In the elegant and quiet hall, after Shi Feng spoke, Mu Yun and the others finally snapped out of their shock.
"Yes! Thank you, Guild Leader Black Flame, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet us. I am Mu Yun, Vice Guild Leader of Hundred Flowers Palace. I am here representing Hundred Flowers Palace to propose a partnership with Zero Wing." Mu Yun composed herself and spoke.
"That you, the famed Ice and Fire Goddess of the Dark Night Empire, would personally come all the way here — this partnership must be something extraordinary indeed. Could you explain the details so I can give it proper consideration?" Shi Feng looked at the slightly tense Mu Yun and asked casually.
"Of course."
Mu Yun nodded and proceeded to lay out everything — the reasons Hundred Flowers Palace wanted to develop in the Twin Towers Kingdom and their objectives — without any concealment. Though a few of the higher-ups in Hundred Flowers Palace had been somewhat dissatisfied with Mu Yun's decision to reveal everything, that dissatisfaction had long since evaporated after entering Zero Wing's headquarters.
As Shi Feng remained silent for what felt like an eternity, all they felt was nervousness and anxiety.
Zero Wing was far more powerful than they had imagined. They had originally assumed that Zero Wing lacked the resources to personally establish a presence in the Twin Towers Kingdom, which was why they had left it to the Assassin Alliance to handle things on their behalf.
But after entering Zero Wing's headquarters, it was crystal clear that Zero Wing was fully capable of developing in the Twin Towers Kingdom on its own — there was no need for anyone to act as an intermediary...
"What you've described is quite interesting. However, I'm afraid I'll have to decline this proposal." Shi Feng shook his head.
"Why is that? If Hundred Flowers Palace were to compete for resources in the Twin Towers Kingdom alongside other first-rate guilds, we could absolutely seize control of the kingdom's central region in a short time. The resources we could provide Zero Wing would far exceed what the Assassin Alliance offers!" Mu Yun stared at Shi Feng's expressionless face and asked somewhat impulsively.
"As you can see, Zero Wing previously didn't have the capacity to fully claim territory in the Twin Towers Kingdom. But the current Zero Wing is different — our rapid growth means we need more territory now. It's no longer just a question of resources." Shi Feng gestured toward Silent Blade and the others present. "If we handed over the Twin Towers Kingdom's territory to Hundred Flowers Palace, we'd face a territory shortage on our end. It's not that I don't want to help — I simply can't make that sacrifice when it comes to the guild's development."
Mu Yun fell silent.
She couldn't think of a single rebuttal. A guild leader always had to consider the guild's interests above all else. Why would anyone give up a prime expansion opportunity for the sake of another guild? Especially now, when Zero Wing had just defeated the previously invincible Starlight Alliance in the Star Moon Kingdom and solidified its dominance over Witch's Hill — this was the perfect moment for explosive guild growth.
If she were in his position, she would undoubtedly throw herself into developing her own guild without a second thought.
The other members of Hundred Flowers Palace, hearing Shi Feng's words, fell into complete despair.
"What do we do now?"
Hundred Flowers Palace had already begun its migration work in the Dark Night Empire. The top two kingdoms were both off the table. Given the current weakened state of Hundred Flowers Palace's strength and resources, competing against the first-rate native guilds in other kingdoms would be far too difficult.
Just as Mu Yun and the others were consumed by panic over what to do next, Orchid — who had been standing not far beside Mu Yun — watched the flustered group with a faint smile on her lips and stepped forward.
"Guild Leader, I have a proposal that would benefit both Hundred Flowers Palace and Zero Wing. May I share it?" Orchid asked respectfully.
"A proposal that benefits both sides? Then by all means, let's hear it. After all, Hundred Flowers Palace has come here to partner with us — we can't leave them completely disappointed." Shi Feng pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Certainly." Orchid began. "Hundred Flowers Palace's current predicament stems from not having enough guild territory to sustain itself. The root cause is that Star Ring Guild has made it impossible for Hundred Flowers Palace to survive in the Dark Night Empire. However, if Hundred Flowers Palace could withstand Star Ring's pressure, there would be no need to leave the Dark Night Empire at all."
"However, going up against a superpower like Star Ring is no easy feat. Even if we dispatched a large force to fight on your behalf, it would be extremely difficult. This would require substantial support from Hundred Flowers Palace."
"Support?" Mu Yun's eyes lit up. "If it's funding and manpower you're talking about, that's absolutely no problem! As long as we can hold our ground, we will provide whatever resources the Dark Night Empire has to offer in abundance!"
She already had some understanding of Zero Wing's guild strength.
If Zero Wing was willing to lend serious support, combining their existing strength with Hundred Flowers Palace's resources should make it quite feasible to retain at least half of their original territory.
"Those are fine words, but picking a fight with a superpower at the height of its influence is far too risky. It would inevitably become a war of attrition, and Zero Wing still has numerous other superpowers to keep an eye on. This isn't something that a bit of funding and resources can resolve — Zero Wing itself could face a total collapse across all fronts. That's something I doubt anyone in the guild would want to see." Orchid glanced at Mu Yun and shook her head.
"Isn't there some way to help them?" Shi Feng feigned a sigh, perfectly satisfied with Orchid's performance.
"There is! If our two guilds could form a community of shared interests — if we could acquire operational rights over the shops and land that Hundred Flowers Palace currently holds, and they became a solid ally of Zero Wing — then Zero Wing could establish a stable foothold in the Dark Night Empire to counter Star Ring without having to divert strength from other regions. The guild's players also wouldn't have any complaints about supporting an ally." Orchid thought for a moment and continued.
"This..." Mu Yun hesitated. Guild shops were the lifeblood of any guild, yet Hundred Flowers Palace's situation was equally urgent. She gritted her teeth and asked, "How many shops does Zero Wing need?"
"To maintain sufficient resources for resistance in the Dark Night Empire, roughly sixty percent of Hundred Flowers Palace's holdings should suffice." Orchid said earnestly.
"Sixty percent?! Isn't that a bit much..." Mu Yun broke into a cold sweat.
A guild's funding and resources came largely from its shop properties. Losing sixty percent would have a devastating impact on the guild.
"Orchid, Hundred Flowers Palace is meant to be our future solid ally. Surely there's some way to reduce the amount?" Shi Feng said.
"Since the Guild Leader puts it that way — and considering we need to sustain the fight against Star Ring over the long term — then let's make it fifty percent. Any lower, and we'd have to tap into resources and funding from other regions, which would create problems when facing other superpowers elsewhere." Orchid calculated for a moment, indicating this was already pushing the limit.
"That's the situation. Vice Guild Leader Mu Yun, what do you think?" Shi Feng turned to Mu Yun and the others, asking softly.