"A giant elephant is nothing but a beast. No matter how precious... it’s still a beast. The Monarch lacks reverence for human life," Bai Qingyan said slowly, pouring herself another cup of hot tea. "Thus... it’s no wonder Tianfeng Kingdom was abandoned by the God you speak of, punished as the desert devoured Tianfeng."
Sal Khan’s lips muttered, his gaze once again landing on the pouch at Bai Qingyan’s waist. He steadied his mind, suppressing his anger, and once more assumed a gentle and refined demeanor. "What the Empress of Zhou says is true. The Tianfeng Kingdom should indeed reflect more on these mistakes. Might the Empress lend the jade cicada to Tianfeng Kingdom?"
"So, it’s true... you were after the jade cicada," Bai Qingyan’s smile deepened. "The Monarch has placed hope in time reversal, becoming obsessed. If so... should our Zhou find the jade cicada, we will certainly gift it to Tianfeng Kingdom."
"Can I borrow the pouch the Empress carries with her for a look?" Sal Khan saw Bai Qingyan was still not being forthright, so he stopped pretending.
Bai Qingyan glanced down at her pouch. "I didn’t expect Sal Khan to take an interest in a pouch holding snacks."
She unfastened the pouch from her waist and held it in her hand, asking Sal Khan, "You may borrow a look at this pouch, but it cannot be casually lent out. How about... a trade? I’ll let you look at the pouch, and you can take what’s inside. I... want the Great Shaman of your Tianfeng Kingdom."
Sal Khan clenched his hands, his gaze fixed on the pouch in Bai Qingyan’s hands, guessing if Bai Qingyan was really Xu Huang.
The Great Shaman said the jade cicada was in Bai Qingyan’s pouch, but Bai Qingyan claimed it held snacks.
Was this trade meant to deter him, making him afraid to reach out for the pouch?
The Great Shaman had never made a wrong prediction. If he got hold of the jade cicada, he could reverse time, the Great Shaman would return to him, and then he would know where the jade cicada was, able to acquire it from Bai Qingyan once more.
The jade cicada was the Tianfeng Kingdom’s leverage.
If it’s not the jade cicada inside, then the confidently predicting Great Shaman was wrong...
An inept Great Shaman, making mistakes, would be abandoned by the God, and he no longer needed such a useless Great Shaman.
After deliberating for a while, Sal Khan spoke: "Fine..."
Bai Qingyan’s smile deepened, and she casually tossed the pouch onto the table, the pouch’s opening loose... the strips of plum, placed inside by Yingshuang for Bai Qingyan, scattered out.
"Wei Zhong, detain the Great Shaman of Tianfeng Kingdom. The Great Shaman... was exchanged for snacks from the pouch by the Monarch of Tianfeng!" Bai Qingyan lifted her teacup, seemingly indifferent to the pouch.
As the plum strips scattered over the black lacquered table, Sal Khan’s expression changed dramatically. He hurriedly grabbed the pouch, enlarging the opening to pour out its contents. He frantically sifted through the pile of plum strips, finding only plum strips and no trace of the jade cicada.
His pupils quivered, and his once upright body seemed to lose strength, slowly sinking back down into his seat.



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