"I must say, you're quite remarkable. You spotted an ambush long before getting close to it. Not many can notice such a thing, but everything makes sense once I look at you."
Jun approached the woman, who seemed to have decided to engage in a conversation appropriate to each other's identities.
The woman standing before him was Yo Tan Wa, the King of the Western Mountain Tribes of Qin and the leader of the Xirong Mountain Tribe Confederation. She was known in the mountain realms as the Lord of Death.
"I know you've made a deal with the current King of Qin." Jun was about to continue, but Yo Tan Wa interrupted and asked, "Oh really, how can you be so sure of that?"
"I know things, many of which are beyond your imagination, King of the Mountains."
Yo Tan Wa frowned. She could recognize a predator when she saw one, and she could say with certainty that Jun was the worst of all. A man willing to do anything to achieve what he wanted was exactly the kind of person who was the most dangerous of all.
"So, let's get to the important point. Why have you come here?"
Jun set aside formalities and got straight to the point: "I want your army to join mine in the war that's about to come, one that will engulf all of Qin."
"What do you mean?" Yo Tan Wa didn't rush to conclusions. She knew Jun was not a man who fought for someone else's interests, so it was impossible for him to care solely about Qin.
"A war is coming where all the warring states will attack Qin, and as we both know, this state doesn't have the strength to withstand such a large-scale assault. That's why, if we play our cards right, we could gain more than we would lose if we involved ourselves in this war."
Yo Tan Wa filled the moment with sarcasm and said, "It's surprising; I didn't think you would be interested in something like a war for a state you have no love for."
"It's a pity that when they attack and Qin falls, those fools will divide the land and turn everyone into slaves. I am no slave, and I suppose neither are you." Jun spoke these words coldly, making it clear he wanted to abolish slavery, which would undoubtedly be one of the conditions he would later present to Qin in exchange for his help.
That was the issue; they couldn't escape the coming war.
Jun knew it, and Yo Tan Wa understood it too. She knew that as soon as the lands were taken, those brainless, ambitious men would set their sights on the mountain people.
"But we have an advantage. I know for certain that if you and your army join mine, we will be an arrow the enemy doesn't expect at all. At that moment, we will win the war and take more than we have now," Jun said, showing traces of ambition in his eyes.
Yo Tan Wa looked tentatively at Jun and asked, "How many men do you have in your army?"
"No more than sixty thousand, fully prepared. That's the number I can manage at any given moment with a proper chain of command. If you fight with my plans, I'll assign you thirty thousand soldiers with specific orders. This way, if you decide to fight, along with your army, we'll be the turning point in this war."
Jun had plans. First, he would crush the armies that crossed the containment line, and as soon as that happened, he would command a full invasion of Zhao to take over that nation.
Everything was perfect. If Qin weakened Wei even more in this war, they could take Zhao without worrying about that weakened neighbor waiting to be devoured by the larger predators.
"Are you sure they will listen?"
"They are soldiers. If you're the commander of my army, they will listen to you." Jun understood Yo Tan Wa's concerns.
Yo Tan Wa nodded and said, "Then show me the details."
"Of course."
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