The Prophet heard this and said coldly, "I am stating facts, not telling jokes. Surely you can distinguish between the two? I'm not afraid to tell you right now: the Ao Yue Empire has already agreed to cooperate with us. Their First Prince just left the Beast Clan and is returning to prepare for the invasion. Do you truly believe that with just your single Heavenly Dragon Empire, you can face the combined forces of us and Ao Yue? That's nothing but a pipe dream."

As soon as the Prophet finished speaking, the officials who had been silenced by Mo Han's previous words suddenly found their backbone. They quickly voiced their agreement with the Prophet, convinced that the Heavenly Dragon Empire was destined to lose.

Mo Han’s expression shifted upon hearing this, and he spoke back with a cold voice, "Prophet, haven't you jumped to conclusions a bit too quickly? Setting aside the fact that the war hasn't even begun and the victor is yet unknown, even if you truly allied with the Ao Yue Empire, our Heavenly Dragon Empire is not necessarily afraid. May I ask, Prophet, your Beast Clan attacks our Heavenly Dragon Empire’s Mingyuan City almost annually—have you ever won? Have you ever occupied Mingyuan City? Most of those present are surely aware of the combat power of the Heavenly Dragon Empire’s Mad Dragon Legion."

"If you truly push us to the brink, I doubt your Beast Clan will gain any real advantage. Do all of you genuinely have the confidence to overcome our Mad Dragon Legion? And this doesn't even account for our other major legions."

As Mo Han finished speaking, the officials in the hall fell silent. Indeed, the Murong family’s Mad Dragon Legion could be considered the nemesis of the Beast Clan. In past engagements with them, the Beast Clan had lost more often than they had won—they had hardly ever secured a victory. This fact had left a shadow on the hearts of these Beast Clan officials. Moreover, there were the other major legions, including the Heavenly Dragon Empire’s ace legion, directly under the Emperor’s command—the Heavenly Dragon Legion itself.

The Beast Emperor’s expression flickered slightly; he seemed displeased with Mo Han’s remarks. Mo Han couldn't care less about him. This fool hadn't concerned himself with the proceedings from the start, clearly having conspired on this outcome with the Beast Clan Prophet. Thus, Mo Han felt no need to be polite.

The Prophet sneered at Mo Han's words. "That was the past, when our Beast Clan was resource-poor and hadn't exerted its full strength. Things are different now. We are flush with resources and will attack with everything we have. Do you really think your Mad Dragon Legion alone can withstand the full might of our assault?" Mo Han bypassed his question: "I suspect the Prophet’s ample resources stem from awaiting aid from the Ao Yue Empire? I imagine Ao Yue's proposal was for your Beast Clan to launch a full-scale attack first, and when the Mad Dragon Legion can no longer hold, the Heavenly Dragon Legion will be forced to reinforce them, allowing the Ao Yue Empire to strike when you are weakened?" The Prophet scoffed, "Even if you figured it out, what of it? Do you have the power to alter the tide of battle?" Mo Han replied calmly, "Naturally, I cannot alter it myself. I merely ask His Majesty the Beast Emperor and everyone present to consider: if this war truly breaks out, who benefits the most? Not the Heavenly Dragon Empire, nor your Beast Clan, but the Ao Yue Empire."

The Prophet hastily interjected, "Stop spouting nonsense here! Our Beast Clan will certainly gain benefits too. Only the Heavenly Dragon Empire will be the greatest loser. Don't even dream about sowing discord between us and Ao Yue."

Mo Han let out a cold laugh. "Prophet, what you say is quite amusing. Do I need to sow discord? The facts are plain to see. Everyone, think: when war erupts, it is your Beast Clan that rushes to the front lines. Even if you manage to defeat the Mad Dragon Legion, I imagine you will have suffered grievous losses. Then you will face the furious counterattack of the Heavenly Dragon Legion. I believe everyone here understands the principle that an army fighting for its very survival fights with unmatched ferocity. When the nation is collapsing, the fighting spirit of the army will certainly be much higher than usual. Furthermore, the combat prowess of the Heavenly Dragon Legion is already the ace of our nation. How many of your Beast Clan soldiers do you think will return safely then? I believe everyone here knows the answer." Hearing Mo Han's words, the Beast Clan officials in the hall visibly paled, as what Mo Han described was highly probable. Even the Beast Emperor's face changed slightly.

Mo Han pressed on. "Now, consider the Ao Yue Empire, who supposedly partners with you. What will their situation be? While we are locked in a life-or-death struggle, they merely exploit our weakness, avoiding the main forces of the Heavenly Dragon Legion and the Mad Dragon Legion. Therefore, they suffer almost no losses. But what did they contribute? A mere pittance of grain and supplies, in exchange for benefits tens of thousands of times greater. After this war, your forces will inevitably be depleted and incapable of fighting further. In contrast, I believe everyone here understands who the true winner of this war will be. Think of how many lives of your Beast Clan citizens you are sacrificing merely for some grain? If your people knew this would be the outcome, I believe their hearts would grow cold."

Hearing Mo Han's words, all the Beast Clan officials fell into deep contemplation, mulling over the implications of his analysis, the Beast Emperor included. The First Prince, however, was openly smiling at Mo Han, nodding in appreciation.

Seeing that Mo Han’s simple analysis had turned the situation against him, the Beast Clan Prophet grew anxious and exclaimed loudly, "These are all just your conjectures and guesses, fabricated to stop us from punishing the Heavenly Dragon Empire! Do not be fooled by his words; this is a trick of the Heavenly Dragon Empire! The Ao Yue Empire is truly sincere in its cooperation. Remember how the Heavenly Dragon Empire treated our Beast Clan in the past! Don't believe a word he says!"

Mo Han sneered in response. "Prophet, you speak well. These are indeed only possibilities. But if war erupts, they will become reality. Since it is possible, I believe the Ao Yue Empire might also wait until we are mutually exhausted before turning on you. If he harbors ambitions to swallow our Heavenly Dragon Empire in partnership with you, who is to say he won't seize the opportunity to absorb your Beast Clan once you are severely weakened? I believe that possibility is quite high, isn't it?" Hearing this, the Beast Emperor’s face finally changed drastically. The Prophet, unwilling to yield, insisted, "That is absolutely impossible! We have already signed a cooperation treaty with Ao Yue; he would never betray us."

Mo Han replied, "Oh? How can you be so certain, Prophet? Can you control the decisions of the Ao Yue Emperor? Or has the Ao Yue Empire made some private guarantee to you?"

Chapter 107: A Battle of Wits and Courage (Part Three)

Many in the hall looked confused after hearing Mo Han's words. Indeed, the Prophet had been the strongest advocate for this war, and he continued to make excuses for the Ao Yue Empire. The Prophet, flustered, cursed back, "Don't slander me! The treaty clearly stipulates everything! I trust the Ao Yue Empire would not dare violate it."

Mo Han burst into hearty laughter, which confused the Prophet. He asked, "What are you laughing at? What is so funny about this?" Mo Han scoffed, "I truly cannot fathom what the Prophet is thinking. When weighed against the supreme interests of a nation, what power does a single contract hold? Would the Ao Yue Empire forsake its own gains over a useless piece of paper? Prophet, you are far too naive! I imagine if you yourself had to choose between that contract and the vital interests of your nation, you would know exactly which path you would take." Listening to Mo Han, the Beast Emperor pondered for a moment before finally speaking, "Then, Special Envoy, what good suggestions do you have? What terms is the Heavenly Dragon Empire prepared to offer? Let us hear them." His tone suggested he was beginning to waver.

Mo Han smiled and replied, "We have no specific conditions. However, I can promise this: in the future, should your Beast Clan suffer disaster or find yourselves lacking sustenance, my Heavenly Dragon Empire will spare no effort to provide assistance, helping you overcome hardship so that the citizens of the Beast Clan will no longer worry about the necessities of life. Furthermore, the Heavenly Dragon Empire will formally establish diplomatic relations with you, becoming brother nations from this day forward."

The Beast Clan Prophet sneered at Mo Han's answer. "These are just empty promises, worse than what Ao Yue offered. Do you really think you can sway us with this?" Mo Han countered, "Prophet, that is unfair. If you were only looking for empty promises that satisfy you, anyone could offer them. But the Heavenly Dragon Empire can only promise what we are capable of doing; we do not make meaningless, impossible guarantees. I think everyone here understands clearly who is in the right compared to the Ao Yue Empire." At this point, the Beast Clan officials in the hall began to murmur amongst themselves.

At this moment, the Beast Clan's First Prince spoke up. "Father Emperor, I believe the Special Envoy's words hold much weight. I trust the Heavenly Dragon Empire shows genuine sincerity this time. After all, regardless of victory or defeat, a war will cause immense suffering to the citizens of both nations. I implore Your Majesty to consider this war gravely, lest we be used by others." Having said this, the First Prince cast a meaningful glance at the Prophet standing there, then turned and offered Mo Han a smile, to which Mo Han returned a look of gratitude.

The Chief of the Ox-man Clan also stepped forward to support the First Prince’s argument. Several officials who had already opposed the war now also urged the Beast Emperor to reconsider carefully. Seeing this, the Beast Emperor frowned deeply and murmured, "This matter concerns the great future of our Beast Clan. I shall consider it further."

Seeing the Emperor's conviction begin to shake, the Prophet grew desperate and exclaimed, "Your Majesty the Beast Emperor, you must not! We have already signed an agreement with Ao Yue. To break it would invite ridicule upon the entire Beast Clan! If the Heavenly Dragon Empire harbors ill intent and is deliberately provoking us, we will have gained an enemy as formidable as the Ao Yue Empire, on top of the Heavenly Dragon Empire! Our situation would become perilous! I beg Your Majesty to consider this carefully." Hearing the Prophet’s words, the Beast Emperor hesitated. Just as he was about to speak, Mo Han cut in, "Your Majesty the Beast Emperor, I can guarantee that our Heavenly Dragon Empire is absolutely sincere in wanting to cooperate with you. If Your Majesty agrees to abandon this war, we will immediately present a State Edict to demonstrate our sincerity. I believe the credibility of the Heavenly Dragon Empire on the Long Teng Continent is far superior to that of the Ao Yue Empire. This has always been the pride of the Heavenly Dragon Empire. As the foremost human nation, we are absolutely responsible for our words and actions."

Hearing Mo Han, the Prophet retorted, "Special Envoy, have you forgotten? You yourself said that in the face of a nation’s supreme interests, a contract means nothing! On what basis do you ask us to trust you?" Mo Han smiled faintly. "I spoke of supreme interests. If this war is canceled, it is not just the Heavenly Dragon Empire that benefits—your nation benefits as well, does it not? Thus, the people of both nations are spared the scourge of war, and countless innocent lives can be saved. We have no need to break any agreement. Breaking it would be harmful and offer us no gain. The benefits gained by the Ao Yue Empire are different—can they be compared to ours? I simply do not understand, Prophet, as the guardian of the Beast Clan, why you are so intent on starting this war without considering the lives of your own people? Sacrificing countless lives... for what purpose?" With these few sentences, Mo Han expertly aimed the spearhead directly at the Beast Clan Prophet, a truly sharp and accurate blow.

Hearing Mo Han’s words, the hall erupted in discussion. The Prophet saw the situation turning against him and coldly snorted, "Boy, don't think you can alienate me from the simple citizens of the Beast Clan with petty trickery! I consider the future interests of the Beast Clan, not these minor, immediate gains. How could you possibly understand? These are the directives of the Beast God, not something an outsider like you can comprehend!" Hearing the Prophet invoke the Beast God, the discussions in the hall immediately quieted. After all, the Beast God held an immeasurably lofty position in the hearts of these Beast Clan subjects. No citizen dared disrespect the Beast God; such an act would be a crime far graver than treason. No one dared continue to debate.

Mo Han inwardly sneered when he saw the Prophet use the Beast God to intimidate others, often resorting to divine authority for coercion. He coldly remarked, "Oh? I wonder how the great Beast God instructed the Prophet? Could you perhaps share a detail or two to satisfy my curiosity?" The Prophet naturally knew that whatever Mo Han said next would not be pleasant. Having experienced Mo Han's sharp tongue firsthand, he refused to be tricked again and merely sneered, "The secrets of the Beast God are not for outsiders like you to know. Don't dream about it." Mo Han replied, showing no concern, "Oh? Then did the Beast God also inform the Prophet that the Beast Clan is certain to lose this war?"

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