CHAPTER 404: CHAPTER 349: EVE OF THE GREAT BATTLE_1

At the Lord’s Mansion, Yan Xing met with Mage Miler, who had rushed over from Storm City.

Although Mage Miler couldn’t understand why Yan Xing would sell his active service weapons to his own enemy at this time, Cloud Tower was becoming increasingly interested in the alchemy of Thunderous Swamp.

Therefore, he didn’t think twice before immediately signing the agreement to proceed with the military sale.

To Cloud Tower, the alchemy they didn’t know was invaluable.

Once Yan Xing obtained the order, he left the Lord’s Mansion.

He didn’t talk much with Count Theodore because talking was useless. The arrow was on the string and had to be shot, and Eternal Domain also needed this war.

On the drive back to the embassy, Li Jiya, who had witnessed the entire arms deal, couldn’t help asking Yan Xing, "Master, I don’t understand... why would you sell weapons to Marquis Anderson?

Without shells, the cannons might be useless for the Wildwind Highlands Legion.

But the firearms come with twenty thousand bullets, and there are also the Beak Eagle Transport Planes... If Cloud Tower modifies the planes, they could be used as offensive weapons.

I think this wouldn’t be difficult for Cloud Tower.

By doing so... you are causing the soldiers and generals fighting for you to make sacrifices."

Yan Xing, holding a tablet and handling affairs, took a while before replying to Li Jiya, "There’s one thing I have to correct you on—Eternal Domain’s army doesn’t fight for me; they fight for themselves.

As a commander, my consideration is how to achieve victory. In the process of winning, some sacrifices must be made willingly, and some dirty tactics must be employed.

Kindness doesn’t lead armies. War isn’t a fairytale. Human lives are just cold numbers.

This arms sale can significantly increase our chances of victory, and ending the war sooner will mean fewer deaths."

At that moment, Yan Xing planned with Chui Chui on his tablet how to use this gold.

Excluding God-given gold coins, the gold obtained from all military sales, converted to the currency of the real world, had already exceeded 100 billion.

This sum of gold was not a significant wealth to Cloud Tower, but it had an unimaginable value in the real world.

On the weapons list provided by Renlun Investment Bank, Yan Xing could buy whatever he wanted.

In the face of Anderson, Eternal Domain already stood on invincible ground. But Yan Xing considered even more.

Behind all the mundane wars lay the competition between Cloud Tower and Thunderous Swamp.

As the war continued and escalated, it would inevitably shift from conventional to super warfare, which is a contest of the top powers from both sides.

Whether Eternal Domain could hold out till the end depended on how high they could climb on the alchemy technology tree.

Climbing the tech tree costs even more than a military arms race.

Chui Chui’s Alchemy Laboratory had made only slight progress on "super weaponry," all of which was achieved by burning through many hundreds of millions in resources. They were buying new equipment, purchasing raw materials, and also consuming half of Eternal Domain’s energy sources.

Without money, there was no R&D progress.

Without R&D progress, no matter how impressive the performance on conventional battlefields, it would only be postponing death.

This money was like infusing a reservoir into Eternal Domain’s severely depleted cash flow.

It was crucial for determining if Eternal Domain could bring out a force equivalent to Cloud Tower in the final battle.

As far as Yan Xing was concerned, all decisions served "money" and "time."

These were not things he could explain to Li Jiya.

Li Jiya did not know why Yan Xing said this money could have such a significant impact; after all, gold is inanimate and difficult to quickly realize into something that strengthens one’s own power.

"Master, I still don’t quite understand."

"You don’t need to understand... You only need to follow my commands, and time will prove what I have just told you," Yan Xing replied without taking his eyes off the tablet, speaking to Li Jiya as if chatting, "I have a task for you, which is to suppress the news of this arms deal."

Li Jiya asked, "How can such a big deal be kept secret?"

"That’s your responsibility, and also the reason I brought you to negotiate this arms sale," Yan Xing said, "A commander selling weapons to the enemy is, after all, not a matter of honor, and Marquis Anderson will certainly try to make an issue of it.

Your task is to prevent the spread of such news.

If you can’t stop it, then make the Wildwind Highlands Legion’s source of these weapons appear as an accident."

The guns sold to Anderson only had twenty bullets each, which could be depleted in one battle.

The cannons, without ammunition, could not be used.

The transport planes could only be used as such, and any arbitrary modification would likely lead to flight accidents.

Therefore, this arms sale would only have a short-term impact.

The Eternal Domain forces enforced martial law, and idle chatter could not spread at all.

If Li Jiya could keep a lid on the rumors in Nuta City, that would be best; if not, she could create more rumors to confuse matters.

After all, the Guild’s Mercenaries had lost guns before.

The oversight of weapons by the Eternal Commerce Guild was far less strict than that of the military.

Li Jiya answered, "Yes, Master... I know what to do."

Yan Xing looked at Li Jiya, wanting to explain further, but held back.

It’s lonely at the top.

One must adapt to this chill to sit firmly in this position.

Some things don’t need to be explained, nor should they be.

Back at the embassy, Yan Xing left the follow-up of the arms trade to Li Jiya and immediately returned to Eternal Domain.

He happened to receive good news sent by Erelado.

This time, as anticipated by Yan Xing, the Elves’ assault on Frostleaf City was well-prepared for by the Orcs under Old Mom’s command.