Chapter 1083 — What Gaoyang Wanted

Luoyan was silent for a moment, then said calmly: "After noticing the Winterhold's patrol route, we realized its function—then we spent more than half a month observing its patrol patterns and reconnaissance range, determining its approximate crew size, and finally completed the construction of all the watchposts within a twelve-hour window."

"Twelve hours?" Amber beside him could not hide her astonishment. "How did you manage that?"

"Twenty-six thousand engineering mages, saturated construction," Luoyan said slowly. "The vast majority were responsible for freezing ice channels on the sea surface or the seabed through relayed manpower, while the rest were responsible for delivering supplies to the islands and completing construction, and taking up their posts before the Winterhold's blind spots disappeared—perhaps we do not have warships and engineering machinery as advanced as yours, but the sea conditions around those islands... we have studied them for a long time."

Gaoyang gazed at Luoyan, and only after more than ten seconds did he withdraw his gaze. He leaned back and said softly: "Admirable."

"I think this can demonstrate our attitude, and also prove the matter of 'substantial control,'" Luoyan said. He met Gaoyang's gaze frankly, the former sinister air on his face completely gone; in those deep-set eye sockets there was only sincerity. "I have no intention of provoking confrontation and dispute between Typhon and Cecil. As you once wrote to me in that book—we must enter a new era. Whether for the sake of present peace or the future of our descendants, this world needs prosperity and development. Over the past period, there have been some misunderstandings and frictions between our two nations, but we have come this far in the end, have we not?"

"That is right, we should look forward," Gaoyang said with a very solemn expression. "But I also need to give my people an explanation, and even more so to the soldiers at the front. I can withdraw from Winterwolf Fortress, I can call the Winterhold back, and I can work with you for the peace of our two nations and the restoration of normal diplomacy—but that does not mean everything is simply wiped clean."

"...Apart from Typhon's land and those islands, everything else can be discussed." Luoyan was silent for a moment, then said gravely.

Gaoyang pondered, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the sofa beside him, and only after a long while did he say slowly: "All right, I can take another step back—I can stop paying attention to those islands, but I must retain the port at Dragoncall Fjord. In addition... you should know that I have always been committed to restarting the old circumcontinental routes."

"...Yes, and Typhon is also making efforts in this regard," Luoyan nodded. "We are trying to restore contact with the southern part of the continent by sea, just as you are doing in the north."

"That is right, the northern circumcontinental route and the southern circumcontinental route—to a certain extent this will bring economic development to all the nations along the way, and can also advance the process of exchange across the whole continent. But this is still far from enough," Gaoyang said, shaking his head. "If the route is divided into north and south, then it can hardly be called a 'circumcontinental route.' As the economic zones become separated and fixed, this can only gradually turn the whole continent into two clearly divided northern and southern exchange circles. Considering the 'Alliance' we are about to establish, can you imagine that within an alliance aimed at unity and common development there should still be a division into a 'Southern Union' and a 'Northern Union'?"

"You want to connect the northern and southern circumcontinental routes?" Luoyan looked into Gaoyang's eyes, then assumed a thoughtful expression, and after some consideration nodded lightly. "Actually I had anticipated it... You would certainly do this. You are committed to changing the trajectory of the entire world's development, so you would never tolerate this continent continuing to remain mutually isolated. Any plan that can push the mortal nations to unite must surely be part of your plans."

He paused, then continued: "This matter... I agree with it in principle, but the specific details we must negotiate slowly. Just as you must give your people an explanation—I too must consider the interests of the Typhonians."

Luoyan spoke very cautiously. It was clear that this decision had not been easy for him to make—frankly speaking, had it been not long ago, he would certainly have refused Gaoyang. The reason was obvious: Typhon was not yet prepared for a sea-route connection with the northern circumcontinental route.

Typhon's ocean-going ships started early but developed slowly, and because their initial direction of development placed too much emphasis on rebuilding those colonies, their plans for maritime trade routes had been shelved for a long time. In this respect the Cecilites had clearly gone ahead. On the other hand, Typhon had been on the front line in the recently concluded war against the gods, and its national strength had clearly been more heavily depleted. Under the premise of prioritizing the rebuilding of order and the restoration of production, the Typhon royal house simply had no spare capacity to build usable ocean-going merchant ships in a short time. Yet Cecil's national strength had suffered limited losses; the fact that they could now produce the powerful Winterhold meant that they would soon be able to turn out more warships and an entire trade fleet.

Perhaps they had already prepared their trade fleet.

On this basis, once the sea-route connection with the northern circumcontinental route were opened, allowing Cecil's maritime trade power to participate directly in the commercial activities of the southern continent...

For Typhon's maritime trade, which had not yet even begun, this would be, if not utter catastrophe, then at least a calamity.

Luoyan did not fear a powerful opponent. He believed in the resilience and forward-driving spirit of the Typhon he led; even under extremely harsh circumstances, Typhonians could carve out a way to survive. But how much it would cost to carve out that way in the future—that he had to weigh carefully.

Once a blockade took shape, breaking free from it would not be so easy.

But Luoyan was also very clear that he did not have much room for choice. He could hold onto the territory on land and the islands at sea, but as long as a warship like the Winterhold still possessed overwhelming power before Typhon's own ships, he could not prevent Cecil's fleet from heading to the southern seas—in fact, they could even detour directly from the western part of the continent; it was merely that doing so would be more costly.

By choosing to discuss this matter with him here, Gao Yang had already shown him considerable courtesy and respect.

"I know what you are thinking," Gao Yang said, watching Luo Yan's face, his manner earnest and utterly sincere. "You may believe this will amount to a one-sided monopoly and blockade—that on paper the Circumcontinental Route is jointly maintained by Typhon and Cecil, but in substance every port of departure on the continent will fall under the control of Cecil's fleet, that the entire Circumcontinental Route will be in my grasp, and that I will leave no room for anyone else to survive. If that is what you think, then you have misunderstood me.

"From the very beginning, I have never entertained the notion of ruling this world, still less of devouring the interests of any nation. In fact, apart from those who openly set themselves against me, every partner who has done business with Cecil has in the end reaped enormous profit and long-term development. My aim is to make all our allies strong, not to sustain some so-called dominion by squeezing them dry.