Chapter 494: Chapter 494: She’s the Only One in His Heart (3 more updates)
Lan Xin asked again:
"You just mentioned taking over a dozen Genetic Store bases below Shenlongjia Mountain. Are we really going to conquer these bases in three days? But, even if we reclaim these bases, assigning a hundred people to each would mean over a thousand people; we don’t have enough troops, do we?"
Yang Xiao laughed:
"I was merely speaking hypothetically. Regardless of whether they evacuate these bases, I am not planning to station people at these bases for the time being. As you just said, that would greatly disperse our forces. For now, we just need to hold this base, which will allow us to maintain a teleportation channel with Nanmu City. Everything else can wait until later."
Thus, Yang Xiao arranged for three thousand troops to camp near the Genetic Store, on high alert, and to strictly guard against all possible attacks.
Monk Ben Yin asked:
"Yang Xiao, what’s your next step?"
"For now, this will suffice. Gong Yu will be responsible for leading everyone to defend this base. You will still join me; we’ll enter Shenlongjia and see what the wild people are up to now. These wild people are also a resource. If we can subdue them, that would be incredible.
Many of them have cultivation levels above the Enhanced Gene Level, lacking only Beast Souls and Soul Skills, but we can provide Magic Weapons and arm them, creating a formidable force."
"But, after all, they are wild people and it’s not possible for them to integrate into our human world anytime soon."
"There’s no need for that. We can control them with Divine Medicine and Magic Weapons. They can continue living their lives; they are a part of Shenlongjia. In other words, if one day we abandon the outposts externally, as long as these wild people still recognize me as their Great Chief, we can still control the entirety of Shenlongjia."
Ben Yin nodded.
In the evening, dozens of campfires were lit, and the nearby houses were temporarily used as camps, with over a thousand people arranged for patrolling and guarding round the clock.
Yang Xiao called a meeting with key personnel to affirm Gong Yu’s leadership position.
"From now on, all operations at this base will be managed by Gong Yu, with Lan Xin, Ben Guo, Xiao Lan, and others assisting him."
Due to Gong Yu’s brave act of killing Xue Dong, everyone now respectfully and even reverentially accepted his leadership.
Yang Xiao then said to Gong Yu:
"Gong Yu, you need to broaden your vision. Your future is the entire Northern Province, not just a small Shenlongjia Genetic Store base.
The troops I can provide you with are the three thousand present here. The several hundred people from Shaolin Temple and Shenming Mountain Sect, like Lan Xin, Ben Guo, are only temporarily at your disposal. Once we conquer the whole province, they will have to return to Nanmu City.
You need to carefully plan how to use the current situation to ultimately seize the entire Northern Province. You don’t need to worry about the City King of Han Capital; I will handle him in the end. After conquering the entire Northern Province, you will be its King, representing me in governing it."
Gong Yu, stunned, looked at Yang Xiao, his emotions surging and overwhelmed.
He and Yang Xiao hit it off straight away in the desert; they have been close as brothers ever since. He was deeply grateful to Yang Xiao for killing his rival in love in Magic City, washing away the shame he carried in his heart.
After coming to Nanmu City, Yang Xiao had taken great care of him and showed him much respect, clearly not as a charity, slowly restoring his confidence.
Especially today, Yang Xiao put him in the spotlight, letting him make a name through the battle with Xue Dong.
Yet, he still couldn’t believe that Yang Xiao was entrusting him with the duty to conquer the entire Northern Province and appoint him as the future ruler of North City.
Gong Yu looked at Yang Xiao and stammered:
"Boss, I—I am of limited ability, I fear, I fear..."
Yang Xiao waved his hand and laughed heartily:
"You of limited ability? You managed to kill Xue Dong; what more ability do you need?"
Gong Yu gave an embarrassed smile, scratched his head, and said:
"That was all luck. If you hadn’t been backing me up, to be honest, I wouldn’t have had the courage to confront Xue Dong."
"Ah, let me make it clear, you haven’t taken over North City yet. You need to secure Northern Province on your own before I can hand over North City to you. Otherwise, people won’t accept it, right?"
Yang Xiao laughed,
then patted Gong Yu on the shoulder, saying:
"Once you’ve taken Northern Province, I can’t speak for others, but Xiao Lan should be able to stay and help you defend North City. I can ask Lan Xin for this favor."
Hearing this, Xiao Lan’s face turned red, and she quickly lowered her head.
Lan Xin laughed:
"Xiao Lan and I have been close as sisters since we were young. I really can’t bear to let her leave me."
"Whether you can bear it or not is not up to you. There’s a saying ’a woman grows beyond her mother’s control,’ and you’re not even her mother, just her senior sister. The words ’Gong Yu, I love you’ that Xiao Lan said in front of everyone were heard by all."
Upon hearing Yang Xiao say this, Xiao Lan’s neck reddened, and her head hung even lower, shamefully thinking, How could I have been so crazy and shameless to say such a thing? It’s so embarrassing.
Yang Xiao was intentionally trying to matchmake Gong Yu and Xiao Lan, seeing Gong Yu gazing at her lost in thought, he slapped his shoulder and said:
"Gong Yu, what are you daydreaming about? Xiao Lan, a girl, confessed to you in front of so many people, don’t you have any response? Let me tell you, Zhao Gang, Zhou Qiang, and many others are drooling over Xiao Lan. I’ve chased them all away. If you don’t cherish Xiao Lan, without my involvement, Zhao Gang and Zhou Qiang will trouble you."
"And all of us from Shenming Sect!"
Lan Xin immediately stated solemnly.
Gong Yu hurriedly said:
"No, definitely not. I swear, I’ll treat Xiao Lan well all my life, and she’s the only one in my heart. If I let her down, may I die a terrible death!"
Hearing this, Xiao Lan suddenly looked up and blurted out:
"Hey, what are you saying silly things for? Who curses themselves like that?"
Then she blushed and complained to her senior sister Lan Xin,
"Senior sister, why are you bullying honest people? Why don’t you scold Yang Xiao?"
Lan Xin was startled, both amused and annoyed:
"Oh dear, you cheeky girl, already siding with your lover and daring to talk back to your senior sister?"
"I didn’t do that!"
Xiao Lan muttered softly with her head down.
As a girl, confessing her feelings in front of so many people, the thing Xiao Lan feared the most was Gong Yu not reciprocating, leaving herself susceptible to ridicule for unrequited love, making her anxious afterward.
Now, Gong Yu, pushed by Yang Xiao and others, expressed his affection in public, for which Xiao Lan was truly grateful.
She wanted to openly expose Senior Sister Lan Xin’s feelings for Yang Xiao, but she didn’t dare, so she could only mutter it quietly.
Yang Xiao also heard Xiao Lan’s murmur, "Why don’t you scold Yang Xiao?" His heart sank as he looked toward Lan Xin.
As Lan Xin turned her head to look at him, their eyes met, both hearts trembling.
(End of Chapter 3)