Cold sweat streamed down Xu Muchen's back. He didn't know how to choose.
But after thinking it through, he suddenly felt there was no point in hesitating anymore. From the moment he decided to follow the Third Prince, his fate had only two possible endings: death or soaring to the skies.
'Since it's do or die anyway, why keep worrying? I have no wife, no children… And choosing the first option still carries the risk of dying on the battlefield.'
"Brother Xu Rong, I've made my decision. I'll take the second option."
Hearing this, Xu Rong was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Xu Muchen to actually choose the second path—it was far too dangerous.
He stared at Xu Muchen's resolute expression for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Xu Muchen, I don't know whether to call you a fool or a true man of courage. Are you sure? You still have time to change your mind."
"I'm sure," Xu Muchen replied without a shred of hesitation.
"Good! Very good! Since that's the case, regardless of the past, I, Xu Rong, truly admire and respect a man like you, Brother Muchen!"
"In the days to come, I'll personally take you to meet the Third Prince. When that time comes, His Highness will tell you exactly what bargaining chips you'll have for the negotiations. For now, just enjoy yourself here in this godforsaken border town of Wangyue City! Come, let's drink!"
And so, Xu Muchen and Xu Rong indulged themselves in all kinds of pleasures in Wangyue City. After a few days of revelry, the day finally came for Xu Muchen to meet the Third Prince.
He couldn't help but feel like the past few days had been some kind of last meal before an execution, and it weighed heavily on him even as he tried to enjoy it.
During that time, he also carefully considered the feasibility of negotiating with the Three Douluo Nations for support. The conclusion he reached was this—everything depended on what bargaining chips the Third Prince could provide. If those chips weren't good enough, then no matter how persuasive he was, there was no chance of swaying them.
Today was the day the Third Prince would arrive in Wangyue City under the pretense of inspecting and comforting the border troops. Coincidentally, the city was located right next to the Mingdou Mountain Range.
"His Highness will arrive shortly. Come with me to the gates of the estate to greet him," Xu Rong said, glancing at his pocket watch and nodding at Xu Muchen.
The two men walked side by side to the gates of the Earl's estate and waited quietly outside.
Soon, instead of a lavish royal carriage procession, they saw three black-cloaked figures approaching from a distance.
Xu Muchen was surprised, but Xu Rong remained calm. When the three cloaked figures came closer, Xu Rong motioned for Xu Muchen to follow him.
The three figures arrived at the gate just as Xu Rong and Xu Muchen stepped forward to meet them.
"Glory to the Sun and Moon," said the leader of the trio softly.
"Created by His Highness alone," Xu Rong replied knowingly.
"Take us inside," the leader commanded.
Xu Rong and Xu Muchen both bowed respectfully and led the three into the estate. Xu Muchen quietly shut the gate behind them.
To maintain secrecy, the Third Prince had long agreed on this code phrase with Xu Rong. All servants had been dismissed from the estate ahead of time.
Once inside the receiving hall, the cloaked leader sat unceremoniously on the main seat while the other two guards remained by the door. The leader then removed his hood, revealing the face of the Third Prince.
Xu Rong and Xu Muchen dropped to one knee and greeted him in unison.
"We pay our respects to Your Highness."
"Rise, both of you. You are members of the royal family as well—no need for excessive ceremony."
Once they stood up, they each took a seat beside the prince.
"How have Your Highness's travels been lately?" Xu Rong asked.
The prince nodded. "Quite well. I've visited several borderland nobles like yourself. Most of those stationed long-term at the front lines remain neutral. As for those nobles who've been demoted by the Emperor, nearly all of them have expressed support for us."
"Congratulations, Your Highness. That means, counting the northern Grand Duke, we've added significantly to our strength. I wonder how the alliance of the western Grand Duke and southern nobles will choose to position themselves…"
The Third Prince gave a cold laugh.
"Hmph. Brother Xu Rong, there's no need to worry so much. Aside from the central nobles who are tied to Mingdu, these peripheral nobles won't support Xu Tiannan either."
Everyone in the imperial nobility knew of Xu Tiannan's ambition. If someone like him ascended the throne, he would absolutely centralize power and strip the border nobles of their authority. That's why very few nobles from the outer regions would support him—unless they didn't care about losing their future influence.
"My current visit to the eastern border and the Mingdou Mountains is also meant to inspect certain military matters. Under the pretext of recruiting soldiers and strengthening border defenses, I can take the opportunity to station many of the troops I command here."
The Third Prince and Xu Rong continued discussing military logistics. After all, Xu Rong was the commander of the Third New Soul Engineer Regiment under the prince's direct command.
Listening silently, Xu Muchen felt both excitement and awe. He was thrilled that the prince and Xu Rong trusted him enough to discuss such military secrets in front of him, but he was also shocked by the Third Prince's military power.
'The prince actually commands three fully structured Soul Engineer Regiments, each consisting of sixty to one hundred soldiers! One of them is stationed under the northern Grand Duke's territory, another secretly garrisoned just outside of Wangyue City under Xu Rong's command, and the third controls a fleet stationed in the southern seas. My god… how did His Highness pull this off?'
Xu Muchen could hardly believe it. But judging by the confidence in the prince and Xu Rong's conversation, there was not a trace of deception.
In truth, while these three regiments might not match the power of those under the official imperial military, they were still extremely formidable. A formal regiment meant coordinated formations, powerful array-linked soul tools—massive force multipliers.
(End of Chapter)
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