To Hell With That Cathayan!

Today is an extremely special day for the entire Mortal World.

The big news that Tula Xiaye is just too amazing!

Using Earth as an example, it's basically equivalent to A Chuan orchestrating the Capitol Hill Scenic View Incident, but with a more powerful version that resulted in a bloodbath of both houses of Congress.

Then they tried to pin the blame on the middle... Oh shit, that was close.

It's Russia! Russia's head!

World war is imminent, and the story of Call of Duty 6 is about to unfold.

But just as A Chuan's plot was about to succeed, the Krypton Red Superman, who fell to Earth as an infant and grew up in Ukraine, led the Soviet Union Guards in a surprise attack on Washington via orbital parachute, shocking the Fourth Class with his super-powerful red button and then exposing A Chuan's plot.

The entire incident was broadcast Twitter, causing A Chuan's reputation to be ruined.

Ultimately, this forced the guy who betrayed Earth and colluded with aliens to abandon Washington and join General Zod, who had sneaked over from outer space to deal with Red Supes, in escaping to Area 51 using a hyperspace teleporter.

--Okay, I know the Chronosphere will kill infantry units instantly, but A Chuan teleported in a Multi-Purpose Infantry Vehicle! And A Chuan's special effect when stationed in the Multi-Purpose Infantry Vehicle is that it transforms the weapon station into a loudspeaker array and emits sonic attacks like "Fikniuz" and "China" during attacks, dealing special damage to Public Intellectual and pro-American elements. Hopefully, this is enough!

In short, Sleepy Joe, who was saved by Red Superman, was tasked with restoring Amerikkka in a time of crisis—but he had to kill A Chuan first, no matter what.

With such a compelling script and such exciting twists and turns, one can only imagine the astonishment of friendly nations like China, the European Union, India, and Japan who followed the entire story.

By analogy, one can imagine the complex emotions that mainland countries felt when they watched the entire Tula Xiaye news story through their intelligence networks—a mixture of astonishment and joy, joy and disappointment, disappointment and lingering fear.

Dusk Moon Dynasty, Silver Moon Council.

When the plane crashed and the Tower of All-Seeing exploded, the elven merchants, spies, and diplomats lurking in Tula Xiaye used their most precious means of information transmission, sparing no expense, to continuously report what was happening in Tula Xiaye back home, almost as if it were a live broadcast.

If it weren't for the need to save face for Twilight Moon, the elders would have loved to raise their hands and cheer three times.

It's no exaggeration to say that when they heard something resembling an "airplane" crash into the Tula Xiaye area, suggesting an attack on the Tower of All-Seeing, the elves practically jumped up.

These pointy-eared creatures have lived for so long that they have almost become polarized, prone to extremes. Some are truly Buddhist, hiding in the forest and living a life of leisure, while the elves, who have maintained their ambition and desire over the long years, have become increasingly shrewd, deep-thinking, and extremely calculating.

All the elven elders present had chosen to enter politics; almost all of them shared this trait.

They immediately realized that this had absolutely nothing to do with Kang De and seemed like a clumsy frame-up—clumsy, but extremely effective.

Because it's simple.

Simplicity is key; complexity leads to mistakes. The cunning elves understand this principle well.

So they danced wildly in ecstasy.

Because in their eyes, this was the clarion call of war.

This humiliation has been placed on Kang De's head, and Kang De can't get it off. Such an insult must be washed away by war, which means Council a war of annihilation between the Council and the Distant Harbor is inevitable.

Watching dogs fight is always the most enjoyable thing.

As a rising power in recent years, the Arcane Council has already clashed with the traditional sphere of influence of the elves. These mages are not only expanding their territory in the southern islands, but also building ships on a massive scale. This has touched the sensitive nerve of the pointy-eared elves regarding naval power. The previous Goth-Moon War also served as a warning to the Council... Sooner or later, Council to fight the Council. This is the consensus of the pro-war faction.

As for Kang De, needless to say.

This Cathayan, who appeared out of nowhere, dealt a heavy blow to the Elves when their martial arts were renowned and their power shook the continent. The devastating losses, the damage to their reputation, and the forced termination of their continental strategy were all due to this one man. What's even more outrageous is that after committing such a heinous crime against Twilight Moon, this guy not only didn't commit suicide to atone for his sins, but actually tried to seduce Her Majesty the Queen?

--And it actually succeeded!

One can imagine the deep resentment many elves harbored towards Kang De... If elves had their own book of hatred, Kang De could probably fill a huge volume by himself.

Such shame and hatred must be washed away before one can achieve clarity of mind.

However, Council could very well drag the Holy Empire into the conflict, potentially escalating into a world war. Therefore, the elves remain hesitant – after all, the Imperials cannot simply stand by and watch the Dusk Moon Dynasty crush the Council, because even a fool knows who will be next after the Council defeated.

And seeking revenge against Kang De is an obsession with no end in sight.

After all, the elves aren't a monolithic entity.

Her Majesty the Empress is clearly unreliable. The fact that she doesn't fawn over Kang De is already a testament to her dignity and self-restraint. Given the Empress's stance, it goes without saying where the royalists' allegiance lies.

Rather, those powerful clans who had been loyal to the royal family for generations and served the Phoenix King did not have much hostility towards Kang De to begin with. Especially after witnessing the development of the Distant Harbor and seeing Kang De's endless tricks, and knowing that Her Majesty the Empress's mind was beyond redemption, they slowly accepted their fate.

In addition, over the past few months, the Parrot has been impersonating Dairila and using PUA to brainwash these royalist ministers and technical talents. Today it complains about how badly they have governed the country, tomorrow it boasts about the technological progress of the Distant Harbor, and it always mentions Kang De. Over time, it has driven the self-esteem of these important ministers of the dynasty to the bottom, and they have developed more and more admiration and goodwill towards Kang De.

They now spend their days thinking about how to get the Cathayan to abandon Goth and completely side with Summer Dusk Island, even to marry into the royal family and become the sons-in-law of the Twilight Moon. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

In this situation, even if the elders of the parliamentary faction wanted to avenge Kang De, wash away the shame, and avenge the fallen soldiers, the parliament would never pass a decree of war, and the queen would be even less likely to agree—besides, Kang De still held the Forbidden Spell, how could he withstand it?

The days of impotent rage grew more and more tragic, until today, two of the three major threats to the Dusk Moon Dynasty are finally going to fight each other to the death!

Yay!

The elves excitedly circulated the latest intelligence, even deducing before Kang De that Griffin Williams was the mastermind behind the incident!

Although they were astonished by the Grand Speaker's actions—how come they never noticed before? How could this seemingly ordinary short-lived race be so cunning as to commit such a major act?

But at that moment, the elves still cheered in unison in their hearts.

"Griffin, you did a great job! You did a great job!"

The atmosphere in the parliament was joyful and cheerful.

The intelligence reports came one after another.

"Kang De opens the Phase Gate, leading his legions in a surprise attack on Tula Xiaye!"

Even more explosive news caused many elven elders to spit out the water they were drinking. After the initial shock, they became even more delighted—who could resist a good show? The more beautiful scenery from abroad, the better!

"Yay--"

The elves continued to cheer and shout in their hearts.

--Let's fight! Let's fight!

"Kang De summons Forbidden Spell to bombard Tula Xiaye!"

"Yay--"

The cheers continued... Damn, is it that exciting!?

If this happened on Earth, hearing that Russia had all its nuclear missiles aimed at the American Empire, every country in the world would be terrified and would probably do everything in its power to persuade its big brothers to back down.

But this problem doesn't exist in the other world!

Anyway, only Kang De knows the Forbidden Spell, and it's not like they're attacking my house. Let's turn the Council into ruins and start a thousand-year blood war, so we can assess Kang De's true destructive power!

Due to the blockade of the Tower of All-Seeing, the intelligence reports from the spies were limited to what was visible—what ordinary citizens of Tula Xiaye could notice and observe. The realities, truths, and exchanges of interests hidden behind these sensational scenes were left for the councilors to judge and analyze on their own.

"We can wait for the Council's official statement and note, but we all know that it will inevitably be a lie."

An elven councilor spoke, "So far, Kang De has concluded his public address to Tula Xiaye without offering any further explanation or comment on Griffin's matter, but we still have ample reason to believe that the Grand Chancellor of the Arcane Council orchestrated this attack and may have even defected."

The elven elders present sat up straight.

The impatient elf began to ask, "Is it possible for us to secretly contact Griffin?"

The royalist elders glared at him.

"This is for the benefit of the Dusk Moon Dynasty!" the elf retorted. "We are destined to Arcane Council! So what's wrong with contacting Griffin? We can learn the Council's most secrets from him, and even fund his establishment of a Northern Government and the splitting of the Arcane Council!"

At this point, the radical elder pointed to the newly hung map of the Council: "Ever since the Council abandoned land expansion and shifted its focus to the southern islands, from which it has reaped enormous economic benefits, the north-south conflict in this country has intensified! Griffin enjoys a high reputation and influence in the northern provinces of the Council; why not let him raise his banner in the north and wage a fierce battle!"

The royalist ministers opposed him out of defiance. "His actions in Tula Xiaye are tantamount to treason. Even if the northern provinces are still obedient and supportive of him, they will not obey his commands!"

"How will the common people know if this isn't said out? Even if Griffin slaughtered everyone in the Tower of All-Seeing in Tula Xiaye, the Council wouldn't dare to make such a shameful thing public!"

The elf sneered, "But for the mysterious societies, magical merchant guilds, and large workshop owners who truly hold the reins in the northern provinces, none of that matters! What matters is that Griffin has our support, and that they have the opportunity to restrict the development of the South through war, and to incorporate their manors, industries, and shipping routes into the northern workshop cluster model... Do you think they won't obey orders!"

The royalist elf shut his mouth, his eyes gleaming.

The parliament was silent.

Although those present have different stances, elves have one good quality: they live a long time, are not obsessed with the present moment or selfish, and can think things through and be open-minded about some things.

For example, no matter how much they argue, they will always consider whether the matter is beneficial to the country.

The elder's proposal was clearly in line with the interests of the Dusk Moon Dynasty.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, they intervened and effectively instigated a civil war between competing countries.

Divide the Arcane Council into the number of parts we want.

After a long silence, another elf asked, "What about Kang De's stance? The news from Tula Xiaye is that Kang De accepted the invitation from the Security Committee's Angelos to visit the Tower of All-Seeing and stayed for a while... If he reaches an agreement or even an alliance with the people in Tula Xiaye who are cleaning up the mess, then..."

"That doesn't matter!"

The radical elders responded to the questions coming from all sides, "It doesn't matter if Kang De supports the South, it's actually a good thing! In any case, it's just letting the Arcane Council fight each other out, and then we can take the opportunity to seize the country's interests and wealth. Having another Kang De to share the spoils is no big deal. Supporting both the North and the South can also test the development of military technology..."

He glanced at the throne high above him and said, "As for coordinating relations between the two sides and keeping the intensity of the proxy war under control... that's something Your Majesty excels at."

A burst of good-natured laughter rang out in the silent parliament hall.

Dairila, who had been lost in thought, blushed slightly. A lady-in-waiting stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Lord Weidelier, to hold a presumptuous and mocking stance towards the monarch is disrespectful."

"I am so sorry, Your Majesty."

The elf who proposed splitting the North and South bowed in apology.

Her Majesty the Queen waved her hand, indicating that it was nothing; she had no time to care about such teasing.

The Phoenix King's heart was heavier than anyone else's.

Although the royalists and radicals had different attitudes toward Kang De, they were similar within the broader framework of the Dusk Moon Dynasty... They didn't mind Kang De getting caught up in a protracted and dangerous bloody battle, and even tended to add fuel to the fire and push him forward.

The radicals, of course, wished Kang De dead, while the royalists, though not wanting Kang De to die, didn't mind him being an enemy of the world—ideally, he would be united against by the continental nations, betrayed and expelled by Goth, leaving him with no place to stand on the entire continent. Only then could they extend an olive branch to him, so that Kang De could whine and beg to join the Dusk Moon Dynasty and serve the elves wholeheartedly from then on.

But Dairila didn't think so.

She and Kang De were comrades.

Because they clearly recognized the threat posed by the Star Palace, they were unwilling to let any semblance of potential strength be wasted in meaningless internal strife.

Therefore, upon hearing of the shocking change in Tula Xiaye, she was extremely shocked and at a loss. Then, Kang De's decisive surprise attack miraculously turned the situation around, and she breathed a sigh of relief, unconsciously revealing a smile.

If the Parrot were present, it would surely tease this unreliable king about his feelings.

Dairila would also quite frankly claim that her happiness was simply because a great battle had vanished, preserving a vital force against the Star Palace —sometimes, she herself struggled to understand her own feelings; the beautiful elf could never quite distinguish for whom she was grieving or rejoicing.

"His Majesty."

The elder's words interrupted her thoughts, "What are your thoughts on my suggestion?"

"... ah."

Dairila paused for a moment, then said softly, "Leaving aside the plan to divide the North and South and instigate a civil war, I'm just wondering... who exactly drove Griffin to such madness, even to his defection?"

There was much discussion in parliament.

"Perhaps, as we analyzed before, Griffin realized the enormous threat posed by Kang De, and that the continued growth and expansion of Distant Harbor would inevitably squeeze the Council's space for survival..."

"Perhaps he's had enough of the senators' interference... Ah, of course, this situation is fundamentally different from that of the great Dusk Moon Dynasty and the Silver Moon Council!"

He wants to be emperor.

"Maybe..."

Dairila watched her subjects' discussions and arguments, a chill creeping into her heart.

She knows why.

The Star Palace must be the Star Palace.

The threat posed by the Star Palace was known to only a handful of beings in the Mortal World. She had considered revealing the truth to the entire nation and calling for war preparations, but was persuaded by Kang De and the Parrot to keep it a secret for the time being.

Firstly, the lack of evidence fails to instill a real sense of threat in the public, and may even increase panic.

Secondly, and most importantly, there are the experiences and testimonies from the Parrot.

"Do not act rashly... concealment is our greatest advantage." The advice of the former Phoenix King haunted her many nights. "The influence of the Star Palace on the Mortal World is far deeper than you imagine."

Even the most insane pilot cannot easily bypass Tula Xiaye's anti-aircraft network and crash into the Tower of All-Seeing; even the most powerful assassin cannot bypass the Tower of All-Seeing's security system and infiltrate it.

It cannot be done with the limited power of the Grand Speaker alone.

Unless...

She gazed at the bright and splendid parliament hall, where every member of parliament seemed to be deep in thought, arguing, or debating, all racking their brains and pondering the future of the country.

But who knows what lies beneath the surface, what's on one's mind?

Terrifying thoughts swirled in her mind.

How many of the elders here are secretly serving and worshipping false gods from the Star Palace?

How many countries are there in total?

They normally play their own roles, even willing to risk their lives and fight for the nation of Twilight Moon, but what would they do if the God of the Star Palace issued a decree?

"We need to figure this out first... If Griffin's defection has other motives, then the plan to support the Civil War will have to be changed very, very much."

Dairila's words brought an end to all the arguments. She took a deep breath. "The most important thing is to figure out exactly what happened today... Our intelligence personnel may not be able to achieve results quickly, but we have better channels to obtain firsthand information and the truth—I will contact Kang De as soon as possible."

The elves were surprised to hear this and all looked at the usually reserved Queen.

Only the radical elder Weidelier, at just the right moment, patted his chest and bowed, saying with a smile, "Your Majesty, although I have always opposed your close association with those barbarians of Cathay, this time, I implore you—beautiful Your Majesty—for the sake of Twilight Moon's interests, please extract information from the Duke of Qin as soon as possible."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

The lady-in-waiting maintained order and commanded respect from the elders, but a smile played on her lips.

The atmosphere at the Silver Moon Council was pleasant today.

The main thing is that His Majesty's mood was very stable today. He neither uttered any violent or abusive remarks nor raised his fist at any of the elders, which is very good.

Incidentally, although the council has been deeply concerned about Her Majesty the Queen's suspected intermittent schizophrenia over the past few months, they have discovered that the rude and domineering elven personality that has sprung up, while fierce and tyrannical and full of vulgar language, is actually incredibly wise and powerful, with piercing eyes, a holy heart, and ridiculously arrogant.

This left them momentarily at a loss for what to do.

It was just too delicious! It was even better than the current emperor, comparable to the most outstanding and wise ruler in the history of Twilight Moon... So they gradually accepted their fate and stopped mentioning treatment.

Only Dairila remained worried amidst the cheerful laughter.

She has temporarily stalled the plan for a civil war between the North and South, but it cannot be delayed for too long.

From the perspective of national interest, she should indeed do everything in her power to make this happen, and she would indeed do so... if it weren't for the Star Palace.

But with the threat of the Star Palace looming, if the Arcane Council descend into bloody infighting at this time, Council be unable to recover its strength when facing the Star Palace in the future, and the Mortal World will lose an important force.

How can I possibly get rid of this idea...?

She thought and thought, but found herself completely helpless.

Ah... let's leave it to Kang De.

After all, he's full of tricks.

Upon realizing this, Her Majesty the Empress's face blossomed into a stunning smile once more, her eyes sparkling, her brows like stars, and her mood instantly relaxed... Yes, he must have a way.

He has the ability to handle even a major issue like Tula Xiaye.

Her gaze swept across the elders' faces, and a slight thought stirred within her. She had felt the same joyful atmosphere just moments before, and even a fleeting, delusional thought arose in her mind.

It seems... there's less and less opposition in parliament?

She could figure out the reason behind it.

Putting aside the subtle and strange efforts of their ancestor over the past few months, today's events are enough to change their views...

First of all, the elders must have been intimidated by Kang De's forceful use of Forbidden Spell without hesitation.

Secondly, the benefits of splitting the Council were so great that the elves were willing to reluctantly cooperate with Kang De.

But...

The Queen's mind raced, but just then, the side door of the hall was violently pushed open, and the clerk rushed in carrying a new intelligence report, which he presented to Dairila. Upon reading it, her expression changed drastically.

Immediately afterwards, the other elders who saw the information gasped in shock.

An elf grabbed the scribe's collar and shouted, "Is this intelligence confirmed? Is the spy willing to stake his career on this to assure you it's beyond doubt?"

"Yes... that's how it is..."

The harmonious atmosphere in the parliament was gone; the leisure and ease had vanished, replaced by a tense atmosphere, excitement, joy, and impatience.

The lawmakers were restless, even filled with a mixture of glee and murderous intent, like gamblers who had been forced into a corner and had drawn an ace.

Because the intelligence report mentioned one thing.

"During the Forbidden Spell's attack, Tula Xiaye briefly displayed a vast area of mysterious power capable of reducing the speed of all physical objects to a certain extent. Powerful warriors were affected, and even projectile spells were restricted. After calculation, Kang De withdrew the forbidden Forbidden Spell that attacked Tula Xiaye not because of any concerns, but because the speed of the Forbidden Spell was also significantly reduced, and its power was diminished to a negligible degree... This was corroborated by seven secret agents, all of whom witnessed it and were willing to vouch for it with their professional careers."

Dairila's face turned pale, and the intelligence slipped from her fingertips.

The next moment, the Silver Moon Council unleashed a storm.

Forget about taking things slowly and waiting to see what happens; all that can go to the side!

Because in this world, the greatest challenge to the Dusk Moon Dynasty's global hegemony and national security does not lie with the ambitious Arcane Council, which is embroiled in naval power; nor with the Holy Empire, which seeks to unify the continent and unite nations; and certainly not with the giant dragons that spend their days making money on Dragon Island...

It was Kang De! Kang De! Kang De!

It's Kang De's Forbidden Spell! Forbidden Spell that renders a million-strong army, Invincible Fleet, and an unyielding fortress meaningless! Forbidden Spell that can launch a devastating attack on any city, transportation hub, or port at any time and place!

It was like a terrifying sword hanging high above the heads of Mortal World nations.

The lawmakers were yelling and shouting.

To hell with that Cathayan!

"Find Griffin! Find him at all costs! Contact him! Ask him what he needs!"

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PS1: 6,500 words... By the way, the one this morning wasn't a leave request, so there will be another update tomorrow morning.