Everyone expressed their opinions; they were merely offering their thoughts. The final decision rested with Zhou Yan.
No matter what Zhou Yan decided, they would not obstruct him.
The meeting deliberated for a long time. Before long, a soldier reported that Chu Luoyan wished to see him.
"Chu Luoyan?" Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Let her in."
Chu Luoyan possessed the privilege of freely teleporting into territories, a special grant from Zhou Yan. However, within the territory, she was still required to abide by the rules.
Upon entering, Chu Luoyan said to Zhou Yan, "Can we talk alone? It might be helpful to you."
Zhou Yan considered this and then said to the others, "You may all attend to your duties."
"Yes." Everyone withdrew.
Zhou Yan walked over and motioned for Chu Luoyan to sit. "What is it?" he asked.
"Are you struggling with how to deal with the Dark Dynasty?" Chu Luoyan inquired.
"What are your thoughts?" Zhou Yan looked at her.
Chu Luoyan sat down directly and said, "The Dark Dynasty is, after all, a country, not just a mere faction. Even if you were to destroy it, for you, it would merely be adding another victory to your record."
"There are countless grudges in the Lord's world. It's a constant cycle of fighting and killing. Whoever is stronger destroys whomever they please. You could certainly annihilate the Dark Dynasty, or any faction that has opposed you."
"But have you considered, if each of these factions were a country, how many countries would you need to destroy?"
"Some factions indeed deserve to be uprooted, but some do not require such drastic action. You have already dismantled the foundations of many factions on the Canglan Continent, and they truly deserved it."
"But a faction like the Dark Dynasty, do you truly intend to obliterate it as a nation? Even if you destroy the Dark Dynasty, will there not be five or six more dynasties to deal with next?"
Zhou Yan looked at Chu Luoyan and said, "These words don't sound like you. With your personality, how could you say such a thing? I thought you would tell me not to back down and to kill them directly!"
It was true that Chu Luoyan should not have said such things; it was entirely contrary to her nature.
"You are right. These words are not my own thoughts. I am merely relaying a message from Wu Qingfeng," Chu Luoyan nodded. Zhou Yan had indeed seen through her.
"Wu Qingfeng knows about this so soon?" Zhou Yan was surprised.
"Didn't Wu Qingfeng give you a list before? It shouldn't have requested you to destroy any specific country, right? Each item was a separate faction," Chu Luoyan asked.
Zhou Yan produced the list. "I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. How could I know? I haven't even dealt with all my enemies," he said.
Upon careful examination, the list indeed contained individual factions, none of which involved other countries.
"I understand your meaning. Essentially, it's about not pushing things too far," Zhou Yan grasped the point.
Chu Luoyan shook her head. "It's not my meaning, but Wu Qingfeng's. If it were up to me, whether you destroy them or not would be of no consequence to me. If they're killed, they're killed. Why overthink it?"
That was very much like Chu Luoyan, truly her style.
"Does that old man know you've joined my territory? Otherwise, why would he have you deliver a message?" Zhou Yan inquired.
"Do you think Wu Qingfeng has no means at all? That old man has many tricks up his sleeve. The Ziwei Academy is not as simple as you imagine." Chu Luoyan's words also confirmed that Wu Qingfeng knew about her situation.
It was understandable that Wu Qingfeng knew. After all, Zhou Yan had saved Chu Luoyan, and in doing so, had offended Jiu Jue from the God Realm.
Who knew what Jiu Jue's strength was now? Zhou Yan had tried to search for it in the [Heavenly Book Repository], but information about the God Realm could only be accessed within the God Realm itself; it was a restriction, a boundary that could not be crossed.
"Alright, since the Dark Dynasty wishes for a peaceful resolution, I am not an unreasonable person. However, I must make them pay dearly."
Zhou Yan now knew what he needed to do. Seeing that Zhou Yan had his own thoughts, Chu Luoyan proactively left, having conveyed her message.
Zhou Yan decided to let Daila stew for a while and did not intend to meet her immediately.
Zhou Yan instructed someone to prepare a list of materials unique to the God-Devil Continent. Since he held the initiative, he intended to make the Dark Dynasty bleed profusely. He would include the most precious materials.
It was intentional targeting, deliberate obstruction. He was making it obvious that he was bullying them.
Who told them he was stronger? The weak were meant to be bullied. Hadn't he been hunted down when he was weak?
A few days later, Zhou Yan leisurely met with Daila again. "We meet again," he said.
"What is your decision?" Daila had been unable to sleep for the past few days, feeling agitated and conflicted, unsure of Zhou Yan's intentions.
"Since you are willing to bow your heads and admit your mistakes, I can accept your apology and admission of fault. However, you must compensate me for my emotional distress." Zhou Yan replied.
"Don't worry, we will certainly provide compensation for that. This is the first installment of compensation my father, the Emperor, has sent you. Please take a look."
Daila breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Zhou Yan had agreed to their negotiations. This matter had finally received a satisfactory response.
Just as Zhou Yan was about to present his own list of compensation, the other party presented him with a gift first.
This was given willingly, not demanded by him, so it did not count towards the compensation.
Zhou Yan took it and examined it. It was indeed good, and the contents were quite satisfactory.
However, this amount would certainly not be enough to satisfy his appetite.
"I have also prepared a gift for you. Take a look," Zhou Yan handed the compensation list he had prepared to Daila.
Daila immediately said, "Thank you very much."
"Don't thank me too quickly. Take a look at the gift first," Zhou Yan said.
Daila opened the booklet with curiosity. As she scanned the list of materials, each one a top-tier ingredient, her expression immediately changed...
Zhou Yan sipped his tea, watching Daila's face transform like a changing mask, feeling a great sense of satisfaction.
The further Daila read, the wider her eyes grew!
Was this considered a gift?
This was a list demanding compensation from the entire Dark Dynasty!
Daila's expression darkened further. She was known for her good temper, yet she dared not show any anger or openly curse Zhou Yan.
But in Daila's heart: I fuck♑＆～~πuθoÎÓΘΔΓn