"But if we give Three Lives Sea to Tang Wen and he still won't give us the cultivation technique, won't we suffer a huge loss?" Ao Yang said.
"Have you got a pig's brain? What huge loss? Three Lives Sea has already become a hot potato. Whoever takes it over will be in for trouble!
"Once we give Three Lives Sea to Tang Wen, if he still refuses to take the hint, outsiders will criticize him for being ungrateful.
"If we add threats to that, using both soft and hard tactics, let's see how long he can hold out!" Ao Tian snorted.
"If Tang Wen offers the cultivation technique on condition that Duanmu Xiaofa resolves the problem with Three Lives Sea, we'll lose both the lady and our troops," Ao Yang said.
"I believe Duanmu Xiaofa would never agree.
"Hongsheng Ocean belongs to the Mystic Domain, after all, not to our Heaven Domain.
"If Duanmu Xiaofa intervenes, the Mystic Domain's ruler will intervene too. It could turn into a war between the two domains.
"That's something Duanmu Xiaofa doesn't want to see. He'll certainly find another way to obtain the cultivation technique.
"A beauty trap, for instance, or gifts of cities and land...
"Even taking ten thousand steps back, Hongsheng Ocean is already a hot potato.
"We need to find someone to dump it on and make him shoulder the blame.
"Tang Wen is the best scapegoat, because he isn't a local," Ao Ting said.
"When do you intend to throw Hongsheng Ocean out, eldest brother?" Ao Yang asked.
"We'll have to wait for the right moment," Ao Tian answered after some thought.
"A bunch of idiots! Not one of them knows how to get things done.
"They were supposed to pressure Tang Wen into turning to Ao Tian