Yu Yuan arrived at the Black Rock Trade Association that evening.
"My lord!"
"Is it confirmed?"
Zhou Yuan nodded firmly.
"My lord, it's confirmed. Including Watson, three councilors want to join us. The Green Forest Council Alliance was already riddled with internal conflicts.
"They only maintained the status quo because outside pressure forced them to put up with it.
"But with the Golden Tooth Brotherhood joining us and panic mounting within their own ranks, they've realized the threat from within now far outweighs the pressure from outside.
"That's why they want to join us. Watson also revealed that the sudden Extreme Cold Disaster has left them exhausted. Everyone in the organization is on edge.
"Just last night, a soldier picked up a weapon and attacked the others, screaming as he went. Luckily, someone noticed something was wrong with him immediately and shot him dead, keeping the losses to a minimum."
Yu Yuan hadn't heard about this, and the newspapers hadn't mentioned it either.
But it was probably true.
Yu Yuan could sense that nearly two hundred people within the Green Forest Council Alliance had been marked by the [Nightmare Mark]. That was no small number.
"What about the others?"
"The rest are hardliners. They want to preserve the status quo and refuse to give up their power. They don't believe things have reached the point where they need to join us.
"Even if they do, they insist on securing enough benefits for themselves. The two sides are deadlocked. Two other councilors are neutral, though really, they're just waiting to see which way the wind blows!
"That's Watson's problem. Only three councilors are willing to join us now. If they break away without warning, the others will never stand for it."
"Hmph..."
Yu Yuan gave a quiet snort.
Before, he might