Special Expert of Beauty CEO

”There’s news from the front lines: the Imperial Capital is reinforcing the West State with troops from the North and East States. We’re starting to feel the pressure at Yueya City.”

Zhou Yang said, ”If it weren’t for Long Yin causing trouble in the Imperial City, I’m afraid the War God would be coming to West State for the second time. Then, the consequences would really be unimaginable.”

”What’s the current situation?” Upon hearing Zhou Yang’s words, Qin Tian began feeling a bit anxious. Considering the troops were completely outmatched compared to the Imperial City’s forces, Xu Kuan and Che Aijun’s perseverance in defending Yueya City for over half a year was a remarkable achievement.

However, it’s like a stone pressed against a person for a long time; when it gets heavier, there will eventually come a time when one can’t bear it any longer.

Qin Tian felt that Yueya City was reaching its breaking point, and the Imperial City’s side seemed to be getting impatient as well.

Seeing Qin Tian gradually subduing the Southern Barbarians, could the Ice Emperor not be nervous?

After entrusting all matters to Zhou Yang and bidding farewell to Yan Ruolan, Qin Tian, along with Chen Jingsi, headed toward West State.

He left Duan Xiaodao and most of the Qin Family’s troops with the Southern Barbarians, as Zhou Yang’s cultivation was too low. If the Imperial City sent experts against him, without protection from other experts, he would be too easily harmed.

Upon returning to the West Capital, Xiao Zhuang summarized the latest West State war situation report for Qin Tian.

After fierce battles, Yueya City was still in the hands of the West State Army, but most of the defensive structures had been destroyed in the repeated assaults by the Imperial Capital Army.

Even after both sides called for desperate reinforcements, their troop numbers had shown varying degrees of decline.

Besides those tens of thousands in the Southern Barbarians, Qin Tian’s total troop strength in West State was about four hundred thousand.

Meanwhile, after reinforcing, the Imperial City had six hundred thousand troops just on the West State front line.

Fortunately, Xie Feihong, being a leader who favored steady tactics, was there; otherwise, Qin Tian feared a fierce assault on Yueya City, which Xu Kuan might not withstand.

”It looks like the Ice Emperor is prepared for a decisive battle. Hmm... At this point, I think our allies should take action.”

Qin Tian pondered, then looked at Xiao Zhuang.

”Are you referring to the Dragon Clan?”

Xiao Zhuang had gathered various intelligence and was keeping an eye on the Dragon Clan’s movements: ”Indeed, after the Fourth Prince forcibly mobilized troops from the West State, the Dragon Clan’s state became somewhat vulnerable. As for East State, I estimate their troop strength is not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand at this moment. Boss, Long Xuanji currently has two hundred thousand troops; if they move, haha, it would definitely be a fatal blow to the Imperial City.”

”I’ll write a confidential letter to Long Tianwu about this matter. You dispatch reliable guards to personally deliver it to Master Tianji and have him forward it to Long Tianwu.”

Qin Tian pondered and said.

”By the way, I’ve heard that on the Imperial City side, Long Yin has started taking action?” Qin Tian recalled Long Yin’s cooperation in the Imperial City and asked.

”Yes, Long Yin has begun assassinating officials on a large scale in the Imperial City, causing headaches for the Soul Suppressing Hall and the War God. Fortunately, we have their cooperation, otherwise, I’d heard the War God was considering personally returning to West State. His arrival would be devastating for West State.”

”Really?”

Qin Tian looked at Xiao Zhuang, ”I’m actually looking forward to the War God’s arrival. The last time I didn’t have the chance to confront him directly, which was a major regret. Next time, I expect to face him head-on.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhuang smiled: ”Boss, let’s leave it for another stage.”

”Outside, they’re saying you are the Tianyuan Dynasty’s new generation War God and call you the Little War God. They say you’ve led troops in battles successfully in every campaign except for once, where you faced a devastating defeat against the War God and lost West State.”

”This rumor is everywhere across West State; if the War God really comes this time, it would severely impact our army’s morale. So, it’s best he doesn’t come.”

Listening to the intelligence Xiao Zhuang gathered about himself and the War God, Qin Tian remained silent.

”The only defeat was to the War God... Hmph, interesting, they really talk.”

Qin Tian grinned then asked, ”Besides Long Yin in the Imperial City, do you have any news about the Fourteenth Prince?”

”Yes, the Fourteenth Prince has changed quite a bit lately; he’s not composing poems or couplets as often, and his whereabouts have become very mysterious. From the comprehensive feedback we’ve gathered from our spies and other sources, this Fourteenth Prince seems quite unusual.”

”Oh, why do you say that?”

Qin Tian had previously speculated about the Fourteenth Prince but hadn’t imagined he could be so unusual. He had a favorable impression of the Fourteenth Prince, and their friendship was fairly deep, yet in multiple face-to-face discussions and outings, Qin Tian hadn’t sensed anything unfathomable about the Fourteenth Prince.

”Our spies, the Fourth Prince’s spies, and the Dragon Clan’s spies were tracking the Fourteenth Prince simultaneously, but they all lost him.”

Xiao Zhuang looked at Qin Tian with surprise, ”We have top-tier spies in the Imperial City, and not just us, everyone else tracking the Fourteenth Prince lost him too! This Fourteenth Prince is too mysterious! Too unfathomable!”

Mysterious? Unfathomable?

Qin Tian recalled his various interactions with the Fourteenth Prince, and entirely regarding the Fourteenth Prince, he noticed no discrepancies.

Could he have overlooked some details due to his trust? Qin Tian wondered in his heart.

”How did they lose him? Did the Fourteenth Prince send out experts to interfere?” Qin Tian asked.

”If that were the case, it could be understood, but it’s not.”

Sitting opposite Qin Tian, Xiao Zhuang spoke with a tone and look of astonishment: ”The Fourteenth Prince usually keeps to himself, and when he goes out, it’s usually at night and very cautiously.”

”He had long drawn attention from multiple factions, so many spies were keeping a close watch on him. Seeing him go out, multiple spies acted together, tightly following.”

”There was mutual understanding, and to track the Fourteenth Prince, spies from different factions pretended not to know each other and continued their pursuit.”

”Bear in mind, the Fourteenth Prince was going out alone, and more than a dozen spies were tailing him. Yet in the end, he managed to disappear right under everyone’s noses. Wouldn’t you say his counter-surveillance skills are too strong?”

Xiao Zhuang looked at Qin Tian, and Qin Tian also found it difficult to answer the question, saying, ”Could we have overlooked something about the Fourteenth Prince?”

”Boss, you’ve had the most encounters with the Fourteenth Prince; you should have the most say.”

”Previously, we received information indicating the Fourteenth Prince had little cultivation, likely only at the Primordial Pill stage, an insignificant level unfit for a place in the Spiritual Domain.”

”But Boss, do you believe it? Do you believe the Fourteenth Prince’s cultivation is only at the Primordial Pill stage, yet he evaded the pursuit of over a dozen Nascent Soul-stage spies skilled in Qinggong and Tracking Technique?”

Xiao Zhuang locked eyes with Qin Tian, stating: ”Evading once could be excused, but he evaded dozens of times! We never failed to lose him, all of our spies did!”