At dinner time, a lean and upright middle-aged man walked into the city lord’s mansion.
Ji Rui had already prepared a feast in the side hall. The man dismissed his attendants and sat opposite Ji Rui, bowing with clasped hands, “City Lord Ji, it’s been a long time.”
Ji Rui smiled warmly and returned the greeting, “General Lu, I trust you are well?”
General Lu gave a faint smile, barely a twitch of his lips, “How could I be well when Qian Ye has publicly visited the city lord’s mansion?”
Ji Rui sighed, spreading his hands, “There’s nothing I can do about it! Not only did he burn my logging camp, but less than half of the thousands of people I sent out came back alive. It’s impossible to continue, I have no choice but to surrender. The whole city of Nan Qing still needs to eat!”
Ji Rui spoke from the heart, almost on the verge of tears, but General Lu remained unmoved, “So the logging camp is not going to be established?”
Ji Rui’s face immediately cleared, and he said seriously, “Of course it will! Qian Ye came here to negotiate terms. He has no connection with those native races; they just happened to come together. After this, he will no longer interfere with the Black Forest, and our logging camp can be rebuilt immediately. You’ll definitely get the goods you want! Just… it will take some time.”
General Lu tapped his fingers on the table, saying slowly, “City Lord, we now need one more thing: Qian Ye.”
Ji Rui chuckled, “General Lu, in the Neutral Zone, making money is the top priority. Harmony brings prosperity, right? Besides, this Qian Ye…”
He leaned forward, lowering his voice, and looked around, whispering, “I heard that even the military spent a great deal of effort but couldn’t capture Qian Ye, allowing him to escape to the Neutral Zone. Think about it, even in the Empire, the military couldn’t handle him. Here, we’re outnumbered and outgunned. Why create trouble for ourselves?”
General Lu’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, and he said coldly, “One thing you don’t know, City Lord, was that it was in the Zhao Clan’s defense zone, with many constraints. The military was hesitant to offend the Zhao Clan, so they accidentally let Qian Ye slip away. Now in the Neutral Zone, although we have fewer people, Qian Ye is alone. Unless, City Lord, you want to help him?”
Ji Rui’s face turned pale, and he waved his hands, “Impossible! Even if I’m foolish, I wouldn’t abandon the Imperial Military as a major client to help that rootless boy. However, may I be frank? How many experts did you bring, General Lu? Do you have any confidence in capturing Qian Ye? His combat power far exceeds his cultivation. In my opinion, he might have practiced some method to hide his true strength. In any case, we must not underestimate him.”
General Lu was confident, “Capturing him can be both easy and difficult, but it doesn’t have to involve direct confrontation. Of course, we need your help, City Lord.”
“Tell me, and I’ll do my best to assist.”
“Good, I’ve been waiting for you to say that. This time, Qian Ye will fall into my Lü Sao Bei’s hands, and he’ll be unlucky!” General Lu said with a grim smile, “My plan is this: Qian Ye will need to use a large floating ship to transport those power sails. I brought three new Imperial warships. I will ambush in outer space, and when his airship takes off, I will shoot it down. Even if he survives the crash, he won’t last long in the void.”
Ji Rui was shocked but found it feasible. He was conflicted.
Lü Sao Bei looked at him with a half-smile, “City Lord, I’ve shared my plan. And the news of Qian Ye’s appearance in Nan Qing has already reached the Empire. If this leaks, you’ll be held accountable.”
“Never! My lips are sealed!” Ji Rui assured him, then asked with a fawning smile, “If this succeeds, General Lu, you’ll rise quickly. What about the timber business…”
“If Qian Ye is killed, all the timber business in the Southern Wasteland will be yours.”
Ji Rui was overjoyed. He ordered preparations for music and dance, and even considered calling the most beautiful courtesans. However, Lü Sao Bei showed no interest and left, saying he would enjoy them after Qian Ye was captured.
Seeing that Lü Sao Bei was leaving, Ji Rui had no choice but to see him off. When Lü Sao Bei’s vehicle drove away, his enthusiastic smile faded, and he snorted, “A mere Level 15, yet so arrogant!”
After a moment of contemplation, he returned to the mansion, lost in thought.
Lü Sao Bei’s vehicle sped to a shabby inn at the edge of Nan Qing. The inn looked dilapidated, but inside, it was a different story. Several fierce-looking soldiers guarded the entrance, with strict security.
The inn had been modified, with supplies piled high in the courtyard and alarms set up in every corner. It had been transformed into a secret base.
Lü Sao Bei entered and ordered, “Send a top-secret report to the military, informing them of Qian Ye’s presence in Nan Qing. Request reinforcements.”
“Yes, General!” The colonel, his assistant, saluted and left to carry out the order.
“Wait!” Lü Sao Bei stopped him, thinking for a moment, “This is important. Send three people to deliver the message separately. One to the capital, another to Yuelu, and the third to the Void Floating Land. Deliver the message to the military outposts there, and they’ll send it back.”
The colonel, sensing the gravity, saluted and hurried off.
Lü Sao Bei felt a bit more at ease and called a brigadier general, instructing, “Prepare our warships, ready to depart at my command.”
After leaving the city lord’s mansion, Qian Ye went to the Cloud Peak Tower and saw Qing Yue sitting in the main hall, looking restless.
Before entering, Qian Ye observed the street, noting the increase of fierce-looking individuals wandering around. Inside, four or five people were inspecting goods, but their eyes were not on the merchandise.
These were Gao Hu warriors, and even though they tried to disguise themselves, Qian Ye noticed the traces of their modifications.
Qian Ye walked in, and Qing Yue immediately greeted him, surprised and pleased, “You’re back so soon?”
“Are you afraid I couldn’t get out of the city lord’s mansion?” Qian Ye asked.
“… A little. But you managed to escape, right?”
“Of course, Ji Rui can’t hold me. These are your people, here to support you?”
Qing Yue nodded honestly, “I couldn’t gather many, but enough to help. We can’t attack the city lord’s mansion, but if you escaped, we should be able to fight our way out.”
Qian Ye smiled, “If I die, won’t you be free?”
Qing Yue stood tall, looking straight into Qian Ye’s eyes, “I don’t want freedom, I want a stable life for my people. Only with your support can I defeat my opponents and unify the Gao Hu. Only in your Northern Land can my people find a place to thrive. Our homeland is too small and poor, unable to support all the Gao Hu. So, most adult warriors leave and become mercenaries. It’s not by choice, but necessity!”
Qian Ye smiled, “It seems we need to renegotiate. What do you want, and what can you offer?”
“I want land for the Gao Hu, capable of supporting 500,000 people. In return, all Gao Hu will be your subjects, fighting for your kingdom without fear of sacrifice. Additionally, I will do anything for you, without conditions or limits, anything!”
“Hold on, calm down,” Qian Ye stopped her, “I recall the Gao Hu population is small, less than 100,000, right?”
“About 80,000, some are lost. If they are missing for over a year, we consider them dead,” Qing Yue said sadly. Mercenaries who go missing are often assumed to be dead.
“But you’re asking for land for 500,000.”
Qing Yue looked up, her face filled with pain and sorrow, “Gao Hu are very fertile. Our youth complete their reproductive duties before becoming mercenaries. If not, our race would have died out without having a Divine General-level expert.”
Qian Ye was stunned, “But what about the future? What if the land can’t support you?”
“We’ll fight for you, gaining new lands through military achievements. The numbers will naturally decrease in war.”
“Very well, I agree.”
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