"Let him come up," the Imperial Preceptor said calmly.
Khan Roland was bound tightly in chains, pushed forward by several soldiers.
"Your criminal subject, Roland..."
Khan Roland was about to kneel when the Imperial Preceptor's expression changed slightly. He raised his hand to support him, half-smiling: "Senior Brother Roland, are you trying to put me in the wrong?"
Khan Roland took the opportunity to rise and laughed, "If I could ruin the friendship between you and Emperor Evan, I'd still have a chance to make a comeback."
The Imperial Preceptor shook his head. "You won't succeed. Even if you kneel before the army, the emperor won't suspect me. It's just those upright ministers that give me a headache. Best to avoid trouble when possible. Senior Brother Roland, take off your chains. I won't accept your surrender here. Wait until we're back in the capital—then you can bind yourself and formally surrender to the emperor."
Khan Roland shook his body, and the chains snapped apart, falling to the ground. The soldiers were startled and stepped forward, but the Imperial Preceptor raised his hand to stop them. "No need to be so cautious," he said.
Khan Roland's eyes flashed. "I heard the Preceptor was gravely injured after contending with a god. Even with the Poison Prince and the young divine doctor treating you, your cultivation hasn't fully recovered. Aren't you afraid I'll suddenly attack and try to kill you?"
"I'm not afraid."
The Imperial Preceptor said, "A month ago, I would have been. But now I've comprehended true sword-dao. My wounds remain, but I no longer fear. If you strike, you die."
Khan Roland shuddered.
The Imperial Preceptor looked ahead at Loulan Golden Palace and said leisurely, "Senior Brother Roland, look: Loulan Golden Palace is as solid as iron, the Witch Venerables guard it tightly. It's easy to defend, hard to attack. If we assault it head-on, our army will suffer heavy casualties. I also sense terrifying auras hidden inside—those must be the Grand Venerable's previous incarnations. I sense eighteen god-like presences, so I've stationed our forces here and haven't moved."
Khan Roland said, "Those eighteen bodies—god, demon, and buddha-like—are the Grand Venerable's eighteen incarnations, extremely formidable and the strongest force guarding Loulan Golden Palace. Besides them, Loulan has twelve cult master-level experts at the Tongshen Realm, led by the Witch Venerable. That one's strength rivals mine."
The Imperial Preceptor asked, "How many experts at the Heaven-Man Realm and Life-and-Death Realm are there?"
Khan Roland laughed, "How would I know?"
"If you imitate Emperor Evan, you should know."
The Imperial Preceptor glanced at him. "For example, I keep track of all the names, abilities, and spirit weapons of the experts in the Cult of the Heavenly Saint, Dao Gate, and Great Thunderclap Temple. Above the state, no holy land is allowed to run rampant. As the grassland emperor, you wouldn't let Loulan Golden Palace lord over you—you must know their strength."
Khan Roland praised, "I lost to Emperor Evan precisely because he had the Preceptor's help. If I had such an ally, I wouldn't have had to surrender. I've already prepared a roster of Loulan's Heaven-Man and Life-and-Death experts—here it is, for the Preceptor." He produced a booklet.
The Imperial Preceptor handed the roster to State Duke Wei behind him. "Let the soldiers study it and choose their opponents—get ready to kill the enemy."
State Duke Wei gathered the renowned Heaven-Man and Life-and-Death generals in the army and had them study the roster together.