Shen Tang had thought Chu Yao didn't know what the "Alliance Army" was, so she'd gone out of her way to explain it. But Chu Yao's attention was elsewhere.
"How did Wu Lang end up mixed up with them?"
Where there were people, there was trouble. That truth had never changed.
Chu Yao knew his own Wu Lang's nature. She had a streak of eccentricity that most people couldn't understand, and she was even more at odds with the Alliance Army's style. Naturally, he worried that Shen Tang wouldn't know how to handle these situations and would suffer a serious loss without even realizing it. But then he thought—
However unreliable Yuan Liang might be, and however often he might drop the ball, he should at least keep an eye on Wu Lang. That thought eased Chu Yao's mind a little, and his brow relaxed.
"I don't want to get mixed up with them either..."
Shen Tang shrugged helplessly. Dealing with the heads of all those factions wasn't exactly pleasant for someone with a mild case of social anxiety.
"But it's the only option. We have to think about the future, and make plans for all of you, too. I can scrape by no matter how I live, but I can't have so many people following me and never knowing where their next meal will come from, can I?"
Gu Chi was right. They needed at least a foothold.
The Alliance Army's campaign against the rebel forces under King Zhi was a good opportunity. Shen Tang wasn't expecting to earn any great merit; a small piece of land she could claim openly and legitimately would be enough. As for whether they'd be swallowed up later or seize the chance to grow stronger, that would be up to fate.
Chu Yao