At present, Gao Wenfu and Qiu Wanshan were the only two Transcendental Species in Jin City. Their standing was comparable, and they had spoken many times, both in public and in private.
Gao Wenfu was puzzled. Qiu Wanshan had always been lukewarm toward the world, taking neutrality to its limit. He had long kept his distance from the interest groups in Lake City and even the Great Golden Triangle. Over the past decade or more, the Great Parallelogram
had never moved into a substantive phase, largely because of his polite but distant attitude. Yet at this point, when it had become all but impossible, he had gone out of his way to come discuss it with Gao Wenfu...
For Qiu Wanshan, that was unusual.
So could something as minor as Ronan's recent trips to the Volcanic Zone really put pressure on a seasoned old hand like him?
Gao Wenfu had sounded him out several times lately, but learned nothing.
He was returning to Lake City tomorrow. When he invited Qiu Wanshan over for tea and a chat today, he had little else in mind. It was mainly a courtesy: a farewell, and thanks for the support Qiu Wanshan had lent him during his stay.
So whatever Qiu Wanshan wanted to talk about, Gao Wenfu would go along with it.
"The Volcanic Zone is at least five hundred kilometers from Spring City, while Hundred Peaks Monarch is only a little over a hundred from Lake City," Qiu Wanshan said with a smile. "Different distances, different pressures."
Gao Wenfu smiled too, but he was not one to circle around and trade empty words for long. He would chat, but he wanted something concrete from it. "You've heard about the 'Twelve Kingdoms' he proposed recently?"
"I've heard a little."
"What did you make