174: Chapter 175: Choosing Hua Cheng, on the left.

He was silent for a moment, then whispered:

"We can't just do nothing."

"Naturally, we cannot." Zhu Ge spread out those few pages of records again, his finger gently tapping on several lines of text. "Keep watching."

"Watch what they buy, watch if they buy more, and watch if there is any abnormal movement of troops and supplies within the city after they take the goods back."

"If they are just bluffing, there will eventually be gaps."

"And if they truly intend to act…" Zhu Ge raised his eyes, his voice softer, yet heavier. "Then they will inevitably leave traces."

Lei Lie nodded.

"I understand."

After he finished speaking, he didn't leave immediately, but instead looked down again at those few thin pages of records.

The paper was not thick.

The text was not much.

But at this moment, as it fell into his eyes, it suddenly seemed to have weight.

A few cities, a few batches of goods, a few unremarkable lines of records.

Hidden behind them might be a storm that had already begun to gather strength in secret.

Outside the window, a burst of training shouts suddenly rose in unison.

"Hah!"

The sound was as uniform as thunder, shaking the window paper slightly.

Lei Lie raised his head, looking at the figures training outside the courtyard, his gaze slowly darkening.

Flower City had been too smooth these days.

So smooth that even the wind on the wilderness seemed to have softened a bit.

But a soft wind does not mean there are no blades in the wind.

And if someone really hid a blade behind a smiling face, intending to hand it to Flower City...

Then who this blade would eventually cut would not necessarily be up to them to decide.

...

Two days later...

The City Lords of the Five Cities once again held a "group chat" using the Sound Transmission Array.

The pale white array patterns slowly spread out on the tabletop, like ripples silently expanding in circles.

Five illusory figures condensed one after another; although not as clear as the real person, it was enough to see each other's general expressions.

These past few days, communication between the cities had become significantly closer than before because of Flower City's trade.

At first, it was just tentative exchanges of information.

By now, they were even familiar with using the Sound Transmission Array.

"Is everyone here?"

"Here."

"City Lord Qin came early."

"I had nothing else to do today, so I just sat down first."

After a few pleasantries, the topic quickly returned to business.

It was still Flower City.

It was still the goods.

Who was preparing to purchase another batch, who was lacking what, whether the cloth, Ore, and medicinal herbs in whose hands could be pooled together to exchange for more practical items in Flower City.

The few of them went back and forth, and on the surface, they were talking very enthusiastically.

But in this enthusiasm, it was ultimately different from before the first visit to Flower City.

The first time was for observation, for probing, wanting to see how much substance this suddenly emerged small city actually had.

And this time, the City Lords present all knew in their hearts that Flower City was not just a matter of having some substance.

It was a city that was truly wealthy to the point of being numbing.

Weapons, leather armor, medicinal herbs, Demonic Beast meat, spiritual rice...

Even the more than one hundred Bronze-level Mercenary escorts seemed like an ordinary team that could be pulled out casually from Flower City.

Precisely because of this, as the conversation about this enthusiasm continued, the flavor changed bit by bit.

Someone was silent for a while, then suddenly, as if remembering something, laughed softly.

"Speaking of which."

"Flower City's resources are just too abundant."

Several gazes looked toward him at the same time.

That person leaned on the back of the chair, his fingers tapping the tabletop nonchalantly, his tone still sounding like casual chatter.

"The trades we make with them, for Flower City, are probably just a drop in the ocean, right?"

"I really don't know how that city of theirs was nurtured."

Once this sentence fell, the atmosphere in the array paused slightly.

It was as if someone had gently plucked a zither string.

It didn't make a very loud sound, but the lingering echo spread out all at once.

Another City Lord quickly followed up, a smile also hanging on his face.

"To say I have no thoughts at all, that would naturally be a lie."

"For a small city like Flower City to hide such a thick family fortune, it would be lying to say I'm not curious."

The third City Lord also nodded with a smile.

"Yes."

"Everyone is human."

"Seeing such things, isn't it normal to have some thoughts in one's heart?"

These few sentences were lighter one after another.

As light as the wind.

But when the wind blew out from the Sound Transmission Array, City Lord Qin Fang slowly raised his eyes.

He had been listening from beginning to end, and his expression hadn't changed at all.

Only at this moment did he finally speak.

"Thoughts are just thoughts."

His voice was not loud, one could even say it was flat.

But once spoken, the subtle smile in the array involuntarily retracted a bit.

City Lord Qin Fang sat there, no joy or anger visible on his face, only saying slowly:

"Those who do things are ultimately people."

These words were not long.

But the meaning behind them was already clear enough.

Having thoughts is fine.

But if you really want to turn those thoughts into action, you must first think clearly about whether you are really the person capable of doing the deed.

The array was quiet for a moment.

Immediately after, the several City Lords all responded with smiles one after another.

"City Lord Qin is right."

"Indeed, thinking is one thing, doing is another; one shouldn't just pounce on something the moment a thought arises."

"One must still be steady."

"Haha, City Lord Qin has always been steady; these words coming from your mouth are most appropriate."

As they echoed him, they also took the opportunity to steer the topic back, as if nothing had happened, continuing to talk about what to exchange for in the next batch to Flower City.

City Lord Qin Fang didn't say anything more.

He just listened, occasionally responding with a sentence.

Until this round of matters was almost settled, he then spoke indifferently:

"Since that is the case, let us stop here for today."

The few had no objections and nodded one after another.

"Very well."

"Then let us disperse first."

"We shall discuss it next time."

The array patterns flashed slightly.

City Lord Qin Fang's illusory figure faded first.

He was like a drop of ink falling back into the water, silently withdrawing from the Sound Transmission Array.

And just after he left, the Sound Transmission Array, which should have ended, did not immediately extinguish.

The other four City Lords remained in the array.

The pale white array light on the table flowed quietly, casting a somewhat cold light on their faces.

The layer of courtesy and smiles that had been floating on their faces also faded away bit by bit.

The one who spoke first was still the City Lord who had brought up "Flower City has too many resources."

Only at this moment, his voice had completely lost the relaxed tone of casual conversation from before.

"It seems that City Lord Qin is not on the same path as us."

Another person sneered.

"In my opinion, he went to Flower City once, and his courage has become smaller instead."

"It's not that his courage is small." The third person said slowly, "He was stunned by those few things in Flower City. After seeing the real family fortune, he felt timid in his heart, so naturally, he dares not touch anything."

"Wasn't he like this before?" Another person took over the conversation, his tone carrying a bit of disdain, "He has always been steady, but in the end, he has never been daring."

The array was quiet for a moment.

Immediately after, the person who spoke first nodded and said in a flat voice:

"It doesn't matter."

"Lacking him doesn't hinder anything."

"The things that need to be done will be done as usual."

"As long as he doesn't cause trouble."

Someone heard this and twitched the corners of their mouth.

"Then what if he really wants to cause trouble?"

Once these words were out, the expressions of the few in the array didn't change much.

A moment later, someone replied indifferently:

"Then we will deal with him together."

The tone was not heavy.

But it was like a piece of ice falling into the array light that had already completely cooled down.

The Sound Transmission Array operated silently.

The four looked at each other and said nothing more.

Many things, once said to this extent, are actually enough.

Anything further would not be something that could be made clear in the array.

Soon, the last array pattern also gently dimmed.

The room returned to silence.

...

And on the other side.

After City Lord Qin Fang exited the Sound Transmission Array, he did not get up and leave immediately as he had done before.

He remained sitting in his original place, his fingers resting lightly on the edge of the table, tapping extremely lightly, one by one.

He had heard the words of those few people just now.

He had heard the laughter on the surface.

And he had also heard the nuance that hadn't been fully suppressed behind the laughter.

There was no one else in the room.

It was so quiet that only his breathing remained.

After a while, City Lord Qin Fang slowly raised his head, and the last bit of hesitation in his eyes seemed to have finally settled.

"Come here."

Someone outside the door quickly responded and entered.

"City Lord."

City Lord Qin Fang stood up, brushed his sleeves, his tone so calm that no ripples could be heard.

"Go and notify the Minister of Interior, the Minister of the Trade Department, General Sha Chenghu, and the few chief managers in the city."

"We will hold a meeting in the Council Hall."

The person was startled, then immediately bowed their head.

"Yes!"

The sound of footsteps quickly faded away.

City Lord Qin Fang stood in the room, looking at the sky that was gradually darkening outside the window, his expression very quiet.

The wind blew in through the window cracks, carrying a bit of the evening's chill.

And that thing in the depths of his eyes that had been wavering finally settled down completely at this moment.

...

The people came very quickly.

Chief of Internal Affairs Sun Qian arrived first; his footsteps were still a bit hurried when he entered, clearly urged by City Lord Qin Fang's "hold a meeting immediately."

Following closely behind was Minister of the Trade Department Zhao Yi, who was even clutching an account book he hadn't had time to put down.

After them came Sha Chenghu and several chief managers of the city.

After everyone entered the room, they looked at each other, their expressions varied.

Some vaguely guessed something.

Others were not yet sure, only feeling that this meeting had come somewhat suddenly.

But after everyone had arrived, City Lord Qin Fang did not speak immediately.

He just stood in front of the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces one by one, very quietly.

This silence, instead, caused the atmosphere in the hall to be suppressed bit by bit.

Zhao Yi originally wanted to ask first, "City Lord, what happened?", but when the words reached his lips and he saw City Lord Qin Fang's expression, he subconsciously swallowed them back.

Finally, City Lord Qin Fang spoke.

"That matter we discussed before."

His voice was not loud, and he did not deliberately suppress any emotion; it was steady, yet it suddenly changed the expressions of the few in the hall.

That matter they had discussed.

They naturally all knew what it referred to.

It was nothing else, but rather how to choose between Flower City and the other four cities.

These past few days, as that batch of goods from Flower City truly landed in Heyang, and as the back-and-forth between the cities became more frequent, this matter had actually been placed on the table more than once. It just hadn't been truly decided.

Because taking one more step forward was not as simple as doing business.

It was taking sides.

It was about which side to bet Heyang's future path on.

City Lord Qin Fang looked at everyone and continued:

"Now, I think there should be a result."

The room became even quieter.

The few in the hall exchanged glances, and even their breathing subconsciously lightened a bit.

City Lord Qin Fang did not give them too much of a buffer; he raised his hand and pointed to his left.

"Those who choose Flower City."

"To the left."

After saying that, he gestured to the right side.

"Those who choose the other four cities."

"To the right."

Two simple sentences.

No analysis of pros and cons, no long-winded setup, and no forcing anyone to express their stance.

But precisely because of this, it was more direct than any rhetoric.

For a time, no one in the Council Hall moved.

Sun Qian first frowned, as if wanting to confirm something else.

But when he raised his eyes and saw City Lord Qin Fang's face, which was so calm it was almost ripple-free, his lips moved, and in the end, he asked nothing, simply cupped his hands, turned, and stood to the left.

Zhao Yi moved almost immediately after.

His actions were faster than Sun Qian's, without even the slightest hesitation; he hugged his account book and stood to the left, and after standing firm, he even tucked the account book into his arms, as if afraid of being a step slow.

That batch of goods had already entered the Granary.

The spiritual rice had almost blinded him.

Ask him to stand with those four cities at this time?

Are you dreaming?

The few chief managers looked at each other and also stepped forward one after another, standing to the left.

The sound of footsteps was very light, one after another.

Soon, there were many people on the left.

City Lord Qin Fang stood in place, watching this scene, his expression unchanged, as if he had known the outcome in his heart.

Until the end, only Sha Chenghu remained standing in place in the hall.

The gazes of the others could not help but fall on him.

Sha Chenghu raised his head to look at City Lord Qin Fang, then looked left and right; the expression on his face was not hesitation, but rather a bit of frustration.

Frustrated that he had actually become the last one.

A moment later, he abruptly cupped his fists and said in a muffled voice:

"This general naturally also chooses Flower City."

After finishing, he lifted his legs and walked to the left.

But after walking two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned his head back, frowned, and added:

"Those four cities don't look like good things."

"If you really want me to stand on their side, I don't feel at ease."

Once these words were out, the atmosphere in the hall, which had been somewhat heavy, instead loosened up a bit.

Zhao Yi couldn't help it, his mouth twitching.

"General Sha, at a time like this, there is no need to speak so directly."

Sha Chenghu snorted.

"That's exactly what I mean."

"I can say it even more directly if I want."

City Lord Qin Fang listened and finally smiled.

It wasn't very obvious, but once that bit of smile emerged, the atmosphere in the entire Council Hall seemed to finally settle.

He nodded.

"Good."

Only one word.

But it was enough.

No one stood on the right.

Not a single one.

City Lord Qin Fang was not the least bit surprised by this, as if this answer should have been so from the beginning.

His gaze swept over everyone standing on the left, paused for a moment, and then he spoke slowly:

"Since that is the case."

"Then let's make a trip to Flower City."

Once this sentence came out, everyone's expressions tightened simultaneously.

Sun Qian was the first to react.

"City Lord, you mean..."

City Lord Qin Fang looked at him, his tone still very flat.

"I mean, since we have already made our choice, we cannot just nod in our own room."

"This matter must be made known to Flower City."

"And they must also know that Heyang is not wavering, nor is it trying to take advantage of both sides."

Speaking to here, he paused.

"This trip is not to buy goods."

"Only to deliver an attitude."

...