Although the guy had been kneeling on one of his knees and showing the utmost respect to him, Li Yao still felt that Di Feiwen could not have been more tricky.
Pondering for a moment, he intentionally asked, "What if I insist on not obeying you?"
"You should know that the real Immortal Cultivators are not cowards. We know a thing or two about the logic of 'it is better to die in glory than to live in dishonor'," Di Feiwen said calmly.
Di Feiwen said calmly. "When we choose to submit to an expert, it is not for the sake of preserving our own lives in the troubled world, but because we believe that the expert can grant us greater strength and lead us to seize greater glory and a brighter future.
"It is exactly because I believe that 'Vulture Li Yao, dominator of three Sectors', is such an expert that I am willing to surrender unconditionally. If you feel that the remaining soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet are not qualified to be your most loyal subordinates, we really cannot find a reason to live on. Let's end the history of the Black Wind Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, the Wild Wolf Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, and the Purple Fire Sector with a valiant battle!
"As for myself, although I am not a battle-type Immortal Cultivator, it will still be a great honor to be killed by an expert such as yourself!"
Li Yao narrowed his eyes. Spiritual energy was condensed in his eyes and pierced through Di Feiwen brutally like two icicles.
Di Feiwen slightly raised his head and looked at Li Yao in expectation, as if he had no choice but to accept the attack.
There was no telling whether he was expecting Li Yao to become the 'Black Wind King' or if Li Yao could open his hand and slap him to death.
Rustling sounds echoed in the communication channel next to Li Yao's ears. Ding Ling Dong's voice came over. "Li Yao, don't be rash. The specialists of strategy analysis in the highest command center are urgently deducing the follow-up changes after you become the 'Black Wind King'. For the Federation, it may be a good thing."
Li Yao said, "Honey, are you serious? Are you going to tell me that the parliament has decided that I'll be the Black Wind King?"
"You're already the dominator of the three Sectors anyway. It's not a big deal to have another title of 'Black Wind King'!" Ding Lingdang said.
Li Yao coughed and stared at Di Feiwen fiercely. "… If I agree, what will I get in return?"
"There are too many benefits. First of all, the full loyalty of the Black Wind Fleet will be obtained. In the space battle half a year ago, the Black Wind Fleet only lost one third of the elite forces at best. A lot of shield starships, arsenal starships, comprehensive cruisers, and the space shuttles and armed Crystal Suits on them are still intact."
Di Feiwen said eloquently, "Also, we are a fleet of immigrants. We are not here for conquest and destruction but for construction and colonization at the edge of the cosmos. Therefore, there are actually a lot of scholars, workers, and technicians in our fleet. We also have a lot of infrastructure facilities. As long as enough resources and basic materials are provided, we will be able to develop them step by step.
"You must've seen a mining factory on Kunlun that can be automatically upgraded and expanded, right? There are a lot of similar facilities in our fleet, too. In the past, we were unable to develop and upgrade them because of the lack of resources. But right now, they are all yours.
"Also, we have a lot of top-secret intelligence about the Imperium of True Human Beings. Although the files are outdated from more than a hundred years ago, our super remote communication system can still keep in touch with the homeland of the Imperium to a certain extent. Through such a way of communication, we can receive the latest news about the Imperium and, more importantly, send the fake news from the edge of the cosmos to the homeland of the Imperium so that the Imperium will misjudge the situation of the Federation.
Li Yao sneered. "It sounds like you are not very loyal to your motherland, are you?"
"The so-called country and people are an 'imaginary community'. Getting to the bottom of it, they are condensed by powerful forces," Di Feiwen said without any shame.
"In the boundless sea of stars, the distance between the habitable planets is often dozens of lightyears. Transportation and communication are not very convenient. The authority of the emperor is diluted to the minimum. Also, because of the different cultures, customs, and styles derived from the unique ecological environment of every planet, people's loyalty to the planet that they live in is often above the groundless concept of 'Imperium'.
"In other words, we are the people of the Black Wind Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, the Boulder Sector, the Wild Wolf Sector, and the Purple Fire Sector first, and then we are the people of the Imperium.
"When the Imperium has unparalleled strength that can both protect our interests and punish our disloyalty, we will naturally be absolutely loyal to the Imperium and His Majesty. But right now, our homeland has been occupied by the Holy League, and there is nothing that the emperor can do about it. We have suffered a brutal failure at the edge of the cosmos, and the emperor is too far away to help. Under such circumstances, how can you expect us to be loyal to the Imperium?"
Li Yao couldn't help but smile. "You are rather frank."
"It's better to be frank when talking to an expert such as President Li."
Di Feiwen's eyes were glittering. "Everything above is just the insignificant benefits. In fact, there is an even greater benefit, which is the title of 'Black Wind King' itself.
"The so-called 'Black Wind King' is the supreme master of the Black Wind Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, the Wild Wolf Sector, the Purple Fire Sector, and the Fiery Spider Sector. Theoretically speaking, it is a collection of the 'Sector Masters' of the five Sectors. It has absolute dominion over the five Sectors. Even His Majesty cannot interfere with it excessively."
Li Yao was dazed. "Is there such a thing?"
"Yes. To govern the boundless sea of stars, the system of the Imperium of True Human Beings is very diverse. The capital circle close to the capital planet is managed by the bureaucratic system that is directly under the emperor's direct command. The worlds that are slightly more remote are managed by the nobles under the 'enfeoffment system'. In the war zones such as the Black Wind Sector, a batch of tough soldiers and generals are often more independent. The local Sector Masters are all lawless people who govern the region."
Di Feiwen said, somewhat proudly, "The five Sectors, including the Black Wind Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, and the Hard Rock Sector, are in the war zones that border the Imperium and the Holy League in the first place. As the saying goes, 'a general is away from the emperor'. To cope with the ever-changing war situations, we have always managed our affairs on our own.
"If President Li becomes the 'Black Wind King', you will be a great warlord who governs the five Sectors immediately. If you count the Sectors on the Xing Yao Federation's side, well, well, well, you will be one of the most powerful people in the Imperium!"
"Wait!"
Li Yao was not as gullible as a silly boy. "If I may ask, if I am truly the 'Black Wind King', where are the five Sectors under my command right now?"
"Well …"
Pondering for a moment, Di Feiwen said, "Right now, they should've been occupied by the Alliance of the Holy Covenant for a hundred years. However, the Imperium is preparing for a strategic counterattack, which seems to be going well. Chances are that we will be able to take back the few Sectors. Who knows?"
"Therefore," Li Yao said, "you are basically giving me a blank check. If I want the title of 'Black Wind King and Master of the Five Sectors' to live up to my name, I will have to either take back the frontline planets that the Holy League has been managing for a hundred years or ask for them from the emperor of the Imperium of True Human Beings shamelessly."
"Please calm down, President Li," Di Feiwen said. "If the five Sectors including the Black Wind Sector are still in the hands of the Holy League, there will be nothing we can do about it. But if they have been taken back by the Imperium, it is not necessarily impossible for us to take them back — no, to demand them back. At the very least, you are the legal 'Black Wind King'. Legally speaking, your sovereignty over the five Sectors including the Black Wind Sector cannot be ignored!"
"The system of the Imperium is truly weird."
Li Yao really felt like scratching his head hard. "I thought that the title of 'Black Wind King' was just for your own amusement. Why do you sound like His Majesty will really acknowledge my identity?"
"It is not entirely impossible," Di Feiwen said solemnly.
"The competition between the central government and the local governments of the Imperium is very fierce, too. It is much more intense than the competition between the 'four new Sectors' and the 'three old Sectors' in the Xing Yao Federation. For the independent worlds such as the Black Wind Sector, they have always elected the Sector Master themselves before they pledged loyalty to the emperor in the Empyreal Terminus Sector and won the emperor's approval.
"After all, after Blackstar the Great passed away, there has never been a dominator who dominated the entire sea of stars like him. The emperors who succeeded him rarely rejected the candidates for the Sector Master elected by the local governments because it meant that the emperors were trying to gather the local power and extend their hands to the most central interests of the local governments, which would be opposed by a lot of nobles, warlords, and experts.
"At the very least, during the confrontation between the Imperium and the Holy League, none of the emperors were bold enough to centralize power in such an unreasonable way at the risk of the division of the Imperium.
"Of course, your situation is rather special. But the Xing Yao Federation is located at the border after all. As the saying goes, the mountain is high and the emperor is far away. The locals of the Imperium may not know the real situation here. As long as you make the right moves, it is not impossible for you to win the emperor's approval."
Thinking quickly, Li Yao mumbled, "So, according to you, the Imperium of True Human Beings is not an iron board and has a lot of internal conflicts, too?"
Di Feiwen was amused. "People are unpredictable. Everybody thinks for their own interests. How many Cultivators or Immortal Cultivators who are really noble, pure, and do not pursue personal interests? How many countries that are truly united and immortal can exist?
"Let's take the tiny Xing Yao Federation for example. It has only been founded for a hundred years and is still in the period of rising prosperity with a bright future. But already, there are the conflicts between the four new Sectors and the three old Sectors, the conflicts between human beings and demons, the conflicts between 'Li Yao's group' and the old forces, and all kinds of other conflicts.
"The Imperium of True Human Beings has such a large territory and a long history. All kinds of interest groups are deeply intertwined. Naturally, there are ten times more internal and external problems than the Federation.
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