righteous people who would repay kindness with kindness and blood debt with blood...

But her father... did not do so.

This made her difficult to understand. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Tang Nian was silent for a moment. Having often traveled with Li Yuan, she naturally had some understanding of this godfather’s temperament.

What Xiaozhao saw in Li Yuan was always a kind and even simple father who would let her ride him like a horse.

Tang Nian understood that the godfather wished for Xiaozhao to have a happy childhood, but since he chose to bring her here, he had decided to let her leave the "fairy tale world" and to open her eyes to reality.

So, she took a deep breath and said, "Because godfather never saw himself as the guardian of this place.

He neither accepted the tributes of these people nor would he inherit their grudges and feuds."

"But the Tang Sect, but everyone, wasn’t it all arranged here by Dad?"

"That’s us, not everyone.

There are no major power conflicts here, no Meat Field Ghost Realm, godfather hopes we have a place of refuge."

Tang Nian said, "Godfather’s heart was never large; it did not encompass this land, nor did it encompass the living beings here. It encompassed only himself, and us, and those he cared about."

Xiaozhao:.....

Tang Nian said, "Even if the beings of this land are in a dire state, even if the people are in deep sorrow, he will help if he can, but if not, then not. If it interferes with his own plan, it remains unshakable...

He is a cold-blooded person, but yet he is a person full of feelings and righteousness.

He will not bear the heart of the world, standing within justice and light;

Nor will he be cold and ruthless, becoming a person of darkness and evil..."

Xiaozhao muttered, "But Dad always tells me to be a good person, to be kind."

Tang Nian said, "Godfather always hopes people can be kind, so... he deeply loves little mom, because that is exactly the kind of person she is, one who hopes for good to be rewarded, evil to have evil repercussions, and for the world to have order. But he himself is not...

So, he doesn’t care about how much blood is shed on the Cloud Mountain Path or how many people die; he won’t be angry because of it...

He won’t actively harm others, but he won’t bear the mantle of justice either.

The shifting of heaven and earth, he lets be,

seeking luck, avoiding harm, moving when he sees benefit.

He will never be passionate or grandly righteous, but he will make the choices that are most correct for him and for us, and with the most terrifying patience, await the best moment to strike.

This kind of Dad is the most terrifying, yet also the most reassuring."

Having said this, Mrs. Tang sighed, rubbed Xiaozhao’s head, and said, "Sister, this is our father; he is neither a good man nor a bad man; he is someone everyone would fear. But fortunately, he is our father."

Xiaozhao: ...

Tang Nian’s eyes flashed with reminiscence, and she said, "He started planning a long time ago.

The Ice Barbarians are extremely xenophobic, so he secretly entered the Zhenyan clan within the Ice Barbarians, becoming a member of the Zhenyan Clan and acquiring an Ice Barbarian name — Zhenyan Yuan.

This way, his appearance is not the Cloud Mountain Path’s campaign against the Ice Barbarians, but an internal power struggle among the Ice Barbarians.

The difference between these two is vast.

The former would mean a life-and-death struggle, leaving godfather with nothing at the end.

The latter, however, means that if he defeats the strongest, he can use tricks to control the Ice Barbarians.

This is what godfather is doing now."

Xiaozhao thought for a while, then suddenly asked, "But how did Dad join the Ice Barbarians?"

Tang Nian said, "By marriage."

Xiaozhao: ???

Tang Nian laughed and said, "You’ll have another Fifth Lady, one from the Ice Barbarians."

Xiaozhao: ...

...

...

Squeak... Creak.

In the Eighth Company Cities, two iron doors slowly opened.

The sunlight shone on clustered, oppressive shadows moving outward.

The Barbarians wielded weapons and left the city.

And the few left behind from the Zhenyan Clan no longer slaughtered or ravaged the people.

Because the Great Barbarian King said, the Eighth Company Cities are his private property.

The Zhenyan Clan dare not touch the private property of the Great Barbarian King; they stayed to help guard it.

Those leaving the city were, of course, with Li Yuan.

The young man was dressed in a black robe, wore a cloak, astride a giant wolf, with a Cyan Snake Blade on his back,

his long black hair trailing over his shoulders like burning flames, wild and domineering without restraint, fitting perfectly with the Barbarians...

The speed of the Barbarians and the Gray Wolf was swift, reaching a nearby city—Lu Yin City—within half an hour.

Lu Yin City is held by the Hongjing Clan.

The city gates were bedecked with heads to intimidate those who dared to resist, and the city gates were closed, making the city a true playground for the Hongjing Clan.