Chapter 148: Lighting the Powder Keg
Chapter 148: Lighting the Powder Keg
"Everyone is making me so anxious, I don't know whether to fight or not."
Qin Muye found that recently, all sorts of news were flying around. Apart from the True Dragon Emperor preparing to use the Wang Junzi and Jiangmo Jushi as gifts to negotiate with Jiang Tianjun, there were also rumors that the Wang Junzi and Jiangmo Jushi were planning to make a fortune and leave, or that the True Dragon Emperor was preparing to make the entire world submit, among other chaotic and messy pieces of information.
For a time, the entire Magic Continent was in a state of unrest.
As one of the lords, Qin Muye naturally became a bit more sensitive and neurotic, extending his daily 15-minute rest period to 20 minutes.
This significantly reduced his work efficiency.
Now, he would rather the True Dragon Emperor and Jiang Tianjun have a grand battle, preferably one that would kill one of them, making the subsequent situation simpler.
If the True Dragon Emperor won, Qin Muye would continue to stay put. If Jiang Tianjun won, he would naturally run away.
What else could he do? Rely on the other lords of the Magic Continent? They would probably run faster than Qin Muye.
Everyone had exchanged for transfer vouchers, and no one could stop them if they wanted to leave.
Unless they were truly unlucky and the transfer vouchers randomly sent them back to the Magic Continent, there shouldn't be any major problems otherwise.
Qin Muye wasn't entirely sure about this, after all, the word "random" was involved, and who knew where they might end up.
The current situation made it difficult for Qin Muye to predict the subsequent developments.
"Master, the True Dragon Emperor is here to visit, and he didn't bring any guards," Black Hand said hurriedly as he rushed in.
Hearing this, Qin Muye's expression turned serious. This was trouble knocking on his door.
But he quickly suppressed his thoughts. "I understand. Arrange a meeting."
He hadn't expected this. Not bringing guards meant that the True Dragon Emperor had come quietly, and no one knew about his visit.
At his current level of power, how could anyone possibly track his movements?
Qin Muye didn't dare to be disrespectful. He had a sense of propriety. If he were stronger, it wouldn't matter if he was a bit slower, but since the True Dragon Emperor was now stronger, he had to show the proper respect. Otherwise, it would be no different from courting death.
He put on his crimson mage suit and went to the reception hall, where the True Dragon Emperor, dressed in dragon robes, was drinking tea. Seeing Qin Muye arrive, he greeted him warmly, "You're here, sit down."
"..." Qin Muye was speechless. Well, this was the guest taking over the host's role, and this was his territory.
Fortunately, Qin Muye wasn't the type to fuss over such things. After sitting down, he said, "Your Majesty, what brings you to my small territory?"
"Two days ago, my negotiations with Jiang Tianjun broke down. He refused to leave," the True Dragon Emperor said calmly.
This left Qin Muye speechless. What was the point of telling him this? Oh, it couldn't be that he wanted to target the strange equipment.
"So, Your Majesty, this time you want to deal with Jiang Tianjun's treasures?" Qin Muye asked directly.
The True Dragon Emperor nodded. "Yes, do you have any?"
"I don't. I haven't studied the Strange Village server much," Qin Muye replied frankly. He had no particular interest in the Strange Village server and its peculiar cultivation methods, which were quite different from his own.
Moreover, the strange cultivation methods in the Strange Village server were somewhat repulsive to him. People had limits, but he didn't think it was time to give up yet. He wanted to follow a proper path of cultivation, not a strange one.
"Um, is there any other way?" the True Dragon Emperor asked bluntly.
He didn't care whether Qin Muye had studied it; he just wanted to know if there was a solution.
To the True Dragon Emperor, he actually had high hopes for Qin Muye. After all, a lord without sufficient power might be a liability, but if used properly, could be a useful tool. The only issue was the strange creatures in the Strange Village, which annoyed him.
Unfortunately, he couldn't kill them, or it would be even better.
"I don't have any," Qin Muye said, spreading his hands. What could he do?
He had strong learning abilities and academic research skills, but that didn't mean he could create something out of nothing. Studying a system required a few days and sufficient knowledge, which he didn't have.
The Strange Village was Jiang Tianjun's personal domain, and with all the strange entities roaming around, very few of the Magic Continent's natives who entered could come out alive, let alone with any knowledge.
If there was one place that was the most dangerous, it was definitely the Strange Village. Even in the Wasteland City and the Zombie Kingdom, as long as one didn't encounter a zombie or beast wave, hiding in a base or camp was relatively safe. In contrast, the strange entities in the Strange Village were truly lethal, and one never knew when they might be killed.
Therefore, Qin Muye, who lacked the necessary strength, naturally kept his distance.
"Qin Muye, I need you to help me find the weaknesses of the strange entities so I can ensure a fatal strike against Jiang Tianjun," the True Dragon Emperor said, his tone gentle but firm and leaving no room for refusal.
Qin Muye shook his head. "I can't do it, Your Majesty, you should find someone more capable."
This was a very dangerous task, and he was not about to take it on.
So, he refused without hesitation. Was he, the domineering Qin Muye, afraid of death?
Upon hearing Qin Muye's refusal, a cold glint flashed in the True Dragon Emperor's eyes.
"Tell me your difficulties, and I will help you resolve them," the True Dragon Emperor said, changing his self-address to "I," clearly showing his dissatisfaction with Qin Muye, shifting from trying to build a rapport to distancing himself.
"Oh, I'm too weak and afraid of death," Qin Muye said without hesitation. "So, Your Majesty, you should find someone else."
"Unfit to cultivate, I will have someone bring the strange entities to you tomorrow. You must give me results within three days," the True Dragon Emperor said coldly, his long sleeves sweeping as he stood up and left.
Clearly, he was not satisfied and still wanted Qin Muye to conduct the research.
Qin Muye, however, smiled, completely disregarding the True Dragon Emperor's words. Offering nothing and expecting him to research? Did he really think they were in a superior-subordinate relationship?
When the time came, he would accept the strange entities, but as for the research, that could wait.
"Black Hand, did he leave?" Qin Muye asked.
"Yes, he left. He seemed quite angered by you," Black Hand chuckled.
"Who cares how angry he is? Spread the news today, let everyone know," Qin Muye said.
Given the current situation, it was like a powder keg. Since no one knew when it would explode, he might as well add some fuel to the fire.
Lighting the powder keg meant knowing when it would explode, and that made a big difference. The former allowed for precise preparation, while the latter could lead to being blown up.
"Will this anger the True Dragon Emperor? He is domineering and doesn't follow any rules," Black Hand hesitated.
"Is he the only one who doesn't follow rules? I don't follow them either," Qin Muye said.
Black Hand, who was more politically minded, originally intended to drag this out, but he did not expect Qin Muye to act so aggressively.
"Yes, Master, I will do it immediately, but we might not be able to bear the consequences," Black Hand finally advised.
Qin Muye shook his head. "As long as the True Dragon Emperor doesn't die, he will definitely come after us afterward. We might as well get some satisfaction by tricking him."
The True Dragon Emperor had long recognized Qin Muye's strategic value and would try every means to make him serve him. If he couldn't be subdued, he would be eliminated.
Just like he once planned to use Wang Junzi and Jiangmo Jushi to negotiate, in the True Dragon Emperor's eyes, everyone was merely his subordinate and tool. He could not tolerate any lord's disloyalty. If Qin Muye had been willing to submit, he would have forgiven his previous offenses.
One could say this was the greatest favor he could offer.
But Qin Muye did not submit, so in the True Dragon Emperor's eyes, he became a heinous criminal. If not for his usefulness, he would have been dealt with on the spot.
"By the time this news spreads, it will be unclear who will win or lose," Qin Muye knew that the breakdown of negotiations with Jiang Tianjun meant the True Dragon Emperor had set his sights on this tough bone to chew. While the bone was difficult, consuming it would allow him to transform.
After all, this was the entire fortune of the second-ranked lord. As for the others, they probably did not want the True Dragon Emperor to become too powerful. If he did, what would happen to the other lords? They would become lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Therefore, Qin Muye was using a straightforward strategy, directly informing everyone of the True Dragon Emperor's true intentions. Whether they believed it or not was another matter.
In any case, if things went wrong, he could always transfer to another server. The True Dragon Emperor's confidence came from the belief that Qin Muye lacked the ability to obtain a transfer voucher.
However, he overlooked the small items he deemed insignificant and underestimated the power of the spirits.
So, Qin Muye actually had the ability to flee, or rather, all the lords of the Magic Continent had the ability to flee.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
