Chapter 677: Plotting and Scheming Against Each Other
“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?” Snow Bird Harbor City Lord wore a look of astonishment.
His first thought was: “Could it be that Sleeping Man's saint domain aptitude has been exposed?”
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's greatest gain from hosting Tan Mo this time was a full appreciation of the latter's investigative capabilities.
Naturally, as an investigator, Tan Mo himself possessed considerable authority, able to leverage the power of the Secret Spy Agency for his inquiries. This undoubtedly amplified his own capabilities.
As for why Tan Mo could investigate the secret agents here in Snow Bird Harbor, that involved the factional divisions within the Secret Spy Agency.
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord, codenamed [Emancipator], was not a native-born citizen but an aristocrat from the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, defected by [Usurper].
He, along with [Usurper] and Mei Lan Du, belonged to the outsider faction.
Tan Mo did not.
He was a native-born citizen of the Sheng Ming Empire, having undergone extensive covert training, representing the native faction.
Lan Zao and his pseudonym Hen Fa were also outsiders. Though trained, their time spent there was shorter, definitely outsiders.
Gold Hand, framed by the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord, was a secret agent of the native faction.
The Empire's Secret Spy Agency deliberately placed Gold Hand alongside outsiders like the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord, a move with deep significance.
But Gold Hand died, shortly after submitting his denunciation letter against the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
This triggered the Imperial Secret Spy Agency's follow-up action: “dispatching an investigator.”
Tan Mo himself possessed exceptional investigative talent. He could see through disguises and find the correct investigative direction amidst tangled surface clues.
Within Snow Bird Harbor, he mobilized the secret spy forces of the native faction.
This dual approach allowed him to uncover numerous secrets in a short time.
Secret agents from the native faction weren't confined to Snow Bird Harbor; there were even more on Feng Awakening Island.
The secret agent codenamed [Su Xing] belonged to the native faction. The castle he built on Feng Awakening Island functioned like a hidden wedge, silently watching over Ice Sculpture Island from afar.
“Can Tan Mo uncover the truth about the Sleeping Man?” The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord had pondered this question long ago.
The answer was unequivocally yes.
The arrests of Da Dou, the big guy, and others weren't carried out by Snow Bird Harbor City Lord himself, they involved Su Xing and his network. The capture occurred on Magnet Archipelago.
As native faction members, Su Xing and Tan Mo were true allies.
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord held a higher position than [Su Xing]. Yet he still relied on [Su Xing] and others to bring the big guy back.
Where did Su Xing's loyalty lie?
Forget loyalty, in terms of closeness alone, Su Xing would undoubtedly be far closer to Tan Mo!
Thus, Snow Bird Harbor City Lord had long anticipated this outcome.
He pinned his hopes on delaying tactics, covering up this critical secret, swiftly handling the investigation, and dispatching Tan Mo before he could catch on.
Now, upon suddenly hearing Tan Mo mention the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, Snow Bird Harbor City Lord instantly felt exposed.
Yet he gave nothing away, showing not a trace of anxiety.
The city lord stared intently at his wine glass. Within mere seconds, his mind churned violently, processing countless thoughts.
Finally, he lifted his gaze to Tan Mo seated across from him.
His tone remained calm: “The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is of critical importance. I've invested substantial resources and effort into them, all to uncover the arms dealer behind them.”
“This is my most crucial source of merit. You want to share...”
At this point, Snow Bird Harbor City Lord shook his head slightly.
Yet he didn't display outright refusal. Instead, he weighed the stakes pragmatically: “If you decide to meddle, then our previous agreement is null. We'll need to renegotiate.”
Tan Mo fell silent.
In truth, he hadn't uncovered anything about the big guy yet. The speculation about the big guy's lineage had already surfaced on [Su Xing]'s side, but Tan Mo hadn't been able to access it yet.
The reason was simple, and somewhat ironic.
Tan Mo's reputation for greed and extortion has spread far and wide, becoming deeply ingrained in people's minds!
Even within the native factions, Su Xing needed to establish solid relations with Tan Mo first, ensuring he could survive this investigation, before proceeding to deeper connections.
Only then would Tan Mo have a chance to uncover the big guy's secrets.
Tan Mo's investigation had never focused on the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
In his view, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was merely a representative of arms dealers who had lucked out by reaping the windfall from the battle of Two Eyes Island.
From the very beginning, Tan Mo's sole objective had been to seize this fortune from the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
Of course, had he uncovered the big guy's secret, his intentions would have been entirely different.
Between a saint level seed and the riches of Two Eyes Island, any fool would know which to choose!
Tan Mo paused to deliberate, deliberately slowing his speech. His previously leisurely demeanor shifted to one of earnest solemnity. He was striving to convey sincerity, signaling that what followed came from his heart: “There is a piece of information, City Lord, that you may not be aware of.”
Tan Mo voiced Yan Yi's conjecture—that the wealth of Two Eyes Island had ultimately fallen into the hands of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
“Is that so?” The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord sighed in surprise. “It seems Yan Yi has kept quite a few things from me.”
By rank, Yan Yi was naturally far below Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
But he wasn't directly subordinated. In this regard, his constraints were far less than those of [Su Xing]. Though Su Xing belonged to the native faction, his authority was ultimately subordinate to Usurper and thus constrained by Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
Another crucial point was that Yan Yi was an agent of the Empire.
Two Eyes Island was originally imperial territory, conquered by Hun Tong during his expansion. Therefore, Yan Yi was a local operative within the Imperial Secret Spy Agency.
From this perspective, it was unsurprising that Yan Yi concealed information from Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
Tan Mo chuckled. "Upon arriving here, I dispatched investigators. It has now been verified that after the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps landed and entered the harbor, they indeed trafficked large quantities of antique calligraphy and paintings."
This was indeed the truth.
After arriving at Snow Bird Harbor, the survivors resold many items to replenish their funds. Especially with antiques and paintings, offloading them often requires time.
Later, when the survivors ventured into the potion trade, part of their startup capital came from this source.
“Therefore, I'm quite interested in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps,” Tan Mo concluded.
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord fell silent once more.
His probing had yielded favorable results.
He felt a surge of quiet excitement: "Tan Mo doesn't know the secret of the Sleeping Man's saint bloodline!"
This undoubtedly left him with immense room for maneuver.
“I must seize this opportunity.”
Outwardly, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord remained composed: “I see.”
“You seek to deal with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps for the sake of the Two Eyes Island's wealth.”
“I wish to draw closer to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to lure out the figures behind them.”
“Perhaps our objectives are not in conflict.”
Tan Mo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
He felt his intentions had been made abundantly clear.
He was targeting the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!
Having successfully extorted the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and forced him into a corner, he now held the upper hand.
He intended to make the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord act. As the local lord, dealing with and controlling the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would be child's play for him!
Tan Mo himself would not lift a finger.
Yet, though the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord seemed to grasp Tan Mo's intent, he had a different plan.
“Do you have a better idea?” Tan Mo inquired.
The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord continued, “You want money, I want people. Our goals aren't conflicting.”
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord certainly wouldn't directly target the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!
On one hand, he genuinely wanted to continue fishing for the arms dealer behind them. On the other hand, he had no desire for a major confrontation. Because the bigger the operation, the more it would inevitably expose. If Tan Mo uncovered the big guy's secret, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord would suffer the greatest loss!
Seeing the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord emphasize this point twice, Tan Mo understood the latter seemed to have a new proposal.
Tan Mo expressed his willingness to hear the details.
But Snow Bird Harbor City Lord shifted his focus: "Do you know? Da Han, leading a large pirate force, has already advanced to our nation's coastal defenses."
Tan Mo immediately replied, “Of course. That's the most critical intelligence currently.”
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord continued, "The pirates are attacking the defenses belonging to the Kingdom's Second Naval Fleet. Based on my speculation, Feng Lian, harboring resentment over his conflict with the Li Jian Clan, deliberately lured Da Han into this."
“Furthermore, I believe the Second Naval Fleet will likely be breached in this battle.”
Tan Mo immediately voiced his skepticism: “The pirates only have one saint level expert—Da Han. Though he commands a saint beast, we all know beasts have limited combat tactics and low intelligence. At best, they're only considered half a saint level.”
“Meanwhile, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom possesses three saint level experts. They needn't deploy all three, just two would secure battlefield dominance.”
Compared to Snow Bird Harbor City Lord, Tan Mo favored the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's side.
But Snow Bird Harbor City Lord chuckled: “Lord Tan Mo, you're unaware of the inner workings.”
“The political atmosphere here in the kingdom is rather delicate.”
"The Royal Grand Magician and the king hold divergent views. As you know, the current king is only at the saint level, while the Royal Grand Magician is also at the saint level. Moreover, the grand magician commands the Han Yu Clan, which stands as the foremost noble house in our nation."
Tan Mo frowned slightly. He understood—intense political maneuvering existed within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
The king wanted the Royal Grand Magician to take action, ideally defeating Da Han only to return wounded and in need of recuperation.
This would allow the king to exert his influence, implement his political agenda, and break the current stalemate.
Conversely, the Royal Grand Magician harbored similar ambitions.
The king represented not just himself, but the interests of the royal family and the kingdom. The royal grand magician, meanwhile, sought to defend his political ideals and the rights of his bloodline kin, the Han Yu Clan.
“And what of the White Dragon King?” Tan Mo inquired.
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom's third saint level figure was the supreme leader of the White Dragon Clan—a saint level White Dragon King.
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord stated, “The current White Dragon King has always lived in seclusion, disdaining mundane affairs. She typically resides in a mountain cave in deep slumber, rarely making public appearances. She holds no interest in such matters.”
“According to the royal alliance treaty, the kingdom does indeed possess the opportunity to summon the White Dragon King to intervene. But absolutely not at this moment.”
The peril in the waters surrounding Ice Sculpture Island and the attacks on the navy do not warrant deploying a saint level trump card like the White Dragon King.
After all, they were merely allies, essentially guests.
How could a host stand idly by, letting their guests take the first move?
Tan Mo's eyes flashed with sharpness: “So, you believe none of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's three saint level beings will intervene?”
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord voiced his conjecture: “They will certainly act, but the likelihood of it happening at sea is very low.”
“In naval combat, the pirates not only have the freedom to advance and retreat at will, but they also make their living on the sea, it's the battlefield environment they're most adapted to.”
“We speculate that Da Han, craving the resources of the Ten Millenia Ice Lake, will definitely land on the island!”
"In that case, why not simply set the battlefield in the royal capital? The three saint levels would hold an overwhelming home-field advantage. After defeating Da Han, his escape would become exceedingly difficult. Perhaps this battle could even secure Da Han's demise, greatly enhancing our renown and bolstering national prestige. "
"Of course, there are drawbacks. Should saint level combat erupt, the capital as a battlefield would suffer catastrophic losses.
Tan Mo nodded. “Your analysis is sound.”
He fully agreed with Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's assessment.
The reason was simple and straightforward—this was a world of the strong!
No matter how many soldiers perished or how much wealth was lost, it would not shake the foundations of their power.
Because the true foundation lay in the powerhouses themselves.
For the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, that meant its three saint level figures: the king, the grand magician, and the White Dragon King.
Conversely, if any of them were injured, their respective factions would immediately falter, retreating on all fronts and contracting step by step.
The greater the severity of their injuries, the heavier the losses for their factions!
This explained why none of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's three saint level figures had responded after Da Han's provocation.
As the very foundation of their factions, they must be extremely cautious, indeed, they have no choice but to be.
At this point, Tan Mo had already vaguely guessed Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's intentions.
He stated directly, “You intend to disguise yourself as pirates and attack the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?”
Speaking with a clever man was refreshingly straightforward.
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord realized once more: Though Tan Mo was greedy beyond measure, he possessed genuine talent!
That was precisely the plan.
Having deduced that the kingdom's three saint level figures would be extremely cautious and highly unlikely to appear at sea, the defeat of the Second Naval Fleet was all but certain.
At that point, the maritime defenses would inevitably collapse!
The coastal regions of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom would likely face pirate raids.
At this stage, directly posing as pirates and launching a direct assault on Snow Bird Harbor offered numerous advantages!
The first benefit: Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was not loyal to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom; he was a member of the Imperial Secret Spy Agency. Under the guise of pirates, he could eliminate numerous mid-to-lower-ranking officials and seize the opportunity to infiltrate a large number of secret agents.
The second advantage: a swift pirate-led assault on the island would drastically diminish Snow Bird Harbor's value in the eyes of figures like Da Han. What riches could remain in a harbor already plundered once? And Snow Bird Harbor was merely one of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's eight major trading ports.
The third advantage: posing as pirates to attack the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would satisfy Tan Mo while allowing Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's plan to proceed. When Snow Bird Harbor City Lord then offered aid and “repelled” the “pirates,” the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, robbed of their wealth, would be profoundly grateful to the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord!
Upon receiving Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's affirmative response, Tan Mo clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “This plan is indeed excellent.”
"Then let's sign the contract. You want money; I want people," declared the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
A look of hesitation flashed across Tan Mo's face.
Seeing this, Snow Bird Harbor City Lord firmly stated that this condition was non-negotiable!
If Tan Mo refused to sign, he could never trust him.
Only after the contract was signed would he release a portion of the funds to Tan Mo. Once the investigation storm subsided, he would hand over the remainder, at which point the contract would automatically be nullified.
Tan Mo fell deep in thought.
This was undoubtedly risky.
Should Snow Bird Harbor City Lord fall from grace in the future, this contract could surface as incriminating evidence.
Yet Tan Mo understood: Refusing this condition meant forfeiting Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's bribe.
And it was a substantial sum!
“And then there's the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' share...”
“It's not just the wealth from Two Eyes Island. I hear their magic potions are selling like hotcakes, bringing in a fortune.”
Greed gradually overpowered reason.
Finally, Tan Mo nodded slowly. "Where is the magic contract? I need to examine it thoroughly."