The City Lord of Snowbird Port is an empire’s spy, with a habit of overthinking every situation, always delving deeper.
In his imagination, the arms dealer behind the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps harbors great ambition. This arms dealer has a big appetite and wants to invest heavily in Ice Sculpture Island.
"To enter the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, this arms dealer has truly gone to great lengths."
"At the start, he deliberately sent someone as special as Long Fu, a Silver Level agent, to challenge Teng Donglang, making a name for himself through dueling."
"From this alone, it’s clear this arms dealer has thoroughly researched the public sentiments in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom in advance."
"Then, through my connections, he directed the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to form an alliance with the Lijian family."
"The arms dealer is quite adept, recognizing the hidden market for magic potions related to mounts in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. Through boundless profits, he bound the Lijian family into a cooperation."
"Long Fu and Yao Ma heading to the Royal Capital implies the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps officially entering the vision of the kingdom’s upper echelons, reaching a certain tacit understanding with the local forces, and initially gaining a foothold."
"After this, what the arms dealer plots is to develop and strengthen the power of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. After all, this mercenary group is his public agent and also his shield."
"As the scale of the arms business grows, the profits will dramatically increase. By then, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps must have formidable strength to stabilize the business, intimidate others, and safeguard the arms dealer’s interests."
"Therefore, from the very beginning, the arms dealer secretly arranged a strategic chess piece."
"This is the giant known as the ’Sleeper Giant.’
"This giant has long been a member of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and is the only giant in the entire group. Who would have thought he actually holds Holy Domain-level strength?"
"As time passes and the timing ripens, the giant gradually advances to Holy Domain Level. The kingdom has long accepted him in their hearts, and the emergence of a fourth Holy Domain Level is not so difficult to accept anymore."
"Who exactly is this arms dealer? Such exceptional methods!"
The City Lord of Snowbird Port mentally constructed the image of the nebulous arms dealer, secretly admiring him.
"The reason the Big Fool is so dumb may also be due to some intervention by the arms dealer. Only a dimwitted Holy Domain Level can seem less threatening, making it easier for the citizens to accept."
"People naturally hold sympathy for fools."
"On the other hand, perhaps this is the price the arms dealer pays to control this giant!"
"A mentally sound Transcendent, should they advance to Holy Domain Level, would inevitably demand much. But fools are different."
The City Lord of Snowbird Port’s eyes sparkled with intelligence, "It seems the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is carefully arranged by the arms dealer, selected and constructed with great effort as his agents."
"Even someone as unique as Long Fu, a Silver Level, possibly hidden as a Golden Level, was carefully chosen."
"Before joining, they accepted their sailor leader, Lan Zao, showing exceptional loyalty to the entire mercenary group. This indicates that such low-level Transcendents have at least been cultivated."
"Finally, there is the Big Fool. This hidden Holy Domain Level is the ultimate weapon. In the future, with the appearance of the Holy Domain Level, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps will instantly ascend to the peak power within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom!"
In the City Lord of Snowbird Port’s constant contemplation, the arms dealer behind the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps took on a clear image.
He became increasingly interested in this practically nonexistent arms dealer.
"To regard Holy Domain Level as mere chess pieces suggests this arms dealer is at least of Holy Domain Level himself."
"Legendary level or even having a divine or sect background... it’s not impossible."
"After all, in the international arms trade, someone with insignificant power couldn’t possibly engage."
Unearthing such an existence would be a significant achievement for the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
At the same time, he wasn’t worried about competing with this arms dealer. After all, he is an empire’s spy, not a combatant.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port had long been deepening his connections with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, trying to gain more of their trust, for a better chance of investigating the arms dealer behind them in the future.
This is why, when duelists attacked the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ cargo convoy, hitting the alchemy workshop in Snowbird Port, the City Lord of Snowbird Port would repeatedly aid them, not hesitating to mobilize his secretly controlled convoy to help the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps transport goods.
"Moreover, the chief sailor of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has become ’Hen Fa.’"
"If he can return and ensure his loyalty, ’Hen Fa’ could return to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps for espionage."
"It’s just... the spy line in Anqiu hasn’t transmitted any information for a long time."
The City Lord of Snowbird Port held some expectation but not too much.
In reality, the espionage efforts he organized against Anqiu have had over a dozen attempts, all failing.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port was psychologically prepared for this.
"Treat that Big Fool well, keep him under soft detention. Quickly find out the truth about his bloodline and figure out how the arms dealer controls him!" planned the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
Generally speaking, methods for controlling an intelligent life form are mostly related to bloodlines.
For example, Human Charm Technique, Goblin Charm, and others, are all developed based on race.
As the City Lord of Snowbird Port knows, the method in Ice Eagle’s possession to control Golden Level giant slaves is also based on the Giant Bloodline.
"If luck is on my side, perhaps I can remove the control methods from Big Fool and directly take control of him!"
"If it comes to that, it would be splendid."
"A subordinate of Holy Domain Level..."
Thinking of the beautiful possibilities, the City Lord of Snowbird Port couldn’t help but feel his heart race.
Even if it meant turning against the arms dealer, he would likely detain the big guy, making him serve him.
Holy Domain Level truly is different, it has extraordinary significance, two levels above Golden Level.
"As for Da Dou, he should be placed under house arrest. Investigate if he has any monitoring means on him; if not, then killing him becomes an option."
"After all, in the future, if Big Fool becomes my pawn, Da Dou will be in the know."
"As for Hong Zhu... hmph, just a Treasure Hunter... directly interrogate her and use torture if necessary. If she knows the reason for the Earth Element tribe’s uprising in the Magnetic Island, that would be ideal."
Thinking while dining.
Soon, the City Lord of Snowbird Port finished the last of his milk, wiped his mouth, and stood up from his seat.
Next, it was investigation time.
"In any case, get rid of Tan Mo as soon as possible."
"As long as this guy remains here, my plans for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps are severely obstructed."
The City Lord of Snowbird Port did not leave the City Lord’s Mansion but instead followed a hidden path underground.
One of the rooms in the underground cell of the City Lord’s Mansion has been temporarily set up as an interrogation room.
Snowbird Port City Lord entered; Tan Mo was already waiting.
There were only two of them in the room.
Tan Mo smiled at the City Lord of Snowbird Port, very courteous and had already communicated in advance while setting up the alchemy device—reassuring the City Lord of Snowbird Port not to be nervous and to speak freely, but to be cautious as the recording magic image needs to be submitted.
"It seems my ’welcoming gift’ was effective after all," the City Lord of Snowbird Port thought to himself.
The interrogation began.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port, facing the alchemy device recording the magic image, calmly started introducing himself: "I go by the codename ’Turn Over’, developed as an extension by Master ’Coup’. My main task is to assist and support Master ’Coup’ in managing high-level connections within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, serving the subsequent tasks of the Empire..."
"A few years ago, through operations by Master ’Coup’ and others, I was appointed as the City Lord of Snowbird Port. The specific command I received from Master ’Coup’ was to actively manage Snowbird Port and ensure its control, with the ability to overthrow the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s rule within a day and become a landing site for the Imperial Navy if necessary."
"After taking office, I actively reformed, removing loyal key figures to the kingdom, step by step replacing them with our own people. Meanwhile, I started dealing with other forces in Snowbird Port."
"Snowbird Port is mainly dominated by three parties: the City Lord’s Mansion, Sea Bird Sect, and Saber Gang."
"Thanks to Master ’Coup’, the Sea Bird Sect became our friendly ally. Thus, only the Saber Gang was left as a target."
"Eliminating this local gang is not easy."
"The Saber Gang has a large number of members and a broad civilian base in Snowbird Port. Especially their leader, who is army-trained, with strong willpower and considerable individual strength. I must consider their military background and connections."
"Therefore, without legitimate reasons, it is impossible to mobilize the power of the City Lord’s Mansion against the Saber Gang."
"While eagerly waiting for an opportunity, I also attempted to plant spies in the Saber Gang."
"Codenames ’Milk Shell’ and ’A Di’ are the results of these attempts, both infiltrating the high-levels of the Saber Gang, becoming two of the six major leaders (Human Race leader, Demon hybrid leader)."
"The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, as outsiders, had conflicts with Ice Eagle, which led the leader Long Fu, at the Silver Level, to publicly challenge the Saber Gang’s leader, Teng Donglang, to a duel."
"This unexpected event quickly spread throughout the port, and I immediately realized that this might be an opportunity."
"According to my assumption, Teng Donglang, being at Golden Level, couldn’t possibly refuse a challenge from a Silver Level individual. As the face of the Saber Gang, he would never avoid the battle and allow himself a reputation for cowardice."
"As the event unfolded as expected, Teng Donglang accepted the challenge but simultaneously dispatched six leaders to name them as testing Long Fu’s combat strength, in reality to intercept."
"With no opportunity, I created one. My first action was to order the Demon hybrid leader to take action off-stage during the duel, making him use the Evil Eye to help Xiong Ju defeat Long Fu. In doing so, I could reveal after the battle, causing Xiong Ju and the Saber Gang to lose their public support entirely!"
"The action was not entirely successful."
"Although ’A Di’ used the Evil Eye, Xiong Ju did not accept it; he has a strong dueling conviction and detests such acts, so he crushed the Evil Eye on the spot."