Emma refused to leave, and Xie De did not insist.
Once the sudden surprise attack was over, he returned to the general's residence. He did not care where Bearded Man had gone. With a demon around, the man was hardly going to drop dead out of nowhere.
A kerosene lamp illuminated the map on the wall.
Xie De studied it carefully by the lamplight, marking it with his pen until the lines formed a sprawling web.
He considered how to break the deadlock as he read the information 455 provided. Of course he remembered that his mission was to stay alive, and to do that, he first had to throw the whole situation into chaos.
This was a vast web of intrigue. Alone within it, he was like a solitary boat at sea, treading on thin ice. He could never be too careful.
Xie De tore a corner off the map. This region had already fallen into rebellion and was locked in a standoff with the king's regular army. Their side could cooperate with it, or make the situation even more chaotic.
Xie De turned his attention to the key intelligence 455 had highlighted.
Bearded Man had never told him this: their army actually numbered a full twenty thousand.
Yet there were only a little over seven thousand men in the city. Bearded Man had dispatched the rest to various locations.
That was no small number. Was it the demon's influence, or the persuasive power of Bearded Man's speeches about saving the country as he spread his message everywhere?
Their numbers were growing at a terrifying rate.
Looking through the information, Xie De could not help admiring Bearded Man's ability to manage them.
He had organized the troops according to the military system, unit structure, and combat requirements, taking rank