Chapter 171: The Mole Cannon Fodder

“What do you mean?” the first elder mole asked, sensing that there was more to the situation.

So, the mole king revealed everything that had happened.

“The Tibetan Empire’s holy envoy visited me. She said that she’d supply us with armor, weaponry, and rations to conquer the Tangs’ cities. Wherever we conquer, the Tibetan Empire will confer to us!

We were no match for the Tang army in the past because we were weak and alone, but now... this is a rare opportunity!”

“That’s more reason for us not to do it!” the first elder mole roared angrily. “Are you dumb? The Tibetan Empire has always despised us! If they want to borrow our troops, it can only mean that they aren’t a match for the Tangs, so they want to use us as cannon fodder.

“We can’t even defeat the Tibetans, and you want to provoke the stronger Tangs? What’s in that mind of yours?!”

“I have already looked into it. The Tang army doesn’t have many real soldiers; most are weak mudmen controlled by a Tang mage. Even if we aren’t a match for the Tangs, we can always burrow into the ground to hide. The Tangs can’t possibly chase us into our burrows, right?” the mole king argued.

The Mole Tribe only survived to this day because of the complicated underground tunnel network beneath Tianshan that they had dug over many years.

These tunnels were short, squeezy, and dark, and the air was turbid. Normal armies would be greatly handicapped in such spaces. If their enemies chased them into the tunnels, they would first get lost in the labyrinth before suffering heavy casualties to the traps laid by the moles.

That was why no one had ever tried to conquer the mole tribesmen.

“That won’t do!”

The elder moles were strongly opposed to the mole king’s decision. A youngster who had never crossed blows with the Tang army would never know how formidable they were.

...

“Those short-sighted, incompetent fellows! They are so content with their lofty positions that their desire for progress has eroded!” the mole king furiously hollered upon returning from the Elder Hall.

“The Tangs have turned them into a bunch of cowards!” the mole king’s aides berated.

“Indeed! Such an opportunity is hard to come by, but those old fogeys want to give up on it? Those spineless cowards aren’t worthy of their positions!”

Opportunities presented themselves during volatile times. Only those who knew how to grasp them could turn their tides and rise through the ranks. The mole tribesmen would never have their heyday if they insisted on playing it safe.

The Tibetan Empire’s holy envoy had tried to conceal it, but the mole king still managed to probe it out of her.

The Tang army and the Tibetan army had been fighting so vigorously that their brain juices were practically spilling out.

The Tibetan Empire had lost dozens of city lords and even more mages. The blood of their people flowed like a river through the Western Regions.

The Tangs had also suffered huge losses. Countless terracotta soldiers had been destroyed. While those were combat puppets, it still spelled a massive decline in the Tang army’s fighting prowess.

Now that the two fishes were battered from their fighting, it was time for the fisherman to reel them in the gains! If the Mole Tribe refused to grasp even this golden opportunity, it would be doomed to eat sand for the rest of their lives.

Despite their complaints, they had no chance but to give up on it since the mole king had failed to secure the mole elders’ support.

A piece of rock rolled over the edge. A long time passed, but there was no echo from it hitting the bottom.

The moles grabbed the first elder mole and tossed him over.

“You basta... AHHHH!”

The other elders also realized that something was amiss and tried their best to struggle free, but it was too late. The moles tossed them over the cliff too.

Shortly after the earthquake, the mole king summoned the tribesmen.

“It pains me to inform you that the elder moles have regretfully fallen off the cliff during the earthquake. This marks a challenging time for our Mole Tribe. As your king, I will shoulder the responsibility of bringing our tribe forward. To make sure that such regrettable incidents never happen again, we will begin mobilizing our troops to occupy the ground above...”

...

“Hu!”

After conducting yet another purge and grasping hold of power, the mole king wiped off his sweat and made his way toward the agreed meeting location. He surveyed the surroundings, but there was no one there.

Perplexed, he checked his map again and again.

“That’s weird. The location should be right.”

“Heh.”

A woman’s laughter suddenly echoed from behind.

Shocked, the mole king quickly turned around. A woman was smiling at him.

“So, do you have an answer?”

Gulp! The mole king swallowed his saliva. It’s so scary when mages appear out of nowhere.

“Esteemed envoy, our tribe has decided to ally with your Holy Nation to curb the Tang bandits!” the mole king replied.

“I see.” Weryomahners wasn’t surprised by that answer. “Your equipment and rations have arrived. However much land you get depends on your performance. All I can say is that the others have already made their move.”

After saying her piece, Weryomahners disappeared into thin air.

“Thank you, holy envoy!” the mole king shouted into the air.

He rushed to the destination with his aides and found the resources Weryomahners had promised him. He pried open the creates and saw piles of sturdy armor and sharp swords that reflected a metallic luster.

Both the mole king and his aides were overjoyed.

“Hahaha! This is fantastic! With these resources, the Western Regions shall be ours!”