novelAbuy Chapter 361 An Unexpected Joy
Chapter 361 An Unexpected Joy
The Moon Goddess leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers lightly twice on the armrest. The sound was extremely soft, yet remarkably clear in the empty hall.
"Actually, it's okay to settle for the next best thing."
Mo Ya's heart stirred, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes.
He took a half step forward, his voice tinged with barely suppressed urgency: "What would be your second-best request?"
As soon as he spoke, his fingers clenched tightly in his sleeve, his knuckles turning white.
He regretted it.
From beginning to end, he seemed to be led by the nose by the other party, like a horse with reins on, unable to control his own steps.
The woman held all the initiative in the conversation; her tone, rhythm, and pauses—every detail—perfectly resonated with him.
He was supposed to come and make the Moon Goddess Cult submit to the North, but now it seems like the North is begging the Moon Goddess Cult to join.
I don't know when it started, but his posture automatically became lower, as if a mountain was pressing down on him, and he unconsciously bent over.
Mo Ya frowned slightly, his brows furrowing into a very faint knot.
A deep sense of dread welled up in his heart, like a cold vine winding around his feet, binding his heart, and tightening little by little.
This woman is indeed very shrewd.
She didn't need to draw her sword, make threats, or even raise her voice.
She simply sat there, said a few words, and gradually drew him into her rhythm.
But he had no choice.
The request made by the other party, to make the Moon God Cult the state religion, was simply too much. He couldn't make the decision, and even conveying it felt like a hot potato.
He could only follow her lead, like a cow being led by the nose, knowing full well that there might be a pit ahead, but he had no choice but to take the first step.
The moon goddess smiled, her laughter still ethereal, but now with a touch of nonchalant ease, like the wind blowing across a lake, leaving only a faint ripple.
"It's very simple. I can allow the Moon Goddess Cult to relocate to the North unconditionally, but on the condition that the North allows my Moon Goddess Cult to spread its faith there."
Mo Ya's brows furrowed sharply, forming a deep "川" (river) shape between them, as if carved by a knife.
His mind raced, like a millstone suddenly accelerated.
This request is even more outrageous than the previous one.
The reason Your Highness favors the Moon God Sect is precisely because their location in the southwest allows them to coordinate with the northern border and launch a pincer attack on the Qin capital.
That was a natural and perfect strategic depth—with uprisings in the southwest and invasions from the north, the Qin Dynasty was attacked from both sides and could not attend to both.
However, once the Luna Cult moves to the North, its geographical advantage will be completely lost.
Not only that, but it also brought a behemoth to the North.
An armed religious order with tens of thousands of followers, privately manufactured weapons, and secretly trained.
They were also allowed to spread their faith within the territory, which meant they could take root, spread, and encroach on the lands of the North, like vines clinging to a large tree and draining its nutrients.
This is not an alliance; it's inviting trouble and causing internal division.
Mo Ya took a deep breath, the air filling his lungs with the cold, stagnant air of the hall, making him feel even colder.
He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart little by little.
"Lady Moon Goddess, you've probably misunderstood." His voice was steady, yet carried a hint of coldness, like frost on a blade.
He raised his head and stared directly at the moon goddess's mask, his gaze even more hardened than before.
"His Highness means that you should continue to develop in the southwest, rather than going to the north now."
The moon goddess's fingers stopped on the armrest, the tapping sound abruptly ceased, and the hall fell into a sudden silence, so quiet that the faint hissing sound of the candlelight could be heard.
"Since you won't allow my Moon Goddess Cult to relocate to the Northern Territory, how will you protect my Moon Goddess Cult in the North?"
Her voice remained ethereal, yet it carried a hint of aggressiveness, like a sword yet to be drawn, its sharpness already felt through the scabbard.
She leaned forward slightly, her eyes, like cold stars, fixed on Mo Ya, her gaze like two icy daggers.
"How can I trust you if you don't provide an accurate and reliable solution?"
Mo Ya was silent for a moment.
That moment was very short, as short as a drop of ink falling into a deep pool, only spreading out a very thin ripple, but he felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, with a bottomless abyss below.
The candlelight flickered inside the hall, casting his shadow long and thin on the snow-white stone slab, like a tree bent by the wind.
He raised his head, meeting the moon goddess's cold, star-like eyes, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.
"You can rest assured about that. The general sent by the Emperor of Qin to conquer the Moon Goddess Cult is an old acquaintance of my prince. With this relationship, he certainly cannot destroy your Moon Goddess Cult."
When he said this, Mo Ya's gaze did not waver, nor did it even blink.
He knew he couldn't blink, couldn't dodge, and couldn't let the other person see even the slightest hint of uncertainty.
The moon goddess's eyes narrowed slightly, like a lazy cat blinded by sunlight, narrowing into two thin slits through which a cold light shone.
"Oh?" Her voice rose slightly at the end, drawn out like a thin thread that floated gently in the air before falling.
"I see. It seems the North really does have some skill."
Mo Ya bowed slightly, his posture neither humble nor arrogant. The curve of his back was just right, neither fawning nor haughty.
"You flatter me, Moon Goddess."
The Moon Goddess leaned back in her chair, her fingers resting on the armrests again, and tapped them lightly twice.
"I'll think about it."
Mo Ya breathed a sigh of relief, the breath slowly exhaling from his chest like a stone finally falling to the ground, landing at his feet and kicking up a small cloud of dust.
His face remained unchanged, and even the smile on his lips did not deepen.
"Alright. I'll take my leave now and come again tomorrow."
The moon goddess gave a soft "hmm," her voice very gentle.
Mo Ya turned around and walked towards the palace gate.
His steps were steady, neither hurried nor slow.
Only after he walked out of the palace gate and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor did he finally let out a long breath.
He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
Mo Ya felt that this woman's pressure was even greater than that of the Emperor of Qin.
Although the process was difficult, at least there was some progress.
Inside the palace, the Moon Goddess still sat on the white jade throne.
Moonlight streamed down through the skylight, enveloping her in a cool, silvery-white glow.
Her mask gleamed with a cold light under the moonlight, and her eyes were half-open, like two stars veiled by a thin mist, making it impossible to tell where she was looking or what she was thinking.
She tapped her fingers on the armrest twice more, then stopped.
On the right side of the main hall, in the shadows beside the dragon-carved jade pillar, Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back.
He remained hidden in the shadows, standing there from the moment Mo Ya entered the main hall, listening to every word, watching every expression, and capturing every rise and fall of breath and every tremor of fingers.
His gaze fell on the Moon Goddess, then shifted to the spot where Mo Ya had disappeared in the direction of the palace gate, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
The cold light was faint, as faint as frost on a blade, yet it was there, chilling to the bone.
He hadn't expected that the general he sent out would actually have an old acquaintance with Xu Longxiang.
This is truly an unexpected delight.
A cold smile slowly curved his lips, a smile devoid of any genuine joy, only a chilling edge, like the winter wind seeping in through a crack in the door, cutting into the skin without leaving a mark, yet chilling to the bone.
He turned around and walked out of the hall.
The moon-white robe fluttered gently in the candlelight without making a sound, like the moonlight itself moving, like a silent river flowing from darkness to even greater darkness.
Zhao Qingxue followed behind him, holding the Frost Moon Sword in her hand. The gem on the scabbard gleamed coldly in the candlelight, like an open, icy eye.
Her steps were light and steady, without making a sound, like a cat walking in the night, with thick pads on her paws.
Jiang Zhaoyue walked in the middle, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white.
Her gaze swept across the shadows on both sides, over the figures wearing white masks and standing with their hands at their sides, and over every closed door.
Her heart was pounding so fast that her breathing became rapid, but she dared not make a sound, or even breathe too loudly.
Yunluan walked at the very back, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp as a knife.
Her gaze swept over every pillar, every beam, and every shadow in the corridor, like an invisible broom sweeping away all danger.
The four figures silently disappeared into the darkness of the corridor, like water merging into water, like ink falling into ink, leaving no trace.