Chapter 569: Tan Mo Solicits Bribes
Cang Xu's reasoning was quite logical.
The fishman youngster listened, nodding slightly in agreement. “Your speculation is most likely correct.”
“But in specific circumstances, there are far too many influencing factors.”
"After all, your bloodline concentration is quite low, and the Hanging Corpse Tree bloodline is only at the saint level. My Surging Wave fishman bloodline is nearly 60% pure, and it's a god level bloodline. Between saint level and god level lies the entire legend level."
“Next, let's try praying once more.”
Cang Xu frowned and waved his hands urgently: “We can't.”
He refused outright.
“This carries risks, Commander.”
“Your body and soul both require rest and adaptation.”
"The divine blessing gained through prayer may not align with our wishes. Should it further burden your body or soul, it could cause harm."
“Given the intensity of past divine blessings, such damage would be immense for you.”
“We cannot take that risk.”
The dragonman youngster shook his head. “But I feel... even if it is a divine blessing, it will likely enhance the concentration of my bloodline, rather than anything else.”
“There have been precedents for this before.”
"During my previous periods of recuperation and assimilation, I would pray involuntarily even in my sleep. Each time I received a divine blessing, my bloodline concentration increased."
“This time, I feel it will also...”
“Lord Commander!” Cang Xu, in a rare attempt, interrupted the fishman youngster.
The old necromancer's expression turned grave and serious: “Lord Commander, you must change your mindset.”
“The main body of the Charming Blue Goddess lies dormant. You cannot guarantee that the divine blessing will align with your desires.”
“To take such a risk, should your conjecture prove wrong, you will suffer severe injury.”
“And that is not the most dreadful consequence.”
Cang Xu drew a deep breath: “Consider the sacred sons and sacred daughters within the church. Like you, they are all favored by the deity.”
"Their divine favor grows of its own accord."
"Yet they serve as the church's trump cards, vessels for the deity's descent in moments of crisis. Often, after fierce battles, these sacred sons and daughters are left crippled."
“Consider the Handsome Youth Mercenary Corps from the demon war, every member met a tragic end.”
"The richness of divine favor and blessing comes at a price. Being overly favored by the gods is both a blessing and a curse!"
“Judging by the current situation, the Charming Blue Goddess has invested so heavily in cultivating you, even going so far as to increase the concentration of your Surging Wave bloodline, is likely to groom you into a sacred son.”
“This prayer, its very words were crafted for me.”
"Yet in its execution, you, my lord, received the overwhelming majority of the divine blessings. The Charming Blue Goddess actively elevated your clergyman level, not as a magician level or warrior. These are all proofs!"
“By my estimation, the current Charming Blue Church likely has no sacred sons and daughters.”
“You have already become an Archbishop, but this position should not be your final destination!”
The fishman youngster's expression grew solemn.
He looked intently at Cang Xu and nodded. “You are absolutely correct!”
“Without realizing it, my mindset has shifted.”
"Cang Xu, thank you for your reminder this time. I hadn't realized I'd grown so complacent."
Cang Xu: "Lord Commander, recall the incident on Mystifying Monster Island. Our escape from that perilous place was only possible because we remained meticulous and vigilant, seizing every opportunity while preparing for the worst-case scenario at every turn."
“Such reckless ventures are simply not worth the risk.”
The fishman youngster nodded repeatedly, deeply moved by Cang Xu's words.
“One more thing,” Cang Xu added. “One more thing you must guard against, Lord Commander.”
“It concerns Miss Zi Di's resurrection.”
The fishman youngster's gaze sharpened.
Cang Xu continued, “Miss Zi Di is the lady of your heart. If the resurrection proceeds without interference, that would be the best outcome.”
“But we must also consider the alternative scenario.”
“Should Miss Zi Di be subjected to some hidden trap by the Charming Blue Goddess during her revival, it would be disastrous.”
Cang Xu possessed considerable “experience” in this matter, having once borne not only Zhou Zhang's dual seals but also the deadly trap of Jian Gui.
The fishman youngster drew in a sharp breath and nodded solemnly.
Being held hostage would be disastrous.
Without looking far, Lady Sea Snake he'd just captured was the most obvious example.
Lady Sea Snake held the Da Ji Clan hostage, thereby seizing Qi Ling's Achilles' heel and forcing her into submission.
The fishman youngster didn't want himself, let alone the other survivors, to fall under the control of the Charming Blue Goddess!
He sighed, “Cang Xu, thank you for the warning. You're right—relying solely on our current situation to revive Zi Di isn't safe.”
“After all, this Resurrection divine spell, along with my understanding and experience of it, were all granted by the Charming Blue Goddess.”
“Moving forward, we can seek opportunities to pray to other deities, learning their resurrection methods and wisdom.”
“By synthesizing this knowledge, we might avoid the pitfalls and reduce the risks.”
Cang Xu nodded repeatedly, praising the fishman youngster's prudent approach—truly worthy of a commander.
The fishman youngster, in turn, commended Cang Xu. This reminder from Cang Xu was exceptionally timely. No wonder he had sought to recruit him back on Mystifying Monster Island.
Almost simultaneously, on Two Eyes Island, Tan Mo was lavishing praise upon Yan Yi.
The first phase of interrogations concluded, granting temporary freedom not only to Yan Yi but even to Island Lord Hun Tong.
The two were secretly core members of their faction, so they could not be kept in the interrogation room for too long. Such detention would severely disrupt Two Eyes Island's daily operations.
Upon release, Yan Yi warmly invited Tan Mo to a feast.
After a hearty meal, Yan Yi presented Tan Mo with a substantial sum of money, carefully prepared by himself.
Satisfied and in high spirits, Tan Mo naturally showered Yan Yi with praise.
After all, saying nice things wouldn't cost a penny!
More importantly, Tan Mo needed to demonstrate his improved attitude. He had to become more enthusiastic, so others would know that the gifts he sent were effective!
Look, the results were immediate!
Rest assured.
Seeing Tan Mo's attitude shift, Yan Yi's face was plastered with smiles, his eyes subtly flashing with shrewdness.
He thought to himself: “Tan Mo, oh Tan Mo, this money won't be so easy to collect.”
Tan Mo, meanwhile, harbored even greater expectations: “If I gained so much from Yan Yi, a mere bronze level figure—”
“Then wouldn't I reap even more from Hun Tong, the gold level Two Eyes Island Lord?”
The height of his expectations matched the depth of his disappointment.
After their private meeting concluded, Tan Mo left the city government palace with a grim expression.
He carried tens of thousands of gold coins, yet his mood was foul.
The reason was simple: these tens of thousands of Devil Gold Coins were sacred artifacts and crucial evidence.
He absolutely could not lay a finger on them or embezzle them!
Hun Tong had certainly offered Tan Mo other gifts, but this sum was pitifully small.
“Not even two-thirds of what Yan Yi gave me!”
“Does Hun Tong look down on me? He thinks he can dismiss me so easily?”
“Take me for a beggar?”
"Hehe."
Tan Mo burned with humiliated fury.
At the same time, he seethed with resentment.
Hun Tong had ruled Two Eyes Island for years, amassing a fortune beyond measure.
Recently, he'd even raked in a massive war windfall!
So wealthy, yet so stingy! Had he forgotten he was still under imperial investigation?
Even for Tan Mo, finding such a prime target and opportunity for extortion was rare.
Burning with this intense resentment, Tan Mo secretly sought out Tu Ji and hinted around, “Lord Hun Tong is utterly incompetent. He's never properly handled disputes with the major merchant alliances, and the conflicts keep escalating.”
"He even dared to attack the Bandage Mercenary Corps! They've contributed on the battlefield, shedding blood for the cause. They're his comrades-in-arms! How could he bring himself to do that?"
“And his relationship with the Wealth Church has deteriorated drastically too...”
Tu Ji looked at Tan Mo and cut him off bluntly: “Lord Tan Mo, my assessment of Hun Tong is the exact opposite of yours!”
“He's been actively managing the disputes with the major merchant alliances, fiercely protecting the island's interests.”
“He likely has no money.”
“I've reviewed his intelligence reports over twenty times. If he had funds, his personality wouldn't allow such actions.”
"It's clear he didn't secure any spoils of war. The notion of him profiting massively from the conflict is a fog he deliberately released. And that, precisely, is one aspect I admire about him."
In this regard, Hun Tong had always strived to maintain a facade. For a short time, it worked well. But over the long haul, it wouldn't hold up.
After all, no matter how stingy he was, surely he hadn't neglected to refurbish the light cannon towers on Two Eyes Island or his magic flying ship, the Golden Flash?
On this point, Tu Ji was certainly not the only one to see through it; the major merchant alliances were also gradually coming to realize that Tan Mo was merely feigning ignorance.
Tu Ji sighed. “Hun Tong was simply unlucky. His scheming and maneuvering were actually quite skillful.”
“Though he repelled the fishman clan, it was a pyrrhic victory that severely depleted his forces.”
“Therefore, he decisively absorbed the Bandage Mercenary Corps and others. This allowed him to replenish his strength, restore part of his power, and simultaneously eliminate potential troublemakers before they could stir up trouble.”
“Those mercenary groups have always been ungrateful dogs that can't be tamed.”
“Finally, seizing the opportunity presented by the death of the Wealth Priest, he actively introduced the Justice Church.”
"His aim was to balance the Wealth Church by bringing in other churches, ending their previous dominance. By fragmenting religious authority, the greatest beneficiary would be himself, the Two Eyes Island Lord."
“In summary, Hun Tong is an exceptional noble, truly an empire-building elite who rose from nothing to establish the foundation of Two Eyes Island!”
During evidence collection, Tu Ji heard countless negative assessments of Hun Tong. Yet he remained unshaken, guided by his own clear and rational judgment.
He met Tan Mo's gaze with calm eyes, and the latter backed away awkwardly.