Lu Xingluo's words made Li Hen's brow furrow slightly, though it lasted only an instant.
"You mean, President Li Hen?" Li Hen asked coldly.
He had long known about the hostility between Star Ring and Zero Wing.
But as the leader of a guild, one's first consideration had to be gains and losses. There were no eternal enemies—only eternal interests. That was precisely why he had invited Shi Feng over for a discussion.
Shi Feng could summon powerful Thunder Eagles, and Zero Wing's war puppets and chariots were exceptionally well-suited for siege warfare.
The fortress in the Earth Core Mountain Range was of critical importance. Although they already had a seventy to eighty percent chance of taking it, having additional strength was never a bad thing.
He hadn't expected Lu Xingluo to still be throwing around the temper of a spoiled young master.
If it weren't for the person backing Lu Xingluo, combined with Star Ring's genuine strength, deep foundations, and methods for dealing with the fortress's monsters—and the fact that their territory was far removed from the Thirteen Royal Courts', meaning there was no real conflict of interest—he would never have cooperated with Lu Xingluo in the first place.
"One thousand Ancient Gold Coins should be about right. The opportunity to just stand by the sidelines and watch the show while earning a thousand Ancient Gold Coins so easily—there are countless guilds that would kill for such a thing." Lu Xingluo glanced at Shi Feng and smiled. "President Black Flame, wouldn't you agree?"
"You—" Yi Yun, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke up in anger.
Regardless, it was their President Li Hen who had invited Shi Feng here. The president hadn't said a word about it, yet Lu Xingluo had taken it upon himself to make the call, as though he didn't even consider the Thirteen Royal Courts worth acknowledging.
She had witnessed Shi Feng's strength with her own eyes. With the Thunder Eagles' combat power, he would be of considerable help in this siege.
Moreover, she knew full well the reward Lun Hui had offered Shi Feng—dozens of bottles of S-rank Nutritional Potions, something that couldn't be bought at any price.
While individual combat strength had relatively little impact in a siege, if word got out that the Thirteen Royal Courts had invited Shi Feng for a lower price than Lun Hui, they would be laughed at by everyone.
But just as Yi Yun was about to speak, Shi Feng stepped forward first.
"President Lu Xingluo is right. A guild that just watches from the sidelines should be grateful to receive a thousand Ancient Gold Coins. But I wonder—how much should a guild that can't even beat the spectators be paid?" Shi Feng said with a smile.
He understood Li Hen's way of doing business all too clearly.
Lu Xingluo had clearly figured this out as well—his act wasn't as ignorant and frivolous as everyone assumed.
If Zero Wing cooperated with the Thirteen Royal Courts this time, it would undoubtedly strengthen the relationship between the two guilds.
The Thirteen Royal Courts were no mere top-tier guilds like War Spirit Unfallen or Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion—they were a guild ranked among the upper echelons of super guilds. With the Thirteen Royal Courts' backing, Star Ring would have a much harder time dealing with Zero Wing in the future.
Lu Xingluo understood this perfectly, which was why—despite making Li Hen somewhat disgusted—he had to prevent Zero Wing and the Thirteen Royal Courts from cooperating. After all, Li Hen valued profit above all else and would absolutely not refuse to work with Star Ring simply over a bit of distaste.
He certainly couldn't let Lu Xingluo's plan succeed.
Besides, he was genuinely interested in the shops in Dragon Heart City. While the shops there weren't as lucrative as the fortress, they were still an important channel for earning Ancient Gold Coins.
But accumulating that many Ancient Gold Coins in Dragon Heart City would take far too long, and that meant missing out on countless opportunities. If he could get that first pot of gold from the Thirteen Royal Courts, earning Ancient Gold Coins afterward would become much easier.
When Yi Yun heard what Shi Feng had said, she couldn't help but secretly smile.