Ashu knew perfectly well what Danver meant.
He wasn't asking a question—he was issuing a reminder. It was time for Ashu to ease up. The negotiation had been stretched to its very limit, and pushing any further would only risk collapsing the whole thing.
That's what negotiations were all about: striving for maximum benefit. But once talks broke down, the blame fell on both sides.
It wouldn't be just Manaro's side that got held accountable—Danver would also face censure from the Holy Cultivator Guild's central headquarters.
No matter how much Danver leaned toward the "Luminous Saint," he still had to consider his own future.
Ashu locked eyes with Danver. The two men stared at each other for over three seconds. And in that brief silence, Ashu understood—he, a mere Bishop of a minor branch, didn't have the power to force two enormous forces into open conflict ahead of schedule.
Not unless he died carrying the name of the Luminous Saint.
