Joint Conference

"So, the disappearance of everyone in the Martial King Cup audience area was orchestrated by the Demon Race, in order to reduce the number of Spirit Transformation stage experts from each nation?"

Not all countries have a hundred or so Nascent Spirit Transformation like the Su State. Apart from Nation of Valor, most countries in the Northern Continent only have a dozen or so Spirit Transformation, and some even fewer. Losing three or four of them in the Martial King Cup was a huge blow to their military strength, because many countries have average soldiers and weapons, and basically rely on Spirit Transformation cultivators to maintain appearances.

Yu Shuying shook her head and said, "It might not be the Demon Race. It could also be the Remote Heaven Society. Ying Zhou's father possessed a metal body, which proves that he once joined the Remote Heaven Society. Therefore, it is highly likely that the Remote Heaven Society cooperating with the Demon Race."

"By cooperating with the Demon Race, the Remote Heaven Society is committing treason! If we can find evidence proving their involvement, it will be enough to completely ruin their reputation and ensure they can never recover."

Si Ming figured that even if he couldn't find any evidence, he would fabricate some. After all, Remote Heaven Society unlikely to stand up for him, so he could smear him however he wanted.

"Before that, we must be wary of the Remote Heaven Society's actions. I don't believe they genuinely want to cooperate with the Demon Race Human Race; it would do them no good. Considering their past actions, the conclusion is obvious: they want to muddy the waters and then fish in troubled waters..."

"Divine Pillar! Eternal Barrier!" Si Ming suddenly realized, "They want revenge for the arrow they shot last time. Nation of Valor has to divert its forces to fight the Demon Race, which will inevitably leave the central defenses vulnerable. The Remote Heaven Society can then take advantage of this opportunity to cut down the Divine Pillar and do what they couldn't do last time."

"While there's also the possibility of a feint, this is the most likely scenario."

"Given this unexpected turn of events, the Martial King Cup cannot continue, and our trial mission has been suspended. We can now focus our efforts on stopping the Remote Heaven Society's actions; we must not let them succeed."

So Si Ming began to think of a plan to deal with the Remote Heaven Society, such as finding help from the Mohist Knight Guard, or spreading rumors about the Remote Heaven Society's attempt to take advantage of the chaos. He prepared thirteen plans in one go.

However, Si Ming forgot to consider one scenario: what if Nation of Valor didn't need his help and instead wanted to deport him?

Chapter 676 Joint Conference

Are the Nation of Valor brains made of mush?

Si Ming smashed a pen to pieces, revealing an expression that said, "I'm so angry I could die."

After discovering that the Demon Race was not engaging in minor skirmishes but was serious, the Nation of Valor government issued a war mobilization order, putting the entire country into a wartime state. As a result, foreigners with great power like Si Ming became the primary targets for expulsion. The saying goes, "To quell external aggression, one must first pacify internal strife." They couldn't read Si Ming's mind and couldn't ascertain Si Ming stance, so they could only expel the destabilizing factors as early as possible.

With Si Ming's strength, he could certainly stay shamelessly, but doing so would be pointless. Even if the other side didn't send a strong fighter to battle him, they would send someone to keep an eye on him 24/7, making it impossible for him to do anything.

Moreover, Si Ming's words and actions represent not only himself, but also the reactions of his master, the Mohist School, and the Su State. He had to take these reactions into account. In the past, he could act recklessly because he was relatively unknown, and no one paid much attention to him. Now, he has demonstrated his strength and expanded his influence through Sun Wu University and the Martial King Cup, thus becoming a pivotal figure. People will try to interpret the deeper meanings behind his words and actions. For example, does his staying in Nation of Valor mean that the Mohist School wants to take advantage of his misfortune?

But Si Ming hasn't explained yet. Even if he stands up and says it's a personal act, unrelated to the country or organization, no one will believe him. The Mohist Knight Guard might even send someone to ask him what his true thoughts are.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. While Si Ming gained fame and expanded his influence, he also had more obligations to bear and could no longer act willfully. Unless he declared his separation from the Mohist School and severed all organizational ties like his senior master Xiao Xuan, he could do whatever he wanted without fear of being over-interpreted, and every move he made would only represent his personal will.

Furthermore, even if Si Ming insists on staying regardless of everything, Yu Shuying, Ying Zhou, and others do not have the same strength. If they are all expelled, Si Ming will be all alone and his role will be very limited.

"Tch, I was originally planning to secretly send the Lightning Zaku back after checking all its data, but now it seems I can save on shipping costs," Si Ming said, filled with a sense of vengeful pleasure.

Because a large number of Spirit Transformation Grandmaster disappeared without a trace on their own territory, the Nation of Valor government was largely to blame. On the one hand, they had to mobilize the army to resist the demon tide, and on the other hand, they had to deal with diplomatic issues. They were so busy that they had no time to investigate the process of the Martial King Cup. Therefore, they did not know that the Profound Armor they invented had fallen into Si Ming's hands, and they sent him away in a daze.

By the time they realize what's happening and try to demand the Xuanjia Profound Armor back from the Su State, it will be too late. The Su State is unlikely to return the benefits they've already taken. They'll definitely come up with some excuse about not knowing anything about it. After all, if they return the Profound Armor, it would be tantamount to admitting that they stole another country's military secrets. It would be better to lie through their teeth. If there's no evidence, it's just Nation of Valor slander; if there is evidence, it means that the Nation of Valor have made a new breakthrough in forgery technology.

Si Huaruo comforted her, "We have done our best; even if we fail, it's not our responsibility."

The Nation of Beauty is a landlocked country, so it suffered the least pressure during this wave of demonic forces. Otherwise, the Si Clan would definitely have recalled Si Huaruo, as having an extra expert would provide extra protection.

Si Ming, "This is not a matter of responsibility. The Eternal Barrier concerns the interests of everyone, not just the Nation of Valor. Although I reminded them to protect the Divine Pillar and guard against the Heaven-Defying Society, I cannot guarantee how much they listened or whether they would take it seriously."

He grew increasingly agitated, then turned to see Yu Shuying deep in thought and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering if expelling us from the country is also a tactic of the Heaven-Defying Society?" Yu Shuying said slowly.

Si Ming paused for a moment, then exclaimed excitedly, "It's highly likely! We already suspected that there were spies from the Heaven-Defying Society among the Nation of Valor high command. Considering this series of actions, I simply don't believe they weren't involved."

He paced back and forth for a dozen times, then suddenly clenched his fist and said, "Whatever, I'll just sneak in. They can stop me from staying, but can they stop me from going back?"

Si Ming was kicked out because he was Yan Jinghong's apprentice and Grandmaster Candidate of the Mohist School. He was constrained by his multiple identities and had to compromise. But as long as he put on a mask and wore black clothes, he would be a mysterious masked man of unknown identity who could do whatever he wanted with his fists.

When a person stands under the spotlight and is watched by many eyes, they must act according to the rules under the spotlight and honestly play their role. Once they leave the spotlight and go behind the scenes, even if they strip naked and run around, no one can say anything.

Yu Shuying said, "Before that, let's wait for the results of this joint meeting before discussing our next course of action."

At this moment, Si Ming and his group were in the capital of Rui State. In order to deal with the full-scale invasion launched by the Demon Race, all the countries of the Northern Continent decided to unite and form an alliance to jointly resist the foreign enemy.

Many of Rui State's citizens are apprentices of Merchant School, and merchants value personal connections above all else, believing that harmony brings wealth. As a result, Rui State maintains good relations with various countries.

The Rui State is a permanently neutral country in the Northern Continent. It does not participate in any military alliances and never initiates wars. Therefore, whenever countries in the Northern Continent want to hold international conferences or negotiations, they choose to hold them in the Rui State.

Of course, neutrality isn't something you can achieve simply by declaring neutrality. If someone dislikes you or sees an opportunity for you, they might attack you even if you declare neutrality. It's like the ancient Chinese practice of hanging up signs of truce. If you have strong fortifications and high walls, the enemy will give you face and temporarily cease hostilities. But if the city gates have been breached, the enemy won't hesitate to attack you even if you hang up a hundred signs of truce.

If a country wants to be a neutral nation, it must prove with its strength that it is not to be trifled with and fight for peace with its fists.

The Rui State is a fat sheep, with a per capita income that is much higher than that of the Su State, making them incredibly wealthy. However, their military strength is quite average, and the number of people enlisting in the army is declining year by year. Logically speaking, it is impossible for them to become a neutral country. Once an international war breaks out, everyone will want to take a bite. But Rui State has managed to do so because they have a unique skill - whenever a war breaks out, they will hire the Mohist School to help defend the city.

The Mohist School advocated "mutual benefit" and were not ashamed to talk about profit. They also valued commercial development and thus had close relationships with Merchant School. The Mohist School's credibility was known throughout the world; they always kept their word and delivered on their promises. Merchant School trusted the Mohist School very much.

When the Rui State was first established, it was frequently raided by neighboring countries. Merchant School were skilled at business but weak in warfare, so they had to pay tribute to protect themselves and recognize other countries as their big brothers. However, those big brothers were very unscrupulous. When they were short of money, they would extort money from their little brothers and make them pay extra protection fees.

Later, the Merchant School realized something: since he had to pay protection money anyway, why not pay it to the person with the best relationship and the strongest fist? He had recognized so many big brothers, but they all bullied him and treated him like an ATM. So he might as well find a big brother who could really protect him.

Therefore, the Merchant School proposed a policy that seemed absurd from the perspective of Earthlings: they actually hired troops from the Su State of Su to garrison the area.

Being stationed by foreign troops is the treatment of a defeated nation on Earth, meaning the loss of sovereignty, being trampled on, and being taken from at will. However, from the perspective of Merchant School, it is a very common business tactic, just like ancient merchants who hired bodyguards to protect their goods when transporting them to distant places. Since they are not good at fighting, they will leave the task of fighting to the experts.

Of course, the most important point is that the Mohist School have such a good reputation. They are willing to go through fire and water, die without hesitation, and sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the world. After hundreds of years of maintenance, the Mohist School's reputation has become a golden brand. Everyone believes that if it is possible to kill one person for the benefit of the world, the Mohist School will not hesitate to slit their own throats.

If the Mohist School America a reputation as infamous as the United States, Merchant School would never dare to invite them to garrison their troops. If they were to be usurped and end up like the Native Americans, they would be in deep trouble.

However, the Su State has not stationed troops in the Rui State until now, because the Mohist School and the Su State are two different concepts. The Su State has an army, but the Mohist School do not. In addition, the thoughts of other countries in the Northern Continent must also be taken into account.

Finally, both sides came up with a middle ground: instead of inviting the Su State's army to garrison the city, the Rui State invited the Mohist Knight Guard instead. After all, the Mohist Knight Guard was a civilian armed organization, not a state-run violent institution, and the two had different meanings. In the event of war, the Rui State could ask the Mohist Knight Guard to help defend the city. As long as they held out for a period of time until the Su State's army arrived, the mission would be completed.

Therefore, nowadays, Mohist Knight Guard branch bases of all sizes can be seen in various cities of Rui State. In terms of distribution density alone, they are probably even greater than those of Su State. Even in normal times, merchants are very willing to hire Mohist Knight Guard to do their jobs.

In addition to the countries of the Northern Continent, invitations were also extended to three other countries for this multinational conference. After all, the Demon Race is the common enemy of the Human Race, not just an enemy of one family or clan. If the Demon Race wins, no one can remain uninvolved. This is the same principle as the Eternal Barrier.