Chapter 1183: Which One Is the Target?

"I am General Chongwu of Yao Kingdom, and I can cooperate with you to pursue the enemy!" Whether cooperation was possible or not, it was worth proposing an alliance first. General Chongwu, moreover, had a premonition that the black-armored leader's objective was not far from his own.

The prestigious reputation of Yao Kingdom had always proven useful in the Flashgold Plain, so his self-introduction was perfectly appropriate. Hidden in the shadows, He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, thinking, "Well, that saves a lot of trouble."

It was unclear which words had resonated with the black-armored leader, but his movements suddenly paused, and he tilted his head.

Dong Rui also complimented General Chongwu: "This fellow is very smart; he assessed the situation and immediately saw that you wanted to engineer a conflict. He doesn't want to be caught in the middle; he just wants to capture the Three-Tailed Great Demon."

He simultaneously taunted He Lingchuan, "You still hoped they would fight each other? That was a miscalculation, wasn't it?"

While the Yao army had indeed destroyed many rock-and-earth golems and the black-armored leader had killed many Yao soldiers, it was still far from enough.

General Chongwu remained standing, his main forces still intact. This brief, limited skirmish had not inflicted any significant damage on him.

General Chongwu might have already understood the sudden appearance of the black-armored leader in Jingshan. Yet, he harbored no greed, focusing solely on his immediate mission.

To assess the situation and not be greedy. It seemed Yao Kingdom was not lacking in talented individuals.

He Lingchuan gazed at the cluster of torches ahead. The two groups looked completely out of place together; indeed, it was a classic case of "humans and ghosts walking different paths." "Is that so?" he murmured. "Just wait and see."

In his opinion, General Chongwu seemed to have just made a significant mistake.

The black-armored figure was as rigid as a statue, its red, glowing eyes scanning from General Chongwu to the distant darkness.

Its target was hidden there, observing from the shadows. Although unseen, it could sense it clearly. More precisely, it was the sensation from the Rakshasa Armor, with which it was perfectly integrated.

No, why was this *its* target?

Why was *he* being pursued?

Whose target was this, anyway?

And what about its *own* target? It should be—

It turned its gaze back to General Chongwu, as if two voices were endlessly arguing within its mind.

The large black figure showed no reaction, seemingly in deep thought. General Chongwu then spoke again: "How about you retreat to the gully ahead? We can pass each other there; then you pursue your enemy, I pursue my objective, and we can regroup later. How does that sound?"

He even lowered his weapon first, indicating he had no ill intent. However, he absolutely dared not allow his army to split and let the creature, which had just been fighting them to the death, pass through.

If only they hadn't met on such a narrow path, blocking each other's way, he would have led his troops away long ago. Why would he be wasting time with this black figure?

As the two armies faced each other in a standoff, the black-armored leader's gaze slowly shifted from the night sky to General Chongwu and the Yao army, its eyes flickering with red light.

"We have no shared grievances; there's no need for us to fight to the death!" The creature's eyes radiated an intense ominousness, and General Chongwu's words tumbled out faster than ever before. "I promise, I can help you pursue your target, whatever it may be!"

"But—" The black-armored leader's voice was hoarse and heavy, a single word making General Chongwu's heart plummet.

"You are Yao people!"

He and the rock-and-earth golems stood directly in front of the Yao army, yet he still uttered those words.

You are Yao people.

This was the greatest original sin!

The black-armored leader tilted its head again, every word filled with bone-deep hatred: "You are the root of all suffering."

The wind blowing between the two leaders seemed to freeze in an instant.

General Chongwu slowly retreated, taking a deep breath.

Unexpectedly, the situation took a sharp turn. This battle was still unavoidable; he had indeed fallen for that monstrous bird's cunning scheme!

The black-armored leader flicked its spear tip, pointing at him as it growled in a low voice:

"Kill! Show no quarter!"

At its command, the rock-and-earth golems behind it sprang into action.

He Lingchuan remained hidden in the forest, observing the battlefield ahead.

"It's intense," Dong Rui commented from his safe vantage point behind the scenes. "Both sides are going for the kill again; *now* it feels like a true battle to the death. Hey, how did you know this big black figure would change its target to the Yao people?"

Originally, the black-armored figure's target was the two of them, but now it had shifted to annihilating the Yao people! How could He Lingchuan's impassioned words cause it to change its objective to the Yao army?

"In the central and western parts of the Flashgold Plain, which region or power doesn't despise the Yao people?" He Lingchuan asked with an air of profound mystery. "Which faction doesn't have deep-seated grievances against them? Don't forget, what kind of people sought out the Rakshasa Armor in the first place?"

"Desperate ones?"

"Do you think the Rakshasa Armor would respond to just any beggar or farmer who wandered into the mountains?" He Lingchuan said slowly. "At the very least, it would be a high-ranking military official from a particular faction. So then, who drove them to such desperation?"

The answer was obvious.

"I'm not saying everything is related to Yao Kingdom," He Lingchuan added, "but this kind of guess has a very high chance of being correct."

General Chongwu seemed to believe that as long as the black-armored leader could understand human speech, they could simply shake hands and make peace.

If he had known the black-armored leader's true identity, he surely wouldn't have announced his own.

That's why reading history is so important.

Of course, there was one thing he wouldn't mention: should things go sour, he could simply escape on the bat; his mobility was excellent. This strategy of diverting trouble was worth trying; what if it worked?

And look, that "what if" just paid off, didn't it?

Damn, he'd truly hit the jackpot tonight.

However, the black-armored figure was actually able to forcibly suppress the Rakshasa Armor's demands and turn its attention to the Yao people first. This indicated a truly profound and bitter enmity between it and Yao Kingdom.

He Lingchuan asked Dong Rui, "Do you still remember the stories Fu Liushan told us?"

"The ones about the Rakshasa Armor? Of course, I remember," Dong Rui replied, a long "Oh" of realization escaping him. "Yes, yes, this particular master of the Rakshasa Armor is quite unique."

Just then, the black-armored figure suddenly looked towards the jungle where He Lingchuan was hiding, a red light flashing in its eyes.

Something seemed to be behind them. He Lingchuan quickly rolled to the side, just as two rusty blades sliced through his original hiding spot.

The blades' sharpness was surprisingly inconsistent with their rusty appearance, as several bushes were cleanly severed at the waist.

Two rock-and-earth golems had somehow circled around to the back, or perhaps the black-armored figure had summoned them on the fly. Even while fiercely battling the Yao people, it hadn't forgotten that there was still a target here.

The earth behind them churned, and more golems were visibly taking shape. He Lingchuan quickly jumped onto the bat demon puppet and, with a few powerful leaps, flew back into the sky.

The creature was too large, making its takeoff somewhat clumsy and slow.

Several rock-and-earth golems also threw weapons, but He Lingchuan blocked them all.

He Lingchuan piloted the bat demon puppet to an altitude of over forty *zhang*, ensuring he was out of the army's firing range. As it circled, both armies on the ground noticed the anomaly in the sky.

General Chongwu's eyes blazed with fury; that rogue was indeed hiding behind them, using them as a shield!