"Great, then let’s set off immediately. We will head to the fortress where Crocodile Island’s lord is located for a meeting. The lord will also lend you manpower, including officers. Commanding army officers, isn’t that prestigious? At that time, the East Sea Governor will call the shots, and even the Holy Spirit wouldn’t dare to disobey."
The Aran Envoy was fawning, instantly raising Liszt’s status.
"Mere words are not enough; the sincerity of Crocodile Island is still insufficient. I, Liszt, have some reputation in the underworld. I once served time in the Northern Realm, gained enlightenment in Dragon Field, and now, colluding with the government would ruin my reputation completely. This is a high-stakes gamble, so it has to succeed, failure is not an option."
Liszt was talking at full speed.
The Aran Envoy was extremely pleased, like a top scholar passing the imperial exam, cutting to the chase. What Liszt said assured him completely.
"Brothers, do this: go back and tell Crocodile Island to withdraw its people from the strongholds around Drifting City. I need to account to Uborio as well. Once withdrawn, you won’t even need to create gaps in your line; I will immediately dispatch a surprise attack squad to decapitate the cult leader. After the captain of the Eighteenth Formation succeeds, it won’t be too late to meet with Mr. Crocodile. No merit, no reward."
Liszt planned a trap within a trap within a trap.
Three birds with one stone.
If Magnus is an ultimate tough guy and indeed dismembers Zote’s mother, I, the East Sea King, will acknowledge you as the strongest.
Liszt would then celebrate and, taking advantage of Crocodile Island’s unpreparedness, kill Crocodile Island’s lord. His current power controls one-eighth of the continent’s strength. Does Crocodile Island stand a chance against him? Those worthless subordinates will be easily killed, including the remaining Black Sail members under Sha Ge Chuanche. He also has the support of Lostra, bringing two thousand desperados.
Absolute victory, marrying Su Yizhana, becoming the Mulong Regent King, reaching the pinnacle of life.
If Magnus fails, it doesn’t matter. He did send people to slaughter the Eternal Sect as promised and would still attend the feast.
If Magnus falters, Liszt will step up, first killing the Crocodile Island lord, then Zote, ensuring his victory!
This so-called Living Dead Magnus is immune to his Transformation Skill. Can you believe such audacity? It’s like a toad daring to parachute. But still, he can’t escape my Supreme Emperor Technique’s grasp, serving as a stepping stone.
Princess, here I come!
The envoy remained silent for a while, contemplating. Indeed, such high-stake deals can’t be rushed. Sending Liszt to meet now would appear suspicious. They needed to proceed gradually.
Additionally, the conditions were excellent, not even requiring Crocodile Island to create gaps in their line. Just two circles of search chains would suffice. Though not an enormous cost, it was a significant consequence of the saw battle with Uborio.
It should be the best current condition. The East Sea group obviously prefers carrots over sticks. Threatening them would backfire, knowing when to stop is key.
"I will truthfully relay this to Mr. Crocodile. This is a small token from him, a meeting gift. Please kindly accept it. I am very busy with other matters, so I must take my leave now."
The Aran Envoy ordered his people to bring out a beautifully wrapped gift bag, retrieving an exquisite small box containing something valuable.
Crocodile Island had instructed him to give it to Liszt, no matter the outcome of the negotiation.
Liszt was genuinely pleased this time. Rumor had it Crocodile Island was extremely brutal, but his meticulous thoughts were quite intricate. Even this thick-browed, large-eyed guy would want to see his strength.
To be safe, Fen checked for any energy fluctuations, suspecting a curse or a spell from a Curse Master enlisted by Crocodile Island to harm Liszt.
It turned out to be just an ordinary gift.
Liszt accepted the box and opened it. To his surprise, it wasn’t cash but a mechanical watch.
Fen recognized its value.
"This is a high-end custom from Duguli, using special gemstone mercury techniques. Only a Duguli watch company can make this."
Duguli? Liszt frowned and flipped the watch to see the back engraving. It was inscribed with "Heavenly Eye Society’s Tenth Anniversary Exclusive."
Dog Crocodile Island!
The route through the Great Wetland has already been opened, goods flowing to Duguli, financial reports from Mo Yutong at Heaven Port showing substantial profits. The wealthy lords of Duguli Upper Three Flags treat New Continent’s unique collectables as treasures.
Perhaps Duguli didn’t negotiate well with the Heavenly Eye Society, leading to their current sabotage.
But investigating this will not be easy. Aran has laws, and many of Duguli’s Black Sail employees have clean backgrounds. Violet and Nishi are legitimate Aran citizens, heroic level adventurers, with fame and public opinion on their side.
But if push comes to shove, once the Mulong issue is resolved, killing off the Heavenly Eye Society will be easy!
"Oh, I see." Liszt was burning with rage inside but managed to smile, "Why don’t the three of you stay for a meal before leaving?"
The Aran Envoy was unaware of the watch’s significance, but the current East Sea Brother was terrifying. Best not to disturb him.
"No need, I’m very busy. I must return immediately to report to Mr. Crocodile."
The Aran Envoy replied.
Liszt said angrily, knowing it wasn’t time to kill the three. He was waiting for Crocodile Island to take the bait, gaining free strongholds.
If Crocodile Island accepted his terms, he would have them restrained for a while. Then all he’d have to do was wait for news from Magnus. Even if things went south, he’d still kill Crocodile Island. Threatening him? Clearly, they haven’t seen the underworld.
After the Aran Envoy left.
Everyone asked Liszt if he really intended to become the East Sea Governor, but minor players weren’t privy to the secret to prevent leaks, sharing it only with core members.
Fen didn’t mind. Seeking an official title has its approach; avoiding it has another tactic. Weighing pros and cons showed the former to be more stable with high short-term benefits but limited growth and risks of internal conflict. The latter was highly risky, unstable, requiring excellent operational skills but promised intense growth. Damn, it was chilling.
Shadi sighed in relief. Though Black Sail’s founding team members were all scumbags, he didn’t want to see old acquaintances killing each other. It was too pointless.
"Hahaha, if you become the Governor, I will surely be an Admiral."
Archer naturally babbled in drunkenness, saying he’d get a custom-made uniform to try on when restocking supplies in Drifting City to see if he looked imposing.
Fen said, unable to hold back a retort. However, Mr. Archer, missing for half a year, was finally somewhat useful.
Archer served as head chef, gathering his sous chefs to cook for all Black Sail pirates at the fortress. Eating smoked meat and pickles after a big battle was too unclassy for Black Sail.
With court chef-level skills, dishes would please even the gods, not letting Tiqie Hulinai find any fault, earning Archer the Star Crossbow rank.
Apologies for any poor hospitality!
The ingredients were pure, natural livestock bought from Mulong herders.
Spring vegetable lamb stew, Ji Weng confit duck legs, Basque-style lemon chicken, with caramel custard for dessert. Mulong shared the Far East’s habit of eating rice, so they prepared over a dozen large pots of pepper fried rice with tenderloin.
These East Sea desperados ate like kings, ready to charge the Emperor without hesitation after such a feast.
In the command room of the fortress, after dinner, Liszt waited for a phone call. That kind of woman would certainly place informants in Black Sail. Hearing about the day’s events, she would definitely use Black Sail’s radio to contact Wolman in Drifting City.
At nine at night, Celeste’s voice came through with a flurry of curses, questioning Liszt.
Liszt only responded with four words—a sentence: Let Lostra’s East Sea Commissioner spend three thousand Golden Dragons on me monthly. The most update n0vels are published on novel-fire.net
Liszt said, sounding extremely dismissive.