From the Deep Sea

Tula Xiaye, the Tower of All-Seeing.

The Grand Speaker looked at the intelligence report that had been relayed back and remained silent for a long time.

Kang De resolutely rejected the Council's demands and sincerity, and was extremely firm in his refusal to negotiate.

Thunder roared and surged in the void.

After a long silence, he whispered, "The matter of the Phoenix King and Kang De... is it really true?"

The gossip and romantic escapades between the Elf Queen and Kang De, Cathayan, are now spreading across the mainland at an astonishing speed. It has become a phenomenon, dominating the top trending topics recently. From nobles to commoners, from cities and villages to palaces, almost all intelligent beings are talking about it with great interest.

Given the still primitive state of information in this other world, this bizarre speed of dissemination must be fueled by some dark force. In fact, this is indeed the case. It is a tacitly agreed-upon action by the leaders and interest groups across the continent, and their motives are remarkably consistent—everyone thinks, "Oh, Moses Roy, and with such a good opportunity to disgust the powerful and domineering Dusk Moon Dynasty, why not?"

This is the first time in this other world that a phenomenon of spontaneously creating a romantic pairing has occurred.

Upon hearing of this, the Grand Speaker secretly instructed his capable subordinates to have the bards sing more verses, and also ordered the captains and merchants on the highly developed trade routes of the Arcane Council to start chanting.

As the saying goes, public opinion can melt metal, let alone when a leader of a superpower personally instructs the spread of rumors. The Grand Speaker knows that the emperor of the empire probably does similar things. Every monarch of every country, big or small, who has been openly or secretly humiliated or had their business stolen by the arrogant elves, will definitely get involved. After all, they are all mortals of flesh and blood, unable to escape the pitiful and base nature of humanity.

It means being a bystander, boasting, and personally creating big news.

But in the end, it was all just boasting and rumors. Even though the Grand Speaker was secretly pleased to see the rumors flying everywhere, deep down he still didn't take them seriously.

Even if love exists, it wouldn't apply to the Elf Queen, especially since her partner is a human. The idea of elves marrying humans is just something third-rate bards sing to fool members of Taobao. com. Those in power only care about interests, and the higher the position, the more so.

Phoenix King Dairila, who rules the Dusk Moon Dynasty and reigns supreme over the world, is a ruler among rulers, a queen among queens. Considering the clamor within her own kingdom, how could she possibly fall for a human?

That's what he used to think.

But now, seeing Master O'Malley's reply and accusations...

"That arrogant bandit! That cocky Easterner! How dare he refuse the Council!"

Congressman Aokexindun's angry voice echoed through the Starry Sky Council.

But his anger masked his inner relief. He saw Master O'Malley's reward and was truly relieved. Since Kang De had rejected the Council's request, embarrassed the court, and refused to rescue the Azure Fleet, the relationship between the two sides could not be mended.

Therefore, conflict and contradictions were inevitable, and since Kang De refused the rescue request, the blame for the heavy losses suffered by the Azure Fleet could fall on this Cathayan.

In this way, Senator Aokexindun has escaped a disaster. After all, he was the one who advocated not to trust Kang De and to act alone. If Kang De had agreed to the rescue and the two sides had entered a honeymoon period, then the Speaker and the opposition in the council would have taken the opportunity to attack him. After all, someone has to take the blame. But now, conflict is inevitable, and the Speaker and the Council have to rely on the power of the Aokexindun Family to deal with the threat of the Forbidden Spell.

Upon realizing this, he changed his mind and realized this was the stage for the anti-Kang congressman's performance.

"I told you long ago! The Cathayan cannot be trusted! They have absolutely no respect for the Council! They even use this excuse to fob us off! Saying that commoners are superior to the Council's excellent spellcasters and soldiers—this is an utter insult! We must take action!"

--Kang De must have gone mad. What was he thinking?

Congressman Fermat frowned. He was indeed tempted by Kang De's offer, but Aokexindun's arrogance still displeased him. "The most important thing now is the safety of the Azure Fleet's officers and men. They are facing a crisis, struggling to hold on, and at risk of being wiped out at any moment. Since Kang De refuses to provide a full rescue, only the Council find a way to save them..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Or, continue negotiating with Kang De to try and secure more aid."

Aokexindun raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He was more than happy that Kang De would wipe out the Azure Fleet with a Forbidden Spell, so that there would be no room for maneuver between the two sides, a great war would break out, and he wouldn't have to worry about being held responsible.

Thinking of this, he shouted, "Look, look! Even at this point, our Congressman Fermat still doesn't dare sever ties with the Cathayan. Are we that afraid of him? Are we that dependent on him? Which side are you really on? You wouldn't happen to be Kang De's spy, would you?"

Fermat roared, "I just want our soldiers to return safely, while you're only hoping to fully exploit the conflict with Kang De to sell your family's interception and defense magic devices! You're the real traitor in the Council, profiting from the blood and souls of innocent soldiers! Fuck you!"

How dare you slander me!

"Then tell me, how should we save them?"

The two sides are locked in a fierce confrontation, and it looks like another fight is about to break out.

Just then, the Grand Speaker said, "Quiet."

The two were pulled back to their seats by their colleagues.

The Grand Speaker, seated high on the throne of the sun, remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Don't count too much on Kang De. If I'm not mistaken, Kang De has completely sided with the Dusk Moon Dynasty."

The councilors were all stunned.

The Grand Speaker offered a hint: "Think about it. If the entire Azure Fleet is wiped out, Council's naval power in the western seas suffers a severe blow, what will the consequences be? Who will benefit the most?"

Many councilors' expressions changed drastically. "An elf!"

The Council expanded into the southern peninsula countries and overseas islands, using advancements in magical technology to drive productivity, engage in trade, develop handicrafts, and export plantation products. As the export share increased year by year, the ever-expanding national interests required stronger military protection, which is the rationale behind the Great Construction.

As new ships are constantly launched and military power continues to grow, the defense of free trade expands, inevitably leading to conflict with another interest group. Economic conflict will turn into political conflict, and political conflict will eventually manifest as military conflict. This is the reason for national competition and many wars.

As the world's dominant power, the elves blocked the Council and the empire from taking their places.

Conflicts and contradictions, the covert battles beneath the surface, are happening all the time.

However, the events of today become much easier to understand when viewed from a national perspective.

Kang De's refusal to Council was extremely unusual and rebellious, but he was by no means insane. Some seemingly unusual choices must have deeper motives.

For the sake of the lives of more than ten thousand commoners, he not only refused the Council's requests for help, favors, and generous rewards, but also greatly damaged diplomatic relations between the two sides, sowing the seeds of hostility. No rational person would do such a foolish thing, but Kang De did it anyway.

What does this tell us?

The Grand Speaker said calmly, "This shows that he is happy to see this happen, and that his unusual behavior brings him so much benefit that he can ignore the huge losses and potential dangers of refusing the Council. In other words, he thinks it's worth it."

He hoped that the Azure Fleet would be completely annihilated here, and that the Arcane Council's forces in the Western Sea would be severely weakened.

"But now, he Council. Just integrating the Broken Isles and restoring the status of Distant Harbor as a trading port will take a lot of time and energy. Even if Distant Harbor will eventually have a conflict of interest with the Council, it will be a long time from now. Why make enemies now?"

"Then, there's only one plausible explanation left."

"It's not that Kang De is pleased to see it, but that the spirits are pleased to see it."

"The elves made him a promise... No, that's not it."

Looking at the stunned councilors, the Grand Speaker remained silent for a moment before saying, "Kang De is suspicious and cunning. He won't act rashly based on empty promises. He has a blood feud with the Elves involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers. What could possibly make him completely side with the Elves, or even act directly for the interests of Twilight Moon..."

"Only the Phoenix King's love and chastity."

"Only in this way can Kang De be convinced and devote himself wholeheartedly to the interests of the elves. Ah, thinking about it, it makes sense. The Elf Queen may do everything in her power to win over Forbidden Spell spellcasters, but she would never offer her love or her body. The only thing that could make the world's hegemonic monarch do such a thing is love."

His expression was extremely complex, his heart was surging, and a hundred thoughts arose.

They're definitely having an affair.

Fuck you, why should I?

After listening to the Speaker's analysis, the members of parliament suddenly understood, and all their doubts were dispelled.

Then it became unbearably sour.

Hearing this news made them even more upset than if they had heard that Kang De had built warships and large airplanes. They were incredibly envious.

They looked at each other in bewilderment, and then their observations corroborated the Grand Speaker's deduction.

"Now that you mention it, I think it's true— in the Battle of Distant Harbor, the Empire Fleet was almost completely annihilated, and our Azure Fleet suffered nearly half its losses, while the Elven fleet was almost unscathed. It was all Kang De's doing in secret; he and the Elves have long been in cahoots."

"During the grain price war at the Distant Harbor, Kang De opened the floodgates and dumped a massive amount of grain. We investigated for a long time but still couldn't figure out where he got the grain from. Humph, he was living off a woman! Bah!"

"The Dusk Moon Dynasty has actually invested so heavily..."

"Hmph, Kang De is nothing special. Look, even after making such harsh statements and speaking so sternly, he still only said he'd send three of those transport planes to rescue the Azure Fleet. He clearly doesn't dare offend us too much. His previous resolute attitude was probably because Phoenix King was pressuring him too much. Ha, he's a henpecked husband..."

The congressman who was speaking couldn't continue after that point.

Damn it, if my wife were the Elf Queen, I'd kneel before her every day...

Throughout the entire process, no one discussed or paid attention to the arguments Kang De used to reject the Council.

In their view, it was nothing more than a perfunctory excuse, lacking any sincerity whatsoever, and even revealing a kind of contempt for the Council —to say that the more than 10,000 people in the Broken Isles were more important than the officers and soldiers of the Azure Fleet and the friendship of the Council was simply an insult!

No one believed that was Kang De's true feeling.

--Anyone who thinks like that must be out of their mind. Kang De was too cunning to be that.

Pah! A gigolo who lives off a woman.

"After much thought, I can't find any other reason to explain why Kang De would make this choice besides this conjecture... If that's the case, we'll have to adjust our strategy."

The Grand Speaker interrupted the discussion, saying calmly, "Kang De is now an enemy."

"Of course, this decision must be made with caution. After all, going to war with Forbidden Spell mage has unpredictable consequences. Even if we have ways to restrain and deal with him, we will still have to pay a huge price."

"However, it's not difficult to determine whether Kang De was truly having an affair with the elves."

He said softly, "We just need to see if the elves send a fleet to the Broken Isles, whether they suffer losses, or whether they temporarily retreat..."

"Regardless of whether Kang De had an affair with the Phoenix King, the Council must make changes."

"I propose that we increase our research and development investment in the magic-guided aircraft. The people we sent to Distant Harbor have already drawn up sketches of Kang De's aircraft and have also figured out the power mechanism. We can try to imitate it, and reverse engineer and absorb the wisdom and knowledge contained within it."

"I propose that, regardless of Kang De's true motives, his reply has already humiliated the dignity of the Arcane Council. Since the Cathayan have rejected peace, they must be prepared to bear all the consequences. Therefore, all goodwill actions aimed at repairing relations and promoting exchanges with Kang De should be suspended, preparations for countering the Forbidden Spell Mage should be accelerated, and Distant Harbor should be designated as a potential hostile force."

"Condemn and refuse to recognize Kang De's encroachment and plunder of the Broken Isles; support the Broken Isles' outlying chambers of commerce and branches; and implement commercial blockades, isolation, and hostile competition against Distant Harbor to obstruct Kang De's attempt to relocate the western sea trading center back to Distant Harbor."

At this point, the Grand Speaker's tone revealed a sharp and incisive edge.

"Closely monitor the outcome of the Battle of the Broken Isles."

He said slowly, "If Kang De suffers a setback or even defeats, and encounters a powerful enemy, the Council use all its power to make this arrogant Dragon of Cathay fall even harder."

The lawmakers exchanged glances, some looking hesitant, but ultimately raised their hands in agreement.

Kang De really went too far.

After the vote was approved, the council began to discuss the follow-up support for the Azure Fleet. Given that the powerful enemy this time came from the sea, and referring to Kang De's successful experience, the only way to launch support and rescue was from the air. In addition to summoning and mobilizing air forces, the Council also urgently contacting the Long Yi.

Dragons are too expensive and too few in number to be suitable for such a large-scale rescue.

And it seems that Dragon Island also has something going on with Kang De —damn, how did that pretty boy manage to do that?

Just then, the Grand Speaker's expression shifted slightly. He stretched out his hand, and a lightning talisman condensed in the void. New intelligence arrived, crossing the magic network. The ruler read it for a moment, then revealed a strange look.

He gestured for the members of parliament to be quiet and said slowly, "There's new information from Kang De's side."

Congressman Aokexindun shouted, "To beg for mercy or to compromise?"

"None of those."

The Grand Speaker replied, "Kang De demands the star coordinates of the Sea Traveler at the moment of its attack as the first condition for rescuing the Azure Fleet."

He looked at the councilors. "To give it or not?"

Several councilors reflexively refused, "Of course not!"

During this time, the Admiralty had been trying to contact the Sea Traveler. Only Observer Dakur jumped back; the other crew members had not returned. The situation was extremely bad, and the senators tacitly agreed to prepare for the worst. However, the losses to the Sea Traveler were not insignificant.

The Dakur observer, who had escaped and returned, was mentally deranged, but still devoted his final loyalty to the Council with his burning passion and iron will.

He provided crucial intelligence at the cost of his life, revealing fragments of information the Sea Traveler had made before its attack—enough to unveil the vast landscape beyond the fog.

An unprecedentedly terrifying monster.

And a huge underwater city.

Destroyer.

Remains.

The mists of history, the destruction of Civilization.

The elders of the library are already searching and comparing the documents on the pottery shards.

That astonishing discovery seemed to confirm a conjecture by ancient scholars, and it meant endless archaeological discoveries, and even a leap forward in the field of magic... That was the greatest contribution of the Sea Traveler.

They were thrilled and were preparing for further exploration and excavation, all after the dust had settled on the Battle of the Broken Isles. They even planned to use Kang De's Forbidden Spell to completely annihilate the terrible monster and then, without the Dragon of Cathay knowing a thing, seize the most delicious fruits of this event—but now, Kang De asked a question.

"Don't tell him!"

Such a big secret must be kept strictly confidential, especially since it has now been deduced that Kang De may have been involved with the elves, making it even more important not to speak of it.

"If we don't tell, then the rescue of the Azure Fleet..."

"Then tell him a fake one!"

"What if they see through it..."

Do I need to emphasize how important this secret is?!

The council fell into another argument. The Grand Speaker frowned slightly as he watched the arguing councilors, growing increasingly impatient. He sometimes envied the Elf Queen and the Imperial Emperor.

Just as the debate dragged on without a resolution, the Speaker's expression suddenly shifted. A flash of light appeared, and the emergency teleportation device in the council chamber opened Phase Gate. The Minister of the Navy, who was directing the rescue efforts from the Navy Department, directly used the teleportation array to traverse space, shouting, "Speaker! Gentlemen! Emergency!"

Everyone fell silent, looking at him with suspicion.

"We've been trying to contact the Sea Traveler, but haven't received a reply until just now..."

The minister took a deep breath, but shock and bewilderment were still palpable. "Communications have been restored! But the ones who answered us weren't the crew, and the ones who manipulated the resonant light pen and left the message were definitely not our people, because what appeared on the dark crystal oscillating panel at Naval Headquarters was a script I'd never seen before!"

All members of the parliament, including the speaker, stood up!

The Grand Speaker immediately pressed, "Where are the star coordinates of the Sea Traveler now?!"

The minister swallowed hard. "After it went out of control, its coordinates remained basically unchanged, but its depth kept increasing... It seems to have sunk into some area of that deep-sea ruin."

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PS1: The air conditioner is finally fixed and back to life... Damn, the rats chewed the outdoor unit's power cord into several pieces... You're so bored!