Chapter 41: Speechcraft

As Xiahou Yan walked back to his tent, watching his subjects busily packing their belongings along the way, a myriad of emotions welled up within him. It had only been a mere few days since he crossed over into this world, yet it felt like he had been running on a treadmill of endless chaos. Surrounded by a zombie horde and plagued by food shortages, the desperate situation in the Infected Zone left him with hardly any time to think. From resurrecting his guard to capturing zombies and searching for the Magic Rhythm, Xiahou Yan had practically forced himself to try every possible escape method, one after another, without a moment’s pause.

Now, with the zombie horde fully under his control and escape just around the corner, he could finally relax for a moment. But instead of relief, he inevitably fell into a state of sheer exhaustion. Mingling with that exhaustion, however, was a deep sense of trepidation. Xiahou Yan knew all too well that once they left the Infected Zone, he would have to lead his people to his new territory. When it came to exploration, combat, and magic, having lived two lives gave him confidence in his experience. But managing a territory? For the first time ever, he felt a little intimidated.

"My Lord." Alice’s soft voice beside his ear interrupted his chaotic thoughts. "What you said to Deputy Knight Commander Juan Clemente just now was incredibly magnanimous. Not every noble lord would be willing to let an Elite Knight like him leave their command."

Xiahou Yan shrugged. "First of all, if Clemente really wanted to leave, our territory’s current strength couldn’t stop him anyway. Secondly, he’s an eight-hundred-year-old relic; where could he possibly go even if he left? Given all that, I might as well just tell him he’s free to go and build myself an image of a benevolent and tolerant lord. That wasn’t magnanimity; it was just a psychological tactic to win over his heart."

The Lord’s overly honest answer left Alice stunned.

"See? Me telling you the truth about my little schemes is also a psychological tactic to win you over," Xiahou Yan said with a grin, making the look in Alice’s eyes even more complicated.

"What about you, my dear Captain Alice Comstock?" Xiahou Yan didn’t look at her. Instead, he gazed up at the bright moon and the river of stars in the night sky, letting out a long sigh. "I promised you I would find a way to return you to normal. Let’s assume that day truly comes, and you’re no longer a living corpse wandering between the mortal realm and the Netherworld. When you regain your body temperature and your heartbeat... when that day arrives, will you still stay with the Igor family?"

Alice tilted her head slightly and asked, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Master Laurie told me that the new territory the Empire granted our family is a barren Wilderness at the southernmost border, possessing nothing but Federation bandits, Demon Race bandits, and human bandits," Xiahou Yan said slowly, avoiding a direct answer. "It won’t be a place fit for survival or habitation. But you, Alice Comstock, are a twenty-one-year-old genius swordswoman. You could easily take the social circles of the Imperial Capital by storm, or secure a high-ranking position in the Imperial Army. The Wilderness, on the other hand, will only devour your young soul, drag down your agile body, and rot your beautiful skin."

"So, you don’t want me to continue serving you?" Alice bit her lip, looking away.

The Lord smiled apologetically. "I have no reason to ask you to keep sacrificing for me. Remember, you’ve already died for me once. If you can truly be reborn one day, I want you to live a safe and happy life, not spend it living hand-to-mouth in the Wilderness with a lord who has reached a dead end. The same goes for you, Lawrence, Chris, and everyone else."

Xiahou Yan licked his lips and exhaled a long breath before continuing.

"So, once the convoy is completely safe, I’m going to hold a town hall meeting. I’ll let everyone decide for themselves whether they want to leave the family and stay within the Empire, where it’s much safer, or join me in pioneering the dangerous frontier Wilderness. I told Old Joel earlier—this territory migration is nothing but the bitter fruit of political infighting among nobles. There’s no need to force you ordinary people to swallow it with me."

Alice’s gaze looked somewhat misty under the moonlight. "Is this yet another one of your psychological tactics to win people over?"

"Unfortunately, this one isn’t." Xiahou Yan laughed.

Before they knew it, their conversation had carried them to the front of the Lord’s tent.

"Come inside with me for a second." Xiahou Yan smiled, tilting his head toward the entrance. "I didn’t ask you to follow me all this way just to chat about this, of course."

Alice pursed her lips and gave him a look before lightly bending down, lifting the flap, and slipping into the tent.

The interior of the Lord’s tent maintained its usual state of clutter. Previously, Anjie Rendall had strictly followed the rules of Eagle’s Rest Castle, meticulously cleaning and organizing the tent every day. However, Xiahou Yan had firmly put a stop to such wildly inappropriate labor for the Infected Zone. As a result, his tent currently looked like a machine-gun nest that had just suffered a direct artillery strike which unfortunately triggered an ammunition cook-off—it was an absolute disaster zone.

Stepping inside, Xiahou Yan noticed that the maid, Anjie, was nowhere to be seen, likely off packing her luggage. Without missing a beat, he cast a Flame Technique and lit the familiar Lion Lantern. The warm, inviting light illuminated the tent and the soft contours of Alice’s face.

Picking up the Lion Lantern, Xiahou Yan was pleased to discover a bulging cloth bundle sitting in the middle of the floor.

"What is this...?" Alice noticed the bundle as well.

"Inside are the treasures Master Laurie looted from Adrian’s laboratory." Xiahou Yan nudged the bundle with the tip of his boot, producing a CLINKING sound of loose metal pieces colliding. "The master definitely wanted to secretly pocket them for himself, but this Lord came prepared. The moment we got back to camp, I had Lawrence snatch the bundle and bring it straight to me! Hmph, until I’ve personally cataloged our haul, Master Laurie can forget about laying a finger on it!"

Alice was left utterly speechless.

Handing the lantern over to Alice, Xiahou Yan ungracefully squatted down and began rummaging through the cloth bundle. Soon enough, he pulled out a gleaming, ornate sword that had clearly been enhanced with an enchantment.

"Ha, I knew that old geezer Laurie swiped a Great Treasure Sword!" Xiahou Yan chuckled. He inverted the Longsword and offered the hilt to Alice. "My dear Captain Alice, your Lord is now officially replacing the sword you lost during the operation!"

Alice took the Longsword and, without even glancing at it, slid it into her belt. Her eyes remained fixed in a dead stare on the Lord.

"And then?" she asked.

"That’s it. What more do you want?" Xiahou Yan shrugged. "Normally, any equipment lost in battle has to be registered and systematically reissued. This sword is crafted from Magic Metal and carries an enchantment—it’s premium gear. I was worried Lawrence and those bastards would get jealous if they saw it, so I’m sneaking this to you. Don’t go running your mouth about it!"

Alice lowered her head, looking at the new sword at her waist, and remained silent.

"Alright, it’s getting late. You haven’t even packed your own luggage yet, have you?" Remembering what Lawrence had said earlier, Xiahou Yan couldn’t help but crack a joke. "If you stay in here any longer, people will really start gossiping that I’m making you warm my bed!"

Alice’s face instantly flushed crimson. She shot the Lord a fierce glare, turned on her heel, and marched toward the exit, only to suddenly stop right before leaving the tent. The swordswoman held onto the tent flap and turned her head back. Biting her lip, she asked, "Do you... want me to?"

Now it was Mr. Xiahou’s turn to be embarrassed.