When Li Yao stepped into the conference room of the headquarters of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors again, everybody looked at him in a way completely different manner from just now.
In their complicated eyes, there was the fear for the Black Wind King, the greed about the edge of the cosmos, and the curiosity of the Black Wind Fleet. It must be noted that Li Yao was not just representing himself but also a most brutal fleet that was hiding in nobody knew where right now!
Although they were all the rulers of the peripheral worlds of the Imperium, the Black Wind King was vastly different from the general warlords and Sector Masters. He was a battle-tested general and had the strength of five Sectors.
At such a subtle, critical moment, the heavy chess piece that was the Black Wind Fleet would certainly tip the scales of victory.
Therefore, everybody was silent while they waited for Li Yao to speak.
Li Yao looked around again and retrieved a few jade chips, saying, “General Jin is quite right. The riot that happened in the Seven Seas Grand Market today was but a scheme that he and I set up together. The victims of the scheme did not just include QI Yuanbao, Wuying Qinxin, and Red Lady, but also a lot of other people seated here.
“As the saying goes, when you pluck a carrot, you will inevitably splash the mud. You know very clearly whether or not you have been wavering or secretly talking to the four Kurfürst families. All the evidence is inside the few jade chips.”
After hearing that, everybody exclaimed in shock.
Many people’s faces changed greatly, as if they were sitting on a carpet of needles.
Some were hesitating and looking around.
Some other people were clenching their fists, with brutality beaming out of their eyes.
With a smile, Li Yao observed what everybody was doing and suddenly made a movement that surprised everyone. He unleashed his spiritual energy and crushed the few jade chips into pieces, before burning them up in flames. All the data were gone.
“I hate traitors more than anything else. I was going to get to the bottom of it and find out all the guys who were secretly conspiring with the four families, mincing them and letting them die the most miserable death!”
Li Yao said rather creepily. Patting his hands to get rid of the ashes of the jade chips, he suddenly changed his attitude. “However, Director Jin persuaded me not to blame you for what you had done. He said that the four Kurfürst families were powerful and had overwhelming advantages on the surface. It was perfectly normal that somebody sought a way of survival when they couldn’t handle the enormous pressure.
“Many of you had been doing business with the four families since more than a hundred years ago. Some of you were even directly backed by the people from the four families. It was already impossible to draw a clear line between the two parties. If I got to the bottom of it, everybody would’ve been guilty. Even Jin Yuyan himself had done a lot of business and made quite a few friends with the four families. Haha, hahahaha!”
Li Yao cackled again, so unpleasantly that it sounded like a crow hovering above carrion.
“Why, am I not right?”
Li Yao’s laughter came to an abrupt end. He glared at everybody. “Why are you not laughing, huh?”
“Hehe… Hehehehe…”
The many managers, shareholders, and investors were all sweating hard. Looking at the aggressive Exos and battle puppets around, they hurried to echo in uneasiness.
“That’s right. Laughing is better than crying, and certainly much better than screaming after being skinned by me and hopping around with your bleeding body.”
Li Yao continued, “All in all, Director Jin convinced me. Whatever your relationship with the four Kurfürst families was until today, and whether or not you were involved in any plot or scheme, I’ll let bygones be bygones. Nobody will bring it up again!
“However, the battle of the Seven Seas is about to begin. The cause of the reformists is in danger. It is time you make a clear decision about your stance.
“The business of gaining advantage from both sides can’t last. I know that standing behind you are the Sector Masters, warlords, and experts from the peripheral worlds of the Imperium, if not the important persons in the four Kurfürst families. As their spokespersons, you are discussing in the grand conference room of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors how to resist the coalition fleet of the four families, while your masters are rushing to this place on fierce starships, determined to completely destroy it here. Can there be a more absurd thing in the entire universe?
“It’s time to make up your mind, everybody. You have only two options.
“You can side with the four Kurfürst families and completely destroy the Seven Seas Grand Market, the enterprise of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors and the reformists, the free coins and various resources that you have accumulated through hard work for a hundred years, and the hope for you to change your fate and climb the infinite peaks!
“Yes, it is possible that your life will be safe for now, but you will forever lose the chance to compete with the four Kurfürsten. You and your offspring are destined to be the dogs of the four Kurfürsten that are only qualified to feed on their leftovers.
“We are all very clear that there won’t be a second Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors. There won’t be a second great opportunity for you to change your fate. You will crouch in a corner for all eternity like dogs whose legs have been broken, moaning and crying for help!
“Oh, I almost forgot, even if you want to be dogs, it may be impossible for you to accomplish your wish. Who knows how the four Kurfürsten will treat the people like you who had second thoughts before after they stabilize the situation and take back the capital? Is it really troublesome to start a great purge?
“Hehe, those of you who came from the four families, may I remind you to be cautious, because people always loathe traitors a hundred times more than they loathe enemies.
“Director Jin and I are lenient enough to forget the past, but if the petty leaders of the four Kurfürst families learn what you did here, do you think they will just drop it?”
After hearing that, many people looked even more awful.
“If that is not the result you’re looking forward to, you have only the second option now!”
Li Yao suddenly raised his voice, which swept across the entire room like a black storm and rumbling thunder again. He opened his arms, as if he were holding the shoulders of all the Immortal Cultivators. “You can stand on the side of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors, the reformists, and me! We will fight together with the magnificent Black Wind Fleet to strike the arrogance of the four families and shatter their evil plan to destroy the Seven Seas Grand Market. Then, we will launch a thunderous counterattack to overthrow the four Kurfürsten, carving up the population, resources, and market at the center of the cosmos. Then, you will share the many worlds at the edge of the cosmos with me!
“Eventually, all of us will be the masters of our fate. We will be the most lawless and dominating Immortal Cultivators who control the Imperium and the entire universe!
“The universe is great, but not as great as me. If you do not have such determination but prefer to be an obedient dog, why did you bother to become an Immortal Cultivator in the first place?!”
Li Yao’s roar shattered the eardrums and the defense line in the heads of countless Immortal Cultivators.
The investors and partners from the four families had mostly chosen to be present through holograms. Their real bodies were indeed marching at the Seven Seas Space Zone on their respective starships in the middle of an enormous, aggressive coalition fleet exactly like Li Yao said.
It was time to make a final decision!
“Black Wind King—”
Jin Yuyan seized the opportunity to ask, “That being said, where is your Black Wind Fleet exactly, and how good is it after drifting for a hundred years?”
Everybody pricked their ears for the question.
That was right. Li Yao’s bragging was not important. What mattered was the Black Wind Fleet!
“The Black Wind Fleet is naturally at where it should be. A saber is the sharpest when it is about to be unsheathed.”
Li Yao smiled mysteriously. “As for the strength, you can rest assured about that. Although the Black Wind Fleet floated in the infinite sea of stars for a hundred years, we barely encountered any gory battle. The attrition was not high.
“On the contrary, after crushing Firefly, we received abundant secret treasures of the government-in-exile of the Star Ocean Republic. We also split and reorganized Firefly into a new brand fleet. Many elite warriors on Firefly were captured and educated into Immortal Cultivators, with a much higher combat ability than before.
“Also, the barbaric worlds have also provided us with incessant soldiers. Those fearless barbaric warriors are the best infantry. They are all rubbing their hands impatiently, desperate for a great battle.
“I assure you that the Black Wind Fleet today is multiple times stronger than a hundred years ago. It is definitely a cutthroat dagger!”
“Then—”
His eyes glittering, Jin Yuyan asked, “When will the Black Wind Fleet arrive?”
“It will depend on your performance.”
Li Yao sniffed and said, “Getting to the bottom of it, this is your war first and then mine. If you are united and fight together, and the Immortal Cultivators in the coalition fleet of the four families cooperate with you, showing a chance of victory, the Black Wind Fleet will naturally march out at the most critical moment!
“However, if you are all vacillating and hesitative, hoping to take advantage of both sides, why would I bother to help you at such great risks?”
“Fair enough.”
Jin Yuyan said, “All in all, as long as we fight hard, the Black Wind Fleet will certainly show up?”
“Of course it will!”
Li Yao declared resolution, “You and I are interdependent on each other and share mutual interests. How can I benefit from it if I watch you be annihilated by the four families while doing nothing?
“The news of my arrival cannot be kept a secret for long. It will spread out to the entire universe. It is safe to say that the four families and I have already fallen out. If I do not cooperate with you to destroy the four families, should I just wait for them to divide and conquer, killing you first before killing me?
“So, just rest assured about that. In short, you can just charge forward boldly without worries, and the Black Wind Fleet will definitely cover you as your strongest support!”