"You are a perfect master."

For example, right now...

When Zou Huang Jiuwu saw in the Mortal City Daily Report that a continent called "Feng Qiya Continent" had taken the lead in detaining Mortal City members, he was intimidated by Mortal City's level 20 Heavenly Judgment Cannon, released the people on the spot, and gave them war reparations.

It's hard not to feel a little sad.

"What kind of lousy name is this Feng Qiya Continent? A female monarchy?"

"No, no, why is he still the Lord of Jiangbei Mortal City? He should be the Lord of Eternal Night Mortal City, or simply the Lord of Mortal City! Mortal City has already achieved Great Unification."

"What a pity, it would have been better if that shot had landed directly on the mainland."

"5 billion in Eerie Stone is too little compensation; it should be at least 10 billion."

As he carefully read the information in the "Mortal City Daily Report," Zou Huang Jiuwu kept muttering his own evaluations.

But the smile on his face was almost impossible to stop.

He was delighted to see a powerful force suffer a setback in front of Mortal City.

"..."

In the corner.

The Military Strategist, Old Strange Entity, who was grilling fish over a small Furnace, looked at his king with a broad smile, thinking, "If... if this kind of life could last forever, that would be wonderful."

If a story must have an ending.

He hopes it's now.

The story can end here; no need to add any more plot. He hadn't seen the King so relaxed and happy in a long time.

Actually...

When he learned that the King was a "Innate Dark Sacred Physique" and that the Source of Darkness consumed by producing Strange Entities in the "Black Abyss" was far less than that of other Strange Entities.

He had considered embarking on a path of conquest.

Although the king has lost all will to wage war.

But the king Trust him.

If he were to persuade the king, he would surely consider the feasibility of the matter. However... he had also lost his will to wage war, and he felt that things were as they were now.

What is war reparations?

Core Region of the Feng Qiya Continent.

An Elderly Man with a pale face, none other than the Lord of the Feng Qiya Continent, calmly looked down at his indignant Subordinate a completely expressionless face.

"It wasn't us who lost."

It's not that we're truly afraid of the Mortal Domain.

"A person who endures small things will surely plan for greater things."

"If we start a war with the Mortal Domain now, it will forever sever our chances of advancing to the Third-Level Continent. But if we avoid this war, and eventually advance to the Third-Level Continent, wouldn't destroying a small Mortal Domain be a piece of cake?"

"The overwhelming dominance of the Third-Level Continent over Second-Level Continent is absolute and cannot be compensated for by any advantage."

"Gentlemen."

"Now is not the time to be angry."

"We must transform our anger into motivation. This matter need not be concealed; it must be truthfully disseminated so that all our people understand the humiliation suffered and channel that humiliation into motivation, working even harder in their respective roles until we advance to the Third-Level Continent and wash away this shame!"

He is indeed the absolute leader of the "Feng Qiya Continent," but he also has to consider the feelings of his subordinates and needs to explain himself.

The people below.

Clearly, the "Feng Qiya Continent" felt extremely humiliated by paying war reparations, and many generals were ordered to fight even at the cost of their lives.

He understood this feeling and was happy to see it, but things couldn't go that way.

He was a leader.

Now that things have come to this point, he needs to find a way to maximize his benefits.

"Feng Qiya Continent" has been developing steadily for many years.

Because the mainland is hidden in the Sea Domain.

No one has discovered them; there are only a few Strange Entities that have formed naturally in the Heaven and Earth.

While this environment is extremely conducive to development, it can also easily lead people to become complacent. Now that there is a clear enemy and a clear goal, everyone's efforts will be directed in one direction.

If we can truly turn humiliation into strength, then these 5 billion Eerie Stone will be absolutely worth it!

It's absolutely great value for money!

As expected.

"Everyone, you can leave now."

The white-haired Elderly Man sitting on the Throne slowly rose and said in a hoarse voice, "The day we advance to the Third-Level Continent will be the day we annihilate the Mortal Domain."

The next day.

"Young Master."

Chen Fan was on his way back, standing on the deck of the Flying Boat. The matter had been resolved and was no longer urgent, so he decided not to use the Teleportation Formation and instead flew the Flying Boat back.

Every little bit helps.

Spend money where you should, save money where you should.

It won't delay anything.

The Crippled Monkey beside him strode over to report, "Flying Boat 222, which remained in place, has successfully received 5 billion Eerie Stone and a Purple Grade Exotic Treasure."

"Only..."

The Crippled Monkey said with a hint of anger, "The Eerie Stone by the Feng Qiya Continent are all of the lowest grade, totaling 5 billion. A single Flying Boat simply cannot hold them all."

"At least twenty Flying Boat will be needed to transport this batch of Eerie Stone."

"They did it on purpose!"

"Domain Lord, if you ask me, we've been too soft-hearted. We should turn back now and bombard their continent with a single shot."

"They're playing us for a fool; we can't swallow this."

"..."

Chen Fan stood calmly on the deck of the Flying Boat, his hands gripping the railing as he gazed at the horizon. He didn't answer immediately, but instead tapped his knuckles lightly on the railing.

This is the simplest form of irritation.

It's meaningless.

It's like scratching an itch through a boot.

He wondered what the other person's purpose was in doing this.

Just to annoy him, or to test his limits and see how determined he is to start a war.

Who is truly capable of waging war, or is this just a case of someone using someone else's Borrowing a Tiger’s Might?

Really.

He truly didn't want to start a war. No matter how assertive he appeared, he didn't want to start a war right now, at least not during the three-year protection period of the Eternal Night Continent. Many buildings on the Eternal Night Continent hadn't yet reached their maximum level, and it wasn't yet a fully developed Second-Level Continent. It wasn't a suitable time for a war.

"What to do?"

"Young Master."

The Crippled Monkey had never been so angry, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. "Should we send more Flying Boat to receive these reefs? Or should we refuse to accept them, return, and bombard them again?"

"Flying Boat No. 222 is still waiting there for your orders, Young Master."

"Neither is good."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Fan gently shook his head. "This is probably not an order from the Lord of the 'Feng Qiya Continent.' People in his position should understand that such an action is meaningless."

"It will neither satisfy our anger nor prevent the situation from escalating completely."

"The underhanded tactics of the people below."

"I'm not suited to go back, it's a shame."

"Give these instructions."

"Just leave it there."

The Mortal Domain is unwilling to start a war easily, but if the other side really takes advantage of the situation, then let's have a fight and see who has two heads.

"It's all here."

Feng Qiya Continent.

A Middle-Aged Man with a face full of scars sat in front of an Eerie Stone as high as a small mountain, his face full of smiles, but his eyes were full of mocking amusement.

"All 5 billion Eerie Stone, not one missing."

"Why don't you count them?"

The words had barely left his mouth.

A few suppressed laughs rippled through the crowd. They knew all too well how many Eerie Stone a Mustard-Seed Room in a Flying Boat could hold.

A single Flying Boat could not possibly carry away this batch of Eerie Stone.

Take your time.

The thought of dozens of Flying Boat beginning to transport so many Eerie Stone made them feel quite relieved that this "war reparations" payment was made.

Anyway, they didn't break their promise.

Isn't this supposed to contain 5 billion Eerie Stone?

Oh, right.

The burly man slapped his forehead dramatically, pulled a Purple Grade Exotic Treasure from his robes, and respectfully handed it to the Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Lord: "This is another Purple Exotic Treasure as compensation. Please keep it safe."

There was not a single impolite thing he did throughout the entire process.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Aside from those 5 billion Eerie Stone.

"..."

The Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Lord restrained the First Elder, who was about to erupt in anger, and expressionlessly accepted the Exotic Treasure, stuffing it into his robes before standing still to await the Domain Lord's instructions.

After all, he was once a powerful figure.

The person who brought the "Slaying Immortal Holy Land" to its peak.

He knew it perfectly well.

Before the leader of the faction expresses his opinion, those below should not show any expression, whether it be anger or cursing. Not only could it affect the leader's decision, but it could also embarrass his master.

Even if the other party is provoking you to your face.

He couldn't show any expression either.

At this point, your anger will only seem more ridiculous to the other person.

Seeing that the Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Lord had no expression, the Middle-Aged Man slightly pursed his lips in boredom, but still smiled respectfully and said, "Then can we begin our journey?"

"..."

The Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Lord looked up at the Middle-Aged Man, his eyes expressionless. He casually looked away, then lowered his head to play with his fingernails, still awaiting the City Lord's command. Finally...

The Message Talisman in his arms rang.

The moment I heard the command.

He laughed.

Ten breaths later.

He looked with satisfaction at the wooden sign he had just written on, strode over to the "Eerie Stone Mountain" that resembled a small hill, and stuck the sign into the ground.

"Belongs to the Mortal Domain."

"One less, let's begin."

"The Domain Lord ordered that it's not easy to take, so I'll just leave it here."

"You shall keep it."

The Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Lord clapped his hands, smiling as he looked at the somewhat unpleasant-looking Middle-Aged Man before him, "Keep them safe. If even one is missing, then... prepare for war."

"This time, the Heavenly Dao Cannon will not be fired into the sea."

I hope that the Heavenly Dao Cannon of your Maqiya Continent can also bombard the Eternal Night Continent with such precision. Of course, that is, if you can come to the Eternal Night Continent.

That's all.

Without stopping at all.

He took the Purple Grade Exotic Treasure with him, turned around and walked towards the Flying Boat behind him. Then, without any hesitation, he quickly took off and disappeared from the spot, vanishing without a trace.

The people from the Mortal Domain have left.

But the Middle-Aged Man responsible for paying this "war reparations" looked extremely grim, almost ashen-faced, staring at the small mountain composed of 5 billion Eerie Stone, which had now become a hot potato.

His superiors ordered him to pay war reparations.

This is not an easy job.

The world will condemn him.

He never aspired to be remembered for his good deeds, but he also didn't want to be infamous for his bad deeds. So he came up with a way to pay the "war reparations" in a dignified manner.

But now...

It seems rather difficult to maintain a dignified appearance.

"Contact the person above."

He gritted his teeth slightly; this matter was beyond his control.

On the deck of the Flying Boat that is returning to port.

The Lame Wolf scratched his head, somewhat puzzled, and said, "Domain Lord, doesn't this mean we're at a complete loss? We haven't received any war reparations at all."

"..."

Chen Fan glanced at the Lame Wolf and couldn't help but laugh, saying softly, "How could that be? We're making a profit, even more than if we had directly obtained 5 billion Eerie Stone."

Firstly.

"The other side may be trying to test our resolve to go to war. We've posed this question to them, and their desire to avoid war is definitely stronger than ours."

Secondly.

"We now have a 'Orthodoxy' that allows us to go to war at any time."

"Once this matter becomes known to the Mortal Domain Member, and if the Mortal Domain decides to wage war on the grounds that one 'Eerie Stone' is missing, all Mortal Domain Member, including the people of the Eternal Night Continent, will fully support us. This is the People's Will."

"Although I am the Mortal Domain Lord..."

"But if I asked you to kill a kid on the street at will, would you do it?"

"I can."

The Crippled Monkey nodded firmly:

"..."

Chen Fan paused for a moment before continuing, "You can do it, and many Mortal Domain Member can too, but they will feel burdened and start to question whether my decisions and orders are correct."

"And this 'Eerie Stone Mountain' is an Orthodoxy."

"Once this leads to war..."

"No one will think my orders are wrong, nor will they feel any psychological burden. On the contrary, they will be filled with righteous anger and fight for the Mortal Domain."

"As well as..."

"They also gave us a legitimate opportunity to land on the 'Feng Qiya Continent,' and we can go every now and then to check if the Eerie Stone have disappeared."

"This will allow us to learn more about the Feng Qiya Continent."

"It's very beneficial for us, but it's disgusting for the Feng Qiya Continent side. Unless they want to start a war directly, they'll just have to bear with it. They reap what they sow."

After saying that.

Chen Fan smiled and continued gazing at the horizon, enjoying the sea breeze without offering any further explanation. He usually didn't like to talk much, but today he was in a good mood.

I'd like to explain a few more points.

Giving Subordinate a legitimate reason to kill, which is what is known as Orthodoxy.

It seems unnecessary.

But in many situations, it can be the key to determining the outcome of a war.

If even those below us feel that this war is completely unnecessary, even unreasonable, and shouldn't have been fought, then this war is bound to be lost.

For example...

He couldn't very well pilot the Flying Boat himself and use the Heavenly Dao Cannon to bombard Feng Qirui Continent.

"Insolence! Insolence!!"

The Lord of the Feng Qirui Continent, his face contorted with rage, pointed at his Subordinate who had come to report the news and roared, "All officials across the continent must investigate thoroughly! I want to see where things went wrong that my orders cannot be fully carried out!"

Compared to the consequences of this matter.

What angered him even more was...

The order was given personally.

Someone actually dared to tamper with it. If this person wasn't incredibly audacious, then there's something wrong with the entire Government Official System; those below are no longer following orders but not directives.

This must be thoroughly rectified!

"Yes..."

The Subordinate who came to report the news still hesitated, forcing himself to speak, "Then this batch of Eerie Stone..."

The white-haired Elderly Man took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and said, word by word, "Leave it there for now, and have the local officials send someone to keep it safe."

Not a single point can be missing.

"Wait for Mortal City to come and collect it."

Although he knew perfectly well that Mortal City wouldn't come to take it, and that when they did come, it would mean war, and regardless of whether the Eerie Stone were actually less, Mortal City would say that they were.

This is something that is difficult to verify.

And...

It's highly likely that the number is genuinely low.

After all, 5 billion Eerie Stone is such a huge number that it certainly wasn't counted; they were all weighed.

Yes, there are definitely some differences in quantity.

After his Subordinate left.

The white-haired Elderly Man murmured, his voice trembling slightly, "Impressive, truly impressive. A local official can mobilize 5 billion Level-1 Eerie Stone in a single day."

"That's really impressive."

"He's even better than me."

This matter must be thoroughly investigated to get to the bottom of things. This is a systemic problem, not just a problem involving one person.

I must thank Mortal Domain.

We helped him discover this hidden danger; otherwise, it would have caused serious trouble in the future.

Seven days later.

Chen Fan returned to the New Continent and was standing on the City Wall Outpost One, listening to Wang Kui report on the situation over the past few days. There was nothing urgent; if there was, he would have reported it using Message Talisman.

Below the City Wall.

The Middle-Aged Man who was brought back was standing alone under the City Wall. He was the former Group Leader the Group Three the "Feng Qiya Continent" Punishment Hall, who had been in charge of interrogation.

"Bring him up."

After hearing the report, Chen Fan waved his hand and said, "Bring him up."

The Eternal Night Continent is still under protection; outsiders are not allowed to enter.

Soon.

The Middle-Aged Man was led up the City Wall. Upon seeing Chen Fan, he straightened his neck and said Ice-Cold, word by word, "You won't get any information out of me."

"I swore an oath to the Holy King's Jade Seal that I would never reveal any information about the Feng Qiya Continent, or I would suffer the pain of the Oath Mark on my palm for the rest of my life."

No interrogation required.

"Whether you torture me or give me a quick death, it's up to you."

"And--"

"You are not a qualified leader."

"If you make your Subordinate swear an oath before your Jade Seal, it will be very difficult for us to extract information about the Mortal Domain."

"You didn't even think of that?"

"..."

Chen Fan chuckled. When this man was still on the enemy's ship, he saw the collapse of faith in the man's eyes, which meant that the other party had begun to disagree with the values of "Feng Qiya Continent".

This is a great point to take advantage of.

He scrutinized the Middle-Aged Man for a long time before casually smiling and saying, "Perhaps."

"But I hope even more that my people, after being arrested, won't have to endure torture or be bound by the Jade Seal, and will be able to reveal some information to give themselves a better chance of survival."

"Perhaps that's a bit idealistic."

"I know."

But one thing is certain--

"That is, the Mortal Domain will never use its own members as scapegoats to be handed over to hostile forces; that will never happen."

"What a pity."

"With your talent, if you had been born in the Mortal Domain, you would certainly have had greater potential for development."

The words had barely left his mouth.

The Middle-Aged Man suddenly lowered his head. He knew the other party was trying to break down his defenses, but... after experiencing the stark contrast between the Mortal Domain's willingness to exchange 4 billion Eerie Stone for his Subordinate and his own lifelong hard work only to be sent away as a scapegoat.

It was truly difficult for him to remain loyal to the Feng Qiya Continent.

There was even... a hint of hatred.

After a long while.

The Middle-Aged Man, his eyes red-rimmed, looked up at Chen Fan and said, "If... if I could have been born on the Eternal Night Continent to serve you, it would be my honor."

"You are a perfect master."

"After I've finished speaking, give me a quick answer."

Feng Qiya Continent was promoted to the Second-Level Continent 37 years ago. Now, five continents have been found, three of which are owned.

One of them, which has established trade relations with the Feng Qiya Continent, is located 0.5 million kilometers to the north of the Feng Qiya Continent and is called the "Dark Eerie Continent".

The other two continents, Feng Qiya Continent, managed to steal a lot of Soil from these two continents and bring it back.

The remaining two continents are unclaimed.

There are many mineable Eerie Ore on the mainland, Feng Qiya Continent has been mining them for many years.

Besides...

The sea breeze swept across the defense line.

The Middle-Aged Man began to explain in detail, and a black "Philosopher Mark" gradually appeared on his palm, which was extremely conspicuous.

Their psychological defenses have been completely breached.

He had even begun to resent Feng Qiya Continent.

They talked for a full half day.

It goes into detail about the local customs and traditions of each region on the "Feng Qiya Continent," explaining everything that could be known.

Until.

The Middle-Aged Man gripped his right wrist tightly, enduring the excruciating pain, and forced a smile despite his chapped lips, "I work in intelligence. Many local customs and practices may seem insignificant, but when used properly, they can be surprisingly effective."

I believe you understand this too.

"Lord Chen."

"It hurts a little, could you give me a ride?"

Just then--

Flying Boat No. 222 has returned.

The Holy Lord of the Slaying Immortal Holy Land rushed to the City Wall. He first saw the trembling Middle-Aged Man, then withdrew his gaze and took out a "Miniature Lion Clay Sculpture" from his pocket, handing it to Chen Fan.

"Domain Lord."

"The 5 billion Eerie Stone have been handled as you instructed. This Purple Grade Exotic Treasure is the one for this..." Feng Qiya

[EOI] Mainland! The Exotic Treasure of Compensation.

The words had barely left his mouth.

The Middle-Aged Man, who had been enduring excruciating pain, suddenly grinned and said, "City Lord Chen, you've been tricked by the Feng Qiya Continent. This Exotic Treasure was acquired a long time ago, and over the years, not a single Appraiser has been able to identify Exotic Treasure."

"Don't even mention the effects."

"I don't even know the name."

"If we disregard its collectible value, its worth is even less than that of a White Grade Exotic Treasure."

"It's all too familiar."

"This is Feng Qiya Continent; it reeks of petty and irritating behavior from beginning to end."

"..."

The Slaying Immortal Holy Land Sacred Lord looked at the Middle-Aged Man with a slightly strange expression. He remembered this man; this was the man who had been responsible for interrogating him. But why was he now cursing his own continent so harshly?

They betrayed us.

Etc.

Can people from different continents join the Mortal Domain?

I don't know.

"..."

Chen Fan looked down at the panel of the Exotic Treasure in his hand, remained silent for a long time before finally managing to smile, "Pretty good."

Difficult to identify?

Did nobody tell Feng Qiya Continent? He doesn't need any appraisal here at all.

Such a nice thing, and you just give it to him like that?

I should have told him sooner that I wanted to give him this.

He doesn't even want the Eerie Stone anymore, he only wants this. He wouldn't even mind giving Feng Qiya Continent another 5 billion Eerie Stone.

Feng Qiya Continent tried to throw shit at him twice.

They threw two lumps of gold at him instead.

Good.