knife

Chapter 625 You are a devil

In the southwest, many people believe in witchcraft.

Outsiders also refer to it as witchcraft.

In fact, they do not have a complete system or a unified organization; they are a relatively loose, quasi-religious organization.

These people, known as shamans, were highly respected and held a high position in the southwestern region.

And the man standing there, known as the Divine Shaman, was the spiritual leader of this generation of shamans.

This time, Nawei's journey north can be said to have gambled the fate of everyone in the entire southwest region, and as the spiritual leader, the shaman naturally followed him north.

The reform of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials destroyed not only the privileges of the former chieftains, but also the privileges of these shamans.

Nawei wanted to secure a higher status and greater benefits for the people of the southwest, and as a shaman of the privileged class, he naturally had to contribute his share.

The shaman has always been the highest military guarantee in the southwest.

A master of innate talent unknown to outsiders.

This was her first time leaving the southwest region.

Mysterious, enigmatic, and unpredictable, this divine sorcerer was a master of martial arts, medicine, and poison. This was the assessment of the legendary Changchun Valley Master, Fu Qingzhu, who once roamed the world.

Even now, after absorbing all of Jiang Qian's cultivation and greatly improving his abilities, Li Dachui is still very cautious when facing such a mysterious expert.

"So you're Fu Qingzhu's disciple!" The shaman's expression softened. "That's a benevolent person. Do you remember the one who left behind the Everlasting Spring Powder? Because of it, the plague in the southwest has been greatly alleviated over the years, and even outbreaks are quickly contained. If you were merely Fu Qingzhu's disciple, we would certainly welcome you with the utmost enthusiasm. However, you are also the Protector-General of the Southwest, and Li Dachui, which makes you our enemy. Don't blame us for being impolite!"

Li Dachui smiled at Na Wei: "Na Wei, enemies can become friends, and friends can become enemies. It depends on the time and circumstances, right? As far as I know, the Chu chief minister Xiong Yi ordered you to attack Ruyin to support Xiang Ying's breakout in Tong'an County. Do you think he is a friend or an enemy? Is he doing this for your benefit or to harm you?"

"Your intelligence is truly excellent; you even know the documents I just received clearly!" Na Wei shook his head and said.

"The governor here is a united front, but unfortunately, they have incurred the wrath of the people in Danyang City!" Li Dachui said. "There are countless people who want them to step down. Even if we don't deliberately search for such information, someone will intentionally or unintentionally leak it to us!"

"If I really want to attack, does Protector Li think I can take Ruyin County?" Na Wei didn't want to dwell on this question. He thought about how Jiang Qian had been in power for many years. Although Danyang City had undergone several rounds of purges, how could it be completely wiped out? There would always be some who slipped through the net, hiding in the corners, grinding their teeth and looking at them with hatred. However, it was too embarrassing to talk about such things, so it was better to change the subject.

"Yes!" Li Dachui nodded confidently.

"Huh?" Na Wei didn't react for a moment.

Shouldn't Li Dachui have emphasized that the city was well-prepared and more than capable of defeating him?
Why would they admit that Ruyin County would not be able to hold out?

"Within Ruyin County, there are currently 12,000 Tiger Warriors. During this period, they fought against the southwestern wolf soldiers under the command of the governor, suffering over 3,000 casualties. There are also about 5,000 or 6,000 county soldiers. The remaining able-bodied men are not worth mentioning!" Li Dachui shrugged. "As for our other forces, they have all been transferred to the Tong'an County direction. There will be no reinforcements coming in the short term." "Governor Li, why are you telling me all this? Or are you trying to mislead me with a mix of truth and falsehood?" Na Wei asked with some surprise.

"No!" Li Dachui said, "What I wanted to tell you is that as long as the strategist is determined, he can really take Ruyin County even at the cost of 20,000 to 30,000 casualties! My bottom line is that if the Tiger Army suffers another 5,000 or so casualties, we will completely abandon Ruyin County!"

Na Wei's face darkened.

If 30,000 people are killed or wounded, what is the point of capturing Ruyin County?
“I think the strategist will definitely refuse!” Li Dachui said, “Actually, I don’t want to either, so I made this trip to tell the strategist to leave and go back to Danyang!”

"What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it says!" Li Dachui smiled. "In order for that strategist to return to Danyang and make a name for himself, I mobilized all the troops I could to besiege Xiang Ying in Tong'an County. Of course, I can't stop Xiang Ying from going back alone, but it's impossible for him to bring back his 20,000 trusted main force from Tong'an County."

Na Wei's eyes flickered: "You're being so kind?"

"It's not out of kindness, but because it benefits me!" Li Dachui laughed heartily. "No one gets up early without a reason. If there wasn't a huge benefit, why would I go to such lengths to help that strategist like you fight for power and profit?"

Na Wei fell silent, subconsciously reaching out to tug at his beard, and began pacing back and forth.

"The strategist, Xiong Yi, has already realized this, so he is working hard to mobilize troops from the local areas back to Danyang," Li Dachui said. "Once those local troops arrive in Danyang, and Xiang Ying rushes back, you'll have no chance. The key here is time. As long as you get back before those local armies enter Danyang, you can ensure that they will never reach Danyang, unless they want to start another civil war!"

Na Wei suddenly looked up at Li Dachui.

"Don't look at me like that!" Li Dachui said, "You are the emperor's father-in-law, and you hold a large army and control Danyang, but you seem a bit weak in controlling the court. So if you want to become the number one person in Chu, you have to fight Xiong Yi and Xiang Ying. Only when you fight each other can my small territory be stable! If you all have the same goal, my life will really be difficult!"

"Why should I fight them for power and profit? I know you have ill intentions, yet I still do as you say?" Na Wei sneered.

"Of course you'll do it!" Li Dachui laughed. "From being the number one in the Southwest to becoming the number one in Chu, that's a leap forward. If you had even a little bit of ambition, you wouldn't have given up such an opportunity."

Looking at Na Wei, who was panting heavily, Li Dachui leaned closer and said, word by word, "Only when you become the number one person in Chu will you have a real chance to compete with me and people like Linghu Ye. Otherwise, you will just continue to be Xiong Yi and Xiang Ying's pawns, being ordered around by them!"

The shaman stepped forward and said, "If we leave, your troops will not pursue us, will not ambush us, and will not use your navy to harass us?"

"I can guarantee you will return to Danyang smoothly!" Li Dachui said confidently. "Destroying your army is only a short-term benefit for me, while getting you back to Danyang is more in my long-term interest. As for the commander, if you are worried, I can accompany you for a hundred or two hundred miles. I happen to have some medical questions that I want to discuss with the shaman!"

“You’re a devil!” Na Wei said through gritted teeth.

“Strictly speaking, we’re all the same kind of people!” Li Dachui said.

(End of this chapter)