493 Dividing Troops (1/2)

Tuo Nengya laid down on the ground after he was pierced through his chest . He was found an hour later at the entrance to his tent, surprisingly still alive.

It was Ha Chilie who found him. Though he was taken aback, he was calm and immediately dealt with Tuo Nengya's wounds.

When Tuo Nengya regained his consciousness, he found out that Ha Chilie had not revealed the news of his assassination. ”Disband the army, especially the new recruits,” he said in a weak voice.

There was a shortage of supplies in the barracks, meaning only veterans were equipped with armor. The new recruits were mostly dressed in their own clothes.

Tuo Nengya caught a glimpse of the assassin while he was escaping from the tent. He was sure that the assassin was a new recruit.

Tuo Nengya realized that he did not have much time left. He did not want to hand over an army that was laden with spies and assassins to the Dragon King.

In his life, he had narrowly escaped being killed many times, so he understood that one would eventually lose in a battle against death. No matter how many times he dodged death, it would still eventually find him.

That time had finally come for him. He was glad that he was still calm and fearless in the face of death. That meant a lot to him.

Tuo Nengya was a proud macheteman. People like him were rare in Jade City and throughout the Western Region.

Technically, he had never pledged his allegiance to anyone. Though he had worked for the First Master of Golden Roc Fort and the Dragon King, they were not his masters. He was merely returning their favor.

The favor might not be significant to those men, but Tuo Nengya held himself to a higher standard. He would decide how and when to return the favor based upon his own judgment.

Before dying, he reflected on his considerably long life. Though he still had many regrets, he could confidently say that he would be leaving this world without owing anyone anything.

Death was steadily approaching. Tuo Nengya was prepared for it, but he would not give up prematurely. He soldiered on until he saw Maid Lotus.

Maid Lotus was a symbol of the Dragon King. They were like mirrors that reflected each other. When he saw her, he finally knew what he was waiting for. There was something that he wanted to tell the Dragon King. ”Ten years, Supreme King...” he said.

More than five years ago, Tuo Nengya stopped himself from killing the spineless Shangguan Fei. He had told the Slave Huan that the Supreme King was the only one who was worthy of being his opponent, and that he would occupy the Golden Roc Fort within ten years.

While Gu Shenwei had not taken these words seriously, the old macheteman had always remembered it.

Maid Lotus did not understand what Tuo Nengya said, but she knew who these words were meant for. ”I'll relay your message to the Dragon King,” she said.

The old macheteman exhaled his final breath.

”I want revenge,” Ha Chilie said angrily as he clenched his fists. His respect for the old man had grown day by day in the past few months of them working and fighting together. Tuo Nengya's death was a huge blow to him.

When he looked at Maid Lotus, he saw her as a manifestation of the Dragon King. He waited for her to make a decision.

Maid Lotus felt no grief, for death was common to her. Besides, as a killer, she instinctively suspected that the murderer was Ha Chilie.

It was very likely that the war beyond the mountains had already begun. Their most crucial task was not avenging Tuo Nengya. Maid Lotus turned to Wu Zhongheng and said, ”With Tuo Nengya dead, you're the leader here now.”

Her words shocked Ha Chilie.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Wu Zongheng immediately gave them a brief overview of the Dragon King's raid plan. ”Lord Tuo's death is a huge loss to our army but we can't disband the troops yet. We must leave immediately so we can make it to the final battle as soon as possible,” he said.

”But... But there are spies from the Golden Roc Fort hiding in the army...” said Ha Chilie.

It was Wu Zongheng's calmness in critical moments that earned him the Dragon King's favor. However, he realized that he did not enjoy being in these kinds of situations. He came here thinking he would be aiding Tuo Nengya, but this burden had unexpectedly fallen on his shoulders.

”Lord Wu, please tell us what you're thinking. Now isn't the time to be polite,” Maid Lotus said, trying to encourage him after noticing that he was hesitating. Being the Dragon King's most trusted guard, her words commanded quite a bit of respect.

Ha Chilie and Wu Zongheng were both vice commanders of thousands. Wu Zongheng was formerly an interior officer in the An Kingdom, so he was particularly sensitive to titles. He had just arrived in the barracks and did not want to give the impression that he was trying to usurp power.

Ha Chilie understood that avenging Tuo Nengya was not the most pressing task, despite his fervent desire to do so. He bowed his head and said, ”Lord Wu, please give your command. We will follow it.”

After pausing for a moment, Wu Zongheng said, ”I am not familiar with the current situation here. Lord Ha, this matter will be in your hands.”

Ha Chilie casted a glance at Maid Lotus, and Maid Lotus nodded to him. ”If they continue to act like this, I will make a decision for them,” she thought.

”My advice is to divide the troops in two,” Ha Chilie said.

”We have over 3,000 veterans in total. Wu Zongheng can take them to the ambush location ahead of time. Most of them are from the tribe, so they are more trustworthy. The rest of the more than 1,000 new recruits will stay here. After I find and remove the spies from them, I will immediately take the rest to meet Lord Wu and join the final battle.” Ha Chilie decided.

Wu Zongheng had the same idea, so he agreed to it. He also suggested that Maid Lotus stay here. He said, ”If there are killers from Golden Roc Fort, Lord Ha might need a helper.”

Maid Lotus excelled in handling killers from Golden Roc Fort. ”If I went to the field, I would be of less help,” she thought and, therefore, agreed.

”Three days. I only need three days. I will set out after three days, no matter whether or not I have rooted out all the spies. If possible, please wait for us for a little longer. I do not want to miss the final battle,” Ha Chilie said, wanting to avenge Tuo Nengya as well as dying to join the battle.

Several of them were discussing military affairs. Han Xuan became impatient. She walked up to Ha Chilie and said, ”Mr. Ha, was that dead man your father?”