Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 929

"This action also proves the tacit understanding among you all."

Upon hearing Qing'e's blatant misrepresentation, Qiu Tu's expression slowly faded.

He looked at Qing'e, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Is this the God-King's own will, or Lady Elena's?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Qing'e did not answer directly, but continued, "Of course, your operation was also a great success. You not only captured hundreds of deities, but also seized a large amount of supplies."

"The portions to be handed over to the public treasury have already been submitted by both the Heavy Stone God King and the Star Forging God King."

"This is a reward from Lady Elena to you."

As she spoke, Qing'e took out the "storage card" and handed it to Qiu Tu.

Qiu Tu took the card and understood the meaning behind Qing'e's words.

The Starforge God-King and the Heavystone God-King paid compensation to rectify their mistake of spreading the message to the "Chaos Faction".

Elena agreed.

As Qiu Tu fiddled with the storage card in his hand, he was indeed making a constant mental assessment.

He certainly didn't think Elena had been bribed.

For a guardian god-king of Elena's caliber, these material possessions, while important, aren't that crucial. Therefore, simply bribing them would be utterly ineffective.

So, the remaining question is: this was exactly what Elena wanted.

Following this line of thought, Qiu Tu roughly guessed Elena's meaning...

Sure enough, just as Qiu Tu was thinking this, Qing'e spoke up.

She looked at Qiu Tu and then said softly, "I have been by your side for many years and have often received your teachings."

"The phrases I heard most often were: 'Fighting without breaking apart' is the bottom line of the temple."

"Now that you've joined the 'Temple,' you're all part of it, and its most important force."

Hearing Qing'e's words, Qiu Tu nodded slightly.

This is pretty much what Qiu Tu had guessed earlier.

It seems that... Elena, while supporting him, doesn't want things to escalate further.

Up to this point, for the "West Branch" and for Elena, there are only achievements.

However, if the conflict continues, whether Qiu Tu defeats the two god-kings Chong Shi and Zhu Xing, or Chong Shi and Zhu Xing defeat Qiu Tu, it will damage the interests of the "Western Branch".

Thinking about this, Qiu Tu couldn't help but think even more.

Having worked with Elena for so many years, the Heavy Stone God King and the Star Forger God King were likely well aware of Elena's personality, which is why they took the initiative to apologize to her.

Moreover, they were certain that Elena would agree: not only because it was Elena's original intention, but also because... Elena's own interests.

It's important to understand that although Qiu Tu received Elena's support, the authorization was obtained after Elena went into seclusion.

If this matter is reported truthfully to higher authorities, Elena's pretense of seclusion will be exposed, and more details about her "ultimate skill" will be revealed.

The Stone God King and the Star Forger God King discovered this, which is why they took the initiative to "share the burden" for Elena and help her smooth things over.

To put it bluntly, the reason Qiu Tu was able to gain Elena's support was because their interests aligned: they both wanted to suppress the Heavy Stone God King and the Star Forging God King, and both wanted to earn some credit.

The current disagreement stems from a divergence of interests.

There is no right or wrong, it's just that the two sides are in different positions and from different angles.

Although Qiu Tu did not agree with Elena's actions, Elena was still his "backer" and their interests were relatively similar, so Qiu Tu didn't need to break off relations with Elena over this.

Let's talk about everything after we've fully developed our capabilities!

Thinking this, Qiu Tu put the storage card in his pocket and smiled at Qing'e, saying, "I understand. Thank you for the guidance, God King."

Perhaps surprised that Qiu Tu would give in so easily, Qing'e couldn't help but glance at him. Seeing the clear look in Qiu Tu's eyes, she pondered for a moment, then smiled.

"Lord Qiu Tu's future is limitless."

Qiu Tu nodded slightly and smiled, "It's all thanks to Her Majesty Elena and the Master's guidance."

After saying goodbye to Qiu Tu, Qing'e walked back while recalling the entire process of their meeting in her mind.

Originally, in her mind, Qiu Tu, although incredibly talented and skilled, still liked to take unconventional and somewhat reckless actions.

She had initially thought that persuading Qiu Tu would require some effort. However, it turned out to be surprisingly simple.

This shows that Qiu Tu is more mature and composed than she thought.

Thinking about it this way, Qiu Tu's usual way of doing things might just be a disguise?

And when she thought about the list of subordinate gods that Qiu Tu had selected today, which didn't have a single nail, Qing'e felt even more amazed.

She originally thought she had seen through Qiu Tu, but after getting to know him again today, she felt that the newly promoted God King seemed to be shrouded in layers of mystery once again.

'How...how did he manage to avoid those nails so perfectly?'

'Could it be... that he has other allies within the "Temple"?'

Thinking about this, Qing'e couldn't help but recall the people Qiu Tu had come into contact with in the past few days.

A moment later, a figure appeared before her eyes...

Hua Wanwan?

With this conjecture in mind, Qing'e walked towards the side hall where she worked.

She had only gone halfway when she paused, hesitated for a moment, and finally changed direction, heading towards the main hall where Elena was.

She felt that today's events were indeed a bit strange, and her suspicions involved another high-ranking member of the "West Branch," so she should report to Elena...

...

Meanwhile.

While Qing'e was reporting to Elena, the God King of the Vast Ocean was also reporting to the God King of Heavy Stone about the list of subordinate God Kings.

He bent down and said softly, "My lord, according to my understanding, there are a total of 50 gods who have expressed their intention to join Qiu Tu in the past few days, of which 28 are arranged by us."

“Normally, if you choose 10 out of 50 gods, you should be able to select four or five of our people.”

"But now there are none, which means someone must have given Qiu Tu a hint. Otherwise, he couldn't have avoided them so perfectly."

Perched high on his throne, the Stone God-King, resembling a small mountain, stared grimly at the list in his hands, his mind racing.

After a moment, he looked at the Vast Ocean God King beside him and guessed, "Could it be... Elena?"

Upon hearing the words of the Heavy Stone God King, the Vast Ocean God King's beady eyes darted around, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He simply said, "Today I want to put this list on hold and ask Qiu Tu to reconsider." Just then, the Pure E God King arrived...

Upon hearing this, the God-King of Heavy Stones indeed frowned deeply.

He pondered quietly for a moment, then suddenly spoke up, "Hanhai, what do you think of Hua Wanwan?"

The Vast Ocean God King clearly understood what the Heavy Stone God King meant. He thought for a moment and then said, "We can try to win him over."

"She has always been meticulous and serene, and rarely interacts with other god-kings."

"But this time, we've gotten involved in this whole thing."

"He was probably a little annoyed."

"Furthermore... her 'Training Department' happens to be a perfect fit for our 'Execution Department.'"

"Once we can establish a good relationship, it will be easier for us to cultivate our own power and also allow us to control other departments..."

-------

Chapter 776 Zhao Ji: I should be Qiu Tu's comrade-in-arms (Seeking monthly votes)

The Vast Ocean God King is clearly the strategist of the Heavy Stone God King, playing a role in devising plans within this small team, and his opinions carry significant weight.

Therefore, when he saw that the God King of the Vast Ocean had agreed with his idea, the God King of Heavy Stone's expression became noticeably more relaxed.

However, he clearly knew the importance of this matter; choosing an ally was far more important than choosing a wife.

Your wife might send you to jail, but an ally could take your life.

So after the God King of the Vast Ocean agreed with his opinion, he did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he sat on the throne and pondered quietly for a moment before slowly saying, "Will Hua Wanwan have any problems?"

Partnering with the Heavy Stone God King, the Vast Ocean God King has practically become a tapeworm in the Heavy Stone God King's stomach.

So, upon hearing the words of the Heavy Stone God King, he stroked his beard and twirled it, his beady eyes gleaming as if he were deep in thought.

After a moment, he carefully considered his words and said, "Does Your Excellency suspect that Hua Wanwan is a spy for another force?"

Seeing that the Stone God King nodded, he hesitated and said, "I think... the probability is not high."

He said, "Hua Wanwan is a Level 3 'Order God-King.' Although she's a rising star in the last two hundred years, her strength is considerable."

"If she is just a celestial being, there is still the possibility of reincarnation and rebirth through other means."

“But she’s already a Level 3 God King, not much different from a Guardian God King or even a High-Level God King.”

Whether she can achieve those two realms depends entirely on opportunity. Even for high-level god-kings from other paths, there is no guarantee that she will advance.

At this point, the God King of the Vast Ocean specifically pointed out Qiu Tu, "He is different from Qiu Tu in this respect."

"Qiu Tu has only recently been promoted to God King; before that, he was just a Celestial God."

"Even the time and method by which he became a god cannot be verified."

"In addition, the timing of his appearance was too coincidental, and what he did was very suspicious."

"Therefore, he is highly suspected of being a mole cultivated through a 'chaotic pathway'."

After talking about Qiu Tu, the God King of the Vast Ocean turned the topic back to Hua Wanwan.

He said, "In comparison, God-King Hua Wanwan is much more normal. She joined the 'Temple' at the sixth rank and grew into a God-King little by little within the 'Temple' system."

"Even her personality is a quintessential 'order-oriented' personality."

"If there is indeed a traitor within the 'Temple,' she is most likely the last one to be suspected."

“Unless…” At this point, the God-King of the Vast Ocean joked, “someone has figured out a way for clones to become God-Kings across different paths.”

Upon hearing the words of the Vast Ocean God King, the Heavy Stone God King couldn't help but laugh twice and said,

"If other methods were truly this powerful, then the entire ancient continent would have been unified long ago."

Seeing that the Heavy Stone God King agreed with his point of view, the Vast Ocean God King couldn't help but smile as well, and then he continued his analysis.

"Therefore, Lady Hua Wanwan is most likely fine. We can definitely become allies with her."

"However... there is also a problem with becoming her an ally."

Upon hearing the words of the Vast Ocean God King, the Heavy Stone God King couldn't help but ask, "What's the problem?"

The God King of the Vast Ocean said, "Her personality is too rigid, and she is particularly careful about protecting her reputation. More importantly, she likes to leave herself a way out."

"So... we can only use her, but we can't trust her."

"Otherwise, if something goes wrong, we'll find that she not only won't stand with us, but she might even be the first to launch a counterattack and settle scores with us."

At this point, the God King of the Vast Ocean paused for a moment, then added, "After all... the way she left herself was enough for her to exonerate herself completely."

Upon hearing the words of the Vast Ocean God King, the Heavy Stone God King nodded thoughtfully and then said, "That makes sense."

"I reflected on my interactions with her over the years. I realized that despite her meticulous and rule-abiding nature, she was actually incredibly shrewd."

"It's as if she's wearing a shell of 'orderly pathways' on the outside, but inside there are other pathways."

"Looking back now, it must have been because of her personality."

After thinking for a moment, the Heavy Stone God-King commented again.

"Besides, I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out."

"Over the years, although she has indeed been very law-abiding, she has mostly been opportunistic, trying her best not to offend others and to protect herself within the bounds of the rules."

"This not only allows her to maintain a relatively neutral position in the upper echelons, but also enables her to conceal herself and bide her time."

"Therefore, no matter how much fighting occurs, it is difficult for her to be affected."

"If this isn't due to her personality, then... we might have really underestimated her all these years."

Upon hearing the words of the Heavy Stone God King, a thoughtful look flashed in the small, beady eyes of the Vast Ocean God King.

But before he could figure it out, the Heavy Stone God King spoke again, "But no matter what, it shouldn't be a problem to win her over."

"How about this, Hanhai, you prepare a gift for me, and then deliver it to Hua Wanwan on my behalf."