Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1205
"Hope. Hope is the most precious thing in the entire universe. Whether they are righteous or evil, everybody must count on hope to survive. When I said that the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet might split up into space pirates, it was not a threat but a helpless fact. Once the defeated soldiers truly lose their last hope, many of them will completely sink into darkness and possibly become certain dreadful beings that are not humans at all. Including me, no one will be able to control them or even imagine what they will do.
"At this moment, if there is one person who can bring hope to the Black Wind Fleet and tell the defeated soldiers whose spines have been broken that they can return to the center of the sea of stars and reclaim their homes and glory, turning from crushed soldiers into the strongest warriors in the universe—President Li, who do you think that person will be? Heiye Lan? Me? The captains under my lead who are mediocre in the first place?
"No, we are incapable of that. Even the most idiotic hominoid soldier on the Imperium's starships will not believe any bullsh*t from me or Heiye Lan.
"I am nothing more than a businessman, and Heiye Lan is a puppet without any experience, prestige, or brains. Neither of us can make people obey us.
"Only you, the invincible dominator at the edge of the cosmos and the magnificent being who has slain a member of the Pangu Clan and the extraterrestrial devils easily, have such prestige and capability. That is, as long as you are willing to raise your arms and declare that you will bring the crushed soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet back to their homes and build them into the most magnificent fleet of the Imperium! Such vows and roars will inject new strength into the broken backbones of the soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet and give us pillars to support our mind!
"The strong are always the most worshipped, which is the Immortal Cultivators' doctrine that has been repeated too many times and an unshakeable rule in the soul of each of them. Since you are the strongest at the edge of the cosmos, isn't it only natural for us to submit to you and invite you to be our new leader?"
Sincerity beamed out of Di Feiwen's small, clear eyes on his triangular face, which could not have been more hideous. Li Yao almost failed to resist it. He hurried to say, "Wait, wait, wait. Can you pick a random outsider to be 'Black Wing King'? I am not a native of the Black Wind Fleet at all. I am not even a native of the Imperium!"
"The Immortal Cultivators only value strength," Di Feiwen explained. "We do not hold any bias about one's birthplace. I'm sure that you also know that Blackstar the Great, the founder of the Imperium of True Human Beings, was not from the center of the cosmos. When he ascended to the throne and announced that the Star Ocean Republic was to be reshaped into the Imperium of True Human Beings, his hometown, the Martials Meritocrats Sector, was not even included in the Imperium's territory.
"The founding emperor has set a good example for us. Why would the lords and the Sector Masters have more rules and restrictions? With enough strength, all rules can be shattered!
"Also, after swallowing the defeated soldiers and the immigrant fleets of the Purple Fire Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, and the Wild Wolf Sector, the meaning of 'Black Wind King' has been greatly expanded. It is now the ruler of five worlds.
"For the Immortal Cultivators of the Purple Fire Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, and the Wild Wolf Sector, is there any difference between Heiye Ming's leadership and yours? Both of you are experts from a different Sector for them, aren't you?"
"How can we be the same?" Li Yao blurted out. "Heiye Ming and those Immortal Cultivators belong to the Imperium after all!"
"You belong to the Imperium, too," Di Feiwen said matter-of-factly. "After referring to tremendous files, we have discovered that Su Changfa, as a representative of the Immigration Office of the Imperium of True Human Beings, invoked the immigration law and the 'Overseas High-Level Talent Introduction Act' on Kunlun more than a hundred years ago and granted President Li the green card of the Imperium of True Human Beings, making you a 'subject' of the Imperium. At that time, you must've sworn loyalty to the lightning trident flag of the Imperium while listening to the national anthem of the Imperium, right?"
Li Yao was of a mind to scratch his head. "I seem to have done that. So to speak, I'm a f*cking subject of the Imperium?"
"No, no, no. Not a subject, a citizen," Di Feiwen explained patiently. "When Su Changfa granted you the green card, he must've introduced the twenty-level citizenship system in the Imperium. As long you expand the territory or make other contributions for the Imperium, you will be upgraded level by level, ascending from civilian to citizen, from citizen to noble. He told you that before, didn't he?
"The Black Wind Fleet has been sent out to expand the territory of the Imperium. One might even say that we are the moving territory of the Imperium. Naturally, our starships have higher permissions than Su Changfa did.
"Su Changfa could grant you a green card and the subjecthood of the Imperium, but we can grant you a level-twelve citizenship at most.
"You are an expert close to the Divinity Transformation Stage, and you have discovered the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Ancient Sages Sector, and other six worlds for the Imperium, as well as the primeval relic, Kunlun. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such contributions are more than enough for you to be knighted. We can totally improve you to be a level-thirteen citizen of the Imperium of True Human Beings reasonably and legally. If you intend to move further, you will have to go to the authorities of the Imperium to redeem your contribution points, verify your accomplishments, and even ask His Majesty to give you laurels in person."
"Wait!" Li Yao widened his eyes. "What do you mean by 'you have discovered eight worlds for the Imperium'?"
"'Discover' is a very subtle word," Di Feiwen said. "If you admit your identity as a subject of the Imperium that you received from Kunlun, is it wrong to say that you have discovered so many worlds at the edge of the cosmos?
"If you do not like such a description, you still have made great contributions to the Imperium by destroying the member of the Pangu Clan and the extraterrestrial devils, who are mutual enemies for the Imperium and the federation. There won't be any problem for you to be promoted to a level-twelve citizen of the Imperium in our place with such contributions alone.
"Alright. Since you are a level-twelve citizen of the Imperium, you are naturally qualified to be a 'Sector Master' of a certain world under the Imperium's government. It is completely legitimate."
Li Yao was dazed for a long time. "Right. Su Changfa did give me some sort of badge before. It seemed to be a green card or a medallion of the Imperium of True Human Beings and is now kept in a museum or a research room in the Secret Sword Bureau."
"Fantastic," Di Feiwen said. "It means that you are a very seasoned citizen of the Imperium!"
Li Yao felt that it was all messed up. "Wait one more moment. Does your whimsical decision not have any objection from the ambitious and disobedient big shots from other worlds?"
"Of course, there are always dissenters when it comes to the supreme power," Di Feiwen said casually. "So, we reached the decision to settle the problem in the old-fashioned way of the Immortal Cultivators, which is fighting.
"'Fiery Eye' Wan Xiu, 'Heavy Cannon' Lei Long, and 'Death Shadow' Murong Wei who fought you just now all represent different factions within the Black Wind Fleet and are backed by different powerful forces that are too independent for even me to control. However, I bet with them that you would prove that you are the only and probably strongest 'Black Wind King' in history with an unquestionable performance.
"As it turned out, you did it. In only twenty-two seconds, you beat three seasoned Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators unconscious. Also, you have eight worlds and a primeval relic behind you. Even the most insubordinate Immortal Cultivator has to lower their head before such strength and power."
Li Yao still found it hard to accept the Immortal Cultivator's logic. "Let's put aside the Immortal Cultivators from the four smaller worlds. What about the natives of the Black Wind Sector? I killed Heiye Ming, your last leader!"
"It further justifies your legitimacy to lead us," Di Feiwen said casually. "People of the Black Wind Sector are best known for our toughness and valor in the entire Imperium. The competition for Sector Master in the Black Wind Sector has always been brutal. The new expert declares the arrival of a brand-new era by killing the old Sector Master, which is anything but unusual in our place. Even Heiye Ming killed a lot of experts of the Di family when he rose to the position of Sector Master. If we bore all the grudges in our mind, the Black Wind Sector and all the worlds in the Imperium would've long collapsed.
"The bottom line is, this is the rule of the Immortal Cultivators. Once we enter the period of power struggle due to political imbalance, all the experts will be simmering with impatience and fight each other relentlessly.
"But when an unquestionable new expert shows up, the rest of the people will immediately forget the conflicts and hatred of the past and bow before him, entering a new period of power stability. Led by him, they will shift from internal contradiction to external development and vent their fury and hatred on the prey.
"Perhaps that is the reason why the Immortal Cultivators have survived to this day in the dark universe despite all the internal conflicts."
Chapter 1870: Overthrow the Imperium! |
Despite Di Feiwen's sincerity, Li Yao did not intend to agree to his proposal immediately. He simply shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that you are mistaken. I am not the 'dominator at the edge of the cosmos', and I am not interested in meaningless titles such as 'Black Wind King' or the leadership of an enormous fleet or country."
"Understandable," said Di Feiwen, nodding. "The so-called power and position are sometimes only a shortcut to the ultimate strength. If an expert already has incomparable strength, it is true that they will no longer need to restrain them with power, position, or fame.
"At the center of the cosmos, there are a lot of experts like you who prefer absolute freedom and are dedicated to the exploration of unvisited lands and levels. Naturally, none of them are really interested in the boring affairs of the mortal world.
"However, the Black Wind Fleet has a perfectly functional system, and I can serve the fleet for decades to come, too. Your personal management will not be needed. We only need to unite the people and boost their morale with your strength and prestige. It's like your wife is not an admin-type Cultivator but has still been elected as the Speaker of the Star Glory Federation, meeting barely any competition."
"Speaking of which," Li Yao said coldly, "I am proud of my identity as a citizen of the Star Glory Federation, which I will not abandon easily. It remains unknown whether or not the federation acknowledges dual nationality. I doubt that they will allow me to be the so-called 'Black Wind King'."
"Why not?" Di Feiwen asked back. "The federation is in a hurry to settle the complicated problems left by the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet, too, which may escalate into greater trouble if not resolved in time. They also want to get our enormous fleet and more intelligence and files concerning the Imperium of True Human Beings. Chances are that they are even hoping to directly reach out to the Imperium of True Human Beings on a certain level through the Black Wind Fleet. As long as you agree to be our leader, everything will be possible.
"I know that the Star Glory Federation has its own incontestable principles, but the minor request we have proposed does not violate any of your laws or moral code, does it? Nobody will be hurt in the deal, and thousands of innocent people will even be saved. Why would the parliament of the federation refuse it?"
"You do have a silver tongue. I'm starting to understand how you became the No. 2 person of the dog-eat-dog Black Wind Fleet despite your lack of combat ability." Li Yao was still unmoved. "It's a pity that you are not surrendering to me sincerely but only trying to seek benefits, maintain a certain degree of independence, and even become the cancer of the federation by using my fame and prestige."
"Of course," Di Feiwen said unhurriedly. "Please put yourself in our shoes, President Li. Despite the recent failure, at least one third of the starships of the Black Wind Fleet are undamaged and can still fight. The pride of a superpower from the center of the cosmos cannot be erased overnight. Is it possible for us to lay down our weapons and surrender unconditionally under such circumstances?
"In both the Star Glory Federation and the Imperium of True Human Beings, the 'Dark Forest Theory' was quite popular for a while. The theory might not be a universal truth, but some of its details are indeed worth studying. For example, the idea of 'chain of suspicion'.
"Aren't the Star Glory Federation and the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet mired in a chain of suspicion right now? Even if the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet want to surrender, they are still concerned about what will happen. Will they suffer inhuman torture? Will their family and descendants on the immigrant starships be affected? Will they mine on the desolate planets at the edge of the cosmos forever until they become dry bones in the pits without ever having the opportunity to see their flags flap in the wind in their hometown at the edge of the cosmos?
"On the other hand, even if I do not propose any conditions today and just surrender unconditionally, will the federation trust us?
"No. You will be equally worried that the disobedient Immortal Cultivators are up to something else and may rebel again. You will try your best to watch over and weaken us. The friction between the two parties will intensify in mutual mistrust. We will be caught in a vicious cycle, until the possibility becomes reality and the insurgency does take place.
"For me, surrender is not a problem. The problem is the relation and trust between the two parties after the surrender. You being the new 'Black Wind King' is the best solution to break the 'chain of suspicion' between us that I can come up with."
"You don't need to worry about that," Li Yao affirmed. "The federation always honors its promise. We have integrated with the Blood Demon Sector, which we fought for hundreds of years. Now, the Blood Demon Sector is an important part of the Star Glory Federation, and a lot of demons have become MPs and leaders of critical departments of the federation. It must be noted that the Blood Demon Sector almost took down the capital of the federation when the two parties hated each other most!
"The one third of the Black Wind Fleet under your lead did not even enter the territory of the federation. We do not have any bloody grudge between us. What are your concerns?"
"No, it is a different issue." Di Feiwen shook his head. "From the perspective of mankind as a whole, the Blood Demon Sector is one of the last few worlds of demons. They were at an absolute strategic disadvantage in the first place. There would not be any trouble accepting and absorbing them.
"But the Black Wind Fleet is different. There's still the enormous Imperium of True Human Beings. If the subtle relation among the Imperium, the Black Wind Fleet, and the federation is not taken care of properly, should the conflicts between the federation and the Imperium break out one day, regardless of who the final winner is, the Black Wind Fleet will certainly be the first to suffer.
"The most critical thing is that the so-called integration of the Blood Demon Sector and the Heaven's Origin Sector was based on an important premise, which was that Jin Xinyue, the leader of the Blood Demon Sector, was your true disciple. Everybody in the world knew that. It was the foundation for the two parties to trust each other. Isn't it evidence that proves the importance of inviting you to be the 'Black Wind King'? Because what we need right now is exactly such a 'foundation of trust'."
Li Yao could not argue with Di Feiwen's reasoning at all, but he did feel ridiculously amused. Half a year ago, when he was engaged in a life-and-death battle with Heiye Ming on the bridge of Black Swirl, he had never seen it coming that the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet would cry and beg him to take Heiye Ming's place one day.
"Are you not worried that I will regard the Black Wind Fleet as cannon fodder when I become the 'Black Wind King'?" Li Yao asked in disbelief.
"That is indeed a possibility…" Di Feiwen intentionally lengthened his tone and said, "Even if you refuse to be the 'Black Wind King', will the federation not regard the Black Wind Fleet as cannon fodder if we choose to surrender?"
Li Yao was rendered speechless and lost for words for a long time.
"We believe that the strategic vision of the Star Glory Federation is keen enough for you to recognize that it is impossible for the Star Glory Federation and today's Imperium of True Human Beings to live in peace in the long term."
Di Feiwen smiled and went on. "In the past, the Imperium was unaware of the existence of the federation, and the two parties could live in peace under the cover of the vast universe. But it is a pity that some of the intelligence regarding the edge of the cosmos has been sent back to the homeland of the Imperium over the past ten years.
"That intelligence was not necessarily sent to the court and the emperor. Furthermore, the Imperium must be too occupied in the strategic counterattack on the Covenant Alliance to extend its hands to the edge of the cosmos even if the intelligence is collected and analyzed.
"But how much longer can such vulnerable 'peace' last? Twenty years? Ten years? Or even shorter?
"If the Star Glory Federation intends to defend its tiny territory and ideologies, it must not wait for the arrival of the Imperium's magnificent troops but attack actively. The attack might not necessarily be made by the military. It is more likely to be infiltrating the Imperium and changing the Imperium unconsciously from the political and systematic level, thereby reshaping today's Imperium into a different appearance. Am I right, President Li?"
Li Yao was greatly alarmed. He did not expect the plain-looking vice commander of the Black Wind Fleet to actually have such keen strategic insight.
