"Oh? Brother Xu is also interested in the 'Sea God'?"
Upon hearing Xu Shi's question, Cheng Gujian's hand holding the wine glass stiffened slightly for a moment.
"I can't help but be interested."
Xu Shi chuckled and sighed, "If it weren't for the 'Sea God,' we might not have even been able to make contact with your Hualan Empire... When we stayed on Silver Pine Island, we heard a lot about it from the islanders."
"I see."
Cheng Gujian nodded slightly. "In that case, what I can tell you is probably about right... Of course, it wouldn't hurt to repeat it again."
The truth is that even for a powerful duke like him, what Pan Cheng and others told Xu Shi was not much different—the unknown creatures that lived in the depths of the ocean possessed unparalleled destructive power… Xu Shi had heard of all of this.
The advantage was that, compared to Pan Cheng, he had an extra book—a book recorded by the imperial royal family about various creatures, including the so-called "Sea God."
It bears some resemblance to the profile images Ye Shanshan and Xingchuan created, but upon closer inspection, there are also some differences, adding a touch of indescribable charm to it.
Xu Shi and Xia Wuyou exchanged a glance. The latter suddenly realized something and asked curiously, "Judging from the dates recorded in the atlas, the 'Sea God' has existed for a very long time. So why is the Hualan Empire only now considering conquering it?"
"Because of its existence, it has already begun to pose a threat to the Empire, Lady Xia."
Cheng Gujian frowned. "If the 'Sea God' only stays in the deep sea, then no matter how powerful it is, we have no intention of provoking it... After all, we don't live by the sea, and I imagine your city-states are the same?"
Xia Wuyou remained noncommittal. The City of Night Sin had also kept its distance from the ocean before, and its greatest use was probably for parents to scare their children by saying, "If you make any more noise, I'll throw you into the sea"... At least before Xu Shi proposed the "going to sea" plan, she didn't even have such a concept.
"Right?"
Cheng Gujian took a bottle of wine, poured himself a drink, and said with a hint of melancholy, "About two or three months before you arrived, a number of strange things started happening in the empire."
"First, the tides began to rise and fall abnormally, and then coastal towns and villages... Sea monsters leaped onto the shore like madmen, some exploding, some carrying deadly poison, and some even witnessed the appearance of the 'Sea God'."
That's the logic. Things were fine before, but once something goes wrong, it becomes a big problem. In a sense, this can also be called the dark forest.
It's important to understand that Silverpine Island wasn't the only island in the Empire that lived by the sea; it was just that Silverpine Island was the only island in the Hualan Empire... Especially since the turmoil was caused by a creature that had previously only existed in legends, the fear instilled in these ordinary people was even deeper.
In such a situation, neither the royal family nor the papacy can afford to stand idly by.
"So you found Silver Pine Island to be your scapegoat?" Xu Shi said with a smile, revealing the truth.
"That's right."
These words were blunt, but Cheng Gujian readily agreed, “The people of Silver Pine Island are close to and skilled in water, and they also possess shipbuilding technology. Since ancient times, more than half of the empire’s records on the ocean have been attributed to them, so it is most appropriate for them to do this kind of thing.”
In fact, Xu Shi's wording was somewhat imprecise. Rather than being scapegoats, it would be more accurate to say that Pan Cheng and his group were assigned to fight the preliminary battle—supposedly to be responsible for the "Sea God" matter. However, it was clear that neither the royal family nor the Papacy had much experience in this area.
However, neither side wanted to act rashly and make any unnecessary sacrifices, which is why they both set their sights on Silver Pine Island.
Let Pan Cheng and his team test the waters first, so they'll have more time to prepare and, if things go well, they can gain some experience.
On the surface, they weren't entirely inactive; they managed to silence public opinion. The people from Silverpine Island didn't go because they were cowardly and afraid of death, not because the empire didn't value the matter.
As for what the people of Silverpine Island do, whether they live or die, that's a trivial matter that can't be taken into account... Well, they're just scapegoats.
"The people of Silverpine Island are also citizens of the Empire, and this is their duty and obligation."
Cheng Gujian also laughed, "But judging from what Brother Xu said, it sounds like you're a bit indignant? Well, you have connections with Silver Pine Island... then how about I apologize to you?"
"Are we no longer barbarians but citizens of the empire?" Xu Shi thought to himself, secretly thinking, "Adapting to new identity, huh?"
However, he was also amazed by the Grand Duke of Gujian's ability to take things in stride. After all, for a powerful minister who could control everything, apologies were usually out of the question, even if they were made as a joke.
Isn't that just a joke? Anyway, he didn't hear any remorse from the other party. It was more like a warning—Silver Pine Island is the territory of the Hualan Empire. You, an outsider, shouldn't interfere.
However, Cheng Gujian's attitude is clear: you have a good relationship with Silver Pine Island, and since we are now cooperating, I will not make things difficult for them for your sake.
"What's done is done, there's no point in saying anything more, and I wasn't there anyway."
Xu Shi smiled. He wasn't trying to break off relations with the other party, so he simply changed the subject, "So now, what are your plans next?"
"Of course, we should gather our forces and set off to wipe out 'Poseidon' in one fell swoop."
Cheng Gujian said, "I have been selecting men from among the royal knights recently. Judging from the situation, I may have to take action myself."
"What about the Vatican?"
"...That's true, after all, no one expected the people of Silverpine Island to be able to defeat 'Sea God'."
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