King of Eight Gods Island!
Takemoto Ichiro's son-in-law, Tamura Tamako, had her eyes darting around. If her father-in-law became the King of Eight Gods Island, wouldn't she become the King of Eight Gods Island's son-in-law?
This is fucking amazing, we have to do it!
Seeing that his father-in-law was still considering, he couldn't help but say anxiously, "Father-in-law, this is something we can do. We usually..."
"Shut up!"
Takemoto Ichiro gave him a cold look. He knew perfectly well what his son-in-law was thinking; he simply didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.
To put it bluntly, I'm currently acting like a predator taking advantage of someone's misfortune.
Normally, this opportunity would never have come his way, but now, in order to protect Eight Gods Island, Takayama Ichizawa has no choice but to use him, which also presents him with an opportunity.
Taking a deep breath, he readily agreed, saying in a deep voice, "Then let's do it this way. I hope Lord Takayama remembers your promise, otherwise we'll part ways!"
Anyway, with Takayama Ichizawa backing him up, he was essentially ordered to expand his power. If he let this opportunity slip by, he would never find another chance like it in his entire life.
As for the Great Liang army, he didn't take them seriously. They came from across the sea; how strong could they possibly be?
Even if things go badly, I can still hold on to it!
However, if Takayama Ichizawa goes back on his word, that would be a huge loss for him.
"Don't worry, the troops are in your hands, I won't cause trouble for myself. But you need to hurry, the enemy will be here soon, and if you miss this opportunity, you won't get another one!" Takayama Ichizawa glanced at him, his face full of worry.
"Good!"
Takemoto Ichiro gritted his teeth and accepted the task.
Although it's a bit of a struggle, there's no reason to let such a good opportunity slip by. Now that we have the upper hand, Takayama Ichizawa can't pull any dirty tricks.
He glanced at his son-in-law and said in a deep voice, "Yu Zi, you go and recruit men yourself. Summon all those who can wield weapons, and say it's an order from His Majesty the Emperor."
It would be foolish not to seize such an opportunity for blatant expansion.
With an army of hundreds of thousands at his disposal, even if the Emperor tries to cause trouble for him, he won't be able to do anything about it, and he won't have to worry about Takayama Ichizawa going back on his word.
Hmph, you'll regret this!
Looking at the kind-faced Takayama Ichizawa, a hint of mockery flashed in Takemoto Ichiro's eyes.
This guy schemed against me, but I was scheming against him too. Maybe I can even get my hands on the Emperor's throne in the future, and then I'll give Takayama Ichizawa credit for it.
"Takemoto-kun, I'm a little tired, I'm going to rest for a bit. Keep an eye on things from behind, the enemy is probably coming soon." Takayama Ichizawa seemed oblivious to his ambition, not only stepping down to the second line but also handing over power to Takemoto Ichiro.
Upon hearing his words, Takemoto Ichiro was visibly taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
He nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, Lord Takayama, I'll keep an eye on the enemy. You can go and rest now." With this authority, he could expand his power even more recklessly.
"Hahaha, this guy's been scared by the people of Great Liang!"
"You've really disgraced us! The people of Yamata Nation have always been the ones bullying others, when have we ever been afraid of anyone!"
"This guy is one of the general's confidants. I think the Yamata Nation has also fallen into depravity, full of good-for-nothings like Saemon."
"From now on, our boss will be the master of Eight Gods Island, so we can just rob whoever we want."
The wandering warriors couldn't help but burst into laughter. Their leader had now become the top dog on Eight Gods Island, and their own status had risen accordingly.
That Takayama Ichizawa is really stupid. He left Eight Gods Island in his own boss's hands. How could he possibly get it back now?
Their eyes were filled with mockery and schadenfreude; they were clearly watching a joke unfold.
hehe!
Takayama Ichizawa smiled and led his men to a secluded spot to rest.
"My lord, this will have endless consequences!"
Looking at the menacing-looking ronin, Takayama Ichizawa's confidant couldn't help but feel worried, whispering, "This Takemoto Ichiro doesn't seem like a good guy either. What if he takes this opportunity to establish himself as an independent force?"
Our own forces had already been wiped out, and this Takayama Ichizawa is even stronger than our master. This kind of cooperation is far too dangerous.
If things go wrong, we might end up as cannon fodder.
"Heh heh, self-reliant?"
Upon hearing his words, a hint of mockery flashed in Takayama Ichizawa's eyes, and he said meaningfully, "What good is giving him Takemoto Ichiro's 100,000 troops? Now that Great Liang has already reached us, what can he use to fight against their regular army?"
So if he wants to gain a foothold, he still needs my support. Because I have someone backing me, the great general Kusakawa Akio, so only I can help him.
As for Takemoto Ichiro, he's nothing more than a pawn, a stepping stone for me to advance further!
He had already learned the news that Great Liang had dispatched approximately 400,000 troops this time. With such a massive military force, Takemoto Ichiro, without domestic support, was essentially slaughtered like a pig.
Compared to regular troops, rogues might have an advantage in the short term, but in a real fight, it could be deadly.
As for the title of King of Eight Gods Island, not just anyone can hold that title.
Putting everything else aside, his superior, Kusakawa Akio, would never let go of such a big piece of the pie, so Takemoto Ichiro was ultimately overthinking things and would eventually meet a violent end.
"Piece!"
The confidant felt a chill run down his spine, terrified by his master's imposing manner; was he treating everyone else like dogs?
Poor Takemoto Ichiro is probably still dreaming of becoming the island's owner, unaware that he has already been outmaneuvered. He probably won't even know how he died.
Takayama Ichizawa ignored Takemoto Ichiro, glanced behind him, and said in a deep voice, "The enemy will be here soon, so be alert." After saying that, he lay down to rest.
He was exhausted after a long day of running away and scheming.
Fortunately, the army from Great Liang did not catch up, so they could rest for a while before facing another tough battle.
Takemoto Ichiro didn't disturb him, continuing to observe the movements in the distance, and couldn't help but mutter, "How could this be? Didn't Takayama Ichizawa say the enemy was behind us? Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Something's not right. Could it be that Takayama Ichizawa is lying?
Little did he know that Ran Min had deliberately given him time while simultaneously sending men to outflank him from behind. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe doesn't delay the work of chopping wood; this little bit of delay was acceptable.
"Father-in-law, I'm home!"
Tamura Tamako returned quickly, carrying with her the dream of becoming the island lord's son-in-law. She arrived with remarkable speed and brought nearly 70,000 people with her.
Forehead!
Looking at the men, women, and children in front of him, Takemoto Ichiro couldn't help but twitch his lips. His son-in-law was really a bit unreliable.