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墨書 Inktalez
Although it was a tactical necessity, and even though Li Qing was a foodie, during the match between the Ye Family and the Fire Cult, Li Qing sighed while eating hot pot. Although there was a recording, the cameras were few, and the available footage was limited; it was far less intuitive than watching live. Li Qing stuffed a piece of lamb into his mouth and couldn't help but say, "I hate you."
Cui Ming replied, "Calm down, Senior Brother. The outcome is already known; the Ye Family is bound to lose."
"Ah? Why?" Li Qing asked in return.
"Because the Ye Family cannot lose face; they can only lose the match."
"..." Li Qing pondered for a moment. "So you mean that the Ye Family knows their chances are slim, so they gave up a potential victory to showcase their spirit?"
"I'm not sure. Ye Xin, Ye Wen, and Yellen are the three giants of the Ye Family; one of them could hold their own. But unfortunately, all three live in the same era. Thankfully, they haven't had internal conflicts and know how to be humble. However, their thoughts are completely different." Cui Ming said, "If Ye Xin were in charge, the Fire Cult would likely have trouble. Ye Xin is the most cunning among the three; it's not quite right to say cunning—he's simply the most calculating and meticulous person. As a commander, he might not look good in battle, but he would definitely inflict damage on the Fire Cult."
"What about Yellen?"
"Yellen would ignore everything—ignoring the Ye Family's reputation and the strength of his enemies. He would follow his own tactics and fight with great momentum, not losing ground. There’s a chance of winning, but he would likely lose in a conventional manner." Cui Ming continued, "If it were Ye Wen... I don't know much about Ye Wen; my understanding comes from interviews and limited interactions with others. I believe if it were Ye Wen leading, he would go for an impassioned approach. Passion isn't wrong, but this Competition Match aims to break through the opponent's Main Base. So I think if Ye Wen commands, he would actively seek battle and rally his team for combat. If the Fire Cult isn't too foolish, they will definitely send someone to respond to minimize their losses while pushing from two or three fronts to accumulate resources. The Ye Family is rigidly seeking battle, so their resources will surely be insufficient. However, they will fight beautifully. Both the Ye Family and Ding Family have strong combat capabilities; in contrast, the Fire Cult's five-man team does not stand out in terms of overall fighting strength but excels individually."
Li Qing said, "Junior Brother, are you trying to confuse your Senior Brother?"
Cui Ming chuckled, "Well, since I'm idle anyway, I thought I'd speculate a bit. I think it's not far off. If Ye Wen is the head of the family, he might lose in battle but not lose face—unless the Fire Cult intends to step on the Ye Family's pride. If both sides disregard various rules of the Competition Match and just fight openly... If the Fire Cult's goal in participating in this Competition Match is to trample on the prestige of both the Ye Family and Ding Family to showcase their strength, then that would be interesting."
Li Qing contemplated for a moment and said, "If the Fire Cult does this, it means they have no intention of going to war with the alliance anytime soon."
"Yes. Otherwise, they would keep it hidden. Due to religious constraints, their followers are very united and willing to sacrifice personal interests for the greater good. If the Fire Cult allows the Ye Family to gain prestige and they win the competition, the Fire Cult's intentions for participating in the Competition Match are not hard to guess. But if the Fire Cult and the Ye Family clash, ignoring treasures and money, it would be a direct confrontation to determine the victor. This indicates two things: first, the Fire Cult does not intend to go to war anytime soon, possibly related to the failed assassination of Wandering by the rats. It may also be connected to Silent City’s sudden participation in the Competition Match; they might not have a clear grasp of Silent City's position. Second, the Fire Cult has formidable individuals among them. This tactic is called bluffing; a consistently victorious army is united internally, and some mistakes will be tolerated. A defeated team, however, is often divided because failure always has its reasons, and wise individuals will seek those reasons to avoid repeating mistakes. At such times, internal strife may arise, especially when it comes to family honor—both the Ye and Ding families cannot afford that burden."
Cui Ming continued, "The second objective is to showcase the strength of Fire Cult practitioners, signaling to the alliance that we do not provoke you, so you should not provoke us either; let us coexist peacefully. Or perhaps even more shamelessly, they might choose to submit voluntarily. If after the competition ends, the Fire Cult willingly submits to some constraints and oversight from the alliance in exchange for fair treatment of Half-Beasts by practitioners, it sounds like a good thing but is actually quite detrimental, aligning perfectly with the alliance's interests. If it comes to that point, if I were Bufon, I would choose to initiate war."
Li Qing replied, "That’s impossible; one does not strike a smiling face. The alliance would never go to war simply because the other side shows goodwill."
"Smiling while hiding a dagger is a tactic used in standoffs; if one possesses greater strength than their opponent, there’s no need for it. If one is significantly weaker than their opponent, it’s also ineffective. I believe that the Fire Cult is not as strong as the alliance; calling it smiling while hiding a dagger is less accurate than saying they are biding their time and gathering strength. Gou Jian's patience was not the main reason for his rise; rather, it was about accumulating one's own power over a long period while weakening that of the enemy before attacking when an advantage was established. If the alliance trusts or allows the Fire Cult to gather intelligence on them and sow discord between Silent City factions, that would be very problematic."
Li Qing nodded in agreement: "And they have Liu Meier as a pawn."
"Oh?" Cui Ming blinked for a moment. "Now this becomes interesting; the Fire Cult is buying time to strengthen themselves while weakening their opponents. Ironically, they consider Liu Meier their asset without realizing she is actually their Achilles' heel. How will this develop?" Cui Ming fell silent; although this was casual banter over drinks, there was some basis for it. If things progressed this way, Cui Ming had no idea how to weave it all together since there were countless possibilities.
Li Qing said, "So don’t overthink it. However, one thing is certain: the Fire Cult definitely harbors ambitions. I worry that hunters think this way; Bufon might think so too, but not everyone in Congress shares this view—especially those from the Eastern Continent Seat who prefer harmony and peaceful coexistence among all."
"However," Cui Ming added thoughtfully, "if the Fire Cult intends to stir trouble, aside from assassination attempts, they can only sow discord."
Cui Ming nodded again: "Two directions: externally provoking Silent City—though there are many crazies there who control numerous Otherworldly Creatures and fear nothing—and internally sowing discord among aristocratic families. The aristocracy serves as a core emergency combat force for the alliance; inciting conflict between Ye and Ding families or within Ding Family itself would be detrimental for them. Liu Meier—do you remember Vlad's first meeting with her? He knelt on one knee in greeting; while gentlemanly in demeanor, that level of courtesy was excessive. Vlad has already revealed his significant status within Ding Family."
"Ye Wen has indeed become infatuated with Liu Meier," Li Qing remarked. "Even under pressure not to marry her, he wouldn’t forget her."
"What do you think about Liu Meier marrying Vlad and then having an affair with Ye Wen?"
"It's hard to say; Ye Wen certainly has his stance on major issues but may falter on smaller matters." They were drinking by the riverside while enjoying hot pot; due to their identities as practitioners, the establishment had arranged a nice spot for them. Cui Ming noticed Jinjin—a girl known for her boldness—had no negative feelings towards her perhaps because she had character and was relatively attractive compared to others like Joker Jack whom he preferred to avoid.
Cui Ming found it amusing that he could have subjective biases based on gender; what about Ye Wen? There’s a saying that men prefer concubines over wives and mistresses over concubines.
Jinjin spotted Cui Ming and Li Qing from over twenty meters away; although they were strangers who had never exchanged words before, she scrutinized them without concern for whether her gaze might offend anyone—including Li Qing and Cui Ming.
Jinjin's identity was peculiar; she was a criminal operating in Western Continent and Dawn Empire would likely demand Ding Family and Force Alliance capture her. In fact, after Jinjin became a wanted person, Ding Family remained calm without dispatching anyone specifically for her capture. It was rumored that Jinjin had connections with a noble from Dawn Empire—she was said to be a rebellious daughter of a noble.
Dawn Empire operated under a multi-party parliamentary system but differed from other nations in having an Elder Council which held no political power yet controlled armed forces. Membership in Elder Council required recommendations from existing members and approval from seventy percent of them; thus Elders held high status. This tradition allowed Dawn Empire to intervene swiftly in times of threat without lengthy discussions or proposals when city-state security was at risk—enabling immediate comprehensive military action if necessary.
Elder Council positions were lifelong unless one committed serious offenses; hence Elders remained in power until death or retirement—most members being at least fifty years old upon joining. Perhaps due to this unique institution, Dawn Empire had maintained its status as the world's strongest nation for over two thousand years.
A car quietly waited beside Jinjin. Jinjin leisurely finished eating and walked towards the car, which then drove away. This was a brief interlude as Li Qing and Cui Ming continued their conversation and snacked.
They returned to Hero City at seven in the evening, carrying a large amount of food. They summoned Ding Ze back from his cozy retreat, and the three continued to enjoy hot pot. Cui Ming wasn't interested in hot pot today, but Li Qing was still in high spirits. All three felt somewhat downcast; they didn't even know the outcome of the battle between the Ye Family and the Fire Cult.
Cui Ming picked up the phone. "Feng, there's hot pot... Hello... Hello..."
Suddenly, someone jumped in through the balcony window, holding a pair of chopsticks. Who else could it be but Feng? Cui Ming glanced at the phone in his hand, then at Feng, hung up, and asked, "Is it really necessary?"
"Weren't we defeated? Pugni is very upset and can't eat or drink. As a man, I have to accompany him. While it's not like I'm going to starve myself, I can't indulge either. You’ll never understand the pain we endure as men of dignity," Feng said as he sat down. Mi Xiaonan handed him a bowl, and Feng took it and began to eat.
"How did the match go today?"
Feng shot a sideways glance at Cui Ming before turning back to the hot pot and continued chewing as he asked, "What kind of nonsense are you up to now?" If he hadn't watched the match between the Ye Family and the Fire Cult himself, there must be something wrong.
"Cut to the chase. What's going on?"
"How should I put it? Both sides are a bit crazy."
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