Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 612: Chapter 612. Real Name

”So, how long do you need to build one?” Amon asked.

”Well, that is an unfair question considering I have never built one, don’t you say?” Zhong Yuan replied.

”Fair enough,” Amon said. ”Now you understand why I asked you to begin immediately, don’t you? I expect to have at least one battle puppet operational before we reach Khode’s capital, Dabao City.”

”I will do my best.”

”Do more than your best. You should know by now I don’t like to be disappointed,” Amon said.

”Okay, boss. I will cut my sleep time in half and spend all my waking hours to ensure I complete this project. I will not rest until I do!”

”Mm,” Amon nodded solemnly.

”Shit! I was only joking. You truly expect me to do that?”

”No joking with me. I will hold you to your words,” Amon stated.

”Urgh!” Zhong Yuan grumbled inwardly. ”Anyway, how did you get your hands on these power sources...? Wow... This craftsmanship seems ancient. Aside from the high-tier Zillium, I can’t identify half the materials used on these power sources.”

”You don’t need to concern yourself with where I got these power sources from,” Amon said. ”One thing you need to know before you begin. You can craft everything on the battle puppets except for the control inputs. I will make those parts myself and install them.”

”Why do you... Ah... I see, you still don’t trust me, eh?” Zhong Yuan said.

”Don’t be offended. I never truly trust anyone, especially when it comes to a tool with the power of a Lord Stage cultivator.”

”Alright. I can see now why you asked me all those questions regarding control inputs all this time,” Zhong Yuan said.

While anyone with access could control a battle puppet via verbal commands, the one who truly controlled the battle puppet was someone with access to its control input. By directly accessing this control input, one could rewrite its core program, telling it who to obey.

If Amon let Zhong Yuan build the entire battle puppet on its own, there was no telling if Zhong Yuan could not have planted a backdoor for himself in the control input. He could wrestle control of the battle puppets from Amon if that were the case.

Thus, the only way for Amon to guarantee that he was the ultimate controller of the battle puppets was to build the control input himself.

This was why Amon had not commanded Zhong Yuan to build the high-tier runic battle puppets until now. He wanted to make sure he could build a control input that could be used on the high-grade puppets.

He did not have enough time to learn how to become a high-level puppet maker, but if he only focused on one subject, he could gain expertise on par with those high-level puppet makers. In this case, he chose to study the control input, and he had been doing this for some time, ever since he gained the two power sources for high-tier runic battle puppets.

After Zhong Yuan became his follower, Amon frequently asked him questions about the control input. There was only so much one could learn from books. Having an expert explain provided much more insight than self-learning. Zhong Yuan always considered those questions as Amon’s eccentric interest. He knew now that there was a purpose behind those questions.

”Well, for what it’s worth, you have my admiration,” Zhong Yuan said.

”I don’t need your admiration. What I demand is your obedience,” Amon said.

”Dude, I am being sincere here. Very well, have it your way. I will go and begin the work right away.”

Zhong Yuan stored the two power sources in his space ring and excused himself.

---------------

”Hmph...”

Wei Zhuang was in his tent. He was consoling himself by drinking wine. He had just returned from another fruitless meeting in the command tent.

It had been two weeks since they started camping outside Tusha Valley. With the news of Steam Water City failing to send their forces to assault the enemy’s rear, the plan to push into the valley was paused. Xuang Feng was not willing to sacrifice the soldiers without a reasonable chance of success. Without the support of a second force harassing the enemy from the rear, their success chance was not enough.

All they could do was wait for the two legions that circled the mountain range to sneak behind the enemy’s rear.

Wei Zhuang was a patient man, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed waiting. He continued to drink while he pondered their options.

The voice from a soldier guarding outside interrupted his thoughts. ”Sir, someone named Lu Bao requests an audience.”

Wei Zhung’s brows raised a little. He said, ”Let him in.”

A skinny man walked in. His demeanor made him look sneaky.

”Lu Bao, what are you doing here? I thought I had told you not to disturb me during this campaign,” Wei Zhuang said.

”I’m sorry, master, but the other side is getting restless. The stalemate has gone on too long. They demand to know when Khode can join the movement again.”

”What a bunch of morons. Are they not aware of the situation in Khode? Or pretend not to know? I can’t do anything while the people here are busy dealing with the invaders.”

”I... I was simply a messenger,” Lu Bao stammered. ”What should I inform the others?”

Wei Zhuang pondered the matter. ”Echos turned out to be more troublesome than we all thought. We thought that Echos was easy to deal with due to their problems with the rebels and the power struggle for the throne. We never expected them to solve those problems with such finality, allowing their power to stabilize the way it is now... Perhaps we have approached this the wrong way.”

”What does master mean?” Lu Bao asked.

”We left Kazhan and Echos out of our folds because we don’t feel them necessary for our plan,” Wei Zhuang answered.

”I don’t think it is a mistake. Aside from the turmoil master just mentioned, Echos is also close to Oredolia. I don’t think they would have joined us.”

”Their alliance is only on the surface,” Wei Zhuang said. ”I don’t think Echos will insist on defending Oredolia if we present them with the reasons. Furthermore, the current Echos king is someone none of us expected to ascend. From the information we have on King Huang San, he seems to be a reasonable individual who cares for the future. I think we can bring him to our side.”

”Can it be achieved?” Lu Bao asked. ”If we want to persuade him, we must come clean, which also means telling him we are the ones who proposed for Khode to invade Echos. Will King Huang San accept this peacefully? I mean, he sent his trusted right-hand man to retaliate over that small invasion.”

”I don’t believe this invasion is that king’s idea,” Wei Zhuang uttered.

”Why does Master say so?” Lu Bao asked.

”If the information about him can be trusted, it isn’t his character. No, I do believe this invasion is a request from his right-hand man. The man who is currently leading the invasion into Khode, General Amon.”

”Really? Why would General Amon want to invade Khode? Does he have a personal grudge with someone living here?”

”I don’t believe that is the case. I believe his motive for invading Khode is as simple as most tyrants who took the path of conquest.”

”Master means...”

”For power,” Wei Zhuang said.

”So... Master wishes to proceed with the idea of bringing Echos into our folds. Should I deliver a message to Miss?”

”No. It was her failure that Echos could repel Khode’s invasion. I will deal with this matter myself.”

”Master will travel to Echos?” Lu Bao asked.

”If I must, but I will try negotiating with General Amon first.”

”General Amon? Why?”

”If he can persuade King Huang San to agree to his invading Khode, he can persuade the king to cooperate with us.”

”I see. Is Master confident of convincing him?” Lu Bao asked.

”I have dealt with many ambitious men like him. I believe I have a reasonable chance to succeed,” Wei Zhuang said.

”Well, if it is Master Sima Zhuang, I agree Master will–”

Lu Bao couldn’t finish his sentence because a hard slap interrupted him.

”What did I tell you about using my real name...?” Wei Zhuang asked with a hard stare.

”For–Forgive me! Master Si–Wei Zhuang...!” Lu Bao said hastily.

”Hmph!” Wei Zhuang harrumphed.

Unbeknownst to the two, a female Khode soldier was standing behind the tent, pretending to be on guard duty. While in reality, she was eavesdropping on the conversation inside the tent.

Normal people wouldn’t be able to make out the conversation inside the tent, unless the people inside purposefully conversed in loud voices. The Khode soldier, however, was not a normal person. She was not even a person. She was Lin Li in disguise.