by Zhuang Bifan
"You mean… the Glittergold Trade Union wants to swallow the entire Tower of Dusk and encroach on its land?" Claus asked in slight disbelief.
Upon hearing his words, Mogadi remained silent. If the swamp were to fall in the hands of the Glittergold Trade Union, there would be no difference between that and the Tower of Dusk having the ownership of the swamp. The greatest difference was that the Blood Moon Clan would have a tougher time obtaining the swamp.
"It's not like you guys haven't seen Hoffman, that cunning fatty. When he smiles at you, it means that he has already cut off a piece of your flesh. Think about it carefully, how could the Glittergold Trade Union give the Tower of Dusk money for nothing? If the Tower of Dusk ends up failing to repay the loan, they would have to…" Joseph sneered as if the Tower of Dusk had really fallen into the hands of the Glittergold Trade Union.
Joseph's words undeniably made some sense. If the Glittergold Trade Union were to end up encroaching on the Tower of Dusk, their plans would end up in vain as they would just be paving the way for others. At the thought of this, Mogadi and Claus nodded unanimously, and agreed to Joseph's invitation.
"The Mithril Alliance has sent me an invitation?" Lin Li suddenly received an invitation from the Mithril Alliance as the date set by the Ashen Warlock got closer. Although Lin Li had not interacted with any other forces except Hoffman, whom he chatted with from time to time, in the past two days, he knew that the Mithril Alliance was the root of the recent boycott that the Tower of Dusk had been facing.
In a room which was arranged like a conference room, Lin Li saw Joseph, whom he had met once. Joseph was the only one in the room, and the two greatest allies of the Mithril Alliance, the Blood Moon Clan and the Caesar Family, did not send their representatives.
"President Felic, please have a seat," Joseph said while remaining seated and pointing at the seat opposite him with an expressionless face.
Lin Li walked over indifferently, pulled the chair out, and took a seat. He then leaned back nonchalantly while staring at Joseph who was opposite him with a look of derision in his eyes. However, Joseph did not seem to have the intention to speak.
Joseph and Lin Li looked at each other for a while, and the former finally couldn't endure it anymore. "President Felic, let's put aside everything that happened two days ago. This time, I invited you here because I want to discuss with you the Tower of Dusk."
"I'm sorry, but did I hear you wrongly? Even the Supreme Council has given the Tower of Dusk absolute autonomy. Hence, it seems that you're in no place to meddle with the affairs of the Tower of Dusk," Lin Li said mockingly.
A sullen gaze formed in Joseph's eyes, but he didn't lose his temper. Instead, he shook his head slightly, and said, "If it's just the internal affairs of the Tower of Dusk, we naturally have no right to interfere, but now it concerns the interests of the Breezy Plains. As the representatives of the various forces of the Breezy Plains, we, the Mithril Alliance, can't sit back and do nothing."
"Okay, I will hear what advice you have for me," Lin Li said with folded arms. He leaned back against the chair with a relaxed expression on his face as if he were waiting to watch a show.
"The development of the Tower of Dusk in the past two years was indeed amazing. If the Tower of Dusk hadn't been in the Breezy Plains, we might have been able to become partners," Joseph said with admiration, but his tone soon changed. He austerely continued, "However, this is the Breezy Plains, and the development of the Tower of Dusk has already affected the peace that has been maintained for thousands of years in the Breezy Plains. I'm afraid you can't deny that the Tower of Dusk was built on the corpses of other forces, President Felic."
"The survival of the fittest is a natural law. Life and death is a natural process of life, and there would be a rise and fall for every force and authority. Even the prosperous High Elves Dynasty was overthrown. As the leader of the Mithril Alliance, you probably don't need me to teach you that logic, do you, Mr. Joseph?" Lin Li retorted in a hostile manner. Although he knew that Joseph was just trying to find a reason to bring up the topic of his agenda, Lin Li decided to play along.
"Yes, the survival of the fittest is indeed the perpetual law of nature in this world," Joseph said while clenching his fists which were tucked in his sleeves. However, he did not show much emotion on his face. First he nodded in agreement, and then continued, "However, President Felic, you must not forget that in the Breezy Plains, there is a hierarchy above the laws of nature, and that is the will of the Ashen Warlock. The rapid development of the Tower of Dusk has broken the peace that the Breezy Plains has enjoyed for thousands of years, which is exactly against the will of the Ashen Warlock. I reckon you probably don't need me to tell you the fate that those who go against the will of the Ashen Warlock will suffer. You should have heard it. This time, the Tower of Dusk may have been invited by the Ashen Warlock, but do you really think you can stand up to us?"
"Oh, in that case, why do you think the Ashen Warlock invited me, Mr. Joseph?" Lin Li questioned, pretending to be worried. However, he was actually amused. Obviously, Joseph had no choice but to reveal his agenda even though he made himself out to be so high-sounding at the start.
"Since you've already guessed it, why bother making me state things explicitly, President Felic? However, there is still some room for compromise," said Joseph, who felt a little confused after seeing Lin Li's expression. He felt that Lin Li seemed to behave differently from the rumors. However, after thinking about how terrifying the Ashen Warlock was, and the fear that he felt towards him, Joseph reckoned that no matter how bold and brazen Lin LI was, he would definitely feel some fear.
"Is there?" Lin Li continued to keep up his pretense while revealing some nervousness and anticipation on his face. He began to sit up, and stopped leaning against the chair as well.
"That would depend on your choice. Will you choose your own life, or the Tower of Dusk that will bring you big trouble? If you are willing to give up the Tower of Dusk, the Mithril Alliance will give you a hand when you're facing the Ashen Warlock." Joseph initially wanted to say that he could let Lin Li join the Mithril Alliance, but he was worried that he could not control Lin Li, and would end up imposing a threat on themselves.
"Do you mean that you want me to give up the Tower of Dusk and give it to the Mithril Alliance? Haha, unfortunately, you can't sink your teeth into the Tower of Dusk even though you have a huge appetite," Lin Li said as he leaned back against the chair again. He no longer appeared nervous, and was looking at Joseph with contempt.
Despite knowing that he had been tricked, Joseph didn't get angry. Instead, he sneered and said, "It seems that President Felic has already made a choice. It's such a shame. With your talents, I'm afraid you can achieve huge accomplishments wherever you go. However, the Breezy Plains is not for you."
"It's not for you to decide whether it's suitable or not. However, I'm a little curious. I heard that the Mithril Alliance, the Blood Moon Clan, and the Caesar Family are allied, but you asked to meet me alone. Mr. Joseph, aren't you afraid of letting them find out?" asked Lin Li who began meditating because he had lost interest in the discussion.
"You don't have to worry about this, President Felic. I believe you will receive their invitation soon, but I think I already have the answer to the outcome of their invitation," Joseph said as he remained seated with a straight face, not intending to see Lin Li off at all.
Just as Joseph mentioned, Lin Li indeed received the invitation from the Blood Moon Clan shortly after he returned to his room. Actually, the Blood Moon Clan was not as greedy as the Mithril Alliance, but their appetite definitely wasn't small. The Blood Moon Clan was planning to ask the Tower of Dusk to vacate the swamp in the west of Garland in exchange for their promise to never unite with the Mithril Alliance to go against the Tower of Dusk in the future.
Chapter 841 - Roland
If the Blood Moon Clan merely needed a small amount of Serum Grass, Lin Li could give them the Serum Grass from the
swamp. Although the Serum Grass was rare, it seemed to be a useless herb to him. If it were a barren and useless swamp, Lin Li wouldn't mind giving it away in exchange for one less enemy for the Tower of Dusk.
However, the swamp area contained an abundance of rare magical metals which, although not the main materials for forging weapons and equipment, were absolutely indispensable. In the process of forging weapons and equipment, a qualitative improvement in the performance of the magical weapon could be achieved with just a minute amount of those rare magical metals. In addition to forging, the rare magical metals were also widely used in producing mageweaths, magical accessories, and Alchemy Arrays. How could Lin Li easily give up such important ores?
However, in the process of mining for the rare magical metals, the environment of the swamp would inevitably change, and gradually end up becoming unfavorable for the growth of Serum Grass, which was what the Blood Moon Clan definitely didn't want to see. Hence, it would undoubtedly be difficult to resolve the conflict, and the result of the negotiation would naturally be a failure.
During the period of time before the Ashen Warlock appeared, the various forces were in constant contact with each other. In addition to the problems between the Tower of Dusk and the three major forces, the other disputes between the forces would also have to be settled and resolved. In fact, the period of Ashen Warlock's absence was to allow them to discuss and solve their issues face-to-face. The Ashen Warlock was not a mediator, but the ultimate judge. Hence, the forces had all reached a consensus to strive to reach an agreement with each other before Ashen Warlock passed his judgment. Otherwise, when the time came, probably none of them would benefit.
A few days passed in a flash. Through the negotiations during this period of time, the various disputes between the forces in the past three years were basically resolved. However, the Tower of Dusk and the three major forces seemed to be completely in a deadlock. On one hand, it was because Lin Li refused to give in, and on the other, the three major forces were astonishingly greedy.
Outside the dilapidated gray tower, the two old servants of the Ashen Warlock were dozing off on the steps in front of the gate. The leaders of various forces gathered in the b.a.r.e land in front of the tower, and waited for the Ashen Warlock to appear. Even now, no one invited them into the tower, but they did not feel uncomfortable at all. Just like during an open-air event, the ones who knew each other continued to chat with each other softly.
"President Felic, it's almost time for the Ashen Warlock to make his final judgment. I still hope that you can consider our suggestions. Without your lives, all persistence will end up becoming nothing," said the Mogadi, the president of the Blood Moon Clan. He was trying to use the Ashen Warlock to pressure Lin Li into agreeing to his request.
After all, the swamp mining area was also a huge temptation to the other forces. Mogadi could not guarantee that the swamp would be given to him once the Ashen Warlock passed the final judgment. Hence, it would be better to make Lin Li transfer the piece of land to them in advance to ensure that the Blood Moon Clan would achieve its goal regardless of the judgment made by the Ashen Warlock.
Before Lin Li could speak, a mage with white hair and beard walked up to him, and smugly said, "President Mogadi, I'm really sorry, but I don't think the Tower of Dusk has the right to transfer that swamp to you. The swamp originally belonged to the Thunderbolt Mercenary Corps which was established with the support of the Dida Family. The contract of affiliation is in my hands. Although the Thunderbolt Mercenaries were brutally killed by the Tower of Dusk, the swamp should by right belong to the Dida Family."
Seeing that the person who spoke was Lipdon, the elder of the Dida Family who had just arrived in Gran Town to attend the meeting in place of Charles, Mogadi's face suddenly became gloomy, and he coldly said, "Lipdon, are you speaking on behalf of the Mithril Alliance?"
"President Mogadi, don't get me wrong. The Dida Family may be a member of the Mithril Alliance, but we can cooperate with the Blood Moon Clan," Lipdon said ambiguously and softly.
Ever since the death of the former patriarch, the Dida Family had always been in a tough predicament, and the fact that Charles and his team of mages were dismissed made things even worse. Although the five major families of the Mithril Alliance had been very close for thousands of years, their relationship was built on the basis of balanced power. Now that the Dida Family had suffered a huge blow, their power had been reduced greatly, and they were probably inferior to the four other major families. Perhaps they would soon be divided, just like what had happened to the seven families 1,000 years ago.
Hence, after Charles and others were sent back to the family, Lipdon and a few elders decided to find themselves an ally outside of the Mithril Alliance. In the entire Breezy Plains, the only ones that could rival the Mithril Alliance were the Blood Moon Clan and the Caesar Family. Besides, the Blood Moon Clan was also researching a type of blood mixing technology that could be used to greatly enhance the strength of the Dida Family.
Lipdon was not lying about the Thunderbolt Mercenary Corps. However, the Thunderbolt Mercenaries were just a small mercenary group of hundreds of members, and were not directly subordinate to the Dida Family. They were only linked because of two subordinate forces in between. Of course, if that piece of land had really belonged to the Thunderbolt Mercenary Corps, Lipdon's statement would be correct to a certain extent.
However, upon hearing Lipdon's conversation with Mogadi, Lin Li couldn't help but laugh and say, "Haha, unfortunately, the ownership of that piece of land was transferred to the Tower of Dusk by the Brilliance Shrine. As for the Thunderbolt Mercenary Corps, they've simply occupied that piece of land without permission from the Brilliance Shrine."
"The Brilliance Shrine? Since when has the Brilliance Shrine extended their authority to the Breezy Plains? I've never heard of that," Lipdon said in a hostile manner. Since he knew that Charles and the mages were destroyed by Lin Li, he obviously wouldn't be nice.
"What's so strange about that? At the end of the Dark Age, some of the clergymen from the Brilliance Shrine came to the Breezy Plains to spread the doctrine of Holy Light and bought a lot of land. Although the mission did not go smoothly, the contracts and title deeds for those plots of land were brought back to the Brilliance Shrine. I think you'd better check your own lands after you go back. Maybe someday, Felic might just bring the title deeds to you to take the land back," Hoffman said solemnly with a squint, trying to speak up for Lin Li.
As long as it was not a business negotiation, no one would doubt Hoffman's words. Besides, that part of history was no secret in the Breezy Plains at all.
Hoffman's words immediately made Lipdon and Mogadi turn speechless. At the same time, they could not help but be a little surprised about the relationship between the Brilliance Shrine and the Tower of Dusk.
The Brilliance Shrine was one of the most powerful forces that truly stood on top of Anril, and they were so formidable that all the forces probably couldn't rival them even if they were combined together. The Tower of Dusk had been established for only three years, yet they had already made such a huge achievement. Was it merely because of the personal ability of the young President Lin Li? There was undoubtedly some help from the Brilliance Shrine. At least, if they were connected to the Brilliance Shrine, the miracles created by the Tower of Dusk after their establishment would seem less incredible.
While being surprised, Lipdon, Mogadi, and the rest around them couldn't help but be reminded of a rumor that arose not long ago. The three groups of bandits that robbed the caravan of the Tower of Dusk were purged by a team of Holy Paladins that took a long time to do so, while the three Legendary leaders were not spared from the trial of the Holy Light.
The Holy Paladins were the pontifical guards that were directly subordinate to the pope of the Brilliance Shrine, yet they actually left the Holy Mountain for the Tower of Dusk. When they first heard the news, almost no one believed it. Even the spies of the various force
s who had personally witnessed the trial conducted on the three groups of bandits by the Holy Paladins couldn't accept the truth from the bottom of their hearts.
However, the Brilliance Shrine actually transferred the contract and title deed of the land to the Tower of Dusk, which meant that they were probably not just cooperating in business. The value of the swamp mining area alone was incredible, and according to Hoffman's description, the Brilliance Shrine had transferred more than just the piece of land to the Tower of Dusk. No one doubted the authenticity of Hoffman's words, because the transfer of deeds was one of the businesses of the Glittergold Trade Union. It did not merely involve the physical handing over of the title deed to Lin Li.
All of a sudden, everyone felt their heart sink as if the sky had suddenly fallen. The heavy atmosphere made their breathing become irregular, and silence filled the air at this moment. Everyone turned to face the tower and kept their eyes fixed on its gate. The triennial meeting had already become a custom for them.
Indeed, under the gaze of everyone, an old and thin figure clad in a black robe slowly walked out of the tower. However, none of the people present dared to show a trace of contempt on their faces. Instead, they were all full of respect.
Is this the Ashen Warlock? Lin Li thought to himself as he stared at the old man who was clad in the black robe. In fact, some of them couldn't even connect the figure in front of them with the overbearing Ashen Warlock who was a famous legend. His beard and hair were all white, and his cheeks were sunken, while his face was full of deep wrinkles and obvious age spots. His wrinkly eyelids were drooping, and it was as if he couldn't open his eyes at all. He looked even older and much more haggard than a dying old man.
