Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 629: Chapter 629. An Offer to Rule

”Out of the settlements my people have scouted, two are like this,” Amon told Zee Min. ”Both are small-sized towns.”

Zee Min didn’t respond. Her teeth and fists were clenched. ”Damn that bastard! Will he only be satisfied when we all become his puppets...?”

Amon let Zee Min take in the reality. They hovered there in silence for quite a while. They took too long, and one of the sentry puppets watching over the perimeter finally registered their presence when it looked up into the sky. Not long after, a squad of battle puppets flew toward them.

”We’d better leave,” Amon said. He didn’t think the squad coming at them was a threat, but he didn’t want the battle puppets to get close enough to identify them. Zee Whang would know once these puppets sent the information back to the central server.

Zee Min didn’t object. He flew away with Amon. Her mind was so disturbed by the revelation that she forgot she could use the chance to flee.

They climbed back on the Great Sun Hawk, which carried them a decent distance away before landing on a barren rock hill. The hill had many large rocks for them to hide behind.

”So, what is your plan?” Amon asked.

Zee Min looked at him in bewilderment. ”What do you mean, what’s my plan? Are you letting me go?”

”I am,” Amon answered.

Zee Min stared at him, trying to ensure that he was not joking. When he saw Amon’s face remained serious, she asked, ”What’s your trick?”

”No trick. I’m letting you go,” Amon replied. ”You are of no threat to me. Both your and Xuang Feng’s armies are gone. Whatever is left of the Grand Militia is nothing but a nuisance. Even if you leave, you won’t muster another force that can threaten me, at least not before I face Zee Whang’s royal puppet army in the capital. After what you’ve learned, I don’t think you are eager to lend him a hand, aren’t you?”

”Doesn’t mean I will sit by and let you conquer this nation.”

”I won’t be conquering this nation,” Amon stated.

Zee Min frowned before bursting out laughing. ”Yeah, right,” she said.

”I’m serious,” Amon said.

”Really? Then what is all this invasion for? You have nothing better to do? Wait, don’t tell me. You want to be a hero and save us from the cruel tyranny of a despot who wishes to enslave us all.”

Zee Min said the last part sarcastically.

Amon chuckled. ”Not only that. I will help you rebuild the High Council, with you on one of the seats.”

”Do you think I’m a five-year-old girl? Whatever your trick, I want no part in it,” Zee Min said.

”Like I said, no trick. I meant everything I said. Of course, you are not my first choice. I planned to offer this position to Xuang Feng after I defeated his army, but circumstances forced me to end his life. You are my next choice. If you are unwilling, I will give my offer to the clan head who led the Grand Militia after Xuang Feng fell.”

”... You will give the seat of the high council to me?” Zee Min asked.

”You, together with the leaders of the Vagrant Sect and the Charger Guild,” Amon replied.

”I should have known you were working with those scumbags,” Zee Min spat.

”Now you see why I want you to be in the high council? Those two might be leaders of a large organization, but they are too used to living in the shadows. If everything is left to them, they will run this nation to the ground. You are different. Like Xuang Feng, you have a good reputation in the existing government. You have support from influential parties. You should be able to provide stability to the new high council.”

Zee Min eyed Amon, trying to read him. ”Bloody hell, are you telling me you are serious about all this?”

”Why is it so hard to believe?” Amon asked.

”Why? Do you really need to ask? I don’t believe you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

”Of course not. That will be foolish,” Amon replied.

”Okay, then. What is the catch?” Zee Min asked.

”Tributes, levies, and an oath to come to my aid when I call,” Amon answered.

”I see... You want us to be your puppet state.”

”A puppet state will have me directly influencing the way this country is ruled through a proxy. I have no intention of doing that. You can rule this nation however you want. I, however, will decide who sits on the ruling chairs. Aside from you and the leaders of the two organizations I mentioned, there will be two more people who will rule with you.”

”Who are these two?” Zee Min asked.

”They are my people, but don’t worry, they are full-fledged Khode citizens,” Amon answered.

Zee Min gave Amon a skeptical look.

”So, do you accept my offer? I help save your country from Zee Whang. You pay me with goods and services. This is a transaction. Or, do you prefer to let Zee Whang enslave this whole nation?”

Zee Min pondered the offer for a long time. Amon just stood there waiting for her answer.

After almost ten minutes, she finally spoke, ”If this is a trick, I won’t forgive you.”

”If this is a trick, it won’t be a cheap one where you can still do something by the time you realize it,” Amon said. ”You must choose whether to trust me or not. It’s your gamble. If you need assurance, I will let you know that I will be addressing this issue with the Temple of Divinity after I am done with Khode. I know you are eager to prevent the cataclysm, aren’t you? So, you can consider the payment I request is to support my next campaign to save the world.”

”Do you promise?” Zee Min asked.

”Like I said, it’s your gamble. You decide by yourself. I have said enough. If you refuse this offer, I will give it to another person.”

”... Very well, I accept your offer,” Zee Min said. ”However, I won’t help you fight Zee Whang. Whatever your intention, I won’t aid an invader against my own people.”

”I don’t need you for that. I only need you when I have the High Council in my grasp. You can hide till then for all I care, just don’t get in my way.”

Amon climbed on the Great Sun Hawk. ”You are free to go now. Try to stay near the capital so I can call on you after I defeat Zee Whang. Also, this is a gift for you for accepting my offer.”

Amon handed her the mechanical armor.

”That is mine,” Zee Min said.

”It was. You lost, so it became mine. Now, it’s yours again because I gift it to you, and I expect gratitude.”

”Whatever, thanks,” Zee Min said as she took her armor back.

”I will see you again after I occupy Dabao City,” Amon said. The Great Sun Hawk flapped its wings, and it shot into the sky like a rocket.

Zee Min watched the bird become smaller in the sky. She wasn’t sure how to feel about this entire affair. She had resigned herself to spending her remaining life in confinement, only to be offered a position to rule the nation by the invader she fought to repel. People said life is full of surprises. She never agreed to that saying until now.

Still, whether this was a good surprise or a bad one, only time could tell. She could only pray that Amon was true to his word.

Whatever Amon’s intention was, she must say that she admired the man’s confidence. If she hadn’t crossed paths with him before, she would have called Amon a cocky son of a bitch, but she had experienced his capabilities firsthand. She admitted that he was indeed capable, even when his methodology repulsed her. She still couldn’t see how he could defeat Zee Whang’s Royal Puppet Army, but if anyone could pull it off, she thought it would be this Echos’ general.

She didn’t stay there and ponder for long. She re-equipped her mechanical armor and left. Her direction was toward Dabao City.

*

Amon took another six days to return to Steam Water City. Xin Wuming met with him and asked if they should depart for Dabao City. The army was ready to march at any time. Amon told him to wait another two weeks. He wanted Zhong Yuan to complete his project first before they departed.

So, the First Demon army stayed outside Steam Water City. Everyone spent their time cultivating and training during this period.

*

Two weeks later, the First Demon Army resumed its march. Their full force was even grander than when they first entered Khode. For their force to expand instead of shrinking after multiple battles drew wonder even from the soldiers themselves. Each of them took pride in being part of this legendary army.

They were sure that their legend wouldn’t stop here. They would continue to advance with the confidence that they would be victorious in this campaign. Their legend would continue to spread.

They were confident of all this because of the man who led them, the commander of the First Demon Army, General Amon.