Survival Game: Call Me an Honest Businessman

Canghai didn't think too much about it, but just sighed, "Wow, didn't you say you'd invest 50 in Yi last time? How come you've given it to Ling again in just a few days? The Feather Spirit Clan is really fickle."

Her words reminded the businessmen present of this incident.

"Right, didn't Emperor Yu Ling say before that he gave Ling 10 gold coins as compensation for something? How come he added another 50 gold coins today, which is more than the investment he gave Yi? What's going on?"

"That's 60, more than the investment in Yi. There must be some changes within the Feathered Spirit Clan."

"That shouldn't be the case. I was wondering why Yu Linghuang didn't appear even though the exchange was open. It turns out he's already placed his bets again."

Yi could hear the merchants' discussion clearly from the sky.

Her expression changed, but her first reaction wasn't anger, but confusion.

Has Xuan really given up on her?

No, that's impossible!

Even if she really helped the Titans transport things, so what?

It's impossible for the dragons to actually start a war over such a trivial matter that has no basis in fact.

Yi looked at Lingqiu standing next to Li Zhi, his mind filled with confusion, and began to recall everything that had happened that day.

From the opening of the exchange, Ao did not appear, but when he broke into the palace of the Feather Spirit Emperor, he saw Li Zhi, Celia and an inconspicuous fox-clan beastman having dinner with the Feather Spirit Emperor.

—Fox Clan Beastmen?

Yi suddenly realized that the fox-clan beastman who had been sitting next to Li Zhi was gone.

Lingqiu took its place.

Yi's wings suddenly trembled, and he almost fell from the sky.

She recalled every question the Feather Spirit Emperor had asked her back then.

He remembered that last night, Ao was summoned to the palace of the Feather Spirit Emperor, and after returning, he killed a group of guards.

I remembered the Didi Beast Blood that had been transferred away...

She suddenly realized.

That fox-clan beastman was Lingqiu!

The reason why Yu Linghuang was on high alert was not because she was helping the Titans transport goods, but because she was discovered by the Dragons during the transport!

No wonder...

No wonder!

After figuring all this out, Yi felt an unprecedented fear.

She is the only younger sister of the Feather Spirit Emperor, and also the younger sister he loves the most.

Even Yu Linghuang's favorite daughter, the first crown prince Ao, cannot compare to her position in Yu Linghuang's heart.

That's why Ao needs to cooperate with her, respect her, and fawn over her.

That's why she can do whatever she wants. Even though she's the daughter of the Demon King, she can destroy her career path whenever she wants.

However, Yi was very clear that all of this was on the premise that her actions must not harm the Feathered Spirit Clan.

In the Apocalypse Continent, racial interests always outweigh individual interests.

Even the Feather Spirit Emperor is the same.

Besides, she was only the younger sister of the Feather Spirit Emperor.

But she never expected Lingqiu to appear!

The more Yi thought about it, the more frightened he became, and the more he felt it was unfair and a coincidence.

It was just the annual Beast Alliance transporting tribute, so why did it have to be a dragon that ran into it?

Why is this dragon specifically from Lingqiu?

A dragon that is most respected throughout the entire Tianqi Continent and absolutely cannot be offended!

Yi's gaze shifted to Li Zhi.

If Lingqiu happened to pass by yesterday and discovered that there were Titan items in the offering procession, then what role did this newly emerging race, Li Zhi, play in it?

Yi did not believe that Li Zhi and this matter were unrelated.

Because she is the biggest beneficiary of this whole affair!

Inside the palace, Ao was asking the same question.

"Mother! You knew perfectly well that this lowly newborn race was inextricably linked to the plundering of the tribute, so why did you still give her that ring?!"

Yu Linghuang stood on the platform he had been on, looking towards the central square.

Given her current attributes, if she so desired, she could see the smallest speck of dust on the ground of the exchange, which was more than ten kilometers away, and hear the questions that every merchant was discussing.

But she didn't open her senses; she simply watched.

Until Ao spoke again: "Why don't you speak? You clearly know that ring could very well change the fate of my Feathered Spirit Clan and influence our ranking two years from now. Why did you give that ring to that lowly newborn race!"

Yu Linghuang then turned around: "Lowly new race... Yi, do you still remember that six hundred years ago, our ancestors were also a new race that came to this world from other star systems?"

"She used her life and essence to nurture our ancestral land so that the Feathered Spirit Clan could take root in the new world, have a territory of their own, and ensure that other races could never call us a lowly new race."

Ao's angry expression froze.

She opened her mouth, wanting to retort, "But that was over six hundred years ago...we are now—"

Yu Linghuang interrupted her calmly: "The existence of the century-long rating system is to prevent any race from resting on the laurels of their predecessors without striving for progress. It also serves as a reminder to all races that if you are S-rank today, you may fall to D-rank tomorrow, or even become a slave, worse than the lowly new races you speak of."

"Were a few more Rong tribe animals delivered to the Xu Palace yesterday?"

Xu hadn't expected to be asked this, and hesitated before replying, "Yes..."

Yu Linghuang: "I heard you've already killed a lot of Rong tribe members."

Xu didn't care: "Those Rong tribesmen don't suit my taste, so what if I kill them?"

Emperor Yuling: "If one day you were to fall to the same level as the Rong tribe, being bought, sold, and killed at will, could you live more cautiously and prudently than the Rong tribe?"

"Or, to put it another way, if our Feathered Spirit Clan were to fall to Rank D in this evaluation, could you, like the lowly newcomer Li Zhi you speak of, befriend so many powerful individuals and have them willingly protect you?"

Xu curled her lip: "That Li Zhi relies on nothing but glib talk and sophistry. How can she compare to Big Sister? Her strength is extremely low. Even I could kill her a thousand times over with a single arrow!"

"Ling, tell me, why were you able to become friends with her?"

Ling was taken aback, not expecting the Feather Spirit Emperor to ask her that question.

She lowered her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "She can see me, and sees me clearly, equally, without any other impurities."

Even when answering Yu Linghuang's question, her face remained expressionless, and her voice was calm.

Xu scoffed, "That's it?"

Ling looked up at Ao, "It's not just that, she also let me see her clearly, equally, and naturally as a complete person."

Xu: "So what? She saw you, and you saw her, but she's still just a lowly newborn race, and you're just a lowly—"

"Xu!"

Yu Linghuang's stern voice interrupted Xu.

For the first time, her expression and tone turned completely cold when she was speaking to the children.

"As your mother, let me tell you this: you can never again order around or beat your sister like before. Ling is also my child; she has the same status and the same rights as you, understand?"

Xu was taken aback.

Ao frowned as well.

Yu Linghuang closed his eyes and sighed softly: "The reason Li Zhineng obtained that ring is the same as the reason he received protection from others."

"She is very strong."

"So powerful that even though she is weak now, those people are still willing to protect her in order to invest in her future."

"Ao, you've always wanted to understand the heart of the strong, but you've never quite grasped it. Perhaps you should rethink what true strength really is."

"Strength lies not only in physical strength, nor solely in one's mindset, but in the unity of both."

"You need to rationally assess your own strength and clearly recognize the strength of others in order to reach this level."

"But if you really think Li Zhi relies on nothing more than glib talk and sophistry, then you will never understand the heart of a strong person in your life. Not giving you that ring is the best use of it."