Chapter 629: Chapter 381: A Variety of War Weapons
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Zheng Junjie charged toward the Great Marshall after destroying his beast. As he approached the tent, he dropped to his knees and slammed the ground beneath him with a heavy thud.
"The beast tribe is three days’ flight away from the Capital. Their numbers do not exceed 400,000, but the lowest-ranked experts in their army are Kings."
"They possess a variety of war machines. Some are used to launch all kinds of arrows, while others resemble our ballistae. But there are some devices I’ve never seen before and do not understand."
Before offering an opinion he had no concrete basis for, Zheng Junjie hesitated slightly, clearing his throat. Driven only by his intuition, he spoke slowly: "I think I saw their Commander," he said hesitantly, "It’s a rather young person. He looks human. He has white hair, skin as pale as the moonlight, and eyes as blue as the clearest sky. His features could only be described as strikingly beautiful. The beasts all heed his commands. I fear he might be knowledgeable in warfare, capable of creating these unprecedented weapons we’ve seen."
A woman standing inside the tent suddenly stepped forward. Her eyes widened in shock, her heartbeat irregular. "What did you just say?!" she demanded to hear it again, her voice sharp and intense. Although her demeanor appeared composed, Zheng Junjie recoiled in surprise. The Great Marshall nodded, signaling the scout to repeat himself, which he reluctantly did.
"I never imagined..." Li Meilin’s words trailed off as she collapsed onto the cold, hard ground. Her hands cradled her head, her eyes squeezed shut.
Both the Great Marshall and the scout refrained from pressuring her to reveal what she knew, patiently waiting as the woman slowly pulled herself together. Her expression turned cold and hardened, her gaze void of even the faintest trace of emotion.
"His name is Yan Xiaobao," she said sharply. "He’s a young man, not even twenty years old. He’s half-human, half-beast. When I left the Divine Domain, he was far from strong enough to command an army."
"He’s the one who warned me of this war and persuaded Queen Divine Origin to let me leave the Capital. I suspect this was all part of his plan," she added. Though her words were firm, her heart was filled with doubt. Yan Xiaobao might have been manipulated by the beasts; yet Zheng Junjie spoke of him as though he were their Great Marshall. Silent amidst her conflicting emotions, Li Meilin couldn’t help but hope for a chance to speak with the young man again. "Do you think this is a wise idea?" Wan Qiao asked quietly, her eyes trailing the scout as he left their position, glancing back repeatedly, the smell of fear lingering in the air.
"Why wouldn’t it be?" Yan Xiaobao chuckled as he placed the drum into his storage stone. Then, he sat down and began creating more inscriptions of various levels, believing they might come in handy someday.
"He saw you command those beasts," she continued to argue. "If he describes your appearance to Li Meilin, you’ll be recognized instantly. Not to mention how close this scout came. Killing him would’ve been easy. You must have a reason for letting him go, or do you truly not want us to slaughter so many?"
Yan Xiaobao smiled faintly as he looked at the Single-Horned Jasmine Hawk. "I have my plan. Leave it to me," he said, patting her gently on the shoulder. Hearing his reassurance, Wan Qiao stopped asking questions. She understood that if he wished to share his strategy with her, he would; but if he didn’t, no amount of prying would uncover his intentions.
Yan Xiaobao knew Wan Qiao’s curiosity and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. "If they identify me as the one leading the army, that’s fine. If anything, knowing I deliberately warned them will make them uneasy. The fact that I had the guts to alert them means I must hold some kind of plan. So far, everything they’ve done has been in accordance with my design. Even though they have no choice, it will still unsettle them," Yan Xiaobao explained.
"Regarding allowing them a glimpse of the machines, that scout will undoubtedly spread fear among their ranks. Many of these machines aren’t of this world—they have no knowledge of their function or creation. Rumors will surely sweep through their army, stories of killing machines no one can oppose. This fear will benefit us, as some of their soldiers will be defeated in spirit before battle even begins," Yan Xiaobao said with a grin. To him, letting the scout leave was far more valuable than killing him.
"If the scout spreads word that our army consists solely of Kings and above, wielding weapons he’s never encountered, led by a half-human, half-beast commander, their fear of us could peak and some may even desert entirely. This could lead others to believe they’ve already lost. Even those who stay, filled with dread, will be easier to kill than soldiers brimming with confidence and strength."
"She knows your name. You’ll never be able to use it again," Wan Qiao said worriedly. "When this war ends, everyone will know Yan Xiaobao was the young man who stood with the beasts. Your traits will make you easy to identify. In a world filled with black-haired humans, someone with white hair will stand out like a sore thumb. How will you deal with this?" Though Wan Qiao felt immense gratitude for Xiaobao and all his planning, she couldn’t suppress her concern for her human friend. She knew he planned to return to his human companions inside the sun after the war."