Chapter 975: Chapter 605: Arousing Suspicion, Departure (2)

He Lei wanted to speak, but stopped.

He had just washed away suspicion, and if they were to clash with the General Mountain Holy Land now, the other side could easily annihilate this Kongming White Ape group.

"Oh, do they want to wipe out the clan?" Elder Cheng Yu still had a nonchalant expression.

"Yes!"

Qu Feng spoke loudly, already deciding that this time, he must stir things up in the Northwestern Domain with the arrival of the Holy Land envoy. He wouldn’t let go of such an opportunity.

However, these fools of the Kongming White Ape Clan managed to escape a calamity.

"Lu Lin, what do you think?"

Lu Lin didn’t expect Elder Cheng Yu to ask for his opinion. He stepped back to stand behind Elder Cheng Yu, "Disciples await Master’s instruction."

"Don’t worry, just speak your mind."

Lu Lin glanced at Elder Cheng Yu, who nodded at him. At this point, Lu Lin knew Elder Cheng Yu was trying to test him.

After some contemplation, Lu Lin spoke slowly, "Master, everyone, I believe that engaging in such large-scale conflict is unwise." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Oh? Why?"

Elder Cheng Yu became interested. Logically, young men like Lu Lin are often full of enthusiasm, and the prospect of a fight would likely be more exciting than entering the bridal chamber. It was surprising that Lu Lin advocated against fighting.

The others also looked at Lu Lin curiously upon hearing this. His words completely overturned their understanding of General Mountain.

Previously, He Lei was so afraid and nervous precisely because General Mountain was renowned for its ferocity.

When encountering issues, they would fight and kill without question. If one person couldn’t win, then a group would fight. If lower-level martial artists couldn’t win, then higher-level martial artists would be called in — typical taciturn aggression.

No one expected Lu Lin to suggest avoiding conflict; it was quite unexpected.

"The disciple considers from a human nature perspective. First, the one who hijacked our Lanruo Gold Crystal wasn’t the main Four-eyed Spirit Monkey Clan, but just a discarded fringe figure, and targeting an entire force because of one person isn’t wise."

"Secondly, the Four-eyed Spirit Monkey Clan is numerous in the Northwestern Domain, considered one of the pinnacle races here. While attacking a small tribe may pose no significant issue, provoking other tribes could make business trips here inconvenient for Elder Qu Feng in the future."

"Lastly, the Northwestern Domain is ultimately the Demon Race’s territory, settled for ten million years. The environment, climate, and treasures here are unsuitable for human cultivators to live in. From a broader perspective, if we were to act, we might become mired in a prolonged and steadfast war against the Demon Race. Now, during such tumultuous times, restraint is better than force."

"Of course, refraining from violence doesn’t mean our General Mountain is weak. We should send masters to discuss the matter with the Four-eyed Spirit Monkey Clan, seek compensation, and request they restrain their clan’s spirit monkeys more."

Lu Lin spoke extensively, and Elder Cheng Yu’s smile grew wider.

He didn’t expect that a simple question would yield such a satisfactory answer from Lu Lin.

Actually, occupying the position of General Mountain’s External Affairs Elder, Cheng Yu felt quite helpless.

Relations with the outside world can’t all be resolved through fighting and killing; these are just one way to solve problems, not the only way.

Moreover, if General Mountain doesn’t want to become a target of public criticism, constant aggression is not the answer.

Yet over the years, Elder Cheng Yu received many negative evaluations.

People within the Holy Land commented, saying Elder Cheng Yu was spineless, only speaking softly when facing opponents.

Outsiders were even more surprised at Elder Cheng Yu’s kind-hearted nature, which didn’t match their impression of elders from General Mountain.

Though there was much misunderstanding, during Elder Cheng Yu’s tens of thousands of years as External Affairs Elder, the external environment of General Mountain improved considerably. They gained allies and willing traders.

Compared to the earlier days of relying solely on force, General Mountain improved. When the elders occasionally went out, they were greeted with smiles rather than full alertness.

Previously, when people from General Mountain, especially the War Generals, God Generals, and other generals, visited, those being visited were always in a state of Calming and Alert, fearing that they might unleash tens of thousands of martial artists and start a Great War.

Now, in the central region of Longyuan World, the image of General Mountain improved, though it’s less understood in the remote Northwest Domain.

Lu Lin’s approach, although not particularly brilliant, matched perfectly with Elder Cheng Yu’s external relations philosophy.

Now, Elder Cheng Yu grew increasingly fond of Lu Lin, the more he looked at him, the more satisfied he became.

"Good, let’s proceed with your plan. However, neither I nor anyone from Yunlan Xianzong needs to go, rather we’ll trouble Clan Leader He Lei to take a trip."

"I dare not disobey." Clan Leader He Lei immediately clasped his fists and agreed.

This time, He can act as General Mountain’s envoy to the Four-eyed Spirit Monkey Clan, not only clearing his own clan’s suspicion but also showing them that they have backing.

Previously, these guys always looked down on the Kongming White Ape Clan. Every time they wanted some Soul-dripping Tree Sap, those Four-eyed Spirit Monkeys would price gouge, often demanding double or triple the price.