Chapter 65: Aren't You Afraid You Won't Live Long Enough to Spend the Money You Make with Such Reckless Behavior?

As Shen Lang's words fell, An Yaoyao remained expressionless, but Second Dog's expression shifted drastically. "Kid, what are you trying to do?"

"Make some quick money!"

Hearing this reply, Second Dog was immediately shocked. "Have you grown tired of living? Don't you know that if word gets out, the peerless prodigies from across the entire Nine Provinces Continent will flood into this place? By then, you might be rich enough to make a fortune, but you won't live long enough to spend it!"

An Yaoyao also felt that Second Dog made sense and couldn't help but remind him, "My lord, this matter is of grave importance. Please do not act arbitrarily. If my lord requires spiritual stones for cultivation, I will have my disciples work harder and gather a satisfactory amount for you as soon as possible."

Looking at the genuinely concerned expressions of An Yaoyao and Second Dog, Shen Lang knew that the decision he was about to make was rather insane. But as the old saying goes, the bold starve the cautious, while the daring stuff themselves to death! Setting aside the fact that his current strength was already exceptionally formidable, he did not believe he was inferior to the legendary prodigies of the Nine Provinces Continent. Coupled with the system at his disposal, there was no logical reason for him to fear those so-called geniuses. Instead, it would be far better to lure them here and use them as stepping stones on his path to success.

Therefore, Shen Lang said very earnestly, "Rest assured, I know what I'm doing. They won't be able to stir up any major trouble."

"You think far too highly of yourself! Do you really think reaching the twelfth tier of Qi Condensation is something to boast about?" Second Dog was genuinely panicked now. As an ancient monster who had roamed the entire Nine Provinces Continent, he knew all too well how terrifying true prodigies truly were. Desperate to dispel Shen Lang's notion, he blurted out, "Let me tell you, geniuses with a foundation at the twelfth tier of Qi Condensation are not rare in the Nine Provinces Continent! If they come here, slaughtering cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage will be as easy as butchering dogs. Do you really think you are a match for them?"

"Then do you think those prodigies can arrive here in Cloud Return City before the heavenly dog devours the moon?"

Choked up—the sudden counter-question left Second Dog frozen in place. Previously, he had been entirely consumed by the terrifying might of those true prodigies, completely overlooking the vast distance between Central Province and the Great Qin Empire. One had to understand that the Nine Provinces Continent was unimaginably vast. Even for a Soul Formation cultivator, flying from the extreme south of the Great Qin Empire to the extreme north would take a full ten days. As for the Haotian Divine Kingdom in Central Province, it was tens of thousands of times larger than the Great Qin Empire. For true prodigies to reach Great Qin, even with top-tier flying artifacts, it would take a solid three years. By the time they arrived three years later, everything would already be over.

At this thought, Second Dog fell into deep contemplation. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Even if they can't make it in time, other major factions will still rush over."

"And are they a match for me?" Shen Lang asked with a smile.

Second Dog fell silent once again. He had to admit that Shen Lang's innate talent was by no means inferior to those Central Province prodigies. In the vicinity of the Great Qin Empire, there truly was no one capable of standing against him. However, as someone who had seen it all, he knew all too well that in the eyes of those in high positions, human lives were nothing more than a joke. Once those powerful figures learned that a supreme treasure had fallen into Shen Lang's hands—or simply discovered that such a treasure had appeared in Great Qin—they would undoubtedly resort to extreme and frantic measures.

With this in mind, Second Dog looked at Shen Lang with utmost solemnity. "If you do this, you will bring war to Great Qin!"

Heh. Shen Lang chuckled. As a transmigrator who had come to Great Qin, he held no emotional attachment to this country whatsoever. He had previously considered becoming the man behind Shenxiao, supporting her day and night, but her attitude of slaughtering the donkey the moment it left the millstone had completely ruined any lingering affection he had for this nation. Rather than lowering himself and compromising here with Shenxiao, he would rather leverage the chaos of war to reap a massive harvest of resentment points, and then start entirely anew elsewhere!

Therefore, at this very moment, Shen Lang uttered the bloodiest words he had spoken since arriving in this world: "What I want is war!"

"You..." Feeling the surging imperial aura emanating from Shen Lang, Second Dog found the words stuck in his throat, unable to escape. Because Shen Lang was a born emperor! If he wanted to rapidly build his own faction, the only way to solidify it was through war.

Realizing this, Second Dog sighed with helpless resignation. "Just make sure you don't overplay your hand!"

"Rest assured, I have everything under—"

Before Shen Lang could finish the word "control," Second Dog suddenly warned, "Someone's coming!"

Hearing this, Shen Lang immediately frowned and looked toward the doorway. A few seconds later, a knock sounded from outside.

"Shen Lang, Her Majesty summons you to see her. She has matters to discuss with you!"

Recognizing Shadow's voice, Shen Lang's expression turned displeased. "Got it. I'll go back once I finish what I'm doing!"

"You..." Hearing this, Shadow instinctively wanted to remind Shen Lang of the proper etiquette between a monarch and a subject, but the words died on her lips as she recalled the complicated entanglements between him and Shenxiao. She didn't even know how to phrase it anymore. In the end, she could only helplessly say, "Her Majesty is in quite a hurry, so please make haste!"

Too lazy to bother with Shadow, Shen Lang cast a calm glance at An Yaoyao. Understanding instantly, An Yaoyao let out an alluring sound that echoed clearly. Hearing this, Shadow gave a soft click of her tongue and turned to leave.

As soon as she departed, Second Dog narrowed his eyes and asked, "Kid, do you need me to go with you?"

Knowing that Second Dog was worried Shenxiao might be setting up a banquet of Hongmen for him, Shen Lang waved his hand with a smile. "No need. That woman still relies on me for now; she won't make a move against me. For now, let's continue discussing how we should sell this intelligence!"

Meanwhile, as Shen Lang began detailing his wealth-gathering plan to An Yaoyao and Second Dog, He Xiufei had already returned to his residence in Cloud Return City. With a solemn expression, he took out a communication talisman and contacted Zhao Tianba.

Before long, Zhao Tianba's voice came through. "Xiufei, what is it?"

"Master Zhao, Shenxiao just summoned me!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Zhao Tianba twirled a pair of night-pearls in his hand, speaking in an amused tone. "Asking you to kick the Zhou family while they're down? That cheap maid really knows no shame. Pay her no mind; she can't stir up any waves!"

Seeing that Zhao Tianba was still viewing Shenxiao with such outdated assumptions, He Xiufei's expression turned grave. "Master Zhao, things might not be as we imagined! If you continue to view Empress Shenxiao with your old mindset, you might not even have a corpse left!"

"Hm?" Zhao Tianba's expression shifted, his tone turning severe. "What on earth did that cheap maid say to you?"

He Xiufei took a deep breath and recounted the words Shenxiao had spoken to him with utmost gravity: "Shenxiao came to Great Qin to repay a debt of gratitude, and originally intended to hand the throne over to Shen Lang. Now that Shen Lang is dead, she wants the Zhou family dead, and she will kill anyone who dares to stand in her way! She also asked me to ask you: do the Zhao clan still want the rivers and mountains of Great Qin? If not, we can all go down together in ruin, because she doesn't care!"