Chapter 527: We Don't Want Protection, We Want Cooperation!
In the business negotiations, Mian Li Zang launched his first proactive offensive.
The moment of truth had arrived for Zi Di!
Well-versed in the art of negotiation, Zi Di knew she could not panic or lose her composure at this critical juncture.
Instead of offering an immediate explanation, she calmly took a sip of tea. Then, under Mian Li Zang's intrigued gaze, she slowly set down her teacup.
Then she said, “As Lord Mian Li Zang mentioned, our corps' situation is indeed as described.”
“To be perfectly honest, prior to this, three more gold level individuals planned to ambush us.”
“They were the Axe Gang leader, Lin from Ice Spear City, and Jia Bing from Grafting Town.”
“That battle was the most vicious. Even now, recalling it sends a chill down my spine.”
Zi Di deliberately avoided detailing the battle, knowing this would heighten Mian Li Zang's concern.
This was a card held by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
A very powerful card!
Zong Ge watched with eager anticipation.
Yet Mian Li Zang showed neither surprise nor shock. He smiled gently and said, “Three gold level mercenaries joining forces, just imagining it sends a chill down one's spine.”
“Your group's combat prowess is astonishing.”
“But I suspect such unconventional tactics are rare—a one-time use, perhaps even forbidden?”
“Otherwise, why wouldn't Commander Long Fu employ it against Teng Dong Lang?”
“Or maybe the conditions for using it are so strict they're nearly impossible to meet in battle?”
Zong Ge's heart sank. Mian Li Zang's demeanor showed none of the expected signs, he had known this information all along.
Yet he had never mentioned it before. He had been waiting, waiting for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to play this card.
“That old fox...” Zong Ge cursed inwardly.
He instantly understood: Mian Li Zang had deliberately exposed a weakness to lure Zi Di into revealing this card.
Yet he had been prepared, rendering the card nearly useless, and even using it to unsettle Zi Di and Zong Ge's composure!
A fleeting, imperceptible gleam flashed in Mian Li Zang's eyes as he continued, "Oh, right. Perhaps you two aren't aware. Not long ago, your corps' branch in Snow Bird Harbor suffered an attack by a mysterious force. Your flagship and alchemy workshop were both targeted, it seems the losses were significant!"
"What?!" Zi Di gasped, instinctively rising to her feet.
Zong Ge's expression darkened instantly.
Whoosh, whoosh~
The howling wind, lashing with blinding snow, pounded against the windows.
After delivering this statement, Mian Li Zang turned his gaze toward the window, his demeanor calm and composed.
Outside, the blinding snow obscured normal vision, blanketing the roofs of numerous snow huts in pristine white.
Zi Di hadn't anticipated that Mian Li Zang's preemptive strike wasn't a one-off, but part of a coordinated offensive-defensive combo.
Hearing of the Snow Bird Harbor branch's assault, both their composure inevitably wavered.
At this moment, Zi Di and Zong Ge found themselves thoroughly outmaneuvered.
They keenly felt the overwhelming might of the Li Jian Clan. This power was now being demonstrated to the fullest extent in communications.
After a moment of silence, Zi Di drew a shallow breath, her expression utterly candid as she fixed her gaze on Mian Li Zang. "We feel deeply wronged. We have no idea why such formidable enemies would target us so relentlessly. That's precisely why we came to Igloo City, to seek deep cooperation with your esteemed family."
Mian Li Zang offered a faint smile. “Miss Yao Ma, are you certain you've come seeking cooperation, and not seeking our family's protection?”
His tone was light, yet his words were razor-sharp.
If Zi Di handled this poorly, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would be relegated to a subordinate position, while the Li Jian Clan would rise to dominance.
Should negotiations continue, this power dynamic could even evolve into a master-servant relationship, stripping the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps of all initiative.
Zi Di's expression remained serene, her voice steady: “If we were merely a mercenary group, this visit would indeed be to seek noble patronage.”
“But we are not.”
“Since the clan leader is so well-informed about us, surely you understand our true identity.”
The amusement in Mian Li Zang's eyes faded, replaced by a broader smile.
This time, he remained silent. Mirroring Zi Di's earlier gesture, he took a sip of tea, leaned back in his chair, and gazed leisurely out the window.
Outside, the sky was gloomy, with wind and rain lashing fiercely. The igloos across the street were indistinct.
Just as Mian Li Zang couldn't see through the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' background!
Indeed, what Mian Li Zang truly feared was precisely the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' background.
Rumors had always persisted that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was actually a group of arms smugglers. Their sudden emergence and extraordinary actions far exceeded the ordinary. This rumor perfectly explained all the peculiarities.
Including the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' activities in Snow Bird Harbor, especially their business operations and how they effortlessly used dragon rider potions to break into the kingdom's market... Mian Li Zang leaned toward this explanation.
Yet, despite the Li Jian Clan's capabilities, they could not uncover which arms manufacturer stood behind the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
It had to be understood that an entity capable of mass-producing arms and smuggling them on such a scale could never be merely a gold level individual.
At the very least, it would be a saint level!
Saint level individuals, within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, already belonged to the strongest group.
More crucially, the Li Jian Clan couldn't uncover any background on the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, not even a single trace.
“Perhaps there's no arms dealer behind them at all!” speculated an elder of the Li Jian Clan.
“But how could that be?!” Mian Li Zang scoffed at this conjecture.
Where did Long Fu's crew even come from?
Both Long Fu's and Shi Qi's identities were fake. They weren't even certified by the Mercenary Guild!
The Li Jian Clan had exhausted every resource and still couldn't uncover their true identities.
If they were just ordinary silver level mercenaries, so be it.
But they weren't!
Long Fu alone had slain a gold level opponent at silver level. Such a feat was unheard of in a century.
Shi Qi, though silver level, radiated a golden aura from his battle qi. In other words, he had one foot firmly planted in gold level territory.
Was this what an ordinary silver level looked like?
What kind of power could produce such a silver level?
Even the Li Jian Clan, which he himself controlled, couldn't possibly field someone like this!
Tracking the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' path, from Snake Rat Island, Two Eyes Island, to Weeping Pine Island, through every naval skirmish, they faced no insurmountable challenges. Not a single battle inflicted crippling losses or severe setbacks.
Instead, they grew by leaps and bounds, expanding like a balloon being inflated.
Such rapid expansion within mere months, could this truly be just a mercenary group?
Clearly, a powerful force was backing them. They concealed numerous trump cards, wielding combat methods far beyond their stated capabilities. Thus, they arrived at the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Shortly after landing at Snow Bird Harbor, they made their move, taking down the harbor's underground kingpin and publicly executing the Bayonet Gang's leader. The entire Bayonet Gang was wiped out.
This single battle made the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps famous throughout the kingdom.
What kind of tactic was this?
This tactic felt all too familiar.
In the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, where dueling culture ran deep, anyone with combat prowess and a thirst for fame and fortune would typically choose to make a name for themselves through heroic duels.
Wasn't that how Yun Zhong gained his fame?
Didn't Mei Lin of the First Fleet prove her worth as a general through a string of dueling victories?
And that fearsome Long Meng, widely regarded as the top gold level fighter, didn't he establish his dominance in the dueling arena?
Mian Li Zang believed: "When Long Fu publicly challenged Teng Dong Lang, everyone assumed the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was the underdog. But in reality, the Bayonet Gang was the carefully selected prey!"
Holding this conviction, Mian Li Zang found the duel footage between Long Fu and Teng Dong Lang increasingly implausible. That final scene where Long Fu “struggled” to defeat Teng Dong Lang? Too fake!
Later, upon learning that Long Fu had retaliated and killed three gold level fighters, he became even more certain that Long Fu's victory over Teng Dong Lang was likely a deeply calculated performance.
It was precisely because of this combat prowess that Mian Li Zang immediately arranged this meeting when the two visited.
This was the world of the strong.
Mian Li Zang felt he had to show Zong Ge, Zi Di, and their group the utmost respect!
Zi Di's mention of the arms dealer's background plunged Mian Li Zang into silence for a moment.
After gazing at the snowy landscape outside the window for a while, the current Li Jian Clan Leader finally turned to the two and said, "Since you have such deep connections and formidable skills, why did you choose to visit me and seek my clan's assistance? Surely you could handle formidable foes without our clan's involvement?"
Zi Di spread her hands in a wry smile. "Lord Mian Li Zang, you know our purpose here is business. We're using the dragon rider potions to establish our market presence and distribution channels first, then we'll move into arms dealing later."
"Both our commander and deputy were meticulously selected. Our commander excels at defeating stronger foes with weaker forces, while our deputy is near gold level. Dispatching combatants of gold level or higher would severely hinder our operations."
Perfect explanation!
At this point, Zi Di couldn't help but feel relieved, the arms dealer excuse was truly flawless and practical.
Whoever came up with it had to be a genius.
Zi Di continued, “So, as I mentioned earlier, this visit is to seek cooperation, not shelter.”
"Collaborating with your clan wasn't part of our original plan. I'd rather believe this is a serendipitous encounter. If we can leverage your connections to weather this storm, it would be ideal. I'm confident our future collaboration will yield even greater prospects and rewards."
“Oh? Care to elaborate?” Mian Li Zang inquired, his tone laced with hidden meaning.
Zi Di promptly retrieved a document, placed it on the coffee table, and slid it toward Mian Li Zang.
Mian Li Zang, holding his teacup in one hand, reached over with the other. Using his spell, mage hand, to turn the pages, his expression gradually darkened after a few moments of reading.