The discussion didn't take long, but the statistics took quite a while. By the time Tian Heng went to find Chen Qing again, it was already the morning of the next day.
Chen Qing was very patient. Although he was in a hurry, the Princess was waiting for him, and Liuzhou was also waiting for him to return and continue to take charge. These days, Heavenly Capital left.
"The Duke has arrived?"
Chen Qing politely offered him fine tea. The other party was a duke of a country, with many options and a wealthy family background. His joining would instantly elevate his own power to a higher level, so naturally he had to treat him with utmost courtesy.
"You're too kind, sir." Tian Heng accepted the teacup with both hands and sat down directly opposite Chen Qing, their positions now equal.
"I have a few questions for you, sir."
"You said."
Tian Heng: "According to what you said before, if you ultimately cannot resolve the matter in Jiangnan and take over West Sea, our agreement will be null and void, right?"
"Yes!" Chen Qing nodded.
"You seem quite confident, sir," Tian Heng said, taking a sip of tea. "You mentioned earlier that in the eventual conflict with Her Highness the Eldest Princess and that person from the West Sea, my forces can choose whether or not to participate, is that right?"
"Yes," Chen Qing nodded, "If we ultimately clash head-on with Her Highness the Eldest Princess or with that one from the West Sea, Duke of Qi and your men can choose not to participate in the war!"
Tian Heng: "."
Frankly, the terms are almost unbelievably favorable. If they win, they all enjoy the subsequent benefits; if they lose, they bear no risk whatsoever, not even the risk of a collision along the way.
These terms were even more favorable than when Lu Ming signed me!
" Lord Chen, I have witnessed the power of your Fighter Army. It is indeed miraculous. But I wonder, if one day you fail to achieve your goal, will the power of those warriors who are fortunate enough to survive under your command be nothing but a mirage?"
This is a question Tian Heng really wants to know.
Because the opponent's power seemed to come too casually.
Chen Qing glanced at the other person and couldn't help but admire how different the ancients were. In truth, the power of Divine Path Style was quite illogical, but what could he do when the design was like this?
"It won't disappear." Chen Qing shook his head. " The Power of Blessing comes from the gods. If the gods collapse, as long as the faith doesn't perish, the next god will be born. Even if all the gods are killed, what disappears is only the Power of Blessing in the hands of the believers. The power that has already been used to strengthen the body will not disappear."
Once explained that way, Tian Heng immediately understood.
The power of the blessing will disappear, but if it has already been used to strengthen the body, then the effect will not disappear. It's not like your body will be stripped away again after being strengthened once because of the collapse of the gods.
"So that means I can withdraw with my soldiers at any time?" Tian Heng asked, squinting.
"That's what I mean," Chen Qing said with a smile.
"Aren't you afraid, sir?" Tian Heng asked curiously.
"What am I afraid of?" Chen Qing chuckled. "I've always believed that relationships based on mutual benefit are the most lasting. What I offer is something no one else can give, so why should I fear losing soldiers? If they stay here, no matter how incompetent a soldier is, they will always have hope. As long as they are willing to work hard, their progress will never stop. Even if one day they are tired and can no longer run, everything here is the best possible outcome for their descendants, isn't it?"
Here, everyone has hope for advancement, those who die in battle are guaranteed security, and the elderly are supported. Why should anyone else leave?
The Divine Path Style system is not just about power; the concept of "Power of Merit and Virtue " allows anyone involved in Divine Path construction to benefit their family through their efforts, ensuring their well-being in old age, receiving retribution in the Underworld after death, and even getting a better life after Power of Merit and Virtue. This is almost a utopian world that modern society cannot satisfy; only someone with a screw loose would choose to abandon it.
Chen Qing did not deny that other forces might later use high rewards to poach top-tier personnel, or even target the gods.
However, the Divine Path Style system is not something that can be decided by any one god. After a god leaves, there will be a continuous stream of people to take over. The mechanism of blood production here will never be interrupted. Although people believe in gods, they believe even more in this Divine Path Style world where their efforts can be rewarded.
A deity outside the Divine Path Style is nothing; it cannot take any believers with it, and taking them would be meaningless, because once separated from its own system, it loses its divine function. And what use is a god who cannot use the Power of Blessing to believers?
"Only by maintaining a relationship based on mutual benefit can it last." Tian Heng nodded. "Sir, you certainly understand the ways of the people."
"This is the simplest truth in the world: only when you're unwilling to use profit will you resort to other things to maintain your livelihood," Chen Qing replied with a smile.
Tian Heng smiled and didn't dwell on the topic. It was the truth. He and Lan Xiang and the others had cooperated on the battlefield for many years and were as close as brothers. However, last night, they clearly showed a tendency to join him. He knew that if he forced them to go to the imperial court with him, problems would definitely arise in the long run.
The world is bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit; this is an eternal truth.
After thinking for a moment, Tian Heng asked about other details, "The so-called God of the West Sea that Lord Chen appointed me to be should not belong to the same Battle God System as Xu Hu, right?"
"No," Chen Qing shook his head. " The Sea God is the Principal God of the Waterway Divine System, responsible for managing waterways, regulating wind and rain, and protecting trade routes. All the people within his sphere of influence who rely on water for their livelihood are under your protection. Unlike the Fighting Battle God System, which is purely for war, the Sea God also has a responsibility for security. Your subordinates are temporarily in the Battle God Army, but they can also be transferred to your command in the future."
Tian Heng was taken aback. Was the other party truly not afraid that he would form his own independent force?
If a new person takes power, they'd be eager to divide and weaken his loyalists.
After a moment of silence, he asked again, "If my men join my ranks, how will their future compare to that of the Battle God Army?"
"It's a little different," Chen Qing said honestly. " The Battle God Army takes battle as its faith. The more battle merits you have, the more power you can exchange for. It's fair to everyone, but it's not absolutely fair. Because someone with better aptitude can exchange for the same amount of power and evolve their body to a higher level than you. And someone with a higher level will have more opportunities to gain battle merits on the battlefield. In fact, relatively speaking, in the Fighter Army, you need both hard work and physical talent."
Tian Heng nodded upon hearing this. Of course he knew that there was no absolute fairness in this world, otherwise everyone would be the same, and there would be no point in striving. But giving everyone a fair chance was very important.
Chen Qing continued, "Comparatively speaking, while other systems are not as straightforward as the Battle God System, they offer more diverse ways to acquire power. For example, in the Sea God System, where you, Your Excellency, will be, capturing evil demons will certainly earn you merit and Power of Blessing. Protecting shipping lanes, controlling floods, and investing limited resources are also ways to acquire power, making it more suitable for flexible individuals."
"Invest?" Tian Heng was taken aback. "How do you invest?"
"How so?" Chen Qing smiled. "Initially, the gods, including those under your command, could only obtain limited divine power, and their effects were naturally limited as well. Whether it was using this power to improve a waterway or bring rain to a certain place, or responding to a merchant ship's call to protect it on its journey, the rewards were all different."
"Protecting merchant ships?" Tian Heng was taken aback. "Wouldn't that make them bodyguards?"
"Hmm, more or less," Chen Qing smiled. "The owner of a merchant ship has faith in you. Based on your judgment, you decide how many water spirits to send as guards. The demons, bandits, and even extreme weather at sea that you encounter along the way are all risks. The amount of force you send determines its safety. Sending too many is wasteful, while sending too few will lead to accidents, and your faith will be diminished."
"And so it is with your soldiers. How much they gain from protecting someone on a voyage is entirely up to them. After all, the harvest from a voyage is related to the ship owner in many ways: his ship, his cargo, and the business acumen of his men. All of these involve significant investment. If the ship owner succeeds and expands his operations, he will recruit more people, and more people who rely on the sea for their livelihood will benefit even more. The water spirits that protect the ship owner will also gain more Power of Faith."
"The same applies to repairing waterways and bringing rain. The Heavenly Dao only cares about the result, not the process. It doesn't care how much energy you expend; it only cares about the effect. So at sea, it's not about putting in more effort for a greater reward. How to judge gains and losses is the Way of the Sea God." Chen Qing looked at the somewhat bewildered Tian Heng and smiled, "And this path is more suitable for flexible people. You can explain this to your subordinates."
"Truly amazing." Tian Heng grinned upon hearing this. "So, you mean that if my soldiers want to rise in the ranks, they have to learn to speculate like businessmen? They need to have a keen eye and be able to judge situations?"
"That's roughly the idea," Chen Qing said with a smile.
The design of this Sea Route System was indeed quite complex. Chen Qing remembered that the designer was a very talented young woman who worked overtime to help him improve the design. Unfortunately, she worked too much overtime and died suddenly at a young age, I think she was only twenty-five.
"So, Your Excellency, would you like to give it a try?"
"That sounds interesting!" Tian Heng immediately laughed, "Then let's give it a try. It should be more interesting than being a useless duke."
He'd been under surveillance in the capital for the past twenty years, following Lu Ming around. He was utterly bored. If life in the future really was as interesting as Chen Qing described, then maybe giving it a try wouldn't be so bad?
"One last question."
"What?"
When do you plan to communicate with the imperial court?
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing coughed lightly. " Wang Ye is already on his way!"
" Wang Ye?" Tian Heng frowned. "You seem to trust him a lot?"
"He's alright," Chen Qing said with a smile. "After all, Duke of Song entrusted me with taking good care of him."
"Are you on good terms with the Duke of Song?" Tian Heng suddenly asked quietly.
"What's wrong?" Chen Qing frowned.
"Nothing much," Tian Heng hesitated before finally saying, "I don't really like that person, just like the King of Qin of Qin back then."
Chen Qing: "."
"Moreover, the situation in the capital may not be so good."
"How so?" Chen Qing frowned.
"Before I arrived, the capital was already in chaos," Tian Heng said earnestly. "In many places, there are rumors of the dead returning!"