Rise of The Demon General-Chapter 420. Fort Fresh Maw

"You will not be disappointed," Amon said.

"I better not," Zong Hua said. "I am still a trader in heart, and I value profit. If at any point I no longer see any profit from our cooperation, don’t blame me if I bail."

"Great! With our collaboration, we will reach the height of this kingdom yet!" Huang San declared.

"When can you arrange for your people to sit down with me to hand over the information?" Zong Hua asked Amon.

"Give me five days to gather them here," Amon replied. "In the meantime, I need information about a different subject."

"Hm... I don’t work for free, you know," Zong Hua said.

"I will pay you."

"What information do you need?"

"I need everything you can find out about the Xei Clan."

"The Xei Clan?" Huang San asked. "Isn’t that the ruling clan of the Xandar region?"

Amon nodded.

"What do you want with the Xei Clan?" Zong Hua asked.

"That’s my business," Amon replied.

Zong Hua rubbed her temple. She said, "My information is mostly domestic. My network has not yet reached the scope outside Echos. However, I can have my people ask around and find out what I can."

"Please do. Time is of the essence. I will need as much information as possible by next week."

"A bit pushy, aren’t you? In that case, I will require payment of fifty thousand aer stones."

"Isn’t that a bit expensive just for information?" Huang San said.

"Like I said, for the right person, information can be invaluable," Zong Hua replied. "If it makes you feel any better, you can also consider it a starting capital for me to mobilize my network for the rebels."

Amon didn’t say anything. He simply took out the requested aer stones and laid them on the table.

"You have a much deeper pocket than I thought," Zong Hua said with a smile. "I will accept this payment."

*

"Why do you need to know about the Xei Clan?" Huang San asked after they left Zong Hua’s place.

"We will need it for our plan to wipe out the rebels," Amon answered. "Also, I will need you to accompany me in meeting them."

"We are going to meet them? When?" Huang San asked.

"Soon," Amon answered.

"Soon? I thought we were going to busy ourselves with building our troops at our new fort?"

"We won’t be building them fast enough," Amon answered. He then asked, "How many Zillium can you get your hands on from the royal treasury?"

"Why suddenly ask about Zillium?" Huang San asked.

"Just answer my question," Amon insisted.

"I did ask you not to consider my station when we talk privately. It seems you truly take it to heart," Huang San complained. "Zillium is highly regulated. Even I need permission to take them."

"How many can you take without getting into trouble?" Amon asked.

"Well, the Royal Academy usually requested a monthly supply of Zillium to produce around sixty to eighty battle puppets. I probably can get the same number, but what’s the point? Zillium is essential for producing battle puppets, but a complete battle puppet requires more than just that material."

"I will show you tomorrow. Can you also get some skillful puppet makers to help us?"

"I have a few in mind. Do you want to cover our shortage of manpower using battle puppets? Constructing a battle puppet takes a lot of resources. We still have fifty million aer stones to worry about for the trial. We can’t afford the expenditure for making battle puppets."

"Like I said, I will show you tomorrow," Amon replied. "I will go to the fort first and get ready."

"So hardworking. Very well, I will join you tomorrow," Huang San said. "For now, I must play family with my family."

*

The next day, Huang San went to Fort Fresh Maw with a group of people. When the fort came into view, they saw guards manning the fort. After arriving, they were surprised to find these guards were battle puppets. These puppets stopped their advance.

"Welcome!" Amon flew down from above the fort’s battlement. When he landed, he saw many familiar faces in the group Huang San brought.

"I’m glad when I learned you are alive," Ha Gild said.

"So did I," An Guan said. He came over and gave Amon a friendly slap on the arm. "Holy! You are truly at the Mystic Stage."

"Impressive," Lao Zen said. "You might very well be the youngest Martial Realm cultivator in history."

"Do you construct these battle puppets?" Ji Zhi asked. "Their craftsmanship is excellent!"

"... No, I found them during a fortunate encounter. All I did was reprogram them," Amon answered.

He looked at everyone. They used to be the tutors and teachers from the Royal Academy. He asked, "Do you all remain together after leaving the Royal Academy?"

"No, we all go our separate ways," Lao Zen answered. "I entered the civil court and became a minister counselor."

"I keep teaching," An Guan said. "I became an instructor in the grand barrack."

"So am I and my sister," Yong Baili said. Yong Ling was by his side.

"I retired. I live in the forest outside the capital," Ha Gild said.

"I work in the kingdom’s puppet-making department," Ji Zhi said.

"Seeing all of you come here, I take it you will join us?" Amon asked.

"I sent a message to them after we parted ways yesterday," Huang San said. "Honestly, I didn’t expect this many to answer my call."

"Your Highness, how can we deny you," Ha Gild laughed. "If Your Highness hadn’t fallen into self-pity after Qishurg City’s destruction, I probably wouldn’t have gone to retirement. I’m actually glad to receive the call."

"Great job," Amon told Huang San. The group Huang San brought numbered around thirty people. Considering they used to be teachers at the Royal Academy, most of them had Martial Realm cultivation. A few were even Spirit Stage cultivators. They were all a great addition to their force.

"I find it weird to hear you compliment His Highness," Yong Baili said. "It should be the other way around."

Huang San chuckled. "Let’s not bother about such formality. We are all in this together."

"More will come," Lao Zen said. "They are not here yet because they don’t live near the capital."

"Will Principal Li Niang and Vice Principal Fei Wung join us?" Amon asked.

Lao Zen shook his head. "Unfortunately, they won’t."

"Li Niang joined my sister’s camp, while Fei Wung follows the crown prince," Huang San informed. "I don’t blame them, though. It was me who neglected them first by giving up."

"You are being too hard on yourself, Your Highness," Ha Gild uttered.

"Not hard enough," Amon said. "You shouldn’t have given up."

"Dude... Can’t you give His Highness a break?" An Guan said.

"No, he is correct. I deserve it," Huang San said. "So, shall we enter? This will be our base of operation from now on."

Amon turned to the battle puppets blocking the entrance. He said, "Stand down."

The two battle puppets moved to the side and stood beside the fort’s gate. Amon gave the others the signal to follow him. When he passed the battle puppets, he said, "Register the identities. These are occupants."

The battle puppets’ artificial eyes observed those who entered. They scanned everyone, committing these faces into their memory data. These people were free to enter and leave the fort from now on.

A large courtyard greeted them after passing through the gate. Three large buildings were on three different sides from the entrance. The largest one was the keep. The second largest was the barrack. The last one was a storehouse with a stable next to it. They all looked worn.

"None of the words of power is working anymore," remarked a tutor who used to teach at Royal Academy’s engraving classes.

"We are not preparing this fort to withstand an attack," Amon said. "We will only spend our resources to restore essential enchantments. Other than that, this place is to train our troops and make them ready for when it is time to strike."

"I can’t wait for it," Yong Baili slapped his right palm to his left fist. "I will make those rebels pay for everything they did to Qishurg City!"

"We all have the same wish," An Guan said. "This is another reason we join the Thirteenth Prince."

Huang San smiled wryly, "It seems my gamble on the right for the Ancient Ascension Trial is already public knowledge."

"We can assume the rebels will also learn this news, if they have not already," Lao Zen said. "Will this make it harder for us to deal with them?"

"It will still be long before we face them," Amon said. "Let them be wary. All they can do is pay attention to this fort."

"Won’t that make it hard for us to move if our every move is watched?" Yong Ling asked.

Amon grinned at the statement. He said, "There is a particular reason why we chose this fort. Follow me. I also want to show something to His Highness where we are going."