Chapter 690 - 212: Chain of Schemes, Shen Bai Closes the Net

The old steward, who had been following close behind the Marquis of Ren De, said, "Marquis, there are people from the Observatory nearby. I’ve also heard that half of their members have been dispatched to keep watch around the military camp."

The Marquis of Ren De nodded. "I’m already aware. The location I chose is spacious enough for these tens of thousands of soldiers. Every member of the Observatory may be in the Celestial Spirit Realm, but they’re still outnumbered by my men. They won’t be able to provide complete coverage."

The Marquis of Ren De was sharp enough to realize that Shen Bai was showing his hand.

The current situation was a standoff. Both sides had revealed their intentions, but neither could make a rash move.

A grave look filled the old steward’s eyes. "It’s a shame. We won’t be able to assassinate Shen Bai this time."

Even now, he remembered the utter humiliation Shen Bai had subjected him to at the Marquis of Ren De’s banquet.

He was filled with hatred, but the Marquis of Ren De’s grand plan had to come first.

"Let him be arrogant for now."

The Marquis of Ren De said, "People like him, who are so prominent right now, don’t tend to live long. After all, everyone wants him dead. His death would inflict an irreparable loss upon the Great Zhou Country."

Hearing this from the Marquis of Ren De, the old steward said no more.

The journey from Lingyun Dao to the location arranged by the Marquis of Ren De didn’t take long.

Since both sides had already revealed their intentions, there were no open attempts to stop them.

When the Marquis of Ren De arrived at the vast clearing, tens of thousands of soldiers were already there, standing tall against the wind.

At the head of the clearing, a platform had been erected. Atop it, a military banner was planted.

The Marquis of Ren De stood on the platform, looking down at the tens of thousands of soldiers below, and began to speak slowly. "Today, in recognition of the hardships you soldiers have endured, I have arranged this banquet to reward you all, and to thank you for your distinguished service to the Great Zhou Country."

His opening words were filled with official rhetoric.

The faces of the soldiers below were stern. No one spoke, and a grim, deadly atmosphere filled the air.

Meanwhile, in a forest not far away, Shen Bai toyed with Cold Moon in his hand. Through his Void-breaking Red Eye, he had a perfectly clear view of the entire scene.

Nearby, Ma Yuan stood with his arms crossed, deploying the Observatory’s personnel.

Wang Teng said with a serious expression, "Lord Shen, we’re still shorthanded. This area is simply too vast."

The Marquis of Ren De had cleared out this area, large enough to hold tens of thousands of troops, in advance.

Even with the Observatory deploying half its members, and even with every one of them being a master in the Celestial Spirit Realm, they were still vastly outnumbered.

Shen Bai smiled. "It’s fine. This number of men will do. As long as everyone does their job, it doesn’t matter."

Wang Teng was confused.

He didn’t understand why Shen Bai was so calm, but since Lord Shen had spoken so definitively, he didn’t press the matter.

In truth, aside from Ding Quan and a few others, not many people knew about Yang Chuan’s mission to sow discord.

Shen Bai had done this to prevent the Information from leaking.

The members of the Observatory went about their respective tasks according to Shen Bai’s arrangements.

Under the strict surveillance of Shen Bai’s Void-breaking Red Eye, the Marquis of Ren De had nearly finished his official spiel.

He glanced at his old steward. The steward took out an oil lamp and placed it on the table in front of the Marquis of Ren De.

The Marquis of Ren De spoke quickly, "Everyone, the Great Zhou Country is in turmoil. I wish to find a path to survival for you all. I treat you as my own brothers, as you all should know."

"Not long ago, the entire Gale Camp was slaughtered to the last man by the Demonic Forces. Yet now, Shen Bai of the Observatory does nothing. He refuses to seek justice for the soldiers of the Gale Camp, and my heart aches to see it."

"I have completely lost faith in the Great Zhou Country. That is why I have called you here today. Beyond just these words, I have a decision to announce."

As he spoke, the Marquis of Ren De pointed to the oil lamp on the table. "I have already made contact with the Great Yue Country. From now on, you can follow me there. In the Great Yue Country, you can be made generals and granted titles. You can finally have a peaceful life."

"I know many of you may be unwilling. But to stay in the Great Zhou Country, to be ordered about by others, where no one cares if you live or die... that is no way to live."

"So, if any of you are unwilling, you may step forward. I will allow you to leave freely. After all, we are like brothers."

In just a few sentences, he had already repeated the phrase "like brothers" twice.

The Marquis of Ren De knew the true power of rhetoric. He understood that this was the perfect moment to play on their emotions.

As for his offer to let the unwilling leave freely, the Marquis of Ren De wasn’t lying.

He would let them leave, to be sure. If only a few left, it would make him look magnanimous.

But if too many chose to leave, that would be another matter entirely.

He would not leave himself a path to ruin.

After the Marquis of Ren De finished speaking, half of the soldiers present cupped their fists in unison. "We are at the Marquis’s command," they declared.

The other half of the soldiers exchanged glances, a grave look visible in their eyes.

Ma Yuan used a special technique to perceive what the Marquis of Ren De was saying. He spoke urgently, "Lord Shen, we need to take all our men from the Observatory and stop him now! We absolutely cannot let him escape."

But Shen Bai shook his head. "No need. We wait."

Ma Yuan paused, taken aback.

Though he was anxious, he did not go against Shen Bai’s orders.

Shen Bai simply watched the fine drama unfold, the look of amusement in his eyes deepening.