Shenjing.
Inside the Imperial Study.
The emperor stared at the secret report Song Wuya had just delivered, momentarily stunned.
Then he burst into wild laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Li Xinge, oh, Li Xinge. I never imagined you could be so arrogant."
The emperor slammed the report onto his desk.
"Fight. Fight as hard as you can."
"Let those traitorous rebels all die in the poisonous miasma of the Southern Wasteland."
At his side.
Song Wuya stood with his back bowed, his face brimming with flattery.
"Your Majesty is wise."
"The Southern Wasteland Witch Tribe is unfathomable, and its Great Priest possesses strength that rivals creation itself. They are a tough bone to gnaw."
"Li Xinge's campaign against the Southern Wasteland will surely mire him in a swamp."
"Once he and the Southern Wasteland Witch Tribe have battered each other bloody, Your Majesty can restore order to the realm."
The emperor shook his head with a chuckle.
"You old dog. You certainly know how to say what pleases me."
"But arrogant though that traitor Li Xinge may be, from what I know of him, he never acts without confidence."
"If he dares march on the Southern Wasteland, he must have something to rely on."
Song Wuya's heart jolted.
He said quietly, "If that is so, Your Majesty, wouldn't the Southern Wasteland be in danger? Once it is subdued, Li Xinge will have nothing left to worry about behind him. When that happens, I'm afraid..."
Song Wuya left his words unfinished.
But the emperor understood his concern.
The emperor scoffed, utterly confident. "Old companion, ease your mind. The Southern Wasteland is not so easily destroyed."
The emperor knew exactly what trump cards the Southern Wasteland possessed.
"Still, his campaign against the Southern Wasteland has given me a heaven-sent opportunity."
The emperor abruptly rose and