Chapter 45: Yu Sheng'an's Strategy
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Chapter 45: Yu Sheng'an's Strategy
"Low prices? Are you mad?"
Dandell abruptly stood up.
Not just him—Qimoer and Beixi also wore grim expressions. In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through their minds, and an utterly dreadful conjecture surfaced: Had the Internet God allied himself with the Music Goddess?
If true, it would be disastrously unlucky!
The Music Goddess was nominally a deity, even recognized by the Five Great Righteous Gods, and her presence on the Azarea Continent was far from insignificant. Yet few truly revered her.
The reason was simple:
The Divine Spark authority she wielded was extremely limited.
Her Believers were scattered across the Azarea Continent, but they consisted solely of musicians raised by nobles.
She had established her Divine Kingdom on Earth, Vias, in the Lanlun Mountain Basin—but in truth, it was little more than a city-state.
Her kingdom produced nothing, adhering to the creed that All things are inferior, only music is supreme. Any Commoner who could compose beautiful music would instantly surpass the status of a royal guard captain.
The sole external influence of her kingdom lay in the fact that nobles across the Azarea Continent universally recognized musicians from the Vias Music Academy.
Or rather, owning a musician trained at the Vias Music Academy had become a luxury symbolizing wealth and status among nobles of various nations.
How could such a neutral, mild-mannered goddess inspire reverence?
Of course, from another perspective, the Music Goddess was also exceptionally shrewd and self-aware.
She harbored no ambitions, content to carve out her own little paradise.
Her small nation and sparse population brought her only meager profits like the tip of an awl.
Neither the Five Great Righteous Gods nor the various evil deities would trouble her over her insignificant territory.
After all, she was still a legitimate deity holding a Divine Spark.
No matter how weak, she might not accomplish great things, but she could certainly ruin them.
If pushed to desperation, she could abandon her Divine Kingdom on Earth, Vias, and still make life miserable for her enemies!
By contrast, the formidable God of Contracts, Tang En, had been besieged and fallen, proving that her survival strategy was not without merit.
However, her success aside, if the Internet God was closely aligned with her, it would spell disaster for the Keville Empire.
After painstakingly growing their crops, selling them to her at low prices—who could stomach that?
Even if the seeds were developed by the Internet God himself.
"Do you have objections?"
Yu Sheng'an glanced at Dandell, his peripheral gaze flickering toward Qimoer and Beixi.
"Your Excellency, do not take offense. Grain concerns the bellies of the Empire's people, but more importantly, the stability of your Source Essence spring! With the internet increasingly permeating every aspect of the Empire, vast numbers are leaving the land for the cities. If the food supply falters, your Source Essence spring will be in peril!" Qimoer spoke up.
It had to be admitted—those who became Gods of Magic were no fools.
His admonishment to Yu Sheng'an was framed entirely as "I’m speaking from your perspective, for your benefit."
"Indeed. I acknowledge that the crops Your Excellency has improved have greatly increased yields, temporarily averting famine in the Empire. But as food production rises and literacy spreads, more and more farmers will abandon the land. Thus, we must stockpile sufficient grain to guard against unforeseen crises," Beixi added.
"Your Excellency, the grain can be sold—but never at low prices! Otherwise, farmers won’t earn enough and will refuse to till the land. The resulting vicious cycle could tear the Empire apart in the blink of an eye."
Dandell also began to speak ominously.
Yu Sheng'an listened to the trio's coordinated remarks and suddenly laughed.
He straightened his back, interlaced his fingers, and placed them on the table as he said:
"I was reluctant to interfere in your nation's affairs, but since you claim this involves my preaching zone, it's only right for me to participate. So why oppose my suggestion?"
"Let me tell you—from now on, the Empire won’t just sell food at low prices to Vias. We’ll sell cheaply to every other nation as well!"
Yu Sheng'an’s shocking declaration instantly caused the three Gods of Magic to pale in astonishment!
They exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity of the situation in the other’s eyes.
Dandell narrowed his eyes. "Surely, Your Excellency doesn’t truly believe that appeasing the gods will buy lasting peace?"
The only female God of Magic, Beixi, also turned cold. "Your Excellency, do not attempt the path of the Music Goddess. The Keville Empire is no tiny speck like Vias! We govern sixteen cities with populations exceeding a million and control six million zhang of land. The gods will never relinquish such a prize."
Qimoer remained silent, but his magical projection flickered erratically—now translucent, now solid—as if he might replace it with his true form at any moment.
For the first time, the three Gods of Magic revealed their unyielding stance.
They had no choice but to stand firm.
The internet had already permeated the Empire completely. They could not allow the Internet God to pursue a policy of appeasement.
Yu Sheng'an chuckled lightly.
"Heh..."
It was clear he was laughing with genuine amusement.
Yet the expressions of the three Gods of Magic only grew colder. They remained silent, as if poised to strike at any moment, yet restrained by some unspoken hesitation.
"I’ve long struggled to understand how your nation has maintained independence under the encirclement of the Five Great Righteous Gods. Now, I see why."
Yu Sheng'an waved a hand dismissively. "I quite like your attitude. Relax—I’m not as spineless as you imagine."
The three Gods of Magic exchanged glances again, momentarily baffled by Yu Sheng'an’s demeanor.
They still did not speak, watching him intently.
Yu Sheng'an, however, only grew more at ease. "Have you never considered why I’m implementing the low-price food strategy? Still, your reactions reassure me. If even you can’t see through it, this plan must be highly feasible."
Under the doubtful gazes of the three Gods of Magic, Yu Sheng'an continued confidently.
"Have you ever thought about the consequences of our low-price food export strategy? Forget the Empire for now—let’s talk about foreign nations. With an influx of cheap grain, they’ll abandon farming altogether."
"Within three to five years, they’ll become utterly dependent on imports. Then, all we need to do is cut off food exports. No matter how devout the followers of the Five Great Righteous Gods are, after starving for seven or eight days, they’ll riot in desperation!"
"During this time, we can even encourage them to cultivate magic plants—crops with higher economic value but devastating effects on soil fertility. They can trade these magic plants for food, while we leverage our magical superiority to refine them into high-value magic artifacts and sell them back."
"This way, we’ll never suffer losses. In fact, we can use the profits to subsidize our farmers, purchasing their grain at premium prices to incentivize continued cultivation."
"Oh, and by the way, we could even manipulate the domestic mages by telling them that the preaching zones of the Five Great Righteous Gods are rich in magic plants. If they want more magical resources, they’ll have to seize those territories to advance further."
Yu Sheng'an slowed his speech: "Now do you understand my point? My goal is to use cheap grain to destroy their self-sufficiency in food."
The three Gods of Magic widened their eyes, utterly shocked by Yu Sheng'an's words.
They had always believed that food was a good thing—the foundation of the Empire's stability—and thus must be fiercely protected!
But they had never imagined that this very "good thing" could be wielded with such terrifying and ruthless effectiveness.
If this plan were successfully implemented, they could weaken enemy nations from within, subduing them without direct conflict.
For a moment, the way the three looked at Yu Sheng'an completely changed.
Was this still the widely revered God of Agriculture, known for saving countless lives?
He was clearly an Abyss Demon!
No—even the bloodthirsty Abyss Demons weren’t fit to lick his boots!
"Low prices? Are you mad?"
Dandell abruptly stood up.
Not just him—Qimoer and Beixi also wore grim expressions. In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through their minds, and an utterly dreadful conjecture surfaced: Had the Internet God allied himself with the Music Goddess?
If true, it would be disastrously unlucky!
The Music Goddess was nominally a deity, even recognized by the Five Great Righteous Gods, and her presence on the Azarea Continent was far from insignificant. Yet few truly revered her.
The reason was simple:
The Divine Spark authority she wielded was extremely limited.
Her Believers were scattered across the Azarea Continent, but they consisted solely of musicians raised by nobles.
She had established her Divine Kingdom on Earth, Vias, in the Lanlun Mountain Basin—but in truth, it was little more than a city-state.
Her kingdom produced nothing, adhering to the creed that All things are inferior, only music is supreme. Any Commoner who could compose beautiful music would instantly surpass the status of a royal guard captain.
The sole external influence of her kingdom lay in the fact that nobles across the Azarea Continent universally recognized musicians from the Vias Music Academy.
Or rather, owning a musician trained at the Vias Music Academy had become a luxury symbolizing wealth and status among nobles of various nations.
How could such a neutral, mild-mannered goddess inspire reverence?
Of course, from another perspective, the Music Goddess was also exceptionally shrewd and self-aware.
She harbored no ambitions, content to carve out her own little paradise.
Her small nation and sparse population brought her only meager profits like the tip of an awl.
Neither the Five Great Righteous Gods nor the various evil deities would trouble her over her insignificant territory.
After all, she was still a legitimate deity holding a Divine Spark.
No matter how weak, she might not accomplish great things, but she could certainly ruin them.
If pushed to desperation, she could abandon her Divine Kingdom on Earth, Vias, and still make life miserable for her enemies!
By contrast, the formidable God of Contracts, Tang En, had been besieged and fallen, proving that her survival strategy was not without merit.
However, her success aside, if the Internet God was closely aligned with her, it would spell disaster for the Keville Empire.
After painstakingly growing their crops, selling them to her at low prices—who could stomach that?
Even if the seeds were developed by the Internet God himself.
"Do you have objections?"
Yu Sheng'an glanced at Dandell, his peripheral gaze flickering toward Qimoer and Beixi.
"Your Excellency, do not take offense. Grain concerns the bellies of the Empire's people, but more importantly, the stability of your Source Essence spring! With the internet increasingly permeating every aspect of the Empire, vast numbers are leaving the land for the cities. If the food supply falters, your Source Essence spring will be in peril!" Qimoer spoke up.
It had to be admitted—those who became Gods of Magic were no fools.
His admonishment to Yu Sheng'an was framed entirely as "I’m speaking from your perspective, for your benefit."
"Indeed. I acknowledge that the crops Your Excellency has improved have greatly increased yields, temporarily averting famine in the Empire. But as food production rises and literacy spreads, more and more farmers will abandon the land. Thus, we must stockpile sufficient grain to guard against unforeseen crises," Beixi added.
"Your Excellency, the grain can be sold—but never at low prices! Otherwise, farmers won’t earn enough and will refuse to till the land. The resulting vicious cycle could tear the Empire apart in the blink of an eye."
Dandell also began to speak ominously.
Yu Sheng'an listened to the trio's coordinated remarks and suddenly laughed.
He straightened his back, interlaced his fingers, and placed them on the table as he said:
"I was reluctant to interfere in your nation's affairs, but since you claim this involves my preaching zone, it's only right for me to participate. So why oppose my suggestion?"
"Let me tell you—from now on, the Empire won’t just sell food at low prices to Vias. We’ll sell cheaply to every other nation as well!"
Yu Sheng'an’s shocking declaration instantly caused the three Gods of Magic to pale in astonishment!
They exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity of the situation in the other’s eyes.
Dandell narrowed his eyes. "Surely, Your Excellency doesn’t truly believe that appeasing the gods will buy lasting peace?"
The only female God of Magic, Beixi, also turned cold. "Your Excellency, do not attempt the path of the Music Goddess. The Keville Empire is no tiny speck like Vias! We govern sixteen cities with populations exceeding a million and control six million zhang of land. The gods will never relinquish such a prize."
Qimoer remained silent, but his magical projection flickered erratically—now translucent, now solid—as if he might replace it with his true form at any moment.
For the first time, the three Gods of Magic revealed their unyielding stance.
They had no choice but to stand firm.
The internet had already permeated the Empire completely. They could not allow the Internet God to pursue a policy of appeasement.
Yu Sheng'an chuckled lightly.
"Heh..."
It was clear he was laughing with genuine amusement.
Yet the expressions of the three Gods of Magic only grew colder. They remained silent, as if poised to strike at any moment, yet restrained by some unspoken hesitation.
"I’ve long struggled to understand how your nation has maintained independence under the encirclement of the Five Great Righteous Gods. Now, I see why."
Yu Sheng'an waved a hand dismissively. "I quite like your attitude. Relax—I’m not as spineless as you imagine."
The three Gods of Magic exchanged glances again, momentarily baffled by Yu Sheng'an’s demeanor.
They still did not speak, watching him intently.
Yu Sheng'an, however, only grew more at ease. "Have you never considered why I’m implementing the low-price food strategy? Still, your reactions reassure me. If even you can’t see through it, this plan must be highly feasible."
Under the doubtful gazes of the three Gods of Magic, Yu Sheng'an continued confidently.
"Have you ever thought about the consequences of our low-price food export strategy? Forget the Empire for now—let’s talk about foreign nations. With an influx of cheap grain, they’ll abandon farming altogether."
"Within three to five years, they’ll become utterly dependent on imports. Then, all we need to do is cut off food exports. No matter how devout the followers of the Five Great Righteous Gods are, after starving for seven or eight days, they’ll riot in desperation!"
"During this time, we can even encourage them to cultivate magic plants—crops with higher economic value but devastating effects on soil fertility. They can trade these magic plants for food, while we leverage our magical superiority to refine them into high-value magic artifacts and sell them back."
"This way, we’ll never suffer losses. In fact, we can use the profits to subsidize our farmers, purchasing their grain at premium prices to incentivize continued cultivation."
"Oh, and by the way, we could even manipulate the domestic mages by telling them that the preaching zones of the Five Great Righteous Gods are rich in magic plants. If they want more magical resources, they’ll have to seize those territories to advance further."
Yu Sheng'an slowed his speech: "Now do you understand my point? My goal is to use cheap grain to destroy their self-sufficiency in food."
The three Gods of Magic widened their eyes, utterly shocked by Yu Sheng'an's words.
They had always believed that food was a good thing—the foundation of the Empire's stability—and thus must be fiercely protected!
But they had never imagined that this very "good thing" could be wielded with such terrifying and ruthless effectiveness.
If this plan were successfully implemented, they could weaken enemy nations from within, subduing them without direct conflict.
For a moment, the way the three looked at Yu Sheng'an completely changed.
Was this still the widely revered God of Agriculture, known for saving countless lives?
He was clearly an Abyss Demon!
No—even the bloodthirsty Abyss Demons weren’t fit to lick his boots!
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