Chapter 358: The group leader is mighty; the Dragon Master is a renowned official!

Among the Wu Clan big shots, there is constant scheming and calculating.

They crave victory.

They also care deeply about how the victory's spoils are divided.

After all, that determines whose voice will be louder over the long ages, and who stands a better chance of being the parent of all Great Luos.

That's pretty awesome.

Seeing the opponents who usually trip each other up, having to respectfully call them 'boss' and 'leader'... how eye-opening!

Everyone here is a Great Luo administrator, a single strand of innate indestructible spiritual light runs through eternity; theoretically there is no risk of total downfall... At this point, there's really not much left to pursue.

Life and safety need not be worried about.

Absolute strength takes care of material enjoyment.

All that's left is spiritual and ideal fulfillment.

——Although, it might be a bit embarrassing.

——But if you all work hard to praise me, flatter me, I'll reluctantly accept it with a thick face.

——What?

——You not only don't praise me, you dare slander me? You've dealt a huge blow to my pure, kind heart.

——Oh dear! I'm really sorry.

——My hand twitched accidentally, the axe wouldn't obey, and it blasted you to bits… I'm sure you'll forgive me, right?

——Oh, sorry. I forgot you were muted and forcibly taken offline; you won't be able to come up for air for a few Great Calamities.

What is the mighty aura of a Pangu-level big shot?

This is it!

Countless Great Luo administrators, trembling with awe, worship the radiance of the great Pangu group leader; they naturally yearn for it, and various thoughts arise spontaneously.

For example, 'He can be replaced,' or 'A true man should act thus.'

The ambitious are striving.

The hardworking Great Luos are also striving.

Uniting teammates, linking forces, weakening opponents, stockpiling their own hands, waiting for the right moment to play.

Like Di Jun and Taiyi.

Like Nüwa and Houtu.

The actual supreme commanders and strongest players of each faction are striving for their dreams.

But in the vast epochal chessboard, they are not the only ones striving.

Second-tier players are also eager to try and rise in rank; they have ideas and the possibility, and genuinely hope to profit from the chaos.

Like the commander of the Shura clan and Shura sect, the Nether River Devil Ancestor.

And like the foremost leader of the Dragon Race beyond the Wu and Yao of the Honghuang cosmos!

Wait a moment.

For now, the Nether River Devil Ancestor has just suffered a blow, being weakened and sanctioned by two big hooligans; its forces are trapped in the Sea of Blood, unable to move or expand, only able to struggle by posting little ads to vent its frustration.

As for the Dragon Race, it's also on the watchlist of many top players who dream of weakening it.

But the Dragon Race isn't easy to weaken.

In the previous epoch, it was one of the two poles of the Honghuang world, having amassed great wealth; in this era, it is also among the first forces to actively invest in humanity, putting forth an Ancestral Wu vessel and mingling with the Wu Clan.

Even if a Wu Clan big shot longs for his primordial ancestor's skull… victory hasn't come yet, and allies still need to unite.

Not only will they not cause trouble, they often support and protect, intercepting demon race oppression, demonstrating earnest fulfillment of the cooperation pact.

However.

As the saying goes, don't fear thieves stealing, fear thieves coveting.

On the Heavenly Court's side, they've got quite a few tricks up their sleeve.

Using the Nether River Devil Ancestor's evil wind, those little ads plastered all over town successfully pulled a 'displace the trouble eastward' maneuver, dragging the Dragon Race into a pit; for a while its reputation can't be improved.

But……

"What good is reputation—can you eat it?"

At a certain Dragon Race banquet, its leader—the Dragon Ancestor—said bluntly, "We use reputation to seek advantage; we're not locking ourselves in this cage."

"As long as there's tangible benefit, things like reputation and integrity can be set aside for now… pick them up and dust them off when needed."

"Our race's reputation is blackened… blackened it stays."

"If I could be Pangu."

"Those holy, great Luo beings, each cultivating diligently, would naturally whitewash us, explaining our dark past as enduring hardship and sleeping on firewood and tasting gall."

"If I fail."

"Even if many of my deeds look to the big picture and merit for the ages, those who invert black and white will still spin black marks out of them."

"If I build a road and speed up material transport, I'll be criticized for burdening the people and wasting wealth."

"If I construct defensive works to protect the people to the fullest, there'll still be folks who say, 'Eat your meal, then scold your mother,' spouting nonsense."

"Put simply."

"Winning or losing is what matters most."

"If you can win, and keep winning, any problem can be talked about."

"In this epoch, our Dragon Race must seize the opportunity of the great calamity and soar!"

"A little integrity—just ignore it!"

"When humanity opens up its totem, we can't miss it."

"We must grab the most important piece of that puzzle, laying a solid foundation for future plans!"

My mind is made up!

I want to personally meet that person among the human race, to show sincerity and settle a deal!

Thus.

After that.

When Houtu and Emperor Jiang were muttering to each other.

Another ancestor witch, riding the wind and accompanying the rain, under the pretense of guiding and training troop quality, went straight into the human race's administrative hub and saw a king without a crown, who, though unassuming among humans, possessed immense prestige—a sage.

The sages of the human race stood side by side.

But he always subtly stood half a step above them.

Yun Xiao!

This sage usually does not voice his opinions.

But once he speaks, he possesses a charisma befitting the highest leader, causing many human sages to listen attentively and weigh his opinions seriously.

Even though he has an unclear, ambiguous relationship with Nüwa, the chief steward in charge of the human race's 'governing the household with Dao'—You Chao—does not dare to put on too many airs before him, and boldly shouts——

You little thing, dare not obey?

Believe it or not, your wages for this month are gone!

Some people's wages cannot be delayed.

After all, if something goes wrong, they will temporarily stay silent, go back to prepare, and later come to your door to demand an explanation, inadvertently overthrowing your entire power.

You Chao has always been very polite toward Yun Xiao…… This politeness, according to some secret gossip among the Great Luo, might be that he will remain polite throughout the entire Wu-Demon Great Calamity, until the settlement, when he assesses the situation and only then can consider whether he can straighten his back, being extremely bold.

This can explain many things.

Behind You Chao stands a big shot.

Yun Xiao's backing is also not simple; it can even cause Nüwa, who dares to defy heaven, earth, and the Dao ancestor, to restrain herself a bit.

Thus, the human race, now in its novice stage, naturally falls under Yun Xiao's leadership and management, responsible for formulating the overall direction and development plans.

Of course, his term of office is limited.

Once the clan totem mode is opened, perhaps it will also be the time to step down after achieving success; at most he would hang an honorary title, such as the first clan chief of the Feng surname clan, the founding ancestor who opened the mountain, and so on.

Afterward, a young successor who has earned the deep favor of Empress Nüwa will take his position, carry out Nüwa's will, and assist in coordinating the human-Wu Clan united strategy.

However.

As of now, Yun Xiao has not yet handed over authority.

His words still carry great weight among the entire human race.

A Wu Clan ancestor witch, secretly calculating, also went straight to him.

It turns out the Ancestor Witch Gonggong has come to visit…… Yet it lets my humble abode shine with brilliance.

Yun Xiao leisurely set down the documents in his hand, raised his head, and smiled as he spoke.

With you here, how could this place be called a 'thatched hut'?

Gonggong laughed heartily in response, offering a word of praise.

This ancestor witch is unusually humble today.

One cannot tell at all that this is the same divine being who once strode onto the Heavenly Court's grounds, arrogant and pompous, as the Ancestor Witch Gonggong now appears.

'When courtesy is shown, there must be an ulterior motive.' Yun Xiao's smile unchanged, 'General Gonggong, what brings you here?'

'Do you need the human race to help you with corresponding war support work? Using the cosmic great factory's function to covertly output in the realm of consciousness? Assimilate other tribes?'

'Hahaha…… Of course not.' Gonggong ancestor witch waved his hands repeatedly, 'The related tasks have long been planned; following the protocol, how could they be arbitrarily changed just because of my personal opinion?'

'Actually, only a small part of this trip concerns public matters…… The rest is mostly personal friendship, hard to refuse.'

Gonggong said.

'Oh? Please, General, elaborate.' Yun Xiao raised his eyebrows.

'Isn't the human race about to activate the totem mode?' Gonggong said, 'The interracial conference will achieve a consensus of unity.'

'I would like to know whether the concept of this conference includes 'fairness'.

'That is certain.' Yun Xiao pondered briefly, then nodded, 'Although the specific circumstances require specific handling, they cannot be generalized……'

'But in principle, we must adhere to the principle of fairness.'

'Whoever contributes enough to the whole alliance…… in return, we must not let their hearts grow cold.'

Of course.

'Taking into account the finest shining point of human nature…… our secondary principle is to, to some extent, look after the weak.'

'We cannot let the strong completely squeeze out the living space of the weak, bit by bit encroaching upon their dignity and rights——how is that any different from the demon tribes of the Heavenly Court?'

'This does not align with what the human race pursues, nor the belief it bears.'

'In these aspects, I think General Gonggong should be able to understand.'

'Of course.' Gonggong smiled broadly, 'I can understand and accept this idea…… After all, time is boundless, the Honghuang endures, the Great Derivation fifty, its use forty-nine, leaving a thread of variability…… To keep the human way vibrant, we always need to retain some variables.'

'This both gives the weak space to be active and serves as a spur for the strong to strive forward, not to remain stagnant.'

However……

Gonggong shifted the tone, 'Since there is a first principle of fairness, some matters also need to be discussed.'

……

Yun Xiao looked at Gonggong, falling into a slight silence.

His fingertips tapped on the jade table; after a while he asked, 'General Gonggong…… which tribe do you represent?'

'Or rather…… who are you, in what capacity, coming to discuss with me?'

'I am one of the top administrators of the human race at present, yet I will not harm the human race's interests.'

'Hahaha…… You worry too much!' Gonggong laughed heartily, 'How could I make you embarrassed?'

Impossible…… I still want to have a few more happy days, I don't want to seek death.

Gonggong waved his hand, indicating he was a good god.

Then he said again: "It's just that the gods in Honghuang have no freedom."

"Some good friends' requests, I, Gonggong, also find it hard to refuse!"

"As everyone knows."

"My relations with the Dragon Clan are quite deep."

"Those Dragon Kings and Nine Sons…… all are of the younger generation, serving me as if I were their granduncle."

"With personal connections, things get easier, and refusing becomes hard."

"Isn't it?"

"An old friend of mine from the Dragon Clan found me a few days ago and told me——"

"The Dragon Clan is very optimistic about the human race's undertakings and wants to increase investment."

"But on one hand, they worry about some details of the human race's Totem Alliance…… and it's awkward to ask the human race bluntly, so they asked me to use my connections here to get a deeper understanding, to put their minds at ease."

"Is that so?" Yun Yao's eyes lit up, she said with interest, "Not long ago, I just met the envoy sent by the Dragon Clan; they talked about investment, the amount already huge, soon to take up one-tenth of the alliance's total."

"Now, they actually want to keep adding?!"

"The Dragon Clan's foundation is also too strong…… it surprises even the human race."

Yun Yao sighed.

"Exactly so." Gonggong narrowed his eyes, "So they'll go through my connections to ask in detail——whether the human race has any relevant control in this regard."

"Will they control the balance, ensuring each clan's shares stay within a certain limit, not exceeding it?"

"If they exceed it, will there be covert suppression?"

"This, I'll put the Dragon Clan's friends at ease." Yun Yao's face turned solemn, "The human race is currently in an expansion phase; how could we engage in such internal strife?"

"As long as the Dragon Clan's friends aren't coming to harm the alliance and break the rules, our doors will always be open to the Dragon Clan, welcoming their investment and membership."

Yun Yao, representing the human race, declared, "If the Dragon Clan's friends aren't reassured…… then we can have three parties witness—the human race, the Wu Clan, and the Great Alliance—sign the agreement together."

"This is actually the best…… oh no, I mean, the Dragon Clan's friends say they've always been confident in the human race's reputation; this question is just casual." Gonggong smiled satisfactorily, then probed, "Then, the Dragon Clan's investment is so huge…… what corresponding, fair return do you think the human race will handle?"

"Hmm…… I'm not really curious, I'm just asking on behalf of the Dragon Clan's friends."

"Then, what does your Dragon Clan friend want?" Yun Yao countered, a subtle smile in her eyes.

"My Dragon Clan friend…… actually doesn't want anything."

Gonggong sighed lightly, "The Dragon Clan, after so many years, isn't lacking much…"

"But if I had to say, there's a little…… need for friends' respect."

"So, if the human race could look after the friendship between the human and dragon clans…… I have a small suggestion here."

"Dragon Master Official…… how about that?"

(End of chapter)