Romanov had lived for centuries, and his self-restraint had long since reached perfection. But after Li Chen repeatedly belittled him and pressed him at every turn, even a clay figure would have flared with anger, let alone a powerhouse who stood at the pinnacle of the continent!
A nameless fire of fury surged straight to his head. He nearly blurted out, "Since Heavenly Strategy insists on war, we of Daluo will fight you to the bitter end, down to our last soldier!"
Those words rolled over and over in his throat, charged with tragic resolve. They would certainly have sounded imposing.
Yet he dared not say them!
Reason poured over him like ice water, instantly extinguishing the flames of that impulse.
What was the situation at home? Sergei's rebel army was surging forward, taking cities and seizing territory; the Witch Ancestor of the Northern Lands watched like a tiger eyeing its prey, having just issued an edict deposing the emperor with an utterly unyielding stance.
If they now broke completely with Heavenly Strategy, whose military might was at its height, they would fall into the desperate predicament of fighting on three fronts. The Great Luo Dynasty would truly be close to destruction!
Those fierce words would have been easy to say, and satisfying, too, but neither he nor Daluo could bear the consequences.
Romanov's chest heaved several times before he finally drew a long, deep breath filled with endless frustration.
He forcibly suppressed his surging blood, his voice turning somewhat hoarse from the effort of restraining himself. "Your Majesty, there was, after all, some bond of friendship between this old man and your nation's Previous Emperor. Today, I pledge my centuries of reputation and my character as a guarantee!
"As long as Your Majesty agrees to a truce with Daluo