Huo Yuhao did not notice Xu Jiujiu's slight abnormality. "Let's not talk about that for now. Before returning to Star Net City, I also made a trip to the Mingdou Mountain Range and saw many interesting things. Would Her Highness the Princess like a look?"
Xu Jiujiu's voice remained steady, but she withdrew her foot from in front of Huo Yuhao, adopting a more formal air.
"Speak."
At this point, Huo Yuhao began his performance. Looking at her with an expectant face, he spoke some nonsense: "I took quite a risk to get over there and find these materials. Shouldn't Her Highness the Princess offer a suitable price?"
Xu Jiujiu simply smiled elegantly. She raised a hand to prop up her chin, twirling her purple hair with her fingers as she looked directly into Huo Yuhao's eyes with a hint of ambiguity. "Then how about... a one-day date between this Princess and Young Master Huo? Of course, during this day, Young Master Huo can..."
She suddenly stood up, leaned in close to Huo Yuhao's ear, and exhaled a breath like orchids: "...do whatever you wish."
Huo Yuhao's eyelids jumped. He leaned back, putting some distance between them.
This Princess Jiujiu held a high status in the Star Net Empire and was a household name. Moreover, she was quite resourceful; on the surface, she was the chief auctioneer of the Starlight Auction House, but in reality, she was also a power player in the Star Net Empire's intelligence department.
If one truly thought she was some weak woman, they would suffer greatly...
"Ahem, no more joking. Your Highness, during Dai Hao's time commanding the army, were the battle reports sent to the Empire always official jargon about him repeatedly repelling the aggressions of the Sun Moon Empire's border army and claiming countless kills?"
Xu Jiujiu didn't intend to keep teasing him. She sat back in the head seat, quickly assuming a business-like demeanor.
"Yes. My Imperial Brother has actually long been suspicious of his military achievements. Unfortunately, the White Tiger Dai family is deeply rooted in the Western Army Group, and the officials sent to investigate could never find anything definitive."
Huo Yuhao gave a disdainful cold snort. "Battle reports can lie, but the front lines cannot. If Dai Hao truly claimed countless kills and severely damaged the enemy as he says, he wouldn't be stuck in a stalemate at the Mingdou Mountain Range; he should have pushed into the Sun Moon Empire long ago."
"While I haven't seen him lead troops in battle against the Sun Moon Empire, I can still glean a thing or two from certain aspects. However, please relax your mind, Your Highness. Oh, and you'll need to turn off the mental shield you carry; I will let you see what I saw."
With little Huo's Spirit Abyss Realm mental power, he could essentially ignore the mental defense soul tool Xu Jiujiu wore. But since he was on her home turf, he had to show the proper respect.
Xu Jiujiu was a decisive person. She immediately deactivated her portable mental defense soul tool and closed her eyes.
Soon, Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection & Sharing landed on Xu Jiujiu. The things he had previously discovered using Spiritual Detection in the Mingdou Mountain Range were synchronized and shared with her.
The military camps of the Star Net Empire's Western Army Group, their equipment, the troops' meals, and so on—things that officials couldn't access during inspections—were all brought to her sight.
As for the Sun Moon Empire's side, the high-altitude detection soul tools, the soldiers' barracks... these weren't as detailed. They could only be browsed over generally. After all, the Sun Moon Empire had countless types of scouting and detection soul tools, and high-level soul engineers were as common as ox hairs. It was already a feat for Huo Yuhao to get a general look at the perimeter.
Xu Jiujiu's long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her noble frame spasmed repeatedly, slowly arching backward.
After a long while, she opened her eyes with a complex expression.
Her jade-like hands clenched tight, and her voice escaped through gritted teeth: "Semi-permanent housing, three meals a day, such a large-scale soul tool fortification... what exactly is Dai Hao using to win his battles?!"
It wasn't that Xu Jiujiu didn't believe in her own country's army, but what she saw before her left her no choice.
From any perspective, unfortunately, Xu Jiujiu didn't feel their army had even half a hope of winning...
Huo Yuhao sighed slightly. "Based on the number of barracks and soul tool fortifications, my estimate is that the Sun Moon Empire's border army only numbers around fifty thousand. After all, their combat units don't need that many people; a few tens of thousands of logistics troops to support a few thousand or even a few hundred soul engineers is enough."
"Meanwhile, the Empire's Western Army Group has hundreds of thousands of troops... Not only is the expenditure massive, but they haven't won any significant victories or achieved any results. I think Your Highness should take a good look into the Mingdou Mountain Range area."
Huo Yuhao's reason for dealing with Dai Hao was simple. The tragedy of Huo Yuhao and his mother, Huo Yun'er, was attributed to the Duchess's jealousy on the surface, but it ultimately stemmed from Dai Hao's irresponsibility.
Just as those monarchs who lost their nations blamed the sin of their loss on a woman, calling them "femme fatales," if one can't control their own actions, then they can't control them. Why make other excuses...
Killing him would be meaningless. Better to let him watch his power slip away and let the things he took pride in crumble before him.
This was called "killing the heart."
Xu Jiujiu let out a sigh. "It's not as simple as you think. Even if the Empire strips Dai Hao of his post, we won't find anyone suitable to replace him immediately. Moreover, the Empire's soul tool technology is inferior to the Sun Moon Empire's. Though the cost of hundreds of thousands of troops is immense, it at least guarantees the safety of the Empire's borders..."
To be backward is to be beaten. Since their technology was inferior, they could only stack people. This was an indisputable fact, something that couldn't be helped.
Xu Jiujiu said seriously: "Regardless, the intelligence you provided, Young Master Huo, is very important. I will report this to my Imperial Brother to request a reward for you."
"But talk is cheap. What do you need right now? As long as I can satisfy it, feel free to ask."
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "I am already satisfied that the Empire is willing to help me deal with Dai Hao; I don't ask for anything else. I don't have anything I want right now. I'll apply to Your Highness when I have a need."
Xu Jiujiu pouted slightly. "Do you think we in Star Net have no foundation? Soul rings, soul bones—we can provide them all. Even if it's not quite on par with Shrek, it's not far off."
Huo Yuhao still shook his head. Favors were things that became hard to repay if one owed too many. At least both parties still shared a common enemy, so Huo Yuhao didn't have to worry too much for now.
Once the common enemy, Dai Hao, disappeared, perhaps the Star Net Imperial Family would become his new enemy...
"Then for now, I ask Your Highness to please take good 'care' of those two young masters of the Dai family. I won't disturb Your Highness any longer. I shall take my leave."
As she watched Huo Yuhao's departing back, an old woman in a large red dress suddenly appeared beside Xu Jiujiu.
It was this Princess's personal bodyguard, the Star Cloud Douluo, Manyi.