The three men in black seemed to sense Huo Yuhao's intentions as well. Their leader, who wielded a long saber, immediately lunged at him.
Just as Huo Yuhao prepared to meet the attack, a blast of soul power suddenly shot out from off to one side and sent the man flying.
Huo Yuhao and the two remaining men in black all froze. A moment later, Huo Yuhao was the first to sense several presences appearing around them, sealing off the area.
The next morning, Huo Yuhao lounged in Dai Hao's command tent and, for the first time, looked at him with utter contempt as he said,
"Using your own son as bait to lure in the fish. You really are something."
Dai Hao, too, showed a rare degree of patience with Huo Yuhao as he said,
"I'll tell you one more time: this really, truly was unexpected. Besides, didn't the guards I assigned to protect you react immediately?"
Huo Yuhao gave a cold laugh, then said,
"Some 'immediately.' Your idea of an immediate response is a little puzzling.
"If I'd reacted just a little slower, or been a little groggier that night, someone would have sliced my head right off."
By now, Huo Yuhao's barbs had left Dai Hao so embarrassed that he grew angry. He said,
"You're the White Tiger Duke's son. If you don't even have that much ability, how would it look if word got out?"
Huo Yuhao pointed at himself and said,
"I'm only six."
Dai Hao cleared his throat and took a sip of water, buying time to think of his next rebuttal.
Huo Yuhao's gaze shifted to the map beside him. Studying it, he could not help moving a little closer.
"So that scheming heart of yours still hasn't given up? You still want to strike first and land a blow on the Sun Moon Empire's border troops?"
Huo Yuhao asked as he studied the map. Dai Hao replied,
"Our two countries agreed long ago that, when it comes to border clashes, each side relies on its own abilities.
"A few days before you arrived—more precisely, before your martial soul awakening."
At that point, Dai Hao's expression grew noticeably pained. He rubbed the space between his brows before continuing,
"They launched a surprise attack on us, too, and several of our men died. Courtesy demands that we return the favor. We have to settle that debt."
Huo Yuhao nodded, then looked over the map before shifting his attention to the more three-dimensional sand table on the other side.
Seeing this, Dai Hao spoke up, partly to change the subject and partly to see what military talent Huo Yuhao possessed.
"Well? Has our poor little six-year-old spotted something?"
Instead of answering, Huo Yuhao lifted his chin and turned his back on him.
"If you're asking someone for help, act like it. Say please when you ask a question."
Dai Hao chuckled, took another sip of water from his cup, and said,
"All right, the heavens have gone dark and day and night have turned upside down in this family. May I please hear your brilliant insights?"
Huo Yuhao smiled and said to Dai Hao,
"You brought those darkened heavens on yourself. An unloving father gets an unfilial son. If Dad won't act like a dad, his son naturally can't just play the dutiful son either."
After speaking, Huo Yuhao pointed to one of the Sun Moon Empire border army's outlying camps—the very target Dai Hao intended to attack this time.
"This is one of their small strongholds. Taking it would only give morale a boost. To them, it would barely even itch.
"After all, morale isn't worth a thing to either of our countries. No matter how high your spirits are, after two volleys from soul cannons, how many troops will still have their original fighting spirit? It'll have been blasted away long ago.
"Soul tools won't lose even a fraction of their power just because the enemy soldiers' morale is low."
At this point, Huo Yuhao sighed and said to Dai Hao,
"At the end of the day, our soul master system uses tactics built around people. Compared with their standardized soul-tool warfare, it falls far too short in consistency."
Dai Hao frowned. As a staunch supporter of traditional warfare, he naturally could not accept Huo Yuhao speaking this way.
But Huo Yuhao was his son, after all. He also wanted to see how much of the battlefield talent carried in his blood had been passed down to the boy, so he listened patiently.
Had anyone else said these things to him, he would probably have thrown them out long ago, belongings and all.
Huo Yuhao was not merely serving up empty talk, either. He continued calmly,
"Still, for all their hundred advantages, soul weapons do have one drawback. People can rotate through three shifts, but make one soul tool work all three shifts, and it'll overheat before you know it."
Some of the impatience faded from Dai Hao's face. The approach Huo Yuhao proposed was indeed one he had never considered.
"Looks like those military books you've read over the past two days in camp weren't a waste."
Dai Hao smiled as he spoke to Huo Yuhao, a measure of approval hidden in his eyes.
Those military books on the Douluo Continent would make even a dog shake its head, Huo Yuhao thought. At best, they're on the level of elementary school kids trying to outwit each other. If I actually believed what was written in them, I really would have lived my life for nothing.
Still, despite his inward disdain, Huo Yuhao did not let too much contempt show on his face.
After all, he still needed those military books as a cover for most of his knowledge. He nodded and said,
"I absorbed some of it critically, keeping the essence and discarding the dross. I gained quite a bit. Anyway, back to the battle."
Huo Yuhao pointed to another location not far from the stronghold. There were no special markings there on the sand table.
Dai Hao narrowed his eyes. During his several probing operations, every scout he had sent out had concluded that there was nothing there. Huo Yuhao, however, spoke with certainty.
"This has to be that stronghold's soul-weapon supply station, and it should be fairly large. I'd guess it serves more than just this one stronghold."
Dai Hao narrowed his eyes at Huo Yuhao and said,
"What makes you say that?"
Huo Yuhao's finger slid across the sand table. He then explained his thinking to Dai Hao as plainly as he could.
"As the saying goes, open contests and hidden struggles. On the surface, this little reconnaissance camp is there to keep an eye on what's happening in our main camp.
"But in reality, if watching us were its only purpose, there'd be no need for it to be here.
"A little farther back, on that other hill, they'd have a wider view. They'd be looking down on us from higher ground, putting us at an even greater disadvantage.
"When something strays from the norm, there's bound to be a demon behind it. Once we've established that this reconnaissance camp isn't in the best location, we have to ask why they'd take the risk of pitching camp somewhere more dangerous."
The White Tiger Duke nodded, while Huo Yuhao pointed to a spot behind the observation camp.
"Right here. The roads are wide, and they lead in every direction.
The White Tiger Duke nodded, then spoke to Huo Yuhao again.
Before you continue