Yun Zhe realized that something was wrong.
This wasn't because something bad had happened to him personally. Rather, the entire camp was filled with a joyful and relaxed atmosphere, completely devoid of the tension that should have been present before a battle.
Some soldiers crowded together, noisily grabbing for food; some lay lazily on the ground sunbathing; and a few even climbed trees and started throwing stones at passing soldiers, laughing and having a great time.
Yun Zhe observed carefully. These soldiers were clearly divided into two groups. One group wore the same armor or cloth armor as Charles, while the other group was more varied and disorganized.
"So many mercenaries?" Yun Zhe asked.
Charles grinned. He could guess why Yun Zhe asked the question, but he didn't want to answer this difficult question. He just shrugged and spread his hands, indicating to Yun Zhe that there was nothing he could do about it.
When Yun Zhe entered Tedler's tent, he had already given up all hope of a possible attack. He would be lucky if the enemy didn't suddenly rush over and wipe them out.
When Tedler first met Yun Zhe, although he knew he was an Aruru, he was still very amazed. The Aruru in front of him was not at all like the slovenly and lowly Aruru he had imagined; instead, he gave him the feeling of a "normal person".
Tedler frowned, and couldn't help but think of that secret letter, suddenly realizing why he was targeting this Aruru.
"What are your plans, General?" After exchanging pleasantries, Yun Zhe got straight to the point.
Tedler paused for a moment, then shook his head. "That's all the troops we can spare. Given the disparity in manpower, there's not much we can do."
Yun Zhe raised his eyebrows. "Then let's do this. I see that the enemy troops are divided into three parts. The last part is almost entirely composed of people who can't walk. It's two or three days away from here. If we go there now, we can at least gain some merit."
Tedler frowned, unsure whether the Aruru man before him was speaking sincerely or speaking out of anger. "The dying are of no use; they can't be exchanged for money. And simply killing the wounded is meaningless; it will only make the soldiers more timid."
Yun Zhe nodded subconsciously, "That is indeed a difficult problem. We can't fight the strong forces, and the weak ones are not worth fighting."
Tedler sighed. His mind wasn't on the battle at all; it was focused on how to complete the mission outlined in the secret letter—how to begin, how to ask questions. For a martial artist like him, who usually concentrated on wielding swords and spears, these were incredibly difficult tasks.
"It would be more satisfying to fight," Tedler thought to himself, and couldn't help but sigh at the kind of people the so-called advisors around the Duke were.
Then he saw Yun Zhe's amused look.
Having no idea what to say, Tedler gritted his teeth and decided to lay his cards on the table.
"Yun Zhe, would you be interested in working for the Duke?" Tedler asked in a low voice after gesturing for everyone to leave.
Looking at the general before him, who seemed to have given up entirely, Yun Zhe smiled and asked, "General, what benefits will I receive if I go?"
Tedler was taken aback; the secret letter hadn't mentioned any benefits!
Yun Zhe's smile deepened. "General, let me give you an example. After I go there, will I be a general like you, able to command six or seven thousand men?"
Tedler took a deep breath; even he himself thought it was unlikely.
Yun Zhe's smile vanished abruptly. "I have always been loyal to Countess Serena, who is one of the two counts personally appointed by the Duke. My loyalty to Serena is, in effect, loyalty to the Duke himself. Does the General mean that I should betray Serena? That he wants me to become like the Lunlang family and find a seemingly stronger patron to cling to?"
"That's definitely not it!"
"I don't think the Duke would be interested in a traitor. So, does the Duke want Serena to follow the same path as the Lunlang family?"
Tedler suddenly felt a sense of suffocation. As a close advisor to Duke Salder, he naturally remembered the old duke's reaction after the Lunlang family married their daughter into the royal family. And if Serena were to follow in the Lunlang family's footsteps using his words today, then his life would be over.
Yun Zhe adopted a questioning expression. "Could it be that what you just said was just a test? Wasn't that a rather clumsy attempt?"
Tedler could only admit that what had just happened was merely a test, attributing it to the old count's concern that he, a general far from home, had harbored disloyal feelings for Serena. He concluded by praising Yun Zhe, saying he was the general most valued by both Serena and the count. Only when Yun Zhe's expression brightened did Tedler breathe a sigh of relief. He then gestured for Yun Zhe to join him for lunch.
Yun Zhe directly rejected the invitation, a reaction that didn't surprise Tedler too much. He didn't really want to keep Yun Zhe around any longer anyway. After their conversation, Tedler not only knew how sharp Yun Zhe was with words, but also sensed the danger behind the secret letter. As for fighting Belvaldo, that was no longer important.
Yun Zhe breathed a sigh of relief as he left the Tedler camp. If he hadn't been able to understand human thoughts, things would have been much more difficult in the tent.
Clearly, some people on Duke Salder's side already see him as a thorn in their side. And this person is more likely not targeting Yun Zhe himself, but rather Serena, who is behind Yun Zhe.
"That girl Serena is really living a life of constant danger," Yun Zhe remarked, gesturing for Morrison to follow him and leave quickly.
Suddenly, Yun Zhe had a strange thought. He suddenly wanted to ask Morrison if one day someone of higher status and power than himself showed him goodwill, would he betray him and side with that person?
However, Yun Zhe didn't ask the question. Once he did, the outcome would be irreversible, especially for people like Morrison and Blazer.
Yun Zhe remained silent on the way back, while Morrison beside him was very curious about what he and Tedler had talked about. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Akdina riding towards them from afar.
Akdina was very excited to see Yun Zhe unharmed and blurted out everything she had sensed. Of course, she only said that she had investigated it herself and did not say that she had discovered it because of her special vampire physique.
Hearing these words, Morrison was quite surprised. What he had thought would be a simple tactical meeting had instantly turned into a tense and dangerous situation. No wonder Yun Zhe hadn't said a word after they came out.
But Morrison suddenly thought of an interesting question. If someone, like Duke Sald, were to recruit him in the same way, would he betray the person before him?
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