Apocalypse I Have One More Keyword Than Others
Chapter 372 - - 370 Who restrains who?_1
—————✧✧✧✧—————
Inside Wei Jiuchu’s Central Army Tent, seven people sat encircled.
Men and women, old and young, tall and short, fat and thin, they were all there, other deputy generals were absent.
“Brother Wei, Pei Maer should be in Linyang,” a gaunt teenager, who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, lounged in a chair, speaking lazily, “He wouldn’t be thinking of taking the opportunity to ambush us, would he?”
“We’re not afraid of him coming, we’re afraid of him not coming,” a woman in her thirties, dressed in red, revealing more than half of her cleavage and with bare legs beneath, giggled behind her hand, “Brother Wei’s key phrase is ‘Order,’ the ultimate nemesis of chaos. Xiang Li, Ge Zong, Pei Maer—bring one on, and extinguish one.”
“Pei Maer is second; Leng Shi is first; the tough ones should be Leng Shi and Yun Yao. Up to now, we still don’t know what Leng Shi’s key phrase is, and Yun Yao’s lethality is somewhat unexpectedly high,”
A middle-aged man with a goatee held a young woman in his arms and, in front of everyone, shamelessly slid his hand up her skirt, caressing back and forth.
The woman showed an expression of pain, desperately restraining herself from making any sound.
“No matter how powerful Yun Yao is, facing Brother Wei’s Dance of Order, she’ll come up short,” the scrawny teenager yawned, “Qu Liangdong was so formidable, but after being controlled by Brother Wei, wasn’t he slaughtered at our whim?”
“Taking Leng Shi lightly because he’s been first for so many days is truly dumb,” Wei Jiuchu spoke, with a jumping flame floating above his palm, as he surveyed the group, “Don’t bother with Pei Maer, stick to the original plan, encroaching from behind on Leng Shi’s territory.
Whatever Leng Shi’s key phrase may be, it must be tied to the empire he has established. So far, all he’s done is help Luo Shuang reclaim her country. As long as we shrink his territory, disrupting her path to restoration, his attributes will surely drop.
As long as Chu Country’s troops don’t retreat, we’ll eventually have them in a pincer, either Duge fights them first, or he fights us. Whether he defeats Chu Country or is defeated by them, in the end, whoever faces us directly is bound to lose…”
…
Two days later.
Duge, the State Preceptor, Cao Lin, Gao Ming, Xiang Li, Ge Zong, Wu Chang, along with several Grandmasters of the Martial Worlds, rushed to East Ridge Pass.
Luo Shuang was also brought out by Duge.
Though the loyalty skills were maxed out.
But with all the masters mobilized this time, Duge still had to ensure Luo Shuang wasn’t assassinated.
Better safe than sorry.
If a newly crowned emperor was assassinated within a few days, it would severely shake everyone’s confidence.
Duge would never allow such a thing to happen.
In these two days, three more cities were graced by Pei Maer, the same sequence of events as in Linyang—chaos first, then plague.
However, unlike Linyang.
Due to the incident in Linyang, the Linyang Daily Newspaper issued a warning. Many people were evacuated from the city ahead of time, so not too many casualties occurred. Even attempts at arson were extinguished promptly by a timely downpour sent by the heavens.
The plague came swiftly and left just as quickly. Many who were infected and awaiting death saw their health miraculously restored the next day, as if they had never been ill.
“Plagues don’t work either!” Learning of the latest intelligence, Gao Ming was somewhat exhilarated, “In just two days, the disease was cured without medicine. Brother Du, the star constellation luck you brought about truly rocks; it can block any key phrase!”
“The plague has already spread; changing luck won’t heal them that quickly. The people at East Ridge Pass are still sick!” Duge said, “Must be someone helping us in the shadows.”
“One of our people?” Gao Ming’s eyebrows rose.
“Might very well be,” Duge said, “After all these days, it’s time for new blood. Old Gao, gather the garrison within the Pass, raise our banners high, confront Wei Jiuchu, and see if we can also reel in a few more of our people…”
That same day.
The banners of Luo Shuang’s kingship, Duge’s Celestial Chief, the State Preceptor’s Celestial Warriors… and an even larger banner surpassing the king’s, inscribed with five characters “The King Covers the Tiger,” were raised at East Ridge Pass.
Strutting about ostentatiously and fashionably.
...
The great banner at Eastern Mausoleum Pass was raised not long ago.
A blur of blue dashed into Wei Jiuchu's Central Army Tent like a streak of lightning.
The blue shadow came to an abrupt halt, transforming into a young man in his twenties.
The youth's face was alight with excitement, "Wei Brother, Leng Shi suddenly appeared at East Ridge Pass, and he didn't bring any troops."
"Really?" Wei Jiuchu sprang to his feet.
"I saw it with my own eyes," the youth said. "Moreover, while I was spying on him, he must have spotted me, but he didn't chase after me. He probably couldn't match my speed."
"The disturbance at Eastern Mausoleum Pass by Pei Maer should have left it with few soldiers to defend, right?" The enchanting middle-aged woman's eyes also lit up.
"Wei Tingjiang originally had eighty thousand soldiers under his command; the chaos caused by Pei Maer killed or wounded at least a third. Later, there was an outbreak of plague---I doubt there are many left fit for battle," said the youth swift as lightning.
"Wei Brother, Leng Shi is looking down on us!" The lanky teenager yawned again and said blearily, "He dares to block our way without bringing troops, does he think he has us completely under control?!"
"Leng Shi is more clear-headed than anyone," Wei Jiuchu looked back at him and said. "Pei Maer is nearby. If he brought troops, it would just give Pei Maer an opportunity. It's better for him to take action himself. As long as Ge Zong's abilities are deployed, he can take us down with another move. Whether or not he brings troops doesn't make much difference, and he's not interested in seizing territories. Who knows, he might even be planning to swallow our army of four hundred thousand!"
"Wishful thinking," the middle-aged man still fondling the woman scoffed.
"Maybe, Leng Shi also wants to draw out Pei Maer in a big battle with us and net him in one fell swoop," Wei Jiuchu said with a smile.
"That means, Leng Shi also possesses abilities to counter chaos," said the alluring woman.
"Most likely," Wei Jiuchu said, "There must be plenty of keywords and abilities that can counter chaos. Let's go, everyone, let's meet those top ten fighters."
"Not bringing troops?" asked the youth quick as lightning.
"If Leng Shi isn't bringing any, why should we?" Wei Jiuchu said. "Marching with a huge army makes us slow, and if Ge Zong launches a surprise attack, if I'm hit before I can use the Dance of Order, it'll be like capsizing in a gutter. When abilities clash, it's about who strikes first. Duge thinks we'll bring troops, so we should surprise him with a sudden attack."
...
At a tea stall outside Xinglong County City.
Pei Maer twirled the tea cup in his hand, turning his head to look in the direction of East Ridge Pass, "Interesting."
Sitting beside him was a young man with only one leg, who was carrying a gourd around his waist and taking a sip of tea to himself, "Pei Brother, Leng Shi's sudden appearance at East Ridge Pass must be meant to lure you over."
"Then let's go!" Pei Maer sneered and said.
"Go?" The one-legged youth was startled. "You know he's trying to lead you there, and you still want to go..."
"Otherwise?" Pei Maer said. "I've finally stirred up such a big mess and raised my attributes, am I supposed to skulk around like a mouse, causing destruction everywhere?"
...
"The battlefield still has over four hundred people. If Leng Shi finds someone who counters me, someone good at path-finding or reconnaissance, where can I hide?" Pei Maer said. "Moreover, my keyword is already out. Not just Leng Shi, but anyone from other planets who encounter me won't be polite.
Sooner or later everyone will be against me, so of course, I must strike first, kill a few and count that as gain. There are five of the top ten fighters on Leng Shi's side, plus one Wei Jiuchu, making six top ten fighters. If I devour all their attributes, won't the rest be just chaos waiting to be slaughtered?"
"Pei Brother, if Leng Shi dares to lure you over, he must have an ability or keyword that counters you!" the one-legged youth said.
"Counter me? Order? Clarity? Purity?" Pei Maer laughed disdainfully, shaking his head, "Those words counter chaos, but chaos also counters them in turn. The enemy is in the open, and I am in the shadows. Who counters whom is not yet certain! If it was so easy to be suppressed, chaos would not be universally condemned."✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦