The Pawns

After a long moment, Du Chen frowned, saying, “Very well. First, relay all the intelligence you’ve gathered in detail, and then I shall deliberate further!”

Chek proved quite adept at such minor matters. He immediately reported to Du Chen, “Originally, the Nine-Family Coalition boasted over ten thousand warriors. Several Fallen Gods families among them still preserved their ancestral Secret Battle Formation Techniques, making them formidable indeed! However, after the Huhuhu Beast incident, those who were out in the wilderness suffered heavy losses. Now, only about eight thousand remain, and they are severely lacking military rations. Yet, their battle formations are still relatively intact! As for the movements of the other prominent families, they remain unclear, especially the Changxi Family; they’ve been far too quiet!”

Chek paused, then succinctly detailed his own faction’s strength, “Now that my family has annexed Kursk, we command roughly two thousand troops, with ample military rations!”

Secret Battle Formation Techniques? Du Chen’s brow furrowed at the mention. He had already witnessed the terrifying power of such formations through the Red Phoenix Battle Formation and Dud’s Submerged Mountain and Hurricane Two Formations. They were not to be underestimated.

He absolutely couldn’t risk barging into their military camp to flaunt his might as a Titled Battle God!

After a period of careful consideration, Du Chen stated, “I can participate in negotiations, but only as an assistant. You must send a key Brockman family member with me. Only then can we ensure a plausible and respectable facade for both sides.”

Chek nodded repeatedly, failing to grasp the deeper implication of Du Chen’s words—to bind the Brockman family’s core figures, preventing them from betraying him! Instead, he eagerly replied, “That’s only proper. I will accompany you!”

Du Chen continued, “Furthermore, the negotiation site cannot be their military camp. It should be… near that Ninth-rank sacred artifact!”

Chek was startled. “But that area is now within our family’s domain! Are you suggesting we allow the Nine-Family Coalition to enter the heart of our territory!?”

Du Chen waved a hand dismissively. “Allowing enemies into one’s territory isn’t necessarily a bad thing, much like with the people of Kursk. As long as their Masters leave their battle formations, I… hehe!” He left the rest unsaid.

Chek broke into a slow, understanding grin, then hesitated, “But will they come? And will they only send their Masters, without their armies?”

Du Chen smiled knowingly, instructing Chek, “Allied Forces that unite for profit are usually unstable internally. They currently possess a numerical advantage but are still dawdling with us. One reason is their fear of the Huhuhu Beasts, and another is their inability to agree on how to ‘divide the spoils’! Therefore, we can exploit their internal discord and their greed. Simultaneously, we’ll adopt a posture of reluctant weakness, as if seeking peace, to make them drop their guard…”

Seeing Chek’s bewildered expression, Du Chen sighed helplessly and simply told him what to do.

“Chek, none of the Nine-Family Coalition know the specifics of that Ninth-rank sacred artifact, nor do they know of my existence, do they? So tell them that the artifact’s power is too immense to move! Claim that our Brockman family is utterly incapable of fulfilling the request in their letter. If they wish to see the sacred artifact, they must come themselves! Then, take a thousand Huhuhu Beast carcasses. Have all our main family forces carry them to ‘labor’ their troops. But after laboring, our main forces should not return; they are to maintain a standoff at the border! Simultaneously, set up a meeting place near the sacred artifact and invite all family heads to observe it, making it clear that anyone present can attempt to communicate with the artifact!”

Chek finally understood, clapping his hands in delight. “I see! We proactively show goodwill, moving our armies away, and the Coalition won’t suspect an ambush! And the offer to communicate with the sacred artifact will make them rush here, falling over themselves, afraid of being too slow and letting others seize the initiative! But upon their arrival, they’ll discover, haha, that a Titled Battle God awaits to deal with them! Mr. Alex, this scheme is truly brilliant!”

Du Chen smiled outwardly but inwardly grimaced. Could such a clumsy plan truly be called brilliant? Chek was truly… well, it was understandable. If he were clever enough, Bonis would have killed him long ago!

With a heavy burden lifted from his heart, Chek exclaimed joyfully, “Then I’ll go prepare at once! I’ll notify you as soon as everything is ready!”

“Good. Regarding the Changxi Family you mentioned earlier, keep a close eye on them. We cannot afford any slip-ups at this critical juncture!”

…

After Chek left, Du Chen opened the Precious Lotus Scripture and glanced inside. Duding was obediently lying down, while the rock—created not long ago—now faintly exuded a Ninth-rank aura.

Looking at it, Du Chen smiled.

Moments later, Steve sauntered back, slouching onto the carpet and lowering his head. “I circled above the Allied Forces. Nothing too eye-catching, but there are a few interesting battle formations within!”

Du Chen said, “Chek mentioned those are battle formations from the era of Fallen Gods Demonkind Generals. Although those in the City of Penance probably can’t unleash their full power, we still need to be cautious!” He frowned. “The Brockman family boasts seven God-Generals in one generation. How powerful do you think their battle formations could be?”

Steve shrugged. “Who knows? But consider that Brockman, with fewer than ten thousand Huhuhu Beasts, could contend with Kursk, who had eighteen thousand. Their battle formations must not be weak!” He raised an eyebrow and chuckled slyly, “The stronger their formations, the better… because eventually, they’ll all be yours!”

Du Chen also smiled.

Steve suddenly touched his cheek with a lewd chuckle. “Oh, the feeling of caressing Miss Heidi’s cheek every day is truly wonderful…” Just as Du Chen was about to roll his eyes, Steve suddenly changed his tone. “But Miss Heidi seems troubled today. Although she wouldn’t say, she subtly implied that the third generation of the Brockman family is becoming restless!”

Du Chen rubbed his nose. “The Brockman third generation? I believe I’m the only one who has offended them recently, aren’t I?”

“Indeed, it’s certainly aimed at you!” Steve burst out laughing. “This way, I can both woo Miss Heidi and satisfy my desire to ‘flay’ for intelligence. I love this kind of life!”

Du Chen glared at him. “I knew you wouldn’t save Heidi for no reason! Tell me, what stage has this pawn you planted within the Brockman family’s third generation reached?”

Steve’s voice suddenly turned cold, revealing the Flaying aspect of his personality. “Among the three generations of the Brockman family, the Old Matriarch is shrewd enough, but shrewd people understand the situation; she will cooperate with you faithfully! And you have already conquered the weak and incompetent second generation with your absolute dominance. So now, only the cold-blooded, arrogant, and presumptuous third generation remains!”

He smiled with a chilling, bloodthirsty glint. “I’m gradually reshaping Heidi’s perspective, teaching her some of the qualities the Old Matriarch possesses, making her smarter! Hmph, sometimes smarter people are easier to control… As for whatever scheme the Brockman third generation is concocting against you, once it erupts, we two Titled Battle Gods will join forces. With thunderous swiftness and legitimate reason, we’ll eliminate the most influential among them, then elevate Heidi to the position of the Brockman family’s sole heir!”

Du Chen gave a sinister smile. “This way, all three generations of the Brockman family will be obedient… But Eldest Brother, could you please not speak in your Flaying voice? It makes us sound truly evil!”

Steve nodded, then reverted to his lewd chuckle. “Yes, I am merely pursuing the beautiful dream of youth—Miss Heidi! And you, you are doing good deeds, rescuing the Brockman family!”

“Two scoundrels…” Duding blinked his big eyes within the Precious Lotus Scripture, mumbling, “Is it easy for me, stuck with two scoundrels like this?”

The two brothers stared at Duding, smiling sinisterly, scaring the little pudding-like Duding quite a bit. But soon, Du Chen’s expression darkened.

Were his actions still considered good deeds?

Using such means to control the Brockman family, even contemplating future exploitation of them, and bringing Ted and Helen under his sway… For the first time since understanding the meaning of goodwill, Du Chen questioned himself: Was he truly at peace with his conscience?

To hell with goodwill! Du Chen’s eyes turned cold. Good deeds were secondary; avenging his adoptive father was paramount.

Bonis, just you wait. I will soon bring back the Demonkind traitors who hold vast secrets about you. With their intelligence and capabilities, I will deal with you!

Becoming an immortal or a Buddha—that’s for later. For now, I am human, and I still understand human hatred!

The Blade of Heaven has been gone for a long time, but the deep-seated hatred has not dissipated!

Du Chen took a few deep breaths and said, “Eldest Brother, no matter what the Brockman third generation attempts, you and I have nothing to fear. However, Xue Ji has not yet fully recovered. Could you please watch over her for me temporarily?” Du Chen currently only had the Precious Lotus Scripture by his side. A fierce battle was likely imminent, making it impossible to carry Xue Ji.

Steve gave a wicked chuckle. “No problem, I’ll ‘help’ you watch over her!”

Du Chen’s old face flushed. What a significant slip of the tongue!

…

Days seemed to settle into a sudden calm. For two consecutive days, Steve was busy with his ‘flirting and teasing,’ while Du Chen diligently studied engineering and mechanical texts, striving to refine fine earth through alchemical experiments with the scarce species of the City of Penance.

On the third day, Chek rushed to Du Chen. “Mr. Alex, they’ve arrived! The leaders of the Nine-Family Coalition are all here! Moreover, after news spread, several major families from the City of Penance—except for the Changxi Family—have also flocked here, under the pretense of discussing a joint defense against the Huhuhu Beasts, but in reality, seeking to contend for the sacred artifact!”

All of them? Du Chen shook his head with a bitter smile. Human greed truly knows no bounds. The Huhuhu Beasts still occupied the central area of the City of Penance, yet these people…

Well, then, let’s play big!