The Three Great Powers of the Duravia Trade Prefecture have been passed down through generations, dividing the prefecture among themselves for an unknown number of years. Among them are those who truly remain aloof from worldly affairs and have been so their entire lives.
Few in this world possess a heart of pure innocence, and such people are the most suited to seeking the path of the Dao.
Ming Daozi of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace is the foremost example. Having lived for twenty thousand years without ever taking a life, it is said that if one were to remove the statue of the Buddha from its temple, Ming Daozi would be worthy enough to sit in its place.
"Senior Ming Daozi."
Prince Qian stared into Ming Daozi's clear eyes. His expression remained respectful, his tone gentle.
"You must be aware of the origins of those from Skynet—they were all once prisoners. Now that they have rebelled, this Prince naturally intended to kill the God of War. I never imagined he would be rescued."
"That man committed countless evil deeds in his life and suffered Heaven's condemnation. For his body to be destroyed and his Dao to perish was his just deserts."
Prince Qian let out a long sigh. "But who would have thought that the people of Skynet are all such unrepentant villains? Their sins run deep, yet they remain oblivious, even daring to make the outrageous claim that they would kill you, Senior."
Ming Daozi's brow furrowed slightly.
He was about to speak.
But Prince Qian had already continued in a grave voice, "Senior, the people of Eternal Sun Prefecture have now invaded our Duravia Trade Prefecture, arriving alongside the members of Skynet. Now is the time for our Three Great Powers to unite and work as one to punish evil and uphold virtue!"
With his brow still furrowed, Ming Daozi sat in the guest's seat, remaining silent for a long, long time.
He was aware of everything happening in the Duravia Trade Prefecture; his own disciples had kept him informed.
In the neighboring Eternal Sun Prefecture, an extraordinary aristocratic family had emerged—the Li family.
This family, rumored to be a clan of evil cultivators, had become running dogs for the Imperial Dynasty.
They killed Tian Xing, who had defied the Dynasty's commands, all for the glory of ruling a single prefecture.
For decades, the Li family oppressed the great aristocratic families of Eternal Sun Prefecture, throwing the land into chaos and leaving its people devastated. Worse still, they had collaborated with Skynet and invaded the Duravia Trade Prefecture with a grand army.
Seeking confirmation, he had even used his Divine Soul to probe numerous mortals and cultivators, and without exception, their accounts were all the same.
"The Imperial Dynasty's fated days are numbered," he thought. "Truly, its Dynasty Qi fortune has been exhausted."
Ming Daozi sighed sorrowfully. "Years of unending snow—this is an omen from the heavens. The Imperial Dynasty has elevated a family of evil cultivators to a position of power, allowing them to bring disaster to an entire region. And now, they have come to slaughter their way into our Duravia Trade Prefecture. For ten thousand years, I have not raised my hand, yet now I am faced with this calamity. This poor Daoist has been unwilling to take a life, but I fear… I am about to break my vow."
"Your Highness, I take my leave."
The spiritual projection dissipated.
Prince Qian's expression remained gentle. Bowing toward the empty space, he said, "Senior Ming Daozi is a man of great righteousness."
He walked out of the room as he always did. Outside in the snow, the ugly woman and the handsome young man were holding brushes, painting. What a leisurely and carefree scene it was.
The snow was warm, the bright sun hanging high overhead. The man who clearly belonged in the shadows was instead sitting in the sunlight upon a stone chair. Perhaps he was too dazzling, for the ugly woman and the handsome young man suddenly held their breath.
Prince Qian smiled radiantly. "In adversity, there is always a sliver of a chance to survive. But in this world, there are few like me. You two, tell me I'm right, won't you?"
The ugly woman and Ah Xiu trembled in fear.
Ah Xiu hurriedly replied, "You are."
The ugly woman echoed him a moment later.
But Prince Qian, already wearing a gentle, sunny smile, had grabbed the ugly woman's hand.
And then.
Crack!
"Why did you hesitate?"
Footprints marked the snow as the prince everyone revered walked on, leaving behind him only a woman, pale with pain yet not daring to scream, and the trembling figure of Ah Xiu.
They watched his retreating back in terror.
Prince Qian gazed at the heavy snow before him, bathing in the rare warmth of the winter sun.
He thought, The Li family truly believed he had lost.
He had sent Skynet to Eternal Sun Prefecture as a 'dowry,' and they had actually taken it as such.
They assumed his capture of the God of War was merely one of his... peculiar habits.
"Laughable."
Prince Qian smiled faintly.
That God of War was his key to survival.
For centuries, he had been slowly trying to win over the Three Great Powers. Yet Ming Daozi of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace remained aloof from worldly affairs, the Palace Master of the Perennis Immortal Palace avoided him, and the Aeternus Sect wavered, undecided.
But now, Ming Daozi of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace had become his ally!
What kind of ally was this? A man worthy of being compared to the Buddha himself.
He was a man who stood in the light. With but a single word from him, everyone in the Three Great Powers would stand together in that same light!
The Boss of Skynet thought he had rescued the God of War without a sound.
He had no idea that it was merely Prince Qian adding another bargaining chip to this grand game—a chip that would force Ming Daozi, that pure-hearted man who had unknowingly been drawn into this conflict, to stand firmly on his side!
"As for Skynet... compared to the Three Great Powers, they are nothing."