Unsheathed

Liu Zhimao once again retrieved his white bowl and placed it on the table, lightly pushing it forward and evidently asking for wine again. "It's because a guest like Mr. Chen exists that a host like me also exists. This is a great blessing."

Chen Ping'an waved a hand, summoning the Sword Nurturing Gourd into his palm and pouring a bowl of wine for Liu Zhimao. He was far more generous this time around, and he filled the white bowl to the brim with crow caw wine. However, he didn't push the bowl back straight away, instead asking, "Have you thought things through? Or more accurately, have you reached an agreement with Island Master Tan Yuanyi?"

Liu Zhimao smiled and responded with a question of his own, asking, "Mr. Chen, are you telling me that you can't determine whether Tan Yuanyi reached an agreement or whether talks fell through when he went to Palace Willow Island?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head and replied, "I'm not an immortal who can read minds, so I naturally can't determine the outcome of his talks."

Liu Zhimao sighed with emotion and remarked, "If Mr. Chen visited Millet Grain Island and met a few times with Island Master Tan Yuanyi on the lakeside, then perhaps you could have pieced together the clues and come up with an answer. Mr. Chen is skilled at deduction, so it's only right that you're skilled at determining these matters as well."

Chen Ping'an shook his head again, replying, "My deduction skills aren't impressive at all. You only find them impressive because you've never come across mighty figures with genuinely impressive divination and deduction skills. Perhaps I'm too blunt, so please don't take offense, True Lord."

Liu Zhimao took a deep breath and replied, "Truth be told, even though Tan Yuanyi is an overseer from the Great Li Empire's Green Ripple Pavilion who looks after the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, he was still fairly unhappy after his secret meeting with Liu Laocheng on the island. Tan Yuanyi proposed two conditions at the time, one genuine and one false."

Liu Zhimao paused for a moment, and he couldn't help but sigh softly with emotion in his mind upon seeing Chen Ping'an sitting there and silently waiting for him to continue. In reality, Chen Ping'an could roughly guess the truth after hearing the words "one genuine and one false." Even so, he still chose to remain silent. He could afford to wait, and he was willing to take things slowly.

Only experienced cultivators with Liu Zhimao's cultivation base and a lofty enough disposition could understand the subtle and mystical nature of Chen Ping'an's mind.

"The Great Li Empire hopes that I can maintain my false position as the ruler of Bamboo Scroll Lake," Liu Zhimao continued. "However, all of the genuine benefits will be given to Palace Willow Island. There are more than one thousand islands in Bamboo Scroll Lake, but as the ruler of Bamboo Scroll Lake in name, I can only pick thirty islands in addition to my dozen or so vassal islands to form an island chain, something akin to the capital of mortal empires. All of the remaining islands will fall under the jurisdiction of Palace Willow Island.

"Of course, the Great Li Empire's Imperial Song Clan will definitely need to share their profits with Liu Laocheng in the future. With this as the foundation, Liu Laocheng isn't allowed to target me or Cyan Gorge Island, neither openly nor in secret. However, Tan Yuanyi most likely made this small request in a very tactful manner when he was negotiating with Liu Laocheng."