Besieged and in a Bind—Indecision Strikes!

Prince Lin's funeral was kept simple. Only his youngest son, the old subordinates who had followed him into battle for many years, and Lin Junyu attended.

Only ten years old, Lin Weiguo was too young to understand what death meant. He only knew that he had lost his father forever.

Lin Junyu walked over, picked him up, and gently said into his ear, "From now on, I'm your Uncle Yu. I'll take care of you!"

Lin Weiguo stared blankly at him, then suddenly buried himself in his arms and began to cry bitterly.

Watching the crying Lin Weiguo, Lin Junyu seemed to see his own younger self. Only, he was luckier than I was.

After the simple, swift funeral, Lin Junyu summoned the Southeast Legion's ten commanders to the discussion hall in the city lord's manor.

Around the long conference table, everyone was in low spirits. Only Lin Junyu, seated at the head, wore a grave expression.

"Everyone, this is not the time for grief. We need to figure out how to deal with the demon army that has besieged the city for so long!"

"Since Uncle Yuan entrusted you to me, I will naturally lead you well and help you wipe away this humiliation, so they can see what we're made of. But let me make this clear first: I hope every one of you will obey my orders completely. Don't pretend to comply while working against me and cost us a crucial opportunity. Otherwise, I won't go easy on you just because you were Uncle Yuan's old subordinates for many years!"

Everyone lowered their heads one after another, indicating that they would obey Lin Junyu's orders.

"Although most of the demon army outside the city consists of orc legions with weak fighting spirit, their numbers are simply too great. If our army leaves the city and fights them head-on, we'll suffer heavy losses as well! And there are another three hundred thousand elite demon troops in their camp. We must guard against them too!"

During the time the demons had besieged the city, they had not been idle. They had already figured out the strength of the demon army.

Overall, taking the Bartley City they defended was nothing but wishful thinking. However, surrounding them was still possible.

"General Qu has brought fifty thousand troops and is stationed behind the demons to their southeast. The enemy is in the open while we are hidden. Those fifty thousand men may become the key to this legion battle. But only if we can throw the demon army's formation into chaos and have our main force pin down their core troops can they achieve miraculous results!"

"We can only restrain the enemy's main force. As for how to throw the demon army into disarray, we don't have any ideas!"

Led by Lin Junyu, everyone laid out the solutions they had come up with. Either they paid an enormous price in a frontal decisive battle, disrupting the demon lines and creating an opening for General Qu's hidden fifty thousand troops behind the demon army to enter and mop up, or they found a way to throw the demon army into chaos while the Southeast Legion firmly held down the demon army's main force, allowing the old general to strike the enemy formation from behind, disrupt their deployment, and then have the entire army press forward in pursuit.

"There is only one way to throw the demon army into chaos: kill their commander, Shaluoluo, and leave them leaderless!"

Lin Junyu voiced the most straightforward, quickest, and most difficult solution in everyone's minds.

"The demon commander is surrounded by elite demon Imperial Guards, and there are another three hundred thousand elite demon troops around him. Setting aside whether we can successfully kill the demon commander, going there would be a death sentence. No one could come out alive from among three hundred thousand elite demon troops!"

Lin Junyu's eyes flickered as he weighed the odds of successfully charging at the demon commander with eight hundred Feather Forest Army soldiers under the cover of the Southeast Legion's hundred thousand troops.

Zichuan Mingyue stood beside him. Seeing the contemplation in Lin Junyu's eyes, her heart skipped a beat. He wasn't planning to take those eight hundred men and break through three hundred thousand elite demon troops to kill their commander, was he? That would be nothing but suicide.

"Enough. Everyone, leave and lead your respective troops back to rest and recover their strength. I'll find a way to deal with the demon commander. General Qu brought very little grain and supplies, so we must end this quickly. I'll finalize the plan tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, we'll fight a decisive battle against the demon army!"

Lin Junyu acted decisively. He had decided to fight the demon army of a million men the day after tomorrow. The longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

"If Your Highness has a solution, that would be for the best. Otherwise, we can only fight a bloody battle head-on and see if we can carve out a path!"

"Hmph, we're not afraid of a fight to the death head-on. Those orc legions have such weak fighting spirit that I'm afraid they'll go soft before I've even had my fill of killing!"

"Hahaha, enough, Commander Fang. We know you're brave. Hurry back to the camp and prepare your military equipment first. This time, you'll have to bring out everything the Black Cavalry has!"

"Indeed. We shouldn't disturb His Highness while he thinks. I believe His Highness can lead us to victory, because he is someone the prince held in high regard!"

"Hey, Mingyue, why aren't you leaving with us?"

Everyone was about to leave the discussion hall. Seeing Zichuan Mingyue still seated where she was, the blunt Fang Hao immediately spoke up.

"Why is your mouth so big? Whether she stays here is her own business. You big brute, don't meddle!"

Several perceptive commanders immediately covered Fang Hao's mouth and dragged him swiftly out of the hall.

"Sister Mingyue, why aren't you leaving with them?"

Zichuan Mingyue kept her eyes fixed on Lin Junyu before slowly speaking.

"I naturally want to ask Your Highness exactly what method you have for killing the demon commander."

"Ah? That? Then I'll tell you. I plan to lead eight hundred Feather Forest Army soldiers, under the cover of the Southeast Legion's hundred thousand troops, straight at the demon commander's chariot. You know the Feather Forest Army's strength. As long as we reach them, the Imperial Guards protecting him are no match for me at all. I can skewer that demon commander's head with a single thrust..."

The more Lin Junyu spoke, the more excited he became, completely failing to notice that the girl beside him had gone cold-faced. Just as he was speaking with great enthusiasm, a delicate hand seized and twisted his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow! Sister Mingyue, let go! Why are you suddenly pinching my ear for no reason again, just like when we were kids?!"

"You still know pain? Do you think you're some god who can never die? You dare charge into someone else's camp of three hundred thousand troops with only eight hundred men? Have you gone mad with wanting to die? Do you know how dangerous that is? If you die, what am I supposed to do? We finally reunited, and now you want to make me lose you again?"

Zichuan Mingyue was furious. She did not dare imagine what the consequences would be if Lin Junyu truly did this. Yet whenever she thought that she might lose him forever again, her heart filled with panic and anger.

Lin Junyu was confused. From his perspective, this truly was a good chance to fake his death, and he really was immortal. Even if he suffered fatal injuries, the immortal genes in his body would rapidly restore him.

In the Zichuan World, which was still in the age of cold weapons, he was invincible. Naturally, he had not considered so much.

But the people around him did not know his thoughts or abilities. They would only think that once he went, he might never return.

Lin Junyu fell silent, not knowing how to explain it to Zichuan Mingyue.

He looked at the beautiful woman seated before him. Her lovely face was unadorned by makeup, fresh and refined, yet carrying a heroic air that ordinary women did not possess. He found himself staring, marveling at how much a girl could change as she grew up.

"What are you looking at? I'm asking you a question! Have you gone mute?"

Zichuan Mingyue blushed fiercely beneath the gaze of the man she loved, but she still kept a stern face as she scolded him. After all, this was a serious matter.

Lin Junyu did not know how to answer. There truly was no other way at the moment. The temporary army amplification aura he had obtained could only last three days, and it had already disappeared when he led the eight hundred Feather Forest Army soldiers into Bartley City.

Without the aura's enhancement, the Feather Forest Army was only slightly stronger than the demon Imperial Guards. If he took them this time, he could survive thanks to his immortal genes, but they would certainly die. If there had been any other way, he would not have wanted to take them to their deaths.

If only he could keep using that cheat-like divine skill, the army amplification aura. Whether he led the entire army in a direct charge or took eight hundred Feather Forest Army soldiers to slaughter the enemy commander, either plan could be carried out easily.

Just as Lin Junyu was racking his brains, the system that had been dormant in his mind for so long finally woke up.

[Ding. Strong emotions detected in host. You are facing a major life choice. Life Options are now being activated for you.]

[Option One: Insist on leading eight hundred Feather Forest Army soldiers to charge the demon commander-in-chief, accomplish a battle feat rarely seen in the world, completely alter Zichuan Mingyue's future fate, and greatly influence the future fates of people in the Zichuan World.]

[Reward: 1 million Life Points; unlock the Life Fate Store; temporarily gain a 500% bravery boost aura for the entire Feather Forest Army; one map of an ancient Zichuan civilization ruin.]

[System Comment: Host, you wouldn't want Zichuan Mingyue's future life to end in sorrow, would you? Just think—you can still change the future. Isn't that exciting? Choose it. You won't lose out. But whatever happens afterward, the system won't take the blame. Hehehe.]

[Option Two: Lead the army into a head-on decisive battle against the demons. Use overwhelming strength to wipe out every threat, crush everything in your path, and make your name resound across this continent. Let the world know that the Empire's new God of War has been born!]

[Reward: Permanently gain a 200% strength boost aura for all troops under your command; God of War Gene.]

[God of War Gene: The more you fight, the stronger you become. The stronger the opponent, the stronger you become. Genetic talent—God of War Stance: all abilities and strength enhanced tenfold.]

[System Notice: Selecting Option Two will preemptively abandon the main quest. The host will plan his own life, and the system will find it difficult to interfere.]

[System Comment: Both your individual strength and overall strength will be maxed out—how can you still not choose? Waaah, but the system really wants the main quest rewards!]

Looking at the two choices offered by the system, Lin Junyu found himself in a dilemma for the first time. Although either one could resolve his current predicament, each would in fact have a major impact on his future.