Chapter 373: Storm (Part 2)

“Brother Rod, where are we going…” Lucy asked Rod doubtfully as she watched the large group set off. Not only her, but almost everyone was confused about the purpose of this journey—why such a big fuss?
Many even wondered if they were heading to Dark Moon City to help the opposition, as the only thing that could cause such a stir was a battle between the pro-war faction and the opposition.
“To strike at the enemy’s stronghold!” Rod said slowly, with a mysterious smile.
Those words left Lucy’s mouth agape—so they were going to attack the enemy’s base? Were they planning to march on Water Curtain City? It was possible, but it seemed extreme. Water Curtain City was nearly twenty days’ journey away. Could they reach there before the opposition was wiped out? As the first city of the demon race’s pro-war faction, was it that easy to attack? Were they strong enough? Countless doubts flashed through her mind, but since Rod didn’t seem willing to explain further, Lucy didn’t dare ask more.
At least, she trusted Rod. She believed he wouldn’t harm the Black Phoenix clan. Besides, her father and Grandpa Dolon were here, so nothing bad would surely happen. Gradually getting used to this kind of violence, Lucy remained silent and just followed.
“Kid, we’ve got news—the neutral faction’s army is heading toward Dark Moon City right now. Hehe, lucky for us!” Locke and Merk slowed down and approached Rod, both excited. They seemed overjoyed, as if hearing the sound of victory. It seemed they had both timing and advantage on their side.
They had thought this would be a tough battle, but this sudden news was like a lifeline, warming their hearts.
“Is the news reliable?” Rod asked, frowning in doubt. It seemed a bit unreasonable.
Their goal was Carefree City—the stronghold of the neutral faction. It was a bold move. With the pro-war faction focusing all their forces on attacking Dark Moon City and the dragon race, the neutral faction remained inactive. Logically, aiding Dark Moon City or attacking Water Curtain City would be more sensible than targeting Carefree City. Yet Rod chose Carefree City as their next target! And he even had Merk and Locke’s support, with the Black Phoenix clan and the Scorpion King clan joining in. If this news got out, the Dark Source would surely go wild.

“Reliable, absolutely reliable. My men just brought news—hehe, those guys really thought we didn’t know their identities. They’ve been pretending for a thousand years—quite impressive! This time, we’ll make them reveal their true colors!” Locke said cheerfully, staring into the distance with a sly smile.

“That’s great! Our pressure has decreased a lot!” Merk also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the weight off his shoulders.

Recalling the day before attacking the Mi Jiao clan, Rod suddenly approached him and Doron, saying he had something to discuss. Then Locke showed up as well, and together they revealed their plan. It really shocked him and Doron back then; they thought they were joking, not realizing it was a serious plan. In the end, convinced by Rod, they agreed to go all in, though they still felt uneasy.

Now, with the Neutral faction launching an attack, it undoubtedly gave them a great opportunity.

“Mm, that’s good! Our chances of winning have increased! As long as nothing goes wrong, there should be no problem! Everything will go according to plan!” Rod nodded slowly, a faint smile on his lips.

“Stop acting so serious, kid. This time, when the Neutral faction is destroyed, I wonder if those from the Pro-War faction can still laugh! I doubt they’d believe we’d go back to attack Wu You City at this moment!” Merk said helplessly, looking at Rod with a wry smile, truly surprised by Rod’s bold move.

“Mm, true. This kid is quite cunning!” Locke nodded in agreement with Merk.

“Warfare is all about deception! This is called tactics! Going to Dark Moon City now probably won’t yield much result. There’s no need to worry about the Dragon clan. Water Screen City is too far away, and we don’t have enough time. Wu You City is obviously the best choice. If we capture Wu You City, I’m sure the Pro-War faction will be restless! Then we’ll have much more room for maneuver!” Rod said calmly, with a cold smile. What seemed the least practical plan turned out to be the best solution.

“Mm, true. Anyway, both our families are tied to you this time. It depends on you now. We’ve put in all our strength!” Locke said unhappily, pouting at Rod’s attitude.

Rod just laughed at his disdainful look and didn’t pay much attention, instead deep in thought, already planning the next steps!

As the news of the destruction of the Mi Jiao clan spread completely, the Dark Source became chaotic and turbulent. Immediately, everyone’s attention turned to three places: Dark Moon City, where the war raged between the pro-war faction and the opposition; Dragon Valley, the habitat of the dragon clan, where a war was unfolding between the dragons and wolves; and Ghostly Manor, the home of the Black Phoenix clan, which had defeated the Mi Jiao clan! This battle had now fully begun, with the dragon-led side gaining some advantages for now. Yet many still doubted their chances, as the opposition was in a precarious position. The Black Phoenix clan had become a crucial factor, and their actions could influence the entire outcome of the war. People speculated angrily whether they would support the dragons or the opposition.

No one could have imagined that at this moment they had already rushed toward Wuyou City. After all, in the eyes of these people, Wuyou City was a neutral city, with no alliances with either side, and it was impossible for it to get involved in this battle!

Of course, there was another group that received considerable attention—the Scorpion King clan, one of the four major families. What would this clan do? Many were guessing that their stance would also be a key factor in determining the outcome of the war. After all, the Scorpion King clan was a powerful force, but they had remained silent. At present, the pro-war faction seemed to have some advantages, but the two sides were still locked in a stalemate. If the Scorpion King clan supported one side, their immense strength could instantly help either side turn the tide!

For a time, everyone was discussing wildly, with all sorts of opinions. The Scorpion King clan became the focus of public opinion, and every move they made was closely watched.

Unfortunately, as the battle continued, no news about them came in. It seemed as though the Scorpion King clan had disappeared into this chaotic era, remaining silent.

Naturally, where there is battle, there is panic. Dark Moon City was in chaos. Faced with the pro-war faction’s hundred-thousand-strong army, the city was in utter disarray. The pro-war faction surrounded the city without attacking, aiming to undermine its defenses from within. But they seemed to underestimate Dark Moon City’s thousand-year-old strength and its reputation. With the support of the opposition, the city, though somewhat chaotic, was still able to maintain strong defenses.

On the contrary, it was the neutral small families outside that panicked first! These small families belonged to neither side, remained neutral, and were weak. Such battles seemed like the end of the world to them; they couldn’t choose to support either side, but staying neutral seemed to mean an even crueler fate. Thus, these families lived in constant fear and turmoil! They all knew that if they didn’t make a choice now, once the battle ended, they would face a harsh situation and become targets of the victorious side.

The reshuffling had begun. This time, the Source of Darkness was destined to be completely reorganized into a new order.

There were also the vassal small families of the Mi Jiao clan. With the downfall of the Mi Jiao clan, these families found themselves in a hopeless situation. Without a leader, chaos ensued, and the few remaining members of the Mi Jiao clan were not enough to suppress them. Some chose to continue allied with the pro-war faction, while others began planning for their own future, deciding whether to submit to the Dragon clan.

Watching and waiting—this was what dominated the Source of Darkness at that time. Everyone was waiting to see how things would turn out.

Of course, all of this seemed unrelated to Rod for now. He didn’t care. Even if these families wavered, they wouldn’t dare use much strength if they allied with them! So he simply let them act as they pleased. Once the neutrals were destroyed, the situation would become clearer, and he believed those who had been watching would know what to do then.

It was a dark and windy night, with rustling sounds coming from the dense forests. Deep in the woods, occasional roars of wild beasts and hoots of owls could be heard.

“There’s only one day left!” After days of marching, the main force was less than a day away from Wuyou City. They couldn’t continue like this, or they would definitely be discovered.

“Hmm, according to the plan, we’ll split up and move forward. Locke, it’s up to you inside the city! I, as the chief of the Merk clan, will wait outside for news from you!” After a moment of thought, Rod said to Locke. According to their original plan, Locke would lead a group to infiltrate Wuyou City, working together from within and without to achieve the best results.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle things without any problems. Just wait for good news! Hehe!” Locke said arrogantly to Rod, then led his forces in ten groups to head ahead toward Wuyou City. As for Rod, Merk, and the vassal families of the Black Phoenix clan, they stayed behind to organize things, giving Rod enough time to make arrangements. After all, if these people stayed here, it might arouse suspicion. So, entrusting the covert operations to the neutral Scorpion King clan was definitely the best approach.