I, the Phoenix King, Demand Money!

Hong San went to write a letter.

If he had previously harbored some apprehension and fear towards his master, he could no longer afford to be so now, for the elf had brought shocking news.

While Tagelise was talking to Kang De, Hong San stood guard at the door and listened.

Upon hearing that a mysterious force was hindering the progress of Civilization, suppressing the development of various nations, and even personally pushing Cathay into the abyss, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

The master, who had crossed the sea and traveled far from home, was often drunk and disheartened. He would sometimes wail and lament, or face west and weep in worship. Every now and then he would fly into a rage, cursing himself, his disciples, the heavens, and even strangers, hurling insults at everyone before becoming depressed for a long time.

The disciples were both shocked and worried, but none dared to delve into the matter. When they crossed the sea to the east, the oldest was no more than twelve or thirteen years old, some even born on the mainland. They only knew that the Divine Land had fallen and the country had changed hands, but they were unaware of the sins, conspiracies, and blood debts hidden beneath the surface of dynastic change...

They're just children, after all; they don't understand those things.

Only Hong San, being the youngest and most talented, was the most favored by his master. Whenever he served by his master's side, he would listen to his master's drunken ramblings and memorize them little by little. Over the years, he strung these fragments together into a relatively complete puzzle, deducing a terrible secret.

The collapse of a dynasty was not a normal cycle of division followed by unification, but rather the result of the intervention of a powerful external force, which broke the norm and caused the massive dynasty to vanish in an instant.

In other words, a mysterious force beyond the Mortal World accelerated the cycle of destruction and demise of the Cathay Dynasty.

Master was one of the ministers who held up the last vestiges of the dynasty when it collapsed. He should have perished with the country, but instead he left and went east to a foreign land. Although the reason is unknown, it must be the reason why Master has been drunk and in great pain all these years... He once cursed himself for deserting the battlefield and betraying his ancestors and father, but Hong San felt that it was not so. Master had only a reason to hide in the west and live in seclusion.

Moreover, it must be related to this force that has been planning for a long time and, once launched, severed the dragon vein of the Divine Land Plains.

Now, according to the elves, this force has its sights set on Prince Kang De.

Because he possesses a strange power that transcends common sense and inspires fear in the world.

Therefore, Hong San felt it was necessary to tell his master about this matter.

Even if he is unwilling to lend a helping hand due to various factors, it would still be helpful if he could just offer some pointers, clues, or intelligence.

This enemy is extremely formidable, not only in terms of strength but also in its unknown nature.

The other party is hidden behind the scenes, hidden in the Shadow of history, and would not be known to most living beings in the first place. Otherwise, how could it be considered behind-the-scenes manipulation? Conversely, if even ordinary civilians knew that XXX was a mysterious organization with a long history that manipulated the world, then they were probably just talking nonsense.

Some things are destined to be known only to those involved.

Perhaps the master knows some of their secrets.

With this in mind, Hong San wrote a letter overnight, using the secret language of his sect, specifically the Yin-Yang symbol. Only his master knew how to transform the Yin-Yang symbol into Yang-Yang and then translate it into words.

Then a messenger was arranged to carefully and meticulously deliver the message.

"I originally intended to make the trip myself, but His Highness was worried about it."

The next day at breakfast, Hong San shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Besides, with my current reputation and 'status,' if I leave Valentan and leave His Highness's protection, my whereabouts will definitely be discovered, and I will be constantly visited by various people, even captured and tortured, never having a moment's peace..."

This is normal.

Hong San is regarded by outsiders as Kang De's chief steward and messenger, and must also possess many secrets about Kang De. Among these secrets, there may be Kang De's true nature and weaknesses.

Perhaps by leveraging this background and weakness, one can either control Kang De or eliminate Kang De.

Although various forces are now gathered in Valentan, all eager to establish contact and cultivate good relations with His Highness Kang De, if the rulers of these nations had the opportunity to eliminate Kang De, they would certainly not hesitate.

The sudden appearance of a humanoid nuclear bomb capable of altering the existing international order in a peaceful world is something no one would be happy about. The reason for not readily expressing hostility is the fear of being the first to speak out.

Kang De simply shrugged. "So don't go, it's okay."

Hong San frowned, pondered for a moment, and suddenly suggested, "Your Highness, why don't you take action? Go to the Empire to see my master and ask him to come out of seclusion, or at least ask for his help."

Kang De gave a subtle look. "That's not a good idea. Your master was driven here by them and is now living a life of seclusion. And then we eagerly lure the monster to him, forcing him to take action. It's really a bit unethical. Once your master comes to his senses, he'll probably kill you along with him."

Hong San, of course, had also considered this possibility, and sighed, "This matter is of utmost importance, and the situation is critical. If there is truly no other way, we can't worry about anything else. Master, if you want to beat me, then beat me to death."

Kang De waved his hand and said, "Alright, stop giving bad advice. Write the letter if you need to, send it if you need to. If your master wants to come, great; if he doesn't, that's fine too. Things haven't come to that point yet."

Hong San seemed genuinely worried, and said, "Your Highness, would you like to avoid this place?"

"Escape? Where to escape to?"

The best safe haven is Earth. If he opens the door and runs back, and this so-called mysterious organization can find him across dimensions, that would be truly impressive. There's nothing more to say; he'd better just offer his neck for slaughter.

--Yeah, right. If they find me, I'll immediately run to the central government to pledge allegiance, then go to Lop Nur as bait to lure them here. At that point, I'll open the door and run away, and then shower the ground with a hundred nuclear bombs.

No matter how things develop, he always has a way out, so he's not really afraid. Besides, although Tagelise's words sounded terrifying, Kang De still didn't really grasp the organization's power.

If someone comes looking for trouble for no reason, or even tries to harm him, then there's nothing more to say.

Damn, this is so absurd.

Ultimately, it was all because the elves started the war, which forced Kang De to intervene and get involved. Now that the elves are willingly offering their help, why should Kang De be polite?

"It's rare for an elf to come and do good deeds, let's see how strong that one is."

Kang De gestured with his hand as if to chop. "But we can't completely trust what the elves say. We need to confirm again whether this organization harbors any hostility or malice towards me, lest we be used as pawns..."

If the messenger is from the other side, they might not necessarily be there to turn hostile and cause trouble. Instead, Kang De, after being lectured by the elf, might have arranged for an ambush, laid a minefield, and had everyone rush in and kill the messenger... creating unnecessary enmity, which would be extremely awkward.

Hong San pondered for a moment, "It's not impossible, but Your Highness, I believe the elf's words are quite credible, after all, there's my master's experience to corroborate them..."

"I know, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Let's make some arrangements. If they attack directly, then we'll go straight for it. If they come out and start rambling on and on, then we'll listen to what they have to say."

"Yes."

Hong San nodded in agreement. His strategist instincts kicked in, and he began to ponder, "If we're going to carry out an ambush, where should we choose? What are the plans and tactics? How can we control collateral damage and minimize the impact?"

Kang De sighed and said helplessly, "We don't know. The number is unknown, the strength is unknown, and we don't even know when they will arrive. We know nothing about the enemy, which is not good. We have to think of a way to pry it out of that elf's mouth... We'll go ask them today."

Upon hearing this, Hong San suddenly burst into laughter.

Kang De glanced at him and said sideways, "What are you laughing at?"

Hong San, recalling yesterday's conversation, suppressed a laugh and said, "I also remembered some happy things."

"... What?"

Hong San said solemnly, "My lord has proposed to the Phoenix King."

Kang De grabbed a spoon, pretending to hit him, but Hong San, covering his head, couldn't help laughing, "Besides that, you actually got along very well with that elf, and had a very pleasant conversation... You really are something else!"

Kang De then put down his spoon and said arrogantly, "Don't you even know who I am?"

"... That's why I'm surprised, precisely because it's you."

"--Um?"

"It's nothing." Hong San casually picked up another pot. "Now that this unexpected turn of events has occurred, what will Princess Tina say?"

Kang De pondered for a moment and said, "There's still another fight going on here. Should we ask them to wait a bit before coming? I've heard that the Sword Saint Cascading Snow is quite formidable. Should we invite him over to lend a hand?"

Hong San said helplessly, "Your Highness, that's not what I meant. I meant Queen Cathay, the news about the elves has already spread. Aren't you going to explain this to Princess Tina?"

Kang De was suddenly startled. "No way! This can get out? It wouldn't sound good if word got out."

"Of course! Of all the conditions the elves promised, this is the most exciting one," Hong San muttered. "Nobody cares about trade, cultural exchange, or anything like that. This is the monarch of the East, the Empress of Cathay, going to steal a husband from Princess Goth. Who wouldn't love to hear that?"

"..."

Grass.

Kang De's expression shifted, and Hong San poured another bucket of gasoline on him. "If that elf had been a little more bold and unrestrained, or if that Goth People in attendance had been a little more talkative, he would have even told everyone about your proposal to the Phoenix King."

Kang De's eyes widened, speechless.

Hong San said innocently, "--Don't look at me like that. You said in public that your interest in His Majesty the Phoenix King far outweighs your interest in the Empress of Cathay. Everyone heard that."

Kang De retorted angrily, "That was mockery, wasn't it! It was mockery that the elves used the Queen of Cathay as a tool and bargaining chip for marriage, and then asked how much their own queen was worth—that's mockery!"

Hong San shrugged—a gesture he'd learned from Kang De.

Then he sighed and said, "My lord, you're too attached to appearances. This is politics. Duke of Tiling himself said that he would submit your proposal to His Majesty the Phoenix King, so this is an officially recognized proposal. The right to interpret it is with them. You didn't interpret it then, so you can't interpret it later."

"Because the elves took it seriously, everyone else will take it seriously, and they'll be willing to take it seriously—because the essence of humanity is idleness, cheapness, and a love of watching a good show. Speaking of your marriage proposal to the Phoenix King, which also involves the Queen of Cathay and Princess Goth, who wouldn't love to hear that? Even the brilliant and shrewd emperor of the Human Empire would perk up upon hearing it."

Kang De was utterly shocked and instinctively asked, "What if she agrees?"

"..."

Hong San glanced at Kang De with a subtle look, as if he wanted to find him some peaches.

Kang De retorted angrily, "What kind of expression is that? Do you think that with my handsome appearance, noble character, and extraordinary talent, I am not worthy of a mere Phoenix King?"

Hong San turned his head to the side, looking embarrassed.

After undergoing a complete transformation and starting anew, this person's moral integrity has skyrocketed. While it's acceptable to speak against one's conscience, to go this far is simply unacceptable...

What kind of person was Kang De? He was upright, honest, and straightforward, and he couldn't stand it when others didn't tell the truth.

He looked at Hong San with a kind and benevolent expression and said, "Say what you mean, speak the truth, dare to speak the truth, don't be afraid of offending people. I'll uphold justice for you. Let's see who dares to throw you into the latrine, sink you into the river, strip you naked and hang you on a flagpole, or post your photoshopped ugly pictures everywhere—"

Upon hearing this, Hong San was deeply moved. His Highness's noble character made him realize the importance of honesty. He was overwhelmed with gratitude and stammered, "I... I... I..."

"--Pooh!"

A sound suddenly came from outside the door.

Kang De and Hong San stood up at the same time, exchanged a glance, Kang De put his hand to his waist, and Hong San swung his soft sword to open the door. He looked to the side and saw Tagelise standing not far away in the corridor.

A Xing was beside him, his expression unfriendly.

Kang De frowned and asked, "How long have you been listening?"

Tagelise snorted, "What, are you talking about something you can't stand about elves?"

Then A Xing said, "Don't listen to his lies. He just tiptoed in, and I spotted him a long time ago. He thought no one saw him, so he was peeking around suspiciously with his butt sticking out, then he headed towards the kitchen. After I caught him, I dragged him this way. As for how long I listened..."

A Xing pondered for a moment and replied, "I started listening to it from the moment I heard the phrase, 'With your handsome appearance, noble character, and extraordinary talent, you are worthy of the little Phoenix King.'"

At this moment, not only Kang De and Hong San were in the corridor, but also guards and servants who came after hearing the noise. Everyone heard it clearly, and for a moment, gasps and gasps for breath were heard one after another.

Tagelise showed no mercy whatsoever, bursting into laughter.

Kang De, remaining calm, asked, "What brings you here?"

The elf looked at him and continued to laugh, "What did you just say? Noble virtues?"

The noble Prince Kang De calmly instructed the maid in the distance, "Smash those two large boxes of Sprite in the kitchen, and throw away all the ingredients for lunch that are being prepared to feed the pigs."

Tagelise immediately grabbed Kang De's sleeve. "I was wrong!"

"... Let's go inside and talk."

The people outside were dispersed, and the group returned to the banquet hall. Tagelise, seeing the mess of dishes and cups on the table, sat down and shouted, "I didn't eat breakfast! You have to feed me!"

Kang De gestured to Hong San, Hong San went out to make arrangements. Then he said, "From now on, can we use the main entrance? Sneaking in like this will make us wary."

Tagelise scoffed, "Are you sure? The entire Valentan are watching you, especially after these conditions were proposed. If the Goth People see me, the elven envoy, coming and going from your house all the time, what will they think? What will other countries think? I'm doing this for your own good."

"And this woman has a very keen sense of smell. With her as your bodyguard, you won't have to worry about anyone sneaking in and taking your life. But I still suggest you hire a magic consultant..."

At this point, the elf raised an eyebrow and said mysteriously, "Once we've established a preliminary cooperative and trusting relationship, I can recommend a magic expert to you. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. What do you say?"

"Let's talk about it after we've established a preliminary relationship of cooperation and trust."

Kang De casually replied, "You've come at the right time. I also have something to ask you. Now that you've decided to ambush those guys, what's your plan? How many will they send? Or a whole group?"

Tagelise smiled smugly, "I don't know!"

"..." Kang De choked for a moment, "How's their combat strength?"

"Have no idea!"

In what form will it appear?

"Have no idea!"

"... What do you know?"

Tagelise said smugly, "I know I can definitely kill them!"

Kang De sighed and said to the A Xing, "Throw him out."

The elf cried out, "Wait a minute! I really didn't know! After all, all the nations are bound to the earth, and their control over the sky and even beyond is very weak. They simply don't have a system capable of monitoring the heavens. The establishment of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the construction of the Star-Picking Tower and the Celestial Star Instrument Cathay based on this consideration, but you've seen the outcome."

Kang De rolled his eyes and said, "So your so-called cooperative ambush proposal is that I'll be the bait, wait for them to come to our door, and then you'll jump out and ambush them, wipe them out, and incidentally raze Valentan to the ground?"

Tagelise chuckled dryly, "It's not that passive. If they showed up, I would have sensed them immediately. This is a royal family's innate secret technique, an ability possessed only by those of the Phoenix King's bloodline..."

Ah, the Elf Meat Radar.

Kang De became interested and pressed, "What is the specific scope?"

"Probably... within ten or twenty kilometers... Don't look at me like that, it's already big enough!" Tagelise said sullenly, "Besides, I'm not really good at it..."

Kang De's gaze was meaningful. "Aren't you a famous sorcerer? What are you not good at?"

The elf glared at him fiercely. "So what? This has nothing to do with cultivation. Me and my... and my sister, we can only go ten or twenty kilometers, not much different."

"Because we are young, and not the creators of this secret technique. The ancestors who created this technique could monitor the entire continent's outer heavens with their spiritual power, but unfortunately..."

Kang De asked curiously, "What's a pity?"

Tagelise rolled his eyes at him. "Palace secrets, I'm not telling you!"

Kang De scoffed, "If they can do it and you can't, then of course you're just useless. Making excuses... tsk..."

"I've already said this has nothing to do with personal talent! Why can't you understand? That secret technique was created by a Phoenix King; it's a bloodline talent technique. That emperor had no children and went through some events, so he hastily passed the throne and the secret technique to his younger brother. That's a significant difference. As the bloodline is passed down through generations, it naturally becomes diluted, and the effect of the secret technique gradually diminishes. It's something that can't be compensated for by hard work and cultivation later in life!"

Kang De could certainly understand this, but if one doesn't argue, wouldn't life be much less enjoyable?

He said with a smile, "If others can create something, why can't you create something new or improve upon it? Ultimately, you're just useless and shameful..."

Tagelise grew increasingly furious. He didn't understand the term "argumentative," but he found Kang De incredibly annoying. However, one of the joys of being a contrarian was driving his opponent crazy with his trolling.

But the elves still didn't understand this realm.

"I already said this is a secret technique based on bloodline aura, it can't be improved!" he roared. "According to the certification system of ancient times, you were Forbidden Spell spellcaster, your magical skills should far surpass those of the present day. You try to create and improve one for me! You can't even learn it!"

Kang De, engrossed in teasing him, chuckled and said, "I simply disdain to learn..."

Tagelise scoffed, "There's no need to learn secret techniques based on bloodline aura. You don't even know that, yet you're pretending to be knowledgeable. It's ridiculous—just activate it with a secret method!"

He raised a finger, his eyes suddenly turning into Flame pupils, and pointed at Kang De: "Like this! But you're not of the Phoenix King's bloodline, you simply..."

The next moment, Kang De's eyes suddenly turned into brilliant golden flames, even more dazzling and intense than the Flame in Tagelise's eyes. Within the blazing fire of his spirit, it seemed as if a Blazing Flame, immortal bird was spreading its wings and soaring.

The humans and elves looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then, Tagelise jumped up, the stool instantly shattering into dust, and the entire table collapsed with a crash. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost, his voice trembling. "Damn! What's going on! What happened?!"

The elf's eyes widened in shock, and he looked at Kang De with curiosity, confusion, and unease.

Then he rushed up, grabbed Kang De, looked him up and down, and muttered to himself, "Impossible, you don't have elven blood, you're not a half-elf, so how could you have obtained the Phoenix Vision..."

Kang De blinked, finding it difficult to describe the changes, but he felt that the world he saw was clearly different again—previously, when he concentrated, he could see the changing Element containing Magic Power, but now, he seemed to be able to see something new, the mysteries of which he could not fathom for the time being.

But that's not the key issue.

The key point is... how could I, an Earthling, possibly have elven royal blood?

--Wait a moment!

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he clapped his hands forcefully. "I understand!"

Tagelise shuddered, took two steps back, and stared intently at Kang De, as if trying to uncover the secret—the event had had a profound impact on him.

Kang De pointed at the elf and shouted, "I am your ancestor!"

"That's it! I am the reincarnation of the Phoenix King! I've lost my memories and magic, and I need one hundred million gold coins to unseal them! My dear grandson, hurry up and send the money!"

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: It's still 6,000 words, but it can be split into two chapters. This was mainly to consider everyone's reading experience before combining it into one chapter... I'm working very hard too...

PS2: By the way, I'm currently getting about 20,000 knife blades, 600 per chapter, which is about 33 updates, totaling 66,000 words. Including today, the backend shows that I've written 120,000 words in the past 20 days so far this month, with a basic update of 4,000 words per day, which means I've paid back 40,000 words.

PS3: Actually, I should only owe less than 40,000, because the bounty wasn't placed at the beginning of the month. I'll remove the updates from the days before the beginning of the month and calculate it again tomorrow... Anyway, I should be able to pay it off before the end of the month.

PS3: I'm going to sleep now. I had insomnia last night and didn't fall asleep until 5 a. m. Goodnight everyone.