I watched them leave. Ju Mei kept glancing back at me, cheeks flushed, eyes shining with a mixture something dangerously close to longing.
The surrounding warriors exchanged looks—some envious, some disgusted, some openly leering.
"He's drafting women right before the battle?"
"The Young Master really can't control his lower body…"
"Let him be. If he dies on the flank, at least he died happy."
I ignored their disdain. It was the perfect camouflage not that theirword could effect any of my gains through this act. Let them think I am ruled by my lower body even on the eve of war. Let them underestimate the depth of my planning. It would be great if Heaven's Will and Red Lotus could be fooled like them but i know they are absolute schemers the same going for every venrablein the novel.
I turned on my heel and marched toward the main tent, my wolf fur cloak billowing behind me like a war banner.
I pushed through the heavy flaps of the command tent.
The argument inside stopped instantly.
Ju Xiong sat on the tiger-skin throne at the far end, arms crossed, face grim. Around the central sheepskin map stood Elder Mo, Elder Lan, and five other high-ranking elders. The air was thick with tension, burning incense, and the sour smell of unwashed bodies that had not slept in days , the stress of the battle before and the celebrationof the first victory and now the planning of the battle situation.they looked extremely tired trying to guess how the war situation will change and making counter measures.
"Yang'er?" Ju Xiong looked up first. His eyes narrowed , then widened.
He felt it immediately.
The Dark Red primeval essence rolling off me as i loosend the control i was gaining over it. The dark red aura of Peak Stage primival essence. The faint, bestial pressure of the quasi-Great Strength True Martial Physique I now carried like an invisible war banner althoughthey don't know what the aura was from they felt my power it meant i was capable of battling rank 3.
He rose slowly. The heavy chair scraped loudly across the packed-earth floor.
"Rank 2… Peak Stage?" His voice was low, dangerous, almost cold like ice.
The tent went dead silent. Elder Mo's jaw dropped. Elder Lan sucked in a sharp breath. The other elders stared as though I had grown a second head.
"I used the Relic Gu," I said flatly, walking to the map table without waiting for permission. "Twe of them. And the resources from the treasury."
"You consumed two Red Steel Relic Gu in one day?" Elder Mo exploded, face turning crimson with envy and anger. "That is wasteful! It destabilizes the foundation! You reckless child, you've ruined your potential for a moment of greed over power!"
"Potential?" I laughed , a cold, sharp sound that cut through the tent like a blade. "Elder Mo, look at the map. The Hei vanguard is already moving south along the frozen river. Their vanguard may hit us in less than a week if the scouts are correct. Potential is useless if we are all dead. I chose strength now over potential for later."
I slammed my palm onto the map, directly over the red ink marking the Hei left flank. The impact made the sheepskin ripple.
"I am Rank 2 Peak Stage gu master now. I have a living Rank 3 subordinate under my control. I will have a wolf pack I enslave if we have time for the collectionso i will need tribes help in recollection of my wolf group in a faster speed that way not only our defense power against their attack will increase we will also have the power to counter their own attack against them." I let the word hang, heavy with implication.
Ju Xiong's eyes gleamed. He stepped forward, studying my face as though seeing me for the first time.
"The left flank," I continued, tracing the line with my finger. "The Hei expect us to turtle up behind the ice walls. They will send their faster units to circle and harass our supply lines. I will take the 3rd Wolf Rider Unit ( the thirty men capable of battling atop wolves all rank 2 gu masters with 1 peak stage , 2 upper stage ,9 middle stage and 18 initial stage rank 2 gu masters ),plus Hei Ziyu and my personal wolves. I will crush them before they can flank us."
"It is too dangerous!" Elder Mo barked. "He is unstable! Two Relic Gu in succession,his strengh is gained too easily for him to control one side of the battle completely. And he doesn't have any commandering experience to top it off!"the commanding should have been his if nothing went wrong , the reputation my heroic deed brought me made his greed for such reputation put pressure on his nerves , he was losing control of himself infront of his Rivalling factions elders.
"He is my son," Ju Xiong roared, silencing the room with sheer volume. A slow, wolfish grin spread across his bearded face. "And he has the guts of a wolf! Two Relic Gu… hah! Greed is a virtue in the Northern Plains not to mentionthe luck he has may bring us great luck in victory finding so many relic gu , cultivating so fast , have you ever seen anyone so blessed by heaven?!"
He reached into his robe and tossed a heavy iron token onto the map. It landed with a *clang*, carved with a snarling wolf's head.
"Take the 3rd Wolf Rider Unit," he said. "And take your… 'guest', Hei Ziyu. If you fail, don't come back."
"I won't fail," I said, snatching the token. The iron was cold and heavy in my palm—symbol of temporary command. "And Father you can win the frontal battlefield with ease of mind the flank will be safe even at the cost of my life on the line. "
I turned on my heel and strode out.
Outside, the cold wind whipped my cloak. I felt the (Ecstatic Thought Gu) buzz hungrily in my aperture,as if eager for the coming tide of emotion.
I looked toward the northern horizon, where black clouds gathered like an ominous sign.
"Let them come," I whispered " I will prepare all i can I won't remain powerless ."