vstars Chapter 122: When Two Tigers Fight, One Will Be Injured
Chapter 122: When Two Tigers Fight, One Will Be Injured
Zhongming sighed and said slowly, "Get up quickly, don't kneel down so easily." As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Zhongda, who was kneeling on the ground, up.
After a moment, he spoke again, his tone firm yet tinged with helplessness: "Perhaps, this matter is not entirely a bad thing!"
Zhongda was stunned, somewhat unable to believe his ears. He then asked urgently, "Brother, what do you mean by that? Do you already have a solution?"
Zhongming did not answer his brother's question immediately, but instead looked out the car window.
After a long silence, his voice was somewhat subdued: "Back then, because of my selfishness and greed, I was single-mindedly plotting to become the clan leader. To this end, I even colluded with the Demon Sect to instigate conflict and create division within the clan. Now, the entire Li Clan is in chaos and turmoil, and it could collapse completely at any moment. And the culprit who caused all these evil consequences is none other than me."
At this point, Zhong Ming closed his eyes briefly, a deep look of regret on his face. "Cooperating with the Demon Sect is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger! The Demon Sect has always been ruthless; they are hardly benevolent! In this struggle between us and Zhong Li, no matter which side ultimately wins, it will inevitably be our Li Clan that suffers the losses."
"If, at this critical juncture, the Demon Sect suddenly betrays its promise and turns against us, launching an attack on our Li Clan and taking the opportunity to annex us, will the Li Clan, having already endured such internal strife, still have the strength to withstand the Demon Sect's counterattack?"
Upon hearing this, Zhongda couldn't help but sigh. These were things that the lord had already analyzed for him when he was in the Demon-Suppressing Prison.
Now that things have come to this, thanks to his and his elder brother's efforts, the entire Li Clan has already planted too many people from the Demon Sect. Even if they wanted to stop this dangerous behavior now, the Demon Sect probably wouldn't let it go easily.
The die is cast! The situation they face is now far beyond their control; whether they like it or not, they have no choice but to grit their teeth and move forward.
As outsiders say, Zhongda, though cowardly and afraid of death, was quite capable.
Hearing his elder brother explain the advantages and disadvantages of cooperating with the Demon Sect, he immediately understood that his brother would not have said these words to him for no reason.
He pressed further, "Brother, now that it's already done, there's not much point in saying all this now. What did you mean by 'not a bad thing' earlier?"
Seeing that he had brought the topic back to the present, Zhongming's expression turned serious, and he slowly spoke.
"Since even we have seen the drawbacks of cooperating with the Demon Sect, how could that person in the Demon Alliance not see it? Perhaps it's a good thing that you revealed our cooperation with the Demon Sect to that person."
At this point, Zhong Ming paused slightly, then continued, "Do you think he would just stand by and watch the Demon Sect annex the Li Clan without doing anything? The answer is obviously no! After annexing the Li Clan, the Demon Sect's strength will inevitably rise to a higher level. Between two super-giant forces, neither wants the other to become stronger day by day."
"Moreover, the Demon Sect, having annexed the Li Clan, is now plotting to seize the entire Southern Ridge territory. If the Demon Sect succeeds in this endeavor, then their next objective... I think that lord understands it better than we do. Therefore..."
“Therefore, for the long term, that Azure Emperor will certainly not allow the Demon Sect to annex the Li Clan.” Zhongda interrupted the other party before he could finish speaking.
Zhong Ming nodded and said, "Perhaps we can take advantage of this and cooperate with the Demon Alliance. By skillfully maneuvering between the two sides, we might be able to temporarily save the Li Clan from being annexed."
Zhongda's heart skipped a beat, and his face showed alarm! He hurriedly said, "But if we establish a relationship with the Demon Alliance, who can guarantee that they don't have the intention to annex the Li Clan? When that happens, the Li Clan will be caught between two super powers, which would be as dangerous as lambs to the slaughter. Brother... this idea is too risky."
Zhong Ming's expression suddenly turned fierce, and he gritted his teeth. "It is indeed dangerous, but if we succeed, we may be able to get rid of the Li tribe's current predicament. When that day comes, let them fight! The fiercer and more brutal the fight, the better. When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. Maybe then we can get rid of the constraints imposed by both sides."
Zhongda nodded knowingly, suppressing his worries, and said in a low voice, "It seems that's the only way for now! Brother, do you think that the lord's rejection of our Mingshan mine is also because he wants to cooperate with us, and that's why he did this on purpose?"
"Perhaps... so it is!"
Upon hearing this, Zhongda lowered his head and said nothing more.
Now, caught in a dilemma, Zhongming has no choice but to choose an extremely dangerous, yet currently the only, path to take.
But will things really develop as he predicted? It's all uncertain.
But as he himself said, both the one from the Demon Sect and the one from the Demon Alliance were unfathomable and elusive.
Whether in terms of cultivation or intellect, he is someone that ordinary people can hardly match.
Would two people like this really scheme against each other and end up benefiting others?
Three days after this incident, Zhong Ming couldn't wait to once again visit the Demon Alliance to discuss cooperation.
In the hall, Bingyao briefly explained to everyone the purpose of Zhongming's visit.
Si Hanye, sitting in the first seat, showed no surprise on his face.
He parted his lips slightly, "He does have some cleverness in driving away tigers and wolves, but unfortunately... he's not clever enough."
Bingyao snorted coldly, "That scoundrel Zhongming is really dreaming. Back then, he cooperated with the Demon Sect to covet the position of clan leader. Now that he has realized the other party's wolfish ambitions, he wants to cooperate with us again, playing both sides and trying to use our strength to deal with the Demon Sect. He really has a good plan."
Below, Elder Sheng spoke, his voice dry and grating. “Yes, let us use our hands to remove the demon sect’s claws. When we and the demon sect are both exhausted, he can then seize the opportunity to break free from the constraints of both sides.”
Mo Yu couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, using someone else to do the dirty work and then reaping the benefits! Who gave them the guts to scheme against the Demon Alliance?"
Mo Yu grew increasingly angry as she spoke, "Hmph! He wants to use us, but we won't let him have his way."
At this point, he frowned, somewhat puzzled. "How could Zhongming think we would definitely agree to this cooperation? Isn't he afraid we'll follow the Demon Sect's example and wipe out the Li Clan completely?"
"Cough cough!"
Elder Sheng coughed twice and continued, "This plan is dangerous, but it has the best chance of success. The only force on the entire continent that can rival the Demon Sect is the Demon Alliance. He's using the Li Clan and even the entire Southern Ridge territory as bait to force us into this trap!"
"Good lad, you've got some guts."