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I was very fond of tea tasting in my previous life, but there was originally no such thing as tea leaves in this world, so there was no way to obtain them. Later, by chance, I encountered a plant similar to a tea tree in the Swamp of Devourment. Out of curiosity, I tried its taste, only to discover—it was poisonous. Fortunately, the toxicity wasn't strong enough to kill me, but my plan to use it as a tea substitute had to be abandoned. Later, the "King of the Undead," who was invited to Fontainebleau, heard about my idea. This master alchemist quickly found a method to remove the toxicity and enhance the fragrance. The brewed leaves not only had a refreshing aroma similar to the finest Da Hong Pao but also had the effect of refreshing the mind and lingering on the palate, which delighted me greatly. However, apart from me, only my wife Katherine and the half-mermaid female mage Hai Ruo in all of Fontainebleau were interested in this new tea of another world, named "Purple Dragon Robe." The other orcs completely failed to understand why I loved this weird leaf broth so much. For orcs, large chunks of roasted meat and big bowls of strong alcohol were the best delicacies.

"Hmm￣￣, what a wonderful aroma," I took a sip of the tea and replied with a wry smile, "Ah, don't put me on the spot. The art of war was taught to me by you. How come you're asking me now?"

When it comes to military strategy, I can't compare to Katherine, who received elite training since childhood and fought against the Viking Empire on the Western Front for many years. Although I had memorized all the military classics like "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" by Sun Bin, "Wei Liaozi," and "The Questions and Answers of Tang Taizong and Li Weigong" on Peach Blossom Island, I had never had the opportunity to command an army. If I were to rely solely on those ancient strategies, I wouldn't be any better than armchair generals like Zhao Kuo. Therefore, when I really took command of the army, I always discussed the details thoroughly with Katherine in advance. Although I am the one issuing commands on the battlefield, most situations were already planned beforehand.

As for those military strategies from my previous life, I had translated them into the language of this world and shared the secret of my reincarnation with Katherine. After all, Katherine is the woman I love most in this world, and there is no need to hide anything from her. I am not shameless enough to pretend to be an ancient sage for fame. Anyway, my human identity from my previous life has nothing to do with the humans of this world; we are not even the same race. The reason I kept those secrets was mainly because they were too bizarre and would only cause unnecessary trouble. Besides, given the love Katherine and I share now, even if I were a human from this world in my previous life, she would only understand my situation and never betray me.

"The current combat strength of both sides is relatively close. If we exclude the forces defending the rear, we have about 150,000 elite troops gathered now, and even with the affiliated races, it's no more than 220,000. In half a month, this number could increase to 200,000 and 300,000. However, the human frontline forces now exceed 600,000, scattered across three cities along the Yunsi River, forming a strategic triangle. I believe that in half a month, the human forces could gather more than 1.1 million troops, of which 700,000 are well-equipped, well-trained, and rationally organized regular troops from various regions, while the other 400,000 temporary conscripts can be used as cannon fodder. With the command of the 'Blood Duke,' it won't be easy to win whether through direct combat or cunning tactics. If I had three months, I might be able to break through the Yunsi River defense line, but I'm not confident about annihilating the human main force," Katherine said, sitting down gracefully next to me, pointing on the map. Her expression was somewhat helpless.

Then, Katherine handed me a stack of secret reports and continued, "This is only the strength of Holy Os itself. Besides them, the Radiant Temple has also dispatched several thousand priests and some warriors of the Holy Crusaders to assist. Fortunately, the main force of the Temple is heading towards the Golden Great Plains; otherwise, it would be even more troublesome. However, the mercenary forces of the Mercenary Empire have deep enmity with the 'Blood Duke.' Due to mutual distrust, they were not deployed here. But according to intelligence reports, the Yellow Dragon Empire and the Tiele Empire in the east have temporarily reconciled under the mediation of Sacred Dragon Mountain and have sent a 100,000-strong elite force via the Mainland Highway to support the Western front. Although this force is small in number, it is composed of elites from the Tiele and Yellow Dragon Empires. Some of them might join the battlefield here, which would increase the pressure on us."

"Ahh, headache, headache. I didn't expect humans to be so troublesome once their potential is unleashed. It's not difficult to win, but killing them all will require some thought." I closed my eyes, and famous battle examples from my previous life flowed through my mind, trying to find a spark of inspiration. From Bai Qi's Battle of Changping, Xiang Yu's Battle of Julu, Zhuge Liang's Battle of Red Cliffs, to the battles of General Yue, none of them could be directly applied to the current situation. It seems my talent for war is still lacking. If only I had a few strategists like Zhuge Liang to help me, "I should pay more attention to gathering talented individuals in the future. Relying solely on Katherine to handle everything is too thin. It's a pity that the lecherous fox Romeo has disappeared somewhere, and Siegfried, although he flies fast, is a complete military idiot. My apprentice Antara and the chief of the Minos clan, Bloodhoof, are fierce generals in the vanguard, but they lack the ability to control the overall situation. Should I start looking towards the human side?"

While both Katherine and I were having a headache, we heard a loud "Bang!" as the door was knocked open, and a golden figure rushed into the room so fast that neither Katherine nor I had time to react.

This person was, of course, Siegfried, the golden eagle youth Sword Master who had been fooling around in Fontainebleau.

"Why are you so impulsive?" I remained still but slightly released my battle aura to isolate the airflow brought by Siegfried, preventing it from disturbing the map in front of me.

"Big brother, something big has happened! You're in for it this time!" Siegfried shouted. Although Siegfried is only half a year younger than me in reality, I have decades of experience from my previous life. Under my youthful appearance, there is a mature and steady temperament. Even when I'm with Katherine, who is five years older than me, I don't seem young. On the other hand, Siegfried, with his childish looks and energetic personality, always gives people the impression that he is much younger than he actually is. So, when he appears next to me, he always seems several years younger than me.