Faced with Lord Xi'en's faintly threatening counsel, Snake Mother Jia Gelila said nothing. She merely sneered and shook her head.
"You... you're insane! You're throwing away your tribe's last chance to survive." Xi'en's eyes widened as he gritted his teeth.
Bai Xiaowen smiled. "Lord Xi'en, you're being far too naive. Madam Jia Gelila abandoned the feint mission and returned to the base. To the Grand Overlord, that was an act of disobedience. She must have thought it through carefully before acting. Do you really expect a few threats to make a tribe's leader change her mind?"
When Jia Gelila saw Bai Xiaowen speak up, she added for his sake, "The spy I planted under the Grand Overlord reported that after receiving the base's distress signal, the Grand Overlord didn't turn back. Instead, he sped toward the Moya Great Mine through the secret passage... So, Lord Xi'en, you've been abandoned."
"Impossible!" Xi'en's eyes nearly bulged out. "I'm incredibly valuable to the Grand Overlord!"
"Heh. No matter how valuable you are, can you compare with three magical craftsmen?"
Jia Gelila sneered. "The three magical craftsmen survived from among hundreds of test subjects, and their modifications were extremely difficult. Without them, the Grand Overlord's production of Magic Crystal Cannons would grind to a halt... Yet the Grand Overlord could even abandon the three of them! As a minor modified-body lord, what makes you so important?"
"If the Grand Overlord successfully sinks the Moya Great Mine, he'll not only seize the mine's abundant resources but also gain the advantage of the terrain and wipe out the allied army's elite forces that fall into the sea. By then, he can produce as many Magic Crystal Cannons and Deep-Sea Snakefolk experts as he wants!"
Bai Xiaowen smiled. "The reason the Grand Overlord didn't return was, on