Chapter 750: The Chink in the Two Countries’ Game
“This year’s National Ceremony Grand Duel is truly wonderful, the most wonderful one for the last several hundred years.”
“Who would have thought the military’s magic construct [Cold Pudding] would also be eliminated. In former years, even if Bao Li Gen wasn’t the champion, he’d absolutely be a lock in for runner up.”
“What an intense competition, there are so many experts dueling!”
“Regretfully, the top four doesn’t have a single snow elf. There are three outsiders, and the only citizen left is Long Meng.”
“Long Meng must win the championship! If an outsider wins the National Ceremony Grand Duel, we will really lose face.”
“Now the problem is that Qi Ci Lang is really strong, extraordinarily strong. None of us have ever seen his resurrection with our own eyes. If someone could force out his trump cards and get more intel on him, Lord Long Meng’s chances of winning would be higher.”
“Long Fu can! Have Long Fu challenge Qi Ci Lang first to lay the groundwork for Lord Long Meng.”
“Yes, it is time for Long Fu to repay Lord Long Meng’s kindness for teaching him!”
Public opinion gradually came to the common viewpoint that “Long Fu should lay the groundwork for Long Meng”.
It wasn’t just the populace expecting this, the Ice Sculpture Royal Family also gave veiled hints about this to the survivors through the Alchemy Guild.
Now that Bao Li Gen couldn’t be counted on, from the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s point of view, Long Meng was their only hope, and they had to do everything to safeguard him.
The National Ceremony Grand Duel was very important, and it contained profound political implications that radiated outwards to severely affect the military and economy.
To say nothing of the Dueling Godhead in Tranquil Hill!
However, the dragonman youngster wouldn’t do that.
Because his main objective was the Dueling Godhead. If he was defeated, his renown would tumble, he would be set as a weak person in the memory of everyone, and that would negatively affect him enormously.
Of the top four, the dragonman youngster was the “weakest”, he had to be very careful and prudent, no carelessness was allowed.
After all, getting to this point wasn’t easy.
Fortunately, Cang Xu had predicted this situation, therefore, he acted ahead of time and secretly contacted Lei Kuang, and then Xun Liang.
The dragonman youngster needed Xun Liang to challenge him, instead of him challenging Xun Liang.
If the latter happened, it would gravely batter his image. It would cause the masses, royal family, and others to think that the dragonman youngster was kicking a benefactor in the teeth, unwilling to help Long Meng and confront the powerful Qi Ci Lang, instead he chose the relatively weaker Xun Liang.
The difficulty of this operation lay with persuading Xun Liang to challenge the dragonman youngster.
Giving Lei Kuang presents merely built a bridge of communication.
Lei Kuang also explicitly stated: he couldn’t control Xun Liang’s opinion. The survivors had to negotiate everything with Xun Liang himself.
In the end, Xun Liang easily agreed.
The smoothness of this matter exceeded the expectations of Cang Xu and the others.
Xun Liang also wished to inform him of his intent, “This is the road of redemption my God bestowed onto me. My encounter with Lei Kuang, coming to Ice Sculpture Island, and participating in these duels are all part of my master’s plan. Your request is part of it too.”
“This is the Lord intending to have me fight Long Fu.”
“Therefore, I should thank you all.”
After learning of his answer, the survivors looked at each other silently for a moment.
After resolving things with the most crucial person, the following operation went without a hitch,
On the one hand, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps secretly agreed to the royal family’s request and used the opportunity to buy many rare dragon materials from the state treasury at a low price.
On the other hand, the dragonman youngster asked Long Meng to teach him how to battle Qi Ci Lang.
Long Meng thanked the dragonman youngster for his choice and told him he didn’t need to do that..
The dragonman youngster proceeded to deceive him: this is my gratitude that I am indebted to you for your teachings, please accept it Long Meng.
Long Meng also sensed the formidable pressure from Qi Ci Lang, and after muttering to himself for a moment, he nodded, “If it were me, I like it more when a powerful enemy gives me a ‘pleasant surprise’.”
“Oh, how to cope with the heavy responsibility I shoulder.”
The dragonman youngster smiled and consoled, “Gathering information is also a part of battle and strength.”
Long Meng finally nodded.
Deceiving Long Meng made the young man feel guilty.
But there was nothing else he could do.
“Long Meng, you’re right.”
“Your heavy responsibility is beyond your control. Isn’t it the same for me too?”
“I don’t want to deceive you; I want to become a friend you can be honest with. Unfortunately, I am a leader, and I too shoulder the expectations, futures, and lives of others.”
“I need the Dueling Godhead!”
The young man didn’t forget about his sentiment towards Long Meng’s teachings, but he could choose himself how to repay it, instead of sacrificing his and the other survivors’ hopes of survival.
He wasn’t done after achieving this step.
Under Cang Xu’s suggestion, the dragonman youngster contacted Snow Bird Harbor City Lord urgently to explain his current actions, he wanted to pave the road for Long Meng and challenge Qi Ci Lang in advance. If possible, he hoped Snow Bird Harbor City Lord could offer some powerful equipment.
This startled Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was somewhat anxious and promptly contacted the Thirteenth Prince.
He was the imperial secret spy [Emancipator]. He had taken office as Snow Bird Harbor City Lord to give the Thirteenth Prince a foundation in which the latter could spread out from.
The Thirteenth Prince knew about this plan, and when he was sailing, had cursed Snow Bird Harbor City Lord for his incompetence when he read the latter lost the magician tower.
When the Thirteenth Prince learned Long Fu wanted to challenge Qi Ci Lang, he also couldn’t sit still.
“Although Qi Ci Lang is strong, Long Meng has never revealed his depths. The Ice Sculpture Kingdom relied on the latter, and arrangements began in the earlier dueling tournaments. The outcome of Qi Ci Lang vs Long Meng is hard to ascertain.”
The Thirteenth Prince also saw the magic image and knew that when Qi Ci Lang and “Da Han” fought, the latter wasn’t using his full strength and instead decided to retreat.
According to the Thirteenth Prince’s personal hypothesis: Da Han might be worried about Qi Ci Lang’s and the Thirteenth Prince’s background. Da Han was strong enough to offend the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, but he didn’t want to oppose the Sheng Ming Empire.
“Even if Qi Ci Lang has an advantage, I will help him with everything I have to increase his probability of victory.”
“This is what I should do!”
Coming to this realization, the Thirteenth Prince immediately acted and mobilized his forces to begin to thwart the dragonman youngster’s plan.
Following his advisors’’ suggestions, the Thirteenth Prince similarly contacted Lei Kuang and sent heavy gifts.
Seeing another group sending gifts, Lei Kuang was pleasantly surprised, not expecting these gains.
After the Thirteenth Prince’s envoy saw Xun Liang, he explained his purpose in coming.
Xun Liang nodded, and agreed on the spot, surprising the envoy.
Xun Liang also gave his thanks.
Lei Kuang finally couldn’t help but suggest, “Lord Xun Liang, you agreed too easily. That was a good chance to give demands. Even though you cannot step off of the road of redemption or use equipment, medicine, scrolls, and so on will be very useful to you during the duel.”
Xun Liang looked indifferent and silently gazed back at Lei Kuang.
Lei Kuang quickly retreated in defeat from Xun Liang’s pressuring stare.
Xun Liang entered the prayer room, and from inside, his voice disseminated his prayer once again, “Grand Barbarian God, my Father, my Lord. I piously pray to you and thank you for granting a second revelation. I have realized that the road of redemption before me is the one I must follow…”
“Barbarian God…alas.” Lei Kuang stopped walking, then soon after he shook his head, sighed, and quickly and quietly departed.
The Thirteenth Prince’s operation didn’t just contact Xun Liang.
In the wake of Xun Liang challenging the dragonman youngster, the Imperial Secret Spy Agency utilized their influence to begin to incite public sentiment.
Public opinion began to rapidly shift.
“Long Fu should accept this battle invitation, otherwise he is scared of Xun Liang!”
“I really hope to see Long Fu and Xun Liang fight; I support Long Fu.”
Big picture? Humph, what big picture! He’s only an outsider.
Wanting to rely on an outsider to probe Qi Ci Lang? Even if the ultimate champion was domestic, what meaning did this victory have?
The crucial point depended on Long Meng’s structure! If he relied on aid and didn’t battle by himself, even if he became champion in the future, I believe it would be a questionable achievement.
Public opinion could be controlled.
Public sentiment was often rooted in emotion, constrained by perception and information, and usually wasn’t partial to calm and impartial judgement.
Public sentiment continued to simmer.
Very quickly, it even affected the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ medicine business.
A gigantic magic medicine order was given to Zi Di.
This was a veiled method of the Thirteenth Prince to lure the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps into agreeing to duel Xun Liang and not Qi Ci Lang.
If the dragonman youngster could challenge Long Meng, then the rewards would be more astonishing!
The first to feel the force of the empire’s counterattack was the Ice Sculpture Royal Family.
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps took the empire purchase order to the royal family’s representative and recounted their difficulties.
“I didn’t expect the water to be so deep here!” Zi Di sighed, calmly stating that they were considering retreating, not wanting to get involved with such high level games.
“We only wanted to do some business.”
“Although I personally have some great ambitions, I know myself, this is not something I can participate in.”
“Agreeing to challenge Qi Ci Lang proves I am indeed shortsighted and shows I have no understanding of the times.”
“This alchemy blueprint is to make amends this time.”
Since no magic contract was signed, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had room to maneuver.
The blueprint was of an alchemy component that formed a perfect adaptation with the magic construct armament [Cold Pudding].
After the king found out about this, he sank into contemplation.
“Humph, Thirteenth Prince!”
The Ice Sculpture King was as gloomy as water, in his heart, the Thirteenth Prince was his greatest enemy. The Sheng Ming Empire had pressured him for many years, making it difficult for him to breathe.
His recruitment of outside help caused the empire to issue a powerful response.
The king turned it over in his mind, feeling that he shouldn’t expand the scope of this fight.
Dragging this on was meaningless!
Ultimately, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom couldn’t compete with the Sheng Ming Empire. The latter was too big, and the Ice Sculpture Kingdom was mainly just one island, aptly labelled as a small nation.
“If Long Fu agrees to withdraw, it sends a signal we are exercising restraint.”
The Ice Sculpture King judged: according to the tacit understanding of noble political games, the Thirteenth Prince will restrain himself accordingly.
“As for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, we’ll handle them like this for the time being.”
The king thought of the alchemy blueprint, and his eyes flashed.
“In so short a time, they were able to provide an adaptation alchemy component to [Cold Pudding], that fully proves the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ arms merchant backer’s strength!”
“It also laterally proves that the arms merchant has many more good things in their hands,.”
The Ice Sculpture King was always interested in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ arms merchant backer.
Because international arms dealers had factions they naturally oriented themselves around, they were natural allies of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
When the Sheng Ming Empire’s invasion of the Wilderness Continent, they had a massive equipment superiority. International arms dealers selling high end munitions to the beastmen would undoubtedly hinder the Sheng Ming Empire.
Therefore, the Sheng Ming Empire exerted themselves to target these international arms merchants.
From some point of view, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom was also an international arms dealer!
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s exported alchemy products were not limited to civilian goods but also included munitions. Compared to civilian goods, munitions were where the profits were.
Therefore, in the Ice Sculpture King’s mind, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was considered to be in the same industry.
“Let them do business properly.”
“Extending them more goodwill will make it easier to contact their backer in the future.”
The dragonman youngster decided to shrink back this time, deepening the impression that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was “puny, harmless, and could collaborate” to the high class.
After careful deliberations, the Ice Sculpture King finally agreed that the dragonman youngster should back down.
After communicating with the royal family, the dragonman youngster sprinted to meet Long Meng without stopping to rest.
Long Meng was aware of the turbulent undercurrents.
He was the most important chess piece on the board, and trapped within this maelstrom, he had a deep perception of it all.
The dragonman youngster bowed deeply and presented a bundle of top quality magic scrolls. He stated to Long Meng that although he desired to challenge Qi Ci Lang, due to circumstances, as a leader, he was actually powerless and had his hands tied.
Long Meng understood him entirely, and to allow the dragonman youngster to ease his mind, he accepted the dragonman youngster’s gift.
“These magic scrolls are indeed useful to me, I accept them.”
Long Meng and the dragonman youngster had already become close friends.
When Long Meng accepted the gift, he did so without the slightest modesty. From this point of view, it illustrates that Qi CI Lang really was putting Long Meng under quite a lot of pressure.
Finally, Zi Di stepped up again and politely refused the empire’s purchase order, and explicitly informed them that they wouldn’t be challenging Qi Ci Lang.
Zi Di “made known her true feelings”: she was unwilling to interfere with high end games, she just wanted to fulfill her duties, which was selling munitions well.
After the Thirteenth Prince found out, he coldly snorted, thinking to himself that he would tidy up this international arms merchant later in the future, but for now, there was no harm in letting them go. There was no need to force a neutral power into the clutches of the enemy.
In accordance with Cang Xu’s calculated strategy, the survivors cleverly played off the conflicts in the two countries’ game, giving them a narrow space for them to dance between the two superpowers.
The dragonman youngster and Zi Di once again experienced what an outstanding politician Cang Xu was!
As the dragonman youngster stood in the dueling arena, facing the tranquil faced Xun Liang, he knew full well that reaching where he was standing at this very moment wasn’t easy.
Without War Merchant’s database displaying its worth, Zi Di’s outstanding negotiation skills, and Cang Xu’s strategies, he would have been forced to lay the groundwork for Long Meng.