Chapter 1923: Chapter 1916: Reinforcements Added

“No, no, no,” Oklo Laf shook his head, waving his gun, “Don’t forget, sir, we’ve always been enemies with your side.”

“You’re shameless, receiving supplies from Lipei and still having the nerve to claim we’re enemies. Can you show some decency, or do you want us to cut off your legion’s supply line?”

Oklo Laf’s dismissive attitude infuriated Cheng Ziang. Pointing at him, he harshly reprimanded.

In fact, although Cheng Ziang’s proposal at the time wasn’t recognized by Oklo Laf, the supply from Lipei’s side kept increasing. The aim was to make the Western Legion completely dependent on Lipei for logistical support.

Though Oklo Laf’s attitude towards this was unclear, it was certain that no matter how the supplies increased, Oklo Laf accepted all of it without any intention of rejecting.

Unfortunately, the goodwill from Lipei didn’t bring results; instead, the other side, emboldened, took Lipei’s supply as a matter of course.

“Calm down, Mr. Cheng,” Oklo Laf finally put away his lazy posture, earnestly saying to Cheng Ziang, “You should be well aware, I suggested before that Lipei should sever ties with the Church, yet you didn’t do so.”

“So, it’s our fault?” Cheng Ziang laughed angrily, coldly asking.

“I never said that.”

“Don’t play dumb. I’ve long said that Lipei wouldn’t give up on relations with the Church. I said this then, and you heard it but didn’t refute. How is it now, with one word from your king, you’d be willing to grovel?”

“What’s wrong with being loyal to His Majesty the King?”

“So that means there’s nothing left for us to discuss?”

Cheng Ziang tilted his head, staring intently at him, eyes filled with threat and mockery.

“Mr. Cheng,” Oklo Laf chuckled, trying to break the tense atmosphere, “Don’t be so angry, it’s just some ignorant subordinates stumbling into Lipei. I’ll strictly discipline them, so there’s no need for you to be so uptight.”

“I’m very angry, and I care deeply; this is a matter of principle!” Cheng Ziang stressed, gritting his teeth, emphasizing word by word.

“Inside Lipei, everything is fortified and barren; even if my subordinates have thoughts, it won’t help, will it?”

Oklo Laf tried to downplay the facts.

“Every blade of grass and every tree in Lipei has an owner, and no loss is allowed. If the soil couldn’t be scraped away, you wouldn’t even see a speck of dirt.”

Cheng Ziang’s attitude was resolute.

“Alright, I understand, I’ll adhere to our agreement…”

Realizing he couldn’t argue against Cheng Ziang, Oklo Laf sighed lightly, finally nodding reluctantly.

After reprimanding Oklo Laf, Cheng Ziang’s anger subsided. He turned around, preparing to leave in a huff.

As he reached the door, he turned back and said, “Although we are enemies, Lipei is still very willing to maintain our already fragile friendship with utmost sincerity. I ask the Legion Commander not to squander Lipei’s goodwill.”

“Of course…”

Oklo Laf nodded without expression, his inner thoughts unreadable.

This was a relatively successful diplomatic affair, where Cheng Ziang relied on his aura to prevent Oklo Laf from finding fault regarding Lipei’s and the Church’s relationship.

Had Oklo Laf staunchly insisted Lipei’s aid to the Church was the cause of all the incidents, Cheng Ziang probably wouldn’t have been able to refute. The negotiation would either break down or lead to one side compromising.

But the truth proved that, compared to Lipei, the Western Legion under Oklo Laf clearly couldn’t withstand the consequences of a failed negotiation.

Although Lipei’s supply only lasted for a bit over half a month, it already started creating a dependency on supplies for the hundred-thousand-strong army.

This stemmed mainly from Lipei’s preferential policy, which selected top-quality supplies to prioritize supplying the Western Legion, meeting all their consumption needs.

Of course, the supply levels for Lipei’s Defense Army and resettlement camps weren’t lacking. Still, compared to the fragile productivity of the Otherworld, Lipei’s supply to the Western Legion was akin to divine gifts.

The final outcome of the negotiation was that the Western Legion, after being tormented by Cheng Ziang, settled down a lot. Apart from regularly entering designated areas to transport supplies, they rarely set foot on Lipei territory.

However, this peace didn’t last long. As the Pure Religion War between Odelanqi and the Church escalated, both sides began to seriously address each other’s logistical supply lines, swiftly escalating the logistical war into direct conflict.

It must be said, compared to the Church’s Temple to Lipei’s supply line, the supply line for the Aud Army from Holy Heart City to Yazhi City was actually longer and more susceptible to attack.

The Church had long had such a plan, secretly hiring an elite mercenary group to harass the Aud Army’s lengthy supply line.

After several successful hits, the Aud Army was bitter and strengthened logistical defense while considering how to disrupt the Church’s supply line.

The best way to cut off a supply line is to choke it from the source, namely, Lipei.

Reaching this point, Gudelv finally realized Lipei was a hurdle that must be crossed in this war.

So he began adjusting military deployment, forcefully squeezing out another hundred thousand troops to support the Western Legion.

Yet even at this stage, Gudelv’s goal wasn’t to capture Lipei but to limit their logistic role and sever the supply line between Lipei and the Church.

Lipei was challenging to conquer.

Though Gudelv didn’t understand politics too well, he certainly understood military affairs. He knew very well what attacking a well-equipped and fortified city entailed.

Thus, peace was maintained for another half month. The Lipei side continued supplying the Western Legion, and the Western Legion continued receiving supplies cooperatively.

But changes were imminent as the additional hundred-thousand-troop reinforcement integrated into the Western Legion. Oklo Laf didn’t feel joy in this, as accompanying the hundred thousand was someone he most disliked, Brolan.

Brolan, full name Brolan Oost, did not bear the Fiorent surname, but his relationship with King Gudelv, closer than Oklo Laf, as a cousin.

Brolan’s duty in the Western Legion was legionary executive, a role akin to a chief staff officer or deputy legion commander, nominally a deputy to the grand legion commander, yet with certain decision-making powers.

Considering Brolan and Gudelv’s relationship, he had an additional task of overseeing the grand legion commander of the Western Legion, similar to a supervisor.

Moreover, the newly joined hundred thousand were not entirely under Oklo Laf’s command.

Before the legion set out, Brolan had already arranged his confidants in key positions within the corps through personnel appointments, making this hundred thousand strong Brolan’s direct army.

Oklo Laf cursed such arrangements but could do nothing. After all, Brolan’s relationship with the king was closer, while he was just a distant relative, with the only advantage sharing the Fiorent surname.

Brolan’s arrival put pressure on Oklo Laf, making him contemplate whether to share the benefits gained from Lipei.

Under such circumstances, he decided to send an envoy to Lipei to explain the legion’s situation and earnestly request additional supply.

Luo’er unhesitatingly refused such exorbitant demands, citing reasons like transport inconvenience due to excessive supply and Lipei’s difficulty in sustaining.

Oklo Laf found himself in a dilemma; to secure more supplies, he needed to inform Lipei about the Western Legion’s situation, yet that would mean leaking secrets.

Otherwise, he could stay silent, negotiate with Brolan to split Lipei’s provided supplies, and seek to silence Brolan to prevent him from reporting to the king.

Regardless of the choice, Oklo Laf effectively violated military law. If discovered, it was almost certain to lead to trouble.

Luo’er clearly noticed this aspect; from the day Oklo Laf chose to accept supplies from Lipei, he was already entangled.

With Brolan’s arrival, a strategy emerged in Luo’er’s mind, the so-called “One peach kills three warriors.”