Everyone in The Nine Empire knows that wiping out Benjamin would come at a tremendous cost.

  By then, the surrounding provinces are already in utter chaos. Quelling the rebellion would take at least two years.

  If Benjamin gets another two years, he’ll undoubtedly fortify that entire province into an impregnable stronghold.

  But the imperial court isn’t willing to let him off so easily. They send numerous assassins, only to have Benjamin sy them one by one.

  Initially, Benjamin just wants to focus on building his power, but the endless assassination attempts wear on his patience.

  So he does something that infuriates the court beyond measure.

  Benjamin openly sells the standardized weapons he’s developed to the surrounding rebel forces.

  Not only does he rake in a fortune, but he also makes those rebels far more formidable.

  The rebels come to see Benjamin as a safe haven. When the court’s troops press too hard, they retreat to Benjamin’s territory to catch their breath before striking again.

  After over a year of stalemate, Benjamin suddenly accepts the court’s amnesty.

  In exchange for quelling the rebellion, he secures the position of provincial governor.

  Some rebels are absorbed into Benjamin’s ranks; others are wiped out.

  Thus, after four years of turmoil, the Eastern Territory rebellion finally comes to an end.

  Many at court mock Benjamin for being short-sighted. He could have carved out his own domain but instead chooses to surrender for a mere official title.

  What they don’t realize is Benjamin’s true goal: to buy time and break the siege around him.

  A year ter, sensing the moment is ripe, the court sends officials to harass Benjamin relentlessly.

  Eventually, they succeed in pushing him to rebel again.

  After two years of fierce fighting, Benjamin seizes control of another province and surrenders once more.

  This cycle repeats—rebellion, amnesty, rebellion, amnesty—like a broken record.

  When Benjamin controls three and a half provinces, people finally realize he’s been pnning rebellion all along.

  But by then, no one at court dares to challenge him anymore.

  Every amnesty comes with a condition: the court must execute the entire cns of officials who forced Benjamin to rebel.

  After so many deaths in this back-and-forth, who would dare provoke this unyielding rebel?

  Officials sent ter are simply bought off with money by Benjamin.

  After three years of steady growth, thirty-one-year-old Benjamin receives a new world assignment.

  Benjamin often chats privately with Henwell, both are stubborn rebels with plenty in common.

  Benjamin’s expression is icy, clearly the type of ruthless person you don’t want to cross.

  When he sees Henwell, he manages a rare smile: “Henwell, finally we meet!”

  Henwell returns the gesture with a respectful bow: “Benjamin!”

  Then Henwell gnces at Lucy: “A few more of your comrades are coming. You should at least give us a heads-up.”

  Lucy smiles lightly: “Henwell, don’t rush. Just these few days. Once I finish what I’m working on, I’ll host a welcome gathering for all of you.”

  With that, Lucy leaves again.

  Henwell frowns: “She’s hiding something from us.”

  Benjamin replies: “I’ve been here a week and only just learned you’re here too.”

  Liu Mang asks, “She wouldn’t drag us into trouble, would she?”

  Henwell’s face turns serious: “It could be worse. In my world, there are others like us, but they’re not in our group. Many of them are already dead because they betrayed the organization, leaked information, and were eliminated by their overseers.”

  “I’m not worried about Lucy staging a coup. What worries me is that she might sell us out, or maybe she doesn’t even realize she’s being used.”

  Realizing the gravity of the situation, both men grow uneasy.

  “What do we do then?”

  “Confront Lucy directly?”

  Henwell shakes his head: “No. It’s just specution. I’m not sure of the details myself.”

  After a moment’s thought, Henwell continues: “Here’s the pn: you two have East Asian appearances. Tomorrow, follow Lucy and see what she’s really up to. The most important thing is to find out how many allies have arrived. Then contact our people so we can discuss privately.”

  “As for me, I’ll stir up some trouble to draw Lucy’s attention.”

  The two exchange a gnce and nod in agreement.

  The next day, Henwell, wearing a mask, prepares to head to Hongfeng City.

  The Number Eight, tries to stop him.

  But Henwell swiftly disables his wrist joints, saying, “Tell Lucy I’m here to help her, not to be her prisoner. If she’s too busy to meet me now, I’ll wait until she’s free and come back then.”

  With that, Henwell grabs his bags and leaves the estate.

  Upon hearing this, Lucy rushes to the estate immediately.

  By evening, there’s still no sign of Henwell.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Lucy heads to other chat group members, hoping to seek assistance.

  She suspects Henwell might have misunderstood her.

  But she seriously underestimated the allies she brought in.

  Those who casually joke and share risqué stories in their chat group are, in reality, outstanding figures stirring up trouble across various worlds.

  Three days ter, Lucy listens grimly to her subordinates’ reports.

  Not only Henwell but even the other helpers have vanished, without a trace, no clues left behind.

  If it weren’t for their closed chat group, Lucy might have thought they all simply left.

  Seeing Lucy’s dark expression, a handsome young man beside her tries to comfort her, “Lucy, don’t take it to heart. They’re just a bunch of rogue characters. With or without them, we can still accomplish great things.”

  ”Honestly, you should just stay home and rex. I’ve got everything covered. Our pn is fwless. Once I ascend the throne, you’ll be empress. I don’t want you risking yourself like this. It’s embarrassing for me.”

  Lucy pushes the man’s hand away, “You don’t understand. My friends are incredibly powerful. With their help, our chances of success increase by at least thirty percent. This is on me. I didn’t handle things well, and it made them suspicious.”

  ”I was pnning to introduce you to them these days but never found the right moment. Now they’ve disappeared. Forget it, I’ll handle this myself. If your people go looking, it might only deepen the misunderstanding.”

  The handsome man leans back on the couch, “Fine, suit yourself.”

  Lucy pushes away his reaching hand, “The stakes aren’t settled yet. We have to be careful. If anyone finds out I’ve lost my body, it could cause even bigger problems. You’ll have me soon enough, why the rush?”

  Lucy feels overwhelmed and frustrated. She never expected things to turn out like this.

  If Henwell and the others lose trust in her, the situation will become far more complicated.