Suo Lun’s gaze fell upon Hai Die Er’s incomparably beautiful face and captivating pert bottom, yet his eyes held no focus. Clearly, he was not looking at the beauty.
Yan Mo said, “My dear younger brother, is this so difficult a choice? I know I am opening my mouth like a lion, wanting to take away your trump card weapon, the Heaven Shaking Thunder. But by comparison, survival is more important, is it not? Maritime trade is your lifeline.”
Suo Lun closed his eyes and began to contemplate. As for Princess Zhi Yan beside him, although she was Suo Lun’s sovereign, she did not utter a single word, as if none of this had anything to do with her.
However, as Suo Lun closed his eyes in thought, Princess Zhi Yan gently stepped forward, placing Suo Lun’s head against her chest, then gently massaged his forehead and temples.
Seeing this scene, Yan Mo also felt somewhat shaken.
He had roamed the great ocean, holding little reverence for the royal houses of the human kingdoms on land. But Princess Zhi Yan’s absolutely peerless beauty, her otherworldly, transcendent air, still made one clearly feel that she was beyond reach. And now she was tenderly massaging Suo Lun, doing the work of a maidservant. It truly was inwardly shocking.
Suo Lun opened his eyes once more, “Yan Mo, my elder brother.”
At these words, Yan Mo’s gaze contracted. This should be the first time Suo Lun had called him elder brother, especially after he had kicked Suo Lun down a ten thousand zhang abyss.
“Speak, my younger brother.” Yan Mo said.
Suo Lun said, “Shall we send away those around us and speak alone?”
Yan Mo nodded, then waved his hand. His absolutely stunning young wife Hai Die Er rose and departed, looking at Suo Lun with a resentful gaze. Even as she left, her snake-like waist twisted with heart-stopping allure.
Zhi Yan also retreated together with her, entering the cabin. In an instant, only Suo Lun and Yan Mo remained upon the entire deck.
“Elder brother, your sole objective for the past ten years has been to destroy the Hai clan, seize the Hidden Continent Island, and take the magpie’s nest for yourself, has it not?” Suo Lun said.
Yan Mo nodded, “This ocean is too small. It cannot accommodate two hegemons. The Hidden Continent Hai clan and I can only leave one.”
Suo Lun said, “How about this? We ally. I dispatch troops to help you destroy the Hai clan and seize the Hidden Continent Island. Then I completely withdraw from the Hidden Continent, handing the Hidden Continent Island over to your rule. In return, you swear allegiance to Princess Zhi Yan. I will enfeoff you as a Duke of the kingdom. At that time, you will replace the Rouran Ashi clan, becoming the greatest vassal of the Raging Waves Kingdom.”
At these words, Yan Mo’s gaze trembled.
Suo Lun’s terms could not be called anything but generous, even completely exceeding Yan Mo’s imagination.
According to Suo Lun’s terms, Yan Mo would need to pay almost nothing to obtain the Hidden Continent Island.
Suo Lun said, “Elder brother, you first manufacture a conflict with the Hai clan, then initiate a naval battle. I have twenty-five thousand naval troops, you have seventy thousand. Our two houses combined have one hundred thousand naval troops, enough to completely annihilate the Hai clan’s water forces. Once we have completely dominated sea power, my over one hundred thousand strong army will land on the Hidden Continent Island, plus your Rock Pirate great army. Our allied army of two hundred thousand, plus black fire oil and Heaven Shaking Thunder, destroying the Hai clan will take merely a month or two. After finishing the Hidden Continent Island, I will completely withdraw, not leaving a single soldier. You will become the new master of the thousand li Hidden Continent Island, possessing several million subjects. And I have but one request: you swear allegiance to Princess Zhi Yan.”
Yan Mo’s breathing became rapid.
The terms Suo Lun proposed were truly too generous.
This time, it was Yan Mo’s turn to close his eyes and enter contemplation!
Opening his eyes once more, Yan Mo’s gaze had recovered the calm of a fierce beast. He slowly smiled, “My dear younger brother, you would rather dispatch over one hundred thousand troops to help me fight than hand over the Heaven Shaking Thunder formula. It is evident that you truly value it highly.”
Suo Lun certainly valued it. This was absolute secrecy, a revolutionary weapon sufficient to overturn the entire warfare landscape.
Moreover, the present gunpowder was still very primitive. His alchemists and sorcerer teams were desperately researching, striving to complete more advanced, more powerful gunpowder as soon as possible.
In the future, whether campaigning against the Southern Barbarians, expelling the Divine Dragon Temple, or even unifying the world, all would rely upon gunpowder.
To preserve the gunpowder, Suo Lun was naturally willing to pay the price of over one hundred thousand troops.
Taking a deep breath, Yan Mo said, “My dear younger brother, the terms you proposed have moved me deeply. They are simply too generous, completely exceeding my imagination. But… this should count as charity, should it not? What I want, I will seize and plunder with my own hands. I alone do not wish to borrow another’s hand. You go and conquer the Hidden Continent Island, then hand it over to me? That is reaping without sowing, the shame of the Rock People. If I agreed to you, how would the Rock People view me? What face would I have to be king?”
At these words, Suo Lun’s pupils also contracted abruptly like a viper spotting its prey.
Yan Mo’s words sounded very reasonable, but they were completely… rubbish!
The reason he refused Suo Lun’s such generous terms, stubbornly demanding gunpowder, had but one cause: his ambition pierced the heavens. What he wanted was not merely the Hidden Continent Island. He also wanted to set foot upon the continent.
Once he had conquered the Hidden Continent Island, he would possess over one hundred thousand naval troops. No power under Heaven could then threaten the Hidden Continent Island. He would possess an absolutely secure rear base. Then he would train a massive ground army and begin attacking the continent. With gunpowder’s aid, he could advance with irresistible force, at minimum capturing several provinces.
At that time, he would no longer be merely a maritime hegemon, nor merely a kingdom vassal. He might become the founder of a state.
Like those most top tier heroic leaders of the human kingdoms, he would found a nation, a nation ruled by the Rock People.
It was precisely such enormous ambition that led him to refuse Suo Lun’s incomparably generous terms.
…
Speaking to this point, Suo Lun already knew there was completely no room for negotiation.
Both sides’ ambitions were too great. There was simply no way to reach an agreement.
One Eastern Great Ocean plus one Raging Waves Kingdom were both too small to accommodate the ambitions of this pair of brothers.
For the first time, a smile appeared upon Suo Lun’s face, “My elder brother, this matter is too important. Could you allow me some time to consider? And you also consider my proposal. I truly wish to ally with you, just as you said. With our brothers of one mind, we will be invincible under Heaven!”
Yan Mo said, “Very well, my dear younger brother. You may consider, but not for too long. We Rock People are not known for our patience. When will you give me your reply?”
“Three months?” Suo Lun said.
“No, ten days at most!” Yan Mo said.
“Two months?” Suo Lun said.
“No, half a month at most.” Yan Mo said.
Suo Lun said, “Then one month. I will certainly give you an answer!”
“Fine, one month then!” Yan Mo said, “If there is no reply after one month, do not blame elder brother for being heartless. At that time, I will lead one hundred thousand naval troops to ravage the coast of your Sky Water City. I will find your Magic Mirror base and take it for my own. I will completely blockade your Rocky Island, letting the people upon it starve to death, then seize your Rocky Salt Fields!”
Suo Lun raised one finger, “One month!”
Then Suo Lun said, “Zhi Yan, let us go!”
Zhi Yan emerged, and together with Suo Lun descended from the magnificent tower ship. They boarded a small boat and rowed towards the Suo clan fleet.
Hai Die Er gracefully walked out. The seductiveness upon her face had completely vanished, replaced by a sorrowful desire to weep!
“Fortunately that scoundrel Suo Lun did not lay half a finger upon you, else I would have chopped off his hand.” Yan Mo tenderly pulled his young wife into his embrace, smiling, “Women are like clothes, brothers are like limbs. Whoever wears my clothes, I sever whose limbs!”
Hai Die Er said, “But I was dressed so transparently. My body was long since seen completely.”
Yan Mo said, “We Rock Pirates do not care if women are seen by others. As long as they are not touched.”
The Rock Pirates truly did not much care if women’s bodies were seen by other men. Because they lived upon the sea, and the weather was hot, women wore very little. Once in the water, everything became transparent.
Moreover, some men and women would openly couple upon the deck, completely unafraid of others’ gazes.
“The negotiations failed?” Hai Die Er asked.
“Mm, they failed.” Yan Mo said.
Hai Die Er said, “Then why did you still agree to give him one month to consider?”
Yan Mo said, “A great battle requires preparation. And there is a saying: one does not shed tears until one sees the coffin. Once I repeatedly plunder his merchant ships, annihilate his warships, and let him feel pain that cuts to the bone, he may become smarter and agree to my terms.”
“Yes, to make a person submit, one must beat them until it hurts, break their hands and feet, shatter their teeth, then press a sharp dagger against their chest. Only then will the other party surrender.” Hai Die Er said.
Yan Mo fondled her round bottom with tender affection, “You are a daughter of the Hai clan, yet I am scheming how to destroy the Hai clan and seize the Hidden Continent Island. Do you not hate me?”
Hai Die Er said, “My mother was a white slave woman. She was raped by my father while he was drunk and gave birth to me. My status was lowly from childhood. It was only when they needed to find one among my father’s many daughters to marry you that they discovered I alone among over a dozen daughters was still a virgin. So they hastily had the principal wife adopt me, pretending to be a legitimate daughter to marry you. So compared to being a daughter of the Hai clan, I would rather become the high and mighty Rock Queen, watching my former brothers and sisters kneel at my feet.”
“Well said.” Yan Mo excitedly slapped his young wife’s bottom, then pressed her down upon the deck, entering her body with incomparable ferocity. He roared, “Bear me children! Bear a great many children, for they will have several thousand li of territory and tens of millions of subjects to inherit.”
…
The moment he returned to the Suo clan flagship, Yan Chuo Er immediately stepped forward and asked, “How did it go?”
Suo Lun said, “Yan Mo wants gunpowder. I refused. The negotiations have broken down. Prepare for war!”
Yan Chuo Er’s absolutely beautiful brows knitted, “Battles one after another, vital energy greatly damaged. Now is truly not the time for war.”
Who said it was not?
Sky Water City had just experienced a great battle, lasting successively for a month. Although casualties were not heavy, it had spent several hundred thousand gold coins in military expenses, astronomical sums of supplies.
Moreover, Suo Lun’s most important enemy right now was Zhi Li. The urgent matter at hand was to reorganise the prisoners, reform and govern the Southeast Province, making it Suo Lun’s absolute war potential. Then further expand the army to two hundred thousand, or even more.
Suo Lun temporarily had no desire for expansion at sea. So waging war against Yan Mo would gain him nothing.
But he did not go to provoke Yan Mo, yet this half brother of the same father instead came knocking at his door of his own accord.
Many times, people truly cannot help themselves!
Suo Lun, Zhi Yan, and Yan Chuo Er entered a secret cabin!
At this moment, Yan Mo had completely cornered Suo Lun. Either compromise, or fight!
Suo Lun absolutely would not compromise. Then there was only one path: fight!
“The griffin shipboard drills have been conducted dozens of times. What are the results?” Suo Lun asked.
Queen Yan Chuo Er said, “They possess a certain deterrent power, but the battle results are very unclear. First, griffin beasts must fly above four hundred zhang to ensure safety. But at this altitude, dropping gunpowder packs, even on land the accuracy is very poor. And at sea the wind is strong, the error even greater. Warship surface area is too small, and the distance between warships is too great. The probability of accurate hits is less than five percent.”
Of course, the most crucial factor was still that the number of griffins was too few.
If there were one or two hundred griffins screaming forth, even with a hit rate of only five percent, it would be enough to form carpet bombing.
But with merely a dozen or so griffins, facing the opponent’s thousand warships, it truly was somewhat powerless.
Griffins aboard ship, naval aerial strikes. Yan Chuo Er had already drilled this many times. The final conclusion was that because the gunpowder packs’ waterproofing was poor, dropping gunpowder packs was even less lethal than dropping fire oil barrels.
But whether dropping fire oil barrels or gunpowder packs, the final conclusion was one: griffin aerial strikes at sea possessed considerable deterrent power, but wanting to decide the victory of a naval battle was still rather distant, especially an ultra large scale naval battle!
“Could it be that we must deploy our top secret weapon?” Yan Chuo Er said.
Immediately, both Suo Lun and Zhi Yan raised their heads.
The research progress of this top secret weapon had proceeded almost simultaneously with gunpowder. Currently, the number of people invested exceeded several thousand, and the funds invested exceeded several hundred thousand gold coins.
The finished product had been completed over half a year ago, and was completely capable of being used in actual combat.
But Suo Lun truly did not wish to let this weapon of mass destruction make its appearance ahead of time!
Because this thing was the true god of war, capable of completely changing the warfare situation. When Suo Lun was not yet absolutely powerful, he truly did not wish to let this thing appear!
But maritime trade was Suo Lun’s economic lifeline. It absolutely must be preserved. When it truly came to a moment of life and death, he could only let this weapon of mass destruction make its appearance ahead of time!
“Let us go, to the secret shipyard. Let us see what progress our top secret weapon has reached.” Suo Lun said.
…
The fast boat travelled with the current!
After the Suo clan fleet entered Sky Water City’s waters, it immediately returned to base. Then Suo Lun, Zhi Yan, and Yan Chuo Er rode griffin beasts, flying along the sea surface towards Suo Lun’s other top secret base, the secret shipyard!
This shipyard was likewise within a bay near the barbarian territories. The entire shipyard was completely inside a massive mountain cave!
The number of people who knew of this top secret shipyard did not exceed ten in total.
At this moment, upon the water surface within the shipyard, three massive warships floated, as tall as small mountains.
Anyone who saw these three heaven-shaking warships would draw in a sharp breath!
These three warships were completely different from all warships in this world.
Dozens of dark, thick iron tubes densely protruded from the front, sides, and rear of the entire warships!
Correct, these were cannons, the true god of war!
These were three massive artillery warships, super weapons of mass destruction sufficient to overturn the naval warfare landscape!
A weapon of mass destruction that Suo Lun was unwilling to let make its appearance ahead of time no matter what!