Page 237

"Yes, it's all done." Old Hake nodded, flipping through a record and handed it to me, saying, "Among the supplies transferred from the Duchy of Langton this time, there are eighty thousand sets of heavy armor, three hundred thousand sets of light armor, six hundred fifty thousand weapons, two hundred thousand various types of bows and crossbows, three hundred thousand bundles of corresponding arrows, eighty thousand horses, two hundred intermediate-level tamed magic beasts, twelve high-level magic beasts, food supplies sufficient for an army of two hundred thousand humans for three years, and the value of precious items such as gold and gems in the treasury is estimated at around three million eight hundred thousand gold coins..."

"Ah? How could there be so much? The Duchy of Langton only has an army of two hundred thousand. Why would they stockpile so many supplies?" I was slightly taken aback and asked curiously.

Katherine, who was responsible for the entire strategic coordination, replied, "In fact, only a small portion of these supplies were stored by the Duchy of Langton itself. The majority came from the four countries upstream of the Red River and the Kingdom of Holy Os. It must be said that Duke Xilin of Langton had no significant achievements in politics or military affairs, but he was a genius in speculation. After the two large-scale attacks by Holy Os and the four upstream countries were repelled, he took advantage of the situation, plundering their rear supply bases and even holding the defeated armies of both countries for ransom and supplies. In addition, over the past two years, he engaged in several large-scale speculations on the trade routes to Fontainebleau, accumulating all these supplies. His purpose in controlling these supplies was to win over and buy the support of the noble armies that originally supported his brother Basten, to help him stabilize the political situation. However, due to his poor political skills, he never succeeded, which instead benefited us. Moreover, because of the plundering of these supplies, he offended neighboring countries on both sides, preventing them from forming a strategic alliance. Otherwise, our occupation might not have been so smooth."

"Hehe, I see, that's quite the merchant's nature." I nodded, somewhat disdainfully. In my previous life, the Central Plains always looked down upon merchants, with many Legalist scholars like Han Feizi even advocating for their complete elimination. Although my Peach Blossom Island lineage is also considered one of the "five pests" by Han Feizi, we have never followed Legalist thought. However, my extremely proud master still harbored a deep-seated contempt for merchants, which I partly inherited. Even though my attitude has changed somewhat in this world, I still can't shake off this instinctive reaction.

"By the way, sir, after receiving the news of Langton's surrender, the four countries upstream of the Red River still refuse to accept our terms of surrender. They have gathered their forces in the city of Sien in the Duchy of Gia Lai, preparing to resist our offensive. Additionally, although our occupation of Langton happened faster than expected, preventing the Kingdom of Holy Os from mobilizing its troops in time, Holy Os now has more than three hundred thousand troops moving towards Langton. There also seem to be many people within Langton waiting to cause trouble when we are busy resisting. Do you have any plans, sir?" Old Hake asked with some concern after I finished my questions, as it would be challenging to suppress Langton with just twenty thousand troops while fighting on two fronts.

I waved my hand and said, "Don't worry. This situation is already very favorable and was anticipated. We have plans in Fontainebleau. The troops left to guard Langton will not be less than eighty thousand, which should be sufficient to handle emergencies."

"Are you going to use 'that'?" The female mage Hai Ruo, who has revealed her half-mermaid identity, has successfully entered the decision-making level of Fontainebleau. After I gave her the 'Dragon Heart Blood Wine' obtained from Sacred Dragon Mountain and combined it with the guidance of the 'Lich King,' she is now a formidable ninth-level mage and naturally has the right to know about my plans. She couldn't help but ask.

"Indeed, I spent a great deal to obtain that power, specifically for situations like this." I nodded in response. Seeing her hesitation, I asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Your plan is risky, but tactically sound. What concerns me more is the issue of human experts. With the Orc Alliance openly preparing for a large-scale offensive, the entire human world is likely shaken. Although internal conflicts mean that only the Mercenary Empire's troops will participate as mercenaries, human experts at the level of Sword Emperors and Sword Saints can transcend national boundaries and intervene in the war. While the main battlefields are currently in Viking and the Golden Plains, where the Beast King and 'War Saint' Leimen are stationed, those human experts might consider us a weak point. If it's just a Sword Emperor, it wouldn't be too bad, but if we face a Sword Saint..."

"You have a valid point, but things aren't that serious. With Katherine and my current strength, we don't need to worry unless we face a Sword Saint. Among the seven great Sword Saints of humanity, Dragon Saint is constrained by the dragons and won't appear before the final battle. The other six Sword Saints are deeply resentful and incredibly arrogant, making it impossible for them to work together. If it's a single Sword Saint, the 'Lich King' is stationed in Fontainebleau, and with the 'Twelve Zodiac Gates,' we can withstand any attack. Katherine hasn't reached the peak of Sword Emperor yet, so she might struggle against a Sword Saint, but I'll have the White Dragon 'Winter Night' accompany her. Together, they should be able to protect themselves. As for the Duchy of Langton, it's guarded by 'Zha,' so there's no need to worry. And as for my side... hmm, if a Sword Saint comes to challenge me, I'd welcome it."

"Oh? Can you already match a Sword Saint, sir?" Old Hake asked, looking incredulous.

"How could that be? My 'Holy Grail Aura' can stand up to 'Emperor Martial's Tyrant Technique,' but when it comes to challenging a higher level, it's still not as effective as the tenfold amplified ultimate skill. However, besides my aura, I have many other means to fight. Even if I can't win, it's not easy for just any Sword Saint to kill me."

"Our hidden strength in Fontainebleau far exceeds anyone's imagination. Unfortunately, we have too many areas to take care of. Otherwise, if we could gather experts and set a trap, we might even severely wound or kill a Sword Saint," Katherine sighed, sounding somewhat regretful.