I add points to Indian martial arts.

Bhatt leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice to a tone of praise as if describing a rare treasure: "Salma, please allow me to say one more word. I had the good fortune to catch a glimpse of Lady Panya during a festival when I accompanied my former master to Tuli. Her beauty was truly like a rare and precious flower under the moon, a sight to behold. Even more remarkable was her bearing—not the delicate beauty of a young girl, but a dignified elegance cultivated over the years. When she sat quietly in her sari, she was like a lotus pedestal adorned with dew, radiating a natural glow. Her speech and manners possessed the poise and composure of a Kshatriya noble, yet there was also a hint of… the subtle charm born from the solitude of a secluded mansion. If judged solely by her demeanor, no one would doubt that she was the daughter of a king."

Hearing this, Li Wei looked at Buhart strangely. What did he take him for? Although he had enjoyed reading books with Cao Cao's style in his previous life, being a traitor like Cao Cao was risky!

Bhatt remained unmoved. After praising Pania's appearance, he changed the subject and said to Li Wei, "Once Salma has taken over the nine towns along the Banrol River and has 500,000 people, he will have considerable resources. At that time, Salma will be able to catch the eye of a great man. I have a shortcut to tell Salma."

"A shortcut?" Levi found it amusing. This Bhatt had gone from talking about Pania's appearance to talking about shortcuts. He wanted to see what kind of shortcut this strategist-like Bhatt could come up with.

"Tell me," Li Wei said in a deep voice.

Bhatt kept everyone in suspense for a moment. Instead of answering directly, he asked, "Sarma must have heard of the great city of Labdatta, right?"

Li Wei nodded. Although he was a foreigner, Labdatta was a very famous city, one of the most prominent cities in northern Napur. The city itself had a population of over 400,000, not counting the seven satellite cities nearby, each with a population of around 200,000. In other words, Labdatta and its surrounding cities together had a population of nearly two million.

This doesn't even take into account the radiating influence of the Paga region, with Labdov as its core, on the surrounding towns and villages. A rough estimate puts that the population of Paga within the Labdov radiating influence is four to five million.

There's a saying that's been passed down in northern Napur: whoever wins over Labodok will gain control of one-third of northern Napur.

"The shortcut you're talking about... you don't mean a shortcut for me to obtain Labdatta, do you...?" Levi glanced at Bhatt. If that was the shortcut Bhatt was talking about, then he really thought it was a bit outrageous. Even if everything went smoothly and he took over all nine towns with 500,000 people, that strength was still no match for Labdatta.

The lord of Labdatta has completed nine Brahma Bone Refinements and is said to be very close to becoming a Great Supernatural Being of the Third Realm. He has 30,000 soldiers under his command, and there are more than a dozen generals who have completed Brahma Bone Refinements.

Even if he were to seize the Nine Towns, such a behemoth would still be beyond his reach.

"Naturally, it's the shortcut to obtaining Rabhadhatu." Bhatt nodded confidently. "Others may not know much about that Brahmin master of Rabhadhatu, but I do. He is known as Pagazin. He has no sons, only seven daughters. The first five Devi are married, leaving only the sixth and seventh Devi unmarried. In his early years, Pagazin always wanted to have a son, but in recent years, after failing to become a Great Supernatural Being and his new wife remaining childless, Pagazin gradually gave up the idea. In addition, he is getting old, so in recent years, this master of Rabhadhatu has turned to choosing an heir from among his sons-in-law."

"So when the time comes, if Salma takes all nine towns, he can ask Pagazun of Labdatta for one of the six or seven Devi to marry. That lord will surely agree, because the first five Devi all married into the Brahmin noble families of this city. Pagazun is worried that after he dies, these local nobles of Labdatta will unite, so he has always wanted to find a son-in-law with external power."

"But there hasn't been a suitable one yet. Those with bloodlines lack strength, and those with strength lack bloodlines." At this point, Bhatt glanced at Levi. "But Salma is different. If Salma takes over all nine towns, then he has both strength and bloodlines. He is simply the ideal son-in-law candidate for that lord. So I say, Salma's pursuit of one of the two Devies is a sure thing."

"Think about it, Salma. If that lord truly chooses you as the successor to Labdode, Salma can save at least twenty years of effort, directly possessing a territory of five million people and taking over a third of the northern kingdom. Now that the Napur royal family is declining and there are signs of great chaos in the world, Salma, based on Labdode, may not be without a chance to unify Napur in the future!"

"Then Salma will be able to establish another kingdom belonging to Naguta, following in the footsteps of the Ganesha Kingdom!"

Bhatt's words were quite persuasive, but Levi frowned as he listened.

So this was the shortcut Bhatt was talking about; it certainly had its merits. But he wasn't particularly excited.

Because everything is ideal and perfect, but reality is very old-fashioned.

Just take the matter of acquiring Devi as an example. It seems that Bhatt is extremely knowledgeable about the inside story and says that he is almost certain to succeed.

But he didn't succeed. After all, for such a powerful ruler, even if he possessed nine towns, he was still just a minor warlord.

Even if they were chosen, seven sons-in-law for Devi would be akin to a power struggle among nine princes.

Moreover, Bhatt had previously stated that his first five sons-in-law were all from local Brahmin noble families.

As an outsider, how easy is it for him to compete for power with others?

Finally, don't mention Lhavado.

Do you think swallowing up Jiuzhen is so easy?

Putting aside everything else, according to Bhatt's plan, after killing Sakje, he would take Pania as his wife and use the power of Pania's wife's family to annex the Nine Towns.

But you killed someone else's husband, how could she not hate you?

Would Pania willingly allow herself to use her wife's family influence?

Li Wei calmly considered it and realized that all of Buhatti's future plans were indeed perfect and very tempting.

But sometimes, plans and reality are worlds apart, especially when coming from the mouths of these strategists.

Li Wei thought of the Longzhong Plan, which proposed dividing the world into three parts and using a change in the world to restore the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei also failed because of Guan Yu's loss of Jingzhou.

Strategists excel at drawing up grand plans, but lords must confront the harsh realities of life.

Therefore, Li Wei thought that he should not talk about Lavado or swallowing the nine towns for the time being. He should first plan to hold out for twenty days and then fight back against Sakje if he had the strength.

After thinking for a moment, Li Wei said in a deep voice to Buhart, "Your suggestion is very good, but it is late now, you may leave."

"In that case, I shall take my leave." Bhatt was a little puzzled. His blueprint was magnificent, but it seemed that Salma in front of him had not been persuaded. He bowed and then withdrew.

In an instant, Li Wei was left sitting alone in the room.

Under the dim yellow oil lamp, he unconsciously tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound: "Buhart is indeed a man of vision and intelligence capabilities, but his plans are too radical. He is good at making empty promises. He can be used, but he cannot be completely trusted, much less be led by the nose by him."

Li Wei pondered tomorrow's strategy: "Let's follow his cautious first half of the plan. Send someone to deliver a generous gift to Tuli Town, feigning weakness to embolden the enemy and probe Nasakje's true reaction. At the same time, seize every moment to hone the 'Naga Eight Steps'... Time, what we lack most right now is time."