85: Chapter 85 The Domineering General Falls in Love with Me

"You petty thief, where are you running to?!"

Archer Cheng Yu let out a thunderous roar that shook the encampment.

His movements as he drew his bow and nocked an arrow were fluid and natural, and three consecutive arrows, lethal and soul-stealing, tore through the air, aimed straight at the back of the fleeing beauty assassin.

However, the beauty assassin was no easy target; the moment before the arrows struck, her body dove forward with inconceivable flexibility, her waist twisting as if boneless, folding her entire body nearly in half.

The three sharp arrows grazed her spine and hair, burying themselves deep into a wooden post in the distance.

The assassin did not stop; using the momentum of her forward rush, she rolled, leaped up like a nimble cat, and dashed into the pitch-black night outside the camp perimeter without looking back.

Within a few leaps, her figure vanished without a trace.

Valeria, an elite trained for many years by the Assassins Court, had executed seventeen high-risk missions, with targets ranging from rebel leaders to alien chieftains, and had never failed once.

On the surface, it seemed she had successfully escaped this dangerous place with her ghostly movement techniques.

But this was merely an illusion created by her superb psychic sleight of hand.

At the very moment Archer Cheng Yu drew his bow and aimed, drawing everyone's attention away.

Valeria's true form had already used her psychic powers to create a brief area of visual distortion, blending into the environment like a chameleon, and silently slid behind a pile of debris in the shadows of the camp.

Even more astonishingly, in a very short time, she applied the secret disguise arts of the Assassins Court, adjusting the position of her facial muscles and bones.

When she emerged from the shadows again, her appearance was identical to the Cheng Yu clones ubiquitous throughout the camp.

Although she had infiltrated this den of tigers and wolves for less than half an hour, the observant Valeria had already discovered some key characteristics of these clones:

Although they shared a similar appearance, there was a strict hierarchical system within them.

The higher the level of the clone, the more magnificent their clothing, the finer their armor, the more complex the tattoo on their forehead, and even their facial features appeared more handsome or majestic.

Low-level clones showed absolute obedience to high-level clones; even if the other party's behavior was strange or their instructions contradictory, they would never question it.

Valeria quickly locked onto a clone she had observed earlier who was dressed more meticulously and pilfered his clothing while he was bathing.

She used her psychic powers to fine-tune her aura, mimicking that arrogant and slightly impatient expression, and in just over ten seconds, she had disguised herself as a high-level clone.

"I... this humble one," she cleared her throat, trying to imitate that affected tone. After a few attempts, she quickly found the feel. "This humble one is tired, go fetch some hot water!"

The entire military camp was in chaos at this moment.

On one hand, light cavalry units roared out, launching a pursuit along the direction the assassin had fled, the sound of hooves and shouting breaking the silence of the night;

On the other hand, the interior of the camp began a strict self-inspection, specifically focusing on interrogating the women who had come to the camp with Governor Kelo tonight.

Although Governor Kelo himself might be unaware of this matter, it was foreseeable that he would have to pay a huge price to appease the thunderous rage of Archer Cheng Yu.

Valeria had excellent psychological resilience; situated in the center of this grim and chaotic environment, she was still able to remain calm and composed.

She even mimicked the high-level clones from her memory, walking with her hands behind her back, pacing the camp seemingly at will, occasionally pointing at passing low-level clones, picking at harmless little faults, looking every bit like a diligent and responsible person.

However, an accident broke her rhythm.

"Hey, attendant, do you know where the Strategist went?"

The speaker was a man as sturdy as a black iron tower, his figure and bearing completely different from the uniform clones around him.

He was Victor, the second son of Duke Drake, currently serving in the Lie Gong Clan army for training.

Victor was quite disdainful of Archer Cheng Yu's behavior of forcibly conscripting civilian women, never attending the dinners or drinking sessions, and had just returned from patrolling the perimeter.

Valeria's heart skipped a beat. This person was not a clone, and he had an extraordinary bearing; his status was clearly not low.

She forced herself to remain calm and replied: "This humble one does not know."

"You are a camp supervisor... how could you not know the Strategist's whereabouts?"

Victor was indeed suspicious, his sharp gaze sweeping over Valeria's face, lingering for a moment on her forehead—why did it seem he had never seen this tattoo before?

"Hmm..." Valeria's mind raced, and she improvised: "There was an assassin earlier, the camp is under martial law, the Strategist... the Strategist must have been protected by his personal guards and moved to a safe location."

As she spoke, she secretly gathered her psychic energy, ready to burst out and break through immediately if the other party continued to probe or attack.

Her nickname in the Assassins Court was "Flying Chameleon"; if she went all out, no one in this camp could stop her... probably.

"An assassin?!" Victor's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. "Is the Strategist okay? Was he hurt?"

A trace of surprise flashed through Valeria's mind; why did this person only care about the Strategist and not even ask about the safety of the commander-in-chief?

She suppressed her confusion and said: "The assassin did not succeed; the commanding officers are all safe and sound."

At the same time, she sneered inwardly. That Strategist was indeed formidable; her strike, which she had been certain would succeed, was easily neutralized by him. His strength was unfathomable.

Not daring to linger, Valeria made an excuse that she still needed to patrol, then turned and blended into the passing clone soldiers.

She needed to find a safer hiding place as soon as possible.

After wandering aimlessly around the camp for a while, she discovered an empty tent.

After confirming no one was paying attention, she was like a nimble civet cat; with a light running start and a kick, she leaped silently onto the rafters, pressing her body tightly into the shadows, her presence converging until it almost vanished.

Not long after, Strategist Chengyu walked into the tent.

His psychic cultivation was extremely high; if he went all out, it would be enough to trigger changes in the weather, summon wind and rain, and move mountains and fill seas.

But powerful strength often came with a price; every time he used his psychic powers, it would cause a corresponding backlash to his body.

Fortunately, this time it was only deflecting a few hidden weapons, so the consumption was not great, and the discomfort brought about was limited to an indescribable itching sensation on his skin.

"Go fetch some hot water for me!" Strategist Chengyu waved the feather fan in his hand.

"Yes!" A personal bodyguard clone soldier bowed to accept the order. Just as he was about to exit, he seemed to remember something and reported: "Strategist, General Victor seems to be looking for you everywhere."

"Shh... keep it down!" A look of panic appeared on Strategist Chengyu's face, his feather fan waving repeatedly. "Do not tell him I am here!"

The reason he changed his residence every day was only secondarily to guard against assassins; it was mainly to avoid Victor.

There was no other reason; Victor had a penchant for the cut sleeve, preferring the company of men.

Originally, it would have had nothing to do with Strategist Chengyu even if Victor liked giraffes.

However, for some reason, among the trillions of similar-looking Cheng Yu clones, Victor had fallen in love at first sight with this particular Strategist Chengyu of the Lie Gong Clan.

Since then, Victor had launched a persistent pursuit of the Strategist, even going so far as to lower his own status to serve as a deputy general under the Lie Gong Clan.

"Understood!" The clone soldier's face remained expressionless, but after turning and exiting the tent, the corners of his mouth could not help but twitch.

No, he couldn't laugh yet; he had to wait until he got to the place to fetch water to laugh.

However, the Strategist's peace did not last long.

He had just soaked into the hot water fetched by his personal guards, wanting to soothe his tense nerves and the itching on his body, when the tent curtain was suddenly ripped open.

Victor's dark, swarthy face, filled with concern and anxiety, poked in, his gaze locking directly onto the Strategist in the bathtub.

"Strategist! You really are here! Are you okay? You worried me to death!"

Victor strode to the side of the bathtub in a few steps, completely disregarding the awkward scene before him.

Strategist Chengyu was so startled he shrank into the water, leaving only his head exposed, his face full of embarrassment: "I... I am very well! Thank you for your concern, General Victor, the assassin has retreated; you should return to your tent to rest early!"

"How can that be!" Victor said with a righteous face. "The assassin is cunning, there might be accomplices lurking nearby! The Strategist's safety is the top priority of the legion; this general must personally guard this place to be at ease!"

As he spoke, he actually pulled over a stool and sat down right next to the bathtub, striking a pose of long-term defense.

Victor, even while sitting, was taller than Strategist Chengyu standing, still maintaining a posture of looking down into the bathtub.

Looking at Victor's firm and fiery gaze, Strategist Chengyu only felt a headache, and the itching on his body seemed to become even more severe.

Valeria, hidden on the rafters, was like a dormant viper, quietly observing everything from the shadows.

Although the scene that followed might be very eye-searing, she loved her profession, so even if it was eye-searing, she had to concentrate and watch.