After comforting the crowd with a few words, Yang Ling gave Gu De a wink and strode towards the secret room behind the conference hall. More than a month later, the desk in the secret room was piled high with various intelligence reports, neatly categorized.

  "Gu De, what's your take on this so-called lord?" Yang Ling asked his advisor as soon as they entered.

  "Things are looking grim for us, sir!" Good's face was gloomy. Yang Ling had been in seclusion for some time, and he had racked his brains to entertain the newly arrived Lord Stov.

  After a pause, Good continued: "In addition to the three thousand Black Armor Guards, Stov brought dozens of magicians. A few days ago, I and a great swordmaster sneaked into their camp, but before we could get close to Stov's tent, we were attacked fiercely. If I'm not mistaken, there are also excellent guardian warriors around Stov."

  Guo Dian spoke as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a scar that stretched from his collarbone to his ribs, shocking to behold. If it had been any deeper, he would have likely suffered a fatal blow. The great sword master who accompanied him was even more unfortunate, having lost an arm and with his protective aura completely dispersed, his cultivation severely set back, probably for the rest of his life. If not for Kasi leading several experts to provide backup, it's likely that neither of them would have escaped.

  Dozens of magicians, skilled guardian warriors?

  Yang Ling's face turned solemn, he hadn't expected Stov's strength to be so powerful. This guy wasn't simple, and the family behind him was even more extraordinary. A family that could quickly dispatch three thousand Black Armor Guards and dozens of magicians was rare, not just in the Bantu Empire, but probably throughout the entire Tairon continent.

  "Gentlemen, for now, we must avoid a head-on collision with Stoff at all costs. It's best to let them and the forces of the Ros Empire fight each other to the death, and then..."

  "Haha, exactly!" Yang Ling and Gu De exchanged a smile, both understanding the principle of benefiting from the fisherman.

  Although temporarily at a disadvantage, the Russians will not give up in order to disrupt the strategic deployment of the Bantu Empire. This can be seen from the fact that Stov's men are occasionally assassinated. If some necessary help is given to the Russians hiding in the Trass forest, such as weapons, food and intelligence, I believe that Stov, this airborne lord, will soon be worried.

  "Over 1,200 people from the Bantu Empire, over 800 people from the Ros Empire, over 1,000 people from the Livensa Alliance, and a total of 2,000 people from other places..."

  After sitting down on the tiger skin chair, Yang Ling casually pulled out a sheepskin paper about the investigation and analysis of mercenaries and adventurers, took a look at it, and had an idea in his mind. "Gude, besides letting Stoff and Ross people bite each other, is there any other way to take the initiative to attack?"

  "There are many methods, but they all require a lot of time to set up!" Gu De shook his head helplessly, and the resources he could use were still too few. Whether it was going to a big city to hire mercenaries or hiring skilled assassins, it would take some time.

  "Actually, we have another way!" Yang Ling handed the intelligence in his hand to Gu De, paused for a moment, and said with deep meaning: "The number of mercenaries and adventurers gathered in Weisen Town is huge, it's really a waste if we don't make good use of them!"

  "Sir, you mean to involve the Levinsa Alliance and other mercenaries and adventurers from elsewhere?"

  "Haha, that's right, the more chaotic the situation is, the more advantageous it is for us!" Yang Ling coldly smiled and said: "If one day, neutral mercenaries and adventurers suddenly find their companions dying mysteriously, hiding in a corner can only wait for death, escaping halfway only to be hunted down, being suspicious all day long, I believe it will be very interesting!"

  "But how can we get the mercenaries to point their spears at Stoff?"

  Kud slightly transparent, quickly understood Yang Ling's intention, but he still couldn't figure out how to operate specifically for the time being. After all, mercenaries are not fools and cannot easily take action against the powerful Stov.

  Leaning back in his comfortable chair, Yang Ling gently rubbed his temples. "It's simple, just leave some evidence at the assassination scene that would be detrimental to Strof, such as a black-armored warrior who died together with him, or a piece of black armor or a waist plate, and I believe the mercenaries will naturally guess who was behind the sinister plot!"

  Yang Ling said it lightly, but Gud was still feeling uneasy. "Sir, forgive me for being stupid, what makes the mercenaries believe that Stov will kill them quickly?"

  "Hmph, a king values his reign above all else. Whoever threatens their rule and position will be dealt with mercilessly. A lord would be no exception, especially one whose foundation is not yet stable. They absolutely won't tolerate large groups of armed men who refuse to listen to orders on their own territory!" Looking at Gu De, who was listening intently, Yang Ling continued, "As long as we spread a large amount of rumors at the right time, there's no need to worry about the mercenaries not believing us!"

  A lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth!

  Yang Ling believed that as long as he carefully planned, he could absolutely mess up the waters and make Stov focus on his headaches, exhausting himself. When the time was ripe, he would give him a fatal blow, and this parachuted lord would never be able to turn over again.

  Hit the nail on the head!

  After a moment of contemplation, Gu De understood Yang Ling's intention and couldn't help but surrender again. The enormous power and the ingenious plan that was linked together made him feel fortunate that he wasn't Yang Ling's enemy.

  When he killed Yimia, he thought Yang Ling was just lucky. Now that he thinks about it, it's not that simple. If Yang Ling hadn't intentionally humiliated him multiple times, Yimia wouldn't have been driven to madness; if Yang Ling wasn't hiding his true strength, Yimia wouldn't have looked down on him and thought he couldn't even withstand a single blow from the nine-headed snake monster.

  The ancient summoner and the Shepherd, either identity can be intimidating. Gu De couldn't figure out which prestigious family Yang Ling came from on the mainland, to have such remarkable skills and abilities at a young age.

  He treats his subordinates with a combination of carrot and stick, using both kindness and intimidation; he is kind and generous to the slaves and townspeople, willing to help the impoverished Mrs. Angelica, giving away thousand-dollar worth of hundred-year-old ginseng without batting an eyelid. But towards his enemies, he is as ruthless as a wolf, showing no mercy or qualms about killing them.

  The more Gu De knew about Yang Ling, the more shocked he became!

  However, he knew that as long as he didn't harbor any ulterior motives, Yang Ling would always treat him with the utmost respect. As long as he made him understand his own value, he would definitely go all out to rescue his family. As a middle-aged man who had lost everything, being able to meet such a master was already satisfying enough for him.

  After some deliberation, Gu De began to devise a plan and discuss some specific details with Yang Ling. In terms of the overall direction, Yang Ling often had unique and far-sighted ideas, but in many details, the experienced Gu De showed his years of experience. After all, being able to become the Quartermaster General of the Banmu Empire's military logistics was not a mere boastful waste.

  With the help of Good, Yang Ling felt much more at ease. Otherwise, if he had to carefully consider how to contact the Russians, how to spread rumors, and how to get in touch with the Assassins' Guild and other trivial matters, he would probably have gone gray overnight.

  "Sir, that detestable Stoff has arrived with his pigs!" Just as Yang Ling felt he had discussed enough with Gu De, the guard Agu Su knocked softly on the door.

  Lead a pig?

  Yang Ling and Gu De exchanged a smile, it seems that Stov is considered to be the worst in people's minds. From a high and mighty, admired by all lord, he was seen as a stupid and lazy salo pig who eats when full and sleeps when hungry.

  I recommend a great book I'm currently reading, "Heroic Unyielding: National War", book number 140731. This is the story of a holy priest who rose to power with undead magic and blends into the world of Heroes of Might and Magic!