Before long, the Beastman soldier emerged, followed closely by a general who bore the same wolf head but was clad in military regalia. Beside the general stood a Bearman official, dressed in court attire.

The Wolfman general sized up Mo Han with a sweeping gaze before speaking. "You are the envoy from the Heavenly Dragon Empire? I am Aidekto, the commanding officer here. Welcome to the Beastman territory."

"I have received the decree from our Emperor. This is Lord Liya, sent by our Beastfolk to receive you. Please, follow us."

Liya, however, remained silent, fixing Mo Han with a cold, unwavering stare.

Mo Han paid it no mind, offering a quick, smiling thank you before following Aidekto into the Beastman base.

Along the way in, Wolfman soldiers frequently looked upon Mo Han with curiosity. Mo Han, unfazed, greeted each one with a smile, regardless of whether they reciprocated. This improved Aidekto’s impression of Mo Han considerably; at least on the surface, Mo Han did not display the disdain the humans of previous delegations had shown towards the Beastfolk.

With that thought in mind, Aidekto grew warm and engaged Mo Han in conversation, though sticking to general topics. Mo Han conversed warmly in return, learning during their talk that Aidekto’s contingent was a sub-branch of the Wolf Clan, specifically tasked with guarding this region.

They had clashed countless times with the Heavenly Dragon Empire’s Fierce Dragon Legion, suffering more defeats than victories. Aidekto’s tone betrayed a deep, albeit reluctant, admiration for the Legion's commanders, Murong Feixue and Murong Tian.

Liya, seeing Aidekto admire their enemies, could not help but let out a cold snort.

Aidekto, hearing this, could only offer Mo Han an awkward smile and fall silent.

Upon reaching the base's command post, Aidekto explained to Mo Han that they had received word of Mo Han's impending arrival two days prior from Liya, and thus had been waiting here ever since.

Aidekto’s initial suggestion was for Mo Han to rest until morning before continuing the journey, given the late hour. However, Liya was adamant about traveling through the night. Reluctantly, Aidekto ordered soldiers to prepare carriages to transport Mo Han, Liya, and their retinue toward Bimon City, the Beastman capital.

By the time all preparations were complete, evening had already set in. Mo Han could only snatch a quick meal before setting off with the Beastman reception official, Liya, and some of Liya’s personal guards.

As they departed, Aidekto personally escorted Mo Han to the base gates. Taking advantage of Liya’s inattention, he secretly told Mo Han that Liya was a confidant of the Second Prince, who was a radical proponent of war, and urged Mo Han to be extremely cautious.

From Aidekto’s few hushed words, Mo Han also gleaned something else.

In reality, the majority of the Beastman soldiers did not wish to fight this war. In the past, survival forced them into conflict due to food scarcity. But this year’s harvest had been good enough to sustain them, so many soldiers inwardly resisted initiating this war, though none dared voice their dissent openly.

Mo Han silently committed all of this to memory.

At that moment, across the desolate plains of the Beastman lands, two carriages drawn by Beastman porcupines were making their way forward. These porcupines, covered in sharp quills everywhere except their backs, were nearly as fast as a human’s common horse and stood about the same height. On the contrary, they were far more ferocious and warlike than human warhorses and served as the primary mounts for Beastman cavalry.

Another core military element was the Wolfman Wolf Riders. They were a breed of troops that gave humans considerable trouble. Their mounts were the Wind Wolves, unique to the Beastfolk. These Wind Wolves moved with incredible speed, and each possessed astonishing combat power. However, due to the limited numbers of Wind Wolves, they could never be equipped on a large scale to form an effective fighting force; otherwise, these Wolf Riders alone would be more than humanity could handle.

Mo Han was currently resting quietly inside one of the carriages, with Xiao Mo curled up peacefully beside his legs.

Just then, Mo Han, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the carriage, suddenly snapped them open, a faint smile touching his lips. Xiao Mo, who had been sleeping, also woke up, letting out a soft whine towards Mo Han. Seeing this, Mo Han smiled at the creature. "You sensed it too, little one. Looks like some excitement is coming our way."

Xiao Mo responded to Mo Han’s words with a couple more soft whines, as if in agreement.

The moment Mo Han finished speaking, the moving carriages abruptly halted. Then, the sound of chaotic footsteps echoed from ahead. A loud roar carried over: "Where is that clown envoy from the humans? Get out here for your grandfather! The rest of you, stay out of this; if you know what’s good for you, step aside."

As the voice faded, a flurry of running footsteps sounded outside the carriage. When Mo Han alighted, he saw that all the Beastman soldiers assigned to protect him had vanished. Liya’s carriage was also gone, leaving only Mo Han’s single carriage sitting empty on the spot.

Standing opposite him was a group of dozens of figures with human bodies and lion heads. They held torches that lit the surroundings brightly, and the lion-man leading them stared viciously at Mo Han with eyes as large as copper bells.

Mo Han inwardly sneered at the scene. The acting skills of these Beastman soldiers were far too poor. It was obvious they were colluding, yet they pretended to stage a scene, scattering so completely the moment they heard a challenge—as if perfectly rehearsed. It was too fake; they should be sent to Hollywood for training, he mused wryly.

But Mo Han chose not to expose them, his desire to tease rising. He smiled at the lion-man opposite him. "Which pig is yelling for me? You’re making such a racket, disturbing the peace."

The lion-man opposite erupted in protest. "I am not a pig! Don't compare me to that lowly animal! I am a noble Lionman! Boy, are you the human envoy here for negotiations?" Hearing the reply, Mo Han deliberately feigned ignorance. "I've heard of many Beastman races—Wolfmen, Bearmen, Minotaurs... but never have I heard of a 'Shitman' race. Are you truly Shitmen?" The lion-man immediately flew into a rage. "It’s Lionman, not Shitman, you fool!"

Mo Han replied with a smile, "Shitman, yes. I said it right."

Seeing Mo Han pretending to be obtuse, the lion-man was so enraged he could barely speak. He finally roared, "You humans only know how to spout empty words and possess no real skill. I won't debate you. You're a dead man soon anyway, so letting you speak a bit more is meaningless. Quickly state any final words you have."

Hearing this, Mo Han pretended to be scared. "Then may I know why you are here to kill me? Even in death, I should understand the reason."