Way of Overlord-Chapter 639: Making A Bet

After all, when you have such a base, such a foundation, then no individual chief could stop you.

Unless they themselves also have a unified leadership.

The only force in the Steppe that could then defeat Aeryon forces would be the northern great steppe.

They have a history of banding together when other regions of the steppe comes attacking them

But that is under the assumption that Aeryon would attack the Northern Great Steppe after taking the south which he would not

Aeryon would surely take them down one by one.

And then pool all the strength he has to attack the north.

They like Dama message and they like Dama chances. But they believe between Dama and Aeryon, Aeryon has a higher chance

Because Dama while they also do reforms, they were not as thorough and they are a bit late.

Aeryon even have the resources to build a city and it is a sign for those who are ambitious that this Khan is more ambitious than any overlords that have appears in this Steppe for hundreds of years

"Then we support the Khan?" Tuoba He ask.

Murong Long look at Tuoba He and his eyes narrows

Tuoba he is not an agreeable person.

But when he is around Murong Long, he always listens to him. If Murong Long himself is not careful, he would think Tuoba He is a naïve warrior.

But Tuoba He is not like that.

He masks his cunningness from acting like the idiot.

Most of the time, he let others make decision and it almost seems like he only follows other people opinion.

But Murong Long knows better.

If he thinks Tuoba He is someone that is easily manipulated, it means he already fallen into Tuoba He trap.

Tuoba He method leaves no trace. Responsibility is not borne by him and he could always feign ignorance.

Tuoba He probably already knows Murong Long decision and that is why he ask.

He knows the answer and the answer is the same kind of answer that Tuoba He wanted to so he ask him, making it appear like whatever answer Murong Long reply with is the one he agreed on

It is not those who brag they are the clearest in vision that is dangerous, it is people like Touba He.

Feign ignorance, playing the idiot.

Murong knows many figures in the Tuoba clan, whether in the Yan or in Western Zhou.

And before they have an alliance, Murong long has always been wary of this Tuoba He.

He rises to a position of power and one that knows his story would only think he was lucky to survive all of those intrigues and plots.

But Murong Long could see through the reports and the stories, that the agreeable idiot survives till the end.

And even become the leader of the young generation of the Tuoba clan. You could not do that if you are really an idiot.

"Aeryon....’ He paused for a second and then added "for now"

"We still have time to change our bets if it did not work. If the West is conquered this time, then we need to go all in. It would now be a calculated bet. At that time, if we still lose to Dama.... then it could only be said we are truly unlucky" Tuoba He nodded

Murong Long spoke a few more thing sharing information about what they have seen and heard since the war started and only after two hours, did these two go out and go to their own respective war camp.

Murong Long while riding his horse toward his camp could not help but agree with his sons.

"it depends on whether this expedition to the west succeed or not. If it succeeds, then like my sons said, we need to bet everything. If not, there is still a way for us to sit on the fence and choose between the two"

before he went to aid Belarion, he discusses these matters with his sons. The Murong family of Yan is different from the Murong family in the Western Zhou.

Their tradition is different and the way they governed their clan is also different. After all, these two tribes have long been separated

They did of course still communicate but on internal matters both of them did not interfere with the others

Before the Fall of Nurshira, the Muren people occupied most of the North of Nurshira.

When they were attacked by Yan, their people slaughtered and massacred by the so called "righteous" army of Yan, one of them goes to Western Zhou, some of them goes to Steppe, and some of them stay in Yan, hiding among the mountains and valleys.

They alla adapted to their position and location.

Murong family in Western Zhou is one of the nobilities there, a military nobility, guarding the eastern border of Western Zhou against the people of the Steppe from Western Great Steppe and the Southern Great Steppe.

As for the Murn people that fled to the Steppe, some of them established tribes in the Steppe but they did not use the name Murong.

Some of them affiliated with other tribes and either become subordinate or assimilated with the Marynku, Eresian and Ashran people of the Steppe

Unlike the Murong clan in Western Zhou, the Muren people that migrated toward the Steppe did not have any familial ties or long for such family ties.

They like any other tribes, holds their loyalty to the tribe and not just family.

It isn’t until Murong Long experience the life of the Steppe, he understood the way the Steppe people think.

Without a tribe, you are a lone wolf in the winter. And lone wolf rarely survives. You need a pack.

Only when the pack survives, you survive.

Tribe, clan, family.

That is the order of priority. Hence, there are stories of how a tribe honour could not be disgraced because it could lead a to a hundred-year-old feud.

It is also because of this tribal mentality, that the tribes could not be unified.

When each of your ancestors have some history against the other how could one trust you not to exact revenge when you have power and unify the land?

Aeryon, however, was different.

The Brolgadhr was a prominent clan but since their decline, they maintained friendly relations and rarely attack others unless they were attacked.

In their decline they lay low, and they did not form grudges with other tribes.

And so, when Aeryon came and took the reigns, when he promised leniency and he has the heart to forgive the enemies of his tribe, and do it.....that means unification is possible.

And more and more chief after that do what Aeryon did

Forget the feud of the past, embrace the present, accept those who wanted to be accepted and defeat those who are disobedient

Unify the heart, and unifying the world could be done!

The Murong clan that he is in prioritize education for their descendant and they are a bit more causal than those families in the Central Plains

Asula did not mean loss of respect but there is honest conversation between father and son, so that the old could love the young and the young could respect the old

When the old make mistake, the young should rebuke him, when the young make mistake the old should guide them

There is no strict hierarchy and feeling between father and son should be cultivated.

A family that is harmonious produce great descendant.

Their family tradition is quite different than the family tradition of any other families of the Steppe tribes that migrated to Yan.

But this is their strength.

They did not bury talent of their family and burden them with clan rules

Before he went to the great Steppe to aid the Khan, before Aeryon even become the Khan, he also discuss this matter and their family

It is only after they discussed this matter and think about it carefully that he then decided to go to the Steppe together leaving the foundation in Yan.

It is a family decision

That kind of bravery is hard to find in any family. Only a family that have great vision could so decisively cut of their influence in Yan and start over

It is also a sign that they believe in their own strength.

And one of his sons had said to him, right now it is already good that they put a bet.

Some tribes in the Steppe is still sitting on the fence.

These tribe probably would only surrender when the trend is truly clear.

The advantage is that such tribe would be safe. But the disadvantage, such tribe would surely not be trusted

For the Khan to trust these families that come later, they need to prove more than the people who come first. Not only they have to prove themselves it would also take time for them to enter the core of the trusted people

Not to mention the interest that would surround the Khan at that time will not be easy

Whether Aeryon won the Southern Great Steppe or Dama, such tribe that vote late would surely not be among the core trusted people in the new power structure.

So, they need to make a bet even if the odds are uncertain

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