I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 640 What idiot would attack Han Tie Pass? That's insane! (Please subscribe and vote!)

As night fell, campfires flickered in the military camp.

Sergei respectfully invited Li Chen to rest in the tent, but Li Chen politely declined.

He said calmly in his hoarse voice, "I have lived in the deep mountains for a long time, living in harmony with nature. I am used to living a life of hardship and sleeping in the open. The crowds here are too large, which makes me uncomfortable. I will go and find a quiet place nearby to meditate."

This explanation was reasonable and no one found it wrong.

In the eyes of these Great Luo warriors, it was perfectly normal for a hermit to have an eccentric temperament.

How could a great shaman, whose strength might reach the legendary Saint realm and whose understanding of shamanism is so profound, possibly be a member of the enemy, the Tian Ce Dynasty?

This possibility was simply not within their consideration.

Seeing that his master was determined to leave, Sergei, though reluctant, dared not force him to stay.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Master, if I wish to consult you in the future, or if I encounter any difficulties, where should I go to find you? Where exactly is your immortal abode?"

Li Chen maintained his air of superiority, shaking his head mysteriously: "I wander the world, arriving wherever I please, without a fixed abode."

He paused, then gestured for Sergei to extend his hand, and quickly traced a seemingly simple yet subtly spiritual rune in his palm with his fingertips.

"This is a sensing talisman," Li Chen explained. "If you are truly in a life-threatening crisis, or if you encounter an insurmountable bottleneck in your cultivation, you can activate this talisman with all your might, and I will sense it and try my best to come find you."

After saying that, before Sergei could say anything more, Li Chen's figure flickered and disappeared silently from the camp, like a shadow blending into the night, leaving Sergei standing there excitedly, repeatedly rubbing his palm.

"As expected, surviving a great calamity brings good fortune!" Sergei gazed in the direction where Li Chen had disappeared, his heart pounding with excitement. "To have such a powerful master is truly a blessing from heaven! Tuoba Zhen, you just wait!"

Li Chen, having left the camp, quickly removed his disguise, reverted to his original appearance, and quietly returned to Han Tie Guan.

He had only been back in the interior for a short time when Batu, his nominal superior, rushed over, his face showing concern and a hint of nervousness: "Sir! You're finally back! You suddenly left the patrol this morning, where did you go? Did something happen to you?"

Batu now both respects and fears Li Chen, afraid that this "master" might cause some trouble under his nose.

Li Chen smiled and said casually, "It's nothing. I just ran into a group of shamans from the Great Luo Dynasty, took some of their things, and also put on a show. I met a young man named Sergei, who is said to be the eldest son of some Grand Duke Andrei of the Great Luo Dynasty."

He recounted his experience of the day, omitting some details.

Batu's eyes widened as he listened, and finally he couldn't help but slap his thigh, lowering his voice to exclaim excitedly, "Brilliant! You're absolutely brilliant, sir! Decisive and wise beyond compare! This is simply divine!"

He was so excited that he was almost incoherent. After showering her with compliments, he eagerly asked, "So, how should we cooperate next? What are your instructions?"

Li Chen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile of complete control: "I have a game to play, and this Sergei is the perfect pawn delivered to my doorstep. You just need to remain vigilant as usual, but secretly prepare for the worst." He whispered a few instructions to Batu.

Batu nodded repeatedly. Although he might not fully understand Li Chen's overall plan, he knew one thing: here, the words of this "Commander Cheng" were the highest order and had to be carried out unconditionally.

After Li Chen left, Batu immediately found Captain Zhou Meng and said with a serious expression, "Captain Zhou, please pass on the order to have the brothers be on high alert and on high alert. In a while, the Great Luo Dynasty's army may launch a surprise attack on Han Tie Pass." Zhou Meng was taken aback, his brow furrowing. "A surprise attack on Han Tie Pass? Batu, where did you get this information? What's your basis for it? Han Tie Pass isn't on the front lines. If they attack rashly, how will our logistics be guaranteed? This…"

Zhou Meng's meaning was roughly: What idiot would attack Han Tie Guan? That's insane.

Batu interrupted him directly, his tone certain: "It was Commandant Cheng who said it himself."

Zhou Meng: "..."

All his questions and analyses based on common military sense instantly stuck in his throat.

After a moment of silence, he coughed twice, his doubts vanishing and replaced by absolute obedience: "Ahem, good! Understood! I'll go arrange it right away, and make sure the brothers are fully prepared!"

In this Cold Iron Pass, and even throughout the entire northern border of Tian Ce, an unwritten rule is quietly taking shape: what Commander Cheng says is not to be questioned.

On the other side, Sergei received encouragement from his "master" Ulge, which gave him a boost of confidence and made him feel incredibly confident.

He completely disregarded the repeated advice of his generals and stubbornly began to formulate a detailed plan to attack Hantie Pass.

Over the next few days, he continued to send out small groups of troops to conduct more in-depth reconnaissance.

However, the environment around Hantie Pass is far harsher than imagined.

The vanguard reconnaissance teams sent out were repeatedly attacked by powerful monsters, suffering heavy losses and almost unable to make any progress.

Even if they managed to escape the monsters, it was extremely difficult to avoid the increasingly frequent patrols of the Tian Ce patrol team, and they almost exposed their whereabouts several times.

The generals under his command looked at the ever-increasing casualty reports with deep concern and pleaded again: "General! There are many natural barriers around Han Tie Pass, and monsters roam freely. The Tian Ce garrison is heavily guarded. If our army continues to conduct reconnaissance like this, it will be tantamount to throwing eggs against rocks and only increasing casualties! Please reconsider, General!"

However, these words of advice only provoked Sergei's strong rebellious attitude.

He was convinced that his subordinates looked down on him and were deliberately contradicting him. The more they opposed him, the more determined he became to prove himself: "Shut up! My mind is made up! Anyone who dares to shake the morale of the army will be punished according to military law! They are just some monsters and patrols. How can they stop me from making a name for myself!"

At the same time, Li Chen also received a report from Batu and others.

While patrolling outside the city, Batu repeatedly and clearly spotted the traces of the Luo spies, but following Li Chen's previous instructions, he simply monitored them from a distance or deliberately avoided them, pretending not to have noticed them.

That day, Batu found Li Chen and reported with a puzzled look: "Master, we've been keeping an eye on the movements of those Luo spies, but their progress is too slow. They're already overwhelmed just dealing with those monsters outside the pass. At this rate, when will they ever get to our pass?"

Other generals in charge of patrols shared the same sentiment.

Upon hearing this, Li Chen immediately convened a military council.

(End of this chapter)