Chapter 137: Journey to the Capital of Egypt

Seeing the vast number of soldiers Chen Mu had assembled, Lewis knew that another major move was imminent. He felt a mix of nervousness and excitement, unable to resist seeking confirmation from Chen Mu.

"Chen Mu, what grand plan do you have in store next?"

Chen Mu looked at Lewis with amusement, seemingly unable to grasp the man's intent. "Whatever I choose to do, it has little to do with you, so why are you so excited?"

Had Lewis not been under his constant surveillance, Chen Mu might have suspected him of harboring ulterior motives. Yet, the thought was fleeting; Chen Mu knew it unlikely. At the very least, if Lewis truly had malicious intentions, he would not be foolish enough to display them so openly. On the contrary, he would have hidden them well.

As expected, Lewis nodded and offered a reasonable explanation. "While it may not concern me directly, I find it thrilling to be a witness to your success."

The thought of deepening his relationship with Chen Mu—of perhaps being considered a friend—made Lewis even more exhilarated. What an honor that would be! With a bit of luck, he might even achieve something great by Chen Mu's side. He was not narrow-minded; he did not feel that being from a different nation required him to obsess over such distinctions.

Chen Mu smiled, finding it rather interesting to have a newly acquainted friend by his side who was not afraid of him. More importantly, he could not keep his actions hidden from Lewis, so he simply did not try to avoid him.

Chen Mu ordered the confiscation of all weapons within the town and seized half of their grain. The remainder was enough to ensure they would not starve, but it made organizing any military resistance impossible. With this, he could proceed on his journey with greater peace of mind.

His orders were met with no resistance. Faced with such overwhelming strength, no one dared to strike a stone with an egg or behave so irrationally. Within a single day, his commands were carried out. To ensure that no one took advantage of the situation to harm the local civilians, Chen Mu personally oversaw the process. The Great Xia army had performed such tasks many times before, and everything proceeded with remarkable order.

Lewis followed Chen Mu, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How is this possible?"

Some of the townspeople, rather than showing resentment, actually wore smiles. Guessing Lewis’s confusion, Chen Mu explained, "I imagine these people realize that we will leave once we have taken what we need."

That was why they couldn't help but smile. Lewis nodded thoughtfully, and once he put himself in their shoes, he understood. "True, and confiscating their weapons doesn't affect their daily lives, nor did you take all their food."

If the next harvest were bountiful, their lives would continue as before. Most importantly, Chen Mu had kept his word throughout his time there, never harming anyone, which had earned him their trust. This trust reached a point where the locals found Chen Mu rather benevolent and were no longer particularly afraid of him.

Seeing Chen Mu appear, one brave soul even dared to call out: "Your Highness, after taking so many weapons and so much grain, where are you headed next?"

Chen Mu swept a gaze over the crowd, his expression unreadable, yet he spoke boldly, without any intention of concealment. He did not care if the information leaked; he did not fear anyone knowing his plans.

"Naturally, we are heading to your nation's capital."

He spoke with such natural authority and imposing presence that those listening found it entirely logical. How could a figure as formidable as Chen Mu remain in such a small, insignificant place?

The civilians who learned of his intentions fell silent, pondering for a moment, yet ultimately, they were not overly distressed. They still believed that Chen Mu’s conduct over the past while was not a facade. Whatever this nation was destined to endure, as long as their own lives remained safe, it was enough.

On the way back, Lewis gave Chen Mu a thumbs-up. "You are truly incredible. No one dared to do anything even after you said that in public."

"Heh."

Chen Mu’s follow-up made Lewis feel like a fool for not seeing it sooner. "Even if they wanted to do something, what could they do? I have already confiscated all their weapons."

He suspected that the people were more afraid of the consequences of angering him, which might lead to the seizure of all their remaining food. With everything prepared, Chen Mu set out the following morning.

The people of the Aiju Empire bid Chen Mu farewell, some even feeling a sense of reluctance. In all honesty, Chen Mu had not caused them any hardship during his stay; in many ways, he had managed things better than their original officials. The clever ones among them were already looking forward to the future, thinking that perhaps Chen Mu’s arrival would turn out to be a blessing for them.

Knowing the direction of the Aiju capital, Chen Mu led his army in a straight line toward it. After a few days, the Great Xia army encountered some patrolling Aiju soldiers. Likely due to Chen Mu’s invasion, the number of patrols had increased significantly.

Perhaps accustomed to their own arrogance, the patrol soldiers shouted at Chen Mu, "If you want to die, then keep moving forward! Our army will smash you to pieces!"

Chen Mu replied with a smile, "I imagine you have heard of the times I defeated your armies. Do not be so naive now. I advise you to tell your Pharaoh to abandon his resistance."

The Aiju patrol seemed offended and fired arrows at the Great Xia army. Though terrified, they could not simply surrender; they knew they would be severely punished upon returning if they did so. Thus, they offered a symbolic resistance to prove that Chen Mu’s strength was indeed formidable, before collectively turning and fleeing in a panic.

A subordinate asked respectfully, "Your Highness, shall we pursue and finish them off?"

Chen Mu shook his head, and under Lewis’s admiring gaze, he said, "They are merely poor souls bound by others; there is no need to concern ourselves with them."

Furthermore, Chen Mu thought to himself that if his ultimate plan succeeded, there would be no need for them to cross blades and live such arduous lives. As he had shown before, even though he possessed ambition, he did not wish to go too far. He knew that everything had its limits, and exceeding them would only work to his disadvantage.