Chapter 429
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As the crowd observed the aberration, the curious looks turned into stares of extreme fright. There were endless walls of monstrous waves that surged in the horizon, far away where the white waves seemed to reach the sky.
It was terrifyingly glorious.
The tidal waves came quickly. In about a quarter of an hour, the monstrous tides had arrived, coming within a few hundred feet of everyone present.
The Emperor of Ziyou's eyes seemed about to bulge out of their sockets. He moaned hopelessly as he whispered in fear, "That… that is the Lunar River's water!"
Everyone had turned pale, as they witnessed the oncoming calamity. All of them were aware of what was coming for them.
It was the Lunar River's water!
Supreme Cloud's departure and subsequent return was to bring the Lunar River here?
Only Supreme Water had the ability to manipulate water among the Nine Supremes, but Supreme Cloud now seemed to be even stronger in his water-bending abilities.
To direct the Lunar River's water to Zilong City and cause the river to change its course – what could possibly have warranted such madness?
To put it simply, the Lunar River's flowing waters could easily turn the Empire of Ziyou's Zilong City into a swamp.
The thousands of miles of land would become another ocean in Tianxuan Continent within the blink of an eye.
At this moment, everyone could not help the regret surging from the bottom of their hearts.
Supreme Cloud was a lunatic, a complete madman! A psychopath who cared nothing about his reputation or morals, nor the safety of ordinary citizens!
Would he drown the Empire of Ziyou over this small matter and put an end to billions of innocent lives?
Don't you still have any humanity left? What did we do to provoke such a psychopath?
Before this, this lunatic's madness was only limited to the battlefield; he had only interfered when we attacked their country.
Now, the series of ill-planned actions – kidnapping his relative, setting up the trap, and all the other tasteless tactics, had caused Supreme Cloud to finally erupt. He cared nothing more about the principle of worldly matters, about the citizens, about the sacrifice of innocent lives; he would do anything to achieve his objective!
When the Lunar River was redirected into the Empire of Ziyou, lives would truly be lost!
No one among the billions of people in the Empire of Ziyou's tens of thousands of miles of land could survive, save a limited number of high-level cultivators.
As for the Empire of Ziyou, perhaps it would be today, maybe tomorrow – it would disappear entirely from Tianxuan Continent in an extremely short period of time. It would fall into extinction!
The Emperor of Ziyou's lips were trembling wildly as he watched the approaching waves that almost reached him but he remained stationary.
No matter how the guards and officials beside him tried to pull him and persuade him to leave, the emperor stood dumbly as he watched the Lunar River's water approach with a hopeless gaze.
Since ruler showed no signs of leaving, the rest of the officials could not flee, leaving their king behind. To retreat now would mean a sentence for treason, without any room for discussion.
The multitude of officials could only stand still and accompany the emperor of Ziyou to stare, dumbfounded, at the surging tide. Their faces were pale, and they could feel their very souls leaving their bodies that were being supported by trembling legs.
A while later, the crowd was relieved to find out that the impending tidal waves seemed to behave rather strangely. The waves approached with vigor but came to an abrupt stop when it reached within a hundred feet of the gathered crowd and came no closer.
The waves grew taller as the volume of water increased, but it accumulated in front of their eyes without coming any further.
ZIyou's emperor and officials had just encountered a strange phenomenon, a rare sight in this world.
A hundred feet away, the monstrous waves surged. The tides reached hundreds of feet high, like an upended river! At their own feet, however, the land was dry, without a single drop of water on it.
The entire situation was strange enough to cause those who were witnessing it to wonder if they were actually dreaming.
Those who were sharper connected the dots immediately, knowing in their hearts that the anomaly now must be manmade and the culprit could only be one person – the Nine Supremes' think-tank, Supreme Cloud!
It was a warning, to threaten or to send a message before further atrocities would be visited upon them!
The entire Empire of Ziyou could perish within an instance; the sacrifice of countless citizens of Ziyou was all in the hand of a single person.
It was truly a situation of life and death within a single thought, with the afterlife as an immediate judgment.
Seeing the waves in front of them piling up, growing higher and higher, the fear in every individual's chest grew more intense. As no one had any idea of what to do, the tides surged in an even more violent manner, while on the tip of the white tidal waves, an apparition was rapidly forming.
With a snap of the fingers, a silhouette stood tall above the waves, illusory like a deity that had come to visit mortal earth.
The crowd could clearly see that the silhouette was formed entirely from water, but the facial features obviously belonged to Supreme Cloud who had just charged out of Zilong City.
"My apologies. To prepare a surprise for everyone, I was unable to come at the promised time and am late. I have overstepped my bounds. I ask for Ziyou Majesty's pardon."
Lord Supreme Cloud stood above the surging waves like a mountain, stable and unmoving.
He seemed to be apologizing, but the stone-cold tone was distinctive to everyone's ears!
How could that be an apology? It was an obvious threat; he was wild, looking down upon everyone from a high stature like they were ants! Who else in the world could steer the Lunar River's water here – who?
He had not regarded himself too highly, he was simply telling a truth, a fact – Supreme Cloud had the ability to wipe Ziyou out with a flip of his palm.
The Emperor of Ziyou inhaled deeply and took three steps forward, disregarding the officials and guards who tried to stop him, saying as he lifted his head, "Lord Supreme Cloud is true to his reputation indeed. Such skill is truly amazing and unprecedented. I am very impressed. No, I am utterly impressed. What a talent you are!"
Surprise flashed in Yun Yang's eyes as he replied faintly, "It truly is the Emperor of Ziyou himself. I didn't expect meeting you again. I said earlier that I hoped to have someone I can speak to, but I didn't expect Your Majesty to come personally. I thank you for the honor."
Emperor of Ziyou chuckled bitterly, "The valiance of Supreme Cloud is peerless and unique. Since Supreme Cloud has come and even extended an invitation to meet, I had no choice but to come personally to meet Lord Supreme Cloud. I didn't know I was meeting Supreme Cloud himself during our previous encounter. A terrible faux pas on my part."
Yun Yang nodded and said, "Your Majesty's grace impresses me. No wonder you are supreme among men, leader of Ziyou!"
Emperor of Ziyou smiled. "Lord Supreme Cloud, you flatter me."
Yun Yang said slowly, "Chaotic times produces heroes. This saying has remained unchanged throughout the years. There's another saying that, perhaps, wasn't recorded in history but I think makes a lot of sense as well. Chaotic times produces brilliant rulers!"
Yun Yang's voice was filled with a weariness for the vicissitudes of life, "Only when great men rise together that heroes can be produced and there must be a brilliant ruler to restrain and lead these heroes. Only then can an eternal dynasty of heroic conquests be formed!"
"No matter who triumphs in this world hegemony, to contend for domination amidst this chaotic times needs one to have great talent and bold vision. Only among the brilliant and wise emperors can a legendary war be fought!"
"Only such wars qualify to leave their colorful and thick ink in the pages of history."
Yun Yang said sincerely, "As for Your Majesty, you are one such remarkable ruler. As a sovereign, Your Majesty's actions are befitting a brilliant emperor of his time."
The Emperor of Ziyou smiled faintly and asked, "How about when I'm compared to Yutang's Yu Peize?"
He stood calmly before the monstrous waves; he was at an absolute disadvantage, yet he conversed naturally without a hint of change in his expression and gaze; it was like he had never been on the losing end at all. His arms were behind his back, while his gaze held a sense of disdain; he still had the mannerisms of a magnificent ruler.
Another tinge of admiration flashed in Yun Yang's eyes as he replied, "I have no comment about who is better or lower regarding Your Majesty and my country's emperor. There's just one thing; perhaps Your Majesty's bold vision, valiance, and other aspects may not be lacking compared to my ruler, but regarding your nation's mastery of control, I am certain that my own emperor holds the upper hand."
Emperor of Ziyou sighed softly and said with a smile, "Weaker in the mastery of the nation's control? Only this?"
Yun Yang thought about it and answered earnestly, "Truly, it is only this. After all, Your Majesty and my emperor employ different methods to control the people. Your Majesty uses tactics, pacifying people with influence and power, while my emperor uses friendship and sentiment. Therein lies the difference. Of course, there are pros and cons regarding these two methods, it is hard to say which is better."
The Emperor of Ziyou said, "I would like to hear more."
Yun Yang continued, "To drive subordinates with the emperor's tactics, the royal grace has to br everywhere – this is a sovereign's way undoubtedly, and the benefits of it are obvious. The officials are on their toes when facing such a leader and would not dare to slack; the governance will be smooth. It's a good tactic. However, one of the drawbacks of this is the lack of heart. Such an arrangement will sometimes be fragile, ready to collapse with just one blow."
"Do share more," Emperor of Ziyou asked rather interestedly.
"Simply put, it's hard for people to serve with death as a stick, and no carrot to be had. I believe the Emperor of Ziyou must have realized this as well."
Without waiting for the emperor's reply, Yun Yang continued to speak with deeply implied meaning, "While my emperor is sincere in treating his people, to his officials, especially the old ones, he treats them like brothers. There is still suspicion, there is still some tension, but they will never be intense. He is always more generous to his relatives and friends."
"Of course, these traits of my ruler have caused the Empire of Yutang to have the most spies from other nations. This is an undeniable con on our side! Any minor decision in Yutang is difficult to be kept confidential, but it is relatively easier to garner the loyalty of officials and militants!"
"Otherwise, how can the Empire of Yutang stay standing for so many years, despite the challenges it faces? The emperor and officials are united, the warriors serve with their lives, the patriotism never fades. Unless Yutang falls entirely, Yutang will never perish!"
"Countless families enlist themselves voluntarily to protect the country. Even when they have to fight to the point of being heirless, they remain as passionate as ever, and without regrets!"
The Emperor of Ziyou pondered upon this and nodded grimly, saying, "I seem to understand, but I still don't quite understand."
Yun Yang chuckled. "I am certain Your Majesty understands. Your Majesty is trying to use my mouth to speak to your officials, am I right?"
The Emperor of Ziyou laughed in genuine amusement and said, "Lord Supreme Cloud, please teach my officials a lesson on my behalf today!"
Yun Yang contemplated his request and replied, "Then, let me use a simple and direct example of a situation that will never happen in any other country. If there were to be a day when Yutang perishes – collapsed because of the combined attacks of the four nations, what you would all get in the end will only be a fallen Yutang and the dead. It's impossible for you all to conquer the heart of Yutang's people unless the millions of warriors of Yutang die from fighting! At most, only twenty percent of the civil and military officials of Yutang's imperial court will kneel in surrender when the country has been subjugated, and these include the spies! I dare to even say that the other countries will never be in a similar state!"
The Emperor of Ziyou then asked, "Then what if Ziyou were to fall? What does Lord Supreme Cloud think of that?"
Yun Yang smiled faintly and answered, "The one who raised the question should be the one with clearest of answers. If Ziyou were to fall, then those who are willing to fight to their last breath will only take up a few of Ziyou's imperial court of officials… at most, ten to twenty percent. This is the most optimistic view, even though I've tried to account for more!"
Ziyou's officials who were there glared at Yun Yang, but no one dared to argue.
The Emperor of Ziyou chortled when he heard this. He laughed so hard that tears spilled from his eyes; he clapped and said in delight, "This makes sense! This makes absolute sense!"
On one of the spectrum, ten to twenty percent would surrender and kneel before the enemy. This included even the spies from various countries.
On the other end, an estimation of those who would fight to the death would only come up to twenty percent at most, and this was being utterly optimistic.
They were both ten to twenty percent, but they were both an absolute contrast, two extremes on two ends that could never meet!
The Emperor of Ziyou was guffawing in front of his subordinates; his easy laughter was accompanied by tears that slowly coursed down his face. No one saw his tears because his back was facing the civil and military officials.
Behind him, many of those officials showed vehement shame, some deep in thought with a frown while some smirked despicably; there were also some who remained indifferent, not at all perturbed by Yun Yang's words.
Life was made up of different encounters and different choices. Everyone had their own stance. No one's choice was the absolute right one, and they would be different because everyone was different!
"These are the two paths of a ruler's power. It's hard to say which is better." Yun Yang said honestly, "Everything can only be judged from the outcome. Winner takes it all!"
"Winner takes it all indeed. I have no more regrets in life after talking to you today!"
The Emperor of Ziyou then took on a more serious tone, "However, I would still hold on to my decree. As long as I am still enthroned, Ziyou shall not fall!"
He said it with resolve, and no one dared to deny him his pride.
It made the Ziyou officials behind him alert with interest.
For a moment, the officials felt their spines strengthen. Even when the threat of their nation falling was right before them, they did not seem to be as fearful anymore.
Yun Yang replied faintly, with amusement, "Perhaps."
He did not need to say that if he were to release his control over the water, the Empire of Ziyou would fall immediately! There was no use for the emperor to make a vow – he would be the first one to drown. Ironically, he would fulfill his vow; he would die first before Ziyou fell!
The Emperor of Ziyou breathed in deeply, suppressing all the emotions that ran wild within him, and said, smiling, "Lord Supreme Cloud has asked for someone qualified enough to speak to. I wonder if I'm qualified enough to speak to you?"
Yun Yang chuckled. "If Your Majesty isn't, then no one in the entire Empire of Ziyou is qualified!"
The Emperor of Ziyou was strangely comforted by his words, "Good. Then let me speak to Lord Supreme Cloud. Lord Supreme Cloud also indicated that we should know what you want."
"That is right! Since Your Majesty is here and has seen everything there is to see, then Your Majesty must certainly know what I want," Yun Yang said.
Emperor of Ziyou smiled faintly and with a wave of his hand, ordered, "Carry the Niello Bear that has fallen in Zilong City over!"
Once Yun Yang heard the word 'fallen', he closed his eyes.
Fallen?
Yun Yang had held on to the slimmest of hopes that even if Blackie was on the brink of death, even if it was forced to surrender by Ziyou's forces, even if its mystical beast persona had been destroyed and it became an ordinary, wild, black bear, it was fine – as long as it was still alive!
Sadly, he had finally heard the most dreaded answer; the cruel truth was right before his eyes.
The innocent bear cub, the little bear that took a step after another behind him naively, had fallen?
The little bear cub that had only been with him for days and could not even enjoy the benefits of following him, was dead?
On his wrist, a small green snake that had recovered its health suddenly slithered and hid within its own coiled body. Two tears condensed from spiritual Qi dampened Yun Yang's wrist.
Yun Yang could feel the soft trembling from the small snake.
The crowd further separated into two. Several hundred people carried a gigantic body over, using large logs balanced on their shoulders.
It was the little bear.
The little bear's body was no longer intact. Not only was its chest and abdomen sliced open, its limbs had been amputated and placed on top of its body. Its head was littered with blade wounds while blood and brain matter spilled out in copious amounts. It did possess any semblance of life anymore; it had died in the most horrible sense, more so than Old Dugu.
The team carried the little bear over slowly, to the front of the surging tidal waves.
Yun Yang lowered his head slowly, looking at the little bear's body. He wore no emotion on his face, but his eyes were glinting with vehement rage.
The small snake wrapped around its wrist uncoiled and launched itself at the bear's prone body.
Within the blink of an eye, the small snake turned into a Moire Python the size of an arm and fell on the little bear's corpse. The Moire Python was trembling, hissing and roaming around the little bear, calling for it anxiously.
The Moire Python's cry sounded vaguely like a roar, not unlike the little bear's growl. Obviously, the Moire Python hoped to wake the Niello Bear, although it had absolutely no signs of vitality left.
Yun Yang shut his eyes slowly before opening them again.
A stream of water slowly washed onto the little bear, cleaning each part of its body meticulously. The innumerable wounds on the body healed at a speed that was visible to the eye.
It was a miracle that Yun Yang had concocted by combining the Holy Water Charm, Endless Divine Art and Emmie's air of vitality. Of course, it was mainly because the Niello Bear had just died and as a mystical beast king, its physical body's vitality still remained, thus allowing the wounds to heal.
After the time taken to make a cup of tea, even the little bear's limbs had been returned to their original place. It looked clean like it had just fallen asleep.
Yun Yang took another deep breath, engulfing the little bear in his divine sense. It was to check if there were any wounds that were yet to be healed. There was also the slimmest hope contained within it. However, just as he cast out his deific consciousness, Yun Yang grew enraged at once as he bellowed, "Where is the little bear's mystical core?"
His deific sense extended its tendrils wide, but the mystical core that should have been in the little bear's head was missing!
At that very moment, Yun Yang grew hysteric with rage; cutting murderous intent filled the space instantly as his eyes stared icily at the ruler of Ziyou, saying coldly, "Emperor of Ziyou, where is my bear's mystical core? I hope, for your sake, that you are able to hand it over to me immediately."
"This is my pet and also my guardian! I had hoped that my fighter could be buried intact, with its body and also its core in one piece."
"Hand it over, now!"
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As the crowd observed the aberration, the curious looks turned into stares of extreme fright. There were endless walls of monstrous waves that surged in the horizon, far away where the white waves seemed to reach the sky.
It was terrifyingly glorious.
The tidal waves came quickly. In about a quarter of an hour, the monstrous tides had arrived, coming within a few hundred feet of everyone present.
The Emperor of Ziyou's eyes seemed about to bulge out of their sockets. He moaned hopelessly as he whispered in fear, "That… that is the Lunar River's water!"
Everyone had turned pale, as they witnessed the oncoming calamity. All of them were aware of what was coming for them.
It was the Lunar River's water!
Supreme Cloud's departure and subsequent return was to bring the Lunar River here?
Only Supreme Water had the ability to manipulate water among the Nine Supremes, but Supreme Cloud now seemed to be even stronger in his water-bending abilities.
To direct the Lunar River's water to Zilong City and cause the river to change its course – what could possibly have warranted such madness?
To put it simply, the Lunar River's flowing waters could easily turn the Empire of Ziyou's Zilong City into a swamp.
The thousands of miles of land would become another ocean in Tianxuan Continent within the blink of an eye.
At this moment, everyone could not help the regret surging from the bottom of their hearts.
Supreme Cloud was a lunatic, a complete madman! A psychopath who cared nothing about his reputation or morals, nor the safety of ordinary citizens!
Would he drown the Empire of Ziyou over this small matter and put an end to billions of innocent lives?
Don't you still have any humanity left? What did we do to provoke such a psychopath?
Before this, this lunatic's madness was only limited to the battlefield; he had only interfered when we attacked their country.
Now, the series of ill-planned actions – kidnapping his relative, setting up the trap, and all the other tasteless tactics, had caused Supreme Cloud to finally erupt. He cared nothing more about the principle of worldly matters, about the citizens, about the sacrifice of innocent lives; he would do anything to achieve his objective!
When the Lunar River was redirected into the Empire of Ziyou, lives would truly be lost!
No one among the billions of people in the Empire of Ziyou's tens of thousands of miles of land could survive, save a limited number of high-level cultivators.
As for the Empire of Ziyou, perhaps it would be today, maybe tomorrow – it would disappear entirely from Tianxuan Continent in an extremely short period of time. It would fall into extinction!
The Emperor of Ziyou's lips were trembling wildly as he watched the approaching waves that almost reached him but he remained stationary.
No matter how the guards and officials beside him tried to pull him and persuade him to leave, the emperor stood dumbly as he watched the Lunar River's water approach with a hopeless gaze.
Since ruler showed no signs of leaving, the rest of the officials could not flee, leaving their king behind. To retreat now would mean a sentence for treason, without any room for discussion.
The multitude of officials could only stand still and accompany the emperor of Ziyou to stare, dumbfounded, at the surging tide. Their faces were pale, and they could feel their very souls leaving their bodies that were being supported by trembling legs.
A while later, the crowd was relieved to find out that the impending tidal waves seemed to behave rather strangely. The waves approached with vigor but came to an abrupt stop when it reached within a hundred feet of the gathered crowd and came no closer.
The waves grew taller as the volume of water increased, but it accumulated in front of their eyes without coming any further.
ZIyou's emperor and officials had just encountered a strange phenomenon, a rare sight in this world.
A hundred feet away, the monstrous waves surged. The tides reached hundreds of feet high, like an upended river! At their own feet, however, the land was dry, without a single drop of water on it.
The entire situation was strange enough to cause those who were witnessing it to wonder if they were actually dreaming.
Those who were sharper connected the dots immediately, knowing in their hearts that the anomaly now must be manmade and the culprit could only be one person – the Nine Supremes' think-tank, Supreme Cloud!
It was a warning, to threaten or to send a message before further atrocities would be visited upon them!
The entire Empire of Ziyou could perish within an instance; the sacrifice of countless citizens of Ziyou was all in the hand of a single person.
It was truly a situation of life and death within a single thought, with the afterlife as an immediate judgment.
Seeing the waves in front of them piling up, growing higher and higher, the fear in every individual's chest grew more intense. As no one had any idea of what to do, the tides surged in an even more violent manner, while on the tip of the white tidal waves, an apparition was rapidly forming.
With a snap of the fingers, a silhouette stood tall above the waves, illusory like a deity that had come to visit mortal earth.
The crowd could clearly see that the silhouette was formed entirely from water, but the facial features obviously belonged to Supreme Cloud who had just charged out of Zilong City.
"My apologies. To prepare a surprise for everyone, I was unable to come at the promised time and am late. I have overstepped my bounds. I ask for Ziyou Majesty's pardon."
Lord Supreme Cloud stood above the surging waves like a mountain, stable and unmoving.
He seemed to be apologizing, but the stone-cold tone was distinctive to everyone's ears!
How could that be an apology? It was an obvious threat; he was wild, looking down upon everyone from a high stature like they were ants! Who else in the world could steer the Lunar River's water here – who?
He had not regarded himself too highly, he was simply telling a truth, a fact – Supreme Cloud had the ability to wipe Ziyou out with a flip of his palm.
The Emperor of Ziyou inhaled deeply and took three steps forward, disregarding the officials and guards who tried to stop him, saying as he lifted his head, "Lord Supreme Cloud is true to his reputation indeed. Such skill is truly amazing and unprecedented. I am very impressed. No, I am utterly impressed. What a talent you are!"
Surprise flashed in Yun Yang's eyes as he replied faintly, "It truly is the Emperor of Ziyou himself. I didn't expect meeting you again. I said earlier that I hoped to have someone I can speak to, but I didn't expect Your Majesty to come personally. I thank you for the honor."
Emperor of Ziyou chuckled bitterly, "The valiance of Supreme Cloud is peerless and unique. Since Supreme Cloud has come and even extended an invitation to meet, I had no choice but to come personally to meet Lord Supreme Cloud. I didn't know I was meeting Supreme Cloud himself during our previous encounter. A terrible faux pas on my part."
Yun Yang nodded and said, "Your Majesty's grace impresses me. No wonder you are supreme among men, leader of Ziyou!"
Emperor of Ziyou smiled. "Lord Supreme Cloud, you flatter me."
Yun Yang said slowly, "Chaotic times produces heroes. This saying has remained unchanged throughout the years. There's another saying that, perhaps, wasn't recorded in history but I think makes a lot of sense as well. Chaotic times produces brilliant rulers!"
Yun Yang's voice was filled with a weariness for the vicissitudes of life, "Only when great men rise together that heroes can be produced and there must be a brilliant ruler to restrain and lead these heroes. Only then can an eternal dynasty of heroic conquests be formed!"
"No matter who triumphs in this world hegemony, to contend for domination amidst this chaotic times needs one to have great talent and bold vision. Only among the brilliant and wise emperors can a legendary war be fought!"
"Only such wars qualify to leave their colorful and thick ink in the pages of history."
Yun Yang said sincerely, "As for Your Majesty, you are one such remarkable ruler. As a sovereign, Your Majesty's actions are befitting a brilliant emperor of his time."
The Emperor of Ziyou smiled faintly and asked, "How about when I'm compared to Yutang's Yu Peize?"
He stood calmly before the monstrous waves; he was at an absolute disadvantage, yet he conversed naturally without a hint of change in his expression and gaze; it was like he had never been on the losing end at all. His arms were behind his back, while his gaze held a sense of disdain; he still had the mannerisms of a magnificent ruler.
Another tinge of admiration flashed in Yun Yang's eyes as he replied, "I have no comment about who is better or lower regarding Your Majesty and my country's emperor. There's just one thing; perhaps Your Majesty's bold vision, valiance, and other aspects may not be lacking compared to my ruler, but regarding your nation's mastery of control, I am certain that my own emperor holds the upper hand."
Emperor of Ziyou sighed softly and said with a smile, "Weaker in the mastery of the nation's control? Only this?"
Yun Yang thought about it and answered earnestly, "Truly, it is only this. After all, Your Majesty and my emperor employ different methods to control the people. Your Majesty uses tactics, pacifying people with influence and power, while my emperor uses friendship and sentiment. Therein lies the difference. Of course, there are pros and cons regarding these two methods, it is hard to say which is better."
The Emperor of Ziyou said, "I would like to hear more."
Yun Yang continued, "To drive subordinates with the emperor's tactics, the royal grace has to br everywhere – this is a sovereign's way undoubtedly, and the benefits of it are obvious. The officials are on their toes when facing such a leader and would not dare to slack; the governance will be smooth. It's a good tactic. However, one of the drawbacks of this is the lack of heart. Such an arrangement will sometimes be fragile, ready to collapse with just one blow."
"Do share more," Emperor of Ziyou asked rather interestedly.
"Simply put, it's hard for people to serve with death as a stick, and no carrot to be had. I believe the Emperor of Ziyou must have realized this as well."
Without waiting for the emperor's reply, Yun Yang continued to speak with deeply implied meaning, "While my emperor is sincere in treating his people, to his officials, especially the old ones, he treats them like brothers. There is still suspicion, there is still some tension, but they will never be intense. He is always more generous to his relatives and friends."
"Of course, these traits of my ruler have caused the Empire of Yutang to have the most spies from other nations. This is an undeniable con on our side! Any minor decision in Yutang is difficult to be kept confidential, but it is relatively easier to garner the loyalty of officials and militants!"
"Otherwise, how can the Empire of Yutang stay standing for so many years, despite the challenges it faces? The emperor and officials are united, the warriors serve with their lives, the patriotism never fades. Unless Yutang falls entirely, Yutang will never perish!"
"Countless families enlist themselves voluntarily to protect the country. Even when they have to fight to the point of being heirless, they remain as passionate as ever, and without regrets!"
The Emperor of Ziyou pondered upon this and nodded grimly, saying, "I seem to understand, but I still don't quite understand."
Yun Yang chuckled. "I am certain Your Majesty understands. Your Majesty is trying to use my mouth to speak to your officials, am I right?"
The Emperor of Ziyou laughed in genuine amusement and said, "Lord Supreme Cloud, please teach my officials a lesson on my behalf today!"
Yun Yang contemplated his request and replied, "Then, let me use a simple and direct example of a situation that will never happen in any other country. If there were to be a day when Yutang perishes – collapsed because of the combined attacks of the four nations, what you would all get in the end will only be a fallen Yutang and the dead. It's impossible for you all to conquer the heart of Yutang's people unless the millions of warriors of Yutang die from fighting! At most, only twenty percent of the civil and military officials of Yutang's imperial court will kneel in surrender when the country has been subjugated, and these include the spies! I dare to even say that the other countries will never be in a similar state!"
The Emperor of Ziyou then asked, "Then what if Ziyou were to fall? What does Lord Supreme Cloud think of that?"
Yun Yang smiled faintly and answered, "The one who raised the question should be the one with clearest of answers. If Ziyou were to fall, then those who are willing to fight to their last breath will only take up a few of Ziyou's imperial court of officials… at most, ten to twenty percent. This is the most optimistic view, even though I've tried to account for more!"
Ziyou's officials who were there glared at Yun Yang, but no one dared to argue.
The Emperor of Ziyou chortled when he heard this. He laughed so hard that tears spilled from his eyes; he clapped and said in delight, "This makes sense! This makes absolute sense!"
On one of the spectrum, ten to twenty percent would surrender and kneel before the enemy. This included even the spies from various countries.
On the other end, an estimation of those who would fight to the death would only come up to twenty percent at most, and this was being utterly optimistic.
They were both ten to twenty percent, but they were both an absolute contrast, two extremes on two ends that could never meet!
The Emperor of Ziyou was guffawing in front of his subordinates; his easy laughter was accompanied by tears that slowly coursed down his face. No one saw his tears because his back was facing the civil and military officials.
Behind him, many of those officials showed vehement shame, some deep in thought with a frown while some smirked despicably; there were also some who remained indifferent, not at all perturbed by Yun Yang's words.
Life was made up of different encounters and different choices. Everyone had their own stance. No one's choice was the absolute right one, and they would be different because everyone was different!
"These are the two paths of a ruler's power. It's hard to say which is better." Yun Yang said honestly, "Everything can only be judged from the outcome. Winner takes it all!"
"Winner takes it all indeed. I have no more regrets in life after talking to you today!"
The Emperor of Ziyou then took on a more serious tone, "However, I would still hold on to my decree. As long as I am still enthroned, Ziyou shall not fall!"
He said it with resolve, and no one dared to deny him his pride.
It made the Ziyou officials behind him alert with interest.
For a moment, the officials felt their spines strengthen. Even when the threat of their nation falling was right before them, they did not seem to be as fearful anymore.
Yun Yang replied faintly, with amusement, "Perhaps."
He did not need to say that if he were to release his control over the water, the Empire of Ziyou would fall immediately! There was no use for the emperor to make a vow – he would be the first one to drown. Ironically, he would fulfill his vow; he would die first before Ziyou fell!
The Emperor of Ziyou breathed in deeply, suppressing all the emotions that ran wild within him, and said, smiling, "Lord Supreme Cloud has asked for someone qualified enough to speak to. I wonder if I'm qualified enough to speak to you?"
Yun Yang chuckled. "If Your Majesty isn't, then no one in the entire Empire of Ziyou is qualified!"
The Emperor of Ziyou was strangely comforted by his words, "Good. Then let me speak to Lord Supreme Cloud. Lord Supreme Cloud also indicated that we should know what you want."
"That is right! Since Your Majesty is here and has seen everything there is to see, then Your Majesty must certainly know what I want," Yun Yang said.
Emperor of Ziyou smiled faintly and with a wave of his hand, ordered, "Carry the Niello Bear that has fallen in Zilong City over!"
Once Yun Yang heard the word 'fallen', he closed his eyes.
Fallen?
Yun Yang had held on to the slimmest of hopes that even if Blackie was on the brink of death, even if it was forced to surrender by Ziyou's forces, even if its mystical beast persona had been destroyed and it became an ordinary, wild, black bear, it was fine – as long as it was still alive!
Sadly, he had finally heard the most dreaded answer; the cruel truth was right before his eyes.
The innocent bear cub, the little bear that took a step after another behind him naively, had fallen?
The little bear cub that had only been with him for days and could not even enjoy the benefits of following him, was dead?
On his wrist, a small green snake that had recovered its health suddenly slithered and hid within its own coiled body. Two tears condensed from spiritual Qi dampened Yun Yang's wrist.
Yun Yang could feel the soft trembling from the small snake.
The crowd further separated into two. Several hundred people carried a gigantic body over, using large logs balanced on their shoulders.
It was the little bear.
The little bear's body was no longer intact. Not only was its chest and abdomen sliced open, its limbs had been amputated and placed on top of its body. Its head was littered with blade wounds while blood and brain matter spilled out in copious amounts. It did possess any semblance of life anymore; it had died in the most horrible sense, more so than Old Dugu.
The team carried the little bear over slowly, to the front of the surging tidal waves.
Yun Yang lowered his head slowly, looking at the little bear's body. He wore no emotion on his face, but his eyes were glinting with vehement rage.
The small snake wrapped around its wrist uncoiled and launched itself at the bear's prone body.
Within the blink of an eye, the small snake turned into a Moire Python the size of an arm and fell on the little bear's corpse. The Moire Python was trembling, hissing and roaming around the little bear, calling for it anxiously.
The Moire Python's cry sounded vaguely like a roar, not unlike the little bear's growl. Obviously, the Moire Python hoped to wake the Niello Bear, although it had absolutely no signs of vitality left.
Yun Yang shut his eyes slowly before opening them again.
A stream of water slowly washed onto the little bear, cleaning each part of its body meticulously. The innumerable wounds on the body healed at a speed that was visible to the eye.
It was a miracle that Yun Yang had concocted by combining the Holy Water Charm, Endless Divine Art and Emmie's air of vitality. Of course, it was mainly because the Niello Bear had just died and as a mystical beast king, its physical body's vitality still remained, thus allowing the wounds to heal.
After the time taken to make a cup of tea, even the little bear's limbs had been returned to their original place. It looked clean like it had just fallen asleep.
Yun Yang took another deep breath, engulfing the little bear in his divine sense. It was to check if there were any wounds that were yet to be healed. There was also the slimmest hope contained within it. However, just as he cast out his deific consciousness, Yun Yang grew enraged at once as he bellowed, "Where is the little bear's mystical core?"
His deific sense extended its tendrils wide, but the mystical core that should have been in the little bear's head was missing!
At that very moment, Yun Yang grew hysteric with rage; cutting murderous intent filled the space instantly as his eyes stared icily at the ruler of Ziyou, saying coldly, "Emperor of Ziyou, where is my bear's mystical core? I hope, for your sake, that you are able to hand it over to me immediately."
"This is my pet and also my guardian! I had hoped that my fighter could be buried intact, with its body and also its core in one piece."
"Hand it over, now!"
As the crowd observed the aberration, the curious looks turned into stares of extreme fright. There were endless walls of monstrous waves that surged in the horizon, far away where the white waves seemed to reach the sky.It was terrifyingly glorious.The tidal waves came quickly. In about a quarter of an hour, the monstrous tides had arrived, coming within a few hundred feet of everyone present.The Emperor of Ziyou's eyes seemed about to bulge out of their sockets. He moaned hopelessly as he whispered in fear, "That that is the Lunar River's water!"Everyone had turned pale, as they witnessed the oncoming calamity. All of them were aware of what was coming for them.It was the Lunar River's water!Supreme Cloud's departure and subsequent return was to bring the Lunar River here?Only Supreme Water had the ability to manipulate water among the Nine Supremes, but Supreme Cloud now seemed to be even stronger in his water-bending abilities.To direct the Lunar River's water to Zilong City and cause the river to change its course what could possibly have warranted such madness?To put it simply, the Lunar River's flowing waters could easily turn the Empire of Ziyou's Zilong City into a swamp.The thousands of miles of land would become another ocean in Tianxuan Continent within the blink of an eye.At this moment, everyone could not help the regret surging from the bottom of their hearts.Supreme Cloud was a lunatic, a complete madman! A psychopath who cared nothing about his reputation or morals, nor the safety of ordinary citizens!Would he drown the Empire of Ziyou over this small matter and put an end to billions of innocent lives?Don't you still have any humanity left? What did we do to provoke such a psychopath?Before this, this lunatic's madness was only limited to the battlefield; he had only interfered when we attacked their country.Now, the series of ill-planned actions kidnapping his relative, setting up the trap, and all the other tasteless tactics, had caused Supreme Cloud to finally erupt. He cared nothing more about the principle of worldly matters, about the citizens, about the sacrifice of innocent lives; he would do anything to achieve his objective!When the Lunar River was redirected into the Empire of Ziyou, lives would truly be lost!No one among the billions of people in the Empire of Ziyou's tens of thousands of miles of land could survive, save a limited number of high-level cultivators.As for the Empire of Ziyou, perhaps it would be today, maybe tomorrow it would disappear entirely from Tianxuan Continent in an extremely short period of time. It would fall into extinction!The Emperor of Ziyou's lips were trembling wildly as he watched the approaching waves that almost reached him but he remained stationary.No matter how the guards and officials beside him tried to pull him and persuade him to leave, the emperor stood dumbly as he watched the Lunar River's water approach with a hopeless gaze.Since ruler showed no signs of leaving, the rest of the officials could not flee, leaving their king behind. To retreat now would mean a sentence for treason, without any room for discussion.The multitude of officials could only stand still and accompany the emperor of Ziyou to stare, dumbfounded, at the surging tide. Their faces were pale, and they could feel their very souls leaving their bodies that were being supported by trembling legs.A while later, the crowd was relieved to find out that the impending tidal waves seemed to behave rather strangely. The waves approached with vigor but came to an abrupt stop when it reached within a hundred feet of the gathered crowd and came no closer.The waves grew taller as the volume of water increased, but it accumulated in front of their eyes without coming any further.ZIyou's emperor and officials had just encountered a strange phenomenon, a rare sight in this world.A hundred feet away, the monstrous waves surged. The tides reached hundreds of feet high, like an upended river! At their own feet, however, the land was dry, without a single drop of water on it.The entire situation was strange enough to cause those who were witnessing it to wonder if they were actually dreaming.Those who were sharper connected the dots immediately, knowing in their hearts that the anomaly now must be manmade and the culprit could only be one person the Nine Supremes' think-tank, Supreme Cloud!It was a warning, to threaten or to send a message before further atrocities would be visited upon them!The entire Empire of Ziyou could perish within an instance; the sacrifice of countless citizens of Ziyou was all in the hand of a single person.It was truly a situation of life and death within a single thought, with the afterlife as an immediate judgment.Seeing the waves in front of them piling up, growing higher and higher, the fear in every individual's chest grew more intense. As no one had any idea of what to do, the tides surged in an even more violent manner, while on the tip of the white tidal waves, an apparition was rapidly forming.With a snap of the fingers, a silhouette stood tall above the waves, illusory like a deity that had come to visit mortal earth.The crowd could clearly see that the silhouette was formed entirely from water, but the facial features obviously belonged to Supreme Cloud who had just charged out of Zilong City."My apologies. To prepare a surprise for everyone, I was unable to come at the promised time and am late. I have overstepped my bounds. I ask for Ziyou Majesty's pardon."Lord Supreme Cloud stood above the surging waves like a mountain, stable and unmoving.He seemed to be apologizing, but the stone-cold tone was distinctive to everyone's ears!How could that be an apology? It was an obvious threat; he was wild, looking down upon everyone from a high stature like they were ants! Who else in the world could steer the Lunar River's water here who?He had not regarded himself too highly, he was simply telling a truth, a fact Supreme Cloud had the ability to wipe Ziyou out with a flip of his palm.The Emperor of Ziyou inhaled deeply and took three steps forward, disregarding the officials and guards who tried to stop him, saying as he lifted his head, "Lord Supreme Cloud is true to his reputation indeed. Such skill is truly amazing and unprecedented. I am very impressed. No, I am utterly impressed. What a talent you are!"Surprise flashed in Yun Yang's eyes as he replied faintly, "It truly is the Emperor of Ziyou himself. I didn't expect meeting you again. I said earlier that I hoped to have someone I can speak to, but I didn't expect Your Majesty to come personally. I thank you for the honor."Emperor of Ziyou chuckled bitterly, "The valiance of Supreme Cloud is peerless and unique. Since Supreme Cloud has come and even extended an invitation to meet, I had no choice but to come personally to meet Lord Supreme Cloud. I didn't know I was meeting Supreme Cloud himself during our previous encounter. A terrible faux pas on my part."Yun Yang nodded and said, "Your Majesty's grace impresses me. No wonder you are supreme among men, leader of Ziyou!"Emperor of Ziyou smiled. "Lord Supreme Cloud, you flatter me."Yun Yang said slowly, "Chaotic times produces heroes. This saying has remained unchanged throughout the years. There's another saying that, perhaps, wasn't recorded in history but I think makes a lot of sense as well. Chaotic times produces brilliant rulers!"Yun Yang's voice was filled with a weariness for the vicissitudes of life, "Only when great men rise together that heroes can be produced and there must be a brilliant ruler to restrain and lead these heroes. Only then can an eternal dynasty of heroic conquests be formed!""No matter who triumphs in this world hegemony, to contend for domination amidst this chaotic times needs one to have great talent and bold vision. Only among the brilliant and wise emperors can a legendary war be fought!""Only such wars qualify to leave their colorful and thick ink in the pages of history."Yun Yang said sincerely, "As for Your Majesty, you are one such remarkable ruler. As a sovereign, Your Majesty's actions are befitting a brilliant emperor of his time."The Emperor of Ziyou smiled faintly and asked, "How about when I'm compared to Yutang's Yu Peize?"He stood calmly before the monstrous waves; he was at an absolute disadvantage, yet he conversed naturally without a hint of change in his expression and gaze; it was like he had never been on the losing end at all. His arms were behind his back, while his gaze held a sense of disdain; he still had the mannerisms of a magnificent ruler.Another tinge of admiration flashed in Yun Yang's eyes as he replied, "I have no comment about who is better or lower regarding Your Majesty and my country's emperor. There's just one thing; perhaps Your Majesty's bold vision, valiance, and other aspects may not be lacking compared to my ruler, but regarding your nation's mastery of control, I am certain that my own emperor holds the upper hand."Emperor of Ziyou sighed softly and said with a smile, "Weaker in the mastery of the nation's control? Only this?"Yun Yang thought about it and answered earnestly, "Truly, it is only this. After all, Your Majesty and my emperor employ different methods to control the people. Your Majesty uses tactics, pacifying people with influence and power, while my emperor uses friendship and sentiment. Therein lies the difference. Of course, there are pros and cons regarding these two methods, it is hard to say which is better."The Emperor of Ziyou said, "I would like to hear more."Yun Yang continued, "To drive subordinates with the emperor's tactics, the royal grace has to br everywhere this is a sovereign's way undoubtedly, and the benefits of it are obvious. The officials are on their toes when facing such a leader and would not dare to slack; the governance will be smooth. It's a good tactic. However, one of the drawbacks of this is the lack of heart. Such an arrangement will sometimes be fragile, ready to collapse with just one blow.""Do share more," Emperor of Ziyou asked rather interestedly."Simply put, it's hard for people to serve with death as a stick, and no carrot to be had. I believe the Emperor of Ziyou must have realized this as well."Without waiting for the emperor's reply, Yun Yang continued to speak with deeply implied meaning, "While my emperor is sincere in treating his people, to his officials, especially the old ones, he treats them like brothers. There is still suspicion, there is still some tension, but they will never be intense. He is always more generous to his relatives and friends.""Of course, these traits of my ruler have caused the Empire of Yutang to have the most spies from other nations. This is an undeniable con on our side! Any minor decision in Yutang is difficult to be kept confidential, but it is relatively easier to garner the loyalty of officials and militants!""Otherwise, how can the Empire of Yutang stay standing for so many years, despite the challenges it faces? The emperor and officials are united, the warriors serve with their lives, the patriotism never fades. Unless Yutang falls entirely, Yutang will never perish!""Countless families enlist themselves voluntarily to protect the country. Even when they have to fight to the point of being heirless, they remain as passionate as ever, and without regrets!"The Emperor of Ziyou pondered upon this and nodded grimly, saying, "I seem to understand, but I still don't quite understand."Yun Yang chuckled. "I am certain Your Majesty understands. Your Majesty is trying to use my mouth to speak to your officials, am I right?"The Emperor of Ziyou laughed in genuine amusement and said, "Lord Supreme Cloud, please teach my officials a lesson on my behalf today!"Yun Yang contemplated his request and replied, "Then, let me use a simple and direct example of a situation that will never happen in any other country. If there were to be a day when Yutang perishes collapsed because of the combined attacks of the four nations, what you would all get in the end will only be a fallen Yutang and the dead. It's impossible for you all to conquer the heart of Yutang's people unless the millions of warriors of Yutang die from fighting! At most, only twenty percent of the civil and military officials of Yutang's imperial court will kneel in surrender when the country has been subjugated, and these include the spies! I dare to even say that the other countries will never be in a similar state!"The Emperor of Ziyou then asked, "Then what if Ziyou were to fall? What does Lord Supreme Cloud think of that?"Yun Yang smiled faintly and answered, "The one who raised the question should be the one with clearest of answers. If Ziyou were to fall, then those who are willing to fight to their last breath will only take up a few of Ziyou's imperial court of officials at most, ten to twenty percent. This is the most optimistic view, even though I've tried to account for more!"Ziyou's officials who were there glared at Yun Yang, but no one dared to argue.The Emperor of Ziyou chortled when he heard this. He laughed so hard that tears spilled from his eyes; he clapped and said in delight, "This makes sense! This makes absolute sense!"On one of the spectrum, ten to twenty percent would surrender and kneel before the enemy. This included even the spies from various countries.On the other end, an estimation of those who would fight to the death would only come up to twenty percent at most, and this was being utterly optimistic.They were both ten to twenty percent, but they were both an absolute contrast, two extremes on two ends that could never meet!The Emperor of Ziyou was guffawing in front of his subordinates; his easy laughter was accompanied by tears that slowly coursed down his face. No one saw his tears because his back was facing the civil and military officials.Behind him, many of those officials showed vehement shame, some deep in thought with a frown while some smirked despicably; there were also some who remained indifferent, not at all perturbed by Yun Yang's words.Life was made up of different encounters and different choices. Everyone had their own stance. No one's choice was the absolute right one, and they would be different because everyone was different!"These are the two paths of a ruler's power. It's hard to say which is better." Yun Yang said honestly, "Everything can only be judged from the outcome. Winner takes it all!""Winner takes it all indeed. I have no more regrets in life after talking to you today!"The Emperor of Ziyou then took on a more serious tone, "However, I would still hold on to my decree. As long as I am still enthroned, Ziyou shall not fall!"He said it with resolve, and no one dared to deny him his pride.It made the Ziyou officials behind him alert with interest.For a moment, the officials felt their spines strengthen. Even when the threat of their nation falling was right before them, they did not seem to be as fearful anymore.Yun Yang replied faintly, with amusement, "Perhaps."He did not need to say that if he were to release his control over the water, the Empire of Ziyou would fall immediately! There was no use for the emperor to make a vow he would be the first one to drown. Ironically, he would fulfill his vow; he would die first before Ziyou fell!The Emperor of Ziyou breathed in deeply, suppressing all the emotions that ran wild within him, and said, smiling, "Lord Supreme Cloud has asked for someone qualified enough to speak to. I wonder if I'm qualified enough to speak to you?"Yun Yang chuckled. "If Your Majesty isn't, then no one in the entire Empire of Ziyou is qualified!"The Emperor of Ziyou was strangely comforted by his words, "Good. Then let me speak to Lord Supreme Cloud. Lord Supreme Cloud also indicated that we should know what you want.""That is right! Since Your Majesty is here and has seen everything there is to see, then Your Majesty must certainly know what I want," Yun Yang said.Emperor of Ziyou smiled faintly and with a wave of his hand, ordered, "Carry the Niello Bear that has fallen in Zilong City over!"Once Yun Yang heard the word 'fallen', he closed his eyes.Fallen?Yun Yang had held on to the slimmest of hopes that even if Blackie was on the brink of death, even if it was forced to surrender by Ziyou's forces, even if its mystical beast persona had been destroyed and it became an ordinary, wild, black bear, it was fine as long as it was still alive!Sadly, he had finally heard the most dreaded answer; the cruel truth was right before his eyes.The innocent bear cub, the little bear that took a step after another behind him naively, had fallen?The little bear cub that had only been with him for days and could not even enjoy the benefits of following him, was dead?On his wrist, a small green snake that had recovered its health suddenly slithered and hid within its own coiled body. Two tears condensed from spiritual Qi dampened Yun Yang's wrist.Yun Yang could feel the soft trembling from the small snake.The crowd further separated into two. Several hundred people carried a gigantic body over, using large logs balanced on their shoulders.It was the little bear.The little bear's body was no longer intact. Not only was its chest and abdomen sliced open, its limbs had been amputated and placed on top of its body. Its head was littered with blade wounds while blood and brain matter spilled out in copious amounts. It did possess any semblance of life anymore; it had died in the most horrible sense, more so than Old Dugu.The team carried the little bear over slowly, to the front of the surging tidal waves.Yun Yang lowered his head slowly, looking at the little bear's body. He wore no emotion on his face, but his eyes were glinting with vehement rage.The small snake wrapped around its wrist uncoiled and launched itself at the bear's prone body.Within the blink of an eye, the small snake turned into a Moire Python the size of an arm and fell on the little bear's corpse. The Moire Python was trembling, hissing and roaming around the little bear, calling for it anxiously.The Moire Python's cry sounded vaguely like a roar, not unlike the little bear's growl. Obviously, the Moire Python hoped to wake the Niello Bear, although it had absolutely no signs of vitality left.Yun Yang shut his eyes slowly before opening them again.A stream of water slowly washed onto the little bear, cleaning each part of its body meticulously. The innumerable wounds on the body healed at a speed that was visible to the eye.It was a miracle that Yun Yang had concocted by combining the Holy Water Charm, Endless Divine Art and Emmie's air of vitality. Of course, it was mainly because the Niello Bear had just died and as a mystical beast king, its physical body's vitality still remained, thus allowing the wounds to heal.After the time taken to make a cup of tea, even the little bear's limbs had been returned to their original place. It looked clean like it had just fallen asleep.Yun Yang took another deep breath, engulfing the little bear in his divine sense. It was to check if there were any wounds that were yet to be healed. There was also the slimmest hope contained within it. However, just as he cast out his deific consciousness, Yun Yang grew enraged at once as he bellowed, "Where is the little bear's mystical core?"His deific sense extended its tendrils wide, but the mystical core that should have been in the little bear's head was missing!At that very moment, Yun Yang grew hysteric with rage; cutting murderous intent filled the space instantly as his eyes stared icily at the ruler of Ziyou, saying coldly, "Emperor of Ziyou, where is my bear's mystical core? I hope, for your sake, that you are able to hand it over to me immediately.""This is my pet and also my guardian! I had hoped that my fighter could be buried intact, with its body and also its core in one piece.""Hand it over, now!"
