Ronan's question caught Mountain Lord off guard. He answered instinctively, "Luo Yuan's plan hasn't proven effective at the Transcendental Species level... Besides, genetics isn't my field, it's too sensitive, and I don't want to be at someone else's mercy again."
Even as he spoke the second half, Mountain Lord began to catch on. A reflexive resistance crept into his voice.
Ronan said nothing. He simply watched him, his gaze loaded with meaning.
Mountain Lord finally understood. This was not a bargaining chip but a prerequisite. He changed tack at once. "I'll ask Mora about it... No, I'll request a face-to-face meeting with Luo Yuan. Given my situation, I need several options to weigh, just like Death Witch. We'll keep in touch if anything changes."
At least he had not lost all sense.
Ever since their cooperation had gone awry, Mountain Lord had finally become less stubborn—or perhaps less greedy. He seemed to have grasped just how weak his position was in this partnership.
Ronan nodded, and so did Demon Rune on the Altar Spider Web.
Now that Mountain Lord had taken the hint, Ronan said no more about it. Instead, he turned to the subject that interested him most.
"You and the Justice Cult want to balance both sides of the Balance of Truth. Is that right? That's a key step in our cooperation, and I have no objection. But the Balance of Truth is already a major technical black box in the plan. Let's not create any more black boxes ourselves and undermine the trust this cooperation needs."
"What do you mean, Professor Ronan?"
"I mean that whatever comes up, both sides—or all three—should sit down and discuss it together. We need to make sure every part works and that we can share what we have. Otherwise, you might