Chapter 206: Visitors from Huadu

Chapter 206: Visitors from Huadu

Indeed, they were people from Huadu.

And they were far from ordinary.

Leading the party was the queen’s chief strategist, accompanied by several high‑ranking chancellors and a dozen hand‑picked, strikingly beautiful succubi.

The purpose of this “delegation” was self‑evident; they even eschewed Huadu’s own guards, opting instead to hire a band of neutral mercenaries.

One could say they had lowered their posture to the lowest imaginable level.

Yet the chief strategist at the helm still felt it insufficient.

For he had already sensed a shift in Jinling City.

The saint who had ruled Jinling and the Mechanical Cult for decades suddenly perished within a few days, dying in a spectacular “divine punishment” before the eyes of every citizen.

His successor was a guard‑brigade commander who had never before appeared in the power core, and whose surname was not even Jin.

Even without thinking, the strategist could guess what had transpired.

The intelligence that gradually leaked thereafter confirmed his suspicion.

A deep dread settled over him.

Not merely because the Huaxia army’s might and decisiveness were overwhelming, but because they displayed an “omnipotent” completeness.

In war, no one could defeat them.

And now, in the game of intrigue, no one could match them either.

Moreover, they already possessed obscure, advanced technologies.

Could it be that they are the true chosen ones?

Could it be that they are destined to become the masters of this entire continent?

The nearer they drew to their destination, the more tense the strategist became.

Especially as he followed the drone’s guidance onto a freshly cleared, flat road, his heart hammered to its limit.

He could not fathom how such a broad thoroughfare had been constructed.

At least ten kilometres long and several metres wide.

Compacted entirely of earth and stone, even a footstep barely registered any undulation.

Huadu had once built a road like this.

Yet they spent a full four years on it!

How long did the Huaxia soldiers take?

Five days? Three days?

Suppressing his unease, the strategist pressed on, and when he finally beheld the cleared expanse, his heart seemed to die.

Countless battle‑mechs, endless steel constructs, a newly‑erected factory, and molten steel pouring from a flipped furnace, glowing a blinding, bright‑yellow light.

Is this still the ruins of Jinling?!

Were it not for the surrounding woods still half‑cleared and the makeshift, somewhat crude temporary shelters, the strategist might have thought this was a workshop the Mechanical Cult had tended for years.

Scanning the surroundings, the strategist suddenly realized his “visit” had already failed.

If you cannot win, then trade?

Trade what?

Do you possess anything they desire?

Even Huadu’s greatest secret might not pique their interest.

For they are already powerful enough; they need not use such trinkets to gain a pitiful edge.

The strategist sighed heavily, and at that moment, Chen Jian, clad in a Nezha exoskeleton, arrived with his men before the Huadu crowd.

Without a word, the strategist immediately ordered everyone to kneel.

Chen Jian furrowed his brow and spoke:

“I already know who you are. Uninvolved personnel may leave now.”

“The Huadu remain, and you have three sentences to decide whether you live.”

At his words, the hired mercenaries scattered in an instant.

They lacked the courage to fulfill the remainder of their contract.

Having witnessed the true might of the Huaxia army, even a hundredfold of their bravery would not make them dare to defy.

The strategist knelt, his voice trembling slightly as he said:

“Sir, we have come seeking peace.”

“That is the first sentence.”

Chen Jian replied coldly; the strategist froze, suddenly realizing those three sentences were no joke.

If he could not present a compelling reason within three sentences, he feared death would be certain.

His mind raced; after a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said:

“We acknowledge the crimes Huadu has committed, we are willing to abandon those drugs entirely, and to erase every trace of their existence.”

As his words fell, Chen Jian turned to Lei Jie, who merely shrugged, offering little reaction.

The guess was right. These Huadu folk had indeed taken that step.

Yet that was not the reason Chen Jian would spare them.

At least, it was not the reason he would spare the people before him.

So he continued:

“That counts as the second sentence.”

Cold sweat beaded on the strategist’s forehead; he knew this was his final chance.

This time, he could not afford any mistake.

He lifted his head, meeting the gaze of the towering “steel warriors” opposite him.

His voice quivered slightly as he began:

“We know the secret of the Terror Demon; the Terror Demon is a man‑made creation!”

“This is the third sentence; you have no more chances.”

Chen Jian waved his hand, making a “strike” gesture.

The strategist, terrified, sprang to his feet, shouting urgently:

“Sir!”

“I have not finished speaking!”

“It is not only the Terror Demon! The so‑called Mimic Heresy is also an artificial construct!”

“You must care about this! I have more intelligence on the Mimetic Heretics here!”

As the words fell, Chen Jian's movements indeed halted.

He stepped a few paces closer to the strategist, then asked:

“Do you have intelligence on the Mimetic Heretics in your hands?”

“Yes, plenty! The Flower City is undoubtedly the organization that knows the most about the Mimetic Heretics—none can compare!”

“Whether it be the Mechanical Cult, the Holy Blood Hall, or the Ring Guild, the information they possess is nowhere near as detailed as ours!”

“Because we are the true inheritors of those Mimetic Heretics.”

“I assure you, you will never hear this sentence from anyone else, for it is the deepest secret!”

“Even within the Flower City, only a handful of people are aware of it!”

“The palace holds the true secret of the Mimetic Heretics; if you need it, we can use it as a bargaining chip to secure precious peace!”

“Understood.”

Chen Jian exhaled slowly, then asked:

“You mean the secret of the Mimetic Heretics is kept in your Flower City’s palace?”

“Yes, I.”

“Let me finish.”

Chen Jian raised his hand to cut off the strategist’s words, then asked:

“So even if we are willing to trade, it cannot be completed now?”

“I can return to the Flower City at once and retrieve it for you!”

The strategist spoke urgently:

“This is not only for my sake, but also for the peace of both sides!”

“War brings us no benefit; we need peace, and the Flower City can make concessions.”

“Give me ten days, I will not delay, I”

“No need.”

Chen Jian, a little disappointed, waved his hand and said:

“We can fetch it ourselves.”

Then he turned to Ji Xing standing nearby.

“You handle it.”

“Keep what’s useful, discard what’s not”

“Bury it.”

(End of chapter)