After the four-person Shen Clan delegation arrived the next morning, the Gong Clan welcomed them to the clan compound and left them alone to wait for old Mo Yao. However, even after two hours, she still hadn't arrived. This naturally unnerved and angered Elder Hong Ting's young attendants. However, Hong Ting, who was used to old Mo Yao's manner, maintained a calm demeanor throughout. This was her way of making her political opponents lose their composure. It took another hour for Mo Yao and the Gong Clan elders to arrive. "Sorry for the delay, but you know how difficult it is for someone my age to get around and come here."
"No problem, my lady. We all know how much health trouble you're having, and we're grateful for your time."
"Okay, okay, we didn't come here to compliment each other, did we? Let's get to the point."
"Oh, yes, the war is approaching, and we still don't know what is your frank stance on it."
"I think I was clear on this during the previous negotiations. If you want to help us, you need to offer us some benefits. We'll just have to get three million primeval stones, in addition to amending our trade agreement so that we increase the price of our goods by 50%."
Hong Ting gave her a fierce look as he tried to suppress his anger.
Since the war 58 years ago, the Gong Clan has been a strong ally of the Shen Clan. When news spread of Liu Bai Zu's desire to ascend to the fifth rank, the Gong Clan showed its full willingness to enter the war and aid the Shen Clan. However, as the war approached a month ago, they began to show hesitation and began to delay their responses.
"Aid is a big word. You speak as if the Liu Clan poses no threat to you. If Liu Bai Zu ascends to the fifth rank, you won't be safe from his wrath. Don't forget that we're in the same boat."
" No, we're not. The Liu clan poses no threat to us or to you. This is just your imagination. The blood of young men is hot, so they declare war for the most trivial reasons. Or is it just because one clan has become more powerful than the others that they will declare war on the rest? Have you forgotten that we belong to the righteous path, not the devilish one? Take your clan for example. When your fifth clan leader ascended to the fifth rank, he did not attack the other clans and maintained peace on Huang Jin Mountain."
"Lady Mo Yao, of all people, how can you say that? Have you forgotten what happened to the Bai Clan and the Xiong Clan? Wasn't it you who led the Gong Clan during that war? Didn't your son, husband, and brother die during it at the hands of the Liu Clan?"
"Both the Bai and Xiong clans got what they deserved as a result of angering the Liu Clan. I don't deny that the Liu Clan overstepped their bounds when they attacked you, so my clan intervened. But don't forget that you intervened in a war that had nothing to do with you. Anyway, we're not here to discuss the past, but the present, and this is the reality. We won't help you in the war unless you fulfill our demands."
"By what right do we have to pay you three million primeval stones for free and raise the prices of our goods?"
"You misunderstood, Brother Hong Ting. The three million primeval stones won't be free. We'll sell you a week's harvest of golden blood. As for raising the prices of our goods, this is compensation for the damage we'll suffer. Once the war starts, we won't be able to trade with the Liu Clan, our largest trading partner."
Humph, are you trying to make fun of me? A week's harvest of golden blood is only worth five hundred thousand primeval stones. This is blatant theft?
Ah, in that case, arguing with them won't lead us to any clear conclusions. It seems the clan elder is right. The Gong Clan is hiding something.
.....
The other day, at a meeting of the Shen Clan elders, the Shen Clan elder was sitting in the middle of the hall while addressing the elders.
"The Gong Clan has been acting strangely lately. They're acting as if the war doesn't concern them. I think this means two things: either they're faking it to gain some advantage from us before the war, or they have a secret weapon that can stop the Liu Clan, or worse, defeat them."
A commotion spread through the hall, and the elders began to discuss.
Then one of them spoke up.
"Don't you think you're probably overthinking it? Your initial assumption is how the Gong Clan will be able to stop Liu Bai Zu when he rises to the fifth rank? Currently, they don't have a hero to save them every time. So, I think we should not listen to their blatant blackmail and leave them alone until they come crawling to us when the war starts. Who knows, maybe they've actually gone crazy and thought the Liu Clan wouldn't attack them, hahahahaha."
Laughter spread through the hall, but the clan leader interrupted.
"Only fools assume everyone is as foolish as they are. I know the probability of the Gong Clan having a way to defeat a fifth rank is very slim, but brothers, are you ready to risk our clan's future for this reason?"
"But how can we be sure of this?"
"This is where this comes in."
The clan leader took out a scroll, held it up, and passed it to Hong Ting.
"This manuscript contains something that Old Mo Yao will not be able to get. Hong Ting, during the upcoming negotiations, if Old Mo Yao tries to blackmail us again, do not argue with her too much. We must appear to be desperate to gain their help. This will make both the Gong and Liu clans think that we are weak, which will make them underestimate us in the upcoming war. Instead, offer Old Mo Yao this manuscript instead of the demands she will make to us. If the Gong clan has the power to defeat the Liu clan and our clan in the upcoming war, they will be able to snatch the contents of this manuscript for free. Old Mo Yao is a patient woman, and if she knows that she will be able to obtain this manuscript in the future, she will refuse our offer and insist on fulfilling her demands. If the Gong clan does not have this power, then Old Man Mo Yao will accept it and give up her demands. Of course, there is a high possibility that Old Mo Yao will see through this trick and accept our offer. Even though the Gong clan has the power to defeat us, in this case, we We will have gotten rid of their claims."
...
Hong Ting took out the manuscript.