High in the Palace of Stars

Central island, remote conference room.

"This is driving someone to their death!"

Nineteen days have passed since the start of the price war in the Distant Harbor.

It was also the last day of Kang De's war warning.

Over the past three days, the island owners' mentality has changed daily, enduring unspeakable humiliation and fear.

Kang De did not wage war, yet he brought even greater losses to the Broken Isles than any war could have.

The multinational fleets that came to "evacuate their citizens" openly intruded into the waters of the Broken Isles, shouting and calling on their citizens to leave each island. Compared to the island owners' words and reassurances, the citizens of various countries naturally trusted their own glorious navy more. Both Kang De's threats and the evacuation actions of various countries dealt a devastating blow to market confidence in the Broken Isles. Merchants fled, tourists fled, and laborers also fled.

Long queues formed at every dock. The fleets' transport capacity was insufficient, but that was alright. Merchant ships and cargo ships from various countries were at your service. Apart from the fact that elves were easily identifiable by their appearance, the Council Fleet and the Empire Fleet turned a blind eye to those who impersonated their own citizens and tried to board the ships to escape.

Registration is all that's needed.

This has led to an increasing number of island residents packing their bags, preparing to flee the Broken Isles.

Because evacuation operations involve a large number of people moving and exchanging information.

When people get together, they like to spread rumors and gossip. They exchange so-called "top secret information" and even newspapers with misleading headlines are circulated around.

"Must-Read! Kang De's Cathayan Terrifying Attack Methods: Forbidden Spell Only Rank Second."

The Silver Moon Council's projections for the Battle of the Broken Isles left all members stunned!

Eight things every person in the Broken Isles should know.

Today, as a nobleman, I knelt for twelve hours in the dock area.

The poor natives of this other world had never seen anything like it. Rumors surged, fear spread, and the efficient and precise dissemination of rumors struck a chord with everyone.

To ordinary working-class families, they would say that the Distant Harbor offers food and lodging, and the whole family can come along, with His Majesty as guarantor—but what kind of person is His Highness Kang De? Would he need to lie to you?

For wealthy tourists or even nobles, it was said that His Majesty had reached an agreement with Kang De, and that they could leave at their own discretion after arriving at the Distant Harbor, as part of the negotiations.

Driven by fear and helplessness, people's intelligence already plummets. They are coaxed and tricked onto ships and immediately shipped to Distant Harbor, much like a powerful water pump continuously drawing people from the Broken Isles to the old pearl on the west coast of Goth. They want all kinds of people and accept all kinds of people.

This is good news for Distant Harbor, because Kang De's future plans require a large population, which is his most valuable asset, but it is a terrible thing for the Broken Isles.

Because their reputation, status, business confidence, and even international prestige are suffering a devastating blow, and the island owners are powerless to do anything about it.

The loss of a large number of laborers is secondary; the main issue is the departure of tourists and even nobles, which confirms the incompetence and weakness of the Broken Isles. This caused their plan to use the entire population of the islands as bargaining chips to lobby other countries for intervention to completely fail, demonstrating the Broken Isles' powerlessness and cowardice in the face of Kang De. This will make their partners realize the reality and quickly sever ties to avoid greater losses.

In other words, their once-proud networks of connections and interests are gradually losing their effectiveness.

This is undoubtedly quite ironic.

They attempted to rely on an incredibly strong and impregnable island defense system to confront Kang De, and then seize the opportunity to use his connections and network of interests to reverse the situation. Little did they know that Kang De only gave a slight push, causing the sand and stone buildings to collapse.

Not only were the island lords aware of this outcome, but all the nations were also paying close attention. Regarding this matter, the assessment of a somewhat unscrupulous director in the intelligence department of the Arcane Council was extremely apt.

"The Broken Isles are like a beautiful but cunning socialite, using a touch of allure to seduce and win over many suitors. She appears charming and almost promiscuous, yet she fiercely guards her chastity. Let me describe her way of making a living."

"She attended all sorts of social events, working as a high-class madam. She acted as a go-between for her clients and other women, profiting from the transactions while these poor women sold their bodies and did shameless things. As for herself, she was pure and innocent, maintaining good relationships with many clients. She used her beauty and a few small favors to win them over—such as occasional kisses, unintentional glimpses of skin, and ambiguous words—making men infatuated with her without letting them have their way, yet making them fall head over heels for her."

"She earns a lot of money every year, but as a shrewd woman, she divides it into five parts: one part is used to buy expensive cosmetics and skincare products to maintain her beauty; one part is used to order custom-made luxury dresses to maintain her charm; another part is spent on the sleazy men who are always around her, to give them some surprises and benefits; and the fourth part is saved for a rainy day."

"And what about the last sum of money? Oh, right, the last sum, the largest one. She took it out and found the best dwarven blacksmith, the most learned alchemist, and the most powerful spellcaster to forge a chastity belt for herself that even the strongest person in the world couldn't forcibly open."

"This shrewd and charming woman understood from the beginning that the men she fed with money still wanted to tear her clothes off and take everything from her. She wanted to protect herself, and she had to rely on her own efforts and strength. This was the lifestyle and philosophy of this respectable bitch."

"She used tactics, benefits, and unique methods to win over many admirers. Anyone who coveted her body would be torn to shreds by her admirers or even by her own methods. Yes, through her long-standing pimping business, she also became a rather powerful person. After all, that's the kind of woman she is."

Then, a rude Eastern john appeared before her, demanding to have sex with her by name.

"The beautiful socialite wanted to repeat her old tricks. First, she summoned her protectors, who entered with elegant rapiers to bolster their courage. But the Cathayan carrying a crescent blade said to the protectors, 'Either come with me, and she'll get a share of the loot, or we'll fight and see who I can kill.'"

"So the men weighed the pros and cons, and stood beside the Cathayan, chuckling to themselves."

"The stunned socialite watched as the Cathayan tore at her clothes, and even her former protectors secretly joined in. She hadn't expected the seemingly crude Cathayan to be so skilled at this. He tore them quickly and skillfully. The magnificent long dress, though beautiful, was only for show; it wasn't sturdy armor. The seemingly intricate and sacred robe was actually extremely fragile, and it fell off with a single rip."

"In the end, this socialite discovered that neither protectors nor luxurious clothes were of any use; what could truly protect her was ultimately the chastity belt that she had spent a fortune to reinforce."

"She tried to protect her chastity with fierce resistance and a strong defense, confident that even the brutal barbarians of Cathay could not open this sturdy device and enter her body."

"But what she didn't expect was that the Cathayan didn't resist the sturdy iron shorts; instead, he grinned maliciously, unzipped his pants, and pressed the Broken Isles lady's head down."

"This is the current geopolitical situation surrounding the Broken Isles."

It is said that when this somewhat vulgar intelligence chief offered his brilliant and ingenious political analogy, all the onlookers burst into laughter, the laughter nearly lifting the dome of Fast Hall of Truth. That very night, this man's witty remark appeared on the front page of every newspaper in the Ring of Tuxia.

"We're about to become a laughingstock of the world!"

As the world's political arena casts a mocking glance at the turbulent, Broken Isles, the island's inhabitants are also arguing amongst themselves. They are roaring, arguing, and shouting, yet none of them can convince the others.

"We can't let this continue! Otherwise, we'll be utterly defeated!"

Someone slammed their fist on the table and roared, "Our laborers are leaving, our tourists are leaving, and our important partners are leaving too! The attitude of the three countries is very clear: they don't mind if Kang De swallows us up! Those outside all think we're doomed! Our army and employees will think the same way! If this continues, can we still expect them to fight for us? They'll run away too!"

The speaker was strong and arrogant, dressed as a captain with his coat open. He drew his scimitar and slashed at the table, the distant image of the blade trailing streaks of light. He roared, "We must take action!"

One of the island lords opposite him said coldly, "Action? How do you intend to take action?"

"Block the port! Drive out the fleets of the three nations! Forbid anyone from leaving!"

"Foolish!" the island lord roared. "Expel the fleets of three nations? Do you think these proud and arrogant soldiers will obey your expulsion? Do you think they are afraid of the Broken Isles?"

The island lord, dressed as a captain, flashed a menacing glint in his eyes. "Then let them be afraid! Launch an attack!"

"--Then face the combined attack of Kang De and the Three Kingdoms?"

"What difference does it make now?! If things continue like this, we're doomed to lose, no matter what. So, which do you choose: to sit and wait for death or to fight back?"

"Who said that? We also have an island defense system, a mage tower array, and..."

The captain, the island lord, sneered, "And what about your businesses and future prospects in the Dusk Moon Dynasty?"

"You!"

"--alright!"

The elderly man in the host's seat sighed, "Stop arguing."

He opened his dim, old eyes and looked at the illusory figures of the island lords. "I know that many of you are close to the powers of various countries, accepting their conditions and assistance, taking care of their interests, and reaching some kind of deal. This is normal behavior, I understand. You don't want to completely offend them, and you want to leave a way out for yourselves and your families, which is also normal..."

Everyone fell silent.

The old man saw this and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Then he sighed again, "Since that's the case, let me do you one more favor... I see that Kang De probably only reached an agreement with the countries to not interfere, and the so-called evacuation order was mostly an action he forced the three countries' fleets to take on their own, rather than an order from the monarchs of those countries..."

So, there is still hope.

The old man straightened up. "Try harder, be more patient."

The island lords sat up straight, looking at the person in charge who was the most senior, prestigious, and capable. He was the mediator of the many factions in the chaotic Broken Isles, the most authoritative, and the most unfathomable. Everyone present was his junior... like a deep, unfathomable pool of water.

"Xibisi, you are close to the Empire. I request that you mobilize all your connections and resources, at any cost, to speak to His Majesty the Emperor and our Imperial allies."

"Take Kang De for example. He not only captured Distant Harbor, but also maintained control over Valentan. Valentan in eastern Goth, bordering the Empire. After the Cathayan cleared the Broken Isles and eroded Goth power, their next move was to set their sights on the east. Don't forget, they also have a grudge against the Empire."

"As for leaving the Broken Isles, we are willing to keep Kang De, this formidable enemy, occupied for His Majesty the Emperor, to draw his attention and restrain his power, so that he has no energy to shake the great aristocratic system and no spare strength to challenge His Majesty the Emperor's divine rule."

One of the island owners stood up and bowed slightly.

"Lilian, you're in charge of the Elven side. The Phoenix King is Kang De's lover. Your main focus should be on lobbying the Silver Moon Council. Tell them that Kang De, with his massive warships, could destroy the Broken Isles, leaving the ancient shipping route between Goth and Cathay unobstructed from the west coast to the Eastern Lands. The Dusk Moon Dynasty's blockade plan would be completely ruined, and Cathay, embroiled in war and chaos, might rise again with the help of Kang De and even the continent..."

The elderly man, clearly also human, stated without hesitation. "At that time, the humans of the two continents, the Holy Empire, and the Kingdom of Cathay may unite. The human world will be restored to its former completeness, and may even achieve a leap forward. The elves' hegemony over the world will be shaken, and the Broken Isles are willing to become a nail in the Great Twilight Moon, forever driven between the eastern and western continents, severing communication between the two worlds..."

The woman whose name was called bowed in response.

"Arcane Council, Yueshuer, tell the spellcasters that they have fallen far behind Kang De in the Alchemy Corps. If they secretly provide support to the Broken Isles, we will fight back with all our might and do our best to kill and destroy Kang De's alchemical weapons. All the spoils and debris obtained will be handed over to the Council study."

"Tell them again..."

He issued instructions and key orders one by one.

"Gentlemen, you have already realized the seriousness of the situation, so I need not elaborate. I know you have many friends—high-ranking elven officials, nobles of the Empire, members of the Council. You think that even if the Broken Isles are destroyed, you will take enough money to your friends' countries, continue to socialize with them, and continue to live a life of luxury—but I must remind you of one thing."

"Think about it carefully. If you didn't have the title of owner of the Broken Isles, would your friends still be your friends? Without this title, would your money still be your money?"

"So, distribute the money to appease people, especially our army. At the same time, keep the remaining important guests under house arrest and secretly threaten those fence-sitters not to leave without permission... I think you are much better at these things than I am, so do as you see fit."

"Always remember that even if Kang De is cunning, our proud and robust island defense system remains as solid as a mountain. This is still one of the safest places in the world. We still have the strength to defend ourselves and the bargaining power... We must protect ourselves, and we must protect our families."

The old man spoke slowly.

"The Broken Isles are our home, our foundation, our everything. Children, our ancestors came to this once desolate island and built their careers. It was not a matter of chance, but a destiny. The bloodline of our ancestors has been passed down from generation to generation, and we bear the same responsibility."

You will eventually understand.

"Let's call it a day..."

One by one, the projections went out, and the basement fell silent. Then, the old man's magical image disappeared, and on the next floor, the withered old man shakily rose to his feet, gripping his cane.

"You're being disobedient..."

He sighed, "Generation after generation, money, desire, and arrogance have blinded them. Their mission has been forgotten. Only selfish, cowardly, and ulterior motives remain, making me too lazy to even offer words of encouragement. They have long since given up hope; they no longer want to defend their homeland. Their souls remain corrupt, but..."

At this point, a wicked smile crept across his withered lips.

"But the bloodline is still the same."

"Since that's the case..."

He walked alone through the spacious, clean, and luxurious living room, pushed open the door, and entered a closed room.

"Please do me one more favor..."

They are saying the same words they just spoke, but the soul of the fallen cannot comprehend their meaning.

"There is still hope..."

He knelt down on the ground.

Before them stood an altar painted with blood and built with bones.

"Try a little harder, be patient a little longer."

The mortal body bowed devoutly.

"O gods, dwelling high in the Star Palace, please help us, just as you helped my ancestors..."

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PS1: Damn... headache, probably because I got caught in the rain today... that's why it's so hard to write. Weird, I only got a little rain, what's going on...?