Feng Tianfei. That was a name that he was very familiar with.

'So, she is also here.' Wuzhi immediately put the clues together. 'And as the de-facto leader of the Heavenly Spirit Empire faction no less.'

He stepped back with his thoughts for a moment, broadening his view to analyze the situation at large. His thoughts whirred into action as innumerable facts and bits of information collided and merged to form a picture.

'She managed to realize the position of the Hodgepodge faction on the board and preemptively made arrangements to block me. An excellent move; nullifying my best-case scenario.' A trace of appreciation toward his woman grew within his heart. Such an ability to view the big picture was rare among people; Tianfei seemed to possess this trait.

'Had I been any lesser, this move would've dealt severe damage to me. Unfortunately for her, I have been taught to consider defeat more than I have been taught victory.' The young scholar shook his head.

This excellent move from Feng Tianfei had obstructed his most optimal plan. However, to call it a fatal blow was to overestimate her ability and underestimate him. True to his thoughts, Wuzhi had been painfully taught to consider defeat more than he had been taught to achieve victory.

To plan contingencies and prepare 'Plan Bs' had been ingrained into his very bones by his teacher.

Gathering his thoughts, Wuzhi prepared his words and began speaking to the representatives gathered at the table.

"An intervention from the Heavenly Spirit Empire was most unexpected. And more unexpected was the fact that the intervention came from the Goddess, Feng Tianfei, no less. I understand your worries, however, allow me to ask you three questions."

"First question; is it really in your best interests to participate in this war?"

"Second question; does Feng Tianfei speak for her master when she speaks on this matter?"

"Third question; is it guaranteed that the alliance between the Heavenly Spirit Empire faction and the Mu Household faction will emerge victorious in this conflict?"

His three questions left the representatives deep in thought.

After waiting for a few minutes, the young scholar continued with his words. "Let me answer these questions for you in your steed."

"First answer; I can promise to pay more for your inaction rather than participation in this war."

"Second answer; no second person can speak in steed of a Sovereign. If my observations are correct, Feng Tianfei must've been sent to participate in this conflict as a means of examination."

"Third answer; victory remains far and the victor, undecided. While I cannot prove beyond doubt that the South Aislan Empire will emerge victorious, I must say that our chances at victory are… better than the rest."

Taking a deep breath, Wuzhi finished. "I have said my piece. I only ask that you consider my proposal in depth and come to a decision. Whether it is positive or not, I promise to return the things that I have taken from you."

Holding onto the blackmail any longer would only serve to worsen his relationship with these people. Therefore, Wuzhi chose to voluntarily relinquish his hold over these people in an effort to further agitate their emotions.

His plan worked for the instant he said his piece, complicated expressions surfaced upon the faces of the representatives. Their foreheads were locked with frowns and their eyes did not hide the tumultuous emotions roaring inside their hearts.

Wuzhi leaned back in his seat and secretly signalled Baixue to be prepared. While he did not think that he would be attacked, it did not hurt to take precautions. The female heroine, upon receiving his signal, grew taut and prepared herself for battle.

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Minutes flowed by as the hushed whispers between the various representatives grew greater in numbers. The young scholar kept his eyes closed and pretended as if he hadn't heard their voices.

When the half-hour mark approached, the discussions stopped and one of the representatives sat up and asked. "You promised to pay a price for our inaction. If I may ask, what is that price?"

A good-natured smile floated up to Wuzhi's face. He straightened up in his seat and extended a piece of paper that he had prepared in advance. "This is the price that I'm willing to pay."

The man received the paper and scanned its contents. The moment he did so, his pupils shrunk to form pin-needles and his breathing subconsciously grew hurried. A palpable excitement rose within his heart as he could scarcely believe his eyes.

"T-t-this!!" He stuttered as if he suddenly possessed some sort of speaking impediment.

Seeing his reaction, the other representatives grew curious. They quickly snatched the paper from his hands and saw the contents for themselves. Less than a second later, their reactions mirrored their colleague.

Mr Devon, as the most senior of this council of representatives, put down the paper in his hand and levelled a weighty gaze upon Wuzhi. "Are you serious?"

"Mr Devon needn't doubt my sincerity," replied Wuzhi. "The items mentioned on that paper are already here, docked at a wharf outside."

Hearing his steady and sincere-sounding voice, Mr Devon swallowed his petitions of doubt. He unconsciously nodded his head, choosing to believe the young scholar.

"The price that you are offering is too great for our mere inaction. There is something else that you want, correct?"

Wuzhi smiled. "Apart from not participating in the war for unification, it is also my humble request that you extend your trade routes and channels to the South Aislan Empire. I also request that for a period of six months, all goods sold to the empire carry a discount of twenty percent."

With this request, Wuzhi was not only planning for the upcoming final battle but also for the future after the war.

His request sent the representatives into another round of hushed whispers. After ten minutes of furious discussion, they stopped, nodded at each other, stood up in unison and offered Wuzhi a hand.

"We agree to your terms, Mr Wuzhi. Let us pray for a pleasant cooperation."

Standing up, Wuzhi shook their hands and replied, "Likewise."

---

After leaving the hotel, Baixue suddenly asked, "What offer did you make for them to suddenly change their tune?"

Stretching his limbs, Wuzhi stifled a yawn. He then walked a few steps forward before turning around and smiling at Baixue. "Oh, it was nothing. Just three shipments worth of arms production materials and factories."

He had used the price exacted from Yuelong to trade with the representatives of the Hodgepodge faction.

Looking at the surface, this trade might seem unprofitable or even a loss for Wuzhi. However, in reality, this was far from being the case.

First and foremost, Wuzhi did not trust Yuelong in the slightest. While this may sound harsh, it was the truth. He simply did not trust the items traded by Yuelong to be faultless and feared that there might be some scheme or hidden threat within them.

Wuzhi never had the habit of underestimating anybody. This was especially the case with Mu Yuelong, an heir to one of the strongest organizations in the world. Unless he possessed an especially strong hold over the man, he would never trust any of the deals that he had made with him.

In any case, gaining those three shipments worth of materials was never Wuzhi's intention, to begin with; his intentions lay with the technology behind their production. The rest of his demands were simply a means to hide this motive.

Unlike those materials that may or may not have been tampered with, the knowledge of the technology could be easily vetted for safety and authenticity. In fact, the young scholar had already done so and confirmed the legitimacy of the technology.

Having secured the hardest piece of the puzzle, setting up production lines and gathering materials was something that the empire could do themselves.

The second reason behind this trade was even simpler; it was a matter of instantaneity. Even if Wuzhi chose to keep the production lines and materials, it would take him time to set up factories and train the workforce to produce the armaments; precious time that the empire did not possess.

The final battle could break out at any moment and the empire did not have the opportunity to take it slow and steady. They desperately needed resources, and they needed it instantly.

Wuzhi's motive behind enlisting the cooperation of the Hodgepodge faction also had to do with this reason. As merchants and traders, the Hodgepodge faction's biggest asset was their resources rather than their military strength; the latter was simply the cherry on top.

By using the items acquired from Yuelong, Wuzhi had secured a stable and reliable resource channel for the empire; not just for the upcoming battle but also for the future after it. The benefits secured through this deal were innumerable and inestimable.

None of Wuzhi's schemes and plans was short-term in nature. He always considered the grander scale and planned for the future. His goal of uniting the seven fractured continents could not be achieved if he only sought near and immediate benefits.

"All preparations are complete and the board is set. Now, the final result will rest upon the hands of Man."

"For such is the will of the heavens!"