Chapter 408: War Time.
Hao Ren and Han Lingshi waited for Allyne Gram to leave. Then the young lady asked, "What shall we do?"
Hao Ren was about to say something when the system said, *Kid, if you managed to handle things nicely, without losing fifty percent of your force, I will give you seven sword grass.*
Hao Ren narrowed his gaze, and asked, 'What is that?"
The system replied, *A type of herb that originates in another realm, and can give you a sudden enlightenment for the sword dao."
Hao Ren nodded, and then he looked at Han Lingshi as he asked, "I will take command of this whole thing."
Han Lingshi agreed and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Hao Ren leaned back on the chair, and he said, "I will need you to watch them strengthen the defense arrays all over the continent. Gather the best craftsmen from all over, and have them prepare armors, and send out people from lower levels to explore the realm and gather precious materials for such things. Stock up food and create shelters so that the weaker population can stay hidden from those old coots."
Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "I will get that done."
Then Hao Ren took out a small bell from his space ring and shook it nine times. It didn't produce any sound, but this ring was a summoning bell that he used in the past. The sound of this bell resonated with the souls of his generals, and all the shadow guards that he had under his command.
Yes, these people were akin to sleeper cells, they lived a normal life, but as soon as Hao Ren rang the bell thrice, they would come to answer his call. The young man said, "After tomorrow, I will go and set up a front in the new territory. It would be easier to operate from there and given how the people there know more about the dynamics of the Spirit Siphon Continent, it would be an advantage."
Han Lingshi didn't say anything, but nodded silently. She sighed and said, "It is at times like this, that I have the urge to go back to Blue Star and never come here."
Hao Ren chuckled and kissed her lips quickly as he said, "Calm down, it's not that bad here."
Han Lingshi snorted, and then said, "Let go of me, I have work to do."
Hao Ren chuckled and Han Lingshi left the garden. Although war was upon them but they still had around four hundred days, so it was possible for Hao Ren to exploit his enemies.
...
The next day, all the Ye Generals, Hu Baihe, and hundred thousand of the shadow guards that Hao Ren commanded have appeared outside the Crescent Moon City. The young man stood before them wearing his Titan armor, and he said, "So, in the Spirit Siphon Continent, there is a council that wants to make an example of us. What do you all think we should do?"
The soldiers replied, "Kill!"
The voice of the soldiers was strong, and the sentiment they had caused the air around them to manifest in a bloody red color. Hao Ren smiled and asked, "What do you think is the best path to save our home?"
The people replied with five words, "Pursue, Bribe, Punish, Divide & Rule."
Hao Ren clapped and said, "Good, let's head out and handle those old undying fuckers before they can even make a move against us."
"Yes, My Lord!"
Each and every person in this gathering had been hand picked, and they were hundred percent loyal to him. They would kill and they would die for him. After the speech, everyone hopped through the teleportation array and they moved from one continent to the other.
Biron Kingdom had been renamed Spirit Pearl States. Hao Ren and his people took control of the central palace in the old capital of the nation. The young man was standing in the ground and he was surrounded by the Ye Generals, and behind the Ye Generals stood their respective forces.
Hao Ren took a look around and said, "Ye Jian, Ye Peng, Ye Jill."
The three of them stepped forward and said, "Here!"
Hao Ren said, "You three will look out for people who can be pursued, and ask them not to act haphazardly. Show your skills, accept disciples and establish prestige."
The trio replied, "Yes, Lord."
Hao Ren said, "You don't have to take in disciples just because I said so, pass them some casual guidance and act as you want to. I don't care about the methods but I want the results."
The people nodded and took a step back. Then Hao Ren looked at the others, and said, "Ye Li, Ye Ding, Ye Ming, you will look out for those who can be bought. That should be a simple thing, right?"
The three of them replied positively and accepted the task. Then Hao Ren called upon, Ye Lin, Ye Kim, Ye Ryu, Ye Alan, and Ye Teng, as he said, "You will handle the assassinations. Punish anyone and everyone who doesn't bow down to us. The logistics department will support you completely, I want results."
The five of them were apt to handle these tasks and they replied, "Yes, Lord."
Finally, it was time to settle the last department, the one that will sow discord among these people and he turned to look at his two most trusted generals, and said, "Ye Lan, Ye Yue, I will leave the discord to you. Go and create chaos. Make sure they enjoy it."
The people nodded and they left to handle the tasks. They first solidified the foundation in the Spirit Pearl District. It was an easy task, but they had to reinforce their presence in the place. Hao Ren was left alone in the central palace with Ao Lan, who used to serve as Hu Baihe's bodyguard in the past. She was now a dao integration realm cultivator.
Thus, she was suitable to serve as Hao Ren's maid and secretary. Time flew away quickly, there were strong currents in the Spirit Siphon Continent. Allyne Gram and Mala Gram were sitting under the pavilion and the latter said, "Mala, what do you think? Is it really him?"
Mala nodded and said, "Big sister, I am sure that he is the one pulling strings in the background. The entire Spirit Siphon Continent is filled with arrogant pricks who wish nothing else but to gain control of those weaker than them and use them as tools to elevate their realms. However, Hao Ren is a man who nurtures these tools as weapons that are trustworthy, they shoot to kill only. I am sure they are doing it."
Allyne nodded and said, "I wonder if that sword maniac will go seeking Master Hao once more."
Mala shook her head and replied, "If he did, then it will turn into something really interesting."
The two girls exchanged a glance and clinked their wine glasses. They were on the advantageous end here. The chaos created by Hao Ren did not affect them and they were gaining control and access to other forces quickly.
…
The elder experts that were the governing echelons of the Spirit Siphon Councils were gathered again, they were seriously discussing the recent changes that were occurring around the continent. Had it been an isolated incident, they could have come up with some method to deal with it but the simultaneous withdrawal of the people, the sudden infights, and those who were spying on their own people, it was all a bit too much.
Finally, the biggest issue they faced was the mass assassinations. Elder Hagan, the leader of the council said, "Did you all hear this? The Mal family of the eastern district, the trader Mal Family has been assaulted and they lost almost every elder and capable young expert of their family. Now the family is led by a bunch of women and ignorant toddlers. Who can tell me what is going on here?!"
He slapped his hand on the table before him that turned to powder. However, none of the people had any answer to him.
One of the elders said, "That is the least of my concerns. I heard that a few weeks ago, Young Master Karn went looking for a fight and he came back dispirited? Is this true, Elder Hagan?"
Elder Hagan furrowed his brows and asked, "Why are you concerned about Karn, Elder Man? He has always acted alone and in his own interests. What does he have to do with the council?"
The elder Man replied, "Because he was supposed to lead the charge of the allied army. He was the reason why many people agreed to pour in their resources. Who in this world doesn't work for themselves? This is war time and we need a strong leader. Karn is the best sword cultivator and leader we can have. So, his situation is important to us all, elder Hagan."
The old man couldn't reply instantly and he said, "He is fine, he gained something and is in seclusion. Don't worry, we will be ready by war time."