"You mean... send someone to raid the Snakefolk's production base." Ahan and the others quickly grasped Bai Xiaowen's intention.
"We don't know where the Snakefolk base is..." Gibbs stopped mid-sentence. "Ah, the Prophet should have a way to locate it. That won't be a problem."
"But the Snakefolk's attack is bound to leave the allied fleet badly weakened. How will the raiding force reach the waters around their base?" someone else asked.
"You don't need to worry about that," Bai Xiaowen said. "Just leave the mission to me."
With so much riding on this strategy, the senior representatives of the various nations were hardly comfortable with Bai Xiaowen's vague answer.
Ahan, however, understood what Bai Xiaowen meant and agreed at once. "No problem. Whatever support you need from the allied forces, report it directly to me. You don't need anyone else's approval, and you don't need to tell them."
Ponga Graybeard asked, "Marshal Ahan, what do you mean by that?"
Quartermaster Felix shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? None of us can guarantee there isn't a traitor among us. The Prophet and the marshal should be the only ones who know the details."
The leaders in the conference room felt somewhat uncomfortable, but they understood Bai Xiaowen and Ahan's reasoning.
"Now for the second matter." Bai Xiaowen looked around the room. "How many of the Seven Sacred Artifacts have been found, and how many have chosen their owners?"
"I'll give the report," Quartermaster Felix said.
"Three years ago, the Prophet made seven prophecies. By now, almost all of them have been fulfilled."
"The first prophecy concerned Apollo's Whisper, the Light Longbow. It has been found, but has yet to accept anyone."
"The second concerned Balgra's Retribution, the Bone-Piercing Hammer. It has been found, and its owner is Basaka the barbarian."
"The third