Chapter 281: Chapter 283: Misunderstandings Arising from Information Asymmetry


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    "Your Majesty, perhaps the Lord of Demon Soil''s strength is insufficient? Afraid to reveal his foundations," a Cabinet minister said.


    "Your Majesty, if that is indeed the case, this method must be controlled by our Great Nether, otherwise it will be a disaster for ten thousand years. I heard from Scholar Bai that the Demon Soil not only doesn''t lack food but even has a surplus of copper and iron. They can even make chariots from it. Yet their lands have no mines for copper and iron; perhaps they use some secret technique to produce them."


    "Not only that, it''s not to talk up others, but the Demon Soil is strong in military, and all those Demon Soil Spirit Monsters are of the third realm. Coupled with abundant resources, they can make chariots from copper and iron, no less capable than those demon machines and evil spirits. Now they trade with our Great Nether, selling firearms and flesh puppets. If we could obtain their essence, we might be able to make Great Nether invulnerable to external and internal disasters."


    "I understand," Wang Cheng responded helplessly.


    "I am willing to stake my head on it!" Bai Lv said resoundingly.


    "Are those words true?" Emperor Shen You''s eyes flashed with surprise.


    "For this matter, let the Ministry of Finance handle it. Minister Wang, you will lead. Make sure there are no slip-ups," Emperor Shen You said, looking at Grand Secretary Wang Cheng, as if to say, ''You were the most eager, so you can deal with it.''


    "This matter cannot be handled with force. The Demon Soil is not weak; we must plan this out slowly," Emperor Shen You stated.


    "Furthermore, their food production is extraordinary. From what I''ve seen, each acre can yield ten thousand stones, maturing every seven days, without any food crisis."


    "Since the Lord of Demon Soil is in favor of trade negotiations, then let''s use that as our means of infiltration to win over the Demon Soil Spirit Monsters. Such a vast expanse of the Demon Soil surely has people who know the secret techniques, and with just one of them, Great Nether would relieve much pressure," Emperor Shen You spoke out, wishing he had been more insistent at the beginning instead of agreeing so easily.


    "What exactly is the Lord of Demon Soil thinking? Rejecting everything outright," Emperor Shen You wondered, his expression filled with confusion.


    "The strength of the Lord of Demon Soil is remarkable, probably not inferior to mine. At present, he seems to be low-key and unassertive," Emperor Shen You remarked with a sigh.


    "Though those from Demon Soil are cold and detached, they always respond when questioned. If not for their hideous and fierce appearances, perhaps... they could even be good neighbors," Bai Lv sighed as he spoke.


    "The strength of the Lord of Demon Soil is probably not inferior to that of the Demon Machine Emperor or the Demon Insect Dominator,"


    Bai Lv emerged from almost five months of closed-door training to ascend to a ninth realm magician. Emperor Shen You was delighted at first, but this time difference led to such a big issue, missing the opportunity, so it was natural for him to feel aggrieved.


    Bai Lv continued to speak, but all the Cabinet ministers present just felt dumbfounded.


    It''s not possible, and moreover, coupled with the secret technique for copper and iron, they can create magical treasures. When the time comes, we''ll naturally not lack soldier armor, allowing us to eliminate external threats from our foundation.


    Upon hearing this, the other Cabinet ministers couldn''t help but gasp in shock. This was serious business.


    The strength of the Emperor Realm is truly terrifying.


    And Bai Lv was only talking about one small aspect of agriculture, the grain production. There''s still the livestock farming to consider, which Qin Muye also has.


    And indeed, this Demon Soil also uniquely favors them. If pressed too hard, it may not be that easy.


    Thus, the actual food production would only be greater.


    He was just worried that these fools would fail to see the gap and act rashly, which would lead to tensions and make things difficult.


    He had risen from insignificance and had fought his way to this position with real swords and spears. Combined with millennia of governance, he could be described as a transient Cabinet and an ironclad Emperor.


    He seemed to understand why the other party had refused his suggestion to send students for an exchange: ten thousand stones per acre and a harvest every seven days was pure fantasy.


    Powerless though he was, as an emperor who had ruled for ten thousand years, how could he not know the importance of the secret technique of the Demon Soil and that it could even resolve the maladies of the Shenyou Dynasty? The problem was, he couldn''t achieve it.


    Upon hearing this, Emperor Shen You was also tempted. He and the Cabinet ministers were different; they thought they were strong because they banded together, but in reality, the decisive factor in victory was not power, but individual strength.


    The problem brought about by the accumulation of land was that farmers could not survive. But with a yield of ten thousand stones per acre and a harvest every seven days, would there still be people dying of hunger in this world?


    Wang Cheng was delighted, "Yes, Your Majesty, your servant will make sure it is done well."


    He felt somewhat resentful towards Bai Lv in his heart. You should have mentioned such critical information earlier.


    If he fell, the prosperity of the Great Nether Empire would be but a fleeting cloud, dispersing in an instant.


    The rest of the Cabinet, upon hearing this, could not help but feel secretly alarmed.


    The implication was clear; obtaining this secret technique meant internal strife would no longer be an issue.


    In Wang Cheng''s eyes, the Demon Soil was simply the land of barbarians. In Bai Lv''s description, they indeed had some strength, but how could they compare to the upper state of the Great Nether?


    At this time, the remaining Cabinet ministers'' expressions changed slightly. Bai Lv''s words seemed to suggest inclinations toward external matters.


    Bai Lv was not boasting; the yield Qin Muye produced was genuinely terrifying, completely defying common sense.


    Did people really think that the engagements with the three Great Demons of the Spirit Realm they usually faced in the Upper Three Realms were complete? They were only subject to the remnants of bewitchment that managed to invade after being intercepted by his Divine Thought.


    If they really engaged in conflict, it would be more than just the Lord of Demon Soil taking action. The remaining Demon Insect Dominator, Demon Machine Emperor, and even the Spirit Realm Three Demons would join the fray.


    Previously, he had been too busy to meet with Bai Lv and had simply ordered the eunuchs to pass the decree, deliver the reward, and advise him to make good progress on his breakthroughs.


    However, as soon as these words were spoken, they were countered by Bai Lv: "Grand Secretary Wang, your words are mistaken. You have never seen the Lord of Demon Soil and do not comprehend its terror."


    But if someone were really to go there, no one would make the journey. On the Great Nether''s side, they were the upper state, and the Demon Soil was merely the land of barbarians. Otherwise, why would they scornfully refer to it as the Demon Soil? To this day, that had not changed.


    As long as the Lord of Demon Soil lived, he could not act rashly.


    Should he handle this matter well, while climbing up higher in status seemed unlikely, he could use his merits to possibly advance his strength further, or even catch a glimpse into the mysteries of the Emperor Realm.