The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 783 - 434: Negotiating Peace
In the end, adhering to Changtian’s suggestion, Elder He successfully launched a final surprise attack on the Immortal Sect’s stronghold, kidnapping seventy to eighty captives. He had also dispatched the experts of Thorny Hall to meticulously plan the abduction; those captured were not mere passersby but important figures like the spouses or mistresses of Sect Leaders, their legitimate or illegitimate children, or their Closed-door Disciples.
There is no end to the deception in war. If the Northwest Alliance Army could set fire to Hidden Stream’s stronghold Bashe Forest, then Hidden Stream could capture hostages for negotiation without limits. The Alliance Army would at most curse under their breath, while openly they had to plead with Zhuo Erxiu. It was at this moment that the Northwest Alliance painfully realized the biggest difference between them and the reinforcements from Guangcheng Palace: their own foundations were in the Northwest. Angering Hidden Stream would lead to persistent annoyances like sudden attacks and kidnappings, which was truly troublesome. However, Guangcheng Palace’s base was in the Central region, untouched by Hidden Stream, meaning their reinforcements didn’t share these concerns!
This was the true meaning of "even a mighty dragon cannot suppress a local snake"; Hidden Stream played the role of the local tyrant. No matter whether Guangcheng Palace stayed or fought, they could vent their frustrations on other Sects within the Northwest Alliance Army. Realizing this, the Various Immortal Sects hurriedly sought Zhuo Erxiu to lament and request that the Alliance Army negotiate peace with Hidden Stream, to end the dispute and rescue the hostages.
On this Westward mission, Zhuo Erxiu’s orders from his superiors were also ambiguous, merely requiring him to "aid the Northwest Alliance and hold Hidden Stream accountable for Li Jianming’s disappearance". Even with Yin Jiu You in power, Guangcheng Palace would not issue a foolish order along the lines of "fight Hidden Stream to the death, regardless of the loss of lives". Thus, Zhuo Erxiu’s accomplishments should now be sufficient to report back. As for Li Jianming’s disappearance, anyone with clear vision could see it was just an excuse to save face before going to war, and with information obtained, the Northwest Alliance also knew that Hidden Stream had discovered that the explosion in the Immortal Plant Garden was caused by Tianya Sea Pavilion, meaning Li Jianming’s disappearance might not have much to do with Hidden Stream.
Aside from Yin Jiu You, who the hell likes war? Under these circumstances, Zhuo Erxiu also considered calling for a ceasefire, just struggling to do so gracefully. However, Hidden Stream seized the timing well because after Changtian heard the battle report and analyzed it, he decisively instructed Elder He: "Go find Zhuo Erxiu, initiate peace talks. This battle has fought enough." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
In the struggle between the two sides, one had willing suitors, the other had willing consorts, so the negotiations for peace were quickly settled. Three days later, with agreements from Langya and Jiu Mo, Elder He, acting as an envoy, would negotiate peace with Zhuo Erxiu, the representative of the Northwest Alliance. The location was chosen in the Great Rift Valley, three thousand miles away from Bashe Forest on Red Cloud Plateau, right between the confrontations of both armies.
At this stage, the personal safety of Elder He became critically important, so in addition to bringing trusted subordinates and protectors from Rose Hall, Ning Xiaoxian also brought along Qi Zai, leaving Tu Jin to observe from God Demon Prison.
The chosen location for the negotiations was excellent—an extremely open pass with a view reaching only the unchanging Red Earth Plateau. If one wished to fully use their thousand-mile eyes, coming here was spot-on. The surrounding area had only a few sparse, low shrubs, nearly eliminating the possibility of hiding ambush forces.
Less than twenty people from both negotiating parties arrived. The matter at hand was the peace process, not a fight; there was no need for a large entourage. However, choosing who to bring became a crucial issue. Qi Zai transformed into a human form, with Ning Xiaoxian standing behind him, her clothes loose, and her face covered with a hat. When she activated her Concealing Breath Technique, her aura became indistinguishable, and even if someone expanded their Divine Sense, they could not see her true appearance.
Nobody on the scene should be so idle as to worry about that, considering this was the typical attire of Hidden Stream’s Rose Hall members.
The Northwest Alliance Army had already arrived first. She inadvertently looked up, then her steps faltered slightly, and she marveled silently: How could she bump into this person in such a godforsaken place?
But she didn’t have the time to ponder, as her group had already reached the destination and then stopped. It was her first time seeing the appearance of the enemy commander Zhuo Erxiu. He wasn’t rugged-looking; a Cultivator’s physique prevented the weather from marking his face, so instead, he appeared as a clean-faced, tall and straight handsome man. But compared to the person standing next to him, he seemed less impressive—that silver-haired, red-eyed individual looked understated today in a light grey outfit with rusty-colored embroidery on the collar and sleeves. Yet, his mere presence was luminous, drawing enough attention no matter where he stood.
