"Deal, haha," Ye Han burst into laughter upon hearing this, finding the purpose of Ziluo amusing.
"Yes, it's funny. But it's my truest intention," Ziluo, hearing Ye Han's disdainful laughter, felt somewhat disappointed, or perhaps even a bit hopeless.
"Tell me, what do you want to trade with me?" Ye Han, after his laughter, looked at Ziluo with interest. The inhabitants of the continent were terrified of getting close to him, yet this prince of the imperial family dared to propose a trade.
"Imperial power," Ziluo stated firmly, his eyes shining with determination.
"You want to be the emperor?"
"Exactly. A soldier who doesn't aspire to be a general isn't a good soldier, and as a prince of the Huayue Empire, if I don't aspire to be the emperor, do you think that's possible?" Ziluo spoke with a steadfast tone, looking straight at Ye Han, waiting for his response.
"What will I gain from this?"
"If you help me ascend the throne, I guarantee that under my rule, the Huayue Empire will never act against you. Moreover, I can help you achieve what you cannot on your own."
"Do I have such unattainable goals?" Ye Han said disdainfully.
"Haha, Ye Han, I must admit, you really are arrogant. But do you really understand this continent that well?" Ziluo countered.
"Rumor has it that you control over twenty Saint-level individuals, but are you really confident that you can rely on them to confront the entire continent's powers? To a God-level, Saints are nothing more than slightly stronger ants," Ziluo said slowly. Being of royal birth, he understood the situation of the continent much better than Ye Han.
"Go on," Ye Han, reminded by Ziluo's words, faintly felt a sense of crisis.
"Simply put, how much do you know about the Sword Sect and the Magic Sect, the Church of Light, and the Church of Darkness?"
"Not much."
"Heh, then let me tell you. According to the intelligence of our Huayue Empire, the Sword Sect has seven God-level experts, five of whom are lower Gods and two are middle Gods. The Magic Sect has five God-level experts, one middle God, and four lower Gods. Their number of Saint-level experts is over a hundred. The Church of Light and the Church of Darkness worship the Lords of Light and Darkness, and can summon angels. A four-winged angel possesses the strength of a lower God. Imagine the power of angels with six, eight, or twelve wings. Do you think you can contend with any of these powers?" Ziluo slowly revealed the strength of these four colossal forces, deeply shocking Ye Han.
"And that's not all. Do you really think that these four superpowers, standing on the continent for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, are that simple? Haha, if you truly confront them head-on, just a single Saint-level individual from those forces could annihilate you," Ziluo said, his eyes flashing coldly.
"A Saint-level?" Ye Han looked at Ziluo, puzzled.
"You may not believe it, but it's the absolute truth. Because they possess divine artifacts."
"Divine artifacts," this news was indeed significant for Ye Han. In the continent, weapons were categorized into ordinary weapons, holy artifacts, and divine artifacts. Among the three Saint-level experts in the Doomsday Prison, only Xiazhao possessed a holy artifact. Its power had already instilled fear in Ye Han, let alone a divine artifact, which was even more formidable.
"According to the millennia of intelligence gathered by our Huayue Empire, the Sword Sect possesses four divine artifacts: three offensive and one defensive. The Magic Sect also has four, but only one is offensive, the others being defensive. The Church of Light and the Church of Darkness each have two. Just deploying one could be enough to kill a Saint-level powerhouse like you."
"These details seem unrelated to our deal," Ye Han suddenly changed the subject, cutting off what Ziluo was about to say.
Ziluo thought for a moment, as if making a decision, then said, "They are related. To my knowledge, the Huayue Empire possesses two divine artifacts, one offensive and one defensive," Ziluo threw a bait towards Ye Han.
"From the sound of it, you don't seem certain," Ye Han became interested in Ziluo's offer. He was aware of the power of divine artifacts and knew well that even a peak Saint-level fighter with a holy artifact would spell certain doom for him.
"Yes, this kind of information is not something princes would know. In the entire empire, I think only the emperor and a few old immortals are aware," Ziluo stated frankly.
"How can you assure me?" After Ziluo mentioned the existence of divine artifacts in the Huayue Empire, Ye Han knew Ziluo intended to exchange them for his help.
"I dare to propose this trade because I have some basis. The three great empires, the Frostwind Empire has three divine artifacts, and the Flame Dragon Empire has two. Wouldn't my Huayue Empire, also one of the three great empires, possess them as well?" Ziluo revealed another crucial piece of information to Ye Han.
"I must admit, your offer is very tempting to me, but why choose me?"
"My sister and I were born to a mother of humble nobility. Although we received everything due, you can understand the pain involved. For the safety of my sister and myself, I must ascend to the throne," Ziluo took a deep breath.
His eyes filled with murderous intent, he calmed himself and continued, "You've seen my sister. Many in the Huayue Empire have their sights set on her. If someone else ascends the throne, she will become a sacrificial pawn of the empire, and I too will die. I chose you because I believe you can help me, and I have what you need."
"Apart from that yet-to-be-confirmed divine artifact, what else does your Huayue Empire have that I need?" Ye Han's interest in the deal grew.
"You need intelligence, an understanding of this continent."
"Oh? And you can provide that?" Ye Han was slightly surprised, admiring the royal's insight into people's needs.
Ye Han possessed a not insignificant power, but he was like a blind man on this continent, almost entirely lacking in reliable intelligence sources. Everything he knew was overheard on the streets or in taverns, but the truth of that information was uncertain. Without understanding the movements of the forces with intentions against him, Ye Han would always be reactive, always a step behind. While this might not be an issue in the short term, it could become problematic over time.
"The Assassin's Guild," Ziluo spelled out, naming an organization shrouded in mystery for everyone on the continent.
"Continue," Ye Han was deeply shocked by Ziluo's words.
"The Huayue Empire is the economically strongest of the three great empires, not only because of the empire's focus on economic development but also due to the Assassin's Guild."
"Haha, I didn't expect that the entire continent has been deceived by your Huayue Empire. I suppose the strongest of the three great empires should be the Huayue Empire, not the Frostwind Empire," Ye Han said.
"I think so too," Ziluo agreed, without any modesty.
"Good, I'll take the deal," Ye Han agreed readily. Either aspect of the deal was crucial for him. The source of intelligence would be significantly beneficial to him.
"Let's be clear, these two things can only be given to you after I ascend to the throne. Right now, I can offer you no benefits," Ziluo was elated but remained clear-headed.
"Fine. I'll first do what I must. When?"
"It will take some time, as several powerful princes have already started making their moves."
"Is the emperor of the Huayue Empire also in a bad state?" Ye Han asked, puzzled.
"Heh, in the Huayue Empire, since its founding, not a single emperor has died a natural death."