Gu Yue looked at the clauses, her brows slightly furrowed.
Judging from the content, if the other party truly kept their promise and executed the contract as written, this cooperation was not without benefits for the Star Dou Great Forest.
She had personally experienced the advantages of the merchant association, especially the knowledge and technology that could be exchanged under the contribution point system, which would definitely be of great help to the Spirit Beast race.
However, having the Spirit Beasts cooperate with the other party's experiments carried significant risks. Gu Yue fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons.
Seeing Gu Yue hesitate, Kong Mingan remained calm and did not rush her.
After all, ever since the Young Miss Dragon King signed the initial contract, the other party was already completely under his control.
The initial thunderous strike was both a test of the Snow Empress's strength limit and a display to Gu Yue that his side possessed Divine Rank combat power, forcing her to use power that might draw the attention of the God Realm if she wanted to act, thereby exploiting her fear.
Following that, the Destruction God Trial established deterrence, and the signing of the non-aggression pact was intended to establish a preliminary "safety baseline" and create the illusion of a mutually restrictive balance.
Of course, this balance was only from Gu Yue's perspective.
In reality, after confirming the situation of the Young Miss Dragon King through Qiu'er, he had already established contact with the God of Destruction via the Destruction God Trial and explained the matter concerning the Young Miss Dragon King.
What? Is doing this unethical? Please, he is not a good person. Since he has a more reliable backer, why wouldn't he use him? Why gamble his life against the opponent face-to-face?
Ever since his mentality became too arrogant last time and the First Generation Asura God suddenly tracked him down through the network, he adopted a strategy of absolute stability towards any existence that might exceed his control.
Even though the Young Miss Dragon King certainly seemed easy to deceive and manipulate, stability was paramount.
And after he notified the God of Destruction, the God of Destruction's response was very direct. His exact words were:
"There is no need to worry. In the Lower Realm, no matter how much the Silver Dragon King recovers, she will at most be a First-rank Deity. She cannot cause much trouble. Since you need her, I will leave her to your disposal. If you cannot handle it, simply call for me."
Honestly, the God of Destruction's words provided a great sense of security, giving him the feeling of his mentor in his previous life sighing and then directly calling his grand-mentor over for a deus ex machina intervention.
The power of a God King is enough to look down upon all living beings.
For the Young Miss Dragon King, the God Realm is fraught with danger, and she must hide herself, otherwise, she will attract disaster.
But in the eyes of the God of Destruction, the Young Miss Dragon King posed no threat whatsoever, and was less concerning than the Golden Dragon King.
It was precisely because of this confidence that Kong Mingan dared to execute this plan.
"Young MissGu Yue can take her time considering it." Kong Mingan smiled and stood up.
"If you find cooperation feasible, we will advance hand in hand. If you do not, then you may leave the Sun Moon Empire, and I guarantee by contract that the merchant association and the Star Dou Great Forest will remain separate and mutually uninvolved from then on."
Gu Yue looked up at him. Just moments ago he was calling her "Her Excellency the Silver Dragon King," and now she was "Young MissGu Yue"?
Tsk. She really didn't know what this guy would call her next.
Gu Yue felt inexplicably annoyed deep down.
Kong Mingan ignored Gu Yue's thoughts and spoke in a calm tone: "Young MissGu Yue, you can continue your schooling, and the contribution point system will not be closed off to you."
"However, I hope you can give me a definitive answer before the start of the next semester."
Having said that, he said no more and turned to leave.
The Snow Empress naturally followed. Ice Empress immediately jumped off the sofa and quickly followed behind Kong Mingan. Wang Dong'er, who was nearby, blinked, hesitated briefly, and then hurried to catch up as well.
Watching their receding figures, Gu Yue suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a trace of confusion:
"Why?"
Kong Mingan paused, but did not turn back to look at Gu Yue; instead, he looked at the Snow Empress beside him. He could sense that the question was not directed at him, but at the Snow Empress.
Gu Yue stared at the Snow Empress, her tone full of doubt: "You are a Spirit Beast, the monarch who rules the Extreme North Land. Why do you trust him? Why choose to stand behind a mere human?"
The Snow Empress looked calm and was about to speak, but the Ice Empress beside her was the first to lose patience, sneering:
"A mere human? If we don't stand on his side, should we stand on yours? Or perhaps, stand on the side of you, the so-called Beast Co-ruler?"
Her voice carried obvious displeasure as she coldly looked at Gu Yue:
"Beast Co-ruler? What kind of Co-ruler are you? Where were you when the Snow Empress's Origin was damaged? Where were you when she failed to condense her soul core and suffered injury upon injury? Where were you when I was severely wounded by the Heavenly Tribulation and knew I would certainly die during the 400,000-year catastrophe?"
"Did you, this high and mighty Beast Co-ruler, ever offer even the slightest bit of assistance to our Extreme North Land?"
"Now, what right do you have to demand that we stand by your side? Is it based only on your empty words, 'We Spirit Beasts'?!!"
The barrage of questions struck Gu Yue, leaving her stunned in place. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word, sinking into silence.
Kong Mingan, listening from the side, raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
When the Ice Empress used to scold him, it was soft, almost as if she were rewarding him. Why was she so aggressive now?
The Snow Empress looked at the Ice Empress with calm eyes, feeling a slight smile in her heart.
Bing'er was always like this, the most contradictory in her words and actions.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed in her icy blue eyes. The Snow Empress quickly restrained it, turned her gaze back, and calmly looked at Gu Yue, answering her initial question:
"Everything about me already belongs to him. Why would I not trust him?"
After speaking, she did not linger, proactively reaching out to hold Kong Mingan's hand. The two walked out side by side.
The Ice Empress coldly glanced at Gu Yue again, snorted, and followed behind them. The figures quickly vanished from the room.
Instantly, the room fell silent, leaving only Gu Yue and Qiu'er.
Gu Yue stood rooted to the spot, silent for a long time. The words of the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress seemed to still echo in the air, leaving her thoughts extremely chaotic.
Qiu'er, nearby, approached with some worry and cautiously asked: "Lord Sister, are you... alright?"
Gu Yue slowly regained her senses and shook her head. "I'm fine."
She pursed her lips, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but in the next moment, her gaze became resolute, as if she had made a certain decision.
She looked at Qiu'er, her tone leaving no room for doubt:
"Qiu'er, you stay here for now and keep an eye on him for me. I need to return to the Star Dou Great Forest one more time."
"Ah?"
Qiu'er was stunned.
Wait, hold on, I keep an eye on him?! Will I really not be eaten alive by that guy in a flash?
Qiu'er tried to speak, but in the very next moment, a silver light flashed around Gu Yue, and her figure vanished into thin air, leaving behind only subtle spatial fluctuations.
With no one in front of her, Qiu'er's eyes were initially clear, then gradually became bewildered.
What?! Lord Sister! Why did you leave by yourself? Take me with you!
Protagonist: Young MissGu Yue, you wouldn't want the Spirit Beast race to be annihilated under your watch, would you?
(End of Chapter)
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