World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 827: Three Nine Six: Suo Lun madly collecting! Turing Duo shocked!

Chapter 827: Three Nine Six: Suo Lun madly collecting! Turing Duo shocked!

"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

Eunuch Li Zhu’s calls gradually brought Zhi Li back to reality.

Just a moment ago, his mind had been in complete disarray, unable to think at all.

Then he looked at the secret message again, and even though it was coded, he could immediately make out the four characters: Yan Mo defeated!

His mind reeled once again.

Yan Mo really felt unreal—how was this possible?

How could something so ridiculous happen in this world? How could Yan Mo possibly lose?

This was unlike any battle before, the naval strength of Lord Suo Lun was weak. Just a few months ago, Lord Suo Lun’s navy wouldn’t even dare directly confront Gui Xingfu’s forty thousand navy and had to retreat to land for defense.

Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand navy was several times stronger than Gui Xingfu’s.

If Lord Suo Lun’s navy dared not fight Gui Xingfu, how could they possibly be a match for Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand?

If Lord Suo Lun could defeat Yan Mo, why would he bother going to Yingzhou Island to seek an alliance with Hai Gang?

Furthermore, Lord Suo Lun had to face not only Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand navy but also Hai Gang’s fifty thousand main navy.

It was Hai Gang himself who personally wrote to Zhi Li to march south to attack Lord Suo Lun and even signed the Edict Against Treason.

Therefore, it was simply impossible for Lord Suo Lun to win.

Could this secret message be wrong?

Could it be that those at Donghai Heibingfu had been killed by Lord Suo Lun and replaced, or bought off by Lord Suo Lun, or perhaps Yan Mo is using a feigned defeat to lure the enemy deep into a trap to annihilate Lord Suo Lun completely?

In a brief moment, Zhi Li imagined several possibilities as if to comfort himself, but his heart was still filled with boundless unease.

"Your Highness, what’s wrong?" Li Zhu asked.

Yan Mo thought for a moment and then handed the secret message to him.

Li Zhu immediately knelt on both knees and received it with both hands.

Zhi Li’s secret messages had passed through his hands countless times, but he had never truly read one.

Upon opening it, Eunuch Li Zhu also recognized the secret code at a glance and understood its meaning.

Yan Mo defeated!

Li Zhu’s body shook, and he looked at Zhi Li incredulously, saying, "How is this possible?"

Zhi Li said, "I can hardly believe it myself. Has there been a secret message from any other stronghold?"

Li Zhu said, "Not at the moment!"

Zhi Li said, "Keep it quiet for now. Don’t let anyone know. Head to the Southeastern Sea Region with the utmost speed and find out the real situation. Then use carrier pigeons to send the news back to the royal city. I suspect our stronghold in the Southeast is either wiped out by Lord Suo Lun or has been bought off."

"Yes," Li Zhu said.

Half an hour later, Eunuch Li Zhu disguised himself as a man with a beard and rode day and night on a swift horse towards the Southeastern Sea Region!

...

That very night, Lord Suo Lun, under the protection of Princess Zhi Yan and Zhuang Zhixuan, temporarily left the fleet to head for the pirate harbor.

Throughout the process, the Suo Lun Fleet never approached within thirty miles of the pirate harbor.

After reaching the pirate harbor, Lord Suo Lun and others like Hai Gang left, while Queen Yan Chuo continued south with two fleets, sending over thirty thousand people to settle on Sky Piercer Island, leaving behind three Griffin Beasts for Lord Suo Lun and his company.

On that night, the most grand and opulent banquet in history was held at the pirate harbor.

It was perhaps the most luxurious feast that Lord Suo Lun had ever seen, with countless beauties weaving through the castle hall.

Exorbitantly expensive food and alcohol flowed like water at the banquet.

Merchants, nobles, and pirate leaders from all directions did everything they could to please Lord Suo Lun.

At the banquet, Lord Suo Lun sat on a lofty Golden Throne.

Zhuang Zhixuan stood guard meticulously behind him, while Haidei’er knelt before the throne, cutting meat and serving wine to Lord Suo Lun.

As the banquet reached its climax, it was time for Lord Suo Lun’s windfall.

All the merchants, nobles, and pirate leaders present began presenting their gifts.

Apart from salt and Magic Mirrors, there were all kinds of presents, and the most numerous were Gold Coins.

Those at the banquet hall tonight might well be the wealthiest people aside from those in the four secret continents.

In the past month or two, many standing in Yan Mo’s camp had partaken in the blockade against Lord Suo Lun’s maritime trade.

Now, Lord Suo Lun did not take their lives, allowing them to remain in their places, which was an enormous act of grace.

However, if you think all this is taken for granted, then you are sorely mistaken.

Subsequent compensation and filial piety are unavoidable.

Whenever the leader of the Marine Guild changed, those below had to show their filial piety.

Hai Gang received it, Yan Mo received it, and now it was Lord Suo Lun’s turn.

And because of Lord Suo Lun’s especially unique situation, where all their lives were in his hands, this act of filial piety was particularly fearsome.

"A humble one offers twenty thousand Gold Coins, wishing Lord Suo Lun, Princess Zhi Yan, a swift and successful enterprise!"

"A humble one offers one million and seventy thousand pounds of iron materials, twelve thousand three hundred and fifty pounds of various secret metals, wishing both Your Majesties a swift and successful enterprise!"

"A humble one offers thirty thousand stones of grain, one thousand three hundred suits of armor, wishing both Your Majesties a swift and successful enterprise!"

The big shots from the Marine Guild presented gifts nearly worth an astronomical sum; even for those as wealthy as nations, this was a substantial sacrifice.

Fifteen leaders donated gifts worth more than two hundred thousand Gold Coins.

These were just the large gifts; there were countless rare and exotic treasures presented to Princess Zhi Yan, to Yan Nai’er, to Suo Ningbing, to little Qin Qin, to Queen Yan Chuo, and to Lord Suo Lun’s side, Haidei’er.