Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

Therefore, the martial arts examination cannot be held for too long, as Kuaiji City cannot currently bear such a heavy burden. If it is delayed for too long, even the daily supplies will not be able to be supplied.

"How should we solve this?" Shen Qing frowned and fell into deep thought. The martial arts examination had already begun, so it couldn't be abandoned halfway, but it also couldn't proceed according to the original plan.

"If you ask me, this matter is actually very easy to handle; I can solve it for you," Li Chungang said with a chuckle at that moment.

"Oh, senior, do you have any ideas?" Shen Qing looked at Li Chungang in surprise. He knew that the selection of the martial arts examination had to be relatively fair and just, which was why Li Chungang was such a troublesome opponent.

"My method is very simple. I select hundreds of people at once, and with one move of my Sword Qi Rolling Dragon Wall, anyone who can remain standing will pass the test," Li Chungang said with a smile.

Shen Qing's eyes lit up upon hearing this; it was indeed a good idea, but it also had certain drawbacks. If someone failed and, harboring resentment, accused Li Chungang of cheating, it would be a complicated and difficult situation to resolve. Human nature is never something that can be easily deciphered.

"If we could get rid of Li Chungang, that would be a good idea. Hmm, I've got it..." Shen Qing suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a solution, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.

"Brother Shen, have you thought of a solution?" Zhao Kai, who had been keeping a close eye on Shen Qing, immediately asked upon seeing the change in Shen Qing's expression.

Shen Qing smiled and nodded, saying, "The old senior's words reminded me and gave me an idea for a solution."

"What method?" Zhao Kai asked impatiently, and everyone else listened attentively.

"We'll use the same method as our predecessors, increasing the number of people on stage. From the original two-person duels, we'll expand to 20 people on stage at once. This will speed up the process tenfold and shorten the competition time," Shen Qing explained, glancing at the huge arena that had been built, which could accommodate many people.

"Twenty people at once? How can we possibly compete? Do we really have to have the senior members intervene? Won't people gossip?" Zhao Kai said, frowning. He felt that it was inappropriate for the people of the Yue Prince's Mansion to directly participate in such matters, as it would easily leave a bad impression.

“Brother Zhao, we’ve come up with the same idea. However, we can’t let the seniors intervene and leave us open to criticism. Therefore, my plan is to let these 20 people fight each other without any rules, and the last one standing will advance,” Shen Qing said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kai continued, "In this case, I'm afraid some people will be attacked, and I suspect some people will say it's unfair."

“Hehe, what is the purpose of our martial arts selection? It is to select generals who will lead troops into battle. Do you think the enemy will talk about fairness on the battlefield? They will only do whatever it takes to deal with you. Therefore, this rule is just right. Let him get used to the rhythm of the battlefield in advance.” Shen Qing and Zhao Kai discussed it and set the rules for the martial arts selection.

After resolving this matter, Shen Qing thought of Qi Jiajie again. There must be many people with ulterior motives like him, so a top-notch expert would be needed to keep watch. Although the Old Sword God and Han Shengxuan are also top-notch, there is a fear that they will be targeted. There are still many people in the Snow Sect who can restrain them, so other plans need to be made.

---

In the world of One Piece, Blackbeard put down his Den Den Mushi, a bright smile on his face. Doflamingo had just called to inform him of Bruno's whereabouts—he was purchasing supplies in a relatively remote town. This was a big deal; if it went well, the Blackbeard Pirates' supplies for their future expansion would be secured.

Once the Blackbeard Pirates complete another expansion, he plans to have a decisive battle with the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, letting them know that the Blackbeard Pirates aren't avoiding them out of fear, but simply because they don't want to waste time on pointless squabbles. After eliminating the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, it will be his chance to seize control of Beehive Island. With the added prestige of defeating the Whitebeard Pirates' remnants, few pirates on Beehive Island will be truly willing to fight to the death for him. That will be the time for him, Teach, to ascend to the throne of one of the Four Emperors.

Blackbeard grew increasingly excited, his mouth agape revealing his missing front teeth. Just in case, he enlisted the sniper Van Auger to accompany him. He could easily crush Bruno at close range, and with Van Auger's sniping skills at long range, taking down a mere Bruno would be a piece of cake.

CP9 was originally one of the World Government's direct intelligence agencies, but it caused great humiliation to the World Government's reputation during the Enies Lobby incident. As a result, it was expelled from the organization and became wanted by the World Government. New CP9 members are currently undergoing retraining.

Fortunately, with the strong leadership of Lucci and the considerable abilities of the CP9 members, they were able to evade capture multiple times despite being wanted by the World Government. However, after losing the World Government's support, the lives of the CP9 members suddenly became difficult, requiring them to constantly hide and evade World Government intelligence agents. This situation only improved after Lucci awakened his Devil Fruit power, gaining the strength of a potential Admiral, and Kaku activated his Mythical Zoan type Kirin form. Only then did they regain the World Government's acceptance, becoming tools in their hands once again.

Some may not understand the CP9 members' thinking. Why, after being wanted by the World Government, did they not choose to live their own lives, but instead only thought about regaining the World Government's forgiveness? This relates to the CP9 members' upbringing. From a young age, they were selected and trained by the World Government. Besides being brainwashed, they only knew espionage techniques, had no family or friends, and had no concept of the beauty of life. After being abandoned by the World Government, they felt like the sky had fallen. They felt that their weakness had caused the World Government to suffer humiliation, and they felt immense guilt, desperately wanting to prove themselves and regain recognition.

To give an analogy, it's like criminals who have served forty or fifty years in prison. After being released, many of them are completely unable to adapt to life outside. They have no family, friends, or relatives, and they have no idea how to live. Therefore, many of them choose to return to prison, to return to the life they are familiar with. Only here can they feel that everything is so familiar.

In the small town's general store, Bruno, despite his tall stature and unusual horn-shaped hair ornament, chatted with the shopkeeper with an honest and simple demeanor. As a competent intelligence agent, he was adept at disguising himself in various guises.

Bruno is a user of the Door-Door Fruit, which allows him to create subspace to store things. Therefore, the task of purchasing supplies fell to him, and the entire logistics management of CP9 was his responsibility.

The grocer was an old man with a shrewd and mercenary look on his face. He was arrogant in the face of Bruno's flattery and introduced the store's products to Bruno at prices that were twice the local market price, clearly showing that he had Bruno completely under his thumb.

On this small island, relying on his distant connections with minor officers in the nearby naval branch, his grocery store became the island's exclusive business. Apart from the island's residents, whom he had taken care of for many years, all other strangers would be ruthlessly ripped off by him.

Despite knowing that the old man was overcharging him, Bruno still bought basic necessities such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar to maintain his daily needs. These necessities may seem insignificant, but they are essential for everyday life.

If you don't eat salt, you'll become weak; if you don't eat oil, your body won't have enough energy, leading to gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. It's like how not eating vegetables to get vitamins while sailing at sea can easily cause scurvy.