It was definitely tougher to converse with wandering cultivators, in no small part due to their sensitivity. An offhand comment had been perceived as outright solicitation for their allegiance. These great emperors were like hedgehogs, spikes instantly popping up in resistance.

Jiang Chen couldn’t help but laugh at the reaction. “Do you live inside my head? How do you know I want you to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain?”

“Isn’t that the case?” The man’s voice was cold.

“Of course not. You may think me stupid, but I can’t possibly be ignorant enough to invite all of you together rather than talking to you individually if I wanted to recruit you.” The young man grinned. “That would work a lot better, wouldn’t it? Plus, there’s more than two dozen great emperors here. Even if Veluriyam Capital had the ambition, we’re not prepared to deal with accepting so many into our fold. We must act according to our abilities. I’m not that foolish, I assure you.”

His speech assuaged the hostile attitudes somewhat. Young lord Zhen was right. If he...