Gentlemen, I Crave War!

Petrovna observed Lu Su carefully for a while, yet still could not see what exactly made him different from herself.

Since she could not figure it out, she might as well ask directly.

Just as the girl was about to speak, Catherine called her name softly without turning her head. "Petrovna."

Petrovna instantly sat up straight.

However, judging by the way she kept shifting her body and frequently glancing at Lu Su, the girl was still filled with curiosity.

At this point, Catherine could not help but shake her head slightly. She then looked at Lu Su and the other two with a hint of apology on her face. "This disciple of mine has stayed by my side all this time, so her personality may be somewhat restless."

"I hope you will forgive her."

Upon hearing this, Petrovna puffed out her cheeks slightly, clearly dissatisfied with her teacher’s words.

After that brief interlude, Catherine and Fang Wenlong began discussing serious matters. She did not question Lu Su’s strength.

Since the Great Ming said so, she would believe it. In any case, even if something went wrong later, it would have nothing to do with her.

"Minister Fang, do you have any thoughts on this joint operation?"

"Since His Majesty has already advanced to Hall of Fame Grade, we should proceed steadily."

Hearing Catherine’s question, Fang Wenlong voiced the draft he had prepared without the slightest hesitation.

When one held the advantage in strength, fighting a slow, methodical war and building strong fortifications was the safest choice.

However, that was in a normal world, so Fang Wenlong was not finished.

"It’s just that when the time comes, His Majesty may need to lead us in striking at several of the Demon Army’s Army Lords."

After all, Blue Star possessed supernatural power. Since lower-level beings could not threaten higher-level beings with a Human Wave Tactic, only the strong on both sides could determine the course of battle.

Catherine was not surprised by Fang Wenlong’s answer. Their thoughts were largely the same. The reason she had organized this meeting was merely to divide the benefits in advance.

The sternness on her face faded. She opened the carved folding fan in her hand and used it to cover the lower half of her face, smiling with her eyes. "Minister Fang is right. However, if I am to take action, the Empire will need a larger share of the materials after the war."

"Seventy-thirty. How about it?"

Since this concerned the interests of the Great Ming, Fang Wenlong no longer maintained his refined demeanor. Instead, he frowned and asked, "Your Majesty, that would not be in accordance with the rules."

"Although there have been some frictions between the Demon Army and the Great Ming, they are merely minor irritations."

"If Your Majesty had not come to us, we would not have planned to clash with them anytime soon."

That was, of course, a lie.

Although the Demon Army was not currently a major threat to the Great Ming, if there was a chance to eliminate them, the Great Ming certainly would not let it slip away.

However, in order to fight for greater benefits, Fang Wenlong could only set the facts aside for now.

Upon hearing this, Lu Su could not help glancing at the elder beside him.

He was utterly inexperienced with matters like battle plans and negotiations. Even if he had to speak, he could only have one of his cards say a few words for him.

As for that God of Shinobi, forget it. Lu Su was afraid he would give away the entire Great Ming estate.

At this moment, Catherine snapped her folding fan shut and said with feigned dissatisfaction, "Minister Fang, there is no need to make things boring."

"You and I both know the Great Ming’s situation perfectly well. There is no need to make things up here."

"Sixty-forty. That is the Empire’s bottom line. After all, the Empire will still be contributing more."

Fang Wenlong was naturally not intimidated by the attitude of the Empress before him.

He merely stared solemnly into her eyes and said, "Your Majesty, you are the one who should stop joking."

"As far as I know, Your Majesty has not yet created matching cards, correct?"

Fang Wenlong did not care in the slightest whether exposing Catherine’s weakness would make her fly into a rage.

Moreover, he was not finished speaking.

"And when it comes to contributions—"

"Our Great Ming will not be contributing any less than the Empire."

As he said this, Fang Wenlong glanced at Lu Su beside him, who was currently lost in thought.

Catherine naturally caught his look.

She was not the only one. The male Master Card Master beside her noticed it as well.

Just as the Master Grade Card Master was about to speak, Catherine secretly pressed down on his thigh.

At this moment, the Empress gave Lu Su a meaningful glance, then raised her brow and smiled teasingly at Fang Wenlong. "Minister Fang need not be so agitated."

"The Demon Army still remains. Why not wait until after the war to divide the spoils?"

"However, regardless of the final ratio, the Empire must have first choice of materials."

"Besides that, I hope the Great Ming can trade Hall of Fame Grade materials with the Empire."

"What do you think?"

Though she spoke like that, Catherine could not help sighing inwardly.

For her, the best outcome would naturally be a seventy-thirty split between the Empire and the Great Ming.

Unfortunately, the Great Ming were not fools and had no intention of working for her for nothing.

Of course, the condition concerning Hall of Fame Grade material trades was the Empress’s final bottom line. If the Great Ming remained insatiably greedy, then they would go their separate ways.

At worst, the people back home would have to suffer a little longer until she successfully created her first Hall of Fame Grade card.

As Catherine’s words fell, the meeting room immediately sank into silence.

After a long while, Fang Wenlong nodded slightly and agreed to half her proposal. "Then we shall do as Your Majesty says."

"However, regarding the conditions for Hall of Fame Grade materials, I will need to discuss them with Ye Diantang first."

The middle-aged man knew that this was more or less the other party’s bottom line. Perhaps he could pressure her further, but there was no need.

They would see each other again sooner or later. Though the Empire and the Great Ming were not brother nations, there was at least no open conflict between them. There was no need to make things so ugly.

When Catherine heard Fang Wenlong say this, she could not help breathing a sigh of relief. She knew that as long as her proposal had not been rejected on the spot, it was more than halfway settled.

In a lighter mood, she smiled and nodded slightly. "This is a matter of great importance. It is only right for Minister Fang to discuss it with Ye Diantang."

"Then I will have to trouble Minister Fang with the subsequent battle plan."

With that, Catherine led her disciple and subordinates out of the meeting room.

On the way back to their residence, Petrovna finally could not suppress her curiosity any longer. She skipped over to Catherine, turned around, and asked, "Mother Teacher, do you think what the Great Ming said was true?"

She was referring to Fang Wenlong’s claim that the Great Ming would contribute no less than the Empire.

After all, for this joint operation, the Empire had dispatched one Hall of Fame Grade and one Master Grade Card Master. No matter what, the Great Ming’s two Master Grade Card Masters could not compare to the Empire’s combat power.

Unless the young man at the meeting, who was also a Diamond Grade Card Master like her, truly could be regarded as a Master Grade combatant as the Great Ming claimed.

Catherine did not immediately answer her disciple’s question. Instead, she raised her brows and barked, "Petrovna!"

Only after seeing the girl behave herself did she say helplessly, "Whether it is true or not is unimportant."

"What matters is what that Hall of Fame Card Master of the Great Ming thinks."

It was precisely because she was wary of Ye Zhou that Catherine had chosen to compromise.

She also did not know how much of Fang Wenlong’s words had truly reflected Ye Zhou’s intentions.

Thinking of this, Catherine said sternly again, "Petrovna, you really should learn from that young man."

"Watch more, listen more, learn more. Do not always act like a child."

"What will you do if one day I am no longer here?"

Petrovna pursed her lips and shrank back slightly. For the moment, she did not dare argue with her mother and teacher.

But not long afterward, she murmured in an almost imperceptible voice, "Mother, you are a Hall of Fame Card Master now. How could anything in this world possibly threaten you?"

With Catherine’s hearing, she naturally heard the girl’s words. Yet she merely let out a heavy sigh and said nothing more.

Elsewhere—

After watching the three from the Tsardom of Russia leave, Lu Su said somewhat strangely, "And that settled it?"

"Her Majesty the Empress was pretty easy to talk to."

Unlike the image of bandits in Lu Su’s memories, the Tsardom of Russia’s performance today kept making him feel that they were somewhat timid.

Fang Wenlong had guessed why Catherine had yielded so easily.

He could not help muttering, "It seems her pressure is great as well."

"No one has it easy."

However, a sigh was only a sigh. Fang Wenlong had no mood to sympathize with the Tsardom of Russia. After all, the Great Ming was currently a mess everywhere.

With that thought, he turned to Lu Su. "Xiao Luo, I will not say much more."

"Just remember to protect yourself on the battlefield."

Although Fang Wenlong had learned from Ji Weirui about what had happened in Shanghai City, he had never personally seen Lu Su take action.

So he could not help but remain somewhat worried.

Ji Weirui, who had remained silent beside them, said to Fang Wenlong with mild reproach, "Master Fang, stop worrying."

"Xiao Luo was able to solo-kill Chris before. Are you still afraid something will happen to him?"

Hearing this, Fang Wenlong shrugged and casually joked, "When people get old, they tend to become sentimental."

Then he looked at Lu Su again and sighed. "After this, it will be Xiao Luo and these young people taking over from us."

Siberia, Thousand Peaks City.

Goose-feather snow drifted through the sky, while the bone-piercing wind swept across this bitterly cold land as though it could freeze even one’s soul.

However, Thousand Peaks City had long since been occupied by the Demon Army, and such extreme weather was nothing to demons.

Even so, an air of deathly silence filled the city, devoid of its former bustle and clamor.

As for why, it was naturally because several Army Lords of the Demon Army had gathered in this city.

Inside a vast, brightly lit palace, five demons with entirely different appearances sat around a round conference table.

At this moment, one White-Armored Female Demon spoke indifferently. "You should all have received the news. Fang Wenlong has met with that woman from the Tsardom of Russia."

"I need not elaborate on what they must be plotting, correct?"

Upon hearing this, the other four demons nodded.

After a moment of silence, a male demon clad in a white robe and wreathed in mist said, "Since they are preparing to move against us, should we strike first?"

"That woman from the Tsardom of Russia should have only recently advanced to Hall of Fame Grade. If we join forces, the chances of killing her are still quite high."

At those words, a demon entirely shrouded in darkness, whose face could not be seen at all, could not help sneering. "That woman is not as foolish as you."

"She has been staying with Fang Wenlong and the others the entire time."

"What, are you planning to have us face four Master Grade Card Masters head-on?"

In the eyes of the Demon Army’s Army Lords, Catherine, who lacked matching cards, could not be considered a true Hall of Fame Card Master.

But that did not mean they could forcibly kill her while she was protected by three Master Grade Card Masters.

Faced with the mockery, the White-Robed Demon did not become angry. He merely said calmly, "There is no need to provoke me. I gathered everyone today precisely to discuss a countermeasure."

"If you have a better plan, just say it."

Clearly, the Master Grade Demon who had spoken mockingly had no better idea, so he merely snorted and fell silent.

At that moment, the White-Armored Female Demon asked, "What did Jin Ping say?"

"If we suffer, things will not go well for him either."

Due to several previous collaborations that had produced fairly good results, the Demon Army and Jin Ping could now be said to be in league with one another.

When Jin Ping had caused trouble in Shanghai City some time ago, the Demon Army had provided no small amount of assistance. Under these circumstances, Jin Ping should not even think of staying out of it.

Hearing this, the White-Robed Demon said expressionlessly, "He said Ye Zhou injured his foundation some time ago, so he cannot act during this period."

"Not only him. Skin Peeler and Marcus as well."

"So—"

Before he could finish, the demon who had mocked him earlier interrupted, "So that Old Dog is not planning to help us now?!"

"Outsiders truly cannot be trusted!"

Though interrupted, the White-Robed Demon remained as calm as ever. "So he said he would have his subordinates cooperate with us and stir up some trouble in the Great Ming and the Tsardom of Russia."

The Army Lords present naturally knew that Jin Ping had brought the Fallen Cult under his control, so they did not question whether the old man could cause chaos in Europa.

At this point, the White-Robed Demon paused and swept his gaze over the other beings of his rank. "Jin Ping also said that Ye Zhou probably does not have much time left. His current strength is less than one-tenth of what it once was, so we need not worry about him taking action."

Upon hearing this, the two Demon Army Lords who had remained silent abruptly stood up. "Is that true?!"

Seeing the White-Robed Demon nod, one of them grinned. "That really is wonderful."

"Oh, right. That experimental project I never told you about before—"

"It succeeded."

Hearing this, the White-Robed Demon finally no longer wore that dead man’s expression. A faint smile appeared on his face as he slowly said, "If that is the case, then this time we can take a huge bite out of them."

"So they stop constantly thinking about counterattacking."

Seeing that the intelligence had been gathered, the White-Armored Female Demon slowly rose to her feet. Amid the clanging scrape of her armor, she swept her gaze over her colleagues and said coldly, "Then all of you should return and make preparations as soon as possible."

"And then—"

"Welcome the war."