Chapter 532: The Bin-Dragon Zhaoming

"What a grand display!"

"Those men in gold armor are the Celestial Dragon Guard; I fought alongside them in Fuzhou and Nangao back in the day with His Majesty Snorri, they are quite capable!"

"Starving to death, I'm going to feast like crazy!"

Black Tooth Town—originally an outlaw territory, it had undergone a comprehensive cleanup and temporary expansion to host the conference; the collision of different styles sparked heated discussions among the warriors.

A team of elite Gut-Gougers came out from afar to greet them; the leader looked like a food cabinet with legs—smeared with dried blood, hung with entrails, and wearing a filthy apron stuffed with kitchen utensils, with no belly armor for protection.

Having read the relevant intelligence along the way, Snorri knew it was Trug, the Butcher Master of the Goldtooth Tribe and the right-hand man of Greasus Goldtooth. As a Priest of the Great Maw, it was at irreconcilable odds with Ahetanmu, who had thrown in his lot with Snorri.

"Yo~ isn't this the... damn it, the Windwalker, Ahetanmu!"

"Haha, go on, finish your sentence, speak up for your grandpa! Why isn't the big bellows making any noise?"

In the Ogre Kingdoms, Ahetanmu had more fitting nicknames. Those who respected him slightly called him "High-Dwarf," while those who disliked him referred to him as "Second Dwarf." But facing two Dwarf Demigods, anyone who dared call either of them that would never have to worry about food for the rest of their life.

"Governor of Weixi Liesheng, Attendant to the Dragon Emperor, Lord of Shangyang, His Highness Zhaoming arrives!"

"May the Governor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

No one greeted this filthy Butcher Master, and the journey to the town gate was silent. The gates were thrown open early, and a noble, dressed in a white-bottomed gold dragon robe with a black dragon-swallowing chest plate, strode out amidst the mountain-shaking cheers.

"Snorri Thorsson! As the saying goes, one should look at a scholar with new eyes after three days of separation; meeting again today, it turns out this Governor underestimated the heroes of the world!"

"How so? That day in the desolate village sharing wine was a great inspiration to me as well!"

Snorri straightened his posture and smiled in return; he had once been pressed to cold sweat by dragon might in a wild inn, but now, in terms of realm and Authority, he was already above Zhaoming—the eighth brother was not much stronger than the ninth.

"From the Dragonbeard Clan? From afar, you have the bearing of an old friend; up close, you are indeed the descendant of an old friend!"

"Grimm Ironfist, greets the Lord! My ancestor once described your demeanor in detail; meeting you today, it is just as expected!"

Turning to the Slayer King, Zhaoming put on the airs of a senior, and Grimm Ironfist cupped his hands and bowed in response. It had been nearly a thousand years since the Dragon-Blooded left to govern Shangyang, and the existence of the Changya Zhilu had led to frequent interactions between him and the successive lords of Karak-Kadrin.

"Please!"

"Please!"

Demigods were long since untroubled by the minor winds and frosts of the natural world, but the town gate was no place for conversation. In the small square in the town stood a large tent, appearing as if cast entirely from gold and iron.

"Alchemy?"

"I smell the scent of rats!"

"He even uses Beastmen!"

Inside the large tent, it was even more resplendent; after taking their seats as host and guests according to rank, large barrels of fine wine were brought up. The Dwarfs exchanged opinions in low voices, and the atmosphere at the banquet was somewhat oppressive.

Zhaoming's subordinates included many strange-looking individuals, especially a fellow entirely shrouded in a cloak, whose green eyes exposed his Skaven identity.

Upon first arriving in Weixi Liesheng, the Storm Dragon had made clear his attitude of appointing people on their merits, widely absorbing talented and strange people of all races, and combined with the alchemists he had cultivated, he successfully controlled the vast land.

"The Aishang Shanmai has not been unified for a hundred years, and wars have broken out, causing the Changya Zhilu to be severed. With our three parties working together with one heart, we have managed to reopen it today; we should drink a big cup to this!"

After three rounds of wine, Zhaoming stood up and spoke. This time was different from the past, as it involved the issue of diverting trade—if the vast majority of trade still relied on sea routes, maintaining the land route might even result in a loss.

"We believe that based on the principle of fair competition, we can appropriately establish caravan confidence in the initial stage through tax exemptions, security guarantees, and other means, to make the name of the Changya Zhilu resound once again."

Snorri's stance set the tone for the alliance; on one hand, he did not want to put all his eggs in one basket; on the other hand, the distance from Fuzhou to the Southlands was far from enough, and goods still had to be transported north all the way to Kuata Port before being loaded onto ships for the Old World, which was extremely high in time and cost.

"We put in a lot of effort this time, gold, we want lots of it!"

"Greasus Goldtooth, when gentlemen are talking business, is there any place for you to speak? Don't you even understand the etiquette of being close to the East?"

The fat Ogre sitting below Zhaoming jumped up, flashing a mouthful of gold teeth, and Ahetanmu slammed the table and retorted without ceremony; the two of them, controlling the Changya Zhilu from the East and West, were destined to be opposing pawns.

"Speak nicely! Four thousand li east from here is all the Goldtooth Tribe, my territory!"

"Haha! Did you stew your old man Golgfag and eat him? Have you digested him yet? Didn't your little brother just go to the Great Maw to swear an oath? I even supplied him with fifty sets of belly armor two days ago!"

The opening of the Sea Road of Tusks triggered a series of chain reactions; Zhaoming accelerated and increased his intervention, giving Greasus Goldtooth no time to develop. Now, instead of allying with Zhaoming as an Overtyrant, he had been suppressed into a vassal.

With the backing of the Dwarf Demigods, Ahetanmu swept away the gloom of being suppressed and began to spray insults with all his might. Greasus Goldtooth's rapid expansion inevitably led to an unstable foundation, and he lost the upper hand, his tongue tripping over itself.

"Lord, in my opinion, what Ahetanmu says makes sense; even if we divide the profits based on the scope of protection, we have to see if we can hold it. Even with the Storm Dragon and Candle Dragon guarding the north and south of the territory, you cannot stay away from Shangyang for long, can you?"

Once the winner was decided, there was no need to let the mutual insults between the Ogres descend into the gutter; Snorri stroked his beard and offered a summary. Shangyang was located in the center of the Ziyuan Shi Shamo, and besides suppressing various Ogres, Greenskins, and rats, it also had to cover the flanks of the northern and southern provinces, sharing the pressure of his brother and sister.

"Not bad, the axe in my hand is not dull either! I may not be able to slay the evil dragon Skaladrak, but I have certainly sliced open quite a few Ogre bellies."

Grimm Ironfist sang along; ever since the Tilea explorers discovered this eastward path, he was the first Demigod Slayer King, and he also had a responsibility to fight for a larger share.

"Very well, since you and I are peers, let us make it a fifty-fifty split."

Zhaoming shook his head slightly; frankly, from the moment he saw the two Dwarf Kings, he knew it would be difficult to get what he wanted. How could Snorri have grown so fast? And how had Grimm quietly mastered transcendent power?

This was the manifestation of the importance of intelligence; whether out of his own arrogance or the deliberate blockade by the Mist Dragon, Zhaoming's information about the Western world was outdated, and he had fallen into a passive position because of it.

"There are many scholars and commoners in the Western lands who admire your name; if you have leisure, you are welcome to sit for a while in Shangyang."

"That is only natural; my clan recently repaired a Rune Colossus, and if the Lord is interested, you are also welcome to visit and inspect it."

The details of dividing interests and responsibilities were left to the Ogres to discuss, while the two Dwarfs and the Dragon gathered in the inner chamber to drink heartily; there was a natural common language among the bold males, which was much more enjoyable than trying to play the part of a good son and obedient younger brother at the Tianting gathering!

(End of chapter)