Yunmeng Puts Up a Tough Front, But Secretly Sells Himself Out First

Early the next morning, the atmosphere in the camp was completely different from yesterday.

The half-step level nine phantom had been suppressed and killed, and news from the deep layers of the Yanshan Secret Realm spread rapidly. Coupled with the judgment that the Crimson Moon might have another Disaster Eye, the various factions, originally harboring their own ulterior motives, felt a bit more panicked.

The most terrifying thing in the world is not having enemies.

It is not knowing how far your enemies have grown.

In contrast, the Great Zhou side appeared exceptionally stable.

The reason was simple—their backbone was too steady.

Last night, while others were still lingering in fear, arguing, and probing each other, the Great Zhou side had already worked through the night to sort out battle casualties, tally battle seals, repair the camp defenses, and incidentally, edited three versions of the recording showing Xie Wujiu opening the door through space and Wang Hao suppressing the phantom.

One version was for the imperial court, focusing on His Majesty's divine martial prowess.

One version was for the commoners, focusing on Great Zhou protecting the nation.

And another version featured some sarcastic narration, ready to be secretly circulated around the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's territory at the right opportunity.

When Yun Meng passed by in the morning, she saw with her own eyes the agents of the Eastern Depot repeatedly checking the angles on the recording stones. Her mouth twitched several times on the spot.

"Is your Great Zhou here to suppress demons, or to do business?"

A young eunuch nearby replied with a smile, "Reporting to the Fairy, we do both. His Majesty said that demons must be suppressed, business must be done, and public opinion cannot be lost either."

Yun Meng was left speechless.

Unbelievable.

She was beginning to understand more and more why, after following Wang Hao, every single one of these people's behavioral styles had started to become abnormal.

If the top beam is not straight, the lower ones will be crooked.

As for herself, she wasn't actually much more relaxed than anyone else.

Because early in the morning, the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect had sent her a long message through a secret water mirror.

The message came from the sect's council of elders, and its content had only one core point—finalize the deep cooperation with Great Zhou as soon as possible.

To put it bluntly, stop putting on airs.

The situation had changed.

The changes in the Yanshan Secret Realm, the suspicion of the Crimson Moon Disaster Eye, and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion secretly stirring up trouble—all these combined had made the higher-ups of the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect realize that continuing to be ambiguous was unwise.

Great Zhou was currently the strongest faction and the one most willing to take the initiative to control the situation.

Since that was the case, rather than waiting for Wang Hao to come back later with a knife and a list of terms, it was better to take the initiative and negotiate the conditions now while their relationship was still decent.

Yun Meng understood the logic perfectly well.

But understanding it was one thing; the thought of having to go to Wang Hao to discuss deep cooperation made her teeth itch.

That bastard would definitely put on that punchable "I knew you would come" expression.

Facts proved she guessed absolutely right.

Inside the central military tent.

Wang Hao was looking at the new trade route map compiled by the Eastern and Western Depots. Seeing her come in, he didn't even lift his head, but his tone sounded as if he had been waiting all along.

"You're here?"

Yun Meng paused her steps, feeling a sudden wave of displeasure in her heart.

This feeling again.

Every time she came, Wang Hao acted as if he knew in advance she would come, making it seem like she was willingly throwing herself at his door.

"You knew I was coming?" She raised an eyebrow.

"More or less." Wang Hao finally looked up, smiling calmly. "Shen Xue signed last night; the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect couldn't possibly have zero reaction."

Yun Meng choked on her words.

The words sounded harsh but made damn good sense.

She simply stopped beating around the bush, crossed her arms, sat down, and cut straight to the chase, "The sect intends to deepen cooperation with Great Zhou."

"How deep?" Wang Hao asked.

"You first say what you want," Yun Meng said warily.

Hearing this, Wang Hao immediately revealed a very gentle and very unsettling smile.

"I just love talking to smart people."

Then, with a gentle push, three scrolls on the desk unrolled simultaneously.

Yun Meng only took one look, and her temples started to throb.

Great Zhou - Illusory Sea Joint Trade Route Plan

Coastal Port Mutual Trade and Escort Regulations

Provisional Measures for Maritime Intelligence Node Exchange

The names were more formal than the last.

The contents were more ruthless than the last.

That's right, Wang Hao's great age of exploration plan was about to begin; in fact, it had been laid out long ago. Royal shipyards were already under construction in coastal provinces. The vassal kings within the borders of Great Zhou also needed a place to go, and the overseas islands were the most suitable.

This high-martial world was different from his previous life. The vassal kings were very loyal to the Great Zhou royal family—after all, the ancestors stood behind the royal family. But they were truly greedy, committing no less evil than the noble families. However, they couldn't be killed; after all, one had to pass the hurdle of the ancestors. Relocating the vassal domains perfectly solved these issues. Let these vassal kings go torment the overseas natives, alleviating the burden on the commoners of Great Zhou, while also expanding the territory. He could even harvest a wave of profits himself; it was an absolute win.

If any vassal king wanted to harvest a good place, wouldn't they have to buy it with money? After all, building a navy was very expensive. Without money, how could these vassal kings be sent overseas to be local tyrants?

"Are you crazy?" Yun Meng looked up and glared at him. "Opening ports, shipping lanes, and intelligence nodes? Is this cooperation, or do you want to turn the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect into your Great Zhou's overseas branch?"

"That's a very distant way of putting it." Wang Hao took a sip of tea unhurriedly. "What do you mean by turning into a branch? This is mutual benefit and win-win."

"You see, the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect excels in maritime transport, overseas resources, and waterway dispatch. Great Zhou excels in inland coordination, military and political affairs, and market integration. When both sides combine, goods can flow, money can move, and information can be shared. When encountering dirty things like the Crimson Moon and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, the reaction speed will also be faster."

"If this isn't cooperation, what is?"

Yun Meng was almost angered to the point of laughing by his words.

Cooperation? Bullshit.

If they really signed according to these regulations, Great Zhou's merchant fleets, guards, and intelligence lines would quickly spread along the ports and shipping lanes of the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect. At that time, it would still be a joint operation on the surface, but in reality, the coastal lifelines would be thoroughly grasped by Great Zhou.

This was no longer a sugar-coated bullet.

This was a battering ram wrapped in sugar coating.

But what frustrated her the most was—she actually couldn't reject it outright.

Because under the current situation, this set of plans indeed had practical significance.

If the Crimson Moon became a Disaster Eye, the sea routes would very likely become the key channels for future troop deployment, resource transportation, civilian evacuation, and cutting off the demonic cult's foreign aid. If the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect bore it alone, they might not be able to hold out; but if they were deeply tied to Great Zhou, it would be much safer.

Damn it.

Every time this bastard offered conditions, it was always the kind where you clearly knew there was a pit, but right inside the pit was exactly what you needed.

"Can't you restrain yourself a bit?" Yun Meng ground her teeth. "Do you have to be so ruthless every time?"

"I am already very restrained," Wang Hao said with an innocent face. "Otherwise, I would have directly demanded garrison ports on the major islands of the Eastern Sea."

Yun Meng was speechless.

You're quite proud of it, aren't you?

She stared at him, and after a long while, suddenly sneered, "So you think you have me completely figured out?"

"Not figured out," Wang Hao corrected. "It's a judgment."

"I judge that the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect understands the bigger picture better than those who are aloof in speech but wavering in action."

"And you—" He looked at her, his smile deepening a bit, "Although you have a bad temper and a stubborn mouth, your brain is sharp enough."

Yun Meng was still angry, but hearing the latter half of the sentence, she inexplicably felt a bit awkward.

Did that count as a compliment?

Why did it always sound like a passing insult when it came out of his mouth?

She took a deep breath and looked down at the documents. The more she read, the more annoyed she became, yet she couldn't help but admit their feasibility. Especially the joint trade route plan, which detailed the tax regulations, escort arrangements, and exchange ratios for overseas spiritual materials so meticulously that it clearly wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea.

"When did you prepare all this?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Last night," Wang Hao replied.

"Didn't you just finish fighting that bizarre monstrosity last night?"

"Exactly," Wang Hao nodded. "That's why I prepared it overnight. With the grand scheme of things at stake, how could I slack off?"

Yun Meng looked at him, suddenly finding herself momentarily speechless.

She was genuinely somewhat impressed, albeit reluctantly.

After fighting a grueling battle of that caliber, most people would either be healing their wounds, reviewing the fight, or trembling in lingering fear.

But not this bastard. Right after the fight, he conveniently drafted the next contract to fleece people.

If someone said he wasn't born to be an emperor, who would believe them?

She remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a slow breath. "Fine, but I want to add three restrictions."

"Name them," Wang Hao spread his hands, looking perfectly open to negotiation.

Yun Meng immediately laid out several crucial red lines: for instance, the nominal management rights of the ports must remain with the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect, the Great Zhou's standing army could not be stationed at core navigational nodes, and intelligence sharing had to be handled by a joint relay institution established by both parties.

She originally thought Wang Hao would haggle over these conditions for a long time.

To her surprise, after listening, he merely pondered for a brief moment and actually nodded.

"Acceptable."

Yun Meng was taken aback. "Just like that?"

"I have always been magnanimous," Wang Hao smiled.

Yun Meng looked at him suspiciously, alarm bells ringing wildly in her head.

No.

This was too wrong.

The faster this bastard agreed, the more certain it was that he had something else waiting for her.

Sure enough, the very next moment, Wang Hao pointed to the end of the document.

"These can all be added. However, since our cooperation is deepening, the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect should also bear corresponding obligations. For example, screening overseas visitors, sharing early warnings for sea beast tides and bizarre attacks, immediately reporting any unusual activities within the ports, and—providing supplies and maintenance for the Great Zhou fleet when necessary."

Yun Meng's eye twitched.

She knew it!

This guy would never let himself take a loss.

You add three conditions, and he casually adds five.

Moreover, every single one of them was proposed in the name of the grand scheme, making it incredibly difficult to argue they were unreasonable.

"You really are..." She held it in for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence, "Completely shameless."

"I'm flattered," Wang Hao smiled faintly. "I generally refer to this quality as being pragmatic."

Yun Meng was so angry that her chest heaved.

Hateful as it was, she ultimately still had to sign this agreement.

Because if she didn't sign, the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect would be placed in an even more dangerous position in the coming storm; but if she did sign, she could at least retain a portion of the initiative.

This wasn't being forced to sell oneself.

This was conditionally selling oneself for a good price.

Thinking of this, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over her.

How did she, the grand True Legacy Holy Maiden of the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect and its future Sect Master, end up looking more and more like she was just working for Wang Hao?

It was all because of that damn night. Wei Zhongxian, you dog, I will absolutely not forgive you.

Outside the secret realm in the main camp, Wei Zhongxian suddenly felt a chilling gust of wind blow past.

"Pen," she demanded crossly.

Instead of handing it to her immediately, Wang Hao picked up the pen, stood up, and walked to her side.

Yun Meng instantly became alert. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching you how to sign," Wang Hao said with a completely straight face.

"I know how to write!"

"I know," he cast his eyes down at her, his tone perfectly calm. "But for this kind of covenant, your aura must be steady when signing, and your brushstrokes cannot be weak. Right now, your mind is too turbulent. You're prone to writing your name with too much fiery anger, which makes the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect appear lacking in composure."

Yun Meng: "..."

What kind of nonsense excuse was that?

Yet he actually made it sound perfectly logical!

Before she could react, Wang Hao had already naturally grasped her hand holding the pen.

His palm was warm, his grip steady.

Yun Meng's entire body stiffened.

All the stubborn remarks and cold sneers she had prepared were suddenly snuffed out, and for a moment, not a single word escaped her lips.

"Let go," she lowered her voice.

"Don't move," Wang Hao said softly. "If you write it crooked, you'll have to sign it again."

His voice was close, carrying a faint hint of a smile, which angered Yun Meng so much that the tips of her ears grew slightly hot.

She really wanted to smack the pen right into his face on the spot.

But what was even more embarrassing was that she actually didn't break free immediately.

Because in that split second, her mind pathetically flashed back to the underground palace yesterday, to the image of him stepping through lightning toward the bizarre shadow.

I'm doomed.

She cursed herself in her heart.

You really are useless.

In just that moment of distraction, the signature was already completed.

Only then did Wang Hao let go of her hand, smoothly collecting the document with movements so fluid it was as if nothing had happened.

"Very good," he nodded in satisfaction. "From this day forward, the Illusory Sea and the Great Zhou are a sea-and-land alliance."

Yun Meng snapped back to reality, her face growing hot again. She was so angry she wanted to curse at him. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Did what on purpose?" Wang Hao looked completely innocent.

"You—"

"If you are referring to the signing, I was merely afraid you would write it too hideously." He said it with the utmost sincerity.

Yun Meng took a deep breath, feeling that if she stayed any longer, she would eventually die of anger.

She stood up abruptly, turning to leave.

But just as she lifted the tent flap, she came face to face with someone standing outside.

Ren Mingyue.

She had clearly just arrived, holding a scroll of rosters in her hands. Her gaze first landed on Yun Meng's face, naturally swept over the lingering flush behind her ears, and finally looked toward Wang Hao, who was sitting perfectly poised inside the tent.

The air suddenly fell silent.

Yun Meng: "..."

Ren Mingyue: "..."

Wang Hao: "..."

The first to speak was actually Ren Mingyue.

She blinked, smiling very gently and quite meaningfully.

"It seems your concubine has come at a rather bad time?"

Yun Meng's face instantly turned even redder.

As Wang Hao watched this scene unfold, a single calm assessment popped into his mind:

Very good.

It's getting chaotic again.

Only when it's chaotic is it easier to control.