Chapter 406: Intense Activity

The night was cold as water, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe. Inside the city lord’s mansion in Dark Moon City, the mood was especially solemn. The lights in the hall were dim, and the place was crowded with people—key members of the opposition, as well as Rod and others. Everyone had a serious expression, and the atmosphere was gloomy.
“The Wolf Clan’s army has arrived!” said the opposition leader in a low voice. This was undoubtedly terrible news. The main war faction’s hundred-thousand-strong army was already a huge threat; who would have thought the Wolf Clan would also send an army to aid them? Clearly, the main war faction could no longer resist and planned to launch a final battle.
These words sent the atmosphere to rock bottom. Everyone could clearly hear each other’s breathing. All wore furrowed brows and serious expressions.
“How many are there?” asked a few elders after a moment of silence.
“According to reports, they arrived outside the city at dusk. There are about six thousand of them! Two Wolf Kings have come in person!” said Aida, who was in charge of gathering this information, seriously. This force couldn’t be underestimated, especially those two Wolf Kings—both were warriors at the Yin Yellow realm. Their arrival undoubtedly worsened Dark Moon City’s situation, pushing it into a desperate corner.
“Where did they come from? Could something have happened in the Dragon Clan’s territory?” asked Hei Yin, frowning. The Wolf Clan’s army was gathered outside Dragon Valley. The sudden appearance of these troops must have come from Dragon Valley. His gaze turned to Sognar and Lilith, who were members of the Dragon Clan. They should be the most worried at this moment.
Yet, strangely, none of them showed any signs of tension. They remained calm, as if it had nothing to do with them, which was puzzling.
“Nothing can happen in Dragon Valley. As long as our people don’t leave on their own, no matter how strong the Wolf Clan is, they can’t threaten us!” replied Lilith confidently.
“Indeed. Nothing’s wrong with the Dragon Clan. This time, the Wolf Clan sent troops from two sources. Seven or eight out of ten of the troops originally stationed in Ice City were taken away, leaving only a few as a token force. The rest came from Dragon Valley, but their number is small!” said Aida with a wry smile.

The atmosphere was so thick it made breathing difficult; everyone sat quietly, silent, staring at one another, their eyes reflecting seriousness—as things had reached their final moment. Yet no one noticed that in a corner, someone wore a look of schadenfreude. “It seems they intend to engage in a decisive battle, within these next day or two!” Rod sighed after a long while. Needless to say, a great battle was about to unfold, one that would be extremely fierce, with only one outcome: either death or victory for one side, with only one able to laugh in the end. “How prepared are we on our side?” asked the leader of the opposition in a deep voice, his already wrinkled face appearing even more aged. “There’s a huge disparity in numbers; if they launch a fierce attack, we really won’t have the strength to resist!” Aida replied simply, but it was clear just how dire the situation was. Once again, everyone’s breathing grew heavy, their faces filled with worry—it seemed they truly were in a desperate situation. “The east and north gates will surely be their main targets. We’ll assign the most troops to defend those two gates, and a smaller number to the south gate, as long as it can hold out for a while. Specific arrangements can be made later. As for the west gate, if necessary, we can reduce the number of defenders there! It’s unlikely the enemy will attack from that direction!” After much deliberation, Aida said helplessly. Giving up some resources when necessary was a wise choice—rather than failing to defend any side, it might be better to take a risky gamble, which could still offer some chance. After saying this, Aida glanced intentionally in Rod’s direction. Seeming to sense her gaze, Rod nodded slightly—Aida had truly matured. Facing such a situation, he showed the demeanor of a king, remaining calm and able to analyze things rationally, which was truly remarkable. “Hmm, it seems that’s the only option!” Aida’s words didn’t draw any opposition; her analysis was thorough. Due to the terrain, with cliffs and steep slopes behind the west gate, it was impossible for the enemy to launch a large-scale attack, nor would they send troops there—after all, the journey was difficult, and they’d be easily attacked if discovered. So, the defense there could be relaxed somewhat. After making arrangements for the possible battle, everyone rushed to end the meeting.

Although it was deep at night with howling winds, these people didn’t idle away; instead, they all went to their assigned positions to make arrangements and ensure everything was in order, striving to avoid any problems. Everyone else had left, but a few stayed behind and followed Rod to his room. “There’s no one here, don’t worry!” Rod joked, seeing Lilith scanning the surroundings seriously. He had already used his mental power to check the area, so there was no need to worry. His mental power was now terrifyingly strong—under his detection, no one could escape his notice. “Mm, that’s good!” Lilith nodded upon hearing Rod’s words and returned to the room. There, only four people were gathered: Sognar, Ada, Rod, and herself. “It seems it’s time to take action!” As they sat down, Rod said with a wry smile, looking at Ada with a hint of regret. With a sigh, he asked, “How about I handle this?” “No need, don’t worry, big brother. Trust Ada—I can handle it myself!” Ada replied with a smile, though a trace of worry remained on her face. “Alright, don’t force yourself. If it really doesn’t work, let us step in!” Rod nodded reassuringly. “Mm, if it really goes wrong, we can handle it then too!” Sognar, unusually serious this time, said. Others might not know what was about to happen, but they were fully aware. “How’s your preparation going?” Rod interrupted Sognar and asked Ada. “Mm, everything’s ready. Don’t worry, big brother—nothing will go wrong!” Ada nodded confidently. “As long as it’s ready, be careful. This time we can’t afford any mistakes—only success is allowed. You all know the consequences of failure!” Rod said gravely, frowning slightly. They had prepared for this mission for so long, investing countless resources and effort—only they knew that. They couldn’t afford to fail. “What about you?” Hearing Lucy’s question, Rod nodded and turned to Lilith and Sognar. “What problems could there be? Hehe, just waiting for the fish to bite!” Sognar said arrogantly with a smug smile, drawing a roll of eyes from Lilith.

Sogna seemed accustomed to such things, so Rod didn’t want to say much and handed the wooden pipe to Lilith.
“Basically, there are no problems!” Lilith said confidently after a moment of thought. She had been preparing for this for some time, especially since Rod’s return, working nonstop. If there were still issues, it could only mean there was a huge gap between them and the pro-war faction.
“Alright, I’ll arrange things here. We should start within these two days!” Rod said in a deep voice after taking a deep breath. Though they had prepared for a long time, he still felt nervous when it came time to act. The success or failure of this battle would determine the ultimate outcome, and no mistakes were allowed.
……
Inside Dark Moon City, preparations were in full swing, just as intensively as the pro-war army outside the city.
With the arrival of the Wolf Clan’s army at dusk, everything was ready except for one thing—a catalyst. All they lacked was an opportunity, so they began mobilizing their forces on a large scale.
First came the original personnel arrangements, followed by meetings to make plans. It was a bustling scene, with a massive army ready to go.
The fact that the Wolf Clan could send six thousand soldiers far exceeded Gu Jian’s expectations, filling him with joy. It seemed victory was already within reach.
Yet, for some reason, Gu Jian still felt a faint sense of unease, though he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. After the meeting, he left a few trusted men in the tent and asked, “How are the preparations going? Have we contacted everyone in the city?”
“Everything is ready. There won’t be any problems on their side. I’ve gathered all the information I need. We can start from these places tomorrow!” The man standing beside Gu Jian unfolded a map and pointed at Dark Moon City.
If any opponents had been present, they would have been shocked, as the topic of discussion was precisely the series of defensive measures and plans devised during the earlier opposition meetings—a targeted and ruthless approach.
“Hahaha… Good, very good! This time, I’ll make Dark Moon City vanish into ashes! It’s time for the opposition to disappear from this place!” Gu Jian laughed happily upon hearing his subordinates’ report, as if victory was already in his hands.