Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1285 - 1278: Distinguishing Friend from Foe

Chapter 1285: Chapter 1278: Distinguishing Friend from Foe

"On behalf of the Qingqiu Clan, I am immensely grateful for the help of the three leaders..." Linglan said with gratitude in her heart, her voice trembling uncontrollably due to her excitement.

"There’s no need to thank us, after all, as part of the Demon Clan, we wouldn’t stand by and watch someone die. You should rather thank Captain Luo’er, if it hadn’t been for him, we would indeed have missed an opportunity due to our shortsightedness," Bai Po said, waving his hand.

"No need to thank me," Luo’er said with a smile, "we are now in dire straits and at odds with the Dongsheng Empire; aside from cooperating with you Demons, we have no other choice. So, the effort I put into persuading was really just for our own sake."

"Regardless, thanks to Captain Luo’er, we were able to unite as one. For that, I am sincerely grateful for Captain Luo’er’s assistance," Linglan said earnestly.

"The threat from the Dongsheng military hasn’t subsided yet, it’s best not to celebrate too early," Tuya said coldly.

"As for the Dongsheng military, we now stand against the Dongsheng military forces. That gunshot just now wasn’t intended to scare everyone, but rather to show that we too have the capability to contend with the Dongsheng military forces, hence, we also hope to join the ranks against them," Luo’er said.

"Showing off military might?" Tuya asked, eyes narrowed, without any change in his expression.

"You could see it that way," Luo’er nodded before continuing, "but our manpower is ultimately limited, so if we rely solely on military strength, we indeed can’t play a significant role, so..."

Luo’er shifted his tone and, under the surprised gazes of the surrounding leaders, slowly said, "Defeating the Dongsheng Empire doesn’t necessarily require strength alone, wisdom is also crucial."

"What do you mean?" Bai Po asked curiously.

"Among those present, has anyone had any contact with the high-ranking officers of the Dongsheng military?" Luo’er asked.

Hearing his words, everyone froze, then looked around at one another, uncertain about what to say as they didn’t understand Luo’er’s intention.

"Contact with the high ranks of the Dongsheng military sounds like collusion. What are you getting at, rallying us to unite one moment, then trying to stir up internal conflict the next?" Tuya asked coldly.

"Contact doesn’t necessarily mean collusion. It could also be for ending hostilities," Luo’er said calmly.

The crowd exchanged glances again, then all eyes focused on Zisu, the leader of the Maoyou Clan and, having a background as a scout, could almost be considered the head of Abisien’s intelligence agency.

Facing the questioning gazes of everyone, Zisu seemed somewhat panicked. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and said anxiously, "The difference between the Demon Clan and the humans is too obvious; it’s simply impossible for us to make secret contact with them. Thus, most of the time the Maoyou Clan has only been able to act as scouts, observing the Dongsheng military from afar, hardly making contact."

"You can’t, but we can," Luo’er dropped a bombshell, "We are neither members of the Demon Clan nor citizens of Kyushu, so we should be able to maintain a certain level of contact with the Dongsheng military."

"So, Captain Luo’er, you’re saying you’re a spy sent by the Dongsheng Empire amidst us?" Tuya narrowed his eyes, showing a hint of ferocity.

"Please don’t misunderstand," Luo’er explained, waving his hand, "If I were a spy sent by the Dongsheng Empire, then the price we’ve paid is far too steep. Don’t forget, our Airboat was destroyed along with the Kunzhou, and hundreds of our compatriots perished. So do you think we would still be spies for the Dongsheng Empire?"

"That’s hard to say," Tuya remarked, "Perhaps you’ve taken the initiative to side with the Dongsheng Empire, after all, West Outer Heaven is about to become the land of the Dongsheng Empire. You do not belong to the Demon Clan, choosing the right side shouldn’t be a difficult matter for you, right?"

"No, that is a very difficult thing," Luo’er said earnestly, "With our airboat shot down, our standing with the Dongsheng Empire is irreconcilable. Unless one side falls, the conflict is almost impossible to ease."

"Luo’er..." Zisu looked at Luo’er with a face full of concern.

"I tell you all this, on one hand, to be transparent, to facilitate future cooperation, and on the other hand, to let everyone know. The internal contradictions within Abisien are serious, and likewise within the Dongsheng military. The Dongsheng commander who made contact with us told us that as long as more than forty percent of the generals are killed, no matter what the outcome of the battle, they would not hesitate to withdraw from West Outer Heaven and return to Kyushu."

"Are you sure?" Upon hearing this, everyone present was enlivened, and Linglan even jumped up, asking excitedly.

"It’s basically certain, unless that Dongsheng commander was deceiving us," Luo’er nodded and replied.

"The Dongsheng military has sent a large force this time with the resolve to swiftly conquer, how could they possibly withdraw so easily?" Tuya seemed very composed, subtly disputing Luo’er’s point.

"This is the internal conflict of the Dongsheng military that I mentioned," pausing briefly, Luo’er continued to explain, "After making contact with the Dongsheng commander, we began to study the internal conflicts of the Dongsheng Empire. During this period, we also exchanged a lot of information with Leader Zisu, and understood the internal power divisions of the Dongsheng Empire..."

"So that was when you started analyzing the issues within the Dongsheng Empire..." Upon hearing his words, Zisu expressed her amazement with a startled cry.

"That’s right," Luo’er nodded and said, "According to that Dongsheng commander’s description, the conflicts between the generals within the Dongsheng military are very sharp. This expedition, according to him, conquering West Outer Heaven is only a secondary goal; the main aim is to eliminate as many generals as possible. After several engagements, the losses among the generals should have already exceeded thirty percent, which means if we can ally with the Dongsheng commander and continue to eliminate more generals, then the Dongsheng military would necessarily withdraw from West Outer Heaven."

"Impossible, this can’t be possible," Tuya seemed too shocked to believe, unable to help but scoff and shake his head, saying, "Allying with the Dongsheng commander, taking out the Dongsheng generals, forcing the Dongsheng military to retreat—no matter how you look at it, that’s just unbelievable, practically fantasy."

"When we first learned of this, our reaction was similar to yours, so I can understand your inability to accept this fact. However, it’s basically confirmed to be true; if we can take out the Dongsheng generals, the Dongsheng military will have to retreat," Luo’er declared with conviction.

"Can you explain the logic behind this?" Bai Po asked, furrowing his brow.

"I can’t," Luo’er admitted frankly, "but they do have such a requirement. If we can achieve it, they will fulfill their responsibility. I do not know exactly what the Dongsheng Empire is planning internally, but regardless, taking out the Dongsheng generals is all to our benefit and without disadvantage. Even if they refuse to retreat afterward, they will still have lost a considerable number of generals, surely weakening their present might."

"If the intelligence was obtained by Luo’er, then I am willing to believe it is true," Zisu suddenly said after a moment of silence.

"Zisu, you..." Linglan looked at her, somewhat surprised.

"Please don’t misunderstand," Zisu said to everyone, "This is my opinion from a neutral standpoint, I think Captain Luo’er’s statement makes a certain amount of sense."

"You must have something to say, let’s hear it," Bai Po said, looking at her.

"As you’ve seen," Zisu continued, "we of the Maoyou Clan are affectionate and libertine, much loved by the Human Race. They would rather imprison our clan members as slaves than kill them. Especially in Fengyu, it is common to see mixed-bloods between the Maoyou Clan and other races. Therefore, by utilizing the Human Race, our clan’s influence has greatly expanded, and with these clan members, we’ve learned a lot about the Human Race, about Kyushu."

Pausing briefly, she carried on, "Luo’er’s statement is largely correct, because according to the information we hold, there indeed exists a serious civil-military division within the Dongsheng Empire, which reflects in the Dongsheng military as strife among the generals and commanders. Thus, we have reason to believe that the Dongsheng commander, in his bid to remove the generals, is willing to collaborate with us, the enemy."

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