Monaye shook his head. "Brother Yang, why must you play the fool? Over these past ten years, you've certainly been able to seize ninety percent of our race's supplies, but that's only because we haven't changed our harvesting strategies. However, if this continues, our race will most likely abandon resource harvesting in the Ink Battlefield entirely. When that happens, how much will you really be able to gain?"
If that truly came to pass, it would be a case of both sides walking away empty-handed — the Ink Race would stop harvesting in the Ink Battlefield, and Yang Kai would naturally have nothing left to plunder.
But such a scenario was impossible...
The resources of the Ink Battlefield were an indispensable part of the Ink Race's current existence. They needed these resources to maintain their military advantage, and even more so to supply the cultivation needs of their powerful members. Without the Ink Battlefield's resources, there might be no immediate impact, but over time, the Ink Race's overall strength would inevitably suffer a dramatic decline. This was something they were absolutely unwilling to see.
The human side, on the other hand, would be completely unaffected — only Yang Kai himself would be pinned down outside No Return Pass. But now, with no burdens weighing on him, being pinned down was of no consequence.
Yang Kai understood all this perfectly, and was completely unmoved.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Yang Kai, Monaye had no choice but to sigh, straightening the finger he'd been curling. "Ten percent, then. Brother Yang receives ten percent of our race's harvested resources for free — surely that should be enough!"
Yang Kai said evenly, "In principle, ten percent isn't a small amount. However... it's still not enough."
Monaye frowned. "How much does Brother Yang want? Please, speak plainly."
"Fine, let's both make a concession. I won't ask for fifty percent, and you don't offer ten. How about forty percent?"
"Twenty percent!" Monaye countered.
Yang Kai considered briefly, then held up three fingers. "Thirty percent! Monaye, don't bother haggling further. Thirty percent is my absolute bottom line. If the Ink Race still can't agree to that, then there's no point in continuing this discussion."
Yang Kai's overbearing dominance stoked a spark of anger in Monaye. With such a final-sounding statement, what was the point of further negotiation? Monaye couldn't help but wonder — was this fellow really here to rob them, or just looking for trouble?
But soon, Yang Kai continued, "All resources harvested from outside and brought back may be received by the Ink Race. Every ten years — no, every five years, the Ink Race will count out thirty percent of the harvested resources and deliver them to me beyond No Return Pass. If you agree, I will no longer obstruct the Ink Race's harvesting expeditions in the future."
Monaye's eyebrows rose. If that was the arrangement, there was considerable room to maneuver.
Truthfully, each expedition brought back different quantities and qualities of resources. Without careful inspection, no one could know exactly what was in the shipments. Yang Kai said he wanted thirty percent, but he had no way of thoroughly verifying what every expedition had harvested — and the Ink Race certainly wouldn't allow him to.
Even if the Ink Race handed over only twenty percent, or even less, he'd have difficulty noticing...
Of course, if it was too little, Yang Kai would absolutely not agree.
So when he said thirty percent, it was really just a nicer-sounding figure. He probably already had expectations about how the actual delivery would go.
After a brief pause, Monaye nodded. "If that's the case, then we can agree to Brother Yang's terms."
"I have one more condition," Yang Kai said.
Monaye thought to himself — he knew it wouldn't be this simple. After such extended dealings, when had Yang Kai ever been the type to settle for a disadvantage?
"Please, go ahead," Monaye gestured.
Yang Kai's gaze passed over him, looking toward the Ink Battlefield in the distance. "In all the domain battlefields, I don't want to see a single False Sovereign's presence!"
He'd guessed it after all!
Monaye was secretly alarmed. Meng Que had only become a False Sovereign ten years ago and had been kept hidden ever since. The Sovereign's original plan had been to use Monaye's public appearance to lure Yang Kai to No Return Pass, but over these ten years, Yang Kai had never once shown himself there, as if he'd long been wary of the trap.
Monaye had already suspected that Yang Kai might have figured something out, but there was no way to prove it. Now, hearing Yang Kai's words, he knew his suspicions were correct.
Moreover, Monaye had originally planned to have Meng Que continue lurking in secret after this matter was resolved, working with the Sovereign to hold No Return Pass while Monaye himself went to the front lines to command. With an additional False Sovereign, the balance of any domain battlefield could be tipped.
But before he could even put the plan into action, Yang Kai had shut it down with his words.
This was not something that should be agreed to lightly, yet Monaye didn't hesitate at all. He smiled and said, "Rest assured, Brother Yang. I've been stationed at No Return Pass all these years. The Sovereign has been in seclusion, so all matters of the pass have been handled by me personally. I absolutely cannot leave to go to the front-line battlefields."
His words implied that he was the Ink Race's only False Sovereign.
Yang Kai didn't expose the lie, nor did he have any intention of verifying it. The sense of danger from approaching No Return Pass multiple times over the past ten years was more than enough to convince him that the Ink Race had more than one False Sovereign.
He smiled. "In that case, it's settled?"
Monaye paused briefly, then nodded. "Very well!"