Chapter 311: Two Heads Are Better Than One (2)
Zi Di nodded and said, "That is indeed a good idea. We can do that."
“But I have some bad news to share with everyone.”
"The efficiency of the Mermaid Fairy Tale divine artifact in producing pearl bubbles has been decreasing. It is clear that we have consumed a significant amount of the divine power stored within the artifact."
“We need to use it sparingly and avoid waste.”
“Of course, I agree with using it in the current situation.”
“However, this method is not foolproof.”
“Hua Tang might not notice the scout-type golems, but his stealth skills are so advanced that he won't be detected by our scout alchemy puppets either.”
“Setting the trap is acceptable. If Hua Tang comes, we can catch him off guard.”
Most people agreed with this plan, but Fei She, who had always been a staunch supporter of Zi Di, shook his head.
He offered a different opinion.
“If we find Hua Tang sneaking in, are we really going to expose him?”
"He is a gold level assassin with a legendary track record in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. Even if we find him, what can we do to him?"
"Can we really keep him here? The city Lords and so many powerful people couldn't make him stay, so how can we?"
“My idea is: if Hua Tang is only here to steal some equipment and alchemy materials, then he is acting on Teng Dong Lang’s request to give us a profound lesson.”
“We should just let him have it. From the start, we should pretend we never discovered him.”
“This doesn’t mean we’re giving up on dealing with him! This is just a strategy. We need time to develop and grow, right?"
Everyone fell silent.
Fei She's seemingly cowardly suggestion was unexpectedly approved by Zong Ge.
He then revealed his true thoughts: “If we expose the existence of the gold level assassin, then our flagship and the pier we are in will become a battlefield.”
“Regardless of the final outcome, our losses will be immense.”
“Perhaps none of our ships will survive, and the mercenaries will suffer heavy casualties.”
The crowd fell silent once more.
Fei She’s words made sense.
Zong Ge continued, “Actually, we can design the trap from a different angle.”
“We can't allow a battle to take place on our ship, and we can't treat this place as a battlefield.”
“Based on our current defensive measures, only an expert can break through.”
"Trigger-type magic traps are actually a weakness for us. They will provoke conflict and cause a battle to break out here."
“Why not be bold and not set up any such traps at all?”
"We can use a tracking device. Imbue it with the Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell and Deceptive Disguise spell."
“We can deliberately place some valuables in the cabin to attract Hua Tang to steal them.”
“There's a high probability he'll steal the tracking device.”
“According to the intelligence we've gathered, Hua Tang always steals something during each of his crimes.”
“With these two spells, even he would find it hard to notice.”
"Once he leaves, we can track him down using the locator. We'll find his exact location and launch an assault."
“This way, the battlefield won't be at the pier.”
“Most importantly, we have allies.”
“If the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord is serious about dealing with the Bayonet Gang, he will take action.”
After Zong Ge finished speaking, Tripleblade immediately applauded and agreed, “As expected of Lord Zong Ge!”
Zi Di also nodded, "Good plan! We can even use this to judge the city Lord's true attitude."
The dragonman youngster fell into deep thought.
He was surprised to hear Zong Ge agree with Fei She.
After listening to Zong Ge's entire opinion, he couldn't help but feel emotional: “This is the Zong Ge I know.”
Zong Ge's plan was just like his personality, with the iron-blooded style of the military.
Seeing the dragonman youngster's indecision, Zong Ge saw through his thoughts at a glance and said to him, “You have to understand one thing.”
"We can't guard against a gold level thief. Especially someone like Hua Tang."
“I know what you're worried about.”
“You're worried that he'll come to assassinate us, and without trigger-based magic traps, we'll have a hard time detecting him.”
“If he's not just here to steal treasures but to assassinate us, then let him do it!”
"Even if we use trigger-based magic traps to detect him in advance, what can we do? He can just retreat temporarily."
“We can detect him once, block him twice, but can we stop him a third or fourth time?”
“According to the intelligence we've gathered, even if the traps are triggered, given Hua Tang's skills, he can overpower most people.”
"He has encountered hidden traps before; he didn't notice them and triggered the alarms. That's how he operates—if one attempt fails, he tries again and again. Long term defense will eventually fail; the highest number of attempts he’s tried is three. So far, there’s no target he can’t assassinate.”
“Our strength is far weaker than the powerful figures and faction leaders mentioned in the intelligence.”
"Since we’re attacking the strong as the weak, how can we avoid taking risks?"
"If anyone here, including myself, unfortunately sacrifices their life, it will be a worthy death. The rest of us can avenge them, right?"
Finally, Zong Ge stared at the dragonman youngster and asked, "As a leader, you are very responsible, but don't exaggerate this responsibility. Can you protect the life of every single person? Can you make such a guarantee? You must recognize the limits of your own abilities."
“Therefore, you must be mentally prepared—on this path we seek redemption, some among us will sacrifice themselves.”
“Who can guarantee that we will all survive to see that moment of success?”
“Sacrifice is not the issue; what matters is that the sacrifice must have value.”
“They cannot die in vain!”
Zong Ge's words were sharp and piercing, exposing the biggest burden in the dragonman youngster's heart.
The dragonman youngster fell into a long silence.
He reflected on himself: could he really make such a guarantee? Could he guarantee the safety of every member's life?
Of course not.
He was only a silver level battle qi cultivator.
This environment was much more complicated than the Mystifying Monster Island, and the opponents he had to face were much more powerful than those artificial monsters.
Because of this psychological burden, did he become timid in his decision-making and actions?
Yes.
The dragonman youngster had to admit this.
He knew that Zong Ge's plan was the right one.
It could truly solve the problem.
Using two concealment spells to set off traps could not solve a difficult problem like Hua Tang's infiltration.
Zong Ge's plan had more possibilities.
Finally, the dragonman youngster looked up and sighed deeply, “I am too weak!”
Then, he turned his head to look at the people around him.
“We are all too weak!”
“Sure enough, pursuing one's own strength is the path of righteousness.”
The dragonman youngster agreed with Zong Ge's plan, but he still asked the others for their opinions on the plan.
Lan Zao was the first to speak up: “I will follow you to the death!”
The big guy was the second to speak: “I'll listen to my dad.”
Tripleblade looked at Zong Ge: “Lord Zong Ge's plan is the best; I am willing to carry it out.”
Zi Di glanced at the dragonman youngster.
Now that Cang Xu was gone, she was the one who understood the dragonman youngster best and knew his long-term plans for the entire team.
The dragonman youngster wanted to share the secret of the Bloodcore, so the more allies he could establish, the better.
The survivors in front of him were natural allies.
Now it was even more important to let them fight the enemy together and deepen their mutual recognition through repeated life-and-death cooperation.
Zi Di said, “I have no objections.”
Seeing Zi Di's stance, Fei She hesitated. He was more concerned about Zi Di than himself.
If possible, Fei She was willing to take on a riskier position himself, even acting as bait, as long as Zi Di remained safe.
However, Fei She knew it was impossible, and he also knew that such moments of declaration were always critical.
He then expressed his approval.
Bai Ya unconsciously clenched his fists. As a young man, he was stirred by the atmosphere and exclaimed, "Isn't this how we've always pushed forward? Does leaving the Mystifying Monster Island mean we've become cowards? That's clearly impossible."
Seeing that most agreed, Mu Ban nodded in agreement.
Qiao Shan's face paled slightly as she was the last to speak.
The dragonman youngster saw her expression and comforted her, “If you don't want to take the risk, you can find an opportunity to return to the Deep Sea Monster Fish, where it should be safe.”
“Everyone don't force yourselves. This choice applies to everyone here.”
When the dragonman youngster said this, he tried hard not to look at Zi Di.
Zi Di, however, felt something in her heart and looked at the side of the dragonman youngster with a smile on her lips.
These words made Qiao Shan firm in her resolve, and she agreed to the plan.
Two heads were better than one.
In the end, everyone agreed to Zong Ge's strategy.