novel-bin Chapter 14943 Cooperation
Chapter 14943 Cooperation
Chapter 14943 Cooperation
"Strength is the ultimate voice," Ling Xiao murmured to himself. "No need for explanations, no need for arguments. When you are strong enough, every word you say is a matter of truth."
He thought of his grandfather, Hong Qi, again.
That seemingly carefree old man, all alone, nearly wiped out the entire chaotic martial arts world.
It wasn't because Hong Qi liked to reason, but because... his fists were harder than any reason; his strength surpassed all rules.
Hong Qi's reasoning is based on strength. Without strength, who are you going to reason with, and who will pay attention to you?
Ling Xiao took a deep breath. "So... becoming stronger is enough. Strong enough that no one dares to kill me anymore. No one dares to touch anyone around me. At that time, I won't need to reason with anyone."
He turned around, sat cross-legged again on the cold futon, slowly closed his eyes, and let his mind sink into his body.
In an instant, the spiritual energy within his body surged like a rushing river, flowing wildly yet orderly.
Become stronger.
That's his only reason now.
After all, he has talent, resources, and opportunities. If he still can't seize the opportunity to improve, then he's truly a waste, and he has no right to possess the Demon Lord Black Sky Sword.
It would be better to hand over that treasure as soon as possible and gain temporary peace in return.
……
The next morning, Ling Xiao was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, immersed in cultivation, surrounded by spiritual energy.
Just then, a soft and polite knock came from outside the door.
"Young friend Lingxiao, it is I, Xing Wuji. I visited you yesterday, and I'm bothering you again today. I hope I haven't disturbed your cultivation?"
Xing Wuji's voice carried a hint of respect and flattery.
They were even somewhat cautious.
Ling Xiao opened his eyes, raised his hand, and the stone door slowly opened.
Xing Wuji stood respectfully outside the door, a smile still on his face, but there was something new in his eyes.
It seems that after a night, I have figured out many things, and the hesitation in my eyes is gone from yesterday.
"Alliance Leader, please come in. What a disturbance. I'm just cultivating, not in seclusion." Ling Xiao didn't get up, but simply gestured for him to come in.
He naturally treats others with courtesy when they are polite to him.
That's just how he is.
Xing Wuji stepped into the cultivation room and, before even sitting down, hurriedly said, "Young friend Lingxiao, I have come here today with a very important matter that I would like to discuss with you. This matter concerns our future!"
He seemed eager to get to the bottom of this, and he didn't mince words, offering very few polite remarks.
"Speak freely!" Ling Xiao nodded.
He was also curious as to why Xing Wuji had come to see him so early in the morning, and why he had said that this matter could affect the two of them.
"I want... I want to pledge my allegiance to you. From now on, I will serve you and make the Chaotic Star Alliance one of your members!" Xing Wuji seemed to have mustered up his courage as he spoke.
Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Xing Wuji continued in a deep voice, "Although the Chaotic Star Alliance still nominally holds the title of an independent intelligence organization, in reality, it has long been defunct."
"The headquarters was uprooted, most of the members were slaughtered, and those who survived scattered and fled to save their own lives. To put it bluntly, I, the leader of the alliance, am just a commander without troops, with only a title and nothing else."
His tone seemed calm, but Ling Xiao could clearly hear the resentment and frustration hidden beneath that calm.
"I want to rebuild the Chaotic Star Alliance, but I lack two things... power and a backer." Xing Wuji stared intently at Ling Xiao, making no attempt to conceal his true intentions.
"You wield the Demon Lord Black Sky Sword, have the full support of the Holy Rune Academy, and have top experts like Xiao Lianzhu backing you up. Only by following you do I have a glimmer of hope to rebuild the Chaotic Star Alliance."
Ling Xiao was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly, "What do you want?"
"I want your support," Xing Wuji said with utmost sincerity. "I don't need you to fight for me personally; I just need you to acknowledge to the world that I, Xing Wuji, am your man."
With this identity as a shield, when I was rebuilding the Chaotic Star Alliance, no force dared to easily attack me.
"In return..." Xing Wuji took out a jade slip engraved with star patterns from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
"I am handing over all my intelligence networks to you. Although the Chaotic Star Alliance has declined, it still has many spies and agents planted throughout the Chaotic Martial Realm. You can access all the intelligence gathered by these informants at any time without any hindrance."
Ling Xiao took the jade slip, scanned it lightly with his divine sense, and after a moment looked up at Xing Wuji.
"How many star systems are your intelligence agents distributed across?"
“Thirty-seven,” Xing Wuji answered crisply, “mainly concentrated in the core area of the Chaotic Martial Realm.”
Although it can't compare to its peak scale, its coverage is still sufficient.
Ling Xiao put the jade slip into his storage ring, his gaze calmly falling on Xing Wuji's face, and slowly said, "I can agree to your request. But I have two conditions."
"Please speak!" Xing Wuji's spirits lifted.
"First, you'll work for me, but openly, no one can know about our relationship. I need you to be a hidden informant for me..."
On the surface, you remain the independent leader of the Chaotic Star Alliance; in secret, you gather all intelligence for me.
Xing Wuji was slightly taken aback, then immediately nodded: "I understand! You want me to hide in the shadows and strike unexpectedly."
“Second.” Ling Xiao’s voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.
"You can apply for reimbursement from the Holy Rune Academy for the funds you need to rebuild your power. I will speak with Dean Yao on your behalf."
Xing Wuji: "..."
He stood there stunned for a long time before he realized what Ling Xiao meant... This meant he was being asked to work for the government and do Ling Xiao's favors!
“Young friend Lingxiao, this…” Xing Wuji’s expression was somewhat subtle for a moment.
"What, is there a problem?" Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"No, no!" Xing Wuji quickly waved his hand, looking both amused and exasperated. "It's just... a bit of a surprise."
In his life, he had seen too many powerful people gather their subordinates, some through coercion, some through bribery, and some through empty promises.
But this was the first time he had ever seen someone like Ling Xiao, who simply waved his hand and told his subordinates to find someone else to reimburse their expenses...
But on second thought, this only proves that Ling Xiao truly considers him one of his own.
Otherwise, given Ling Xiao's personality, he wouldn't care where his meager funds came from.
"That's good. So what do you plan to do? Agree to my conditions, cooperate with me, and obey my orders from now on?"
Ling Xiao smiled and asked.
He agreed to Xing Wuji's request based on many considerations. After all, when the Overlord Empire came to the Chaotic Martial Realm in the future, it would need such a powerful intelligence organization to monitor the world.
Whether we'll need it in the future is another matter, but we definitely will need it now.