Lord of the Myriad Worlds

Chapter 449: This Damned Desire to Win (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader 7/10)

"Of course Second Aunt and the others won't agree. That's why I directly sought you out! Let's talk openly and honestly. Li Wei, you said it before, that you would give me an opportunity to defeat you. You can't go back on your word! In this lifetime, I am already your person. What's wrong with me wanting to have a gloriously radiant curtain-call performance before marrying to become a woman of the Li family?"

Hathaway unexpectedly even became cocky.

"This is you Unreasonable Pestering—these two matters fundamentally cannot be mentioned in the same breath."

"I'm Unreasonable Pestering? So you think my Comprehensive Strength is inferior to yours? We can have a competition! Whether it's going to the All-Heavens Arena, or competing in Internal Affairs, competing in troop training, competing in plotting—in all aspects, you surnamed Li, lay down the rules. We'll do best two out of three, do you dare or not?"

Looking at Hathaway's incomparably serious appearance, Li Wei couldn't help but laugh dumbly. "Was this instructed by Lady Night Owl?"

"You're overthinking it. It's me who is unconvinced. I want to prove myself."

Hathaway suddenly sat down like she was deflated. "I'm unconvinced. Why is it always you winning? Why do I have to play a supporting role for you? Why do I have to become your mistress, instead of you being my paramour!"

"Is there a difference between the two? Calm down first."

"I am very calm. Do you know this opportunity is once in a millennium, Li Wei? If there wasn't this opportunity, I might have just accepted my fate. Really, I like you quite a bit. Although at the very beginning I just wanted to act out of spite towards Teacher, but sometimes I am clear that I must accept my fate. Depending on you and helping you succeed will in turn help me succeed. I understand all of this. But... but this opportunity... you fundamentally don't understand how important it is!"

"My master, which is to say your Lady Night Owl—""What do you mean 'my' Lady Night Owl? Isn't it everyone's Lady Night Owl?"

"Be serious! Don't interrupt me."

"Alright, you continue."

"Your Lady Night Owl is currently amidst deep plotting. Because to her, this is also a once-in-a-millennium opportunity; it is her only opportunity to advance to Duchess, understand? Truly intelligent people, truly far-sighted people, they were already plotting half a year ago, even years ago. Yet we have only just woken up from a dream until now. This is already lagging behind by a large margin, do you understand? So we must Catch Up Vigorously! Missing this opportunity, it is highly likely we will have to wait another thousand years."

"But, Li Wei, we cannot live to a thousand years."

"So, please give me this one opportunity, alright?"

Li Wei was silent for a long time. The crowd was also silent. Second Aunt still had a smile on her face, just that the smile was a bit cold.

Li Yue's gaze was as calm as always. Zhao Xuanxuan was so nervous she clenched her fists, not daring to breathe loudly. Only Thomas was still eating watermelon.

"So, you want a Count title? Just for a Count title, do you have to make such a huge fuss? As if it were the end of the world. I almost thought I was going to turn into Jack on the Titanic."

Li Wei blinked his eyes and suddenly laughed. This was just too interesting.

Hathaway, however, didn't speak. Holding her head, she shrunk into the sofa. She was also very conflicted, even a bit regretful. Because at a certain moment, she was very certain she was about to become Madam Li. Although in her view this was equally inconceivable. She used to be so proud and arrogant, how could she cherish this status?

But truly arriving at this moment, she again felt very pained in her heart. Sure enough, a man cannot have both loyalty and filial piety; a woman's family and career also had to pick a side to stand on.

"Forget it. Just treat the words just now as if I never said them. I accept my fate."

Hathaway stood up with bloodshot eyes, about to leave the room.

At this time, Li Wei suddenly spoke leisurely:

"Actually, you could wait a bit. His Majesty the King's Empire Reconstruction Mission still hasn't had any information leaked out. Currently, we don't even know what specific mode this task is. You wanting the captain's authority so arbitrarily now, isn't it a bit too childish? Why not wait a bit?"

"That's because you don't know exactly how fierce the competition is!"

Hathaway turned around like a whirlwind. "Nowadays the kingdom has three major provinces. Every province has a Duke, two or three Marquises, around ten Counts, no more than twenty Viscounts, and no more than a hundred Barons. Take note, these are all with actual power. There are even more Viscounts and Barons without actual power, and there are even many high-tier Mercenaries who aren't interested in territories. They can entirely use advance operations to transform into Barons with actual power."

"This is just the three major provinces! The Royal Capital over there has no Dukes, but there are at least six Marquises, over twenty Counts, dozens of Viscounts. Adding everything up, theoretically, the Kingdom's nobles who can participate in this Empire Reconstruction Mission are no fewer than eight hundred! Do you understand? Li Wei, you and your team, including me, are also merely one of these over eight hundred Kingdom nobles."

"Although currently there hasn't been any news leaked out, but please believe me, when the time comes, no matter how the rules change or what kind of competition mode is adopted, we will all have a large batch of competitors!"

"You can be unanxious, but I cannot be unanxious."

"Alright, alright, both of you say a few words less. We are our own people, don't have internal strife. There isn't even a stroke of the character eight yet [nothing has even started yet]. If there are any matters, they are easily discussed! Little Wei, you also need to be considerate of Hathaway. She's holding a breath of energy in her heart, this is a good thing! Full of Vigor! Young people, if they don't have a bit of sharp spirit, wouldn't they be old and doddering?"

"Moreover, for our team, if there are opinions they can be raised. Always being a one-man dictatorship, that also isn't good, is it? But regardless of what, leeway must always be left."

Second Aunt stood up at this time to smooth things over, conveniently stopping Hathaway and pushing her towards Li Wei. "Come, come, come. They all say Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Unrelated personnel will withdraw. Or Xiao Yue, do you want to stay?"

Li Yue smiled soundlessly, stepping forward and patting Li Wei's shoulder, then hugging Hathaway. "This kid is like a stubborn donkey. But Hathaway, you're the same. If you're not of one family, you don't enter the same door. Let's go, let's go!"

In an instant, everyone left completely. Li Wei smiled, pressing the still aggrieved-looking Hathaway onto the sofa. Popping open a jar of iced Three-Star Wine, he poured a glass for each of them, only then saying: "Stop pretending. Who doesn't know who? Is this interesting?"

"Hmph! It is interesting!" Hathaway rolled her eyes at him, but picked up her wine glass and clinked it with Li Wei's, drinking it in one gulp. Her previous grievance had already dissipated by ninety percent.

"So you truly don't plan on giving me this opportunity, right?"

"I already said, before the situation is clear, saying all this is completely meaningless. What's wrong with you? Have you suffered Cultivation Deviation from practicing your skills recently? So unable to hold your temper!"

"You're the one with Cultivation Deviation! This lady's Inspiration is 11 now. In six months, I guarantee I can reach Inspiration 12. Moreover, my Spiritual Power right now is 120 points! I have already mastered Sequence Three Mental Shock and Mind Control, Sequence Three Ice Magic, Sequence Three Fire Magic, and Sequence Three Wood Magic. Once in the Mission World, I am confident I can construct a One-Star Mage Tower within one month! These things... are you convinced or not?"

"I'm convinced!"

"I see that you're just not convinced. Do you believe that with one Mental Shock, you'd have to scurry like a rat holding your head? You fundamentally don't understand what is called a genius!"

"Haha!"

Li Wei smiled, not continuing to bicker. Instead, he closed his eyes to enjoy this iced Three-Star Wine. Second Aunt's winemaking craftsmanship was becoming more and more outstanding.

In a hazy state, he felt as if he had become a wild horse, being ridden to charge left and right, untamed and unruly!

Sigh, this damned desire to win!

The next morning, Li Wei went out the door refreshed and spirited. Behind him was a soundly sleeping loser.

1:0, easily taken down.

Coming down to the fourth floor, this place had been renovated into a small dining room. Second Aunt was preparing breakfast, Li Yue sat there quietly drinking fruit juice, Thomas's whereabouts were unknown, and Zhao Xuanxuan was forging iron. Those newly arrived three hundred Royal Guards all needed the most basic Enchanted Three-Star Heavy Armor. They were definitely going to the battlefield next, it was only a matter of sooner or later.

Li Wei sat down at the dining table. Li Yue smiled and said: "Talked it out?"

"It's settled. Such a small matter. If I couldn't even settle this small matter, I might as well directly find a piece of tofu and crash myself into it."

Hearing this, Li Yue smiled, directly talking about serious business. "Actually, Hathaway's suggestion is still very reasonable. His Majesty the King's Empire Reconstruction Mission will inevitably be extremely difficult, and also extremely dangerous. A single moment of carelessness, and one's life and property would be lost on the battlefield. Our Blazing Territory currently has a total of seven hundred Professional Soldiers: three hundred Heavy Cavalry, three hundred Heavy Infantry, and one hundred Archers. Additionally, there are eight hundred second-line conscripted Infantry—the kind that can only be used to defend the city."

"If we add your three hundred Royal Guards, it means that at most, we will deploy an army of over a thousand, as well as no fewer than three thousand auxiliary personnel—this also includes the conscripted Infantry. Such a large mobilization requires an outstanding Commander. Li Wei, do you think you're up to the task?"

"I cannot. I can only command small-scale battles of no more than five hundred... no, at most no more than three hundred people."

Li Wei was Speaking Bluntly regarding this; this was a fact.

"Oh, you understand yourself very well. Then I won't say anything more. Hathaway was still a bit too anxious." Li Yue smiled cheerfully. Li Wei was not someone who clung to power, and was also truly someone who could promote and appoint people based solely on merit. When it truly came to the time of need, he would let Hathaway command the central army.

But it shouldn't be now. The yellow-haired little girl was still too impetuous.

At this time, Second Aunt brought over several portions of exquisite breakfast and sat next to Li Wei, softly saying: "Little Wei ah, our Blazing Fief's Comprehensive Strength is actually still too weak. Counting these four hundred people you brought back, the Total Population is still less than eight thousand. If a great war truly begins, we'd have to deploy four thousand people at once. Our territory would be practically half-crippled."

"So you shouldn't blame Hathaway for being anxious. You need to understand, there are many Lords currently staring at us, seeing us as a large piece of fat meat! Do you know, since the battle at Thorns Pass, how many heavy-gold recruitments Xiao Yue has politely declined? Including Hathaway herself, as well as Zhao Xuanxuan, how many times has Thomas been poached by others?"

"Even Night Owl is trying every means to trick Xiao Yue away! I dare make the decision: in the future, this will be an annexation war of big fish eating small fish, and small fish eating shrimp. Additionally, there is one matter I must tell you. Many Professional Soldiers in the Blazing Legion have developed a slight war-weariness. Because in their view, the Radiation Storm is gone, the apocalypse has ended, so it's time to put away swords and spears, turn the horses loose on the southern mountains, follow their wives and children to plow the fields, working at sunrise and resting at sunset."

"This is human nature. We have no way to forcefully coerce them."

"If the Blazing Territory is invaded in the future, I believe they will all immediately turn into the bravest soldiers. But wanting them to follow us to an unknown plane that cannot be clearly explained with ordinary words to fight... that is truly making things too difficult for them."

"You must consider these factors."

"War is not a child's game, but the highest-level confrontational slaughter of military force and intelligence."

Li Wei silently ate breakfast, listening to Second Aunt's rare, experienced words of statecraft, yet said nothing, because the information was asymmetrical.

If Hathaway knew this was a Three-Kingdom Hegemony Competition and Lord Hegemony Competition, and that it would last for a full one hundred years, she absolutely wouldn't be this radical!

One hundred years!

But this kind of information advantage he couldn't speak of. Because very obviously, there was currently an invisible giant hand spreading and manufacturing certain anxieties.

This water was truly too deep.

Based on this point, Li Wei didn't mind Hathaway causing a bit of a fuss.

Anyway, as long as he stabilized things in the end, it would be fine.

Waiting until Li Wei had finished eating breakfast, Hathaway finally came downstairs sporting messy hair. Like a kitten, she clung affectionately beside Li Wei, opening her mouth waiting to be fed.

"That's too much. My elderly self cannot stand seeing this. If this was left to my past temper, I would kill you all, burying one at the South Pole and one at the North Pole."

Second Aunt joked. She and Li Yue were just about to stand up and leave, but Li Wei stopped her, taking out a Fire Crystal.

"Second Aunt, help me see what this is?"

As a result, in the next second it was snatched away by Hathaway. Not even caring about being affectionate, she asked with a serious face: "This is a Magical Construct produced using Alchemy! Li Wei, where did you get this!"

"Right, it's at least Sequence Three Alchemy! Did you go be a thief? Stole from a Fourth-Tier Mage's Mage Tower?" At this moment, even Second Aunt widened her eyes, very panicked, extremely panicked. Because she and Hathaway almost simultaneously activated their Psychic Fields, while Li Yue was even more excessive, directly using a 5-Star Heaven-Veiling Card to cover the dining table.

Several people were all On High Alert.

(End of Chapter)