Chapter 528: Section 315: Feel free to bring up any matter for discussion
The City Lord of Snowbird Port had put forth so much effort, but in the end, in the captain’s cabin of the Triangular Love Ship, he heard the Dragon-man youth’s refusal.
As an imposing superior, one can imagine how he felt, his face immediately turning as dark as water, expressing his displeasure.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port stared at the Dragon-man youth, slowly shaking his head, and said in a measured tone, “This is not a good decision, Long Fu squad leader.”
“You were the one who took the initiative to propose a duel of valor to Teng Donglang; you are the challenger!”
“If you leave Snowbird Port now, what difference is there between you and a deserter?”
“You currently possess a high reputation in Snowbird Port, which is quite rare. However, once you flee, this reputation will turn into a powerful force that backlashes against you. The higher you have climbed, the harder you will fall.”
“Anyone who dares to shrink back from a duel of valor will suffer the deepest contempt and most widespread scorn throughout the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.”
“Essentially, you would be dead in this society.”
“Everyone will regard you with disdain. You will live in the midst of derision and contempt until the end of your days. This consequence is very severe!”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port’s eyes conveyed a fierce intensity.
The Dragon-man youth met his gaze without any avoidance, revealing his resolve.
“To die in this society is but a metaphorical death, but it is still better than losing my life.”
“Being merely at the Silver Level, I essentially have no hope of defeating someone like Teng Donglang at the Golden Level.”
“But what worries me more is that before I even get a chance to confront Teng Donglang, I might be killed by that mysterious assassin.”
“People only have more possibilities if they are alive. Leaving the port and avoiding the enemy’s edge is the wiser act and choice.”
At this point, the Dragon-man youth paused, and then continued.
“The City Lord must also know the background of our Mercenary Group; we came to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom merely to expand our arms business.”
“From the start, we had no intention of becoming enemies with the Saber Gang, let alone engage in a life-and-death clash.”
“We simply wanted to demonstrate our strength to win the right to do business here.”
“The current situation has exceeded our original plans; it is not what we wanted.”
“The Ice Sculpture Kingdom is vast, if not Snowbird Port, there are other ports. If other ports won’t do, there are inland cities. We have a great many options.”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port’s voice deepened as he shook his index finger at the Dragon-man youth, negating, “No, in fact, you have no other options.”
“Information is shared; it will spread very quickly.”
“Believe me, before you even reach the next port, the news of your evasion and desertion will have already spread throughout the entire Ice Sculpture Kingdom.”
“You will face resistance everywhere, and no one will trust you again.”
“Everyone will see you as weak, and regaining the right to conduct business will be much harder than it is now.”
But the Dragon-man youth had anticipated the City Lord of Snowbird Port would say this.
“We have already anticipated this,” the Dragon-man youth said with a slight smile, “City Lord, you seem to have misunderstood our action plan.”
“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is only one of our identities.”
“If its reputation is tarnished, we’ll simply discard it and move on.”
“If my reputation is tarnished, I can simply cease my activities in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.”
“There are others in my group besides me. My Vice Captain, Lion Flag, his combat strength is not inferior to mine.”
“Even if all of them find it inconvenient to continue their operations in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, believe me, there will be someone even more outstanding to replace us. By that time, even you won’t know their true identities.”
The Dragon-man youth’s words were laden with deep meaning, and there also emerged an undertone of dominance.
His implication was to tell the current Snowbird Port City Lord that they were not just any Mercenary Group!
They had a powerful backer.
Those who could engage in arms smuggling were naturally powerful.
Indeed, hearing the Dragon-man youth’s words, the Snowbird Port City Lord fell silent for the first time.
The Dragon-man youth’s blustering strategy had succeeded.
Though the negotiating parties differed in strength, and the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was no match for Snowbird Port, the City Lord had been blinded by the bluff the Dragon-man youth had spun.
Information regarding the mysterious background of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had been circulating for quite some time.
The more the Snowbird Port City Lord investigated, the more he believed in that identity!
This time, the Snowbird Port City Lord pondered carefully before speaking cautiously.
“Long Fu squad leader, I believe you can see that I am in great need of your help!”
Different from before, his tone and attitude had softened significantly this time, displaying much more sincerity.
The City Lord looked at the Dragon-man youth: “I’ll be frank with you! I have prepared for a very long time and expended a great deal of effort in dealing with the Saber Gang. By now, I am quite confident.”
“I can say this—we are bound to win against the Saber Gang with no chance of defeat!”
“I just need an opportunity, a chance for an official declaration of war!”
“And now, that opportunity is right before us.”
“This time, the Saber Gang made a mistake, and they’ve left a huge vulnerability, which is truly rare.”
“I would regret it for the rest of my life if we missed such an opportunity.”
“I believe you also know that my term is about to end. What can I do for Snowbird Port?”
“Should I just get through it? Should I let the Saber Gang, this cancer, continue to harm this beautiful harbor? Pass on such a mess to the next City Lord?”
“That would be failing the trust that the Royal Family has placed in me, and also an irresponsible act towards the people here.”
“I hope to add this brilliant achievement to my political resume. I hope that when I am old and revisit this place, returning to this port, I will receive high praise from the citizens here. They will say that I was a very excellent City Lord who brought great improvement to Snowbird Port during my term!”
The Snowbird Port City Lord, while speaking these words, placed his hand on his chest, showing a great deal of emotion.
This was the first time the Dragon-man youth had seen him quite so moved.
For the youth, a believer in justice, his impression of the Snowbird Port City Lord greatly improved at that moment!
If he were alone, he probably would have accepted the offer.
However, the youth constantly remembered the leadership responsibility that weighed on his shoulders. Therefore, he remained seated steadily, his expression calm throughout.
Such serene eyes exerted even more pressure on the Snowbird Port City Lord.
The City Lord slowly reined in his emotions, stood up gradually, and paced in front of the Dragon-man youth.
His footsteps creaked on the floor as he walked back and forth, head lowered in deep thought.
After several back and forth walks, the Snowbird Port City Lord stopped, turned to face the Dragon-man youth again, and presented new terms.
Considering the Dragon-man youth’s recently stated purpose for coming to the port, the Snowbird Port City Lord offered: he could use his connections to open the upper echelons of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. He could enable them to sell their arms on a large scale nationwide, from top to bottom!
The support was a world of difference from before.
Previously, he had only been willing to promise the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group the sale of a popular shop, allowing them to sell their military arms in Snowbird Port to a limited extent.
“If your arms are of high quality, like those alchemy arrows you used at the Snowbird Duel Arena, Dragon-man youth…”
“I could even help you make connections and get in touch with important members of the Royal Family within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom!”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port offered a very generous condition.
Undoubtedly, if the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group really had the backing of an arms dealer, such a condition would be very enticing.
But the Dragon-man youth was not.
The secrets he and the survivors possessed far exceeded the imagination of the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
Thus, the Dragon-man youth still had a calm demeanor, displaying a level of cunning that secretly impressed the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
The Dragon-man youth said, “City Lord, in fact… um, we are not only looking to sell some alchemy products, but we also hope to purchase some unique resources within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.”
“Such as the Heart of Ice.”
The Heart of Ice was a special product of Ice Sculpture Island.
It could be consumed directly.
After consumption, one became extremely rational, with all emotions frozen, and spiritual power and willpower greatly enhanced.
Of course, if the Dragon-man youth got his hands on the Heart of Ice, he would not use it in such a way.
Extreme rationality, all emotions frozen—it sounded powerful at first, but it was actually a big flaw. The Dragon-man youth certainly did not wish for himself and Zi Di to become heartless.
The Heart of Ice was an alchemy material cherished for its importance.
It could be used to make alchemy tools.
The most successful product was the Ice Heart Circlet.
Wearing it allowed mages to maintain composure at all times, amplify their spiritual power and speed up spellcasting. Naturally, it also had protective effects on the will.
So far, the entire survivor team urgently needed to increase their defenses in terms of spirit and will.
In this regard, they had already suffered losses many times.
And the usual solutions were not suitable for the survivors.
Before they came to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, the Heart of Ice had been one of their targets.
If they could obtain a sufficient amount of the Heart of Ice and create enough Ice Heart Circlets, they could solve their serious problem of weak spiritual defense.
Upon hearing the request posed by the Dragon-man youth, the City Lord of Snowbird Port furrowed his brow deeply.
“The Heart of Ice…” he shook his head with a wry smile, “Dragon-man youth, as an outsider, you’re not aware of the situation.”
“Let me put it this way, obtaining the Heart of Ice is much more difficult than obtaining a piece of Gold Level armor!”
Previously, the Dragon-man youth had already learned that there was a Prohibition Armor Order in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
It was basically very difficult to purchase a piece of Gold Level armor in the market here.
Even though this place produced an abundance of Alchemists, had the most extensive Alchemy Market in the nearby seas, and had the most superior alchemy production environment.
For Alchemists to forge a piece of Gold Level armor, it was strictly regulated by the law.
The amount of Gold Level armor produced each year in the entire Ice Sculpture Kingdom was fixed.
Even if it was forged, it was prioritized for the high ranking and influential figures of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Hearing such a response from the City Lord of Snowbird Port, the Dragon-man youth was puzzled: “The Heart of Ice is just an alchemy material, how can it be compared to Gold Level armor?”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port sighed and shook his head slightly: “In fact, the production of the Heart of Ice is actually quite high.”
He revealed a secret.
The market rumors all said that the Heart of Ice was produced in very small quantities.
This was actually false information deliberately released by the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
“The Heart of Ice is secretly controlled by the Royal Family. The control is much stricter than that of Gold Level armor.”
“The Heart of Ice is a very important alchemy material, the main material for many alchemy items.”
“Looking around the world, it is very rare.”
“Originally, when our Snow Elf ancestors chose to migrate to Ice Sculpture Island, the Heart of Ice was one of the key reasons.”
“In fact, the current Heart of Ice used for potions and tools is all of inferior quality.”
“The high-quality Heart of Ice is all in the hands of the Royal Family, never leaked.”
“And the lower quality Heart of Ice*, each circulation is strictly supervised. Even I, if I wanted it for personal use, would find it very troublesome, needing to go through multiple layers of reporting. Under such circumstances, it’s even more impossible for me to sell them to you.”
“There were those who tried to do so, but in the end, they were secretly dealt with for treason.”
“Treason?!” The Dragon-man youth was secretly shocked.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port fell silent for a moment, looking intently at the Dragon-man youth with a very serious tone and demeanor: “Dragon-man youth, whatever other conditions you have, just propose them, and we can negotiate.”
Of course, the City Lord of Snowbird Port was not easy to fool.
When the Dragon-man youth brought up the Heart of Ice, he immediately saw through the Dragon-man youth’s tactics.
The Dragon-man youth’s previous claims of leaving the port were just a step back in negotiation tactics to gain an advantage.
The Dragon-man youth fell silent for a while, and since the City Lord of Snowbird Port had made such a statement, he no longer kept things hidden.
He directly took out a list that had been prepared in advance.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port immediately took it in hand and examined it closely.
The list contained many items.
After going through it once, the City Lord of Snowbird Port realized that the most important ones were only three.
The first item was the purchase of a Silver Level demon energy ship.
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom, with its advanced alchemy technique, excelled in the manufacture of a type of demon energy ship.
Though the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group had obtained ships like Triangular Love Ship, Iron Lump, and White Bandage, they still had a huge need for demon energy ships.
Because the flagship Triangular Love Ship, in plain sight, was only of Black Iron Level.
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Group would need at least one Silver Level demon energy ship to barely protect their Gold Level cannons.
The second item was the White Dragon and all the alchemy materials related to the White Dragon.
This was mainly for the Blood Core of the Dragon-man youth.
Absorbing the Bloodline of the White Dragon would rapidly enhance the Dragon-man youth’s resistance to frost.
This would also be of great help to him in the upcoming confrontation with Teng Donglang.