Su Li frowned. Something about Du Yi's words felt incredibly off. Separately, every single word was perfectly fine, but put together, they inexplicably made her blood boil.
Du Yi was still rattling on beside her, speaking at a rapid-fire pace. It was as if he was terrified she would interrupt him midway—or perhaps he had simply been interrupted by her so many times that he had developed a fear of it.
“Sect Master Su, with the assistance of the South-Central Du Clan, you will possess absolute dominion over the Central Continent...”
Su Li listened, her fingers lightly tapping against her knee. She had absolutely no interest in this nonsense. Wasn't this all just absolute nonsense?
Even without them, she was already second only to one and above tens of thousands. Why would she need some "absolute dominion"?
Her delicate brow furrowed deeper, a clear sign that her patience was being ground away, inch by inch.
“If you only came here to say this, you can get out now,” Su Li said coldly. Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone left absolutely no room for negotiation.
Du Yi froze. What the hell was this? Weren't they having a perfectly fine conversation just a second ago? Was this woman a dog? Flipping her lid at the drop of a hat? How on earth had Du Ling managed to land a woman like her?
His mind raced as he calculated his next move, but he didn't dare let his composure slip. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “Is there something Sect Master Su is unsatisfied with regarding my proposal?”
Su Li was in no hurry to answer. She lowered her head and summoned her fully recovered little phoenix, letting it rest on her open palm.
The little creature had shrunk into the form of a tiny vermilion bird. It tilted its head, nuzzling against her fingertips, before folding its wings and nesting quietly in her hand.
Su Li used her other hand to leisurely stroke its feathers, her movements slow and gentle.
She was deliberately dragging out the silence, making Du Yi's wait feel much longer and far more uncomfortable. Her gaze remained fixed on the phoenix's feathers as she stroked them in silence for a while. Only then did she raise a single finger and place it gently in front of her lips.
Du Yi's face was a map of confusion. He tentatively asked, “A little unsatisfied?”
Su Li curled her lips into a smirk. “No—I am unsatisfied with every single point.”
Du Yi's blood pressure spiked instantly. He finally realized that this woman was simply playing him for a fool.
She had no intention of negotiating seriously. She was just waiting for him to show more weakness so she would have an excuse to throw him out.
He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. Staring at Su Li, his voice hardened. “Sect Master Su, don't you think acting like this is rather impolite?”
Seeing him lose his cool, Su Li curled her lip. She hadn't even said anything yet—talk about a fragile ego.
She stared at Du Yi's twitching face, mentally calculating how close he was to a complete meltdown. In the end, she decided to give him a way out, solely because his last name was also Du. Otherwise, she would have long treated him to her phoenix fire.
“The Beast Taming Sect is fully capable of managing the Central Continent Alliance on its own. We do not need the help of any great clans.”
She tilted her chin toward Du Yi, gesturing for him to continue. Her gaze had already drifted away from him, landing on the sky outside the window, looking as if she couldn't care less about whatever he had to say next.
Du Yi let out a cold laugh. He finally understood what Su Li meant—oh, so after all this back-and-forth, this woman was simply greedy.
She wanted to swallow the fat piece of meat that was the Central Continent Alliance all by herself, completely ignoring whether her Beast Taming Sect—which was currently nothing but a bunch of old, weak, sick, and disabled people—would choke to death on it. He leaned forward, lowering his voice.
“Does Sect Master Su truly believe the Beast Taming Sect can swallow the entire Central Continent Alliance alone?”
Without waiting for her reply, he pressed on. “I'm afraid Sect Master Su has no idea what an absolute mess the Central Continent Alliance is right now. We constantly need to deploy forces to the east, and the scale of the formless spirit tides is growing larger each time.”
He raised a single finger. “That is the first issue: external threats.”
He smacked his lips, wanting to pick up the teapot to pour himself some water to moisten his throat. But just as his hand touched the handle, he remembered that Su Li had just drunk directly from the spout.
He paused, pulling his hand back halfway. With no choice but to bear his dry throat, he continued, “The second issue is internal strife. The recent conflict within the Central Continent Alliance didn't just wipe out its top-tier combat power; it also completely shattered its authority. A multitude of problems have been exposed. Do you really think those small sects that have been suppressed for so long will remain obedient, Sect Master Su?”
Having said his piece, he observed Su Li's reaction with a playful, mocking expression.
Su Li's expression darkened. She had to admit that this fellow actually made a valid point.
Although she had been recovering for the past few days and hadn't handled official matters, she was well aware of the constant messages from the border demanding reinforcements.
As for those small sects... just a few days ago, several leaders of the minor sects subordinate to the Central Continent Alliance had jointly requested to "visit" her, but she had turned them away.
She knew exactly what they were planning—they simply wanted to use the visit as an excuse to test how deep the Central Continent Alliance's waters currently ran. She could not deny that Du Yi was right.
However, she truly detested this feeling of being manipulated. This sensation of losing the initiative always made her unconsciously recall those past days when she had been utterly powerless, left with no choice but to wait and pray.
“And so?” Su Li's expression was now extremely grim, cold as frost. In contrast, Du Yi's smile grew noticeably brighter—the worse her expression became, the more it proved his words were hitting their mark.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands over his lap as his tone stabilized once more. “So? If the Central Continent Alliance were to receive the backing of a super clan right now, securing a loyal ally who also holds a certain amount of say in its affairs—in my humble opinion, all of the aforementioned problems would be swept away.”
Su Li's patience was on the verge of running out completely. As if sensing its master's foul mood, the vermilion bird in her hand turned into a streak of light and retreated back into her dantian.
She stood up and walked down from the main seat, stopping right in front of Du Yi. Looking down at him from above, she stared straight into his face.
“Why on earth should I choose you?”
Du Yi met her gaze without the slightest hint of fear. His back remained pressed against the chair, but he did not avert his eyes.
“Based on our strength, and based on the fact that we can help you manage the Central Continent Alliance.”
“And even setting that aside...” He paused, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “Don't we also share a familial connection?”
“Wouldn't you agree, Sister-in-Law?”
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