Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

"You want me to become your accomplice in creating those filthy images?"

Although it was indeed a viable deal, Lotin was quite reluctant to "aid and abet" the film career of the renowned director.

"Oh my, it seems you're quite trendy, having appreciated quite a few of my works. However, your film appreciation skills could use some improvement..."

"stop."

Luo Ting's head was throbbing from the noise this guy with the Shangshu accent was making.

He probably only comes to play along with her antics when he's genuinely bored, though he does manage to collect a tithe from it.

"We've had enough fun, it's time to settle down a bit. Your second brother is planning to set up a proper game in Shangshu."

"I have something else to do. Bye."

Luo Ting left behind a word of advice and continued on his way to the Shangshu government office.

However, Nian seemed unconcerned, as if she knew all along that this all-powerful bronze giant would eventually get bored and come to help her make a movie.

Thus, yet another "masterpiece" was brewing in the mind of this self-proclaimed great director and the agent of the monster.

Chapter 192: Why did the pro-war faction surrender first?

Miss Ning Ciqiu, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was completely bewildered. After being assigned to Shangshu for three years, she was summoned back to the capital.

When she learned that the Grand Tutor had deliberately bypassed the Ministry of Rites to negotiate with "Gonggong" with the Si Suitai, she was even making plans for a possible war.

Although the Grand Tutor's attitude was not as extreme as that of the Director of the Imperial Household Department, it was still quite different from that of the Ministry of Rites.

However, after returning, the Grand Tutor, a highly trusted and respected senior official, while firmly suppressing the Imperial Household Department, reported to the Emperor:

"Your Excellency Gonggong has no intention of overstepping the boundaries like the Sui beast; he only hopes to continue the alliance for mutual benefit."

The Grand Tutor was very careful not to refer to Luo Ting as a "beast".

If the radical pro-war faction at the Sisuitai has kept quiet on the issue of "Gonggong," then who else does the Ministry of Rites need to fight against?

"Unfortunately, not every official cares about the people of our Great Yan."

The debates continued in the imperial court.

Like any faction, some people join not because they agree with a certain ideology, but simply for political opportunism.

Ning Ciqiu had to admit that, in many cases, the "war or peace" between the court and the Sui beast was not based on which approach was more beneficial to the people of Da Yan.

Rather, it's an excuse to impeach, suppress, or bring down someone.

The emperor did not make a decision immediately.

If they accept, it might leave an excuse to damage the true emperor's reputation, according to one group of court officials.

These court officials also indicated that if they did not accept it, it would be fine to leave it as it was, but the late emperor's great achievements in hunting down the gods would probably be disgraced in his hands.

Both scenarios lead to the same result, but the former at least offers some profit, while the second results in losing both substance and face.

As for another hunt, it would expose Yan to enormous risks with no room for error, since the opponent seems completely unconcerned about Yan's so-called trump card.

After much thought, I realized that following the example of the sages and working for the benefit of the people is the way to do things that save face and keep the truth. Since it is in accordance with ancestral teachings, how can it damage the majesty of the true dragon?

The emperor already had his own answer. The alliance was established by the late emperor, which reflected the magnanimity of the true dragon emperor of Great Yan. Moreover, from the perspective of practical benefits, renewing the alliance was even better.

"Let's choose an auspicious day to finalize the alliance. Once it's settled, invite him to Baizhao."

Therefore, the emperor issued an edict, intending to take this opportunity to dispel the rumors that he was jealous.

However, the faction's initial surrender on the issue of Gonggong does not mean they have surrendered on the issue of the Sui beast.

The wine cups related to the agent's "order" are being sent back to Shangshu from Longmen.

The "Wang" who had been imprisoned in the capital had escaped some time ago. The last time the Si Sui Tai (the official in charge of the year's affairs) confirmed the situation, all they saw was:

"The national champion Xiang Ru died of heart failure, vomiting blood. The chessboard was empty except for a black stone at the center."

The Situ Tai now believes that this wine cup is the key to exposing Wang's conspiracy. Feeling suppressed on the issue of Gonggong, the Situ Tai plans to bypass the Ministry of Rites and act directly once again.

However, the Ministry of Rites anticipated that the Director of the Imperial Household Department might secretly engage in some radical activities, so it planned to send someone to accompany the Director to cover for him. If the wine cup were dealt with directly, it would likely cause irreversible damage to Shang Shu.

Ning Ciqiu happened to be selected by the Ministry of Rites to go to Shangshu, where she had been working for three years.

The Yan Kingdom's officials have not yet figured out that this black wine cup is actually one of the 181 fragments into which "Wang" split himself, one of the 181 chess pieces.

One of these areas originally held one-third of the control over the [Scroll of Mountains and Seas], and was the area where they went to learn the powers of "Xi". However, this area has also disappeared due to Luo Ting's expulsion.

This is why the people at Sishuitai were able to see this giant bronze figurine in Shangshu.

Tall bronze soldiers and majestic statues of gods.

Although it doesn't have the same overwhelming momentum as at 100 kilometers per hour, which makes all living beings seem like ants, it is still incredibly oppressive.

"Stop! This is not a place for tourists."

"An illegal Originium construct? Why didn't the local police discover and investigate it?"

Taihe, the Deputy Censor of the Censorate, a burly man of the Fengti tribe, was questioning the bailiffs at the entrance of the government office.

"Wait, Uncle Taihe, who is he—"

A slightly shorter figure appeared before Luo Ting; this was none other than Zuo Le, the candle-bearer from the Si Sui Tai who had accompanied him earlier.

"Young Master Zuo, what a coincidence!"

Under this skin, Lotin's voice does have a touch of bronze chimes.

"Your Excellency Gonggong, I, a junior, would not dare to put on airs in front of you. I only wish to ask, instead of waiting quietly in the temple for the good news of the alliance, you have traveled all the way to Shangshu?"

"You promised not to interfere in Yan's internal affairs."

Zuo Le dared not accept the title of "Young Master Zuo" in front of Luo Ting, but he still tried to "argue with reason" and showed a bit of sharpness.

"Young Master Zuo is so young that he can memorize a lot of books, but he can't remember a small thing in the Scroll of Mountains and Seas."

"If that person hadn't wanted to pull me into this, why would I have made a special trip to Shangshu?"

"So you've fallen into his trap?"

How could Zuo Le not know? His report contained Luo Ting's warning to Wang. Si Suitai had long judged that there was a grudge between Wang and him, but Si Suitai was unwilling to use Luo Ting's power.

After all, they had just suffered a severe defeat at his hands.

"I'm here to sabotage his scheme."

"Is this all you're planning to do?"

Luo Ting hadn't expected that he would meet the Minister of Rites first, instead of the Ministry of Rites.

Taihe suddenly realized that the other party was "Gonggong" from the imperial edict, and immediately apologized for his rudeness. The other party had concealed his aura very well, and he had not noticed anything unusual at the first moment.

The "Gonggong" mentioned in the edict should be a much larger being, but it is not surprising that such a powerful being could slightly change his form.

"So, your visit to the government office is also for this matter?"

Seeing that Luo Ting did not pursue the matter, Zuo Le then inquired about Luo Ting's purpose in coming.

"Exactly. That wine cup is that person's chess piece."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Le broke out in a cold sweat—it was one thing to know about the major events in the modern Yan Kingdom, but how could he know so much about such a trivial matter as Prefect Liang sending wine cups?

"So, I sought out that person because of personal grudges and grievances."

"Since the desired outcome is the same, I urge Young Master Zuo of Si Sui Tai not to insist on interfering."

"If you insist on intervening, please heed my advice."

If Si Suitai were to actually play against that lousy chess player, wouldn't that fulfill his wish and allow them to play against each other?

Isn't this just him getting pleasure?

Luo Ting has many ways to thwart Wang's schemes, but he will choose the one that is most effective in destroying his spirit.

They'll make your game with the AI ​​tedious and boring for half a day, and then, just when you're about to win and want to end the torture, they'll flip the board over, leaving you with a complete waste of your game.

"In that case, let's go to the government office to discuss this in detail."

Zuo Le already knew that he couldn't distance himself from the other party in this matter, so he could only go along with Luo Ting's wishes and listen to his opinion.

In short, being able to resolve the harm caused by the manifestation of the year's phases makes the trip worthwhile.

At least, Zuo Le is good at considering the big picture and understanding the overall situation.

Actually, it wasn't Luo Ting's original intention to first connect with Si Suitai, since their attitude towards the filmmakers made Luo Ting somewhat unhappy.

But seeing how willing Zuo Le was to cooperate, Luo Ting went along with it and continued.

"Tell me first, Young Master Zuo, how far have you gotten into the matter?"

Loting stated that he was settling a personal score, so there was no need for the tax authority to pay a tithe specifically for this matter.

“Use that black wine cup to draw out the year's phase, and then strike it with heavenly lightning.”

"If you were to take action, I would destroy it with earth-shattering force and burn it with earth fire."

Zuo Le surprisingly revealed Si Suitai's plan without changing his expression. It wasn't that the plan was particularly secretive, but rather that it was incredibly reckless.

By relying on the Si Sui Terrace to actively create trouble, they forced the Bai Tian Master, who used heavenly thunder, to come out of the mountains and destroy Sui.

The same principle applies to having him do it, but Luo Ting can drag the other party into the [Shan Hai Scroll] and use his domain to prevent the destruction of the city.

As a solution that is not a last resort, Si Suitai's actions were indeed a bit too impulsive, which explains why Prefect Liang in the original story tried every means to delay and obstruct him.

Actually, they're dragging it out, but these two haven't realized it yet.

This approach smacks of discarding a useful tool after it has served its purpose, and it also shows a disregard for consequences, making it hardly a wise move.

"What if we incorporate it into the Scroll of Mountains and Seas and then solve it?"

Luo Ting thought that since the alliance was going to be restored anyway, it wouldn't be a bad thing to improve their image a little.

Chapter 193: The Perfect Solution

Zuo Le only needed to think about how to lure out the Sui Xiang and kill him, while Prefect Liang of Shangshu had many more things to consider.

Looking at the prefects of all the provinces in Yan Kingdom, Liang Xun, the prefect of Shang Shu, was one of the most dedicated and hardworking.

The people above have a good idea, saying they can remove the year's zodiac sign as they please, but have they ever considered how much damage such a great battle would cause to the Shangshu region?

"If we were to truly fight to the death with the incarnation of the Year, we would lose more than just one peak. Alas."

"It's just that the people of Shangshu are suffering."

This Kuranta man, dressed in red and black official robes, was able to rise to the position of prefect in his middle age, which speaks volumes about his talent.

He was recognized by the people of Shangshu as a benevolent and honest official who always put the people of Shangshu first.

Serving the true dragon means prioritizing the overall situation, but how can the elders and folks we live with day and night be considered acceptable sacrifices and disposable numbers simply because of an order from above?

Having no other choice, Liang Xun resorted to delaying tactics.

Furthermore, this "Ling" who resides in Shangshu had protected Longmen from a natural disaster when he was a child, and betraying his benefactor is something Liang Xun would never do.

"Old Carp, we're all counting on you."

Then, Liang Xun noticed that in the backyard of the government office, Zuo Le was talking to a tall bronze statue.

"It seems that Young Master Zuo still trusts me to some extent."

In Liang Xun's eyes, although he was under a lot of pressure, he managed to stall for time. He used the excuse of sending a Longmen friend named "Old Carp" up the mountain to find the "Order" to make Taihe and Zuole believe that he was cooperating with the work.

In fact, the black wine cup was on his person.

Liang Xun wanted to take this opportunity to learn more about Si Suitai's plans, so he stepped forward quietly.

Like Taihe, although he also received the emperor's decree, he was unaware that "Gonggong" had such a slightly "smaller" appearance.

Zuo Le has not yet suspected him and believes that Prefect Liang still supports the work of the Imperial Household Department, which is why he invited Luo Ting to the government office for a detailed discussion.

Luo Ting, on the other hand, knew from the beginning that the wine cup was with "Old Carp" of the Longmen Carp Detective Agency, so there was no need to be wary of the prefect.

Having read the plot, Luo Ting was well aware of Liang Xun's delaying tactics. Furthermore, Luo Ting's idea was to have the high-intensity battle take place in the "Scroll of Mountains and Seas," which would also relieve Prefect Liang of his major worry.

"Young Master Zuo, who is this gentleman?"

Liang Xun bowed humbly in greeting. At this moment, he, like Taihe, vaguely sensed that this giant was no ordinary person.

"Lord Gonggong has come here specifically to help eliminate the Year Phase."