In Douluo Continent, I am the mastermind behind the scenes.

The person responsible for liaising with the Sea God Pavilion and the Tang Sect has always been Crown Princess Mo Lian, and this time is no exception.

With her personal maidservant by her side, Mo Lian gracefully pushed open the door to the private room. The next moment, as if she had seen something she shouldn't have, she hurriedly retreated outside and closed the door behind her.

She must have been furious to see Huo Yuhao standing behind Yunxi, acting as her bodyguard.

Mo Lian gripped the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the private room once more.

Nothing happened inside the private room. Huo Yuhao stood quietly behind Yunxi, his expression indifferent, giving him the air of a professional servant.

What happened to Huo Yuhao during the year and a half he disappeared? How did he change so much?

Although she still had doubts, it was, after all, an exchange between two major forces, so she could only suppress her curiosity and silently sit down in the seat directly opposite Yunxi.

"Money and resources are not a problem. As long as I give the order, Shrek City will expedite the allocation of resources to Spirit Fighting City. I only have one question for you: can the city wall over at the port be built?"

Yunxi was too lazy to argue any further. Without even discussing the ownership of the funds needed to build the city wall, she directly and arrogantly stated her intentions. Anyway, it wasn't her money that was being spent. If she ran out of money, she would just hold another donation drive. If she didn't want to donate, she would confiscate her property. Who was afraid of who?

Ah this...

This whole operation surprised Mo Lian. When did the Sea God Pavilion become so generous that they no longer needed the Douling Empire to pay for the construction of the sea defense line?

Free things are always the most expensive; this is an age-old truth. Since ancient times, favors have always been hard to repay, let alone favors from the Sea God Pavilion.

Mo Lian said somewhat awkwardly, "Envoy Yun, isn't this a bit inappropriate? You're helping us share the pressure with the Sun Moon Empire and the Big Dipper Spirit, and you're even spending a huge sum of money to build our sea defenses. Isn't that a bit... well... inappropriate?"

Hearing this, Yunxi curled her lips and said impatiently, "Princess Consort, let me tell you clearly, you and I both know what the situation is inside the Douling Empire. If we had the means to build a sea defense line, we wouldn't have waited until now. Those old fogies wish they could gather all the resources of the continent in Shrek City. Now it's time to return those resources."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mo Lian nodded as if she suddenly understood. So... the Sea God Pavilion wasn't being generous; it was just that Chen Yu thought those old fogies were too disgusting and wanted to bleed them dry, while also providing some support for the frontline defenses.

Now that things have come to this point, it would seem rather pretentious for Mo Lian to refuse again.

Thinking of this, Mo Lian slowly stood up, looked in the direction of Yun Xi, and bowed slightly, saying, "Since Special Envoy Yun insists on this, then we will accept it without further ado."

After the two finalized some details, Mo Lian took her leave. Before the aid provided by the Sea God Pavilion arrived, the Douling Empire had to provide the resources needed to build the sea defense line. They couldn't wait until the resources were transported from Shrek City before starting construction, could they?

After Mo Lian left, Huo Yuhao sat down in the spot where Mo Lian had been sitting, took a new cup, and poured himself a large cup of fragrant tea.

Huo Yuhao took a sip of tea and asked thoughtfully, "Sister Yunxi, besides building the sea defense line, do you have any other missions for coming to Lingdou City this time?"

Yunxi said expressionlessly, "No more for now, but I can't go back to Shrek City. Those old fogies will probably hate me to death."

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Huo Yuhao then realized why he had to be appointed as Yunxi's protector. Since he had decided to suppress those old blind lamps and didn't want to make a big fuss, he couldn't put things out in the open.

The Sea God family members are Chen Yu's direct descendants. Under these circumstances, it would be somewhat inappropriate to have a powerful member of the Sea God family serve as Yunxi's protector. Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, is notorious for his evil deeds.

Suitable for taking the blame.

Of course, Huo Yuhao, having grown in experience, didn't care, and he also didn't particularly like the old clowns of the Sea God Pavilion.

After an unknown amount of time, Yunxi's usual confident demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of worry on her pretty face. "Yuhao, do you think... we can win this war?"

"War is about the right time, the right place, and the right people. Gods are not gods. Until the very last moment of the war, no one knows which side will be the final victor."

Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "Of course I hope our side can achieve the final victory. What about you, Sister Yunxi? Which side do you hope will win this war?"

Yunxi said softly, "From a standpoint of opinion, I naturally hope that the Sea God Pavilion can win this war. But from my own heart, I hope that the Ningyun Sect can achieve final victory, so that everyone can cultivate, and the quality of martial souls can no longer determine the upper limit of a soul master. What a magnificent sight that would be!"

Huo Yuhao: "..."

You, Yunxi, are a special envoy, the special envoy of the Sea God Pavilion stationed in Lingdou City. Is it appropriate for you to say such a thing?

The original text can be found at 6#9@book/bar!

However… since Yunxi dared to say it, it means she had no intention of joining the Ningyun Sect. Given Yunxi's status, she would most likely become the next Sea God Pavilion Master after Chen Yu's ascension, so there was no need for her to betray the Sea God Pavilion.

"In this life, how many people can truly follow their heart at all times?" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but sigh. "You all know my story from my past life. Until my ascension, I was unable to personally destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, end Dai Huabin's life, and avenge my mother."

"Alright, alright, let's talk about something else."

Huo Yuhao asked with curiosity, "I just returned to Shrek City and was sent out on a mission by Senior Sister Chen Yu. I haven't had time to inquire about the Tang Sect or Sister Xiaoya's recent situation yet."

"Tang Ya...she's gone missing," Yunxi said with a grave expression.

"Missing?" Huo Yuhao frowned. "How could such a grown person just disappear like that?"

Yunxi said helplessly, "Who knows? Chen Qi just went into seclusion for three days, and then we couldn't find him after he came out. At first, we thought Tang Ya had been taken away by the Holy Spirit Cult to become some kind of Blue Silver Saintess. When we negotiated with the higher-ups of the Holy Spirit Cult, they only responded with one sentence."

"They said... Tang Ya's intelligence is worrying; she's useless at everything, eats everything, and has no redeeming qualities except for her good looks. Keeping someone like that in the Holy Spirit Cult will only tarnish the bloodline of the higher-ups. Don't push everything onto them; they won't take the blame." (End of Chapter)