Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

”Humph, back then you seemed very interested in his experiences...” Owen muttered as he lifted his huge claw and flipped through the pieces of paper Yang Yu had handed over.

A golden magic inscribed black letters on the back of the paper, answering each of Yang Yu’s questions, before the paper folded itself repeatedly into a ball, slowly descending, cradled by a light sphere.

Yang Yu received the paper from the light sphere but didn’t open it, instead, he directly stored it in his system.

Owen’s voice rang out by Yang Yu’s ear once more, ”Do you have any other questions?”

Yang Yu shook his head, ”Those are all my questions, and as for the answers to other questions, we have some idea of them already.”

”Very well, I wish you all the best in ending this war soon. If you still yearn for knowledge, then go to the Dragon God Evaluation Country and win the Dragon God Conference. As a victor, you will gain knowledge you’ve never known before.”

”You sure think highly of me.”

”Not at all, given that you can stand here, I believe you can still work miracles.”

Gazing across the river at the Rose Giant Dragon to ensure Merubie as well was finished addressing the questions of the Luo Ze Empire’s forces, Owen took the lead in spreading his wings, stirring up a hurricane as his massive body effortlessly took to the sky.

”Since you have no further questions, farewell until we meet again.”

Merubie also unfurled her wings, and the pristine bridge that spanned the river crumbled to dust in an instant, vanishing into points of starlight.

The two giant dragons, one after the other, flew towards the clear sky, passing through the still-mending purple rift, and vanished into the distance.

Yang Yu stood where he was, mulling over Owen’s words, sorting through the information, and starting to prepare for the next meeting with the giant dragons.

”What questions did you just ask? Could you tell me?”

Unbeknownst to him, Ming Dalak had appeared behind Yang Yu.

Yang Yu turned around, smiling:

”Prime Minister, I’ve just had a few interesting ideas and sought to confirm their feasibility with the dragons. Please allow me to keep the ideas to myself for now, as it will help ensure the success of the upcoming battles. Now, may I explain the situation to the soldiers that have been exchanged back? Inform them that, apart from a few officers, they are all under my command now, following my orders.”

”If that’s the case, I can’t really object.”

Without saying much more, Ming Dalak chose to respect Yang Yu’s decision, stepping forward to the soldiers who had just been exchanged, and began informing them of their situation.

Meanwhile, Yang Yu remained in place, scanning the group for their Experience Value... no, his future comrades. He checked their Basic Attributes and Professions to facilitate their later assignment.

Unfortunately, thus far Yang Yu had not drawn any books on strategic and tactical warfare. What Yang Yu wanted most now was ”On Protracted War”, and as for ”The Art of War”... forget it, he could make up his own classical Chinese, but to truly understand the tactics and strategies between the lines, it was better to just wash up and go to bed early.

The process of explaining to the soldiers was not lengthy. After Ming Dalak finished speaking, Yang Yu took charge of these soldiers, officially becoming their superior.

Initially, the soldiers, unfamiliar with Yang Yu, felt uneasy. They did not know whether this young man who had suddenly appeared was capable of leading them effectively.

Yang Yu didn’t choose to make pretty speeches like Ming Dalak, but instead treated the soldiers who had just returned to a good meal, allowed them to have a good night’s rest, and sleep until they naturally awoke to relieve their fatigue and stress.

After the deeds were done, the uneasiness in these soldiers’ hearts was somewhat alleviated.

The next day, Yang Yu took them and followed Ming Dalak back to Baihua City.

Throughout the journey, Yang Yu demonstrated his strength and his ability to lead soldiers.

To get an army truly operational, a series of tasks must be accomplished, such as arranging logistics, distributing troops, and establishing a system of rewards and punishments—each of these tasks was crucial.

These were not skills one could learn by simply looking at a panel, and there were few references to be found even in the games Yang Yu had played.

Fortunately, while with Ajiket’s troops, Yang Yu had spent no small amount of time observing how Ajiket or other generals carried out their duties.

Utilizing his spare time, he would also seek out specialized individuals to understand the significance behind their arrangements.

On the way to Baihua City, while it couldn’t be called perfect, Yang Yu began to integrate and continuously rectify his errors, quickly getting the hang of things.

Once confident in his basic ability to lead a large army, Yang Yu again considered how to train these soldiers and how to explain his tactics in a way that the Beastmen of Wansheng Country could understand.

Time slipped by amid Yang Yu’s repeated deliberations.

The brief truce between Wansheng Country and the Luo Ze Empire also neared its end.

To confront the enemy at Qinghe Volcano from Sailuomen Plain, they had to pass through several large cities, one of which was very close to Baihua City.

Therefore, Yang Yu and his companions decided to take a detour and return to Baihua City first before heading to Qinghe Volcano to face the enemy.

Heading to Baihua City was also to replenish logistics, collect the clothes custom-ordered from Dorena, and further communicate with the Blood Lion to clarify the conditions for obtaining the Blood Lion’s Racial Essence.

Yang Yu hoped that the Blood Lion would treat their Racial Essence as a gift for his promotion to General. Afterward, he also hoped to acquire the desired Skill.

As March entered, Baihua City gradually began to burst with flowers’ fragrance.

When other places still held a hint of cold, the warmth of Baihua City had already crept into everyone’s hearts and hastened the blooming of peach blossoms.

Other flowers of various colors were also on the verge of blooming, ready to vie for beauty and splendor.

Walking along the main thoroughfare, the patches of pink peach blossoms were a delightful sight, attracting many visitors.

In addition to people from Wansheng Country itself, Yang Yu could also see races that were typically only seen in the Dragon God Evaluation Country.

For example, the diminutive Dwarves, whose stature only reached half the height of Humans, boasted exaggerated beards and sinewy muscles, each carrying a massive hammer at their sides.

Dwarves were said to be creatures with a fiery temperament and a passionate love for smithing. When on good terms with them, they would offer various fine wines and feasts with warm hospitality. If not on good terms, one might worry about being hammered like a walnut and having their bones broken.

Yang Yu didn’t expect to encounter Dwarves here.

Were they here to enjoy the flowers, or did they have other motives?

Yang Yu wanted to learn more, as he might pick up a well-paid side Task.

But as a general in command of troops, Yang Yu understood the priorities of his responsibilities.

Suppressing his curiosity to explore further, Yang Yu followed Ming Dalak to the Imperial Palace first.

He began by paying a visit to Qian Xialan, who was currently governing, and then visited the country’s true King, the Wanzhang Lion.

The Wanzhang Lion had grown thin with time, but was far from being bedridden. He first commended Yang Yu’s achievements, then expressed his anticipation for Yang Yu’s future growth, without mentioning his own illness.

Yang Yu didn’t ask further, simply taking the opportunity to express his wish to try the Blood Lion’s Racial Essence.