Liu Mang steps into the room, giving Henwell a chance to study his appearance.

  He stands about 1.8 meters tall, noticeably shorter than Henwell, with a lean but muscur build. He is not bulky, but fit and agile.

  Liu Mang always wears a smile, but Henwell senses it’s forced. It’s an ingrained mask he can’t easily drop.

  To Henwell, Liu Mang carries a hint of slyness and cunning.

  That likely comes from his harsh upbringing. After all, an illegitimate son entering a noble household has to be sharp to survive to adulthood.

  Besides, Liu Mang is the chat group’s main military advisor.

  In his previous life, he was a military instructor with a passion for cssical warfare, an expert in feudal-era armies.

  Many group members, including Henwell with his Peace Haven forces, have drawn on Liu Mang’s insights to shape their armies.

  Henwell has personally consulted Liu Mang, receiving plenty of valuable guidance.

  Liu Mang slouches casually in a chair, pointing at his face. “Henwell, you’re still wearing that mask? Don’t you ever show your real face?”

  Hearing this, Henwell removes his mask.

  Liu Mang gets up and circles Henwell, grinning. “Man, you’re actually pretty good-looking! A real handsome face!”

  Henwell replies, “My white features don’t really suit being out in the open. Too easy to get noticed.”

  Liu Mang waves a hand dismissively. “That’s Lucy’s problem to handle. Why worry?”

  Henwell frowns. “When did you arrive?”

  “Four days ago! I was assigned to another estate, probably around the same time as you.”

  “Anyone else with you?”

  Liu Mang shrugs. “No idea. Lucy split us up like this; I have no clue what she’s up to.”

  Henwell’s tone turns serious. “Lucy’s acting strange. Her forces are too weak. How could she have convinced higher-ups to bring us here? I don’t know what price she paid for this, but it must have been steep. “

  ”Yet from what I’ve seen these past days, Lucy doesn’t command any organized army or strong backing. What’s her game? A pace coup? She’s just the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, can she really benefit from a coup?”

  Liu Mang sighs. “Henwell, I get your doubts, but you see things differently. We come from an Eastern imperial system, like China, where women rising to power is extremely difficult. Even if Lucy raises a banner of rebellion, how many can she rally? “

  ”You have female counts, duchesses, even queens in your world. But in our feudal East, these are rare, especially during power struggles for the throne. Women face inherent disadvantages.”

  Henwell doesn’t say anything more. Of course, he understands all this. His earlier concerns weren’t about those surface details.

  But Liu Mang doesn’t realize what he’s really saying, and Henwell chooses not to expin further.

  He’s already given his warning. Liu Mang isn’t a fool, he naturally remains cautious of Lucy.

  They chat a bit more before Lucy finally arrives, fashionably te.

  This time, she brings someone along, a fellow group member.

  Benjamin, from The Nine Empire, is a bona fide rebel by background.

  Born into a wealthy family, his life changes at age ten when a peasant uprising sweeps through.

  Only Benjamin survives, hiding in the family’s celr.

  After the rebellion is quelled, Benjamin inherits the family estate.

  But his maternal uncle and distant retives vie for custody of Benjamin—or rather, control over the family fortune.

  Years of enduring humiliation and covert maneuvering follow.

  During another peasant revolt, Benjamin uses the uprising to eliminate his uncle’s cn and those distant retives who had come to cim him.

  At sixteen, Benjamin leads a youth army he trained himself, answering the court’s call to resist the rebels.

  A year ter, the rebellion near his family’s nds is finally crushed.

  Benjamin earns imperial rewards for his efforts and becomes a county captain—an eighth-rank official.

  Having recimed control of his family, Benjamin works to expand their influence.

  Though only a low-ranking county captain, he holds the authority to train troops.

  With ongoing military crises and a newly appointed county magistrate eager for armed support, Benjamin leverages official resources and his own funds to quickly organize a thousand-strong county militia.

  With an official post backing him, Benjamin firmly dominates the local cns.

  Exploiting the magistrate’s greed, he swiftly absorbs neighboring families, making his own cn the dominant power in the region.

  Among the common people, Benjamin’s authority is even greater. Within that small patch of nd, he practically rules with absolute power.

  From there, Benjamin continually greases the county magistrate’s palms to smooth things over with higher officials.

  Meanwhile, the county’s administration performs well on paper.

  When the magistrate’s three-year term ends, he’s promoted directly to a provincial position, while the new magistrate is effectively sidelined.

  By the time Benjamin turns twenty-two, that original magistrate becomes the provincial chief secretary.

  Benjamin also spends money to secure a post as a provincial military advisor.

  His pn is to steadily climb the ranks step by step.

  But then his secret iron-smelting and arms manufacturing operation is exposed.

  Benjamin tries to buy silence, but the local governor’s appetite for power is too great.

  Just then, another peasant uprising erupts, and Benjamin seizes the chance to openly rebel.

  By now, Benjamin controls two counties and commands over ten thousand troops.

  Compared to other rebel forces in the province, which number in the tens of thousands, Benjamin’s army is smaller.

  The provincial forces decide to target Benjamin first, thinking he’s the easiest to deal with.

  After all, the other rebels are common insurgents, but Benjamin is a government official turned rebel, that’s a different matter altogether.

  While the peasants can be called rebels, Benjamin’s actions are outright treason.

  But the outcome surprises everyone.

  The provincial army of twenty thousand breaks formation as soon as they engage, shattered by Benjamin’s force of over ten thousand.

  The entire province is left defenseless.

  Chaos ensues for two full years, with Benjamin trailing the rebel forces and picking up the spoils.

  The rebels act like bandits—incapable of political governance, they loot and flee.

  They mainly target wealthy families, killing and pilging their estates.

  Benjamin is more than happy to take over the nds and popution left behind.

  He even secretly sends agents disguised as rebels to eliminate troublesome noble families.

  By the time the rebellion spreads to neighboring provinces, Benjamin already controls an entire province.

  His army swells to over sixty thousand troops, giving him the power to openly challenge the imperial court.

  After several cshes with troops sent to suppress him, the government realizes Benjamin’s forces aren’t mere peasant militias—they’re a true army.

  Standardized weapons, disciplined formations, and smooth logistics all point to Benjamin having established an effective administrative system.