As soon as those two titles were mentioned, the crowd behind Luo Qinghan suddenly fell silent. Shu Yan could clearly sense the hatred and resentment emanating from them. Even Electus, who resided in Shu Yan's spiritual sea, was momentarily awakened by the intense surge of emotion.
Sensing the odd tension in the air, Luo Qinghan let out another sneer and said softly:
"What? You're all this demoralized and stifled just because of some past injustice?"
"I'll tell you what our ancestors endured was a thousand, ten thousand times worse than anything we're going through now. If you can't even handle this level of pressure, then you might as well head back south and settle down, get married. That way, at least you'll be contributing to the Alliance in your own pathetic way."
Her words were harsh and merciless, yet no one dared refute her. Whether man or woman, everyone seemed to straighten up and reenergize after hearing her. Their morale even rose a notch compared to before.
Shu Yan stared at Luo Qinghan with some surprise. He had already noticed she held a high status among these people, but he hadn't expected her influence to be this absolute. Just a few words, and she had completely shifted the mood of the entire group. Not a single face showed resentment—on the contrary, most of them carried subtle expressions of respect.
Sitting quietly to the side, Xu Jiujiu looked on in astonishment. She hadn't expected someone so close to her own age to carry such commanding presence. But that surprise quickly turned into concern. With such an opponent, could Shu Yan still navigate things as effortlessly as before?
As for the Snow Empress, she remained entirely disengaged, watching like a spectator. From the moment she sat down, her eyes had remained closed, resting serenely as if none of this concerned her.
Thanks to Luo Qinghan's sharp rebuke, the young men and women—none particularly old—had visibly regained their fighting spirit. Watching all this, Shu Yan spoke quietly to her:
"Interested in changing the topic? I think you might find this one more appealing."
Luo Qinghan glanced at him, then swept her gaze across Xu Jiujiu and the Snow Empress beside him. After a moment, she nodded.
"Everyone except Chen Ming and Wang Lin, leave."
Everyone exchanged looks, but no one dared challenge her authority. One after another, they filed out toward the main door. Even as they left, someone remembered to collect their comrade who was still frozen like an ice sculpture.
Once the crowd had left, the hall instantly felt much more spacious. Only two people remained standing behind Luo Qinghan.
Shu Yan looked them over. The two youths noticed but showed no change in expression. Instead, they gave him a polite nod, their demeanor far more composed than the group that had just left.
Luo Qinghan's gaze was cold, her eyes fixed on Shu Yan as she said:
"Speak. Chen Ming and Wang Lin are among the best of our generation and successors of their families. They are qualified to know what I know."
She never looked away as she said this. Shu Yan met her piercing gaze for a moment before nodding slightly, his posture still relaxed.
Chen Ming and Wang Lin each nodded politely at Shu Yan. Their auras were calm and restrained, clearly leaders themselves among the descendants of the exiled Spirit Hall. They carried a maturity that belied their age.
Luo Qinghan furrowed her brows slightly but quickly returned to her composed self. Looking directly into Shu Yan's eyes, she said bluntly:
"I can tell you're not one to beat around the bush. So just speak plainly—no need for buildup. We live in darkness and shadows, unfit for the light of day. We're not bound by the conventions of the mundane world. The fact that you have an imperial princess and a worshiper subconsciously following your lead already tells me this isn't just some trivial matter. Apart from the power behind you, I can't think of another reason why you'd appear before us today."
Shu Yan was mildly surprised. His gaze toward Luo Qinghan shifted again, and he smiled lightly, shedding any excess expression and returning to a composed, gentle state. Those familiar with him knew—when he entered this mode, it meant the probing was over. He was about to get to the real point.
"As you wish—I'll be brief. I know your bloodline's origins and history. I know the prejudice and discrimination your ancestors endured for over ten thousand years. You've had to watch your comrades die one by one, suffering under that societal bias, unable to do anything but endure—until you all began to spiral into despair."
"In the end, your situation became so desperate that you couldn't even ensure your own survival. Forced to flee your homeland, you relocated to the impoverished and underdeveloped southern Star Luo region. I know it all. That's why I'm here to offer you a chance—a chance to vindicate your ancestors, restore your clan's glory, and erase your humiliation by destroying Shrek and all your enemies. Whether you seize it is entirely up to you."
His voice echoed around them. Chen Ming and Wang Lin instinctively clenched their fists, their expressions growing solemn. The dull crack of bones pressing against one another mirrored their heavy, simmering rage.
Luo Qinghan's hand beneath her robes clenched tightly as well. Her gaze sharpened. Then, in a soft voice, she said:
"You want to cooperate with us—or rather, you want us to submit to you…"
Shu Yan gave a noncommittal nod and gently tapped the crystal tabletop in front of him.
"That's one way to put it. I need my own power base. And our ultimate goals align in many ways. Weighing all considerations, you are clearly my best choice. Besides, given the current reality and situation, I don't think you're in a position to refuse."
Luo Qinghan lowered her gaze slightly. She now fully understood his intent. Chen Ming and Wang Lin stood silently behind her, waiting for her decision.
As the undisputed leader and strategist of her group, Luo Qinghan commanded not only respect but genuine loyalty—thanks to both her overwhelming strength and her exceptional intelligence. Her unique perspective allowed her to safeguard both the bigger picture and the interests of her own faction.
After a long silence, Luo Qinghan once again lifted her cold, beautiful eyes. Her analysis had led her to one clear truth—no matter how you looked at it, they had already lost the right to refuse. She could tell Shu Yan didn't know everything about them, but he definitely understood enough to be dangerous.
Their knowledge was asymmetrical—and the fact that Shu Yan was bold enough to state his purpose so directly implied he had both the confidence and the overwhelming odds of success on his side.
Luo Qinghan wasn't naive enough to think he was acting out of arrogance or impulse. You can judge someone's vision by how they judge others. From her perspective, every one of Shu Yan's companions was more terrifying than the last—especially that imperial worshiper. That one gave her an even greater sense of danger than him…
Her hand beneath her sleeve had turned pale from how tightly it was clenched. Exhaling softly, she finally said in a calm, low voice:
"I admit, based on how easily you defeated Wang Hu just now, even I may not be your match. But even with a princess and worshiper behind you, that's not enough to make us abandon our current stability and choose to walk a path into the unknown."
"In other words, you clearly know a lot so you should also know what we truly need. You must give us enough reason to see hope in the road ahead. Let me be clear if you want our allegiance, a shared goal is only the starting point. True strength is the foundation. Without that, we won't hand our fate over to you without reason."
They were looked down upon by the public and ostracized by the empires of the time. They didn't have many options.
One was to retreat into seclusion, swallowing their humiliation due to harsh reality and circumstances.
The other was submission joining one of the empires like Star Luo or Heaven Dou, taking on the so-called "guilt" in hopes of carving out a future for their descendants. In a way, that was no different from betrayal.
If you think the remnants of the original Spirit Hall could peacefully coexist with the two great empires after the war you'd be dead wrong.