Chapter 139 Yet Another Vassal State

While Chen Mu and his men were setting up the explosive packages, the people of Egypt inside were anxiously conferring with one another.
"What should we do now? We have no idea what they are doing down there. Should someone take a look?"
Immediately, an exasperated voice rang out from nearby.
"Take a look? Who knows what kind of treasures they are after. Anyone who shows their face will be shot dead. I am not going out there to throw my life away."
How many people were genuinely willing to walk knowingly to their deaths?
Clearly, the extent to which these individuals had been brainwashed had not reached such an extreme level.
However, although their previous leader was dead, another figure quickly stepped forward to issue commands.
"You cowards! Why aren't you hurrying up to see what they are up to?"
In truth, this new commander had even less courage than the one who had just perished, and he certainly did not dare to look for himself.
"Bang! Bang!"
Under his orders, the few men who raised their heads were promptly shot dead by Chen Mu's forces.
This plunged the Egyptians into a profound silence as they pondered their next move.
Meanwhile, the Great Xia army had finished placing the explosives, driven their vehicles back to a safe distance, and fired upon the charges to detonate them.
Before the Egyptians could figure out a course of action, a tremendous roar echoed through the air.
Immediately following was a sensation as if the earth beneath their feet were shattering and the heavens collapsing. The stone perimeter walls, which they had deemed unbreakable, were blasted open with a massive breach, and the heavy metal gates were twisted into scrap metal, sent flying to the side.
Seeing that the mission was accomplished, Chen Mu waved his hand and shouted, "First Division of the Invincible Flying Troops, charge!"
Following the command, the soldiers drove their electric track vehicles straight through the breach in the city wall, using their firearms to sweep away every visible enemy.
"Ah!!!"
As they pressed on toward the palace, the few townspeople who had survived the hiding echoed their panic with terrified screams.
Fortunately, Chen Mu had no intention of harming ordinary civilians; he only directed his attacks at the Egyptian garrison forces.
Advancing all the way without encountering any substantial resistance, Chen Mu and his men soon reached the palace, only to find that the occupants had already abandoned all thoughts of resistance.
Chen Mu led his men straight into the palace and came face-to-face with the Pharaoh, who was waiting for him there.
With guards from both sides standing on high alert, the Pharaoh was the first to speak, challenging Chen Mu.
"Who are you? Why have you broken into our domain?"
Even as he asked, the Pharaoh realized he was uttering nonsense; after all, why else would anyone commit such an act? Yet, yearning for more detailed answers, he posed the question nonetheless.
Chen Mu's response did not disappoint him, delivered with considerable thoroughness.
"Greetings. Allow me to introduce myself first. I come from the distant Great Xia in the East..."
Chen Mu informed the Pharaoh with a stern expression that their military might was overwhelmingly formidable and that resistance was entirely futile. He concluded:
"You now face only two choices: become a vassal state of ours, or become our enemy."
Chen Mu delivered the final sentence with grave weight, leaving no doubt about the grim fate that awaited anyone who made the wrong choice.
Frowning, the Pharaoh glanced at the equipment worn by the men surrounding Chen Mu and understood that this was indeed a force beyond his ability to resist.
Subsequent decisions would reveal that he had entirely abandoned any intention of fighting back.
"Since you have traveled from afar, please take a seat, and we can discuss this leisurely."
Chen Mu did not refuse, agreeing that matters of negotiation deserved a deliberate pace.
Once seated, the Pharaoh even calmly ordered wine and refreshments to be served to Chen Mu, though Chen Mu wisely abstained out of caution.
The Pharaoh minded not at all; fulfilling the basic tenets of hospitality was sufficient for him.
Breaking the silence first, the Pharaoh—conscious of his position as the weaker party—was eager to have his many questions answered.
"Respected Crown Prince, I wonder what exactly you mean by the vassal state you mentioned earlier?"
At this, Chen Mu perked up with enthusiasm. "To put it simply, it is mutually beneficial for you. You will send tribute year after year and acknowledge yourselves as subjects. Should external enemies ever invade Egypt, Great Xia will come to your aid."
The Pharaoh fell silent upon hearing this. In truth, he knew that regardless of how harsh or demanding Chen Mu's terms might be, he had no choice but to accept them simply to survive.
Furthermore, what Chen Mu proposed did not sound particularly unreasonable.
Much as Chen Mu had claimed, there were indeed tangible benefits for them.
With the facts laid bare before him, the Pharaoh saw no point in making a futile struggle and instead chose to curry favor with Chen Mu, agreeing on the spot.
"Very well. If you don't mind, we can sign the treaty right away."
Doing so would secure his status and guarantee that his life was out of danger all the sooner.
Seeing the Pharaoh nod in agreement, Chen Mu acted with great promptness, having his men produce the Rakshasa Treaty he had prepared in advance.
With the treaty signed, the two sides could now be considered friends, and the Pharaoh accordingly hosted a banquet for Chen Mu.
Following the banquet, they adjourned to the administrative chambers, as Chen Mu needed to acquaint himself with a vast array of details now that the endeavor had begun.
"Your Majesty the Pharaoh, pray give me a detailed explanation of the geographical layout of your Egyptian nation."
Chen Mu listened attentively while sketching a map; by the time the Pharaoh finished his briefing, Chen Mu had already mapped out his subsequent plans.
Pointing at the map, Chen Mu explained to the Pharaoh:
"I intend to construct a fortress at a location ten miles outside this town."
The Pharaoh smiled and agreed on the surface, though his inner thoughts remained inscrutable.
In the days that followed, while Chen Mu oversaw his subordinates in the construction of the fortress, he also ventured out to experience the local customs and traditions.
Naturally, from Lewis's perspective, Chen Mu rarely concerned himself with administrative work, spending most of his time eating, drinking, and making merry.
Chen Mu, however, felt that Lewis was simply being overly envious and saw nothing wrong with his own approach.
"They aren't doing this for the first time. I only need to steer the general direction; letting them improvise the rest yields better results."
"Quite right, quite right!"
How could Lewis dare say otherwise? In any case, he had been living quite comfortably lately by tagging along with Chen Mu.
Perhaps stung by Lewis's remarks, Chen Mu decided to accomplish something more substantial just to prove a point.
Consequently, outside of his original plans, he temporarily ordered the construction of a strait fortress as well.
With these two matters nearly completed and the Pharaoh showing no signs of stirring up trouble, Chen Mu finally felt at ease and prepared to depart.
During this period, Lewis, much like Chen Mu, had thoroughly familiarized himself with the region and was beginning to feel a bit bored.
Hearing Chen Mu announce their impending departure for a new destination, he grew immensely excited, eager to set off immediately.
"I shall go and make preparations at once."
Of course, things were never that simple. Chen Mu had countless matters to attend to, along with a multitude of personnel and supplies to manage.
Moreover, Chen Mu needed to acquire a general understanding of the geography and route for their next destination in advance.
Fortunately, having accumulated ample experience from past journeys, he managed to prevent any chaotic situations from arising.