Han Wu prepared a black blade as a gift before making his way to the address the Commerce God King had left for him in the past, planning to call on the man in person.

As a support-oriented God King, the Commerce God King did technically have a faction, though he preferred to call it a merchant group. It dealt in trade and stayed clear of anything war-related.

Even when it did get involved in conflicts, it was only to supply resources and profit from the strife. Getting into an actual brawl was something the Commerce God King himself couldn’t do, and neither could anyone in his merchant group.

When Han Wu found him, Commerce was fussing with his distinctive white mane, looking worn and clearly burdened by something. Despite this, he still smiled and welcomed Han Wu warmly.

Han Wu skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point, informing the Commerce God King about the Butcher situation. After careful consideration, the Commerce God King apologetically informed him that he couldn’t help.

“I heard the history between Xu Hai and the Butcher years ago. I didn't expect it to come to this. Frankly, Xu Hai's odds of winning a divine war against the Butcher don’t even exceed 10%,” the Commerce God King said plainly.

Han Wu refused to believe it. “My mentor can't be that weak.” 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“What I'm telling you isn’t groundless.” Commerce sighed. “Xu Hai has spent years in closed cultivation working on himself, but he hasn't made many friends, which means even if he builds a faction, he won't be able to pull in many strong allies.

“On top of that, his method of recruiting is through lectures and spreading knowledge, meaning his recruits will mostly be students. A regular student is nowhere near as extraordinary as you.

“The Butcher, on the other hand, has the War Family. The War Family has fought together for years. They’re the most reliable allies anyone could have. Once the Butcher becomes a God King, more than half of the Gods from the War Faction will join his side. His connections alone already beat Xu Hai’s.

“Then there’s faction development. Invasion has always been the most profitable method of doing this. The Butcher is a master of it. The moment he puts out a call, Gods will be fighting over each other to join his faction. So in every regard, this is a lost cause for Xu Hai.”

After a beat of silence, Han Wu asked, “What if I tied myself to my mentor's faction?“

Commerce straightened in his seat. “With you in Xu Hai's faction, his odds could rise another 15%. But that's still only 25% total. The odds of losing are still overwhelming.”

“What if you joined as well?“ Han Wu pressed.

The Commerce God King let out a laugh. “Even if I joined despite knowing I could lose everything, the odds would only climb to 30%. I know my own strength. I'm no match for even you in a real fight.”

Frustration welled up within Han Wu. He had expected that bringing in the Commerce God King would solve the problem, but evidently, he had both overestimated Commerce and underestimated the War Family.

“Is there really no way to kill the Butcher?” Han Wu sighed.

“There are quite a few of them, but they’re all nearly impossible to pull off.”

“For example?” Han Wu straightened up. He was willing to try anything to help Xu Hai win.

“In the Divine Civilization, God Kings sit at the top of the pyramid. The War Faction is powerful, but they’re only ranked sixth. If you want to suppress the War Faction, all you need is the full backing of any of the top five factions,” explained Commerce.

“Which factions are in the top five?” Han Wu didn't know the exact rankings, but he knew the Death Faction and Dark Faction had to be there.

“The fifth is the Dark Faction, and the fourth is the Light Faction, though their positions often swap. They're also in a constant divine war with each other, so getting their full attention or commitment is completely out of the question.

“The third is the Life Faction, while the second is the Death Faction. These two are very stable, and they haven't been in any divine wars recently. But they're always watching each other. If the Death Faction commits most of its strength to helping you, the Life Faction will absolutely seize the opening and launch a divine war against them.”

Hearing this, Han Wu's plans collapsed. The Death Faction and Dark Faction were undeniably powerful, but their opposing factions also kept them in check. Pulling too many of their forces away would risk their own standings. He couldn’t count on them.

“Which faction ranks first?” Han Wu asked with genuine curiosity. What faction could sit above even the Death Faction?

“They’re called the Wealth Faction[1]. If you can get their backing, Xu Hai’s position will shoot straight up. But you have no connection to them whatsoever. Why would they invest in you, especially if the investment was this large?”

Han Wu sighed, feeling as though this trip out had been fruitless.

“That said, I've heard the Wealth God King likes gambling,” the Commerce God King suddenly added. “If you can win against him in a wager, he might help you out.”

This could be Han Wu’s chance. “Tell me more about the Wealth God King, and I'll decide later.”

“The Wealth God King's story is one of the most legendary stories in the history of the Divine Civilization,” Commerce said reverently. “His name is Zhao Zihong, and he was born into an ordinary Demigod family as the illegitimate son of a Demigod and a Divine Being.

“Back then, Divine Civilization life forms couldn’t enter their divine realms to cultivate their core race until after they became a Demigod. It was he and his dedicated team who, through extensive experimentation, successfully developed the landing pod.

“From that point on, Divine Beings could enter their divine realms through the device. The Divine Civilization took a great leap forward because of it and shot up to the top of the known civilizations. The Divine Civilization wouldn’t be what it is today without him.”

The Commerce God King described the Wealth God King with an admiring look on his face. Zhao Zihong was nothing short of a literal God to him.

“Do you know him personally?” Han Wu asked bluntly.

The Commerce God King coughed twice. “I do. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a gathering he hosted once. I just don't know if he’ll remember me.”

“Think you could introduce me?” Han Wu asked, setting the black blade on the table.

Seeing that it was a 9-Star God-grade Divine Weapon, Commerce immediately pocketed the blade.

“I can introduce you, but I can’t guarantee that he’ll agree to talk to you. Just to be clear, I'm keeping the blade regardless of the outcome.”

1. Of course, it's the bloody quintrillionnaires ☜