Negotiations Begin

Four Zergling were fitted with custom-made saddles, pulling a carriage along with a steady gait. On either side of the carriage, Ye Meng, Ye Ci, and Ye You rode atop specially selected Zergling, standing guard firmly around Ye Luo.

"My Emperor..."

"What is it, Ye Wang?" Ye Luo was busy admiring the scenery outside the window when he suddenly heard Ye Wang's call from the air.

"I still feel that this operation carries a great deal of risk..."

Ye Luo chuckled softly. "What, did Warwick set an ambush at our meeting place?"

"..." Ye Wang shook his head and projected the scene he was observing directly into Ye Luo's mind.

In the middle of a vast wilderness, a red carpet stretched out. At the far end of the carpet stood a platform raised twenty centimeters off the ground, covering about five hundred square meters. The perimeter was lined with white olive trees, their conical flower clusters shimmering in the sunlight with a mix of silver-white and emerald green. Even before arriving at the platform, Ye Luo could almost smell the fragrance wafting from the olive blossoms!

In the center of the platform sat a massive table draped in a gold-and-white tablecloth, looking noble and elegant. The center of the table was adorned with floral decorations, and as Ye Luo zoomed in his vision, he immediately saw a piece of parchment-like letter lying quietly upon it...

On the other side of the platform, several burly men stood before cooking stoves. The various ingredients and seasonings neatly arranged before them clearly indicated that a sumptuous lunch would follow the upcoming negotiations...

A red carpet, olive branches, the chef Morton, and the fact that no large-scale armies were visible within a ten-mile radius...

"Ye Wang, you should be able to see that they are acting with great sincerity..." Ye Luo felt a flutter of excitement. He had been looking forward to becoming a figure like a human noble—remotely commanding his armies to sweep across the various ocean races to obtain vast amounts of energy, while simultaneously enjoying the imperial luxury of holding the world's power in his hands and waking up to the beauty of his concubines.

As Ye Luo approached, Warwick, the commander of the Keren Kingdom Third Legion, and the mage Barrit actually walked out three hundred meters to greet him in person!

Ye Luo stepped out of the carriage and onto the red carpet, finding it thicker than he had imagined. It pressed the overgrown weeds flat, making the ground feel as smooth as concrete, with no trace of the jagged discomfort of dry branches or fallen leaves.

City folk, they certainly know how to put on a show... Ye Luo sighed inwardly with genuine admiration.

"Leader Ye Luo, we finally meet..." Warwick looked to be in his thirties; his formidable strength combined with meticulous grooming made his skin appear as youthful as a twenty-year-old's. Yet, his eyes betrayed the weariness of one who had seen many battles. Youthful in appearance but mature in conduct, this man's charm was devastating to adolescent girls, and to Ye Luo, it held an undeniable sense of affinity.

Warwick opened his arms as if greeting a long-lost friend and embraced Ye Luo. Naturally, the contact caused Ye Meng and the others behind Ye Luo to immediately enter a state of combat readiness; after all, the person pressed against their vital Master was a Tier 6 Diamond-rank fighter!

Fortunately, the two separated quickly, and the smile on Warwick's face remained unchanged, showing no sign of having taken the opportunity to strike.

"Legion Commander Warwick, you are even more powerful and handsome than I imagined!" Ye Luo did not hesitate to offer his praise.

Warwick seemed to enjoy it; it was clear he was in high spirits today. His gaze swept over the three men behind Ye Luo and the Zergling before he walked slowly onto the platform and picked up the parchment. His expression gradually turned solemn.

His actions made Ye Luo raise an eyebrow. This guy is certainly impatient. Couldn't he wait until after the meal to read the kingdom's decree? Heh, I wonder what title they'll give me. Count? Marquis? Or Duke? Ye Luo mused to himself.

"Leader of the Huaxia Imperial Zerg, Ye Luo, has led an army of magical beasts to invade our Keren Kingdom, occupy our territory, slaughter our soldiers, and violate our sovereignty. Therefore, it is hereby ordered that all soldiers of the Keren Kingdom Third Legion proceed to the Morton territory to exterminate the magical beasts, suppress the insolent, and restore the glory of Keren! King of the Keren Kingdom, Cleveland Keren!"

Warwick's voice was filled with murderous intent, causing the expectations in Ye Luo's heart to shatter into pieces!

Simultaneously, as Warwick read the decree, over a thousand armored soldiers suddenly appeared around the platform. They held swords in one hand and shields in the other, their upper bodies encased in black iron armor, their heads protected by sturdy helmets. These warriors formed a circle like a black city wall, emitting a lethal, cold light under the sun!

"Bang!" The accompanying mage, Barrit, waved his right hand, and a staff of equal length to his own appeared. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Warwick, Barrit tapped his staff lightly against the platform!

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The thousand soldiers struck their shields with their blades in unison, producing a rhythmic, metallic clash!

The peaceful atmosphere had been completely replaced by killing intent, and even the bright sunlight in the sky seemed to turn chilly in an instant...

Ye Luo's expression darkened. "Legion Commander Warwick, is this also part of the negotiations?"

"Negotiations?" The mask on Warwick's face had been torn away. He looked at Ye Luo coldly. "Those who are not of our race must have a different heart. We humans are the masters of all things, the sovereigns who rule this land. Even the Elves, darlings of forest magic, the bloodthirsty Orcs, and the naturally powerful Dragons have all been forced to retreat into corners under our assault. And you, a mere upstart magical beast, actually dared to dream that we would step back and compromise? Ye Luo, don't you think you are being too naive?"

"So, this was a trap?" Ye Luo's heart finally sank to the bottom.

"No, this is not a trap!" Barrit, standing beside Warwick, said softly. His wise eyes gazed proudly at the situation they had completely brought under control. "Magical beast, this is a slaughter! A slaughter that will be recorded in the military textbooks of the Keren Kingdom!"

Although Ye Luo appeared calm on the surface, his heart was filled with disappointment and rage. Betrayal and pain gnawed at his soul like a venomous snake!

The moment those thousand soldiers appeared, he had already begun summoning his Zergling army in his mind. However, his main force was currently at the coastal border, with fewer than three thousand at the Smoke Mine. It would take at least ten minutes for those three thousand Zergling to reach this location, so Ye Luo had to stall for time!