Mars Dances Again.
The Dragon Shows Its Claws but Not Its Head
"But Lungmen doesn't have that many people," Ch'en replied, standing perfectly straight.
"Which is why the outcome has already been decided." Wei Yenwu exhaled another puff of white smoke.
"Whoever planned this, once Chernobog failed to evade the Catastrophe, this conspiracy had already reached its end." He glanced at his pipe, then turned back to Ch'en. "Don't tell Wen Yue."
What, exactly, was he telling her not to tell Wen Yue?
Ch'en played dumb as well and snorted. "First day quitting smoking?"
The clothed dragon shrugged. "Quitting smoking is a journey without end."
It definitely wasn't about quitting smoking.
He continued, "The outbreak of war is practically inevitable. Since Ursus's bureaucratic system, half-forced and half-willing, allowed things to develop to this point, what reason is there to believe they'll hit the brakes?"
Worried enough to lose her composure, Ch'en said something remarkably stupid. "The... Reunion Movement is just a bunch of thugs. As long as we can defeat them in time..."
"To defeat them, we'd have to enter Chernobog," Wei Yenwu said. "And if the people who created this situation could paralyze the parliament, then that alone would be enough of an excuse for a handful of people to act on their own."
"And whether it's a few people acting alone or Ursus formally declaring war, it makes no difference to Lungmen."
For Yan, this was not entirely bad news.
A scorched land, a ruined city.
The "design lifespan" of Jade Gate and the capital was nearing its end. When the starving dragon that had guarded its clumsiness for a thousand years broke free of the Sui Beasts' shackles, perhaps it could use an excuse for war like Lungmen.
But for Lungmen, this was unquestionably bad news.
"I've