Snoopy's Honey Trap

"Why haven't you come to see me…"

As the last syllable hung in the air, the door hinge gently turned, and a graceful figure glided in.

Du Chen's heart 'thumped' as he recognized the newcomer. Even Snoopy barely managed to maintain the Sea King's composure, almost letting out a yelp of surprise!

In her hand, a short flute. On her head, a black The Flat-Top's Helm. Cloaked in a red Cleric's Robe… The Scarlet Army! Perhaps still better known to Du Chen as… the Requiem Death Knights!

Du Chen reacted faster than Snoopy. The Precious Lotus Scripture swiftly burrowed into his ear, whispering a Secret Technique command: "For her to reach the corridor before I detected her, she must be at least a Tenth-rank initial stage! And she knows the Sea King's chambers intimately. Damn it, Thanes and The Scarlet Army have been colluding for a long time! Don't say a single wrong word!"

Snoopy, having weathered countless storms during the Godslayer era, quickly regained his boisterous Sea King demeanor after a momentary lapse. He watched the newcomer approach with a smile, casually asking, "What brings you here?"

"I should be asking *you*!" The newcomer's voice, once she spoke, was crisp and soft – undoubtedly a woman's. "Thanes, what are you doing back on Bog Island instead of in Emerald City?"

Now was absolutely not the time for a misstep! Snoopy carefully repeated what he had told Darick earlier that day, emphasizing, "Rest assured, the brother impersonating me in Emerald City is sharp; he won't give anything away!"

The woman nodded upon hearing this. "So, Reno is planning to raid the Garrison Fleet…" As she spoke, she casually removed her helm, revealing her face to Du Chen and Snoopy. She was a Sea Clan woman. By human standards, she was stunningly beautiful, though the fine scales on her cheeks marred her otherwise perfect image. However, the Little Prince Gode once said that in the eyes of the Sea Clan, the scales on a fish-mermaid's cheeks were as captivating as the blush of a human maiden, the most alluring feature to Sea Clan men—a beauty who could "topple cities with a smile" in their estimation.

After understanding the situation, the beauty's icy demeanor vanished, replaced by an ambiguous warmth as she leaned against Snoopy, chuckling softly. "You still haven't told me why you didn't come to see me. Instead, you waited for me to find you?"

Snoopy broke out in goosebumps. *Damn it, this bunny-grandpa is a rabbit! I have no interest in fish-mermaids. Can't you just scram? This grandpa prefers beauties with long ears, red eyes, and a triple-split lip…*

Du Chen carefully instructed him via Secret Technique: "Snoopy, this woman seems to be Thanes's mistress, or someone of that caliber. You'll have to make a sacrifice and cozy up to her!"

Snoopy gritted his teeth. He lifted the beauty's chin with two fingers, a lecherous smile spreading across his face. "I did indeed receive your signal, but if I had sought you out myself, wouldn't I have missed the chance to invite a beauty to 'visit' my chambers? Hmm?"

The fish-mermaid giggled, snuggling into Snoopy's arms. "Oh, you and your sweet talk! Just now, when I saw Darick using your Military Edict to mobilize the great army by the sea, I knew you were back! So I rushed over to see what was happening!"

Snoopy waved his hand with feigned bravado. "Ha, no need for my beauty to worry! It's nothing major, just an old lion provoking my army, right? Tomorrow, I'll make sure he never returns!"

The fish-mermaid turned Snoopy's head, her expression serious. "Don't be careless! Just now, I saw you gather the army in the shallow waters. Why? You wouldn't make such a foolish mistake, would you?"

Snoopy's heart tightened, but he chuckled. "My beauty forgets! While shallow waters favor the Reno fleet, they also favor my ability to transport troops underground, don't they? Hehe, have you forgotten my knack for subterranean troop movements?"

The beauty rolled her eyes at him. "You're just toying with me! Without my help, how could you transport troops underground?"

Du Chen's mind stirred. *Could The Scarlet Army have been the mastermind behind the surprise attack on Bog Island five years ago? If so, were they also the ones after the items in the Purple Satchel? Then, Sea King Thanes is merely The Pawns, exploited by The Scarlet Army through a honey trap!*

Snoopy knew he had misspoken and quickly remedied it. "Exactly! I was just thinking of asking for your help to move troops underground and teach the Lionheart King a harsh lesson! But who would've thought, my beauty, you'd deliver yourself right into my arms…"

The fish-mermaid stared at Snoopy for a long moment, unable to detect any falsehood. Her suspicions dissolved, and she smiled. "Alright, I'll help you again, just like I did in the Miki Duchy War five years ago! But… how do you plan to thank me?" Her enchanting eyes held a captivating allure as they fixed on Snoopy.

Snoopy cried out in his heart, *Francis, for your and Wolf's sake, this bunny-grandpa is going all out! I'm a rabbit, but this bunny-grandpa isn't afraid to sacrifice his allure!* Thinking this, he closed his eyes, planted a fierce kiss on the fish-mermaid's cheek, his hands fumbling wildly, muttering, "My beauty, are you satisfied with this token of gratitude?"

"Thanes, what are you doing!?" To his surprise, the beauty frowned in displeasure, pushing Snoopy away. The bunny-grandpa was stunned. The fish-mermaid snorted, her expression softening slightly as she spoke tenderly, "My Sea King, I'll be yours eventually. What's the rush? Didn't we agree ten years ago? As soon as you bring me what's inside the Purple Satchel, I'll be yours…"

Snoopy suddenly understood. The "thanks" the fish-mermaid spoke of wasn't *that* kind of thanks. Instead, she was urging Thanes to get the items from the Purple Satchel sooner, which meant opening the Sacred Artifact Box earlier.

*Damn it, it all makes sense now! Thanes's past erratic behavior was all instigated by The Scarlet Army's honey trap! And The Scarlet Army's target is the contents of the satchel!*

Snoopy hastily tried to correct his previous blunder, deliberately feigning impatience. "My beauty, don't rush! That old fellow Darick said that if we just wait another fifteen days, the item will be yours! Fifteen days, only fifteen days left! Can't you just…" He purposely omitted Darick's latter half of the sentence, "just fight desperately for seven days."

The fish-mermaid wagged a finger. "That won't do! How can the mighty Sea King go back on his word? You, my dear, just wait patiently for another fifteen days, tee hee!"

"Nooo, my beauty, only fifteen days left…"

The two flirted and schemed, utterly absorbed in their game. But Du Chen's mind raced. This sudden appearance of the Scarlet Army woman had revealed many secrets, yet one thing felt off: how powerful was The Scarlet Army? If they wanted the contents of the Sacred Artifact Box, couldn't they just send a The Master to shatter the Life Tree's bark? Why bother mobilizing the Sea King's entire force and wasting five long years? Could it be that The Scarlet Army, whom Julie described as unimaginably powerful, didn't possess a The Master capable of breaching the Life Tree's inner wall? Andy could do that when he was starving! Or perhaps, there was something peculiar about the Sacred Artifact Box's outer layer that even The Scarlet Army couldn't overcome, requiring the Sea King to expend his nation's entire strength for five years? Du Chen sank into deep thought until the fish-mermaid's words jolted him awake, leaving him drenched in a cold sweat. "Your Majesty, let's go. Battle is likely to begin tomorrow. Tonight, I'll accompany you to transport the great army underground to the battlefield. You should head to our base first!"

*Go to The Scarlet Army's base?! How many The Master would be there? Would there be any Aberrant Beasts capable of seeing through Snoopy's disguise? To go or not to go?*

Du Chen gritted his teeth. "Snoopy, first find an excuse to give me time to leave a message. Then we'll go with her. We're going all in! We'll go to The Scarlet Army's base… Opportunities like this are rare. The greater the reward, the greater the risk!"

Snoopy chuckled. "My beauty, please wait a moment. I'll go gather the elite troops for the sneak attack right away. Wait for me here for a bit!"

"Alright, I'll wait for you. Once the army is assembled, have them wait at Southern Sea Beach, then come find me. Be quick!"

Du Chen and Snoopy left the Sea King's chambers, both feeling a mix of tension and excitement. Du Chen rubbed his nose. "Damn it, I never expected this turn of events. Who knows what chaos will erupt once the great battle begins!"

Snoopy frowned. "Grandson, why don't you stay here to help Porter and secretly tip off the Lionheart King? This bunny-grandpa will risk it alone!"

Du Chen shot him a sidelong glance. "Please! Without me by your side, two rabbits could knock you flat! You can mimic the Sea King's appearance and mental frequency, but when it comes to commanding an army with martial might, can you simulate a Water-element, Conferred-rank aura?"

Snoopy fell silent, then suddenly stomped his foot. "This bunny-grandpa is a rabbit, but this bunny-grandpa isn't afraid to die!"

Du Chen glanced up at the sky. "You're not afraid to die, but I'm afraid you'll mess things up! There's no time to inform the commanding Lionheart King and Deboning in Emerald City. First, find a slave to relay the situation to Porter, then we'll adapt as we go!"

At this point, that was the only way. Du Chen found a trustworthy Miki Duchy remnant and conveyed the news of The Scarlet Army's sudden appearance to Porter. He said nothing more than "you decide how to handle it," trusting that their years of unspoken understanding would at least provide an extra layer of insurance.

Next, Du Chen found Darick. Snoopy mysteriously instructed Darick to prepare the army to move underground. The Old Turtle, looking as if to say, "Just as I thought, I wasn't wrong," enthusiastically mobilized ten thousand Forbidden Sea Heavy Armored Warriors and over a hundred light sacred artifacts of war.

Finally, Snoopy ordered the Old Turtle, "This Emperor will personally lead the Forbidden Sea Garrison Fleet in a subterranean sneak attack. The surface battle is yours! Win, and you'll be promoted and ennobled. Lose, and this old man will chop off your turtle head!"

The Old Turtle solemnly pledged a Military Edict and led the Garrison Fleet to the shallow waters south of Bog Island.

When the Morning Star appeared in the east, Snoopy ordered the ten thousand Forbidden Sea Garrison Fleet to the secluded beach south of Bog Island, as instructed by the fish-mermaid. Meanwhile, he and Du Chen located the discreet fish-mermaid in the distant waters—her existence known only to the Sea King himself. The sea was still. The fish-mermaid's eyes, beneath her helm, danced as she smiled. "Your Majesty, everything according to the old rules from five years ago. Have your soldiers prepare!"

That single sentence stunned Du Chen. *Old rules? How am I supposed to know what your old rules from five years ago are!?* It was then that Snoopy's immense experience came into play. He thought, *Given the current situation, the fish-mermaid's "old rules" are likely a method for The Scarlet Army to maintain secrecy, to keep the ten thousand Forbidden Sea Garrison Fleet unaware of The Scarlet Army's existence. Hmph, time to gamble!* The bunny-grandpa ventured, "My beauty, five years ago, some brothers already harbored doubts! Should we perhaps change the rules today, make it even more secretive?"

*"Just kill anyone who has doubts, couldn't we?"* the fish-mermaid thought coldly to herself. However, she agreed with Snoopy's words and nodded. "Very well. This time, your soldiers must not only be blindfolded, but after forming their ranks, they must sit down and not stand up without my command!"

So the old rule was simply to blindfold them. Du Chen praised Snoopy in his ear.

"Thanes," however, didn't need to be blindfolded. Standing beside the fish-mermaid, he watched as this member of The Scarlet Army gently patted the sand in the seawater. Immediately, a dozen or so individuals, dressed as Scarlet Army squad members, emerged from beneath the sand. They said nothing, simply bowed respectfully to the fish-mermaid, then formed a circle. Each produced a small, yellowish-brown orb. The fish-mermaid touched each orb with her fingertip, and then the squad burrowed underground. Du Chen watched in bewilderment, though he sensed a very strong Earth-element presence emanating from the yellowish-brown orbs. "Your Majesty! Please!" The fish-mermaid also took out a yellowish-brown orb and traced a line on the sand. Du Chen felt the scenery abruptly shift before his eyes, and in an instant, he entered a wondrous underground space! This was an Earth-element Secret Technique of subterranean travel!

On the other side, that squad of Scarlet Army members appeared near the Forbidden Sea Garrison Fleet. The dozen or so individuals drew circles on the ground with their orbs, forming a large perimeter around the Forbidden Sea Garrison Fleet. Immediately afterward, the ten thousand strong army, carrying over a hundred sacred artifacts of war, slowly sank underground!

Before them lay a dim world. The fish-mermaid, holding a spherical orb radiating a faint yellow light, led the way. Before long, she, along with Snoopy, entered a spacious underground cavern.

"Oh, my! The Sea King has arrived!" Within the cavern were twenty to thirty other Scarlet Army members. While their attire was uniform, their races varied greatly, including beastmen, Sea Clan, and many rare species from the Three Continents like mountain dwarves and frost giants. A human female member stepped forward to greet Snoopy. Snoopy chuckled. "Ah, it's you! Long time no see!" He vaguely chatted with this Old Matriarch, who seemed to be seventy or eighty years old.

The more Du Chen observed, the more mystified he became. Inferring from Thanes's qualification to enter The Scarlet Army's base, he must have known of The Scarlet Army's existence, yet kept it secret from all his Sea Clan subordinates! It was also possible he suspected The Scarlet Army was using him with a honey trap, yet Thanes was still willing to be exploited… What did this mean? Thanes was either completely infatuated with the fish-mermaid or had undoubtedly reached some form of cooperative agreement with The Scarlet Army!

While Snoopy occupied everyone's attention, Du Chen meticulously surveyed The Scarlet Army's base. It was an underground cavern four to five hundred meters square. Aside from the dim yellow lights on the walls, there was no decoration, no furniture, nothing but earth! Yet, members of The Scarlet Army gathered here in groups of three to five, seated, discussing various matters. Some, having concluded their discussions, simply walked through the walls, as if all of them possessed the ability to traverse underground at will. This place seemed to be a temporary meeting hall and distribution center for The Scarlet Army!

Just then, a Scarlet Army member emerged through the earth. Upon seeing him, all the Scarlet Army members in the cavern immediately stood up. The man's face was obscured by his helm, and his figure was that of an ordinary human, devoid of any distinguishing features. He scanned the crowd, then offered a cupped-hand salute with a smile. "Sea King Thanes? What brings you here?"

*This fellow is also acquainted with the Sea King?* Snoopy was at a loss for how to respond, but fortunately, the fish-mermaid spoke for him. "Chief of Staff, the Renault Empire intends to launch a sneak attack on the Sea King's Garrison Fleet tomorrow… I am currently helping him transport troops underground, preparing to teach the Reno fleet a harsh lesson!"

The Chief of Staff nodded. "Hmm, this matter falls within your authority. Continue as planned!" After a moment of thought, he asked Snoopy, "Your Majesty Thanes, what is the progress on *that item*?"

Snoopy replied, "Results will be available in fifteen days!"

The Chief of Staff chuckled, relieved. "That's excellent! Ever since we discovered that item was within the Sacred Artifact Box, jointly set up by the Life Tree and the Essence of Earth five years ago, my heart has been restless. Five years, hehe, it's finally going to succeed!" He bowed to Snoopy. "It's all thanks to Your Majesty, who mobilized the entire Sea Clan, that we're able to obtain that item within five years!"

So, that Sacred Artifact Box was actually laid down by two of the Five Primordial Forces of the world. No wonder The Scarlet Army needed to borrow the full strength of the Sea Clan!

Snoopy glanced at the fish-mermaid. "For a beauty's smile, what does it matter if I mobilize the entire Sea Clan?"

The Chief of Staff burst into laughter. "Your Majesty certainly knows how to win a beauty's favor! Rest assured, in fifteen days, Sophie will appear before you with the item we've agreed upon!"

So the fish-mermaid's name was Sophie. But what was this item Thanes and The Scarlet Army had "agreed upon"? With insufficient information, Du Chen scratched his head in frustration.

The Chief of Staff then added, "Do you have confidence in tomorrow's battle against Reno, Your Majesty? You absolutely mustn't allow Reno to assault Bog Island and delay the time for retrieving that item!"

"Rest assured, I, Thanes, still have the confidence to deal with that old lion!" Snoopy patted his chest, but his eyes darted around. Seemingly joking, he was actually probing, "If you're truly worried, you could always send your subordinates to Bog Island to protect it!"

The Chief of Staff waved his hand, also joking, "Of course, I trust Your Majesty! Besides, how can my mere few dozen subordinates be more reliable than Your Majesty's hundreds of thousands of troops?"

Thus, Snoopy, impersonating the Sea King, shrewdly extracted information. He couldn't be too direct, so the details he gleaned were fragmented. Du Chen, utilizing all his Wisdom through the Precious Lotus Scripture, desperately summarized and analyzed. After the Chief of Staff bid farewell to "Sea King Thanes," Du Chen had essentially confirmed several things. Firstly, ten years ago, the Sea King had struck a deal with The Scarlet Army: The Scarlet Army would provide the Sea King with an unparalleled beauty in the eyes of the Sea Clan, along with numerous other benefits—very likely related to power! In return, the Sea King would help them locate the contents of the Purple Satchel. Furthermore, The Scarlet Army and the Sea King typically didn't interfere with each other, each pursuing their own agendas, but they would assist each other when needed, essentially maintaining an equal relationship. Secondly, The Scarlet Army had only about thirty members near Bog Island, so their direct influence wasn't significant. However, the items they used to traverse through earth were crafted by high-ranking Scarlet Army members using alchemy. This strongly suggested that The Scarlet Army harbored an alchemy genius even more talented than Philip, and Julie's skeletal structure might have been crafted by this very individual! Thirdly, The Scarlet Army's structure was vast. This Chief of Staff was merely a Chief of Staff for a Grand Delta Sea branch, and there were many similar branches. Julie, on the other hand, was likely a core member of The Scarlet Army's main body! Finally, Du Chen had a speculation: the Miki Goddess's corpse might have been stolen by The Scarlet Army without the Sea King's knowledge! Considering the timing, location, and capabilities, only The Scarlet Army fit such numerous criteria! Of course, this was merely a conjecture.

Transporting one person versus ten thousand people underground naturally consumed different amounts of time and energy. Du Chen and Snoopy had been at the base for seven or eight hours, yet the ten thousand Forbidden Sea Garrison Fleet were still en route. Snoopy found an excuse to slip into a corner, whispering to Du Chen, "Grandson, what do we do? Are we really going to let those ten thousand naval soldiers, carrying over a hundred sacred artifacts of war, launch a sneak attack on the Reno fleet? The Lionheart King has absolutely no preparations!"

Du Chen murmured in his ear, "Indeed, the Lionheart King probably believes this Sea Tribe army is crippled and has no reserve forces… But that's secondary. The crucial question is, what do we do with this Scarlet Army base?" Rubbing his nose, Du Chen mused, "Trying to destroy this base might alert them, but leaving it… when we receive that item seven days from now, there will be endless variables. The Scarlet Army might keep a close watch on it, and as soon as I take possession, they'll step forward to claim it. That would be troublesome! Moreover, Porter's restoration of his kingdom might also be affected… Snoopy, what's your take?"

Snoopy considered. "Leaving this base has worse drawbacks than 'alerting the snake'! But Francis, how do you plan to destroy it?"

Du Chen smiled faintly, calculating. "I want to create an accident, one that makes The Scarlet Army believe that whoever destroyed this base didn't deliberately target them, but rather carelessly, unintentionally, and inadvertently involved it… If we can avoid alerting them, why wouldn't we?"