Chapter 115: Distrustful Strategic Discussion

"Regarding Rock Fortress, how much do you know? Sha Lu Te, I am very curious about this point."

Sha Lu Te squatted down, using a branch to draw rough lines on the gravel of the river beach, his voice steady and clear, as if stating a plan that had long been surveyed.

"'Weeping Blood Throat' is just the beginning. Pass through there, march along the east bank of the Zhuoge River until you see the Red Iron Peak, which looks like a red-hot iron rod, very easy to recognize. Turn northeast there, walk another two hundred miles of rugged mountain road, and you will reach Rock Fortress."

He pointed heavily at a certain position on the sand map with the branch.

"That place blocks the last deep-water wharf on the upper reaches of the Mu Du River that can accommodate large ships. Take it, and our supplies can be sent up continuously by water, without having to rely on Giant Tusk Wild Boars and Giant Lizards to run the damn mountain roads. More importantly—" He drew several radial lines, "It is the crossroads in the middle of the Rift Stone Continent."

"Northeast, pass through the Kawo Corridor, and you can board the Red Sand Plateau, that wasteland that accounts for ninety percent of the eastern part of the entire continent, although barren, the strategic depth is huge."

The branch turned southeast.

"Southeast, walk about one hundred kilometers along the old riverbed of the Fena River, and arrive at the Fuge Dam Lake. Change boats there, go south along the new river channel, and directly merge into the main river channel of the Fena River."

He raised his head, looking at Logkino, his eyes sharp.

"—That is the granary of the Rift Stone Continent, the most fertile and prosperous land. Controlling Rock Fortress means gripping the water and land throat leading to that piece of fertile land."

"So, that is not just a castle, Logkino. It is the key to opening the door to the entire central and eastern part of the continent, the gate controlling the water transport lifeblood, and even more so, a springboard to extend tentacles to the most fertile hinterland after standing firm in the future." 【115-

A mockery bordering on pity flashed in Logkino's single eye. His massive stone claws traced in the air, as if outlining a broader and darker map that Salute had never seen.

"Salute... it seems that Grand Duke of yours indeed didn't explain some things clearly to you."

A low, muffled sound rolled from his throat, like two giant rocks rubbing against each other deep down.

"You think that after taking Rock Fortress and controlling the Mu River waterway, there is a smooth path ahead, and you can directly take the 'granary' of the Fenna River basin? The Hekis Plains are indeed fertile, but they are fertile enough to support a demon army of four hundred thousand that has taken root and built nests."

"Those aren't wandering Lesser Demons; they are Abyssal legions that have truly built fortresses, cultivated corrupted farmland, and even tamed war beasts. Your few people are purely throwing their lives away."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower, yet nailing into every word like a chisel:

"Not to mention the Blood Rage Sea to the south; that sea water itself is alive and full of malice."

"Before cleaning out those Abyssal behemoths larger than mountains and the endless aquatic monsters in the sea, no transport ship would dare approach the Island Cape Bay on the west side of the Fenna River estuary. That is a death vortex, not a dock."

He straightened up, his stone-like face devoid of ripples.

"So, even if you opened up the small blood vessel of the Mu River, you think you can feed a large army deep in enemy territory to swallow that 'fat meat' of the Hekis Plains wrapped in four hundred thousand poisonous thorns?"

"Salute, what you are holding in your hand might not be a key, but an invitation... to a larger slaughterhouse."

Salute did not speak; the branch in his hand, as his strength increased, snapped into two pieces with a 'bang'.

Logkino's single eye narrowed slightly, the corners of his mouth pulling into an almost cunning arc. He leaned down, his stone claws slowly drawing a winding line on the sandy ground, his voice pressed extremely low, like the whisper of an underground river.

"Salute, listen well. Instead of letting your people go to the Hekis Plains to gnaw on four hundred thousand hard bones, or go to the Blood Rage Sea to feed the fish... I suggest you had better prick up your ears and take these words back to that Grand Duke of yours."

His claw tip struck heavily at the position representing Rock Fortress, and then chiseled downward.

"Underneath Rock Fortress... something is hidden. An old road, half-submerged in water, leading directly to the river of the Underworld. Water is trouble, but for a Rock-Climbing Demon who knows how to dig holes, it's nothing more than a slightly wet curtain."

That line wound from beneath Rock Fortress, bypassed the vast area representing the Hekis Plains, and pierced directly into the heartland of the Maple Leaf River basin.

"Drifting along that dark river, you can drill directly to the bottom of Kano Lake. Yes, that is the big water basin in the middle reaches of the Maple Leaf River that lies right in the center of the demon granary."

He raised his head, a ghostly light like Abyssal ore flickering in his single eye.

"What this 'shortcut' is for... I don't need to draw a picture for you, Commander, do I?"

The gloom on Salute's face was instantly replaced by a heat bordering on ecstasy. He slapped his iron-clad thigh with a crisp 'clank' and actually stood up from the crouching rock.

"Ha! Old fellow, your words—" his boisterous laughter exploded like a gale passing through a valley, "—have truly chiseled into my heart! You've been a huge help; this is a massive favor!"

He strode to the riverside in a few steps, his gaze burning as he stared at the Rock-Climbing Demon Lord on the opposite bank, all previous cautious weighing scattered by the fervor of discovering the key to breaking the deadlock.

"Rest assured! Once this battle is over, I will report it to my Grand Duke when I return. I will carve out the most fertile fief for you and your kin!"

Logkino shook his head slowly, his stone-like face devoid of ripples, but the light in his single eye was as sharp as a chisel tip. His voice was low and firm, every word sounding as if it had been chiseled out from deep within the rock strata.

"Fief? Salute, you underestimate me too much."

He raised a massive stone claw and slowly held up a rough finger.

"First, the vanguard banner of the Hekis Plains must be planted on my position. I want to see with my own eyes how those four hundred thousand demons collapse; my chisel must be the first to gnaw on their bones. That is not a reward; fighting the hardest battle and taking the highest military merit is the only way to stand firm."

Then, he held up a second finger, and a cold, murderous intent that had been settling for hundreds of years suddenly surged in that single eye.

"Second, the middle and upper reaches of the Mu River, the Butag Basin. A dying old demon is squatting inside; he fought Margash for the position of Abyssal Lord back in the day, lost, and fled there like a lame dog, never showing his face again."

His voice dropped lower, yet it seemed to carry the taste of rust and sulfur.

"He must die. No surrender allowed, no negotiations accepted, no leaving a whole corpse. This is not a condition; it is a demand. Your Grand Duke must do it himself; he killed too many of my descendants, and this eye of mine was also his doing."

He withdrew his hand and folded his arms across his chest, his rock body as stable as a mountain.

"This is my price, Salute. Just the position and the blood debt. Agree, and the map of Rock Fortress and the 'shortcut' inside are yours. Don't agree..." he grinned, his stone teeth ghastly, "... we'll just continue across the river and see whose stone gets worn flat first."

Salute burst into laughter, the laughter hearty and open, rumbling through the river valley. He waved his large hand, his posture full of unquestionable decisiveness.

"Ha! Refreshing! I like dealing with a stone-head like you; the conditions are laid out clearly, without a single extra stutter!"

He reined in his laughter, his gaze burning as he stared at the other party, his tone resolute:

"I agree to these two conditions on behalf of the Grand Duke; I know he doesn't like others making decisions for him." Salute shrugged, his armor clanking, a trace of almost rebellious frankness flashing across his face.

"But the front-line military situation is like fire; I don't have time to wait for an approval that is far away and doesn't know when it will arrive for a decision that should be made."

"By the way, when you see Grand Duke Sakavi, you might as well mention the matter of the Red Sand Wasteland."

He paused, as if recalling that vast and barren land.

"It looks like a broken place where even scorpions would find the ground too hot right now, but as long as you can firmly plug the few Abyssal rifts that are still leaking wind there... the water veins clogged by demonic energy for a hundred years can slowly come back to life. In less than a dozen years, the surface will be able to grow tough thorn grass and those drought-resistant deep-root vines."

He used his claws to make a rough gesture.

"It can't raise delicate grain, but it's more than enough for raising warhorses, especially those armored heavy cavalry beasts of your human kingdoms. I haven't left this continent, but I've heard rumors that the price of that stuff isn't cheap."

Salute's arm slowly retracted; he did not move, but his entire aura suddenly became like a blade unsheathed by half an inch. Calm, yet revealing a bone-chilling scrutiny, his gaze locked firmly onto the stone colossus on the other side of the river, the temperature in his voice dropping.

"Wait, brother."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice pressing low and slow, every word as if being weighed.

"Something... is not quite right. That you know every ditch and ridge of the Rift Rock Continent like the back of your hand, I can believe that this is your territory. That you are clear about the old grudges between demon lords, I can also understand; after all, you have been rolling together in this filth for hundreds of years."

He paused, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"This plane was swallowed by the Abyss thirteen hundred years ago. Is what a Rock-Climbing Demon says about the material plane a bit too clear?"

Salute straightened up, arms crossed, his posture no longer that of an ally about to fight side-by-side, but more like a commander who had suddenly discovered something wrong with his opponent's hand.

"According to your age and the history of this plane, when you were born, this place had long since sunk into the Abyss. Those systems and products that only exist on the material plane, and even the detail that the Hekis Plains were once 'land flowing with honey'... where did you 'see' such details?"

There was no accusation in his voice, only cold inquiry.

"A person who has never seen the light would not know how blinding the sun is. Logkino, there are parts of your knowledge... that don't seem to have grown in this darkness. Before we charge to Rock Fortress side-by-side, I think you need to chisel this matter out for me first."

"Hahaha! Salute, your caution is like the hardest flint, but the answer will naturally become clear when you stand on the foundation of Rock Fortress and see those carvings half-covered by moss with your own eyes."

His laughter gradually faded, the light in his single eye turning into a calm scrutiny.

"However, if you hesitate because of this little doubt, then I really have to think about whether relying on a Black Dragon who doesn't even dare to touch this little risk is leading my kin into a deeper pit."

His massive stone claws brushed over a deep old scar on his chest, his voice dropping low, as if touching a solidified period of time.

"To tell you the truth: this plane took its last breath six hundred years ago. The last human leader who resisted was hanged on the cliff of Red Iron Peak; at that time, I hadn't even opened my eyes from the rock."

"These things were chiseled into my ears, one stone at a time, by my mother, the previous 'King of the Lowlands,' during her long vigil. In her relics, there are indeed a few hard-covered books written in strange symbols... unfortunately, my kin and I have long since been unable to read those curly lines."

He raised his head, looking at the gloomy sky, a sigh bordering on corrosion seeping into his tone.

"We Rock-Climbing Demons, and those Demon Mountain Goats in the Butag Basin who have now been uprooted, were all once allies of humanity. Now, well..."

He paused, no expression visible on his stone-like face.

"Without allies, we can only be shrinking turtles. Did your intelligence agencies not investigate these things? Or is it that the Black Dragon Grand Duke simply doesn't care about these details?"