The Underworld
As far as the eye could see, everything was grey and black. A cold wind blew and a speck of light shone through the darkness. It was Xie Yi's Yin Spirit. His body glowed with spiritual light, but his face was black and he was clearly enraged.
As soon as Zhang Xuan landed on the ground, he felt his body sinking. It was as if a seal had been placed on him, causing the pressure on him to intensify.
"Damn it. I had a fleshly body and I didn't feel anything. Now that I'm dead, my Yin Spirit is being controlled." Xie Yi's face was filled with anger and fear, "With just this little bit of prohibition, I borrowed the Taoist temple's spiritual aura for decades, and yet it still had an effect."
"If I don't kill this person, I won't be able to rest in peace. After cultivating for dozens of years, my hopes of becoming a Sage have been severed. How can I not hate him?" Xie Yi roared at the sky. Just as he finished speaking, a few more specks of light fell from the sky.
These were the Daoists from Dark Altar Sect. The few of them had opened the gates of heaven and were following behind Elder Xie. Who would've thought that they would be slaughtered for no reason?
As soon as they landed, their bodies were covered in blood. They looked like evil spirits as they knelt down in front of Xie Yi and shouted, "Pei Zi Yun has become a dog of the Imperial Court. Today, he has openly declared war against all the Daoist sects under the heavens. Now he has destroyed our physical bodies and destroyed our hopes. Elder Xie, please enter Teacher Yan's sect and seek justice for us."
When Xie Yi heard this, his face darkened. He then said coldly, "Let's leave this place first. The Imperial Envoy's Restrictive Spell is still in effect here. We can't even use our magic. If they try to attack us again, we won't be able to defend ourselves."
The Daoist's Yin Spirit's expression changed. If his physical body was destroyed, then so be it. But if his Yin Spirit died, then he was truly dead.
The group of people then walked towards the direction of Dark Altar Mountain, "If we didn't have the restrictive spells, how could mere officials kill us? It's a pity that our fleshly bodies are already dead, and it's difficult for a thousand tribulations Yin spirit to ascend to sainthood. We can only cultivate the Dao of Gods."
When Xie Yi heard these words, he felt as though his heart was being stabbed. Actually, to these disciples, they didn't have much of a future ahead of them. Switching to the path of gods was just a matter of bringing it forward. Now that he had lost his physical body, it was a huge blow to the Xie Family in Dark Altar Sect. This was especially so when his son Xie Cheng Dong was supporting King Lu.
His expression changed before he turned to the disciples and spoke coldly, "Alright, I have my own plans. Let's leave the Forbidden Grounds and report back to the sect. Sooner or later, Pei Zi Yun will pay the price."
"Yes, Elder." These people flew quickly, and as the distance between them increased, the barrier gradually disappeared until it was completely out of sight.
"Hu!" As soon as they broke free from the Restrictive Spell, their Yin Spirits glowed with a white light. The bloodstains on their bodies were gradually reduced, and there were even traces of red light enveloping their bodies, cleaning them up.
"The Daoist monastery has been accumulating incense for tens of years, and now we can use it for our own use." The few Yin spirits of the Daoists relaxed a little as they inhaled and exhaled. This was one of the benefits of a sect.
But at this point, the red glow dimmed and a dark red colour appeared. Not only was the glow unable to be absorbed, it started to emit a foul stench and sizzling sounds. Several of the Daoists screamed out in pain, "Not good, this thief is a traitor to our sect. He's already used the County Magistrate's seal to seal off the spiritual energy in the Daoist temple. He's even tainted the statue."
"Hurry up and sever the spiritual power connection to this Daoist temple," said Xie Yi. His face was grim as he opened his mouth and spat out a talisman.
Prefect Mansion
It was different now. There were sentries every three steps and sentries every five along the wall. They were all Imperial Bodyguards, standing under the eaves and looking straight ahead.
Boom! The rain continued to pour as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the entire place. King Lu, Xie Cheng Dong and Eunuch Liao were in the study room.
"Reporting, King Lu, there's the latest news from the imperial court." A Daoist official reported. Hearing this, King Lu frowned, "Come in and report."
"Yes!"
The Imperial Bodyguard outside let the Daoist official in. When he entered, the Daoist official kowtowed and handed over the report. Eunuch Liao received it and handed it over to King Lu. King Lu opened it up and frowned. He then stood up and paced several steps, "Go gather the generals and officials to discuss this matter."
"Yes, King Lu." Eunuch Liao nodded and glanced outside. It was raining cats and dogs, and the wind was blowing loudly as it disappeared into the rain.
Main Hall
After an hour, several generals rushed over. The rain outside was too heavy, and their hair and clothes were wet. There were also wet footprints on the ground.
Outside, dark clouds covered the skies, and the main hall was dark as well. Occasionally, there would be flashes of lightning, and the sound of thunder could be heard. Before long, several people lit up more than ten lamps, illuminating the entire hall.
"Silence."
Eunuch Liao shouted out. Along with his loud and clear voice, the entire hall quietened down.
King Lu sat at the head of the table and laughed, "It's raining now, and I'm sorry everyone came. Men, give everyone a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold."
Immediately, someone acknowledged. King Lu retracted his smile as his face turned serious. He then placed the report by the side, "Eunuch Liao, help me read it to the generals. This way, the generals can help me think of some ideas."
Hearing King Lu's words, the generals were shocked, "Could it be that the imperial court's army has arrived?"
"This servant will do as you bid!" Eunuch Liao received the report and read aloud, "Count Zhong Qin has led an army of seventy thousand across the river. The surrounding prefectures are under his control. In total, he controls an army of two hundred thousand."
"Count Zhong Qin has just crossed the river, and issued a decree in the name of the Chief Commander, ordering all the prefectures to fortify their defenses. No one is allowed to go out into battle without permission."
"Another two hundred thousand taels of silver have been allocated to the prefectures to equip them with weapons."
Several of the generals and You Ji Generals heard these words and felt a chill run down their spines. They then started discussing amongst themselves, "Count Zhong Qin is indeed a man who followed the founding of the empire. It seems like he's trying to stop us from going out into battle. If we were to fight, the losses would be much greater. If that happens, King Lu's plan to rid the Emperor of all his enemies would be hindered."
"Haha!" Xie Cheng Dong laughed out as everyone turned to look at him. Xie Cheng Dong then bowed down to them. He had a calm smile on his face as he spoke, "Generals, you might not know this, but this isn't the work of Count Zhong Qin. This is a copy of Pei Zi Yun from Ying Prefecture."
As he spoke, he then explained the situation in Ying Prefecture. Seeing that all the generals had understood, he then continued, "This person copied this strategy. It's like playing chess. As long as you block the opening of the Qi, you can kill the dragon."
"This strategy doesn't allow the weak to fight the strong. However, it allows the strong to fight the weak. It's impossible for the weak to win. I have to say, this strategy is indeed the art of war."
"Oh?" When King Lu heard these words, he pondered for some time. He knew that Xie Cheng Dong wouldn't allow him to lose his prestige and morale at this point. He then spoke out, "Where there's a method, there's a way to break it. If you have any ideas, just speak your mind."
"However, the biggest drawback of this strategy is that it's a small obstacle." Xie Cheng Dong revealed a cold smile, as though everything was under his control. He paused for sometime, and noticed that everyone was listening attentively. Even King Lu leaned forward before he spoke out, "Now that Qin Prefecture is under our control, the new general has many family members who are still under the control of the Imperial Court. It's not a good idea to make a big fuss about this. You can go to Qin Prefecture to train your troops. Qin Prefecture has already mobilized many new soldiers, and is currently lacking a general."
"General Han Hongwu cannot be left idle in Qin Prefecture. We have to send out our troops immediately. However, our target is Han Ning County."
"As long as we can take down Han Ning County, we can attack Shu Prefecture from the south, and Jing Prefecture from the east. We can then conquer half of the north, and travel a thousand miles. Blocking the way would be of no use then."
"As for my army, all we have to do is delay Count Zhong Qin, and allow General Han Hongwu to break out of this predicament. This is a ploy. If Pei Zi Yun was here, he might be able to see through my strategy. However, Count Zhong Qin is a scholar, and doesn't understand the logic behind it. Hence, he won't be able to see through it. After learning Pei Zi Yun's tactics, he thinks that he can use it against us. Hence, he's stuck to his old ways of thinking.
When that happens, not only will Count Zhong Qin die, but the entire army will be destroyed as well. Our army will then be able to attack the capital, and cleanse the Emperor's side in one fell swoop. "
"King Lu is the son of the Emperor after all. When that time comes, the entire world will submit to you."
His analysis was thorough, and penetrated deep into everyone's heart. When the generals heard this, they all nodded their heads in agreement. They felt that there was hope for victory. They then stood up and congratulated King Lu, "Congratulations King Lu, congratulations King Lu."
"Haha!" King Lu laughed out and praised him, "Mister Xie, you are truly my strategist. The war has been won."
He was in a good mood. At this point, he raised his head and looked at the few new officials. He had a sudden impulse and smiled, "You've all received your father's support and became officials. However, since you've become officials, I have to test you and see what you're capable of. Come on, don't be afraid. Tell me what you think!"
King Lu asked casually as he smiled and took a sip of tea. The few new officials mumbled under their breath. The blind Daoist had changed his appearance and was brimming with confidence. He then took a step forward and spoke, "Daoist Xie's strategies are unparalleled throughout history. How can we, a lowly official, comment on them?"
"However, this humble official has something to add. Would you mind listening?"
"Speak." King Lu was just acting on a whim. He didn't expect a mere ninth ranked official to actually have something to say. He then laughed out.
"Yes!" The blind Daoist bowed once more, "My army's main objective is to hold Count Zhong Qin back. However, we can't just defend to the death, or else we'll be exposed. I've heard that Qin Prefecture has cavalry troops. Now that Qin Prefecture is in your hands, this is our trump card."
"Cavalry troops are highly mobile. We can send a few hundred men, or even a thousand men each. They can ambush Count Zhong Qin's troops and destroy their supply lines. Not only can they accumulate this many times, they can also train and train their soldiers. They can also strike at the enemy's morale and increase the chances of victory for your highness."
"Let's make the battle more lively. This way, we can cover General Han's strategy."
When Xie Cheng Dong heard this, he was deep in thought. This made sense. King Lu sat on his throne and looked at this new official in admiration. He didn't think that this son of a noble family, who wasn't even an Elementary Scholar, would be so talented. King Lu then thought about it and asked, "You're Li Cheng? I didn't expect you to be so talented. With this strategy, you've achieved much. Being a ninth ranked official is too much for you. You can be promoted to an eighth ranked official. "
The blind Daoist who was disguised as Li Cheng immediately knelt down, "Thank you for your reward. This official will do anything for you."
Seeing that Li Cheng had gained the trust of King Lu, Xie Cheng Dong frowned. He felt a sense of discomfort welling up within him. He sighed and looked at Li Cheng Dong carefully. He then realized that Li Cheng didn't have any traces of cultivation. He then thought to himself, "Could it be that I'm jealous of this talented person?
Just as he was thinking about this, the talisman in his robes moved. His expression changed, and the blind Daoist raised his head to look at Xie Cheng Dong. King Lu didn't know how Xie Cheng Dong was feeling. After thinking for some time, he felt that his plan was flawless. He then laughed, "This is a good plan. Generals, act according to the plan."
"Yes!" The generals stood up and bowed before retreating.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
