This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 176 We're Here to Collect a Debt

The three stood frozen like statues, gazing into the distance, where a Great Xia military flag floated slowly like a flame.

Upon closer inspection, they were surprised to find that the entire Xia army was rushing towards them like arrows released from a bow. Men and women were everywhere, but no elderly people were to be seen. The group consisted entirely of young people, as vibrant and energetic as the rising sun.

Xiao Xingchen secretly speculated that this might be closely related to their long journey across the ocean. After all, the elderly could hardly endure the hardships of the sea, and he absolutely did not believe that ships of this era could reach the level of those of China in his previous life.

However, ships capable of long-distance voyages are already rare treasures in this world, since neither the Great Qian, Great Yan, nor Great Li have ever heard of anyone setting foot on the other side of the ocean.

This made him realize that Great Xia must possess a highly developed industrial culture, and its ability to sail the oceans was beyond human control. The name "steam engine," which was so famous, flashed through his mind. Perhaps Great Xia had already stepped into the threshold of the steam age.

This further convinced him that his predecessor must still exist on the other side of the Great Xia Dynasty, otherwise these things could never have survived in this era.

"Could it be that the Great Xia is also here to participate in the Poetry Festival?"

He couldn't help but feel doubtful.

"That must be the case. The fact that they could persuade the people of Great Xia must be related to the Confucian Temple. Otherwise, why would they have traveled all the way across the ocean to come to Great Qian?"

The man in black robes casually explained, which made Xiao Xingchen feel quite uncomfortable. They were sworn enemies, wishing they could kill each other, yet they could talk so calmly now, which was truly unbelievable.

"In that case, the tentacles of the Confucian Temple can actually extend to the other side of the sea."

"Ha, the Confucian Temple is nothing but a bunch of hypocrites who pretend to be virtuous. They wear the name of scholars but do the work of robbers. They are typical examples of wanting to be prostitutes while also wanting to maintain a virtuous image."

The man in the black robe scoffed.

"Do you have an irreconcilable feud with them?"

Xiao Xingchen relentlessly pursued, and the man in black hesitated for a moment, uttering only a single word.

“I have a deep-seated hatred for their masters.”

Having said that, he fell silent. His gaze swept across the solemn and dignified scene below Yong'an City, while Emperor Wu's face radiated a smile as beautiful as spring flowers in bloom—a joy that came from the depths of his heart.

The existence of the Great Xia is like a pearl hidden in the deep sea, little known to the public. Apart from those who stand at the top of the world, ordinary people have never heard of this name.

This is certainly related to the remote location of Great Xia across the ocean; however, the strict blockade of the Nine Heavens from the Nine Heavens Continent is also a key factor.

In the eyes of the Nine Heavens, the Great Xia was like a rebel, and such a trend must never be allowed to grow. If it weren't for the enormous price that would be paid to destroy the Great Xia, those who truly reside in the heavens would certainly not tolerate its existence, for it was undoubtedly a blatant provocation against imperial authority.

The virtuous concubine's gaze swept over everyone like a hawk's, finally settling on the Great Xia team.

She stared intently at them and realized that they were all ordinary people, none of them possessing any extraordinary power, just like any other common folk.

How could such an ordinary Xia Dynasty escape the severe punishment of the Nine Heavens?

She was utterly astonished. Perhaps sensing the Consort Xian's confusion, Emperor Wu's voice rang out like a booming bell.

"The Great Xia Kingdom is like a mysterious treasure, full of endless fantasy. There are no sword immortals there, yet, with mortal bodies, they can soar through the sky like birds and fight against the gods. Do not underestimate them because they are mortals; they contain endless wonders."

Emperor Wu's words struck Consort Xian like a thunderclap, leaving her utterly astonished once again.

She had almost never seen Emperor Wu show such humility before; in the eyes of an emperor, there was always only an air of arrogance that suggested he had the world at his fingertips.

Not only was the Consort Xian puzzled, but people from other countries also showed surprise in their eyes. The Great Xia actually sent a group of mortals. Was this a sign of disrespect towards them?

"The Great Xia delegation pays respects to the esteemed officials of the Great Qian!"

In the distance, the sound of horses' hooves fell like drumbeats, and a clear, melodious voice suddenly rang out. The crowd saw the people of Great Xia dismount with the lightness of swallows, each leading a fine horse, and stroll over. Their demeanor was relaxed and at ease, like travelers returning home, without any sense of restraint or tension.

Such composure is truly admirable; their ability to remain calm and collected under the public eye stems from the solid foundation they possess.

"Haha, welcome, welcome! On behalf of the Great Qian, I welcome all the people of the Great Xia."

Emperor Wu laughed heartily and strode forward with the air of a dragon and the gait of a tiger.

When the emperor personally greets a foreign envoy, it is customary for the envoy to kneel and pay respects.

However, what happened next made everyone's gaze freeze. The young man from Great Xia, who was in front, did not bow as everyone expected. Instead, he walked to the Martial Emperor's side with a smile and extended his hand directly.

"Hello."

Emperor Wu was taken aback, his ministers were stunned, the envoys from various countries were shocked, and the people fell silent. Yong'an City became completely silent in an instant, as if you could hear a pin drop.

Only Xiao Xingchen's lips twitched slightly. How dare the people of Great Xia shake hands with the emperor of a nation? Did they not know that this was an era where imperial power was supreme? This was simply courting death!

"This is?"

"A handshake, nice to meet you for the first time. This is how we greet each other in our Great Xia."

The young man explained that he had no intention of giving the person in front of him any special treatment because the person in front of him was the ruler of a country.

"Uh... oh, oh, hello everyone."

Emperor Wu's face twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and changed the subject.

"You have all traveled a long way. The Great Qian has prepared a place for you to rest and recuperate. We will welcome you back with a feast."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. We would like to inquire whether anyone from the Confucian Temple is here?"

As soon as the young man finished speaking, many people's faces turned extremely ugly, and someone immediately stood up.

"How dare you fail to kneel before the Emperor of my Great Qian Dynasty, and even dare to defy your superiors by addressing the Emperor by his name? Where do you barbarians come from? Don't you know what etiquette is?"

"For two nations to establish diplomatic relations, neither announcing their names nor paying respects, is this not a sign of contempt for our Great Qian?"

The people of Daxia all turned their heads to look, drawn by these words, their faces showing confusion and bewilderment.

"Gentlemen, we have come here to find the Confucian Temple. We were surprised to find that your Great Qian has prepared such a grand welcome. As for kneeling and bowing, such barbaric customs have long been abolished in our Great Xia. What we advocate is equality for all."

"How dare you spout such nonsense here!"

"Nonsense? You're exaggerating. Where are the people from the Confucian Temple? If they aren't here, we'll have to leave."

The smile on Emperor Wu's face vanished instantly, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He had condescended to personally welcome him, but he had not expected to be insulted like this.

What puzzled him even more was that the Sage of Literature was right there, but he didn't interrupt.

"What brings you to the Confucian Temple?"

Seeing that the Sage of Literature remained silent, Emperor Wu's anger rose even higher. Since he wouldn't listen to reason, he might as well go all the way, arrest him directly, interrogate him slowly, and make sure to get the answers he wanted.

"What about what the Confucian Temple promised us? We've come here to collect a debt."

Upon hearing this, all eyes beneath Yong'an City instantly focused on the Sage of Literature, like spotlights. This marked the first time the people of Great Xia had taken notice of his existence.

"Oh, I recognize you. You've been to my Great Xia before. You're called Zuiweng, aren't you?"

The old drunkard gave a bitter smile, a sense of bitterness rising in his heart.

Recalling his trip with the sage, he thought he could get away with it today, but he didn't expect the people of Great Xia to be so direct.

"Gentlemen, how have you been? The Great Qian has prepared a grand feast to entertain you. Shall we move over and rest for a while before discussing important matters?"

The drunkard's whispers drew Emperor Wu's attention, who asked in a low voice, "What exactly is going on? What are you hiding from me?"

This scene left everyone completely bewildered. Wasn't this supposed to be a welcoming ceremony for the Great Xia? How did it turn out like this? It seemed that things had gone off track again.

Some people couldn't help but admire the fearless courage of these people from Great Xia.

Some people stared at the Second Sage with suspicion, as if an untold story was quietly unfolding between the Confucian Temple and the Great Xia Dynasty.

As for Xiao Xingchen, his mind was in complete turmoil. The sudden appearance of these Great Xia people confirmed a fact: in their country, whether it was education or social survival, they were imitating the Great Xia of his previous life. However, they had not learned the social etiquette of the Great Xia. As a result, their straightforward way of dealing with people would really lead them into an abyss of no return.

"No need. We, the people of Great Xia, have always despised such insincere hospitality. I only ask you one question: Is the agreement you and your sage signed with us still valid?"

"May I ask your honorable name, sir?"

The Saint was anxious to change the subject, but unfortunately, it was easier said than done.

“You don’t need to know my name. I just want to ask you, when will the promises made to us by the Confucian Temple be fulfilled? You have been delaying for too long, otherwise we wouldn’t have come here to collect them.”

The crowd was stunned and speechless. Some gradually came to their senses; it turned out that the Confucian Temple had borrowed money from the Great Xia, which was why they had come to collect the debt.

"What the heck? The Confucian Temple is running up debts? What does that have to do with us? Why are we coming all the way to Daqian to collect our debts?"

The Fourth Prince and Zheng Youqian cried out in surprise, while secretly sighing that the Confucian Temple was truly an oddity, that such a sacred organization would be short of money.

Emperor Wu was now furious. He had initially thought that the Great Xia was targeting the Great Qian, but now he realized that they were indeed coming for the Great Qian, but their purpose was to collect a debt.

"Hmph, I'd like to see what the Confucian Temple has done to you that you dare to come to the Great Qian Dynasty to collect a debt."

Emperor Wu snorted angrily, and the smile on his face vanished instantly, making him look ready to start a fight at the slightest provocation.

"It's a long story..."

"shut up!"

Emperor Wu's gaze was like cold lightning, piercing fiercely at the Quasi-Saint. He cursed inwardly: If this Quasi-Saint hadn't told him everything about the Great Xia Dynasty so early on, how could he have been so embarrassed and lost face in front of so many people!

"What do you all think?"

After looking around, the man from Daxia unexpectedly bowed to Emperor Wu. This action was astonishing, leaving everyone completely baffled.

Why did he suddenly start bowing when he wasn't just now?

"Your Majesty, Great Xia is grateful for your generosity, and we are truly grateful to Great Qian! After Great Xia takes over the Eastern Sea, we will surely forge an eternal peace treaty with Great Qian!"

"I go?"

The words of the man from Great Xia were like a thunderclap, exploding in the crowd and leaving everyone dumbfounded.

Clearly, everyone's interest was instantly ignited, even the man in the black robe marveled with great interest.

It would be one thing if the debt collection came to the Great Qian, but judging from this, it seems that the Eastern Region of the Great Qian has already been mortgaged.

The thought of this possibility struck everyone as if a thunderbolt had struck them. The people of Dali and Dayan were so surprised that their jaws almost dropped, while the civil and military officials of Daqian were even more stunned, standing there dumbfounded.

Emperor Wu's body trembled slightly, his anger erupting like a volcano. Even from a great distance, one could feel the surging, violent power within him.

"Second Saint, you must give me an explanation. What exactly happened?"

Emperor Wu had never been so furious. He was usually one to keep his emotions hidden, but now he was enraged. He was still engaged in a power struggle with Dali, and out of the blue, Daxia appeared and told him that his eastern territory had been mortgaged to someone else.

This is intolerable! I've seen people bully others with their power, but I've never seen anyone so arrogant and domineering.