Chapter 246: Thinking of Each Other
When Bai Ming first met that woman, she was just one of the least noticeable figures in the crowd, there to congratulate the new emperor’s ascension.
With not many in the cultivation world knowing about the new emperor, all who came were either powerful figures or top-tier cultivators.
Even folks from the Sword Flower Palace and the Demon Cultivators were present.
Bai Ming couldn’t help but marvel at the Holy Kingdom’s abundant heritage; even after years of seclusion, it still drew such attention.
Especially the woman sitting on the dragon throne, clad in a black and gold dragon robe.
After reincarnating into this world, Bai Ming had weathered many storms and interacted with numerous influential people.
But this woman was different.
Bai Ming always felt there was something off about her.
Just during the gift-giving, she shot a casual glance through the crowd.
At that moment, Bai Ming felt a chill, as if a wild beast was staring her down.
It was a strange, indescribable feeling.
Even now, it left Bai Ming a bit shaken.
Despite it being her first time ruling, Huo Ningxue showed no signs of fear, nervousness, or discomfort.
From beginning to end, she maintained a lazy indifference, as if she were looking down on the masses from high above.
It seemed as though she had already ruled Tianlang City for many years, despite just ascending to the throne.
And judging by the subservience and respect from her officials and the citizens of Tianlang City, no one seemed to have any objections to her rule.
“In short,” Bai Ming took a deep breath.
“She’s a terrifying woman.”
Young Master Sang exclaimed.
“But you still haven’t said how you two got into this mess.”
“Well, our commerce guild had already set aside a hefty sum for top-tier gifts,” Bai Ming sighed. “I thought that even if we couldn’t outshine everyone, we wouldn’t be left embarrassed.”
“Unexpectedly, when it was our turn to present the gifts, I respectfully recited a long congratulatory speech, but Huo Ningxue just glanced at the gifts and turned to tell me.”
“…Take it back.”
“…I want all the taxes from Linzhou.”
“Linzhou is no longer an ordinary state city,” Bai Ming said with a bitter smile. “Our commerce guild’s core operations are based there, and we’ve expanded the city countless times. It’s now the largest in terms of scale and population.”
“Now, the Holy Kingdom wants to reclaim all taxes from Linzhou, especially from merchants, which means facing astronomically high taxes that could practically sever our financial lifeline.”
“But to that woman, it seemed like just a bargaining chip to please her.”
“What’s even scarier is that from that woman to the Holy Kingdom’s officials, no one seemed to think her demands were excessive. Everyone acted as if this was only natural.”
Young Master Sang raised an eyebrow at this revelation.
“It was only after that incident that I formed a basic impression of the people from the Holy Kingdom.”
“…That they’re incredibly arrogant,” Bai Ming huffed.
“They seem to think that those born in the Holy Kingdom are naturally superior, that they’re not even from the same world as outsiders, and that any unreasonable demand is just a matter of course to them.”
“They treat the Holy Kingdom as the center of the universe. There’s no sense of respect or friendliness.”
Bai Ming said this with evident anger, having suffered quite a bit of humiliation that day.
Young Master Sang pondered with a thoughtful expression.
“So, does the Holy Kingdom’s empress only target you for these unreasonable demands, or does she do this to everyone?”
“You’re as sharp as ever, Sang.”
Bai Ming replied helplessly, “I only figured it out later.”
“Because the matter was significant, I couldn’t outright refuse in public. I had to stall by saying I needed to discuss it first.”
“Yet the empress still wouldn’t give me a way out. She coldly ordered for a response within three days.”
“There was no way I could hand over Linzhou.” A rare hint of grievance flashed in her voice. “I built that up with so much effort; I couldn’t just give it away at someone else’s whim.”
“After returning, I realized that the empress had targeted me specifically, indicating it was clearly premeditated.”
“Most likely due to the new emperor’s ascension and the Holy Kingdom’s long-standing seclusion, they needed to re-establish their authority. Those who came for the congratulations were mostly familiar faces, making it hard to lose face.”
“And our Floating Splendor Commerce, as a new business in the cultivation world with no roots, was the perfect target for them to flex their authority.”
“So, it’s just bad luck for us,” Bai Ming sighed wearily.
Young Master Sang looked at her with a hint of sympathy.
“Bai brother, it’s not easy for you either.”
This world clearly didn’t care for laws like theirs. Many times, those cultivators acted without reason.
When Sang was a small disciple of the Water Moon Sect, no one had ever reasoned with him either.
Floating Splendor Commerce still needed a stable backing to establish itself.
“No wonder the Holy Kingdom is so adamant this time.”
Sang mused, “They want to establish their authority using you, and you gave them a slight.”
“For those high-handed folks in the Holy Kingdom, they will definitely pursue this to the end until you yield. Otherwise, they wouldn’t just lose their authority but also their face.”
Losing face for a newly ascended emperor was no small matter.
“So, you can understand now, Young Master Sang.”
Bai Ming said, somewhat headache-inducing, “Though it’s not a matter of life and death yet, if the Holy Kingdom refuses to back down, we’ll have no choice but to resolve who’s superior.”
“I had no other options, which is why I thought of asking for your help.”
Sang considered this.
It seemed that the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t easily back off due to the Demon Cult’s interference.
After all, in their eyes, the Demon Cult was likely just another rising minor player, not worth their attention.
Then the next shipment would be a straight-up showdown, right?
Honestly, without knowing the other party’s strength, Sang wasn’t eager to make such a call.
“This matter is serious; I need to return and discuss it with the Sect Leader and our higher-ups before giving you a response, Bai brother.”
“…Then I’ll await your favorable news, Young Master Sang.”
Disappointment flickered in Bai Ming’s eyes.
But she quickly hid that emotion.
She knew, after all, that Sang was just a small employee. The true decision-maker for the Demon Cult was still Sect Leader Hua Jianglian.
It seemed that breaking through Sang’s side wouldn’t be easy.
She would have to approach from the side of Gongzi Shuiming and find openings through Hua Jianglian.
At that moment, Sang was also contemplating.
…How much truth did Bai Ming just say?
Was she hiding anything from him?
But pressing her wouldn’t work. Someone like Bai Ming wouldn’t leave any openings.
It seemed he would have to find some leverage through her subordinates, especially through Gongzi Shuiming.
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