Chapter 647: Chapter 647. The Two Nomadic Tribes

The First Demon Army stood ready near Khode’s border. The border, however, was not the one connecting them to Echos. This border faced a vast desert that would bring them into Kazhan’s territory. Khode’s Formation Sages were currently busy deactivating all border safety measures to allow the army to pass.

Lin Xiaolong was there to send them off. Zhong Yuan and the other councillors remained in Dabao City.

“When you told me you wanted me to become one of the councillors here, I was unwilling,” Lin Xiaolong told Amon.

“Really? Why didn’t you say anything then?” Amon asked.

“I was still unsure what the consequences of saying no to you would be,” Lin Xiaolong replied.

“Do you think you know now?”

“Not really.”

“Good. Keep it that way,” Amon said.

“I don’t mind being your eyes and ears here in Khode, but if you remember, I’ve told you about my desire.”

“Are you referring to Echos’ downfall?” Amon asked.

Lin Xiaolong nodded. “I said before that I want to be a part of it.”

“What I can promise you is that I will make sure you are there when it happens. I will let you be a part of the final act.”

Lin Xiaolong didn’t know what to make of the promise. Amon no longer talked about the topic, so he could only accept that this weird promise was the best he could get for now.

“Aside from the tributes, make sure Khode doesn’t slack in sending us our supply,” Amon told Lin Xiaolong.

“Noted,” Lin Xiaolong replied. “Though I figure many officials will start questioning us when they find out we are sending supplies to support another country’s army.”

“You will figure something out,” Amon said. “If push comes to shove, you can tell the highest-ranked officials about the upcoming calamity. Tell them that sending us supplies is their contribution to assuring the future of this world, or some shit like that. If things become difficult, you can tell them I forfeit the tribute of five million aer stones as payment for those supplies.”

“Alright,” Lin Xiaolong said. “But will Echos truly stop sending you supplies?”

“Having my army go into Kazhan is an unsanctioned campaign. Not only will they not send me supplies, but they will also be screaming for me to stop marching. I must disappoint them, though.”

“Is it okay? I figure Echos King won’t be too happy with you disobeying his order.”

“Hehe. His grip over me waned the moment I left Echos,” Amon replied with a grin. “He will just have to deal with the repercussions of my actions until I return there.”

A formation sage approached them. “General, the border is open. You are good to go.”

“Good,” Amon said. He told Lin Xiaolong, “Look over this place. I don’t wish to return here. If I do, this country will enter a dictatorship. Make sure the others are aware of this.”

“Understood,” Lin Xiaolong responded.

Amon flew to the front of his army. “Everyone! We have claimed victory in Khode, but this is not the end of us. Our campaign continues. We are now on a grand campaign that spans the world. I cannot tell you the details, but rest assured that we are doing this for Aetheria’s survival! Some of you might receive calls from Echos to return. Ignore those calls. Know that I don’t take kindly to desertion. Anyone who is caught will receive the death penalty!”

Amon paused to let his words seep in. He resumed, “You have followed me through multiple victories. I assure you there will be more. Believe me when I tell you that by the time this war is over, you will not only be known as heroes of Echos, but you will also be known as heroes of Aetheria! The heroes who save the world! Are you with me?!”

“We are…!!!” The collective reply thundered through the field.

“Excellent! Let us depart then. Our first stop, to Kazhan…!!” Amon exclaimed while pointing in Kazhan’s direction.

The army started marching. At the head were the human soldiers. Behind them, the human puppets lined up with the huge Mental Regulator Transmitter at the center. Behind the human puppets were many wagons carrying the Yuanxu Cannons.

After the battle at Dabao City, only nine Yuanxu Cannons and two Greater Yuanxu Cannons were left with the First Demon Army. However, the eight in Surly Gate Town and the eight in Steam Water City were still considered theirs. When Amon called the soldiers he posted in the two cities to leave, they also brought those cannons.

Additionally, Amon was given his first tributes one month ago. Among those tributes were two new Yuanxu Cannons. Zhong Yuan also used his old connections among Khode’s tech specialists and built another Greater Yuanxu Cannon as a parting gift for Amon.

Hence, the First Demon Army possessed twenty-seven Yuanxu Cannons and three Greater Yuanxu Cannons.

Carts filled with supplies followed behind the Yuanxu Cannons. Marching while surrounding these carts and cannons was the massive army of battle puppets. The marching puppets were only the standard-sized ones. All the special giant puppets from the Royal Puppet Army were hibernating inside Amon’s black space ring.

The combined force of human soldiers, human puppets, and battle puppets bolstered the First Demon Army into a massive force of almost two hundred thousand strong. No one in Echos would ever believe that the small army that departed from Echos would grow to such an extent in only one and a half years.

If Amon wanted to throw all pretense, he could return to Echos now and wrestle power from the Huang Clan using this army. He, however, had no intention of doing that. Using force to conquer was the easiest and direct method. It was, however, also prone to backlash. Maintaining control over the conquered for a long period would be much more difficult.

He had to, at first, make his name known to the world. His legend had to be so thorough that no one would complain when he stood over them and ruled them.

—————

Gozu Desert was a vast desert located between Khode and Kazhan. Many considered it to be a no-man’s land. It didn’t have many spirit beasts, but its inhospitable landscape made it an undesirable place for anyone to live in. The area close to Kazhan’s formal territory was slightly more tolerable. It contained some oases and even small spots of prairie.

In one such area, two tribes were making camps. These tribes were the Xan and Fen Tribes. They were among the tribes that opposed Kazhan’s feudal system, which was influenced by the political interference of the Temple of Divinity.

The two tribes kept to their old ways. They were nomadic and kept the practice of owning slaves. For their defiance of Kazhan’s new governing system, they were labelled as rebels and hunted.

Since the war started, they had enjoyed a limited amount of freedom, thanks to most of Kazhan’s army being sent to fight Gyleth Marx. They had performed regular raids on Kazhan’s remote settlements, stealing resources and capturing the inhabitants for slaves.

The two tribes camped at the same place because they had an appointment with an important figure. The chiefs of the two tribes were meeting inside the camp, which had been turned into a gathering place. A wooden platform with chairs and tables atop it was placed at the center of the gathering site. Facing this platform was an arena where people competed in wrestling matches or performed shows.

Sitting in the largest chairs atop the platform were two people. One was the chief of the Xan Tribe. His name was Xan Chi. He was a burly, bare-chested man with a thick beard and a great deal of body hair. Those who saw him most often mistook him for a beast.

His partner was a tall, middle-aged woman. Her name was Fen Nu, and she was the chief of the Fen Tribe. Lying next to her was a giant wolf the size of a horse. It had silver fur and a pair of large silver fangs. This was her tamed beast, a silver-fanged wolf, and was a lower mythical beast.

“A general from Echos? I thought we were meeting someone from Khode?” Xan Chi asked.

“We are. The news is that this Echos General invaded Khode almost two years ago, in retaliation for Khode’s army occupying one of Echos’ border cities,” Fen Nu replied. “I don’t know what happened inside Khode. You know it’s difficult to get any news from inside that country, but there is a rumor that they have just recently changed their ruler.”

“Really? Do you think it has anything to do with this general from Echos?”

Fen Nu shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. As I said, it’s a rumor. I can’t verify its veracity. The rumor didn’t mention them being ruled by a foreigner, though. Plus, if this general has somehow conquered Khode, why does he leave the country?”

“Maybe he is like us? He prefers raiding his victim rather than staying and ruling,” Xan Chi joked.

“Whatever the case, this general has requested a meeting,” Fen Nu said.

“How does he know about us?” Xan Chi asked.

“Well, I did hear the report of strange groups wandering around the desert and Kazhan’s border settlements, asking all sorts of questions. Perhaps they are the Echos’ scouts. I am more concerned about what he wants with us than how he knew about us.”

“Hm… Perhaps he wants to raid Kazhan now that he has raided Khode?” Xan Chi conjectured.

“If that is the case, he will find us not as soft as those wimps from Khode,” Fen Nu said. Her tone carried a strong fighting spirit.

“Who is this general’s name again?” Xan Chi asked.

“His name is Amon,” Fen Nu answered.

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