Chapter 144: Species Collapse (16)
No one knew which camp He Yu truly intended to stand with except He Yu himself.
The way he conducted himself now was that of a triple agent, a fence-sitter, someone who sang whichever tune suited the mountain he happened to be standing on. He moved effortlessly among all three camps, seeming to belong to none of them, yet somehow belonging to all of them at once.
On top of that, his acting was simply too convincing.
Whenever he spoke, every word sounded utterly sincere.
Not only did the three camps believe him—even the audience couldn't help believing him as well.
Whenever he was with the Red Camp, even viewers watching from a god's-eye perspective would think—
He really is considering the Red Camp's interests.
He still wants to stand with the Red Camp.
If he ultimately has to choose one side, he'll definitely choose the Red Camp.
Yet whenever he faced the Green Camp, the audience would instead think—
He doesn't want to offend the Green Camp.
He wants to keep his Green Camp identity.
He's perfectly willing to help the Green Camp gain advantages.
If the time comes to choose, he'll definitely choose the Green Camp.
And when he stood before the Black Camp—
Everyone became even more convinced.
This attitude...
He Yu is obviously on the Black Camp's side!
Even the audience had become confused.
Not to mention the three camps themselves.
At this point, every camp trusted him completely.
Li Mao and Black Bear faithfully carried out every order given by General He Yu.
After finishing the discussion about the Black Camp, He Yu continued,
"Tomorrow I'll return to the capital to collect another flag. I'll also meet with the King. Guard Lilu City well."
After a pause, he looked in a certain direction.
"How are you planning to make use of Gao Jianming?"
Li Mao answered immediately,
"Obviously we'll use him to capture cities. We'll seize every Green Camp city. Once he's no longer useful..."
"...we'll kill him."
Concern appeared in He Yu's eyes.
"Gao Jianming isn't a good toy."
"He betrayed the Black Camp."
"Then he betrayed the Green Camp."
"Eventually he'll betray our Red Camp as well."
Black Bear frowned fiercely.
"Then we'll watch him closely!"
"The moment he makes a suspicious move, we'll kill him immediately!"
He Yu nodded.
"That's right."
"Keep a close eye on him."
Lowering his gaze as though speaking casually, he continued,
"Gao Jianming's ability is undeniably useful."
"He captures cities very quickly."
"Although we've reclaimed Lilu City, its location isn't favorable."
"Except for the rear, the other three sides are all surrounded by Green Camp territory."
"They'll certainly try to contact Gao Jianming."
"The Black Camp might also approach him."
Hearing that, both men's brows furrowed even deeper.
Li Mao said,
"But Gao Jianming has already betrayed both of those camps."
He Yu lifted his eyes toward him.
"The Green Camp and the Black Camp are both cunning."
"If they want to seize cities, Gao Jianming is their most effective tool."
"He saves both time and effort."
"So..."
"...they'll probably put aside their resentment and approach him anyway."
"What should we do?" Black Bear became anxious.
He Yu merely sighed without answering.
After thinking for a while, Li Mao gritted his teeth.
"I'll personally keep watch over Gao Jianming."
"I'll watch him every second."
"Or perhaps lock him up."
He Yu immediately showed his disapproval.
"No."
"You must guard against him..."
"...but never push him into a corner."
"If you truly anger him..."
"...he'll willingly defect to the Green Camp."
"His ability is very strange."
"If he wants to escape..."
"...it'll be extremely easy."
[Bullet Screen: "Why is He Yu speaking up for Gao Jianming?"]
[Bullet Screen: "That doesn't seem like him. Looking at his expression... I feel like he's digging another trap."]
Wanrenzhan felt exactly the same.
So he quietly floated beside He Yu without making a sound.
Silently...
He watched He Yu set another trap.
This wasn't right.
That wasn't right either.
Black Bear widened his eyes.
"Then let's kill him right now!"
Li Mao remained the more rational one.
He shook his head.
"No."
"The Red Camp is currently at a disadvantage."
"The Green Camp is too powerful."
"If we want to seize cities..."
"...Gao Jianming is our best weapon."
"So we can't kill him."
Black Bear became even more distressed, scratching his head in frustration.
"Sigh..." He Yu let out a long sigh.
"Forget it."
"Let's stop thinking about that for now."
"At least the Green and Black Camps won't contact Gao Jianming during the next two days."
"He'll be safe for now."
"Tomorrow I'll return to the capital for another flag."
"We've only reclaimed one city, so one flag is enough."
"The King can continue making more."
"With Gao Jianming around..."
"...we'll certainly capture more cities."
Li Mao suddenly thought of something.
His eyes lit up.
"General!"
"I've got an idea!"
He Yu immediately became interested.
"What idea?"
Li Mao replied,
"We've only just reclaimed Lilu City."
"The Green Camp will definitely be watching this place over the next couple of days."
"Since they won't have time to contact Gao Jianming yet..."
"...why don't we take Gao Jianming to capture another city tomorrow?"
He Yu visibly froze.
Then he parted his lips.
"Capture another city..."
"...tomorrow?"
Li Mao nodded vigorously.
"That's right."
"We brought plenty of soldiers."
"Half can stay here to defend the city."
"The other half can attack."
"Once we're inside a city..."
"...our combat strength becomes much greater."
"Our chances of victory are excellent."
Concern filled He Yu's eyes.
"That's too dangerous."
Black Bear slapped his chest excitedly.
"I'm not afraid of danger!"
"I'll go capture the city!"
"If reclaiming one more city costs me my life..."
"...it'll still be worth it!"
He Yu frowned in disapproval.
"Don't say things like dying."
"You'll definitely succeed."
Wanrenzhan: "..."
Now he understood.
He Yu had just maneuvered the Red Camp into attacking another city tomorrow.
—If that was your goal, couldn't you have just said so directly?
Why go through such a huge detour?
He Yu frowned again, still looking hesitant.
"Isn't tomorrow a little too soon?"
"I still think Gao Jianming is dangerous."
"If something goes wrong..."
Li Mao was already convinced this was the best possible strategy.
He comforted their overly worried General.
"It'll be fine."
"Tomorrow's attack won't fail."
"The Green Camp isn't going to contact Gao Jianming today."
"We'll catch them completely off guard."
Black Bear nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly!"
"We'll attack South City first."
"Once we've captured it..."
"...Lilu City will be much safer."
"And if the Green Camp doesn't react quickly enough..."
"...we'll use Gao Jianming to seize as many cities as possible!"
He Yu still looked worried.
"You don't have many troops."
"If half leave for South City..."
"...Lilu City won't be nearly as secure."
"Most importantly..."
"...Gao Jianming isn't trustworthy."
"And tomorrow..."
"...I won't be here."
Li Mao smiled.
"Don't worry, General."
"You can return to the capital without concern."
"Ask the King to produce more flags."
"And bring every reinforcement available."
"I have a feeling..."
"...our harvest will be even greater than we imagined."
His eyes shone brighter and brighter.
"As long as we own more cities than the Green Camp..."
"No..."
"Even drawing even with them is enough."
"The moment we do..."
"...we'll kill Gao Jianming."
"We won't give him even the slightest opportunity to betray us."
He Yu contemplated for a very long time before finally sighing.
"...Very well."
"Carry out your plan."
"But be careful."
"And stay alert around Gao Jianming."
"I'll return to the capital tomorrow with peace of mind."
"I'll wait for your good news."
"We certainly won't disappoint you, General!"
He Yu smiled faintly.
His eyes were warm.
—He was very reassured.
Extremely reassured.
Wanrenzhan: "..."
That smile...
...was incredibly ominous.
It inexplicably sent chills down his spine.
[Bullet Screen: "I feel like He Yu has set another trap."]
[Bullet Screen: "Of course he has! He already said Lilu City would change camps again within three days!!"]
[Bullet Screen: "These honest Red Camp people have already walked straight into his scheme!"]
[Bullet Screen: "If they attack tomorrow, Gao Jianming will definitely run away. The Red Camp trusts He Yu completely, so Gao Jianming won't dare remain there."]
—
Li Mao and Black Bear went to find Gao Jianming.
They intended to spend the entire night planning their assault on South City and catch the Green Camp completely off guard.
Meanwhile, He Yu stretched his tiny little arms, rode his Wind Fire Wheels, and leisurely left the castle together with the flying shortsword beside him, disappearing into the darkness near the city wall.
Lilu City was now guarded by the Red Camp.
Their sense of smell and perception were exceptionally sharp.
Ordinary people would find it almost impossible to sneak inside.
The darkness He Yu entered was effectively a blind spot.
But it wasn't a place anyone could actually pass through.
Nothing could enter from there.
Wanrenzhan asked,
"He Yu."
"It's the middle of the night."
"What are we doing out here?"
He Yu glanced at the bright full moon overhead.
The moon hung high in the sky, beautiful beyond words.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"In the middle of the night..."
"...of course I'm here to meet someone who's eager to see me."
The moment he finished speaking—
Rustling sounds drifted over.
Then a familiar black vine slowly squeezed through a tiny crack outside the city wall.
The gap was so narrow that only the tip could poke through.
It quickly became stuck.
The vine struggled briefly before preparing to withdraw and give up.
Only then did He Yu cough lightly.
"Ahem."
The black vine froze.
Its tip twitched slightly.
Then an excited voice rang out.
"General?!"
"Why are you here?!"
He Yu smiled warmly.
"I've been waiting for you."
The black vine suddenly felt inexplicably honored.
His voice became excited.
"I've finally found you, General!"
"I've been trying to sneak in this whole time, but couldn't locate you."
"Now we—"
He Yu interrupted him.
"Black Vine."
"I came out because I have something extremely important to tell you."
Black Vine immediately became serious.
"General."
"Please give your orders."
He Yu took a slow breath before lowering his voice.
"The Red Camp plans to attack South City tomorrow."
Black Vine: "!!!"
Wanrenzhan and the others: "???"
The audience: "..."
—They had literally just finished discussing the plan.
And now he'd immediately sold them out.
Really?
—He Yu...
What exactly are you thinking?
Black Vine's expression darkened.
Grinding his teeth, he growled,
"Those damned Red thieves!"
"They've already taken Lilu City..."
"And now they're after South City too!"
"We'll make sure none of them return alive!"
He Yu shook his head.
"They have Gao Jianming."
"Their combat strength is much higher."
"How could they possibly fail to return?"
"South City is in danger."
"General!" Black Vine hesitated briefly.
"General..."
"Didn't you try to stop them?"
As the General of the Red Camp, second only to the King, He Yu absolutely had the authority to stop such an operation if he wanted.
He Yu's expression remained solemn.
"The King personally issued the order."
"He also dispatched reinforcements."
"Gao Jianming's existence has given them tremendous confidence."
"They don't merely intend to capture South City."
"They plan to seize multiple cities in one campaign."
[Bullet Screen: "...If replay didn't exist, I'd completely believe him."]
[Bullet Screen: "How does He Yu make lies sound so unbelievably convincing? I even went back and checked the replay. The King was never involved! He was the one who guided Li Mao and Black Bear into deciding on South City!"]
[Bullet Screen: "This gu... is truly gifted. Somehow I feel like he's setting another trap."]
"They're dreaming!" Black Vine roared.
He Yu quickly lowered his voice.
"Shh."
"Keep your voice down."
"Isn't that why I'm here discussing solutions with you?"
Hope instantly reignited in Black Vine's eyes.
"General..."
"You already have a plan?"
He Yu sighed.
"Gao Jianming is an exceptionally troublesome toy."
"It would've been manageable if he were still with us."
"But now that he's fallen into the Red Camp's hands..."
Black Vine immediately shrank his neck guiltily.
It was entirely his fault.
He had failed to capture Gao Jianming, allowing him to end up in the Red Camp instead.
Suddenly thinking of something, Black Vine asked eagerly,
"General..."
"Can we simply kill him?"
He Yu smiled faintly.
"No need to rush."
"I never said I didn't have a solution."
Black Vine's face lit up.
"General!"
"What's your plan?"
The corners of He Yu's lips curved upward.
"Today..."
"...I deliberately made it obvious."
"I told him that once tomorrow's city was captured..."
"...he would be killed."
"So tomorrow..."
"...immediately after the city falls..."
"...he'll certainly run away."
Black Vine instantly understood.
Earlier today, when He Yu had dismissed them, he'd already mentioned driving Gao Jianming away.
The General had been creating this very opportunity for them.
He spun around excitedly.
"Wonderful!"
"We'll wait for him."
"The moment he escapes..."
"...we'll capture him."
"Then immediately retake South City."
He Yu glanced at him.
His voice became quiet.
"South City isn't particularly important."
"If only we could reclaim Lilu City as soon as possible..."
Lilu City's strategic value far exceeded South City's.
Black Vine's eyes gleamed.
"Then after securing South City..."
"...we'll immediately retake Lilu City!"
He Yu shook his head.
"I'm afraid that won't work."
"First..."
"The Red Camp will receive reinforcements tomorrow."
"Their strength will increase significantly."
"The Green Camp is already at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation."
"Second..."
"The moment the Red Camp discovers Gao Jianming's betrayal..."
"...they'll immediately try to kill him."
"They'll stop at nothing."
He looked directly at Black Vine.
"And you need him to capture cities."
"You won't be able to protect him."
"And even if you do..."
"...can you truly trust him?"
"He's two-faced."
"No one knows which camp he'll ultimately choose."
"He might even betray you while you're trying to protect him."
[Bullet Screen: "??? Isn't Gao Jianming constantly switching camps because of YOU?"]
[Bullet Screen: "The two-faced one seems to be you?"]
[Bullet Screen: "Suddenly I feel a little sorry for Gao Jianming. He Yu is going to drive him insane."]
Black Vine immediately developed a headache.
They needed Gao Jianming to retake Lilu City.
So they couldn't kill him.
But if they kept him alive...
They had to both protect him...
And guard against his betrayal...
It was truly...
At that moment, He Yu spoke at exactly the right time.
"Lilu City's defenses will be weak tomorrow."
"If you capture Lilu City while everyone's attention is focused on South City..."
"...it should be much safer."
"And Gao Jianming won't have an opportunity to cause trouble for the time being."
Black Vine understood in an instant.
Like a flash of lightning, he reached his decision.
"Lilu City is more important."
"Tomorrow we'll let them take South City."
"We'll capture Gao Jianming."
"Then immediately use him to retake Lilu City."
"If we reclaim South City first..."
"...the Red Camp will immediately realize Gao Jianming has betrayed them."
"Retaking Lilu City afterward would become much harder."
"But if we strike directly at Lilu City..."
"...they won't react in time."
"As for whether we kill Gao Jianming afterward..."
"...or continue using him to seize cities..."
"...we can decide later."
He Yu hesitated.
"So..."
"...you're willing to give up South City?"
Black Vine nodded firmly.
"You have to sacrifice something to gain something."
"General, don't worry."
"We'll handle this."
"Tomorrow..."
"...focus on your own responsibilities."
"Leave us to it."
He Yu sighed helplessly.
"...Very well."
"You'll have to make your own decision."
Black Vine could hardly wait to report back.
He immediately turned around.
"General!"
"I'm leaving!"
"Please stay safe!"
"Take care!"
The vine and its shadow quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Soon they were completely gone.
He Yu slowly rode his Wind Fire Wheels out from the shadows.
Moonlight poured over the little white dumpling.
Facing the brilliant moon above, he smiled and sincerely sighed.
"Ah..."
"The Red Camp insisted on attacking South City tomorrow."
"And now the Green Camp has decided to abandon South City and attack Lilu City instead..."
"They simply wouldn't listen to my advice."
"They made all these decisions themselves."
"It has absolutely nothing to do with me."
The audience: "..."
Wanrenzhan: "???"
Wanrenzhan suddenly remembered the Who Is the Undercover? instance.
Back then...
He Yu had subtly guided every sentence Wanrenzhan spoke.
In the end, He Yu—the true undercover agent—had hidden himself perfectly.
Everything appeared completely unrelated to him.
He looked like an innocent bystander who wanted nothing but peace.
The current scene...
Was eerily similar.
Wanrenzhan's blade trembled slightly.
He could only offer one heartfelt conclusion—
He Yu...
You devil!!
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