The Grand Elder smiled freely.
There was exhaustion in that smile, and helplessness, but above all, a resolve to risk everything.
"What good would being afraid do?"
"As things stand, you're the most likely person in your convoy to be the one the city lord needs."
"Perhaps you can help the city lord escape this predicament. Who knows?"
Yang Yong: Escape?
"That might be right, or it might be wrong."
The Grand Elder changed tack, his tone suddenly growing heavy. "But right now, that little girl..."
He noticeably paused when he said "little girl."
As though he feared something.
Then he rephrased it. "With the city lord's Seven Emotional Incarnations present, even if the Council of Elders gives everything it has, we have no way to stop her. If this drags on, everyone will die."
"Rather than that, we old fellows might as well focus all our strength on suppressing the city lord's Seven Emotional Incarnations, while you organize the defenses."
Yang Yong was still utterly confused.
He opened his mouth and asked another question. "Those Mechanical Soldiers, and those gun turrets-I don't know how to operate them."
"You don't need to worry about that."
The Grand Elder's tone was firm. "Without the city lord's Seven Emotional Incarnations interfering, all defensive measures will execute automatically according to the established rules."
"But that still gives us no chance of winning!"
Yang Yong grew anxious. "That's the Zombie King! Even my strongest strike couldn't break through its defenses. How could I possibly withstand its attacks?"
This time, the Grand Elder did not explain.
He simply looked at Yang Yong and said, stressing each word, "You can do it."
"But..."
Yang Yong was still torn.
The Grand Elder gave him no further chance to agonize over it.
With a wave of his hand,