Chapter 663: Black Mamba Conference (4)
He didn’t immediately commence with his explanations. Instead, he allowed the emissaries of the Black Mamba Underworld to skim through the dossiers that he had just handed out while he continued to organize his thoughts for what he was about to say.
Black Mamba Mythic Spirit carefully scanned through the information in his hands, and his eyes twitched uncontrollably as soon as he noticed a paw print stamped on the bottom right corner of the pages.
No. It couldn’t even find it within himself to laugh at the situation, because he knew all too well who the owner of this paw print was.
It was the God of Nine Vitalities!
After ten minutes, Qin Ye finally began, “Everyone, please take a look at the kind of calamity that would befall the underworld should the Russian Underworld gain Forbidden Arts capabilities. Firstly, there will be no doubt that they will finally be able to push back against Hell. However, this isn’t important.”
He pointed at the screen and continued, “To the west, Rus shares its borders with one of the P4 underworlds, the Argosian Underworld. Southwest, it is located right next to the borders of the Aegyptian Underworld separated by only a buffer zone known as Astana . Finally, there is Hell located just south of Rus. So, how do you think they will choose to expand their territory?”
Everyone knew this for a fact. But it was still a question that was niggling at the back of their minds. Why would the Russian Underworld want to risk angering Hell by developing Forbidden Arts?
“Everything is done for a purpose. If they can’t expand geographically, then it leaves us with the only other possibility, and that is an expansion in function. And to this end, we have no choice but to look to the Federation of Underworlds.”
Nobody said a word.
Qin Ye responded decisively, “Alkebulan.”
Qin Ye shook his head, “No. Alkebulan is by no means the weakest continent. Truth be told, Australis, North Usonia and South Usonia all possess underworlds weaker than the Alkebulan Underworlds. That said, the fact remains that Alkebulan is currently the continent that sees the most chaos.”
“Prefect Qin, you sure love pulling our leg.” Elder Bright Moon responded placidly, “Sure, the Alkebulan Underworlds may be chaotic, but as soon as we face an enemy invasion, we immediately come together as a unified entity. This was true hundreds of years ago, and it still remains true to date…”
“They’re not going to wage war against you. They’re simply going to intimidate you! The aggregate might of the Russian Underworld is at best equivalent to half of that of Coalition of Alkebulan Underworlds. But have you thought about it? They need only befriend some of the enemies of the Black Mamba Underworld and ride on the presence of their forward bases to set up an expedition station in Malagasy. Then, once that is done, they will move on to the next step of their plan to begin sending troops over to fortify their garrison. Would you be able to resist their advances that way?”
Qin Ye’s voice echoed throughout the grand hall, and he glanced around with an electrifying gaze, “No, perhaps not. But… haven’t you realized how interdependent the Alkebulan Underworlds are? Once the Russian Underworld gains a foothold in Alkebulan, you would be no better than a puppet state! Ask yourself this - would there be peace when that day comes?!”
For the umpteenth time.
Could the Alkebulan Underworlds ever forget the humiliation that they were put through when the might of a Forbidden Art was first revealed to the netherworld?
Never!
It was a deep-set hatred that coursed through their veins. The repugnance of Forbidden Arts were etched deep into the marrows of their memories! They had always remained outwardly passive to the issue of Forbidden Arts simply because they didn’t possess the power to speak out for themselves. However, that doesn’t mean that they were willing to remain indifferent for the rest of time!
The Russian Underworld was only willing to go through such great lengths to develop Forbidden Arts capabilities because they saw the potential benefits to their national interests. And to that end, it was an open secret that the Alkebulan Underworlds were notoriously rich in resources, and yet unfortunately in chaos and disarray.
Sure, everyone might have known of the interdependence of the Alkebulan Underworlds, but after a thousand years of conflict, how many of them are there that would still be cognizant of such a fact? And would they truly be able to let go of their hatred towards each other and work for the greater good? And even if they could, who knows whether they would some day recant on their position and stab each other in the back?
Crack… There was a sound of a knuckle cracking. That said, Black Mamba’s expression remained just as placid as ever, “Then, what makes you so certain that it is the Argosian Underworld that is rendering assistance to the Russian Underworld? How do you know that they were the ones who had furnished the Russian Underworld with the conceptual know-how and the basic modules to kick off their research?”
“I’d like to hear you speak of it.” Black Mamba looked Qin Ye in the eye without batting an eyelid, “Speak carefully and clearly.”
The Alkebulan Underworlds… still harbour that grudge from centuries ago. Otherwise, they would never probe so deep into these issues.
That said, he also knew that the deeper they probed, the more careful he had to be. Qin Ye pointed to the document in hand, “Geography.”
Credit where it was due, Black Mamba had done an impeccable job at maintaining the same poker face throughout the entire negotiations - even now.
“Not quite.” Qin Ye bowed slightly, “Lord Mythic Spirit, I share the same conclusion as Lord Harken after all. You wouldn’t doubt it, would you?”
“The geographical border is only one of the factors that led us to this conclusion. The second factor… is faith.”
“Furthermore, once the Russian Underworld receives the gift of Forbidden Arts from the Argosian Underworld, they would basically be indebted to them for the longest time. In fact, this will remain true for as long as they continue to hold Forbidden Arts capabilities! This isn’t a gift to begin with! It’s poison!”
Elder Blazing Sun responded, “Why can’t it be the Hindustani Underworld? There’s every possibility that the Hindustani Underworld would collude with the Russian Underworld in order to stifle Hell’s position in the Federation of Underworld. That way, the balance of power within the East Continent would immediately tip in their favour.”
Dead silence again.
“Understood.” Black Mamba finally responded, “May I invite you to head back to your abode for a rest first.”
Qin Ye’s heart twinged with a pang of loss. There were still a multitude of things he had prepared to talk about, such as the terms of their cooperation, and even means of compensation to the Alkebulan Underworlds for their efforts.
“As far as Hell is concerned…” Black Mamba paused for a moment, and then chuckled coldly, “Once bitten, twice shy.”
“Hehe…” Black Mamba snickered as he glanced at the documents in his hands, “Given the gravity of the situation, I naturally wouldn’t be able to give you a proper response until I’ve read everything through and through. Prefect Qin, I hope you understand. Please get some rest in the villa in the meantime.”
Qin Ye gnashed his teeth. He couldn’t afford to reveal even the slightest bit of urgency. At least, not in front of the other underworlds.
Boom… The huge stone door closed behind him. It was only then that he realized that his undershirt was already completely soaked through with sweat, and his temples were throbbing with pain.
He cursed in his heart. International negotiations were far more complex and frustrating than he had ever imagined. That said, the silver lining to all this was the fact that he could tell how Black Mamba was clearly swayed.
How long would it take before his heart would be swayed completely to action? Weeks? Months?
All he could do now was to wait patiently. To make matters worse, he didn’t have the luxury of time to go calling upon other Alkebulan Underworlds either.
An ancestral priest wearing white robes was clearly already waiting for his arrival. At once, he bowed deeply, “Prefect Qin, this is something that… Lord Mythic Spirit had asked me to pass to you. It’s for your eyes only.”
It was a slip of paper.
1. Kazakhstan.
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