My Misfortune Crushed Instances

"Royal Court?"

Cheng Wen heard the intelligence gathered by the bearded man and pursued further, "You mean the entire Demon Race of the cold wind highland has been subdued by the Western Kingdom? How did they manage that?"

The bearded man was responsible for gathering intelligence, and his unit, numbered 07, was exclusively an intelligence group. Almost all reliable information about the enemy came from their team.

"According to what we know, that Royal Court worships power, primarily physical strength. You know Simon, rumored to be a Berserker renowned for his combat skills."

Berserker is a basic class upon reaching level 10, but Dragon Country’s intelligence agency wasn’t clear about what he had transitioned into, just like how information on Li Rui was a blind spot for the other two major countries.

Cheng Wen seemed to realize something: "You mean that guy likely used his advantage in power to win the favor of the Royal Court."

"It’s an exaggerated power that must be enough to intimidate those Highland Demon Race, earning their cooperation."

"You mean cooperation?"

"Of course, with thousands of Demon Races, you wouldn’t think they’d submit, right?"

The bearded man chuckled, shaking his beard, "From what I know, the Highland Royal Court has always had ambitions to dominate the entire island. They might have been coaxed by the people of the Western Kingdom."

Collaborating with the local natives was a common understanding among the three major powers. Just as Li Rui could unify the Divine Wood Forest, other forces could achieve similar things.

Mainly because the Extraordinary who were summoned into the Secret Realm sought neither wealth nor profit, only needing those spoils, and willingly shared the plundered goods with the Demon Race, they naturally were welcomed.

Cheng Wen said, "What are the key difficulties in overcoming this Royal Court?"

The bearded man gathered his smile: "Everything. The Royal Court on the highlands has always been the strongest force on the island, but they hadn’t descended to conquer before."

"Compared to ordinary Demon Race forces, they have a more comprehensive logistical production capability, with abundant weapons, food, numerous personnel, and high morale."

"They have almost gathered now. I estimate that in a few days, they will launch a large-scale counterattack, and our pressure will be immense."

Cheng Wen said, "It doesn’t look like we can tough it out. I was wondering why those Western Country bastards gave up their territory so readily, turns out they are waiting to take it back after all."

Earlier, the Wind Slave Royal Court didn’t invest substantial military force. The Western Kingdom primarily relied on its own Extraordinary to fight. If the largest Demon Race force on the island joins the battlefield, the situation will change.

The bearded man remained silent, waiting for the highest commander to make a decision.

"Here’s what you do: find a way to secretly contact the Polar Alliance and share our intelligence, striving for cooperation. We can’t let the Western Kingdom monopolize everything."

"That’s what I was thinking too," the bearded man grinned, "You guys discuss the detailed strategy first, I’ll go find someone."

.....

"Kneel!"

Ju Ye grabbed an elder of the Yanghou tribe and pressed him to the ground.

The Ghost Riders had already occupied this tribe.

The elder knelt trembling on the ground, overwhelmed with fear.

"Who are you people? This is the Yanghou tribe! When the king returns, he’ll surely take your head!"

Ju Ye sneered, kicking him to the ground, then grabbed the feathers on his head to make him look at him: "You don’t recognize me?"

The elder puzzled for a long time, looking at the face filled with Evil Qi.

"Ju Ye?!"

The fear in his heart deepened, "You’re not dead?!"

"Do you think I’m still alive now?" Ju Ye retorted.

The scene quieted down temporarily, and the elder was too frightened to say a word, not daring to look at the Ghost Generals and Ghost Race around, only noticing some other figures walking towards him.

"Help! Sir, save me!"

He surprisingly called out to Li Rui for help, because as a tribal elder, he had seen people from the Western Kingdom before, and to Demon Race, these Humans looked quite similar.

He also knew these folks were formidable. Although judging by the respectful reaction of the Ghost Soldiers to the newcomers, the chances of him being saved seemed slim, perhaps there was a misunderstanding after all?

As Li Rui approached, he said first, "Let him go, there’s no need to be so tense."

Ju Ye released his hand.

The Yanghou tribe elder was overjoyed, suddenly finding Li Rui’s face more kind and benevolent.

Li Rui helped him to one side and asked what he wanted to know.

"Are the elites of your tribe not here?"

The elder’s expression stiffened, reluctant to answer, but unable to hide it. For the sake of his life, he had to admit, "They’ve gone on an expedition with the Great Chief."

"How many days have they been gone?"

"Five days."

"Hmm."

Li Rui seated him in a chair, glancing around. The Ghost Soldiers under Ju Ye had killed most of the remaining warriors of the Yanghou tribe. The few survivors were tightly monitored, unlikely to cause any trouble.

He asked, "Besides your tribe, how many from the entire Royal Court have gone out?"

The elder forced a smile and replied, "Less than half."

Bam!

Li Rui pressed his head down hard, slamming it onto the table, which shattered into pieces.

"If you dare lie again, it’ll be your head that breaks."

The elder paid the price for his little cleverness; blood streaming down his face, he wept bitterly, "They’ve all gone out, most have gone down the mountain for the expedition."

"Why go on an expedition?"

"To unify the world."

Li Rui rubbed his nose, choosing not to comment on it, and asked further, "Where did the Great Chief of the Royal Court go?"

"On a personal expedition; he’s already left the highlands. As for where he is now, I truly do not know. I swear by the Wind God, I genuinely don’t know."

Li Rui glanced at Ju Ye, whose goal was to assassinate the current Great Chief involved in the coup back then, but the target was no longer on the highland.

He saw the other nodding subtly, indicating no issues, so he asked about the matter he cared about.

"I’m looking for something, possibly an artifact hidden near Wolf Fang Cliff, perhaps it exists in legends. Can you tell me anything about it?"

The elder looked distressed.

Damn it, you don’t even say what it is, how am I supposed to know!

That’s what he thought, but didn’t dare say aloud.

Li Rui, being reasonable, understood his difficulty, so he added more information: "Perhaps it appeared several decades ago, I suppose."

The jade orb in Ghost City fell from the sky several decades ago, and the item Li Rui sought was related to that, possibly appearing around the same time.

He had asked Ju Ye before, but this guy, being a thorough warrior in life, cared for nothing else aside from his cultivation and military tactics, coupled with his loyalty to the former king, and considering he wasn’t even born decades ago, he had no clues.

However, upon hearing this, the elder suddenly became excited: "I remember now, if it’s from several decades ago, indeed there was an unusual event!"