Shadows of the Scarlet Army in the Bloody Cradle

Just one day later, Ilan’s letter reached Bonis’s hands. However, at this moment, Bonis was not in the Fiendkind’s subterranean stronghold in the Subterranean Abyss, but rather at the forward operating base Brockman had mentioned during the Battle of Thornwood Valley.

Inside a simple office, a plate of salted beans, two dried salted fish, and a coarse fiber herbal cake served as Demon Lord Bonis’s entire breakfast. He gently set down the letter, a faint smile gracing his face, which appeared even more aged than during the War of Auerbach Grand Canyon. “Grand Speaker Philip, please take a look at the contents of this letter. It contains words concerning your retainer, Brockman!”

Philip sat opposite Bonis, his massive right arm hanging limply at his side. With his left hand, he took the letter and glanced through it, a worried expression on his face. “Marshal, are you truly planning to assign Brockman this task? Last time, Brockman fell into the clutches of those three Dragon Tyrants and suffered unimaginable humiliation. Now, to make him perform another task bordering on utter degradation… I fear what Brockman’s heart might endure…”

Bonis chuckled lightly. “If I were to speak to Brockman, he would certainly feel resentment. But if the command comes from you… I believe he wouldn’t even furrow a brow, even if it meant climbing mountains of blades or plunging into cauldrons of boiling oil!”

Philip, however, was the one to furrow his brow first. How was he supposed to broach such a subject with Brockman? Brockman was now a man of status, The Prerogative, and immense wealth—a true Eminence. To ask such an Eminence to become a male concubine to a vixen…

Unless a man was born without pride, no one could maintain their composure after being tasked with such a mission, especially not an Eminence like Brockman, who had already been 'baptized' by those three Dragon Tyrants!

Philip subtly attempted to decline on behalf of his subordinate. “Marshal, did not Number One of the Eminence Project achieve groundbreaking progress recently? And based on Number One’s recommendations, haven’t you set your main thrust of attack upon the Skylands Continent… Yet, the Saint Baton Clan’s roots are in the Aethelgard Continent. If we antagonize Aethelgard now, won’t we be alerting the enemy to our true intentions!?”

Bonis shot a meaningful glance at Philip. “Esteemed Grand Speaker, if you consider your question in reverse, wouldn’t that be feigning an attack in the east while striking in the west? When the Red-Bloods believe we are focusing our primary efforts on the Saint Baton Clan of Aethelgard, we will covertly strike the Skylands… Quite perfect, wouldn’t you say?”

“Indeed, it’s perfect,” Philip thought. “But if you wish for perfection, must it be at the cost of my loyal subordinate? Brockman is my most faithful and capable subordinate; how can I, Philip, allow him to become disheartened!?”

With that thought, Philip once more attempted to decline. “Marshal, Ilan’s suggestion merely called for a male charmer, not necessarily Brockman—yes, I admit Brockman is indeed the most handsome among us, but…”

“Esteemed Philip!” Bonis called him by his given name, signaling he was no longer willing to waste more breath with Philip, and enticed him further. “Please consider, esteemed sir, once Brockman succeeds, we can not only shatter the Red-Bloods’ primary defense but also divert their attention. Then… at your single command, a million-strong Netherbeast Legion would roar forth onto the Skylands Continent, transforming an entire landmass into a playground for the Undead—what an exhilarating spectacle that would be!”

Philip’s Adam’s apple bobbed! A playground for the Undead… Was Bonis implying that once the Violet-Bloods’ grand revival succeeds, I, Philip, could claim the entire Skylands Continent!?

An entire continent! How many alchemical ingredients would be waiting for me to collect!?

Bonis continued, “Of the Three Continents, the Skylands stands as the crowning jewel of wealth! If your Netherbeast Legion occupied the Skylands Continent, how many precious experimental materials would you obtain? How astonishingly would your experiments progress!? And all of this… merely requires a small sacrifice from Brockman!”

Philip gritted his teeth. “That’s right, Brockman is utterly loyal to me. So, if I make him endure some hardship, it wouldn’t provoke his betrayal, would it!?”

“Master of the Skylands Continent… With my peerless intellect, what objection could there be to commanding a continent’s worth of alchemical materials!?”

“Alas, for The Prerogative to exist beneath the sun, very well, I shall go and discuss it with Brockman!”

Bonis watched Philip depart, a subtly intriguing smile playing on his lips. He lightly picked up a salted bean and put it into his mouth.

“Fools! Both of you are utter fools!”

A graceful figure suddenly materialized behind Bonis—flaming red hair, fiery red brows, a crimson robe, and even her fingernails glowed with a sanguine hue. This was a middle-aged woman, in her late forties. She scornfully glanced at Philip’s retreating back, sneering repeatedly.

Bonis, despite being insulted, did not take offense in the slightest. Instead, he smiled faintly. “Fire Phoenix, why is Philip a fool?”

Fire Phoenix, also known as Dragon Phoenix, was the third of the Imperial Divine Beasts Bonis had rescued from the Life Prison! She said coldly, “Philip, for an empty promise from you, willingly betrayed his subordinate… What else could such a person be but a fool!? Hmph, no, he’s not a person, but a loathsome Undead!”

“Philip is indeed a genius rarely seen in a millennium, yet he is merely an Alchemical Prodigy, not an outstanding statesman! So… is there anything surprising about him doing such a thing?” Bonis saw through it with clarity. A scientist is not a statesman; what is trivial for even junior politicians is something a scientist can never grasp—simply, their modes of thought are entirely divergent!

Bonis then asked, “Then why am I a fool?”

“Hmph, Philip is merely an alchemist. Is it truly worth your while to sow discord between him and his subordinate, to fragment his power?” Fire Phoenix shot a disdainful glance at Bonis. “Hmph, didn’t you just insist on humiliating Brockman because you’ve grown wary of Philip?”

Bonis looked up and sighed softly, tossing a scroll to Fire Phoenix.

“See for yourself! After being ravaged by the Huhuhu Beast, our Violet-Bloods are left with only three million seven hundred and forty thousand. Yet, Philip’s Netherbeast Legion and Undead forces already exceed that number. Subordinates whose strength surpasses their master’s… What leader would tolerate such a situation?”

Fire Phoenix fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke. “Perhaps Divine Emperor Prince could! I once covertly aided the Red-Bloods against you and witnessed Prince’s demeanor firsthand—he truly deserves the 'Saint' evaluation recorded in historical annals today!”

Bonis abruptly stood up. “A Saint? Hmph, if Prince were a truly morally unblemished saint, then… he would have been hacked into mincemeat by several Marshals of the Holy Alliance, leaving no place for his burial! And his wife, children, parents, and siblings would all have been buried with Prince; not a single one would have survived! Fire Phoenix, do you understand my meaning? Saints can only retreat to the mountains and forests to spread their ideology, but those who sit on the throne of leadership and endure for long… are most certainly not true saints!”

Fire Phoenix was startled. “At least Prince didn’t sideline capable subordinates before his grand endeavor had even succeeded, unlike you!”

Bonis laughed heartily. “Prince didn’t sideline his subordinates? Ha, you, Fire Phoenix, simply never witnessed it! Think about it, when I conquered the McAllen Great Plains back then, why did Prince give Orbach a mere sixty thousand crippled soldiers to reclaim his homeland!? You know better than I that Orbach, the Supreme Battle God, was the only invincible battle commander capable of beating me to the point of discarding my armor and fleeing in disarray on the front lines! But precisely because he was too strong, so strong that even Prince couldn’t vanquish him on the battlefield… that’s why Prince only gave him sixty thousand crippled soldiers!”

Fire Phoenix suddenly fell silent. She knew of this matter, and thinking it over carefully, the Divine Emperor’s actions back then were indeed not entirely honorable!

Bonis spun around and stared piercingly at Fire Phoenix. “You call Prince a saint, that’s an insult to me—could I, Bonis, be defeated by a saint? Fire Phoenix, one’s truest understanding of a person often comes from their enemies. I have contended with Prince for centuries; I know his character too well… If I, Bonis, am a true villain, then Prince… is, at best, a hypocrite who can execute his schemes with a veneer of righteousness!”

Fire Phoenix, unable to counter Bonis, waved her hand dismissively. “Hmph, I’m too lazy to bother with your affairs and Prince’s! Bonis, I only care about finding my child; hasten your efforts to track them down! After my child disappeared from Philip’s Laboratory all those years ago, where did it truly go?”

Strictly speaking, it was Bonis who had taken Fire Phoenix’s child back then, making Bonis and Fire Phoenix enemies! Yet, Fire Phoenix was desperate to find her child, which led her to cooperate with Bonis, for he possessed the only clues and capability to help her recover her offspring.

In Fire Phoenix’s heart, her child was paramount. All other matters—strife between humans and fiends, dominion over the world… what did she care? She, Fire Phoenix, was not even human!

Bonis smiled. “Very well, I will help you find your child as quickly as possible. However, Fire Phoenix… you already know the progress Number One of the Eminence Project has made. So, shouldn’t you first make a trip to the Skylands Continent to pave the way for our Violet-Bloods’ assault on the Skylands?” Saying this, Bonis pulled a scroll from his robes and handed it to Fire Phoenix, enticing her. “Your child disappeared in the great fire of Philip’s Laboratory, and all individuals connected to that fire have been under my surveillance; significant progress has been made!”

Fire Phoenix stared piercingly at Bonis, snatched the scroll, and turned and left abruptly. “Bonis, you truly are a true villain!”

Bonis smiled. “But you, Fire Phoenix, also understand in your heart that a true villain means: what you give me, I will reciprocate with something in kind. It’s a partnership of mutual interest! Unlike Prince… that hypocrite who only takes and never gives!”

Soon, the Fiendkind unveiled a new round of plans, the final round before their counter-offensive on the Three Continents. In this plan, Brockman sacrificed his charms to seduce the vixen Susanna, while Fire Phoenix journeyed to the Skylands. Bonis, overseeing the entire operation, prepared to feign an attack in the east while striking in the west, using the Saint Baton Clan as a diversion to covertly seize the Skylands Continent and ignite the Second War of Fallen Gods!

And on the ground, beneath the surface, currents of intrigue surged ceaselessly!

Pontiff Sama IX sat enthroned within the Divine Temple of the Golden Grand Tent, as composed as ever, betraying no unusual expression. However, his eyes, fixed on the Imperial Robes before him, blazed with fervent anticipation!

“In just four days, I, Sama, shall ascend the Divine Emperor’s throne and become the sovereign of all under heaven!”

“Esteemed Divine Emperor!” Bairu softly announced from outside the door, “Marshal Francis requests an audience!”

The Pontiff, startled by the words, frowned, then folded the Imperial Robes before him and said in a harmonious tone, “Admit him!”

Du Chen entered with a cheerful smile, an air of relaxed contentment about him. He performed the salutation befitting an audience with a Divine Emperor, which brought a faint smile to Sama’s eyes. “Marshal Francis, have you come to discuss Susanna? Ferdinand has already forwarded the note to me, and I agree with your assessment, but we must wait until after the Grand Alliance Convocation to deal with Susanna. Before the Convocation… I require stability!”

Du Chen shook his head. “Your Majesty misunderstands, I have a matter of far greater import!”

“Oh? What could possibly be so important as to make you, Marshal Francis, so solemn?”

“Your Majesty, do you believe in astrology? That is to say, what are your thoughts on the Divination God Bovin’s prognostication concerning you from years past?”

The Pontiff’s expression abruptly darkened, and his cold gaze locked onto Du Chen!

Du Chen smiled inwardly, observing the Pontiff’s composure falter, while his mind replayed the events of a moment ago!

…

Half an hour earlier, Du Chen, as per his agreement with Phil, made his way to the deep-sea cavern where they had secretly convened three days prior to discuss countermeasures against the Scarlet Army. This time, however, he had an additional companion—Queen Liana!

Of the Requiem Death Knights, only Jamis was present. By the time Du Chen arrived, Jamis had already been chatting with Phil and Merlinta for quite a while. The moment Phil saw Du Chen entering arm-in-arm with a young woman, her eyes suddenly lit up. “This lad’s got game!” Jamis had just mentioned that Francis had broken up with Xue Ji, yet in a mere three days, such an… ‘exceedingly well-endowed’ girl had appeared by his side! Tsk, tsk!

Merlinta also shot a suspicious glance at Du Chen, her heart brimming with disdain. “Hmph, I was greatly relieved to hear of your breakup earlier, thinking the family’s incestuous tragedy was finally averted. But in just three days… is this girl your niece, or your aunt!?”

Liana beamed gracefully, walking beside Du Chen. Without waiting for Du Chen to introduce her, she greeted them herself. “Greetings, Auntie Phil! Professor Jamison, it’s been many years; have your gambling skills improved? And this lady… must be Esteemed Merlinta?”

Phil, gazing at their interlocked hands, offered a series of knowing smiles. “You call me ‘Auntie’?”

Liana flung Du Chen’s hand away and said with a serious expression, “Auntie, please don’t misunderstand. Francis and I are just pals, not what you’re imagining! My strength is simply too weak; I couldn’t dive deep into the sea by myself, so… I had to let this rascal take advantage of me!”

Du Chen chimed in, “Exactly, we’re just pals! Old Mother, don’t misunderstand, I wouldn’t stoop to fancying such a tomboy, would I!?”

“You’re the tomboy! No, you’re a sissy!” Liana playfully retorted. Du Chen, however, brazenly ignored her, but Jamis, beside him, suddenly recoiled.

Merlinta snorted. “What propriety is this, pawing at each other when you’re not even relatives!?”

“Damn it, old hag, will you never cease?” Du Chen frowned, ignoring Merlinta, and pointed at Liana. “She calls the shots in our affairs, which is why I brought her today. There’s no need to hide anything from her!”

Merlinta again interjected, “You entrust your affairs to an outsider woman to decide, hmph, it’s simply…”

“Enough, Aunt Merlinta, business first!” Phil shot a meaningful glance at Du Chen and Liana, then smirked without saying more. She rose and unfurled a schematic on the cavern wall. “These are our adversaries, the nine Venerables of the Scarlet Army!”

Everyone’s gaze was immediately drawn to the schematic, which depicted nothing but nine crimson, egg-shaped orbs, devoid of any other markings or annotations.

“To combat the Scarlet Army, we must first comprehensively understand them!” Phil gently swiped across the schematic. Suddenly, nine eyes, each of a different hue, opened upon the nine orbs. “The true forms of the Scarlet Army’s Venerables appear indistinguishable. The only way to distinguish them is by their eyes! Here, the golden-eyed one is Leiming, who possesses the wisdom and capabilities of a Divine Emperor, making him the most formidable foe! The crimson-eyed one is Retoya, inherently brutal…”

Phil introduced everything she knew about them, then unfurled a third map. This time, it was a sea chart depicting the vast area around Battle God Isle, encompassing all locations within a five hundred li radius, Durkes City included!

“The Scarlet Army intends to destroy Battle God Isle on the day of the Divine Emperor’s ascension! But what method will they use?” Phil asked, her gaze, however, fixed on Liana!

“Eh? Why is she looking at me?” Liana thought to herself. “Is she testing a prospective daughter-in-law!?”

Hmph, as if this Queen would fear your test!?

Liana leaned against Du Chen and said with a cheerful grin, “A certain Gambler once said that the Scarlet Army employs three methods to control humans: dominating the master’s mind, seizing the master’s body, or evolving into independent life forms! Therefore, their attack methods will similarly fall into three categories: inciting riots among the inhabitants of Battle God Isle, possessing the bodies of Eminences to wreak havoc, or simply having several Venerables unleash their power simultaneously, sinking Battle God Isle with a single volley! Considering the practicalities, I lean towards the last possibility!”

Phil’s eyes sparkled, and she directly sat down in front of Liana, asking with a smile, “And then what?”

Liana met Phil’s gaze without reservation. “Then we examine the Thunder Cannon’s attack method—firing a Thunder Cannon requires absorbing an immense amount of natural elements. Therefore, the Scarlet Army cannot fire their cannons grouped together; the local elements simply wouldn’t suffice for their absorption, and they’d even harm themselves! So, to avoid harming their own while gathering enough elements, the Scarlet Army must disperse to several locations, agree on a time, and then simultaneously fire their cannons from each spot, sinking Battle God Isle once and for all!”

Phil’s mouth slightly agape, the smile in her eyes deepened. “And then what?”

Liana spread her hands. “Naturally, we locate these positions and eliminate them before they can act!”

Tilted her head in thought, Liana added, “However, the Scarlet Army won’t foolishly wait in place for several days! They must have selected their locations beforehand and will only deploy to their respective positions to fire their cannons on the day of the Pontiff’s ascension… Therefore, if we can just find their deployment locations and lay an ambush in advance… everything becomes quite simple!”

Phil deliberately tried to stump Liana, chuckling, “Easier said than done! But can you truly determine where the Scarlet Army will fire? Not knowing their chosen locations makes an ambush mere nonsense!”

Liana spoke articulately. “Why can’t we determine it!? The Scarlet Army needs elements to fire their cannons, and the more elements, the better. Considering the Thunder Cannon’s five hundred li firing radius… any element-dense location within that five hundred li radius is suspect. Among them, Mount Tianshan, the Tiger Shark Sea Route, Durkes City, and Turam Deepsea Volcano… It’s almost certain that four of the Scarlet Army’s Venerables will be at these four locations. While we don’t know where the other five Venerables will be, we have the Papal Curia’s three hundred thousand strong army and the Sea Clan’s million aquatic forces, enough to carpet-bomb this five hundred li radius and deny the Scarlet Army any opportunity! Furthermore…”

Liana giggled. “The Tyran Beast couple is on Battle God Isle, aren’t they? With them, are we afraid we won’t find the other five element-dense locations?”

Jamis and Merlinta stared dumbfounded at Liana!

Phil was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “How do you know all nine Scarlet Army Venerables will act, and not just eight or seven?”

“It’s simple! I’ve heard of the power of Adams’ Thunder Cannon, so I can naturally estimate the Scarlet Army’s overall strength! And I’ve studied the Divine Emperor’s nature; he prefers to achieve everything in one decisive strike! So, Battle God Isle currently possesses three unmutated Thunder Cannons, two Tyran Beasts, a three hundred thousand strong army, and Hot Spring Mountain’s defensive array! Facing such a Battle God Isle, Leiming, whose wisdom derives from the Divine Emperor, seeks complete victory in one decisive strike. He will deploy at least seven Thunder Cannons. However, for safety, we must treat them as if all nine Venerables will be present, otherwise missing even one would spell catastrophe!”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “How do you know the Thunder Cannon’s maximum attack radius is five hundred li? I never mentioned that!”

Liana giggled, pointing at the map. “The sea chart you unfurled, Auntie… its radius is five hundred li!”

Phil: “…”

Merlinta: “…”

Jamis: “…”

Liana then added, “The rest is simple. Auntie, you surely have a way to deal with one Thunder Cannon, right? Esteemed Merlinta can naturally handle another. Next, the Requiem Death Knights can take one, Francis can take one… that leaves five more… The Pontiff still commands three Thunder Cannons, plus Battle God Isle’s Guardian Cannon, which can deal with four more! As for the last Thunder Cannon… the Family Heads of the Five Families of Fallen Gods are all present, the Pontiff has another three hundred thousand strong army, and tens of thousands of Battle Gods. That should be enough, shouldn’t it!”

*Clap, clap!* Phil clapped her hands. “Bollocks! It seems Old Mother here doesn’t need to say a word. Everyone… meeting adjourned!”

Finally, Phil shot Du Chen a meaningful glance, taking in his and Liana’s hands, which had somehow intertwined again. She suddenly blurted out to Du Chen, “Son, you truly are confident!”

Du Chen rolled his eyes. “Hmph, without confidence, would I dare hold such a clever woman’s hand? Would I dare, last night with Liana, ‘research’ exactly how large her bust was? Bah, let’s pretend I never thought that last part!”

…

Du Chen’s thoughts snapped back to reality. Smiling as he watched the Pontiff’s composure crumble, he waited for his answer. “Your Majesty, or perhaps more plainly, do you believe that in three days, your demise awaits!?”