The Villain's Counterattack

"Fu'er, you are a descendant of the Great Yan royal family. Supporting Great Yan has been the unshirkable mission of the Murong clan for generations. As a member of the Murong royal family, you cannot continue to kowtow to the Great Song Emperor." Old Madam Murong said angrily, "The Great Song Emperor's emphasis on civil service over military power is a recipe for death. Why has Fu'er been so reluctant to start a war in the Great Song?"

"Mother, we've discussed this issue no less than a hundred times. While it's true that the Song court is dominated by weaklings, the nation's overall strength and popular power remain immensely powerful. Even the combined might of the Liao, Western Xia, and Tubo might not be able to match it." Murong Fu patiently said, "If civil unrest truly erupts, we have no chance of victory. Putting aside other issues, even the Shaolin alone is not an easy task to overcome."

"As for provoking the Liao, Xixia, and Tubo to invade the Song Dynasty, that would be inviting a wolf into the house. A fight between the two sides would not only not benefit us, but we might even be affected by the conflict and suffer a serious blow. This isn't a chaotic time. The various countries are powerful, and while we can't say we're peaceful and prosperous, we're definitely not in dire straits either. Gathering a rebellious crowd would be incredibly difficult. If we're not careful, we'll be crushed by the imperial army like a mountain, and by then, we'll truly be left with nothing."

"Mother, in troubled times there are ways to build a nation, and in prosperous times there are ways to restore a nation. Now we have established a nation overseas and relocated over 100,000 people. Although the nation is small, its strength is definitely not weak. We have even extended our tentacles to Korea, the grasslands and the desert. In another twenty years, it is not impossible for our territory to surpass Dayan. Why do you insist on doing the impossible in the impossible place?"

Madam Murong snorted coldly, "It's just an isolated island overseas, just a state. While it has beautiful scenery and produces pearls and corals, it's narrow and lacks potential. How can the position of the ruler of Tamra compare to that of the emperor of Dayan?"

"As for the Kingdom of Goryeo, we only control a remote and desolate area. Not only is it less than one-tenth of the country's territory, but it's also all desolate mountains and wilderness that no one wants. We send so much food and fodder there every year, and what do we get in return? Just a mere ore, which still requires a lot of effort to be forged into weapons and armor. We can't raise an army, and these weapons and armor, no matter how good they are, are just decorations."

Murong Fu said softly, "Mother, please don't look down on those wild mountains and forests. They are rich in minerals, which are enough to supply the grasslands and deserts. Now, the territory controlled by our Murong family on the grasslands has exceeded 800 miles, and there are many cattle, sheep, and war horses. It is a huge wealth."

Madam Murong chuckled coldly, "After all, it's just an uncivilized, barbaric land. The cattle and sheep exchanged for the salt and iron shipped there every year all go to the poor peasants. They dare not speak out openly because they can't get away with it. Can you really stand such humiliation, Fu'er?"

Murong Fu sighed softly upon hearing this, and said in a sad voice, "Even if I can't bear it, I have to accept it."

"The Song Dynasty is vast and populous, not to mention its flourishing civilization. It also boasts numerous martial arts masters. While not all of them are devoted to their country, they will certainly not sit idly by and watch foreigners do as they please in the Central Plains. Furthermore, the imperial court prioritizes civil officials over military officials, and can even be said to severely suppress military personnel. I've established an academy to pretend to be aligned with them, but I still don't dare to express my opinions freely. I'm afraid that one unforeseen change will lead to eternal damnation."

"Mother, don't you think your child is bitter? Our ancestors founded the country on the Xianbei people. The Xianbei had great potential and it was reasonable for them to achieve great things. But after losing the country, they re-established their foundation in the Central Plains martial arts world. This strategy was a serious mistake. They used their own methods to treat others. Our ancestors saw the success of Emperor Taizu of Song, but they couldn't see why he succeeded. They planned to use the Central Plains martial arts world as a foundation to counter the Central Plains' support for Dayan. However, they never expected the other side to be so defensive. He used the power of culture to defeat this strategy."

"Our ancestor Murong Longcheng, despite his immense achievements, still couldn't succeed. Subsequent generations of our ancestors plunged headfirst into the quagmire of the Central Plains martial arts world, unable to extricate themselves, completely forgetting that our goal wasn't to be a martial arts master, but to become the emperor of the Yan Kingdom. Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin and Dali Duan Siming were also peerless masters, but they were emperors first and martial arts masters second. Our ancestors tried to achieve emperorship through martial arts masters, but they were putting the cart before the horse."

"I've read through history books, studying the successes and failures of emperors throughout the dynasties. I've studied everything around me from an emperor's perspective. Only then have I broken free from the constraints of my Murong family identity and planned all of this. Mother, rebellion in prosperous times is like arson after rain; it's a recipe for death. I'll actively integrate into the Song Dynasty, draw on its strength, establish a foothold overseas, and then continuously expand, constantly improving my own strength without provoking those I can't rival. Although progress is slow, I'm truly restoring my nation, step by step."

At this point, Murong Fu excitedly said, "I've been managing for ten years, and now I own a state with a population of 100,000. I'm secretly the ruler of Tamra. Although the state is small and the people are weak, I'm still the ruler of a country. Then, step by step, I'll be able to erode Goryeo in twenty years, and then conquer the grasslands and deserts. In a hundred years, I'll have established a foundation comparable to that of my ancestors, the Great Yan State."

"Mother, my plan, like all my ancestors who have struggled so hard but saw no hope, is not a disgrace, is it?" Murong Fu said sadly, "Do you think I am willing to kowtow to the Emperor of the Great Song and become the magistrate of a remote county?"

"Conquering the world relies on military men, but governing the world requires even more. How can you conquer the world if you can't even clean your own house? If you can't even govern a small county, how can you govern the vast Yan Kingdom? At the same time, I also need this position to train my subordinates. It is impossible to rule the world alone. Even the wise and wise Zhuge Liang worked hard, but in the end he couldn't make Shu Han last a hundred years. Doing everything personally has never been what an emperor should do. I must have enough capable ministers and generals to help me succeed."

"Let's not even talk about my father's martial arts prowess. Just from the resources he left me, I know he's already mired in the mud, considering himself a mere wuss. If my uncle and the four owners continue on their current path, they'll ultimately be nothing more than martial arts masters, capable of guarding the enemy or, at best, commanding the charge. But where will the troops come from? How will they be trained? What about the logistics of food, fodder, and weapons?"

"Father didn't even leave behind any useful methods for commanding and training troops, not even military manuals or weapon forging techniques. Is this how our ancestors planned to restore the nation?" Murong Fu rubbed his forehead and said, "And I need to obtain all of these from the Song Dynasty. Apart from the Song Dynasty, this resource-rich fertile land, I really can't think of anyone else who could provide such help."

"After ten years of painstaking efforts, we have achieved today's results. Mother, you have worked hard and made great contributions, and I must acknowledge them. However, although the Murong family is a hundred times or even a thousand times stronger today than it was ten years ago, it still does not have the qualifications to shake the Song Dynasty. If we really raise an army to rebel, the ultimate result will surely be crushing and eternal destruction. This is why I endure humiliation and play dumb. I need the Song Dynasty to continue to provide blood transfusions for the Great Yan State, and this process will take another ten or even a hundred years. Unless the world is turned upside down and in chaos, I cannot expose myself before the Great Yan State rises."

"Fu'er, if you get used to kneeling, your bones will become soft. The Song Dynasty..." Madam Murong's voice gradually became quieter and quieter, and suddenly her voice became sharp and powerful: "Friends outside, since you are here, why not show yourself? You have heard enough."

The man in gray was shocked when he heard this, and instinctively flew back with both feet. However, when he was using his internal energy, he suddenly felt dizzy and his internal energy could not be used. He fell to the ground with a "bang".

"Bei Su Qing Feng, no, this is not Bei Su Qing Feng!" The man in gray looked at the two people who pushed open the door of the secret room and walked slowly, with a slightly complicated expression on his face.

Madam Murong's eyes were fixed on the gray-robed man, but Murong Fu's gaze was fixed on the boxes on the stone platform. He couldn't help but shake his head slightly and said, "You are truly greedy. After seeing the Six Meridians Divine Sword, known as the world's number one sword, you're still not satisfied. You've even taken out all the unique Shaolin techniques. Don't you know that Shaolin martial arts are complex, with many of them being diametrically opposed and incompatible? If even one is not properly combined, it will cause the internal Qi to clash, and your martial arts will not improve, but instead decline, and even cause endless disasters."

"By the way, the one you've been hit with is the Sad and Pure Breeze. I've improved it, removing its tear-inducing flaw and making it even more invisible and untraceable." Murong Fu smiled brightly. "It was you who was spotted near Chanhe Villa a while ago, right? I'm not sure what your name is, and what your connection is to the Murong family. I don't think any random stranger would be able to sneak into Chanhe Villa so many times."

"You've lured me into a trap. So I was able to find this place so easily. Was it all your plan? Did you already discover me?" The gray-clothed man was horrified. Murong Fu nodded gently and said, "Your martial arts skills are indeed very high, and you are extremely cautious. Plus, you have repeatedly scouted the boats en route. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to discover you."

"However, no matter how high your martial arts skills are, humans are not invisible and intangible ghosts. They can be seen, touched, and make sounds. A few small traps can find you." Murong Fu nodded in agreement. "Also, once you enter Chanhe Villa, it's best to stay on the main road. All the small paths and jungle gardens have strange fragrances. If you don't remove them, they can easily be detected by animals with keen senses of smell. However, they are well-behaved after training and will only tell tales, not yell."

The gray-clothed man frowned at this. "So I've been in your sight the whole time. So, what I just said was intentional, so I could hear it." He couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness at the thought. He had actually been undone, and so completely? Just how many bizarre things had this kid learned in the past ten years?