So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon?

Chapter 511 ·A Fisherman’s Windfall (4)

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Chapter 511: A Fisherman’s Windfall (4)

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Several 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󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄂days later, a contingent bearing the banners of the Khalas Empire approached Merv accompanied by an enormous train of wagons.

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2

"Must ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍󠄂󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄂we surrender even our armor and weapons when we face an urgent war in the West?"

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Il-mok ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍󠄂󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄂had responded to that protest with a smile.

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2

"If ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍󠄂󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄂you need to rush westward, you should travel as swiftly as possible. You can simply resupply your weapons and armor as you pass through your own territory. In fact, leaving your heavy gear here will lighten your soldiers' load and allow them to move much faster."

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2

Thanks to that completely shameless counter, the imperial soldiers had to fork over every last piece of gear they owned to the Hong Dynasty.

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2

Only after they’d been squeezed dry of their loot and their personal equipment was the Khalas Empire’s army finally permitted to cross through Merv and march back west. 

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The same treatment awaited the remnant forces that had ventured East.

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2

"Now then, we must prepare for what comes next."

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Il-mok entrusted a letter to a courier bound for the capital. The missive detailed the truce agreement and the territorial gains from the Muslim's lands. The letter also explained the current situation and requested the necessary resources for administration.

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2

With that handled, Il-mok pivoted to setting up a negotiation with the coalition’s leaders. Ever since Bukhara had fallen, the surviving lords and their battered armies had been on the run. The Hong Dynasty spent days tracking them down before finally establishing contact.

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Once a rendezvous was determined through intermediaries, Il-mok led a portion of his forces across the Amu River toward Bukhara.

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"Merv was a resort compared to this."

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Bukhara lay in ruins.

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From a distance, it looked like the dusty ruins of a civilization that had died out centuries ago, but the inside told a much grimmer story. Bloodstains covered every surface, making it clear that the carnage had occurred quite recently, and it took them quite a while to find a relatively intact section of the city,

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These areas had apparently been preserved for use by high-ranking imperial officers.

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Il-mok's group made themselves at home and waited for a day.

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"We have people approaching. They appear to be the coalition’s lords."

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Right on schedule, the surviving lords of the coalition arrived at Bukhara. Trailing behind them was a ragged army of roughly thirty thousand men that they had somehow managed to scrounge up.

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***

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"It's been a while."

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As Il-mok exchanged greetings with the coalition leaders, he swept his gaze across them.

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'Their numbers have thinned considerably.'

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Compared to when he first visited Bukhara, only a quarter remained.

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Il-mok turned his head to the side.

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Bound tightly in heavy ropes, Lord Salah of Herat kept his eyes glued to the dirt. The rest of the turncoat lords were no different, cowering silently and refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

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'Even if I add these traitors to the headcount, that's still only half. The other half must have died when Bukhara fell.'

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The eyes of the coalition lords who followed Il-mok's gaze blazed with fury.

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"Even tearing them limb from limb and casting them into the fires of hell would be enough!"

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"Did you really believe that wagging your tails for the Empire would earn you their acceptance?!"

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The air was filled with anguish. Some of the traitors raised their heads as if to protest their innocence.

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'Fools!'

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‘Do you really think the Hong Dynasty is any better than the Empire?!'

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But with gags in their mouths, their words were incomprehensible.

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"Mmph! Mmmph!"

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Il-mok watched the spectacle for a moment before speaking up. "Let us begin with their execution first. We must at least console the spirits of those who died here in Bukhara, don't you think?"

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Beyond just being a kind gesture, giving the surviving troops a front-row seat to the traitors' demise was the perfect political play.

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The coalition lords expressed their gratitude to Il-mok.

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"Thank you."

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"I was worried about how I could ever face the ghosts of the men who died defending us, but this brings me some much-needed peace."

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Looking at the handful of lords who were left, it was hard to tell if they had survived through pure dumb luck or actual skill.

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Among them were Ma’mun of Nishapur as well as Ahmed of Merv and Muhammad of Samarkand, both of whom had been relatively favorable toward the Hong Dynasty.

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Il-mok departed the estate and led them toward the execution ground prepared in one section of Bukhara.

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Soon the gagged and bound traitors were tied one by one to wooden posts, and flames were set to their bodies.

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"Mmmmmph!!"

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As the flames licked up their bodies and they shrieked in muffled terror, the allied soldiers roared in triumph. Some of the men even broke down, weeping tears of grief.

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Watching the fire consume the betrayers and listening to their muffled screams, the soldiers couldn't help but feel like the nightmare of that bloody night had finally come full circle.

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***

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After the execution ceremony concluded and evening approached, Il-mok held formal negotiations with the coalition leaders.

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"As you likely heard on your way here, the war has already ended."

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Ma’mun of Nishapur cautiously raised his hand. "We heard the rumors as well, including reports of crusaders invading from the Empire's West. With such an opportunity to destroy the Empire, why settle for a truce?"

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Though he deferred to Il-mok's authority, the fire burning in his eyes gave him away. It was a cocktail of vengeance, rage, and naked greed. Beyond vengeance, he seemed eager to topple the Empire and seize even greater power.

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Il-mok regarded Ma’mun and replied. "Too much blood has already been spilled. I told the Empire the same thing. Our Hong Dynasty pursues peace."

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The Muslim warlords struggled to maintain their composure.

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They had heard numerous rumors.

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They knew damn well that this young man before them was feared as the Avatar of the Evil God by the Khalas Empire’s army. Just imagining the kind of butchery you had to commit to earn a nickname like that was enough to make their blood run cold.

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In their view, watching a monster of that caliber preaching about world peace wasn't just weird; it was downright terrifying.

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As if reading their thoughts, Il-mok smiled and added, "But you needn't worry. We received adequate compensation from the Empire for starting this war."

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With a gesture from Il-mok, Jin Hayeon brought forth a large folded parchment. She spread it out across the table, revealing a hand-drawn map of the Islamic world with a thick black line drawn across it.

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"Everything to the left of this line stays with the Empire, and everything to the right is 'our' territory. This matter has already been settled with the Empire."

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The line extended beyond the coalition's original borders to include portions of what had been imperial territory. The lords' attention was particularly drawn to Ray, the greatest city in the central region.

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Hypnotized by the prospect of all that new land, it took them a second to catch his phrasing.

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"Wait, what exactly do you mean by 'our'?"

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"Hahaha. Why the long faces? Didn't we hash this out before the Hong Dynasty even joined the fight? Didn't you swear that once the dust settled, you'd carve out space in the allied lands for our soldiers to settle down?"

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The blood drained from their faces as they realized the real negotiation was starting right now.

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"Then which territories does the Grand Preceptor intend to station his soldiers in?"

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Nobody had the guts to even think about crossing the Hong Dynasty at this point. Not after hearing the rumors that this smiling Avatar of the Evil God had personally butchered both the monstrous Old Man of the Mountain and Great General Talib.

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Il-mok looked back at them with a saintly smile. "I've given this thought, and stationing our Hong Dynasty soldiers where you reside would be inconvenient for everyone."

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Il-mok dipped a brush in the ink Seon-ah had prepared and began drawing lines on the map.

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Starting from the southern part of the Amu River, he included cities such as Andkhoy and Mazar-i-Sharif along with nearby smaller cities. Not stopping there, the line continued southwest of the Amu River, consuming territories ruled by the traitors such as Herat and its surrounding towns that all lay further southwest of Andkhoy.

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The line then swallowed the entire southern coalition territory before finally turning back eastward to the Amu River and extending to areas near Xinjiang and Tibet that bordered the Islamic world.

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(TL Note: Il-mok basically devoured a large part of modern Afghanistan, all of Tajikistan, and half of modern Uzbekistan in a single swoop)

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The watching alliance leaders were rendered speechless. Though territories already seized by the Empire, like Merv and Nishapur were excluded, this still meant losing the entire southern region.

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"Taking half our territory is excessive, don't you think?"

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"Hahaha. Why not look at the bigger picture? The coalition's territory has grown much larger. How can this be called half?"

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Il-mok pointed to areas that had originally been the Empire’s territory.

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"Besides, excessive greed breeds trouble. This brutal war left your populations decimated. If you try to manage too much land right now, it will only blow up in your faces."

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The number of lords had decreased while the land to govern had increased. He was essentially telling them to be satisfied with the newly acquired imperial lands.

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"Alright. With the territorial matters settled, let's move on to the next item on the agenda. Though our nation joined the war purely out of a love for peace, we've suffered considerable casualties."

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Ahmed of Merv knew where this was headed and replied cautiously. "As your ally, we feel a heavy burden of responsibility. However, the lands we govern have been trampled into dust by the imperial army. We're currently unable to provide anything immediately."

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"Hahaha. I understand. I have no intention of being unreasonable between allies. So why don't we draft a contract today? You don't have to pay us right now, but if you show your sincerity with steady payments over the next few years, I'm sure His Majesty the Holy Emperor would be most pleased."

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Unlike the Empire, they would continue sharing a border with these people. Even if immediate reparations weren't possible, steady payments over years would suffice.

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Throughout this, Il-mok never once mentioned that he had also extracted reparations from the Empire.

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***

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Shortly after the coalition lords departed the negotiation room with dazed faces, Jong-ri Chu asked a question.

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"Grand Preceptor, don't you think you were a little too generous with them?" 

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If the lords had heard that, they probably would have dropped dead from a brain aneurysm.

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"Is it because I handed over Ray?"

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Jong-ri Chu nodded.

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The girls listening nearby also found it puzzling, though they didn't show it.

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Seeing their reactions, Il-mok replied as if it were nothing.

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"Actually, Ray is more trouble than it's worth. It may be the greatest city in the central region, but it sits directly next to the border of the Empire. Even if the Khalas Empire accepted the truce, there is no way they will simply let that city go. Once their war in the West is over, they will undoubtedly keep testing the waters and try to take it back by any means necessary." 

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As the girls slowly nodded, Jong-ri Chu’s merchant side started to pick something up, and he asked with an impressed expression.

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"Did you steal Ray from the Empire for this purpose? You planned from the start to give it to the coalition to ensure that the Empire would continue causing trouble with them instead of us after the war."

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"That was the first reason. The second concerns internal conflicts within the coalition. Unlike the Empire, the coalition isn't a unified power. When new land appears, they'll inevitably quarrel among themselves over how to divide it."

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(TL Note: And you are telling me you aren’t a politician in your past life?!)

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Conflicts within the alliance, and a proxy war between the coalition and the Empire.

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Il-mok had rigged the board to protect the lands the Hong Dynasty had just annexed.

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"These regions used to follow the way of Islam for centuries. Converting the people living there to follow our Divine Cult's teachings will require considerable time and effort."

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Brainwashing a new populace was hard enough work even without having to fend off foreign invasions at the same time.

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"Therefore, we must eliminate as much potential for conflict with external forces as possible."

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While the Khalas Empire waged war with the crusaders, the allied lords would be busy stabbing each other in the back over the new territories. By the time the Empire and the alliance finally turned their swords against each other, the Hong Dynasty would focus its efforts on converting the populace and watching the conflict from the sidelines.

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