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She thought for a while and then said, "Let's take the rare metal business. I believe no one will refuse such a temptation."
"You will be fully responsible for this matter. Remember not to make it too big or too small. Consider it as an apology for your rudeness today."
Shao Jie nodded hurriedly: "Yes, leader."
Shangguan Weier seemed to have remembered something, and reminded him in a deep voice: "Keep your mouth shut now, and don't bring that outspoken guy with you again."
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
After sending her men away, Shangguan Weier sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, revealing a confident and charming smile. As a woman, she could not have relied on her beauty to thrive in the underground world of Mingdu for decades.
……
Sun and Moon Palace, Prince's Palace.
In the study, Xu Tianran was sitting at the desk, flipping through some documents while asking Ju Zi who was standing behind him, "Ju Zi, have Mingde Hall and the army been notified?"
"I have completed everything that His Highness asked me to do." Orange said softly.
She now felt like living with a tiger. Although Xu Tianran tried to appear calm, the sinister aura emanating from him along with his inner resentment kept emanating from her, making her nervous.
Xu Tianran is in a very bad mood now. He has been making plans to launch a coup during the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven or in advance, but he is still unsure.
No one knows how much it would cost to completely kill an Ultimate Douluo.
Why not launch a coup? Compete fairly with the other party in the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony and choose the most virtuous person?
Xu Tianran also had no confidence. Whether it was because he did not have the strength to crush the opponent, the old emperor's illegal acquisition of the country, or his current disabled body, all put him at a clear disadvantage.
In the end how to do?
Xu Tianran felt the anger in his heart growing more and more intense. He finally couldn't bear it anymore and slammed the desk with a hammer. The hardwood desk shattered into pieces in an instant.
Ju Zi watched quietly from the sidelines, not daring to speak, fearing to further anger Xu Tianran. Now Xu Tianran was a powder keg that could explode at any time.
Just then, the voice of the guard was heard outside the study.
"Your Highness, Prince Guoli sent someone to deliver a letter."
Xu Tianran took a deep breath, and his previous violent image instantly disappeared. He returned to his calm tone in front of others: "Juzi, bring the things here."
Orange accepted the order: "Yes."
The letter was quickly delivered to Xu Tianran.
Before Xu Tianran opened it to check, he frowned in surprise.
Prince Xu Guoli, as one of the representatives of the older generation of the royal family, was the object of his previous conflicts. He was caught off guard that the other party would take the initiative to contact him.
Xu Tianran's eyes moved quickly, and he silently read the words on the letter paper line by line. As the message on the letter paper entered his mind, his hostility gradually dissipated and turned into a burst of ecstasy.
Noticing that Xu Tianran's temperament had changed, Ju Zi couldn't help but smile and asked, "Your Highness, what makes you so happy? Did Prince Guoli choose to support you?"
"No, it's even better than that." Xu Tianran handed the letter to Juzi and smiled sincerely, "Juzi, read it yourself."
Juzi took the letter and read the sentence on it: "Huo Qiuer, a member of the Body Sect, appeared in the Northern Alliance. He suspected that the Crown Prince's competitor was supported by the Heavenly Soul Empire..."
After reading this, Juzi also understood why Xu Tianran's anger turned into joy: "Your Highness, your chance has come."
Xu Tianran laughed and nodded: "Yes, he colluded with the enemy country and attempted to steal my power of Sun and Moon. His crime is unforgivable."
"Juzi, I want to spread the news in Mingdu, so that the people of Mingdu can see the true face of this traitor."
"Yes."
Xu Tianran felt that all the depression in his heart was cleared up at once. Now that he had the other party's handle, he regained control of the public opinion advantage and the moral high ground.
He suddenly thought of someone: "Juzi, I remember that Huo Yuhao was not originally from the Sun Moon Empire, right?"
Ju Zi was stunned for a moment, then said truthfully: "Your Highness, he is from Xingluo."
"Then we should exaggerate the situation and say that they are colluding with Tianhun Xingluo to support puppets and manipulate our Sun Moon Empire."
Xu Tianran raised the corner of his mouth and revealed a triumphant smile.
"But the prince has seen through their scheme. I must enforce justice and execute the traitors."
Juzi asked worriedly, "Will the people and ministers of Mingdu believe it?"
"You have to believe it even if you don't want to. If you don't believe it, we will add fuel to the fire."
Xu Tianran said coldly: "No matter what means we use, we must provoke opposition between the people of Mingdu and the other two countries. That way, our success rate will be greatly increased."
Juzi was stunned, but still nodded respectfully and said, "Your Highness, Juzi is willing to go through fire and water for you."
Xu Tianran showed a satisfied smile, and he clenched his right fist as if the throne was already in his pocket.
Chapter 438 Hidden Contradictions
After finishing the short but extremely important Hongchen meeting, Huo Yuhao did not stay outside and returned to the Qingse Hotel in the evening.
"You're back. How did the meeting go?" Huo Qiuer asked.
“Everything is going smoothly and according to plan.” Huo Yuhao answered casually and asked the Ice Emperor beside Huo Qiuer, “How is it going? Are there any good things with ice attributes left in the treasure house of the Xishui League?”
Bingdi didn't care: "Nothing, it's far inferior to the spring water of the Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire."
Xue Di smiled slightly and said, "Most of the treasures here are rare metals. There are not many natural treasures. But Yu Hao should like them."
"Besides that, there are a few soul bones that are not very old. They should all be less than 8,000 years old. Unfortunately, they don't have ice and spiritual attributes that are suitable for you. I'm not sure what soul skills they will bring. Do you plan to absorb them?"
Before Huo Yuhao could even speak, Tian Meng crossed his arms in front of him and said threateningly, “No, such poor quality is not worthy of Yuhao.”
Huo Yuhao held her head in silence and said, “Just leave it there for now. If you really can’t find anyone to absorb it, you can just find a few auctions to sell it. It’s just sitting there anyway.”
"For thousands of years, it's not high, it's not low, it's tasteless to eat, but it's a pity to throw it away."
He said this with some emotion.
Huo Qiu'er snorted coldly and said, "How many people dream of getting a soul bone but can't get it, but you got it."
“It’s better to have nothing than to have something of poor quality. I wanted to recruit these people but they haven’t agreed yet.” Huo Yuhao gave a thumbs up to Tian Meng.
"The benefits of soul bones are to improve physical fitness and bring soul skills. This age won't bring much improvement, and I now have my own understanding of soul skills."
"Since spirit rings can be obtained through special methods, then perhaps spirit bones can also be made through special methods."
Huo Qiuer's eyes lit up: "Do you have a way to create soul bones?"
"This is just a guess. I don't have time to do it now." Huo Yuhao waved his hand.
Huo Qiu'er nodded gently and sincerely wished: "I hope your guess is correct. This is a great merit. After all, spirit bones are much rarer than spirit rings."
Tian Meng couldn't help but ask, "Merit? What kind of merit?"
Huo Qiu'er snorted again: "I heard that there is a kind of soul master among humans who specializes in hunting soul bones as a profession."
Bingdi frowned and asked in confusion: "The output rate of soul bones is so low, and there are people who make a living from this? Do they specialize in hunting hundred thousand year soul beasts?"
Only a soul beast that is one hundred thousand years old will definitely produce a soul bone. The explosion rate of soul bones of soul beasts under one hundred thousand years old is extremely low. However, as long as one piece is dropped, depending on the year, soul skills, body part, race, etc., even if it is a hundred-year soul bone, it can be sold at a considerable price in auction houses in various countries.
Huo Qiu'er shook her head and denied it: "How could it be a hundred thousand year soul beast? Soul bone hunters like this usually choose hundred year soul beasts as their targets."
"A hundred years? Then these people might as well go directly to the casino. I think they can make money faster this way." Bingdi found it a little funny.
Huo Qiu'er couldn't laugh, but said very seriously: "As long as you kill enough soul beasts, it's only a matter of time before the soul bones drop. Even if it's a hundred-year-old soul beast, there will always be a soul bone among the thousands or tens of thousands of them."
The mocking look on Bingdi's face also disappeared. She naturally understood how much of a blow this behavior would bring to the soul beast.
Huo Yuhao did not seem too surprised. He had heard of this kind of soul master who specialized in hunting soul bones before.
There is a kind of soul bone, the secret soul bone, which is obtained by hunting a large number of soul beasts in a short period of time to increase the drop rate of soul bones. Even if the quality is not as good as normal soul bones, it can still be sold at a good price.
“Those humans kill soul beasts not for their meat, nor for their materials, nor even for their soul rings. They just casually discard the corpses of soul beasts in the forest. It’s a bit too cruel.” Huo Qiuer’s tone sounded calm, but it exuded a hint of chill.
Tian Meng said weakly: "You, a brain-eating guy, actually said that others are cruel..."
Huo Qiuer glared at him fiercely and swallowed her muttering.
Huo Yuhao did not express his opinion, but smiled gently at Huo Qiuer: "Interesting, as a soul beast, you pin your hopes on a human like me to solve the soul bone problem and reduce the hunting of soul beasts. Aren't humans and soul beasts in a hostile relationship?"
Huo Qiuer smiled back at him and asked, "If you really succeed, wouldn't you humans be the biggest beneficiaries? And..."
She paused for a moment and said slowly, "Humans and soul beasts are hostile to each other, but they are not hostile to you and me."
Huo Qiuer glanced at Tianmeng and the Ice and Snow Emperors and said calmly:
"Since you are to protect the entire Far North, you will have to face and resolve these issues in the future. You don't want humans to start exploiting the soul beast resources of the Far North after you ascend to become gods, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Bingdi and Xuedi also became serious at the same time.
Huo Yuhao did not express any objection, but listened quietly to Huo Qiuer's statement. He heard everything the latter said, or perhaps he had already considered it.
"When the lips and teeth are gone, they are interdependent. This is also the truth you taught me. We are all creatures on the same continent. The fate of the Star Dou Great Forest is the fate of the Far North. You will definitely try to solve it, and I will fully support you."
After Huo Qiuer finished speaking, she looked at Huo Yuhao seriously.
After a long while, Huo Yuhao said, “Don’t you soul beasts believe that the law of the jungle is the law of nature?”
Huo Qiuer understood and said, "Don't you humans think that killing is against the harmony of nature?"
The two smiled at each other, and reached a common agreement tacitly.
Huo Qiuer stood up and said in a relaxed tone, "I still haven't found my seventh spirit ring. Don't forget to let me experience your new method of obtaining spirit rings after you finish all this."
“I’m not sure if it will work. And…” Huo Yuhao’s easygoing smile was temporarily covered with a hint of coldness. “All this is based on the premise that those guys in the Star Dou Great Forest are not our enemies.”
Huo Qiuer was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I'll coordinate it."
“Let’s wait until later to discuss matters that are too far in the past.” Huo Yuhao lay down on the sofa in the VIP room and muttered, “Conflicts between several human countries are so difficult to mediate, and you still expect to mediate conflicts between humans and soul beasts.”
Huo Qiuer snorted coldly: "There is a simplest way to mediate."
"Ah? What method?" Tian Meng asked puzzledly.
Huo Qiuer faced her, raised her right palm and made a gesture of wiping her neck.
"That's it, simple enough?"
"...Well, forget it."
At this time, the supervisor Chen An knocked on the door and walked in: "Alliance leader, the girls sent by the Ordinary Alliance will be temporarily half as auction hall maids and half as restaurant maids. What do you think of this arrangement?"
“The girl from the Ordinary Alliance? When?” Huo Yuhao sat up from the sofa and asked curiously.
"People from the Ordinary Alliance came here this afternoon, and this matter was handled by the acting alliance leader." Chen An briefly recounted what happened in the afternoon.