Armipotent

The aura stayed for another five seconds before it disappeared. If not for the warning from the system, he might have continued it for at least thirty seconds. His gaze locked on Cao Jingyi, “Watch your tone, Cao Jingyi.”

Kang Xue was the first one to get up and reach Cao Jingyi. Even though her heart was thumping loudly because of what she experienced, she knew Cao Jingyi experienced it worse because of the aura directed toward Cao Jingyi.

“Give her a seat,” Tang Shaoyang was not over with the woman. He respected the woman, one of the OG people who helped him to establish the empire. But the accusation she threw at him after overhearing something with no context, hit him in the sore spot.

He was upset because she was one of many people who should have trusted him, one of many people who should know more of him than anyone else. She was one of many people who should not have come to such a conclusion without hearing the context.

Kang Xue listened and helped Cao Jingyi to one of the chairs. Her husband, Wei Xi, was standing behind her.

“I am more disappointed than angry at you, Cao Jingyi. I didn’t expect to hear such an accusation from you out of many people just after eavesdropping on my conversation with my wives. I don’t know if you mean it or not, but you are saying as if I am a deranged person who was willing to put my people, and my family at risk just to satisfy my obsession with fighting. That’s what I got after hearing you and the way you speak to me.”

Cao Jingyi’s sharp and accusatory tone was what made Tang Shaoyang snap. He knew that Cao Jingyi was not someone who would joke around, especially on a formal occasion like this.

Tang Shaoyang chuckled wryly, “I am willing to leave my little daughter just so I can get stronger so that our people don’t get oppressed. I am risking my life so I can get more power to protect my people from the power-hungry factions. I put myself in front to be a target so that no one would take advantage of my people, to exploit you and the others. Yet you can’t even put a little trust in me, or at least understand the context before you throw such an accusation. I don’t know if you mean it, but you said it as if I am antagonizing them just so I can satisfy myself by fighting them.”

“I am disappointed in you if you think so lowly of me, Cao Jingyi. If I want to satisfy my desire to fight or even show off my power, I will choose to fight a monster instead of people. I don’t enjoy killing people, but someone has to do it. I bathe my hand in blood so that many of us can live peacefully in our new home, not worrying that some random faction will pop up and enslave us to be their slave workers.”

“I understand you don’t like the way I am doing this, but do you have a better solution so our people don’t get exploited?”

At this time, most people arrived in the room, but no one interrupted Tang Shaoyang. They listened to him while keeping their heads low.

Cao Jingyi furrowed her brow and looked up at The Emperor. Her expression paled, and her hands trembled from the aura she faced earlier. However, that would not stop her from speaking what was in her mind, but Tang Shaoyang cut her off.

“If you are going to say to talk it out with them peacefully, then don’t waste your breath. I have proposed new terms for the alliance, and an equal alliance with no stupid share so our people don’t get exploited. Do you know how they respond to my new proposal? They responded with a threat.”

“Come on, Cao Jingyi. You are not that naive to think this can be resolved peacefully. They thought we were weaker than them and tricked us so they could exploit our people. When the trick is no longer working, they will use a threat. Do you have a better solution to this?”

Tang Shaoyang was not expecting an answer as he continued, “We show them that we are not weaklings that they can take advantage of. That’s the only way for us to come to an agreement with them on equal terms. Then we can start a second alliance talk when they take us as an equal.”

“Yes, this is not a fight where we fight to destroy or wipe them. We just need to show them that we are strong enough so they can stop thinking of taking advantage of us. That’s when we will start another alliance talk if they are willing, if not, then we will continue by ourselves just like how we did it in the first tower. We don’t need an alliance in our first tower, and we can finish the second tower without an alliance as well.”

He then scanned the room, and everyone was already there as he spoke to Cao Jingyi.

“Everyone heard it, right? I am going to fight them and show you how strong I am. Maybe you have a question in your mind: why do I need to show you how strong I am? Because I don’t want you to think that we are weak and think it’s okay if the other factions take advantage of us. I understand you are afraid because of the number of the God Ranks they have, but you have me. I am aware you are not convinced with just words, so I will show you that numbers don’t really matter.”

“Maybe you think the war against the three factions is unnecessary, but that’s what I am looking for. Because I can’t stay with you guys here for more than a week. I need to use this one week to put them in a place, so they know what they will get when they play tricks on my people and my empire.”

He continued telling them how disappointed he was that they allowed the United Sovereign to benefit by leveraging them. There was no way an even split with the United Sovereign was fair when they put themselves in front. He was disappointed that none of them could see the three alliances were taking advantage of them. He told them about how many resources the Earth Alliance shared and how many resources the three alliances’ shared. He could no longer hide his disappointment on his face.

“Because you think you are weaker than them and allow them to take advantage of our people. I am founding this empire so no one could exploit me and my people, and I am genuinely upset and sad that it happened. This is why I need to show you that we are not weaker than them!”

He let out a sigh as many of them lowered their heads, admitting their fault.

“Now if you have something in mind that you want to talk about, you can say it now,” Tang Shaoyang turned toward Cao Jingyi again, “I don’t have a lot of time to establish our power slowly. This is the reason why I provoked them to fight me. If they know they can not beat me, then they will think twice before messing up with the Tang Empire!”

Lu An raised his hand, and he was surprised as the young man is rarely active in a meeting like this, “May I know how long are you going to leave this time, Your Majesty?”

“The situation up there is not really good, and I don’t know when the thing up there will be over. But I think they will allow me to return for a few days in a month. I will share what happens outside our world in detail through Supreme Commander Zhang later.”

Alton raised his hand, “You have told us what you are going to do, but you haven’t told us what you want us to do for this fight, Your Majesty. Do you have a specific instruction for us?”

“You have one job, watch me. Guess not just me, but also Ophelius and Ophelia,” A lot of people made a surprised expression when he brought up the two names.

“Don’t treat Ophelius and Ophelia like normal children, don’t spoil them. They are dragon, demon, and calamity combined. Spoiling them is the same as harming them, and I am not going to let you all ruin them.”

That silenced many who wanted to protect Ophelius and Ophelia from the battlefield. He knew very well that not just his wives, but most of his people felt guilty for having children in the battle. However, the twins were not average children. They meant to thrive in the wild and on the battlefield. Caging and protecting them behind the wall would dull their instinct, and that would hamper their growth. He continued rambling on why spoiled people were harming them.

“If you have nothing to ask, then the meeting is over. You can return to your post or maybe get ready to watch the show.”