Memories of the Shard Building / The Final Help ...

Bai Ye was an uninvited guest, and the only one who dared to swagger into the Wei Manor like this.

"I just got back from Victoria, and I felt I should come see you." Bai Ye sat down on the sofa opposite Old Wei.

The hard sofa made him marvel at how incredibly healthy the old man was.

Wei Yenwu was an Ancients, and his gaze remained sharp. In the past, Bai Ye always felt suffocated when he was in the same space as Wei Yanwu.

However, as he grows and gradually regains the knowledge he had sealed away in the past, Bai Ye is no longer afraid of Old Wei.

"Recently, another envoy from Yan has come to Lungmen. It seems you've done something again?" Wei Yenwu spoke first.

"Hmm, probably because I met with the people from Si Sui Tai once before?" Bai Ye recalled, "Yes, and I also took away an incarnation of a Sui Beast Fragment from Da Yan."

"..." Old Wei was speechless. This guy had quietly caused a big commotion again, and he seemed to be even more capable of causing trouble than he was when he was young.

Well, Old Wei always thought that taking two very significant weapons from the armory was already an incredibly audacious act.

I never expected there would still be experts like this.

It's fortunate that Bai Ye is so powerful, otherwise he would probably have been arrested by the Yan's officials by now.

"They probably found out about your businesses in Lungmen, but they've already left," Wei Yenwu sighed. "So, you're planning to continue your journey to Yan?"

"No, I'm going to Victoria, Londinium," Bai Ye said, giving Wei Yenwu a different answer.

"It seems those Sarkaz really couldn't wait any longer? Or are those Grand Dukes just impatient?" Wei Yenwu indeed had a clear understanding of the situation in Victoria.

He squinted and looked at Bai Ye:

"Entering the market at this time, it seems you do indeed have something big on your mind."

"I'm just slightly interested," Bai Ye replied with a smile.

Wei Yenwu shook his head. Although his tone remained calm, one could sense the underlying will within it.

"No matter what, don't get the Little Tal involved."

Clearly, Wei Yenwu did not want his brother's orphan to be dragged into the vortex of Londinium once again.

"That's impossible." Bai Ye shook his head.

"Hmm?" Wei Yenwu looked into Bai Ye's eyes and suddenly frowned, as if he had sensed something was wrong.

After a moment of silence, his expression suddenly became strange:

"You and Little Tal...?"

Clearly, he had sensed something.

"?" Bai Ye was startled, but his expression remained unchanged. Yes, although he had planned to explain, he hadn't spoken yet. Where did this old fox get that idea?

"You can't fool me... because you're too young and don't understand what a man is like when he makes a promise."

Old Wei then laughed.

Yes, Bai Ye did not reveal himself, but in the instant he answered, Wei Yenwu saw Bai Ye's eyes and the emotions contained within them.

"I saw that look in Edward's eyes back then."

"Goodness, I can't hide it from you after all..." Bai Ye sighed, indirectly admitting it.

Old Wei continued with a laugh:

"And it must have been Little Tal who took the initiative. Wen Yue and I had long guessed that this day would come. The way she looked at you was clearly strange."

Chapter 107 Memories of the Shards

Bai Ye had originally planned to find an opportunity to bring it up himself, but he didn't expect that the old fox Wei Yenwu on the other side could see through his clues from his eyes.

Bai Ye was quite adept at managing his facial expressions, but when it came to his eyes, he couldn't help but reveal his feelings for Talulah.

"But Wen Yue and I are relieved to have the Little Tal in your care. Hui Jie is safe in Lungmen; I'll be watching over her no matter what happens," Wei Yenwu sighed.

"I have always wronged Little Tal. I did make mistakes that are irreparable and cannot be undone in the past. However, there is nothing I can do now."

Although Wei Yenwu wanted to make amends and make amends for his past mistakes, he knew that if he acted rashly, it would cause even more irreparable consequences.

After all, his identity was far too special. As the administrative head of Lungmen, countless eyes, both openly and secretly, were always watching him. And his younger brother, who held the highest position in Yan, was even more wary and fearful of him.

In the past, he couldn't even hold a funeral for his own brother and sister, leaving behind only Nameless Grave unknown to anyone; and now, he can't offer any direct help to the orphans left behind by his brother.

Therefore, Wei Yenwu Wen Yue had long anticipated Bai Ye and Talulah's situation and understood that they would eventually reach this point. However, even so, they did not interfere or stop them.

"It will be very difficult for Little Tal to be alone in the Ursus Empire. Fortunately, you are standing behind her. Neither the council, the emperor, nor other nobles and the army dare to make any rash moves."

After a pause, Wei Yenwu shook his head:

"If it weren't for the throne of Londinium, I really wouldn't understand why you would get involved in Victoria's mess."

This is also what Wei Yenwu found strange.

If the purpose is to exploit Talulah's bloodline, then intervening in the struggle in Londinium is not surprising.

However, at the moment, Bai Ye had no intention of using Talulah. Since that was the case, his business was far away from Victoria, and he had no reason to care about the chaotic situation there.

Bai Ye answered:

"There are three main reasons. Rhodes Island, our ally, needs my help; the Sarkaz conspiracy must be thwarted; and I, too, want to find what is hidden behind the relics left by Talulah's biological father."

"I see. Was the doctor the main initiator? In terms of foresight, her vision far surpasses mine." Wei Yenwu frankly admitted his shortcomings.

Wei Yenwu knew Dr. Kal'tsit; they had previously collaborated through Bai Ye's introduction. Lungmen's subsequent significant shift in its policy towards the Infected was also due to the technical support it received from Rhodes Island.

With the technology to treat (not cure) Oripathy, and sufficient theoretical support, and with the vigorous policies and public education efforts of the Lungmen government, the public's prejudice against those infected has gradually changed.

During this period, Wei Yenwu had several secret talks with Kal'tsit, and it was clear that Old Wei had come to know how special and powerful Kal'tsit.

Bai Ye nodded:

"The doctor said that the Sarkaz are plotting something, something they've been holding back for a long time. The Grand Dukes know this too; they've been waiting for each other for four years since the Sarkaz Military Council entered Londinium in 1094. Now, neither side can hold back any longer."

"The Sarkaz plan is to incite a war that will spread across the entire land. Then, the war-torn nations will be unable to pay attention to the Sarkaz, and they will be able to take the opportunity to revive their races and the countries that have been destroyed several times."

Bai Ye revealed Kal'tsit's assessment of the situation in Londinium.

In fact, the Grand Dukes should have taken action at the end of 1097, but the appearance of the undead delayed their actions, and the sudden disappearance of the undead also affected them to some extent.

But it's clear they'll be making a move soon. Neighboring Kazimierz is hosting a major event like the Knight Tournament, which has also been postponed, and they're too busy to deal with the impending chaos in Londinium. This is their best chance.

"The Sarkaz have indeed recovered some of their strength, but how can they possibly ignite a war that spreads across the entire land?" Wei Yenwu asked.

"The Fragment Tower." Bai Ye used his terminal to project a phantom image of an unfinished tower.

It was a skyscraper, and also an unfinished Babel.

The Shard, a symbol and pinnacle of Victoria hegemony, is Victoria's Stormspear. This thing can create Catastrophe and possesses abilities similar to Bai Ye, though the latter has never actually used its terrifying power intentionally.

However, Victoria was genuinely prepared to do so.

The destructive power of the Catastrophe in Terra is immense. Even a fortified city like the Great Yan Yumen Pass would be partially paralyzed for at least two months after facing Catastrophe from the desert. In war, the paralysis of Mobile City means it has become a sitting duck for enemy fire.

Unlike the Lightning Storm superweapon from Bai Ye, or rather, from a certain "Red Ring," the Shard cannot be directly attacked; it requires guidance from airships. Fortunately, Terra's current defenses against aerial forces are somewhat inadequate, thus it seems to lack effective countermeasures against airships guiding the Catastrophe.

And most importantly, the Shard is located in the heart of Londinium, making it virtually impossible to counter. For any nation to attack the Shard, it would need to breach Victoria's steel defenses and a massive battle array of fortified cities and high-speed warships—a formidable, if not impossible, task. Therefore, in that era, setting aside the mysterious Great Yan Empire, Victoria was arguably the most powerful empire on the continent.

However, perhaps by fate, the Shard was never completed. Years of war had depleted the Aslan royal treasury, and the 1072 Coup, triggered by tax adjustments, led to the downfall of the Aslan dynasty. Londinium became a place of checks and balances, and without a central authority, the unfinished Shard project had to be halted.

Therefore, when Theresis and his military council entered Londinium Palace in 1094, the Shard was only a work in progress.

This is a superweapon waiting for the Sarkaz to repair. At the same time, the Sarkaz also need to manually create a "Zero Wave Zero" that can be used to guide the Shards' remote Catastrophe attacks, which is an airship.

Chapter 108 The Final Help

"It seems those Sarkaz are indeed very ambitious."

Wei Yenwu already possessed a considerable amount of relevant intelligence, and combined with Bai Ye's description, he was naturally able to understand the whole picture, even more clearly than Bai Ye.

However, Bai Ye possesses an ability akin to "future vision," allowing him to understand the general direction of events in subsequent versions. Therefore, he was able to carry out his plan in an orderly manner after learning of his mission.

"The Sarkaz would not be foolish enough to declare war on the entire land, nor would they have the ability to do so. On the contrary, their plan is to use Victoria's identity to attack the nations of Terra, ignite a war that will spread across the entire land, and plunge Terra into a new chaotic situation where it will have no time to attend to the Sarkaz and Kazdel, allowing Kazdel to establish and develop its own independent status amidst the chaos of war."

The main storyline of Bai Ye was to thwart these guys' plots. In this expansion, Londinium was almost destroyed, even its industrial system was ruined and needed rebuilding and restoration. Fortunately, however, a world war was not started.

If given a second chance, Bai Ye would naturally need to thwart the Sarkaz's conspiracy. As mentioned before, a chaotic planet would actually be more suitable for Earth to undergo dimensional fusion and welcome its arrival, since the nations on that land would be too preoccupied with their own problems to attend to a suddenly appearing, unfamiliar civilization.

However, Bai Ye's education taught him that the rise of a civilization cannot be built on the oppression and invasion of another. A civilization built on piles of corpses, blood, and fire cannot be called a civilization; that is barbarism.

At the same time, internal strife is a wrong choice. In this Star Sea, we are not alone, nor do we know what other crises we may face in the future. We also need the wisdom left by the natives and their Pre-Civilization.

Yes, in the 24th century, humanity looked back on history and learned many lessons learned through blood and tears. This also set the general direction for future interstellar exploration—to achieve peace and inclusiveness while strengthening our power.

This is the education that Bai Ye and his generation of prospective travelers received.

Therefore, in Bai Ye's plan, he intends to maintain the stability of the Terra in a general direction, and to take steps to resolve or block some major troubles from the inside or outside, while using this to gain a voice in major political entities and countries, and finally promote the peaceful coexistence of the two civilizations.

Some might see this as naive and troublesome, since things might not go as planned. However, Bai Ye had no intention of changing his mind. After all, he also possessed the ability to incite Catastrophe, which added a safety net to the entire plan.

After a moment of contemplation, Wei Yenwu slowly said:

"This time, Lungmen cannot provide you with much support... After all, we are part of the Great Yan, and it is impossible for us to voluntarily intervene in the internal affairs of another country."

"And Edward's belongings have already been handed over to you by Little Tal. I have nothing else to give you."

Bai Ye smiled:

"That thing is enough. It is said that the Breath of Kings is comparable to the Shard. The latter is known as a spear, while the Breath of Kings is a shield against Catastrophe. Although we may not need to use that thing, I will not let it fall into the hands of the Sarkaz."

Wei Yenwu nodded, then sighed:

"Koschei, Sarkaz... This land is always full of conspirators who try to start wars and reverse the course of the world. Perhaps we will bury ourselves without even the great enemies of human civilization taking action."

"We must resolve the issues of Victoria and Columbia before 1099, then free up our resources to pacify the deep sea and establish a defensive line to the north to resist threats from the ice fields," Bai Ye lamented, reflecting on the urgency of the situation.

Furthermore, given that the Abyssal Hunter's condition is likely to worsen, the deep-sea issues must be addressed in advance.

Fortunately, Bai Ye has fully matured. Apart from a few Beast Lord and Great Beast that he still fears, the rest are no longer a threat. Having passed through the novice and growth stages, Bai Ye's subsequent actions can be much easier.

It wouldn't be a complete sweep, but it would at least become much smoother.

Moreover, Bai Ye is not completely blind in Londinium. On the surface, he has intelligence from W and Eblana, who cannot be fully trusted, as well as the forces behind her. On the cover, he is supported by Kal'tsit's intelligence network that spans the entire Victoria and Londinium.

"The advantage lies with me," Bai Ye made a rough assessment.

Wei Yenwu then asked the last question:

"How many people are you planning to send into Londinium?"

"We estimate there are only four of us, that is, me and three Abyssal Hunter. We don't know about Rhodes Island yet," Bai Ye calculated. He just concealed the existence of Big Daddy.

A four-person team has five members; that's common sense, isn't it?

Kal'tsit originally seemed to be planning to take over Rhodes Island entirely into Londinium, but with Bai Ye around, it seems she doesn't have to go all in as planned.

"Back then Edward actually brought out a complete city defense map, which has been stored in my terminal ever since. Although so many years have passed, we don't know if there have been any adjustments or changes within Londinium," Wei Yenwu said, taking out his terminal. "But you can still refer to it."

Bai Ye clearly accepted Old Wei's help, and then smiled:

"The Aslan who tried to wipe out Dolak back then obviously never imagined that years later, they themselves would be sent to the gallows."

"Yes, back then, during that coup, the council and the grand dukes quickly seized control of the Londinium city defense forces and convinced the people that King Aslan's new tax policy was an attempt to extract the last penny from them, thus inciting public anger. They then launched an attack on the Tower Knight. At that time, the garrison commander Jeffrey Mace led 600 Tower Knight in a fierce resistance, but to no avail. Half of the Tower Knight were killed, the royal palace was captured by the council's army, King Aslan fled, and was eventually captured by the council's army in the western hall of the Holy King's Council. He was hanged along with Duke Cumberland, and his forces were wiped out, marking the end of the Aslan dynasty."

Wei Yenwu was no stranger to this. After all, this was a major event that had alarmed Terra.

However, the nations of Terra did not take any action, but continued to quietly observe the internal developments within Victoria.

The Great Yan Dynasty would not take any initiative, and Wei Yenwu naturally only collected information and then sealed it all away, just like Edward's relics.

I never imagined that these things would come in handy now.

Chapter 109 Frugal Housekeeping

"If Wen Yue were here, she would probably be very happy to hear about your situation."

Before Bai Ye left, Wei Yenwu spoke.

The timing of Bai Ye's visit this time wasn't ideal, as Lady Wen-yue was not present.