In the brightly lit teahouse, the highest-ranking seats of Black Robes were occupied.
This Council had been jointly initiated by Joseph and Shorty.
When a Council was jointly called by two factions, the leaders of all major factions would generally attend.
But this time, the First Faction was absent.
Lin Feng's Fifth Faction was absent as well.
For the moment, no one knew why the First Faction had declined to attend. They had always been mysterious, and Joseph did not pay much attention to their absence, since this was not the first time.
As for Lin Feng's absence, it was because the topic of this Council was how to deal with him!
There were five faction leaders present.
Joseph, Shorty, Luo Yingtian of the Second Faction, Egart of the Fourth Faction, and one more—a female leader completely shrouded in a black robe. She was Barol, leader of the Sixth Faction.
Joseph and Shorty had thoroughly prepared for this Council.
"According to our statistics, Shanhai has already extorted a full century's worth of resources from the Seventh Faction and from us through various means."
"The Seventh Faction has suffered nearly ten thousand casualties, while our faction has suffered nearly six thousand."
"Although those losses were not among our core combat forces, how are those below us supposed to view us if we do not give them an explanation?"
Joseph wore a grim expression as he listed the losses of the two factions.
Over the past few days, Hana and Li Xieqian had paid whatever compensation was demanded and given explanations whenever asked.
All those apologies and concessions had been for today's performance of misery and their plan.
A century's worth of resources and more than ten thousand combatant casualties were no small matter here. Holding a Council over this was surely