As for their hard power, it was because they won over the royal family and suppressed the Papacy, causing divisions within them, which allowed them to win so easily.
But if the Papacy and the Royal Family were to unite and deal with this outsider, would it really be so easy? It seems unlikely.
Even if they manage to crack this bone, it's highly likely to result in mutual destruction or even a lose-lose situation.
Therefore, this is an issue that needs attention, but there's no need to be overly concerned.
Being in the median between zero and one hundred is a completely different concept from being in the median between zero and ten thousand.
"And we're not fundamentally driven by expansion and conquest, are we?"
The older woman broadened her thinking and said, "What we should establish is a model similar to an alliance."
"Now that we have the Hualan Empire as an ally, if we are pioneers in going to sea, that would already be a huge advantage."
She rarely put on a serious face, saying, "In this situation, if we can win over one or two more allied city-states, we will definitely be able to gain absolute dominance."
"As this alliance continues to grow, it is those regions that remain independent that need to consider the consequences of not standing on our side."
Indeed.
Xu Shiwen mumbled a sentence and patted her head, "My good daughter is so smart."
Who is your daughter?
The white-haired, mature woman gave her a sharp look.
"Oh, right, right, right."
Xu Shi quickly changed his tune, "You're not my daughter, you're a fool who wasted all your sincerity."
"...I'll bite you to death!"
The older woman instantly lost her temper; the little boy had even learned to throw boomerangs?
We're talking about something very serious right now, okay?
The two started bickering back and forth.
Xia Wuyou could only laugh when she saw this.
She still has some memories of her childhood. Ten years ago, probably no one could have done this, making the dignified second-in-command of "Zheguang" act like a little wife, throwing tantrums and getting jealous.
She really enjoyed the harmonious atmosphere; it was just playful banter, all for fun.
Xu Shi and Xia Ke'an laughed and joked for a while before stopping. The older woman, not good at running, weakly fell into Xu Shi's arms, still pinching his face with one hand.
If it's in loli form, this would be incredibly cute, but if it's in mature woman form... it's a bit childish.
I wonder who was just shouting in their heart that they don't care about acting like a child.
Xu Shi easily took her hand and let her rest her head on his lap.
The topic then returned to normal.
"Ahem, let's get back to the main topic."
Xu Shi suppressed his smile. "The most important thing in building an alliance system is not trade or diplomacy, but getting as many people as possible involved."
"Um?"
"Or rather, we need to try to awaken more people."
Xu Shi said solemnly, "Let them realize that their lives are being manipulated, then we won't be afraid that they won't make the right choices."
Yes, his starting point was not actually to conquer other regions; that was merely a means, not the ultimate goal.
The ultimate goal is to overturn "natural law" and then clear away the "rust fog".
His trip to the Hualan Empire also gave him a lot of inspiration; he wasn't the only one in the world who was dissatisfied with "the laws of nature."
For example, Pan Ling, Lu Baiyan, and Dongfang Xiao, after learning the truth, all felt a deep hatred for the mastermind behind it all.
Having a yearning for the City of Night Sin and wanting to establish communication with it is an ideological issue and does not affect anything else.
They also cannot accept that their lives are pre-programmed, serving a specific target.
If this is used to attack the whole situation, do you think the people of other city-states will just accept it passively? It's highly unlikely.
It's just that we don't yet know what's really behind all of this.
So all that's needed is to reveal all of this at the right time. Such a well-documented bombshell would be enough to wake most people up.
And once they accept this fact, it goes without saying what they will do.
Of course, there will definitely be a small group that refuses to accept it, or that remains stubbornly unconvinced.
For example, the "protagonists" in each region, as beneficiaries, would probably not allow anyone to touch their promising lives. To give a simple example, even if people like Shen He or Luo Yu knew the truth, would they choose to give up? Absolutely not.
They will only become more closely bound to "natural law" because they are the chosen ones.
So, for such beings, simply eliminating them is sufficient. Boss Xu has already killed two "protagonists," and wouldn't mind having three, four, five, or six more.
However, even so, there's no guarantee that there won't be a "protagonist" willing to rebel. Just because you haven't encountered one doesn't mean such a person doesn't exist. Whether there will be a "protagonist" willing to give up a great life and seek a higher level of freedom is something even you yourself might not be able to say.
You can't condemn everyone else just because you've encountered two bad ones.
"In short, what we need to do boils down to screening."
He cleared his throat and concluded, "Selecting those who can stand with us is also a way to enhance our overall strength."
As for how to conduct the screening, that's something he'll have to adjust based on different situations.
Looks like you're going to be bothering me again.
Xia Ke'an volunteered, looked up at him and smiled, "Hurry up and coax me, or I'll go on strike."
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