I Don't Agree to the Terms

"What do you think would happen if I offered this stinky tofu egg to your true body again?"

Wang Qi suddenly found a loophole that might just work.

Gu Shanhai pondered for a moment before saying, "You might get a stinky tofu egg enhanced to +1."

"Eh? What's the difference?" Wang Qi asked curiously.

"The smell will get stronger," Gu Shanhai explained, asserting that enhancing would definitely boost the stench. It wasn't like it would toughen the outer clay jar or anything.

"So you're saying if I keep offering it repeatedly, I could end up with an incredibly powerful stinky tofu egg." Wang Qi was shocked, but it seemed like a feasible plan.

"I suggest you don't do that. If it gets too strong, the clay jar might not contain the smell anymore, and once opened, it could be lethal," Gu Shanhai warned.

"Lethal... It's just food, right?" Wang Qi was somewhat puzzled.

"This was given by the Divine. You and your itchy fingers went and enhanced it; what do you think..." Gu Shanhai sarcastically remarked, clearly Wang Qi was treating it like normal food.

"If I threaten the Royal Family with this weapon to revoke my land citizen status and give me a boat and the corresponding sea resources, what do you think are my chances of success?" Wang Qi reasoned, seeing the stinky tofu egg as a useful tool.

"Ninety-nine percent, I'd say, but you'd have to withstand the stench first. Given your condition, you'd probably be overcome by the smell before you could even make your getaway," Gu Shanhai said.

Gu Shanhai was well aware that the island harbored Transcendents with far superior constitutions than Wang Qi.

Wang Qi might face mortal danger from an enhanced stinky tofu egg, but the sea-dwelling Transcendents rounded up would not.

But if Wang Qi were to actually pull it off, the Royal Family would not engage in direct confrontation over such a trivial matter. They'd just wait for Wang Qi to leave and then shatter his boat from afar, sending him to his watery grave.

There were many ways to deal with Wang Qi; there was no need to have the whole island reeking.

"Okay then, if I present the stinky tofu egg as a Transcendent item, what odds do the Royal Family have of agreeing to my demands?" Wang Qi's initial desire had never changed; he simply didn't want to be a bound land citizen, subject to control.

"Maybe a fifty percent chance. They might decide to eliminate you to prevent a leak, or they could graciously let you go and fulfill your request,"

"Of course, they might also just beat you half to death and leave you out in the cold, keeping all your stuff for themselves."

Wang Qi grew solemn upon hearing Gu Shanhai's words; he knew something about the nature of the Royal Family. Even though he had never encountered the true Royals being on the fringes, he was aware that they didn't see his people as humans.

"So I need a more reliable method, like getting them to strike off my land citizen status on their own, instead of me asking for it."

"Using this stinky tofu egg as bait might just be a safer bet."

Since neither threats nor exchanges could meet his needs, he had no choice but to draw them out.

"What's your plan?" Gu Shanhai realized that the young man had started using his brain and even had the nerve to scheme against high-profile figures. If it had been Wang Qi from two days earlier, his ostrich mentality would have kept him from taking any risks, maybe even hiding the stinky tofu egg somewhere.

"I plan to expose the stinky tofu egg and somehow provoke persecution, while making it known how much I desire and value my land citizen status. This will force them to use it as leverage and make them revoke my status," Wang Qi's plan was, of course, full of flaws.

He was just a nobody, hardly warranting a massive response, but with Gu Shanhai's help to predict the future, he could slowly find the right path.

More importantly, his tactic wasn't aimed at the real power holders of the island but rather the haughty sons of privilege, especially those in favor.

They could incite this issue, and as Royals, they wouldn't care about a person as insignificant as Wang Qi; revoking his citizenship would be a trivial matter for them.

On the other hand, if he were to deliver himself on a platter, it would arouse their suspicions, and they would not only prevent his escape but investigate him more deeply.

Afterward, Wang Qi outlined his rough plan, asking Gu Shanhai for advice and strategy.

"Your plan has some merit, sacrificing a stinky tofu egg in exchange for your freedom, even trying to secure a boat. The idea is sound, but the implementation is so difficult; they could easily just kill you rather than go through the trouble of revoking your status," Gu Shanhai laughed and shook his head, as getting rid of Wang Qi would be much easier than revoking his citizenship.

For the Royal Family, who controlled the island's authority, this truly was a minor issue. But for their children, dealing with such a small affair was akin to using their family's savings; they'd rather use their status to handle it.

"That's why I need your help, Shanhai," Wang Qi acknowledged he was facing a dead end on his own, so he had to rely on Gu Shanhai.

"So you're planning to use me, huh..." Gu Shanhai didn't shy away from voicing his criticism.

"How could that be? You enjoy a good show, right? This should count as one, so let's call it a win-win," Wang Qi hastily clarified.

He feared angering Gu Shanhai, having learned that the man had been duped by the Godslayer Alliance before.