After all, Jin Botao was now well into his sixties. Furthermore, his physical capabilities were far from what they were in his younger years. Add to this many years of meticulous and diligent work. With only an ordinary human body, he had been managing the entire Quan State's planning, development, and future, and had long been physically and mentally exhausted, barely keeping up. How could he bear such enormous pressure?

Therefore, Jin Botao's face appeared quite weak. A thick gauze bandage was wrapped around him, his entire arm temporarily slung around his neck. However, it was evident that the gauze bandage was not wrapped neatly and was somewhat hastily done. Everyone saw it, so there was no need for any further clarification. Undoubtedly, this was because there had not been enough time for medical staff to handle it, so they had to make do. As a result, how could they not be terrified and anxious?

Naturally, their fear and anxiety, unlike those of the craven, were for the safety of the entire Quan State. Therefore, they were gazing at Jin Botao, their faces full of urgency, impatience, and unease. After all, if Quan State City had indeed been breached, then undoubtedly, their arrival was too late, and everything was already settled. But if the danger was merely imminent and the city was still holding out, then they would still have a chance. Before this, however, they needed to understand the current situation and then see if their combined strength could repel the enemy. This, essentially, was their purpose for coming here and waiting in silence for an audience with Jin Botao.

However, such a force, regardless of who it concerned, was difficult to control, especially with so many Martial King level or Grandmaster level individuals contributing significantly. Therefore, as the State Governor bearing immense pressure, Jin Botao naturally had certain precautions and wanted to test them. When he saw their eager expressions, his face showed no emotion; he merely smiled naturally in response.

"Nothing to worry about, nothing at all," he said. "It's just that I'm old now and wanted to show off my strength, but age taught me a lesson."

At this, the crowd visibly relaxed, collectively sighing in relief. After all, if the situation was truly dire and they were only just beginning to prepare, it would undoubtedly be a disconcerting predicament. Moreover, such unpreparedness was undesirable anywhere, let alone on the current battlefield.

Therefore, someone immediately laughed heartily and complimented, "State Governor, your heroic spirit is the same as ever! We old folks admire you, truly admire you!"

"Hahaha, indeed, indeed! If we old folks weren't Martial Artists, I'm afraid at the State Governor's age, we would be confined to our sickbeds…"

Everyone chimed in, and after some small talk, someone finally got to the point, stating the purpose of their visit and asking Jin Botao, "State Governor, we old folks have lived a long time, so we don't know if you have records of us. But now, Quan State is in dire straits! My brothers and sisters here may be old, but we still have some strength left in us and desire to fight for the Federation once more. We hope the State Governor can grant us that!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Everyone knew the real proceedings had begun. However, the man who had spoken didn't seem to mind. Having just finished, he looked at Jin Botao with a solemn and serious expression. Then, his back bent with conviction as he performed a grand salute on the spot.

Rumor had it that this act of reverence was a protocol used in remote antiquity or ancient times when a subordinate met a superior. And today, as the man bowed, the other old folks straightened their backs instantly, resembling the young soldiers they once were. Then, they too bowed deeply, leaning forward and said:

"We hope the State Governor grants our request!…"

"We hope the State Governor grants our request!…"

At this moment, the voices were continuous. Jin Botao felt his brows twitching non-stop. This scene took him greatly by surprise. If I were also a powerful Martial Artist, and if my strength far exceeded theirs, he thought, perhaps I could accept this with a clear conscience. The problem was, Jin Botao was just an ordinary person, while those before him were all powerful Martial Artists capable of killing beasts and even destroying mountains and forests. How could he have the audacity to accept such deference? So, he hesitated to agree rashly.

Furthermore, apart from being elevated so suddenly, there was another pressing issue that couldn't be ignored: The enemy's spy! That would certainly pose a glaring and enormous threat atop the city walls. After all, if a spy or traitor were concealed among them, no matter how strong the defenses of Quan State City might be, they could be breached from within in the blink of an eye.

However, could he really let such a large group of strong Martial Artists, determined to fight for the Federation and die for Quan State, return without achieving anything? Could he stand by and watch Quan State inevitably lose its greatest potential support? Jin Botao sank into deep thought, hesitating. His eyes slowly filled with contemplation, his expression uncertain.

Not having this assistance might not necessarily be a bad thing, Jin Botao mused. But to have such powerful help available and yet not dare to accept it—that would be an absolute disaster for Quan State!

Fortunately, not everyone in the crowd was a pure warrior. At least, there was Hua Qing. He was still as handsome as in his youth, though the passage of time had etched wrinkles onto his face. This was the Hua Qing who was preparing to kill a dozen or so King-level beasts as a betrothal gift for his beloved Green Grain, who, despite now being an old woman, was still the one he cherished.

When Hua Qing was young, he was a soldier, and one stationed on the very front lines. He appeared to have no problems now, but that was merely because his injuries were not visible on the surface. Instead, they were a dormant toxin within his body, a condition so agonizing that it was better to die than to live with it. It was precisely because of this toxin—or perhaps in spite of it—that Hua Qing, despite being away from the battlefield for so long, had still managed to advance to the Martial King rank.

Therefore, seeing Jin Botao still hesitating and not giving an immediate answer, Hua Qing boldly stepped forward. "State Governor," he said, "are you worried that there might be an enemy agent hidden among us?"

Jin Botao looked up at him. He recognized this man. On the Federation's list of retired soldiers, especially those from Quan State, Hua Qing was ranked number one. Logically speaking, this should be a trustworthy person, Jin Botao thought. If even Hua Qing were an enemy agent, then Quan State would truly be hopeless.

Therefore, Jin Botao finally nodded lightly. He looked hesitantly at the puzzled faces of the elderly crowd, who had slowly looked up, and then spoke quietly, "Gentlemen, it's not that I am unwilling to let you join the battle on Quan State City's walls. The truth is, none of you are from the Federation's direct lineage. As powerful Martial Artists, you also possess great destructive capacity. If there's a spy among you, I'm afraid the consequences would be unthinkable…"

The crowd finally understood. Just as they were trying to find a suitable solution, however, Hua Qing laughed aloud. "If that is so, State Governor," he said, "would you be willing to hear me out?"

After Jin Botao nodded again, Hua Qing swept his gaze over everyone with hawk-like intensity, not even sparing Green Grain. Green Grain remained silent. Her decades of combat experience had taught her certain realities, she knew. At such a critical moment, even the bonds between lovers, or ties of family like parent and child, were as flimsy as paper. Human greed knows no bounds. Who could be one hundred percent certain that the person standing before them wasn't wearing an elaborate mask they had maintained from the very beginning?

Then, Hua Qing spoke in a grave voice, "Since the State Governor has concerns, we old fellows who want to lend a hand must naturally make our stance clear! Therefore, State Governor, I, Hua Qing, wish to request a Military Order to temporarily serve as a scout. What say you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire assembly was shocked. Many looked in disbelief at the elderly man before them, who dared to volunteer as the first scout to exit the city.

One should know that at this critical moment, the outskirts of Quan State City were already overrun by beasts. The role of a scout was virtually meaningless, as they could serve no real purpose. Therefore, it was clear: Once one stepped out of Quan State's City Gates, regardless of how many powerful beasts lurked outside, it was an obvious path to death for any scout, as they were guaranteed to have no support.

Even Jin Botao fell silent, a flash of shock crossing his face.

Truthfully, while this isn't necessarily a great proposal, Jin Botao thought, it is undoubtedly the most suitable one at this moment. This was because Martial Kings or Grandmasters possessed great mobility and prolonged combat capability. As long as they weren't killed instantly and could find an opening, any engagement would quickly turn into a battle of attrition. And how many of the Human Race's formidable Martial Artists truly feared a war of attrition? They were all individuals who had emerged from mountains of corpses and oceans of blood. Not a single Martial Artist could achieve such heights of success without enduring countless setbacks.

Of course, Jin Botao also knew that while others could make such a proposal, he absolutely could not. Furthermore, he needed to consider carefully whether to even accept this suggestion. Otherwise, all his efforts would be for naught, a complete waste.

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