Like a Woman

If we reach an agreement and things are settled, we'll continue fighting. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll still continue fighting.

Kang De's words are cold and harsh.

He knew war was terrible.

If possible, he also wanted to avoid war and hoped for peace to come soon.

But negotiations are won through fighting, and true peace is also won through fighting.

Clearly, the elves were not hurt enough; they had not yet fully realized the seriousness of the problem—or rather, the pro-war faction, who controlled the elven political arena, had not yet given up.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent someone like the Holy Mother Duke.

He was sent by the Elf Council to collect the bodies under pressure from public opinion. Although he seemed rational and friendly, his arrogant attitude was undeniable, and he lacked a deep understanding of the true nature of the war... He probably also thought the war was just.

Frankly, if the officer who came was a hawkish, stern, unyielding, rational, and cold-blooded hawk, Kang De would have felt that peace was possible. He would have been more patient in negotiating and testing the waters, because the hawks might have genuinely wanted to talk.

But all that came was this innocent and naive pretty boy...

"Eat shit! Of course, we should bully them until they cry first, find out their background, and let the elves understand the situation."

If the talks broke down, then the talks broke down.

--What? The talks broke down, which means we have to continue fighting?

No, no, no, that's not how it works. Whether or not the war continues has no causal relationship with whether or not this unofficial meeting broke down. If the elves want to continue fighting, then all the talking here will be useless. If the elves don't want to fight anymore, bullying one duke will only bring two more.

It doesn't matter who comes, or how the talks are conducted.

The key is for Kang De to demonstrate a tough stance, refusing to resort to any kind of sophistry, giving the other side no face, refusing to be swayed by any threats, and showing no interest in so-called exchanges, compromises, or agreements. He must consistently implement a strategy of extreme trade-offs as a form of deterrence.

--If you keep attacking, I'll crush you. If you destroy Goth, I'll demolish your home base.

If necessary, he would have to hurt the elf a second time.

After reviewing the plan he had discussed with Hong San in his mind, Kang De maintained his fierce and tough expression, staring menacingly at Duke Tagelise.

--Damn, the more I look at this pretty boy, the more familiar he seems. Where have I seen him before?

At that moment, Duke of Tiling's expression changed.

He could storm off, turn on them in a rage, mock and provoke them, or even resort to violence— Kang De had prepared all the contingency plans and a whole host of backup measures, with the multinational press corps being one of his strategies.

Then he saw Prince Tagelise's lips purse slightly.

Tears began to stream down her beautiful, deep emerald green eyes.

... Um?????

Wait a minute, stop right there, what's going on?

Hey, hey, hey, the so-called bullying that made you cry is just an exaggeration. Where did you come from, you little kid?

What the hell is this insane plot twist?!

In that instant, Kang De was stunned, and so was Hong San. This was something that could be recorded in history—the biggest disaster at the negotiation scene—even more terrifying than some Goth's son-in-law who started by spewing insults.

She actually cried!

Even Elandil was stunned. The elven sage stared at Duke of Tiling's stormy weeping with an exaggerated expression of astonishment, frozen for a full three seconds.

Then he realized what was happening and cried out urgently, "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Tears streamed down Tagelise's face like beads. He raised his hand, pointed at Kang De, and sobbed, "How could you, a human, do this!"

--Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, is this some kind of elf?!

At that moment, even Kang De, with his thick skin, felt extremely embarrassed. This pretty boy was already rather effeminate, incredibly handsome, even a hundred times more so than A Kun. His tearful plea was quite something, and even Kang De felt a pang of guilt.

Wait, what do you mean I feel guilty about?

Kang De stared in astonishment at Hong San. This was the Duke of Tiling, the Queen's brother! How could he cry so easily? Had he always been like this? Was he Liu Bei?

Hong San was also extremely surprised and was momentarily stunned.

Meanwhile, Tagelise's accusations continued, "I... I finally managed to persuade His Majesty to allow me to be this envoy. I dislike war; I love peace, and so does His Majesty. We both hope this war can end as soon as possible, and we hope this dialogue will be a good start. I held these thoughts and feelings, and I was even prepared to be humiliated by you, but you actually..."

His eyes were red and swollen from crying, making him look even more pitiful. "How dare you insult my sister!"

Kang De became increasingly embarrassed.

Seeing Kang De at a loss, Tagelise cried out again, "You wicked human being!"

"..."

Elandil's eye twitched violently, and he whispered, "Your Highness!"

Tagelise looked at him with teary eyes. "Lord Elandil! Help me curse him!"

The elven sage's perfectly trimmed and beautifully shaped eyebrows were twisted and tangled, revealing that his rage was no less than Kang De's. Elandil took a deep breath and looked at Kang De: "Your Highness Kang De, you have indeed gone a bit too far."

Tagelise sobbed and cried out, "Not enough! Not enough!"

"--Enough!"

Kang De suddenly shouted.

Duke of Tiling was so frightened that he trembled and even forgot to cry.

"Stop crying! What kind of behavior is this!" Kang De shouted. "Didn't you say you wanted peace? Talk, we can talk, come on, let's talk. I'll even give you a discount."

Tagelise wiped away his tears with his sleeve and whispered, "Let's not talk about it anymore!"

Kang De glared and said, "So, you're saying that because of your own likes and dislikes, you're abandoning peace negotiations, and it doesn't matter how many elves die in the future?"

"I..."

A flash of annoyance crossed Tagelise's eyes, then he snapped, "Apologize!"

Kang De let out a sigh of relief, "Brother Feifan, I'm sorry."

Apologize to your sister!

Kang De shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said I wanted to fuck your sister."

Upon hearing this, Tagelise angrily retorted, "... You're still going to talk!"

His furrowed brows and slight anger, along with a few tears on his face, made Kang De pause for a moment.

Just then, Elandil's tone became more forceful. "Your Highness."

Duke of Tiling's expression hardened, and he immediately composed himself.

The elven sage showed a look of regret, his subconsciously furrowed brows indicating a slight headache. Elandil looked at Kang De: "Do you intend to let Duke of Tiling camp out in the wilderness?"

"... Hong San, call a car."

Kang De waved his hand and sighed, "What a mess! It's getting dark, please go into town."

The Cathayan gestured backward, and someone naturally relayed the order. Hong San was very organized, and in preparation for any eventuality, a batch of carriages had already been prepared and were now rumbling out of the city.

Elandil first escorted Duke of Tiling to the carriage, then assigned a dozen or so elves to manage the phoenixes and other spirit beasts, without entering the city, before the remaining elves boarded the carriage one by one.

Hong San waved his hand, and the convoy drove into the city, kicking up dust.

Kang De and Hong San stood at the back, watching the convoy drive into the city, their expressions somewhat strange.

Kang De muttered, "Damn, I haven't even realized what's going on yet. Plans really can't keep up with changes... They actually had this trick up their sleeve?"

Hong San was still bewildered. "I thought even elves cared about their reputation, so why didn't he have any?"

This was truly unexpected.

All of Kang De's previous words, attitude, expressions, and even tone and speed of speech were extremely perfect. He put on the appearance of a born battle maniac and pressed forward step by step. Hong San was watching closely the changes in Kant's expression. This was originally a test in cooperation.

Whether Duke of Tiling Tagelise was simply there to collect the corpses, or if he had some other mission or purpose, the subtle changes in his facial expressions under extreme pressure could reveal enough information.

But surprisingly... this is how the situation can be broken?

Kang De stroked his chin. "I suspect he's faking it..."

Hong San sighed, "So what? There's nothing you can do unless you start crying too."

"I don't have that kind of acting skill. By the way, why aren't you crying?" Kang De glared at him. "I just gave you a look. If you had cried too, I wouldn't be in this awkward and passive position."

"Your subject will not weep."

"Nonsense, the other day, you cried so well in front of me and Nick several times."

"--Your Highness!"

Hong San's voice rose eight octaves, and he stared intently at Kang De, saying seriously, "May I ask a question... you didn't get any pictures, did you?"

Kang De feigned ignorance and asked, "What are you filming?"

Hong San pointed to Kang De's breast pocket, where the phone's camera was visible.

Having experienced and missed a lot, now, he records every major event in preparation for the CG recapture. Today, Kang De has the mindset of Brother Guanxi.

It's purely a traditional skill.

"No, no, I didn't even think you'd be alright then, why would I film that?" Kang De took out his phone, clicked to stop recording, and then looked at Hong San with an innocent expression, "Look at my innocent eyes."

Hong San sighed helplessly.

Kang De looked down and turned on the playback; Tagelise's tearful face appeared on the screen.

He sneered, "Sissy, you've fallen into my hands. If you're faking it, I'll make you famous."

Hong San looked up and gazed into the distance, trying his best to convince himself not to interpret His Highness's words as a threat.

He didn't have high expectations for the video's effectiveness; he was thinking about other issues.

Watching the convoy gradually disappear into the distance, Hong San murmured, "If it was all an act, then his so-called willingness to negotiate, his so-called start of peace talks... are quite meaningful. Your Highness, what do you think?"

What do I think?

Kang De put away his phone, then squinted. "I think he's more like a woman."

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PS1: Second update, 3,000 words. Today's update is 7,000 words. Damn, I'm having writer's block... Time for bed.