Chapter 103: The Lackey

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The matter of dealing with the archers was naturally handled in secret. Huang Kun silently went to take care of it, while the other two dared not ask any questions openly. Zhao Nan walked straight inside, and they had no choice but to follow quietly. At that moment, Lin Yu happened to come out, and upon meeting, they exchanged greetings before everyone began to eat.

“Tomorrow will be a day of rest; the day after tomorrow, we will officially start the assault on the monsters in the square,” Zhao Nan said. “This will also give us time to assign teams.”

Looking at a few people in front of him, Zhao Nan spoke loudly, “Lin Yu and Fu Yun will follow the original plan. As for you three, Huang Kun, you will be the vanguard. When you feel it’s time, I will signal for you to withdraw. Lin Yu, later you’ll hand over the information on the square’s monsters to Huang Kun and the others, so they can study it in advance. Tomorrow, everyone must memorize all the information.”

“No problem,” Lin Yu nodded. “But what about supplies? The supplies we currently have don’t seem sufficient.”

“I’ve arranged for someone to prepare them; they should arrive by tomorrow,” Zhao Nan smiled. “You don’t need to worry about that. Now that we have more manpower, as long as nothing unexpected happens, I estimate we can take it down on the day after tomorrow’s attack.”

Lin Yu shrugged, “At this point, I’m no longer concerned with success or failure.”

“I salute you!” Zhao Nan suddenly raised his cup. “And I salute everyone.”

After several rounds of drinking and eating until full and inebriated, Zhao Nan quietly called Huang Kun and the other two to a corner.

“Huang Kun, do you still have that secret treasure you mentioned last time that can test lies?” Zhao Nan asked directly.

Huang Kun was momentarily stunned and awkwardly said, “I was just trying to fool you back then…”

He looked anxiously at Zhao Nan, worried that he still held a grudge over that day’s incident, and hurriedly added, “I brought several fiery women with me…”

Zhao Nan snorted coldly, “I’d rather you bring more people capable of fighting!”

“They’re both useful and can fight, rest assured!” Huang Kun smiled obsequiously.

Zhao Nan shook his head and turned to the other two. One was Qian Sen, a level 20 human shield warrior, about thirty years old. The other was Zhong Jianguo, a level 20 demon axe warrior, roughly the same age as Qian Sen.

“Do you have anything like this on hand?”

Both Qian Sen and Zhong Jianguo shook their heads, indicating they did not. Zhao Nan had no reason to doubt them; under the current circumstances, these three didn’t dare tell him a single lie.

Once psychological fear sets in, it becomes more effective than any form of restraint. As long as these three fear death, they won’t dare make any sneaky moves for the time being.

Zhao Nan glanced outside the door, pondered briefly, then opened his backpack. A transparent, elongated crystal was already in his palm. “This is the Lie Crystal. You’ll take turns using it.”

The Lie Crystal was not some high-level secret treasure. It dropped in the first 10-level regular dungeon in Dongyuan City. It could only be used on characters below level 25. Zhao Nan had collected it out of curiosity, and now it was just the right time to use it.

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“What… what is this for?” Huang Kun couldn’t help but be curious. “I’ve told the truth!”

Zhao Nan shook his head. “It’s not about you three, but your subordinates… You’ll use it on them. My goal is to find the cannibals hidden within each of your teams!”

Cannibalism was a taboo. Once it became a trend, everyone would live in fear, and the remnants in Tingfeng City would likely perish. Every safe zone forbade such acts. Still, some practiced it secretly. Huang Kun and the other two were aware of this, but their territories were complex. Without evidence, it was hard to act without causing panic.

“Question every person you have ever suspected,” Zhao Nan first handed the Lie Crystal to Huang Kun, “and write down the culprits. By tomorrow night at the latest, put all these people into the same team. On the day after tomorrow’s attack, the true vanguard will be this group! Since they’ve eaten human flesh, let them redeem themselves with their lives.”

The three felt a chill. This approach—planning to kill these people before the battle even began—showed how ruthless this guy truly was, far from his outward appearance.

Zhao Nan looked at the three with a half-smile and suddenly asked, “Have any of you ever… eaten human flesh?”

Huang Kun’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the crystal, and he quickly said, “Absolutely not!”

“Not at all!”

The three stared at the Lie Crystal, and seeing no change, they relaxed slightly. Zhao Nan laughed softly and casually said, “Do your job well. If there are no mistakes, I won’t treat you badly in the future… Go now, and try to complete this before dawn.”

Seeing the three rush off at full speed, Zhao Nan shook his head. Suddenly, a silvery, bell-like laugh came from behind him. He was not surprised in the slightest and turned around with open arms.

Finina didn’t hesitate and threw herself into his embrace, whispering, “These three will probably have to keep their tails tucked from now on.”

“How are things over in Dongyuan City?”

“Hmm, the preparations should be ready by noon tomorrow at the latest,” Finina whispered.

“That’s good…” Zhao Nan patted Finina’s back gently. “Get some rest early tonight.”

“Mm…”

Her voice was as soft and faint as a mosquito’s hum.

…

Huang Kun had brought about three hundred men; Qian Sen had just over four hundred; Zhong Jianguo’s force was smaller, just over two hundred.

The rest of their respective territories’ people were left behind. Although these three were leaders, they couldn’t mobilize all their people. But combined, nearly a thousand men was not a small number—suitable for the vanguard.

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By noon the next day, the Lie Crystal was back in Zhao Nan’s hand, along with an additional list clearly listing twenty-eight names.

Zhao Nan’s expression darkened. Twenty-eight out of a thousand seemed small, but as the old saying goes, a thousand-mile voyage can be ruined by an ant’s nest.

“These people were previously suspected. We spent some effort to discreetly identify them,” Huang Kun said first. “And we’ve already assigned them to the same team.”

“Once the battle starts, the three of you keep a close watch on them and create some ‘accidents’,” Zhao Nan tore up the list into pieces. “You don’t need me to tell you how to do it, right?”

“Of course, we’ll make sure no one notices!” The three quickly promised.

“I’ll try not to meet with you directly unless necessary,” Zhao Nan suddenly said. “I’ll give you instructions via email. Also… these are for you.”

At that moment, Zhao Nan’s hand trembled, and three different weapons clattered to the ground. “These three are second enchantment blue-quality weapons. After equipping them, you’ll join the team attacking the mutant king… Of course, only after completing your tasks.”

The three exchanged glances. Though reluctant, they had no choice but to pick up the weapons.

“Don’t waste time on needless thoughts,” Zhao Nan said coldly. “Once Tingfeng City is restored, you’ll be heroes.”

“Hopefully… so,” Huang Kun replied bitterly, thinking to himself that whether or not they became heroes, their other identity was already decided. Zhao Nan’s promise of future communication via email clearly showed that their true role was to be his lackeys.

…

Another day passed. Above Tingfeng City, a round sun slowly climbed past a dense white mist, inching toward the city’s zenith.

At this moment, a force exceeding two thousand marched straight toward the square holding the Soul Crystal.

Monsters along the way were cleared out, their corpses littering the path even before the battle began.