Having invested in Luoxia Manor for several years, the circumstances back then were not like now; there was no trouble of a grand direction, it was purely an emotional investment.

Based on Yue Hongling's ability to single-handedly defeat the Black Miao King's Corpse Puppet, she definitely possesses the capability of the Heavenly List, not the Earth List. Having someone from the Heavenly List within a force, do you know what that signifies? It qualifies one to contend for supremacy—the case of Li Shentong is the best example.

Under normal circumstances, considering the current relationship between my sect and Yue Hongling's, if there was some issue outside that was problematic to resolve, or if the family had offended someone we could not afford to offend, asking Yue Hongling for help would undoubtedly be met with immediate assistance. Securing an ally of the Heavenly List was indeed a successful investment.

But the outcome, contrary to expectations, was a bid for domination over the world, and vengeance between the Han and the Hu, rendering the investment insufficient. Not to mention the investment, even the bonds of our mentorship were insufficient in the face of righteousness... It seems that the investment over the years might have gone to waste, such a pity.

However, looking at it from another angle...

Before the thought was complete, a sense of alarm surged in my heart. Wei Changming swiftly drew his sword, only to be shocked to find the longsword utterly unresponsive, impossible to draw.

The next moment, a fragrant breeze passed by, and the opponent's longsword was already placed against my neck, without having seen even a glimpse of when she had penetrated the carriage's trajectory.

Wei Changming was utterly horrified; in front of her, his so-called Human List strength was like that of a child, "Yue, Miss Yue... I, Wei, have not, not offended you..."

Yue Hongling said indifferently, "To instigate a marriage alliance between my sect and the Li Family, placing me in a dilemma, is that not an offense?"

"Fie!" Wei Changming stamped his foot, "Do you think I wanted to? When Li Boping suggested it, I couldn't refuse. Honestly, according to my own desires, I would have favored an alliance with my own family! I had thought about it, but I hesitated out of fear that allying with your sect would provoke suspicions!"

Yue Hongling blinked, her eyes seemingly amused, "Li Gongsi has died, and Li Boping seems to be in the middle of the Human List—I can't remember his exact position but should be inferior to you. I'm quite curious, why are you still willing to follow the Li Family's lead? With the entire Central Pass before you, don't you aspire to the king's enterprise?"

"Uh..." Wei Changming found it laughable yet distressing, cautiously saying, "Could you put down the sword before we talk?"

Yue Hongling sheathed her sword and sat across from him.

Wei Changming took out the wine set kept in the carriage and poured a cup for Yue Hongling, saying slowly, "The struggle for power isn't just about the strength of the warriors... especially when no one has many skilled fighters at hand, it becomes purely a comparison of resources, troops, and influence. When Li Gongsi was alive, relying on his influence and tactics, he managed quite well; after uniting with the nomads to kill a few dissenting families, he became even more dominant... That's quite normal, and I can't compare, not by a long shot."

Yue Hongling said, "If so, whether it's mighty warriors or powers, the Li Family is utterly crushed by the nomads; won't they become just a puppet emperor listening only to the nomads?"

"That was a possibility," Wei Changming said with a somewhat profound smile, "but under the pressure of New Han, Tie Muer also finds it hard to be too aggressive, maintaining a cooperative stance. Li Boping is not a fool; at first, he rallied the Buddhist sects to increase his influence, and later he brought in Yuxu. With this strength, they also gained a voice of their own, making it hard for them to become puppet emperors."

Yue Hongling said, "If my information is correct, isn't there quite the opposition between Buddhists and Daoists?"

"Yes, that's a tactic of balance, to use both Buddhist and Daoist sects to one's advantage. The more they struggle against each other, the more they depend on the favor of those in power. But then the news from Langya came, Yuan Cheng was questioned by many, wondering if he would become the second Gui Chen, which led to his departure; it's something we didn't anticipate... Just as Yuxu seemed poised to become dominant, Great Wild Goose Temple somehow brought in a new Buddha, and now it seems the balance has been restored."

Yue Hongling pondered for a moment, "The Li Family is walking a tightrope."

"There's no other way, with the Four Symbols Sect being the established National Religion on the New Han side, others can only strive within other powers. Whether the Li Family walks the tightrope or not, such a situation is inevitable sooner or later." Wei Changming sipped his wine leisurely and pointed out, "Of course, the hidden dangers are significant, after all, the Li Family really has no strong figures, and if they can't manage the balance well and allow one faction to become too powerful, they all run the risk of being sidelined. There's also the possibility of angering one side, who then refuses to play along. But for now, despite the divergent intentions of various factions in Chang'an, when it comes to facing New Han, there's a united front, and their overall strength is indeed not weaker than New Han's, perhaps even stronger."

Yue Hongling said, "You don't have to keep mentioning New Han to me, I'm not a New Han official."

Wei Changming smiled warmly, "Yes, Miss can wield power on her own."

This was the tacit understanding between them that had persisted throughout their long conversation. Yue Hongling asked, "In this vast Central Pass, with its aspirations for hegemony, have you no interest?" Of course, it was impossible for no one to be interested; it's just that with the situation so complex, no one dared to make a careless move. What could be certain was that if the Li Family failed to manage, it might very well lead to a pack of wolves surrounding and tearing at them, and one of those wolves could be him, Wei Changming.

However, Wei Changming clearly did not wish to entangle with New Han.

There, suppressing Aristocratic Families and promoting commoners, the stance was overly clear, which held great appeal in the eyes of the common people. But for the current struggle for supremacy, it was not necessarily beneficial; resistance from the Aristocratic Families meant many things could not be accomplished. Suppose New Han emphasized the use of Aristocratic Families, they could have directly attempted to sway Wei Changming, but unfortunately, Wei Changming would not be willing to disperse his Martial Arts like Cui Wenjing, so he kept probing Yue Hongling's relationship with New Han.

These implications, had they been expressed to Yue Hongling two years earlier, she wouldn't have understood. But now, having spent time with Zhao Changhe, her vision was no longer limited to the Worldly Society, and she had broadened her thought process on these matters.

Leaning back in the carriage, she too sipped her wine leisurely and after a long while, suddenly said, "I am on good terms with Changhe, but really, I'm not involved in a struggle for power. Even if I help Changhe, I am not on the same path as Xia Chichi, can you appreciate what I mean?"

Wei Changming blinked his eyes and smiled, "I appreciate it."

The struggle between the eastern and western palaces... even the Empress of the west must have her own power.

Yue Hongling said, "In fact, what I care about are the barbarians. Whoever colludes with the barbarians, I oppose. I am not representing New Han in contacting you, only myself—the investment in Luoxia Manor is essentially for Yue Hongling. I can make this clear here, as long as you can provide help in the anti-barbarian efforts, no matter how the situation changes in the future, I personally can become a friend of the Wei Family."

With that, she disappeared.

Wei Changming watched the light snow outside the window, his expression wavering.

Speaking of investment, having Yue Hongling's word was more valuable than investing several years in Luoxia Manor; what mattered was Yue Hongling, otherwise, what was Yue Fenghua?

Whether it was Yue Hongling's standing on the Heavenly List or the power behind her with Zhao Changhe... even if New Han was not friendly to the Aristocratic Families, there was still a backup plan. If played right, this vast Central Pass might not be out of reach for the surname Wei.

The investment was worth a fortune.

But there were prerequisites for the investment... the barbarians... the barbarians. Fortunately, he himself had no real entanglements with the barbarians, whereas the Li Family did.

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