Imperial God Emperor

In the fire tree woods.

An orange-yellow full moon hung in the dark sky of few stars.

Like a clay sculpture, Zhen Shi of the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce remained kneeling quietly beside the woods.

Over the past few days, the president of the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce had personally requested to meet Ye Qingyu so as to resolve the differences, but was flatly rejected by the latter. As the mastermind behind the massacre of the northwestern Chi Brute Race, Zhen Shi trembled with fear and became increasingly afraid. That the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce had not resolved this issue after such a long time allowed him to vaguely realize that Ye Qingyu’s power was a lot more terrifying than he had initially imagined.

Completely steeped in fear, he knelt on the ground, motionless.

When Ye Qingyu emerged from the Underground Fire Spirit Spring Sword Pit and saw Zhen Shi’s kneeling figure, his heart gave a jolt and he walked over. News that this branch manager of the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce had been kneeling here for a long time had not only spread throughout the imperial capital but also reached the Road of Chaos and the Alliance of Domains. It was thus likely that many people were keeping an eye on how this matter would eventually be handled. While Ye Qingyu had repeatedly refused to meet the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce, he knew that he could not allow Zhen Shi to die kneeling here.

“How long do you intend to kneel for over here?” Ye Qingyu asked.

“Your Excellency...” Zhen Shi dared not raise his head when he heard Ye Qingyu’s voice. “Your Excellency, please show mercy.”

The latter looked at him and thought for a while before saying, “Chop off an arm and all is good.”

As if he had just been granted amnesty, he used two right-hand fingers as a sword to chop off his left arm without hesitation, “Thank you, Your Excellency.”

“Alright, you’re also a sensible person, and so I shall consider this matter to be half-resolved,” Ye Qingyu nodded. “Go back and tell your president to show your sincerity. When the northwestern Brute Race is also satisfied with the sincerity of the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce, this matter shall be considered fully resolved… Hmm, of course, you must send every murderer during the massacre to the punishment ministry of the Heaven Wasteland Empire, and cannot spare a single one of them.”

“Yes.”

After saluting respectfully, Zhen Shi stood up and left while carrying his arm.

He knew very well that he was lucky enough to have avoided death.

He had thought that he was dead for sure, and only hoped that his death would help save his family and friends from trouble.

He knew even clearer than the officials of the Heaven Wasteland Empire what the consequences of displeasing a Human Race deputy were. If the third deputy refused to drop this matter, then the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce would inevitably have to concede defeat. And based on his understanding of the president, he would surely be sacrificed in order to make up for the Chamber’s losses from paying such a huge price. In this way, his family members would suffer a miserable end and be condemned for eternity.

In truth, Zhen Shi had thought about many, many things while kneeling within the Fire Grove over the past couple of days.

Perhaps, this was because a person’s brain would suddenly become calm like never before when in a hopeless situation, or, as they say, a man always speaks from the heart when near death. Zhen Shi had thought that he was dead for sure, and so when he carefully reflected on his many fights and contentions in the marketplace over all these years, he had to admit that his methods were excessively vicious, bloody, and relentless. He had thought that he was in control of the destinies of others when in reality he would collapse at the first blow. Over the past ten days of torment during which he reflected on his life, he realized how much blood was on his hands and suddenly felt an unprecedented regret, and so he expressed penitence inwardly again and again.

Feeling rather grateful, he was determined to correct his ways and do good for the rest of his life so as to make up for his evil deeds.

After Zhen Shi departed, Ye Qingyu slowly turned his body and returned to the Light Palace.

It was not because of a moment of soft-heartedness that he spared Zhen Shi earlier. Rather, it was because he knew that it would not do for the matter of the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce to drag on. In truth, there was debate among the inner ranks of the empire regarding how to deal with the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce. In Ye Qingyu’s view, he had already achieved the deterrence effect he required with the precedent set by the matter of the Hong Yuan Chamber of Commerce, and it would be counterproductive to continue pursuing and suppressing the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, if he really killed Zhen Shi, a first-class chamber of commerce like the Engraved Cauldron would leave the Heaven Wasteland Domain. This not only would not make up for the somewhat-boiling popular discontent of the northwestern Brute Race, but would also bring no benefit for the Heaven Wasteland Empire.

Of course, most importantly, Ye Qingyu wanted to know what exactly the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce had discovered in the Chi Brute tribal region which would cause them to risk universal condemnation and massacre so many brutes.

The subsequent highlight was how the Engraved Cauldron Chamber of Commerce intended to compensate the northwestern Brute Race and the Heaven Wasteland Empire.

If they opted to go about it painlessly and perfunctorily, Ye Qingyu would not mind doing a couple more things.

That was why he did not make things definite on this day.

Nothing really happened over the next few days.

Ye Qingyu spent most of his energy on the matter of building the Light Arsenal.

The reason why he was so enthusiastic about building arsenals, including the Matchless Arsenal in Matchless City and the Heaven Wasteland Arsenal in the imperial capital, was because of an inspiration he gained at the Alliance of Domains.

His experiences in foreign domains over the past year, especially his experiences on the Road of Chaos, allowed him to understand one thing very clearly – although the commerce and trade between the Heaven Wasteland Empire and various large chambers of commerce was very important for strengthening the foundation of the empire and improving people’s livelihoods, at the end of the day, it was a domain’s extent of martial civilization which was the most decisive factor regarding whether the domain could keep a foothold among the Vast Thousand Domains.

Therefore, his thinking was very simple. After showing his might to deter ill-intentioned people, whether they be outsiders or insiders, he would leave all commercial affairs to the empire’s officials and never interfere. Instead, he would personally handle all martial affairs.

In particular, he imagined that the Light Arsenal would be highly significant to the Heaven Wasteland Domain.

Previously, after returning from the [Infinite Arsenal], he had discussed this with Yu Xiaoxing, who promptly began to implement it after she returned to the Heaven Wasteland Domain. By now, the foundation of the arsenal had more or less been built. The remaining work, such as the setting up of formations and security measures, would require more careful workmanship, which, from the entire domain, only Ye Qingyu was able to perform.

This was a long-term project.

Using the time when he was not cultivating, Ye Qingyu completed step after step without worry.

At the same time, he made plans to visit old acquaintances in the Clear River Domain.

For some reason, he especially wanted to visit the Clear River Domain during this period of time. This feeling was somewhat akin to a “suddenly-inspired” strange vision which, according to the legends, a pinnacle martial expert would receive when their divine consciousness and spirit reached peak level. He had a nagging intuition that something big was about to happen in the Clear River Domain.

During this period of time, he also took out a day to return to Deer City to visit old acquaintances.

Of course, it was Qin Lan and Little Grass whom he visited first.

The Ye mansion in Deer City remained mostly unchanged. Like the nearby residences of merchants, there were no more than thirty to forty people living within. The courtyard walls and main gate were heavily weathered and appeared rather more worn-out than several years ago. However, nobody dared to belittle this small mansion. Whether in the official circles or the martial world, it was considered the most powerful house and drew the glances of countless people. To exaggerate things a little, few people in the entire Heaven Wasteland Domain would dare to offend even a six-year-old girl, untrained in martial arts, who stepped out from this mansion.

Because, this was the rightful home of Ye Qingyu.

Qin Lan, who now wielded great authority in the Ye mansion, was an extremely low-key and modest person with little ambition. She not only had rejected suggestions from imperial officials to rebuild the mansion on countless occasions, but also kept the mansion staff within extremely strict bounds. She had never taken part in any official matter in Deer City, and would never talk about any issue that was not related to household affairs. She rarely received any visitors.

In the past few years, there were initially many imperial officials, local chambers of commerce, and also foreign domain chambers of commerce who wanted to make use of Qin Lan to get close to Ye Qingyu. However, they were rejected by her without exception. However, there was one matter which caused the entire Deer City and also countless people from the Snow capital to sigh with emotion.

It was that the price of land around the Ye mansion had skyrocketed like mad over the past few years. Although the nearby houses were in a rich neighborhood and were well-constructed, even the best of them used to cost at most ten thousand gold. This, however, was the price of five years ago. By now, the measure of land price had changed from gold to origin crystals. Even tycoons from as far away as the Snow capital did everything they could to buy a house in the vicinity of the Ye mansion. They might not be planning anything, but it was nevertheless a form of safeguard to become neighbors with Qin Lan and her companions and slowly establish good relations with them.

This was because many people in the empire knew that Lord Ye Qingyu deeply respected Qin Lan.

All these years, the events of Ye Qingyu’s childhood had never been secret. His parents died early, and so Ye Qingyu treated Qin Lan like a mother. In his mind, her words carried great weight and even way surpassed those of many imperial ministers.

The entire Ye mansion went into celebration mode when he returned.

Without concealing his tracks and while accompanied by Qin Lan and some others, he first went to his parents’ graves to pay his respects, then went to the riverside to recollect old memories. Regardless of what his real identity was, and whether or not the man and woman in the two stone coffins which sank into the river were his birth parents, those warm and vivid memories of his childhood could tell no lies. And even if they were only foster parents, they were, in his heart, no different from birth parents whom he deeply missed and cherished the memory of.

After returning to the mansion, he did nothing else but talk to Qin Lan and Little Grass about a few trivial affairs, just like normal families did. Qin Lan was very happy, while Little Grass’ laughter could be heard throughout the entire mansion.

He idled like that for an entire day.

He became relaxed like never before.

Aunt Lan was looking a lot better than three or four years ago.

Little Grass, meanwhile, had grown into a graceful and fair young woman and was said to be the greatest beauty in Deer City, with many admirers. Under Ye Qingyu’s secret arrangement, she had spent the past few years in White Deer Academy. However, she had cultivated top-level techniques and her strength had grown at an extremely fast rate, while her results in the examinations of the top ten imperial colleges amazed everyone. At present, she had already become a goddess-level personality among the new generation.