"Calm down, General Yang."
Zhang Song also stood up, his hand seemingly casually resting on Yang Di's arm, both to dissuade Yang Di from losing too much composure and to prevent any further actions he might take.
He looked at Zhang Bo with equal disappointment and vigilance, and said in a low voice, "Xiao Bo, what you just said was too thoughtless. Deherim might have its good points, but where do you stand? We sent you to be a spy, not to be assimilated and then turn around to be an advocate for the enemy! The foundation General Yang built with such effort, has it become so... worthless in your mouth? Do you know what this means to General Yang?"
Zhang Bo was stunned into silence by their barrage of questions, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
He opened his mouth, but found that his previous praises for Deherim had now become sharp blades piercing Yang Di's dignity, and also the most suspicious "testimony" to his spy identity.
Only then did he realize, as if waking from a dream, that his well-intentioned words, meant to alleviate the other party's pain of "surrender," had not only failed to move Yang Di to accept Deherim, but had instead completely detonated the proud leader's most untouchable minefield—a complete negation of his own authority and achievements.
The tent fell into a dead silence, the excitement of the earlier reunion completely gone, leaving only suffocating oppression and confrontation.
Zhang Bo felt the back of his shirt soaked with cold sweat. He looked at Yang Di's eyes, burning with humiliation, anger, and determination, and his heart turned cold.
"No, it's not like that, General Yang, and Big Brother Zhang Song, it's not like that."
Zhang Bo subconsciously tried to explain, "I just want us to live better together, not to die in vain, and to give Green Leaf Group a chance to survive and then grow and revive..."
The air in the tent seemed to freeze into ice.
Yang Di's anger pressed down on Zhang Bo like a physical weight, and the disappointment in Zhang Song's eyes was like a needle prick.
Zhang Bo's pale and feeble defense—"I just want us to live better together, not to die in vain, and to give Green Leaf Group a chance to survive and then grow and revive..."—seemed so hollow and weak under Yang Di's thunderous rage.
Yang Di was so angry that he laughed, but his smile was icy and bone-chilling, without a trace of warmth. He stared at Zhang Bo, almost spitting out his words through gritted teeth: "Live? Revive? Under the shadow of Deherim, like a dog wagging its tail and begging, living on their charity, and then praying for that 'good person' Shen Mu to bestow a little sunshine?!"
Zhang Bo was choked by this soul-piercing question, his face pale, his hands unconsciously clenching and unclenching.
Zhang Song seized the opportunity, stepped forward, positioning himself slightly between Yang Di and Zhang Bo, his voice still low and serious, but with a clear objective:
"Xiao Bo, now is not the time for pleasantries. We just want to know the truth—what cards does Deherim hold? On the other side of the negotiating table, what is the bottom line of their so-called 'conditions' that they revealed? How much room for maneuver is there really? Stop talking about those vague ideals, we want facts!"
Zhang Song's pressing questions went straight to the core, leaving Zhang Bo no room for ambiguity. Although Yang Di's anger had not subsided, he also fixed his gaze on Zhang Bo's face, waiting for his most truthful answer.
Zhang Bo's body swayed slightly, as if Zhang Song's question had drained him of his last bit of composure. He lowered his head, avoiding their sharp gazes, his shoulders trembling slightly. After a silence of more than ten seconds, he finally spoke in a voice that was almost a whisper, filled with extreme bitterness and helplessness, every word seemingly draining him of his courage:
"There's... no... no real negotiation conditions."
These seven words were like a thunderclap, echoing again in the tent, sinking the hearts of the two more than Yang Di's roar.
"What?!" Yang Di snapped, his anger, which had just been suppressed, instantly reignited.
Zhang Song's pupils also contracted sharply, and he quickly pressed, "What do you mean? What do you mean there are no real negotiation conditions? Didn't they make so many demands at the negotiating table?!"
Zhang Bo raised his head, his face a mixture of fear, guilt, and despair, a bitter smile more hideous than a cry twisting his lips.
He knew he had to tell the cruelest truth, even if it might completely destroy the last hope of the two people before him.
"General Yang... Big Brother Zhang Song... don't you understand yet?"
Zhang Bo's voice carried a suppressed sob: "Deherim... Shen Mu... they don't care about any demands Green Leaf Group makes! This afternoon's negotiation, those so-called 'discussions,' 'exchanges of conditions,' from beginning to end... were just a formality!"
He took a deep breath, as if grasping at a last straw, desperately revealing the core:
"The reason Shen Mu sent me to negotiate isn't because he wants to negotiate an 'equal' outcome! He sent me, merely... merely because he insists on that 'Blue Star Civilization continuation' idealism! He feels that, compared to directly crushing us with the army, conducting even a superficial 'peace negotiation' will make it easier for you... for the people of Green Leaf Group... to accept this outcome... an outcome... of being directly annexed and becoming a vassal of Deherim!"
Zhang Bo's voice grew softer and softer, finally becoming a hoarse whisper:
"He insists on peaceful means not because we are qualified to negotiate terms, but simply because he feels it is more 'humane' for you psychologically. The demands presented at the negotiating table today, which look like conditions, are actually predetermined demands, not bargaining chips. The so-called room for maneuver... simply does not exist. Deherim's strength is there for all to see, and the Human Empire behind it is an unimaginable behemoth. Shen Mu has absolute confidence... He just wants to complete the incorporation of Green Leaf Group 'mercifully' through this so-called 'peace negotiation,' to achieve his... ideal of a unified Blue Star Humans."
He closed his eyes in pain:
"So, there are no real negotiation conditions. Because Deherim's goal is not negotiation at all... but for us to surrender. Unconditionally, gracefully... or, if we refuse... ungracefully."
Zhang Bo's voice weakened like a candle in the wind. He hung his head, his shoulders slumped, as if the recent interrogation had drained all his energy.
The large tent was filled with suffocating silence, only the heavy breathing of the three clearly audible.
Yang Di's chest heaved violently, his weathered face, now distorted by extreme anger and disappointment, stared fixedly at Zhang Bo.
Zhang Song also pursed his lips, his eyes sharp as knives, the former camaraderie completely replaced by cold scrutiny.
Just as Zhang Bo thought he would be completely consumed by this rage, something unexpected happened.
Yang Di suddenly let out a long, almost agonizing breath from deep within his chest.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the terrifying rage was forcibly suppressed, replaced by a bottomless fatigue and... a hint of feigned understanding.
"Heh."
Yang Di let out an unintelligible, deeply sarcastic chuckle, but then, his voice softened, even with a forced sense of comfort: "Xiao Bo, you... you've worked hard."
This sudden change in tone startled Zhang Bo. He looked up blankly, meeting Yang Di's complex and unreadable gaze.
"So that's how it is..." Yang Di slowly sat back in his chair, his movements a bit stiff.
He rubbed his temples, as if digesting the cruel truth, and also as if trying desperately to suppress something: "It seems we really were too naive. To actually think we still had the right to negotiate any terms?"
Zhang Song, beside him, also sighed at the appropriate moment, his tone becoming much more "helpless" and "gentle." He walked to Zhang Bo's side and even reached out, seemingly comforting, gently patting Zhang Bo's shoulder.
Zhang Bo could feel the pressure of his palm—neither light nor heavy, not a genuine comfort, but more like a forced, symbolic touch.
"Alright, Xiao Bo, don't blame yourself too much."
Zhang Song's voice was low, with a hint of feigned understanding: "Caught in the middle, I know it's hard for you. To be able to tell us this... truth, you must have been under immense pressure, right?"
His gaze swept over Zhang Bo's face, as if searching for evidence of Zhang Bo's "betrayal" or "coercion": "General Yang isn't blaming you for bringing bad news, he's just finding it hard to accept for the moment. After all, this is the family business we built with our own hands."
Yang Di seized the opportunity to speak, his voice deliberately hoarse and understanding: "Yes, in the end, it was our insufficient preparation and our inferiority in skill. We can't blame anyone else, and... we can't blame you for relaying the message." He paused, his gaze seemingly tired as he looked at the tent ceiling, but his peripheral vision remained fixed on Zhang Bo: "Since Lord Shen Mu is acting under the banner of Blue Star Civilization and taking the path of 'humanitarian' incorporation... then... then let's follow the procedure. He wants a legitimate peace, so we'll give him that 'legitimacy'."
He looked at Zhang Bo, the deliberately created 'magnanimity' in his eyes appearing somewhat stiff: "For the upcoming negotiations, I'll still need you to mediate. Although it's just a formality, what needs to be discussed still needs to be discussed. Do... do enough to save face. At least let the people below, the remaining members of the Green Leaf Group, see a 'dignified' way out. Do you understand what I mean?"
Zhang Bo, like a drowning man grasping at a final piece of driftwood, nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling with the relief of a narrow escape: "I understand, General Yang, Big Brother Zhang Song! I will do my best to fight for it! Even if... even if there's no substantial room for negotiation, I will still strive to preserve more for the Group and secure more protection for our brothers!"
Zhang Song's hand pressed down on Zhang Bo's shoulder again, this time more like a signal to push him away.
"Go, Xiao Bo. They're still waiting for you over there. Remember, keep the situation stable and don't let them become suspicious." His tone was meaningful, "If you find anything new, or if Lord Shen Mu's side has any substantive intention of making concessions, find an opportunity to tell us at any time."
Zhang Bo felt the push on his shoulder, as if he had been granted a great pardon.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then looked at the much more "tolerant" Yang Di and the Zhang Song who "still trusted" him. The guilt and panic that had almost crushed him eased slightly.
He nodded heavily, his voice filled with gratitude: "Don't worry! I will definitely not let down General Yang and your trust!" After speaking, he glanced at Yang Di again, confirming that the other party had no intention of stopping him, and then turned around with somewhat unsteady but exceptionally quick steps, almost stumbling as he fled the suffocating large tent.
The moment the tent flap fell behind Zhang Bo, the deliberately created atmosphere of "understanding" inside the tent instantly vanished, and the frozen air seemed to ignite instantly.
Yang Di violently clenched the armrest of his chair, his knuckles white from the effort, his teeth grinding audibly, and his chest heaving. The anger he had forcibly suppressed earlier erupted completely like lava: "Trust?! What a 'will not let down trust'! Zhang Song, listen! Do you still think he's innocent?!"
The gentleness and "understanding" on Zhang Song's face also disappeared without a trace. He walked to the tent door, listened for a few seconds to the receding footsteps outside, and after confirming that Zhang Bo had gone far, he suddenly turned around, his eyes filled only with cold calculation and an impenetrable suspicion.
"General Yang, what he just said..." Zhang Song spoke very quickly, his voice very low and full of chill: "'Shen Mu doesn't care about any of our demands,' 'negotiations are just a formality'... What does this mean? It means that from the moment Shen Mu sent him, he had already got us figured out! How could he be so certain? Unless..."
"Unless he already knew Zhang Bo was our man!"
Yang Di's voice was like a chilling wind from the netherworld, speaking the conclusion for Zhang Song. He suddenly stood up and paced anxiously in the tent, each step thudding heavily on the ground. "That damned, inexplicably failed grand plan! I always felt something was wrong! Shen Mu's reaction was unreasonably fast! The traps were set so precisely, as if waiting for us to walk into them! Where was Zhang Bo then? At every critical point of our plan!"
Zhang Song's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's: "Exactly! We used the main castle building as our safest 'retreat,' and he suggested Shen Mu hide there! The result was that the Holy Light Knights were on the roof! And he predicted the city wall would collapse, and indeed that Skeleton Giant appeared, but it was precisely instantly focused by heavy firepower that had been set up in advance! Even our decapitation force was surrounded as soon as they teleported out... This kind of airtight defense, it's not an exaggeration to say it was prescient! Our grand plan, which was a secret in his mouth, was probably already an open battle map to Shen Mu!"
"Spy..." Yang Di stopped, his face ashen, squeezing the word through his teeth, "Double agent! The sharp knife we thought we had inserted into the enemy's heart has pierced our own chest! Zhang Song, tell me, when was Zhang Bo turned by Shen Mu? Was it after entering Deherim? Or... was he discovered by Shen Mu long ago, and coerced or enticed into turning against us?"
"It's hard to say right now."
Zhang Song frowned deeply, analyzing quickly, "His performance just now... his panic and guilt didn't seem feigned; he truly didn't seem to expect to anger you. This could be acting to the extreme, or it could be... he himself didn't realize that his foolishness had already betrayed all information completely! But no matter which, the fact is, because his grand plan was exposed, we lost disastrously! His loyalty to Shen Mu is now absolutely worthy of the greatest suspicion!"
Yang Di's eyes flickered with madness and destruction, his fists clenched: "I really want to personally..."
"General Yang, calm down!" Zhang Song quickly pressed down on Yang Di's arm, which was trembling with anger, his own eyes equally cold. "Killing him won't help; it will only completely break ties with Deherim, and we have no capital left now! Moreover... since Shen Mu dared to send him, he must have a backup plan."
Zhang Song took a deep breath, a hint of resolve flashing in his eyes: "But perhaps, this is actually our last chance! An excellent opportunity to test his true stance!"
Yang Di's bloodshot eyes looked at Zhang Song: "Test? How to test? Do you think he's still worth us 'testing' now?" His tone was full of distrust.
"Precisely because suspicion has reached its peak, this final confirmation is even more necessary!"
Zhang Song lowered his voice, his tone decisive, "Didn't he say Shen Mu wanted to 'peacefully' incorporate us? Then we'll use his 'guilt' towards us and give him a task—a 'top-secret mission' that only he and Shen Mu know, but is equally fatal!"
Zhang Song's eyes flickered with ruthless calculation.
Yang Di instantly understood Zhang Song's intention: "You mean..."
"Tell him we need to make final contact with the Wood Elf Plane! The negotiation is fake, and surrender is imminent, but we must know their final attitude! 'Activate that backup plan'!"
Zhang Song spoke very quickly: "The wording is vague, but the direction is clear—hinting that the Wood Elf Plane might still have a backup plan or a trump card, and we need to secretly contact them before making a final decision to surrender. Require him, as our only trusted 'insider' in Deherim, to absolutely use his identity and abilities as a Prophecy-type Mage, and even some of his privileges in Deherim, to find a way to avoid Shen Mu's ears and eyes and help us establish an ultra-long-range secure communication with the Wood Elf Plane! The sooner the better!"
The anger in Yang Di's eyes receded slightly, replaced by a cold calculation: "Good plan! If Zhang Bo is truly as he appears, and still has a shred of old affection and guilt towards us, if he's still a 'Green Leaf' person, he will try to do this extremely dangerous thing! Even just an attempt will reveal clues! And if he..."
"If he immediately refuses, or equivocates, or even turns around and reports this top-secret mission to Shen Mu..."
Zhang Song took over, a cruel smile appearing on his face, "Then he is a complete traitor! Shen Mu's hound planted by our side! The magnanimous negotiation that he and Shen Mu are performing for us is meant to bleed the Green Leaf Group dry of its last value without shedding blood, and then kick us out completely!"
"At that time,"
Yang Di's eyes became incredibly fierce, like a beast choosing its prey. He said word by word, "Even if we are destined to perish, I will drag this dog who betrayed its master... and that hypocritical Shen Mu... to hell with me!"
"Give him this chance."
Yang Di sat back in his chair, leaning slightly forward, looking at Zhang Song, his face regaining the cold decisiveness of a superior: "In your most covert way, convey this 'last request' to him. Let's see which side our Prophecy-type Mage truly stands on!"
"Understood!" Zhang Song nodded solemnly, a cold glint in his eyes.
Outside the tent, the afternoon sun was somewhat dazzling, and Deherim's negotiation team was still resting in the small tent.
Inside the large tent, however, the poisonous vine of conspiracy was silently growing wildly.
Yang Di and Zhang Song's last patience and trust in Zhang Bo were slipping towards the edge of a cliff.
They decided to give Zhang Bo a chance.
A final test that would determine everyone's fate. (End of this chapter)
