Because of the distance and the delay in relaying information, by the time Shen Tang was sharpening her knives and preparing to carve up Qiu Cheng, Wu Xian and the others had only just received word that Qiu Cheng's troops had raided Nanyu County. The Dragon Slaying Bureau had been underway for nearly two years. Though the allied forces hadn't succeeded in slaying the dragon as they'd expected, the campaign had greatly improved the combat experience of their troops. Recently, the conflict had entered a stalemate, and all sides were rushing to recuperate.
Wu Xian had finally gotten some free time, too.
He was pleasantly sipping hot tea to warm his stomach when the intelligence brought in by his subordinates startled his eyes wide. He nearly choked on his tea.
"What did you say?"
Wu Xian set his teacup down with a clatter.
He hurriedly asked, "Who provoked whom?"
The messenger could only repeat the report.
Only then was Wu Xian certain he hadn't misheard.
His face ran through a whole range of expressions: dazed, astonished, disbelieving, and, most of all, eager to watch the chaos unfold.
He asked again, "So Qiu Wenyan succeeded?"
The messenger nodded.
Wu Xian asked, "Do we know how much Qiu Wenyan got out of this?"
How could the messenger know such detailed figures? Those reports had come from spies planted over there, who were afraid of having their identities exposed and didn't dare make any conspicuous moves. So they only knew roughly: "...I heard over a hundred supply vehicles made seven or eight trips."
Even Wu Xian was tempted by those numbers.
His friend, with whom he shared a bond as deep as that between brothers, certainly knew how to stockpile grain.
There weren't many people or things in this world that Wu Xian