Maze Fan: I opened a buffet in the maze

Chapter 422 Thoughts on Strength and Weakness

Excruciating pain! Sharp pain spun and drilled into my flesh and bone, shattering everything in its path. My immobile body felt like a heavy ruin.

Thoughts plunge into a chaotic and fearful abyss, a storm raging aimlessly against the soul.

Fear boiled in the silence that could not be screamed! Struggling desperately, gasping for breath as if suffocating from lack of oxygen! Finally, in a tearing apart of the connection, the eyes reopened, taking in the light and the scene.

"Ah!!!" The fourth prince roared in pain and rolled off the seat he was lying on.

He felt dizzy and his vision blurred. He lay on the ground covered in cold sweat, as if he were still surrounded by the glint of blades.

"It's all over now, Your Highness." A guard with a hoarse voice bowed and reported. The small table that had originally held tea sets and drinks was now piled high with empty bottles of potions.

Looking at the Fourth Prince, who was panting heavily and confused, the Sixth Princess spoke leisurely:

"Brother, helping you this time has cost me a lot of my savings."

“...Misser Van!” The breathing gradually subsided, and the fourth prince, who had finally regained consciousness, stared blankly. He first murmured, and then roared out the name!

Alongside the rage, there was an underlying, lingering fear.

Upon seeing her brother in this state, the Sixth Princess's eyes flickered, and she immediately waved for all the guards to leave.

"What a disgrace, Your Majesty! A dignified extraordinary expert has been beaten like this. But what disappoints me the most is that you are like a brainless person, controlled by impulse and arrogance."

Hearing the Sixth Princess's lukewarm evaluation, the Fourth Prince gritted his teeth, but the anger that surged to his temples quickly turned into a look of dejection.

He knelt in the carriage, as if he had lost his soul.

This defeat left a deep scar on his heart.

A coat was tossed over and draped over the dejected fourth prince. "Put your clothes on first. Instead of whining like a defeated dog, listen to what I have to say."

The sixth princess remained aloof, her gaze fixed downwards on her brainless brother.

Surprisingly, the Fourth Prince, who usually acts arrogantly, was very compliant at this moment. When the Sixth Princess ridiculed him repeatedly, he, who should have been furious, acted like a child who had done something wrong.

He put on his clothes, leaned back on the soft mat, spread his arms, and stared blankly into space.

The sixth princess reached out and placed her hand on his head, gently stroking him like she was playing with a puppy. "What's wrong? Are you feeling discouraged? It's not like this is the first time you've been beaten like this."

“But that’s Father Emperor.” The fourth prince was trapped in a psychological shadow.

His helplessness when facing the True Overlord's Battle Aura was for a reason. In his youthful arrogance, Rondar was so proud that he dared to challenge his father, His Majesty the Supreme Emperor of the Empire!

However, the result was that when he charged forward with great momentum, his body was blown apart by a single finger from afar, leaving only his head to keep him from breathing!

That nightmare, which brought him closest to death, instilled in him immense fear and frustration. The 'Niron' Jevas family was known for its tyranny and domineering nature, and their command to him was to one day seize the throne.

His strongest impression of his father was that of an enemy that had to be defeated!

He was overjoyed when his enemy, who was like a mountain pressing down on him, developed Alzheimer's and finally had to prepare to abdicate!

He thought he could finally hold his head high and sweep away all his brothers and sisters to ascend the throne smoothly, but he was defeated by Fan Wei who came out of nowhere and shattered his Dao heart!

He's using real domineering fighting spirit!

When the power he relied on most was mercilessly trampled underfoot, the fear and weakness in the Fourth Prince's heart followed him like a shadow.

It's like having your spine removed.

Upon hearing Rondar's statement, the Sixth Princess glanced at him and coldly withdrew her hand.

“If that’s all you think, then I’ll just go and cooperate with Misr Van. At least he’s much better than you.”

The fourth prince's expression changed drastically at his sister's words. He was about to defend himself, but he lowered his head as if he had lost his parents.

The atmosphere remained icy for a moment before the Sixth Princess finally spoke again, "Alright, Your Majesty, you are destined to become the Emperor of the Empire. How can you be defeated by such a small setback?"

"Whether for your sake or for mine, I must overcome your shortcomings."

"Let's put Misr Van aside for now. He definitely has a huge secret. How could an ordinary professional possibly defeat a superhuman? It's prudent to keep an eye on him."

"As for my eldest brother, I spoke briefly with my eighth sister when no one was around."

"Perhaps she will bring us some surprises."

These words, which broke the silence, were reassuring. Just like before, his sister was still his biggest supporter! Rondar nodded silently and rallied his spirits.

The sixth princess beside him stared out the car window, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.

There are no perfect things in life; the dumber the dog, the easier it is to control.

Although the operation ended in failure, uncovering the enormous unexpected factor of Misr Van was an even greater gain, as his performance was far too dazzling.

I believe that without me even lifting a finger, those forces lurking in the shadows will be unable to resist reaching out their claws.

So, will the next step be to show goodwill and cooperate, or to stand by and watch from the sidelines?

The sixth princess fell into thought.

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Capital Manor, Fan Wei, returning victorious, was welcomed like a hero and became the focus of the banquet. Although it was somewhat like he was overshadowing the host, Dreyen didn't care and was actually quite happy.

Oliel followed beside her brother, her milky green eyes fixed on Misr Van, who seemed to have undergone another transformation.

The figure in his eyes appeared even more resolute and upright, with an inexplicable air of grandeur. The cold wind swept across his black, flamboyant overcoat as the man gazed at the vast capital city in the distance, seemingly deep in thought.

Princess couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, and what she should do.

“Boss, your pose is so cool! Can we draw it into a comic?” A cheerful, clear voice, like a nightingale, caught Oliel’s attention.

She suddenly saw a girl with radiant black hair, sparkling like sunlight, chattering around the deep-set Misr Van.

That confidence and joy stirred something within Olivia, a hint of longing and yearning flashing through her heart.

"I wonder, are the weak destined to be dominated by the strong?"

How can the weak find their own strength and protect their rights under the oppression of extraordinary or even stronger forces?

He whispered his thoughts to Yunxin. Fan Wei trusted these friends around him, and sometimes he longed to get some inspiration from them when he was confused.

There was no other way; the plight of ordinary people in the capital forced him to think.

What path can we take to prevent such things from happening again? How can we ensure that the fate of ordinary people no longer depends on the mood and self-awareness of the extraordinary?

In this world, the difference between people can truly be as vast as heaven and earth on a physical level.

The fact that the laws of the empire could be maintained for so long has its own real-world basis.

Fan Wei was unable to find the answer for the time being.

With her exceptional intelligence, Yunxin understood the meaning behind those words. She pondered for two seconds and uttered a sentence that shocked Fan Wei out of deep thought, a sentence that was highly similar to a classic line from her hometown!

"Does the prince and general Xiang Ning have the guts?"

"Cough!" These words coming out of her mouth were so outrageous that Fan Wei was startled and almost choked. "Aren't you a king or general?"

“It’s different, it’s different. Our Longchuan family is not only officially recognized by the king, but also serves as the guardian of the Divine Dragon.”

Yunxin said smugly, "All the people of this land are believers of the Dragon God! They are virtuous men and women who must be protected. Our destiny is to protect the common people, which is completely different from the kings and nobles of the previous dynasty!"

So this is how the young lady perceives herself in her worldview.

However, her words did give Fan Wei a reminder.

The rules of this world are actually determined by the gods above. The empire's brutality is largely due to their belief in the god of war!

Kingdoms that believe in other gods will also exhibit different characteristics due to the personality of their own gods.

The labyrinth street, with its broadest range of beliefs and centered around the goddess of three lives, can be considered a moral high ground due to the influence of the goddess and the church.

Therefore... in a world with extraordinary powers, it is indeed difficult for the weak to resist the strong.

This is a fact that must be acknowledged.

However, this may not be complete despair for the weak, because the highest deities need faith! Fan Wei's eyes flickered as he suppressed more thoughts in his heart.

At least for now, he has found some direction.

Perhaps they can control the gods through faith and then use the gods to influence the higher-ups below.

The imperial nobles acted with impunity because of the absolute power of the God of War above. Introducing a new deity could create a balance of power...

No, the followers of the God of War would go crazy first, and the gods above probably wouldn't just stand by and watch. However, if it were done secretly, it seems there is still a chance.

Fan Wei realized that the mixed-race people's belief in the 'Nameless Light' did not trigger any suppression.

It's highly likely that the Temple of War doesn't believe the 'Nameless Light' truly exists, or perhaps they simply haven't even looked at the hybrids.

This is clearly a valuable loophole, and Fan Wei is also very curious about the nature of faith.

What exactly is it? Is it people's recognition of deities? Some kind of spiritual force? Or is it related to the soul? Since you have a dog named Gonia at home, why don't you go back and ask her?

The question is whether the unsuspecting blonde girl will tell us.

With several options flashing through his mind, Fan Wei finally regained some sense of direction.

His mental stability allowed him to focus on the banquet. Everyone interpreted his previous silence as fatigue from the battle, which gave Fan Wei some time to rest.

At this moment, various parties were in close conversation with Drain, and Rona moved among them with ease, having already secured numerous large deals.

Fan Wei also needed to rely on the connections here to get things done. He noticed Princess Olivia standing to the side, watching him.

"Would you like to take a walk together, Your Highness?"

With Yunxin by his side, Fan Wei walked toward Olier. He had promised to introduce friends to the princess, and today he had brought Yunxin and Luo Na with him.

"Is this the princess of the Western Empire? She looks a lot like us!"

The restless Yunxin approached familiarly, which was a very frivolous move among the nobility, but Miss Dongfang had her own set of rules for doing things.

She has never been pretentious, and she acts naturally, frankly, and purely.

Olivia felt a little embarrassed by Yunxin's novel greetings as she got too close. To her, the girl's radiance was so dazzling that she felt tense all over.

Noticing the princess's nervousness, Fan Wei magically produced a box of pastries and stuffed it into Yunxin's hand.

"This is a great opportunity to expand our connections abroad. Miss Yunxin, the future head of the family, you'd better work hard!" She smiled without any hesitation.

Fan Wei stepped aside, leaving the two ladies alone.

"Hehe, don't be nervous, Princess. I'm a righteous female knight-errant."

Yunxin boasted, almost as if she were about to brandish a dashing folding fan. Despite never having passed her studies, she was now strutting around, "I'm proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, riding, archery, swordsmanship, and tea."

"Would you like to have a little sparring session, Miss Princess?"

"I, my name is Olier." Feeling that she couldn't let Mr. Misel's kindness go to waste, Her Highness tried her best to respond appropriately amidst Yunxin's fiery enthusiasm.

As for those elegant games played among the nobility, she knew a little bit of them too. "Let's play chess," she said.

Hearing the princess's soft and weak voice, Yunxin was ready to show her grace and humility. Why not give up a few coins?

She thought to herself, quite confident in her chess skills.

But they failed to see the glint in Olivia's eyes as she sat before the chessboard.

On the other hand, Fan Wei arrived at the core circle of the eldest prince and many allies, where he was unanimously welcomed. Thanks to his efforts in turning the tide, the alliance was formed smoothly.

Drain finally laid the foundation for his team.

"Mr. Misser, you've had a good rest? Why don't you say a few words?" someone in the circle invited with a smile. Fan Wei's demonstrated abilities were one of the driving forces that made many people determined to make a decision.

"Okay, then I'll say a few words."

Fan Wei did not refuse; this was the time for him to take the initiative. The formation of a gang is nothing more than two reasons.

Shared ideals, shared interests.

He didn't know how many of these people harbored the idea of ​​changing the empire, or how many came for personal gain, but it didn't matter. As long as they could be united by proper means, they were a force that could be used.

"Colleagues, the purpose of our gathering here today is self-evident: to jointly devise a grand plan and achieve a resounding success!"

Fan Wei spoke, his voice steady. After silently looking around for a few seconds to establish the tone, he raised his voice.

"We are here to do great things!"

The guests present exchanged glances, not expecting Misr Van to be so decisive!

"At a time when the late emperor is old and the empire is ravaged by war, heroes emerge in times of chaos!" Fan Wei continued to elaborate on his ideas, painting a picture for the ambitious listeners before him.

"Who among us is not ambitious? Who does not aspire to achieve great things?"

"Support the new emperor, reform the world, and establish great achievements! Colleagues, the strong should not follow the crowd."

"We are destined to define the environment!"

With a brief but powerful speech, Fan Wei remained calm and composed. His words gradually quieted the banquet hall, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere.

Having finished the emotionally charged declaration, the next step is naturally to turn to practical matters.

"My suggestion is simple: prioritize developing our own strength, and the strength of every ally!"

"Strengthen the foundation, exert broad efforts, and subdue the enemy without fighting."

“Wealth is indispensable, and so is power. Both the Crown Prince and I can provide them! We will not rely on the battlefield, plunder, or any sacrifices from anyone.”

"The labyrinth, the ingredients of monsters, is a gift from delicious food."

"Everyone has seen and tasted the food just now. Without a doubt, this is a new and vast territory that no one has set foot in before."

"Now that the grand feast has arrived, His Highness the Prince and I are both waiting for you to join us."

As soon as Fan Wei finished speaking, the hall erupted into whispers after a few seconds of silence, which quickly escalated into a heated discussion.

Although the words above are short, they resonated with everyone.

Some people are after fame and fortune, others after money and profit. Now Fan Wei has demonstrated his ability to give everyone what they want, and his personal power has been proven.

Anyone who isn't blind can see the profits, and the profits are insane!

Many wealthy merchants and aristocrats were secretly excited. If the stock market were to become popular in the empire, all the current investors would be thrilled.

They invested in this project!

Seeing the allies swarming around him, asking about the details of the cooperation, Fan Wei relaxed a little and smiled.

He has finally begun to stir up the power of the empire.