Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 859 - 538: Disposition of the Earth Palace Remnants

Chapter 859: Chapter 538: Disposition of the Earth Palace Remnants

The Tian’an Commerce Assembly towered a hundred zhang high, consisting of nineteen floors, with its top enveloped in clouds and mist.

As the headquarters of a merchant association, it appeared a tad too majestic, yet when one regarded it as the financial hub of an empire, the grandeur seemed much more fitting.

On the first floor of the Tian’an Commerce Assembly, the main hall’s ceiling soared over twenty zhang, supported by twelve towering columns adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. Despite the considerable traffic inside, the hall was quiet, as the imposing atmosphere compelled most of the visiting merchants to lower their voices or even their steps, including Xu Yuan and Bai Muxi.

Xu Yuan walked ahead, with Bai Muxi trailing behind, her head bowed in silence.

They walked in silence, the tension palpable and thick.

The mood was heavy and stagnant, largely due to the serious nature of Xu Yuan’s recent remarks, which were more a stark threat than a warning.

Xu Yuan didn’t wish it to be this way, but he had no choice but to act accordingly.

The relationship between him and Xiao Bai could be described as that of a young master and his maid, but it was also one of the Prime Minister’s son and the Earth Palace’s Si Ming.

Though the roles were embodied by the same person, the implications of their words differed dramatically depending on the identity speaking them.

If it were casual banter between master and servant, Xu Yuan could turn a blind eye to anything Xiao Bai did, whether it was seducing him with her tea art or using it to bully other Tianyan cultivators.

However, when Bai Muxi spoke with the authority of Si Ming from the Earth Palace, Xu Yuan had no choice but to take it seriously. Clearly, the words she had spoken were in her capacity as Si Ming.

The saying remained true,

Loyalty bought with benefits will always return to its original transactional nature.

Bai Muxi often spoke of gratitude, and although Xu Yuan never outright denied it, he knew the true essence of such matters.

Gratitude meant little—it was much too abstract.

Whether to repay, and how to repay, depended entirely on the recipient’s character.

Thus, when they reached an agreement in the Earth Palace, Xu Yuan had set the tone directly.

This was not about benevolence; it was a bargain of mutual benefit.

The Prime Minister’s Mansion had exerted effort to rescue the Earth Palace Remnants, and in turn, the remnants pledged their lives in service to the mansion.

As a maid, Xiao Bai’s affinity with tea was charming, but as the Earth Palace’s Si Ming, Bai Muxi possessed a keen political acumen.

Over the past few months, she had absorbed a vast amount of knowledge about the surface world like a sponge, thanks to the information from the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

She clearly understood the value of the Earth Palace Remnants to the current Prime Minister’s Mansion and thus aimed to renegotiate the "contract" to secure greater benefits for her people.

After all, the difference in status and benefits between being vassals of the Prime Minister’s Mansion and being partners was more than just a trifle...

..

The Tian’an Commerce Assembly, much like Lou Ji’s Black Prison, was divided into three areas: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. However, each area within the Assembly was further broken down into four ranks: A, B, C, and D, with a variety of merchandise categories within each level and business floors designated in increasing order.

Holding a token of Heaven Rank A, the two silently made their way to the seventeenth floor, which was designated for Heaven Rank A, but as they continued to ascend, a gentle force pushed them back.

It was a Formation.

The eighteenth floor housed the Assembly’s most enigmatic Seek Treasure Pavilion, usually closed off save for the biennial Heavenly Auction, when it opened to token bearers of Heaven Rank A.

Contemplating internally, Xu Yuan tried to communicate with the Formation using the soul key of the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s inner courtyard. As he stepped forward again, the gentle force no longer resisted.

Just as he had expected.

The Prime Minister’s Mansion’s inner courtyard soul key not only allowed free passage in the Black Prison, but also functioned seamlessly within the Tian’an Commerce Assembly.

With a slight smile, Xu Yuan had just taken a few steps up the staircase when a soft whisper finally reached his ear:

"Master... Mu Xi understands her mistake."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Yuan chuckled softly, replying,

"After being silent for so long, I thought our Si Ming was throwing a tantrum. But upon reflection, anyone would be upset facing such a threat."

Continuing up the staircase, Bai Muxi’s voice was a quiet murmur:

"...Mu Xi dares not."

Xu Yuan hummed softly, glancing sideways at Xiao Bai beside him, and spoke in a low voice,

"What’s there to fear? I understand what you are thinking. Frankly, the requests you wish to make are rather reasonable, considering the significant value of the Earth Palace Remnants to my Prime Minister’s Mansion.

"But, Bai Muxi, not all reasonable requests in this world can be fulfilled."

Bai Muxi carefully raised her eyes to glance at Xu Yuan, only to immediately lower her gaze upon realizing he was looking at her:

"Mu Xi will abide by Young Master’s arrangements..."

"There’s no need to feign compliance with me here."

Xu Yuan directly interrupted Bai Muxi, bluntly stating:

"Let me be clear with you, the agreement we set in the Underground Palace can be changed, but there is no possibility of that happening within the next thirty years. During this time, the Earth Palace Remnants must unconditionally obey the orders of the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

A moment of silence passed, and Bai Muxi softly asked:

"Is what Young Master says true?"

"Thirty years is just the minimum."

Xu Yuan looked straight into Bai Muxi’s eyes and smiled, "Rescuing you from that dark Underground Palace, even at the cost of a generation, should still be considered a good deal, wouldn’t you say?"

"...."

Bai Muxi did not respond, falling silent.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan slightly furrowed his brows and chuckled:

"You don’t seem very willing?"

Bai Muxi took a deep breath and looked up:

"Young Master, Mu Xi has already understood the situation in Dayan. Given the Prime Minister’s recent arrangements, war seems inevitable, and the majority of my clan will inevitably become front-line Armored Warriors. If that’s the case..."

"If it weren’t for my intervention, with the mere cultivators in your Underground Palace, you wouldn’t even be enough to defeat a single Transcending Mortal Atypical Ghoul, and within decades, you would be devoured completely, leaving no survivors."

"....." Bai Muxi remained silent.

They continued to the eighteenth floor and went on upwards.

Seeing that Bai Muxi hadn’t spoken, Xu Yuan took a deep breath, suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned back to look at her, and murmured softly:

"It seems I am still too gentle..."

Hearing this, Bai Muxi’s form trembled violently.

Xu Yuan patted her shoulder gently, speaking softly:

"Don’t be afraid, I’m not angry, but you know me; I’ve never been very patient..."

"Young Master..." Bai Muxi pursed her red lips.

"Be quiet."

Xu Yuan’s tone slightly lowered:

"I’m already a bit annoyed now, and I’m not too keen on dealing with your Earth Palace matters anymore, so I’ll just give you a direct choice.

"First, obey without question.

"Second, I’ll hand this matter over to my father, and he can discuss it with you."

Xu Yuan stared into her eyes, speaking softly:

"The Prime Minister is already aware of the situation of the Earth Palace. He had wanted to get involved before, but for the time being, I held him back."

"..."

Bai Muxi’s eyes widened slightly.

Xu Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, spoke softly:

"You may think my demands are unreasonable, but that’s because you haven’t seen my father’s methods. Mu Xi, compared to him, I’ve been quite merciful to you.

"I can tell you what will happen if he takes over.

"Your top and middle echelons will be directly controlled, or even executed.

"Hundreds of thousands of Earth Palace Remnants will be split into hundreds or even thousands of families of various sizes and scattered throughout Dayan, and those capable of cultivation will be shuffled into the Black Scale Army for indoctrination.

"Within twenty years, the Prime Minister’s Mansion will have ground down your entire Earth Palace Remnants and digested you, assimilating you into history."

With that, Xu Yuan let out a low laugh:

"Of course, you can also try to resist him, attempt to contact other forces within Dayan Territory and seek their protection... if you can manage that under his watchful eye."