In Hangzhou, a meeting was held between the allied forces.0

The southern warlords stared solemnly at Zhu Huan’s corpse on the ground, their expressions heavy with concern.0

He had been struck in the back after exhausting his strength and succumbed to his injuries—this much was clear. However, the implications of his death were far more troubling.0

Everyone had thought that Kuaiji was as defenseless as an unguarded brothel, ripe for anyone’s taking, which was why ambitious individuals like Zhu Huan had been eager to make a move. The truth was that he was by far not the only one who had such thoughts.0

Zhu Huan’s troops were among the most elite of the coalition, yet he had not even gotten to face Maitreya himself. The Maitreya Cult had not even revealed all its tricks, and a mere thousand warrior monks were enough to decimate his army outside the city walls, with even him failing to escape.0

Had Tang Buqi not intervened, the forces of Luling would have been completely wiped out, resulting in a catastrophic loss.0

Tang Buqi’s actions, for most people, served as a powerful stabilizing force. His reliability reassured the coalition, and having such a leader brought cohesion.0

A few watched him with a more critical eye, sensing the underlying currents. But at this moment,...0