Longzang

Chapter 341 Conditions
Thousands of lightly armored cavalrymen strode swiftly to the edge of the territory, where they were stopped by a patrol squad of twenty men.

The patrol squad leader met the cavalry and shouted, "Halt! This is the territory of the Dingxi Military Governor. Who are you and what brings you here?"

The cavalry leader said indifferently, "Are you blind? You don't even recognize the banner of the Xu family? Someone who dares to block the Xu family's troops in this Western Region is unprecedented! Since your eyes are useless, cripple them!"

Two sharp arrows suddenly shot out, piercing the patrol captain's eyes and going straight into his brain!

The captain fell backward, and the patrol members behind him were both shocked and furious. Several of them immediately fled to report the incident, while the rest remained on high alert and slowly retreated.

The knight leader's lips curled into a sneer, "They're quite tough. Then kill them all."

A moment later, the cavalry continued on their way, leaving behind twenty upright spears by the roadside, each spear pierced with a corpse.

After penetrating more than ten miles into the territory, they were finally stopped by a military unit.

Although the army in front of them numbered only two thousand, they were well-dressed, wearing expensive breastplates, and carrying unusually shaped weapons, which might be the legendary muskets.

The Xu family cavalry leader frowned slightly, refraining from a hasty attack. Instead, he dismounted and walked alone towards the enemy formation. A member of the boundary defense force also stepped forward to meet him.

The Xu family cavalry leader, seeing that his opponent was merely at the early stage of the Dao Foundation realm, pointed at his chest and said, "Go back and tell your damned military governor that our Xu family army is on its way! If you don't want to die, open up the territory for us to inspect. These are the specific requirements!"

He slapped a piece of jade paper directly into the other person's arms, and then led his team away.

A moment later, the jade paper was placed in front of Wei Yuan and the cultivators of Taichu Palace.

The jade document listed dozens of requirements, including:

1. Open the entire territory for inspection;
Second, all cultivators must open their sea of ​​consciousness for inspection.
Third, all cultivators must place restrictions on themselves and sign blood oaths to guarantee that they will not do anything detrimental to the Xu family.

Fourth, all cultivators of the Taichu Palace need to go to the Xu family's main residence to cultivate.

five,……

After reading the terms listed on the jade document, Wei Yuan said slowly, "This is forcing me to start a war! Have the scouts returned yet?"

Cui Yu said, "A batch has already returned. We currently know that the Xu family has mobilized a total of 300,000 troops, including the Western Jin government troops and their own private army, along with another 500,000 laborers to transport supplies, claiming a total of one million. The specific composition of the troops still needs further investigation."

Wei Yuan said, "The Xu family mobilized a full 300,000 troops, but without the Prince of Jin's decree. It seems the Prince of Jin is having a hard time too!"

Cui Yu said, “That’s normal. Just like my Ji Zhao Cui family, we can mobilize a million troops at most. It’s just that the King of Zhao is surnamed Li, so we need to ask him beforehand, but we don’t actually need his decree.”

Wei Yuan then came to understand the immense power of the aristocratic clans. Their ability to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops was far more significant than simply refusing to pay taxes. The spheres of influence of these clans were practically states within states.

At this moment, a servant came to report that Li Zhi, the military governor of Zhenshan in Zhao State, was requesting an audience.

Wei Yuan was overjoyed and went to greet him. A moment later, the two returned to the council hall. The cultivators of Taichu Palace were also familiar with Li Zhi.

After exchanging greetings, Li Zhi got straight to the point, saying, "I heard that the Xu family has launched a major invasion, so I have come to offer my assistance."

Wei Yuan handed over the jade paper and said, "These are the Xu family's requests. Take a look."

Li Zhi took the jade paper and read it carefully. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "They intend to subdue you completely in one battle with overwhelming force. It seems my prediction was correct. The Xu family's main target is not here, so they want to win a quick battle and then move their troops north."

"Does the Xu family have other options?"

Li Zhi said, “How could there not be? Your Qingming has only been established for a few months, less than a year. Before that, the Xu family had been fighting with the Prince of Jin and the Lü family for the three prefectures of Ganzhou for over a hundred years. The Xu family had already succeeded, but then the Wu tribe suddenly invaded and destroyed the four prefectures of Ningxi, which greatly weakened the Xu family. As a result, the Ganzhou they had gained was lost again.”

"Ganzhou? Is that where the world-famous silver mine is located?"

Li Zhi nodded: "That's it. The two counties on the left and right are also rich in minerals. These three counties alone bring in 15 million taels of silver annually. In comparison, your Qingming is nothing."

Li Zhi was a core disciple carefully cultivated by the Four Saints Academy and was on the path of becoming a human king. Therefore, he was more familiar with the general situation of the world than the cultivators of the Taichu Palace.

"Brother Li, wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to directly engage in battle with the Xu family?" Wei Yuan asked.

Li Zhi nodded and then said, "That's why I specifically brought only five thousand elite light cavalry this time, intending to use a workaround, disguise ourselves as bandits, and take the opportunity to harass the Xu family's rear supply lines. As long as you, my brother, can hold the line at the front, the Xu family will retreat soon if their supply lines become unstable."

"This matter is of utmost importance. Brother Li, are you confident? If it falls into the hands of the Xu family, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "I brought the elite troops of Southern Qi this time. How could the Xu family's rabble be a match for me? As for high-level cultivators, I have the support of the senior members of the Academy and the protection of the people sent by my father. Unless a True Lord intervenes, the Xu family should be unable to do anything to me."

Wei Yuan said solemnly, "This time, the Xu family will likely have a True Monarch secretly making a move."

Li Zhi chuckled and said, "I'm not afraid of that! You're the one who's more hated. Even if the True Lord were to make a move in secret, he would only target you."

After agreeing on the method of intelligence sharing, Li Zhi led his troops away. They had already changed their clothes and circled around to the rear of the Xu family's army. Ningzhou, Qianqiu City.

Inside the Privy Council, dozens of imposing figures sat in a circle, all gazing at the enormous sand table before them. The sand table depicted the terrain of northern Jin, extending as far north as the Liaodong Peninsula.

The man at the head of the table said slowly, "The Lü family seems to believe that the Immortal Ancestor is seriously injured and refuses to return the three prefectures of Ganzhou. Instead, they are frequently sending reinforcements. If we cannot resolve this quickly, things may change."

"The Lü family has already suffered heavy losses in the northern border, yet they are still so audacious?"

"The old ghost of the Lü family is far from being a match for the Immortal Ancestor. He occupied three prefectures for several years and was still not satisfied! He is truly courting death!"

The person at the head of the table pressed his hands down to quiet things down, and said, "The Immortal Ancestor's plan is far-reaching; all of this was within his expectations. Now, order Xu Zhongnian to attack with all his might, without any reservations or holding back. If Wei Yuan knows what's good for him, preserve the Azure Netherworld Domain. If he doesn't know what's good for him, then shatter the boundary stone and bring it back. True Monarch Qiuniu will go to the Western Regions to oversee things, while I will go to the North to supervise the battle. Heh, it's been a long time since I've sparred with those old rivals from the Lü family."

Someone said, "If we act without any scruples, the Taichu Palace might take action."

The person at the head of the table said, "Don't worry. The northern gate of Taichu Palace is in grave danger. All the True Lords must do their utmost to protect it. Do you really not want the northern gate anymore, coming to fight us at this time?"

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly, and someone laughed and said, "The Taichu Palace is used to being arrogant, but they're bound to suffer a harsh lesson! Back when they established the Northern Mountain Gate, they ventured thousands of miles deep, only thinking of blocking our way out. Did they ever imagine that this day would come?"

"If you don't have the ability, but still want to take all the spoils, you deserve it! Now that they're blocking our way, they're a thorn in Cheng Fang Bei Liao's side. We can act freely, and whatever we do, they'll have to put up with it!"

"Haha, if we lose the precious soil that the patriarch's body transformed into, wouldn't that be a great act of filial impiety?"

"Once their northern mountain gates fall, I'm going to take a piss there and moisten the precious soil formed from the bodies of the ancestors of the Primordial Palace!"

……

The Azure Netherworld has begun full-scale preparations for war. Only the weapon forging workshop is operating at full capacity, while all other work has been suspended and all manpower has been diverted to the war effort.

Along the route of the Xu family army was a fortified city called Xuanwei San. Wei Yuan deployed 10,000 warriors there, hiding them underground, just as he had done when dealing with the Wu tribe.

However, the equipment of the border army is now completely different. Each soldier is equipped with a new type of reloadable musket with five rounds of ammunition. In addition, more than 20,000 old and obsolete muskets are also stored here. Even if the Xu family's invading army is of the level of the northern border army, they would not be able to take down Xuanwei San without losing 60,000 to 70,000 men.

Watching the troops enter Xuanwei 3, Wei Yuan suddenly thought that if they had the current firepower configuration back then, Yun Feifei would not have perished.

Twenty miles behind Xuan Weisan was Wei Yuan's pre-arranged battleground. The terrain there was flat, and although it was closer to Xuan Weisan, Wei Yuan believed that the enemy would find it irresistible to facilitate cavalry movement.

At this time, more than 100,000 people were working day and night on the front line, and in just one day and night they dug more than ten trenches that were interconnected and as dense as a spider web.

The Xu family army moved slowly, finally arriving at the border three days later, and then set up camp there.

At dawn on the second day, the vanguard of 10,000 heavy cavalry, along with 50,000 light cavalry, set out first and stormed into the territory, officially commencing the great battle.

In the center of the cavalry, Xu Zhongxing, the garrison commander of Hanyang Pass, looked at the surrounding army and said, "It's been several years since I personally led an army into battle."

One of his fierce generals also sighed, "Back then, my elder brother and I fought the Witch Clan to the death. I was hit by a blood curse that time and almost died. If my elder brother hadn't carried me back, I, Lao Fan, wouldn't be alive today."

Xu Zhongxing sighed softly and said, "Returning to our old home, but we're not fighting the Wu tribe."

Fan Donghe said, "Brother, be careful what you say. It seems like those elders who are with the Central Army are always looking for a mistake on your part."

Xu Zhongxing snorted and said, "They're just after my 100,000 elite soldiers."

Fan Donghe spat and said, "The elite troops we trained, do you think they can command them?! When we were fighting the Witch Clan, why didn't they come to lend a hand? Now that we're picking on the weak, they all jump out! Especially that old codger Xu Qirui, his magic power is so filthy, I don't know when he'll be facing his tribulation, and he comes up demanding thirty pairs of boys and girls! If someone like that doesn't die, then Heaven has no eyes!"

Xu Zhongxing sighed, "You should say less."

Fan Donghe stopped talking, then said, "To be honest, I still admire Wei Yuan quite a bit. I hope he won't make a mistake this time and can keep Qingming intact. It would be such a pity if Qingming were to shatter."

"He's not the kind of person who would compromise."

"Why do we have to attack here first? Can't we just go straight to Ganzhou?"

Xu Zhongxing sighed, "This is the Immortal Ancestor's obsession; there's nothing we can do about it."

At this point, both men fell silent. Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the vanguard. The two men spurred their horses forward and arrived at the front of the column. There they saw an ancient tree by the roadside, with more than a dozen people hanging from it. They were all envoys sent by Xu Zhongxing to persuade the enemy to surrender.

Looking at the corpses drifting in the wind, Xu Zhongxing said calmly, "It seems that this battle is inevitable. Let's go and try out the methods of Taichu Palace. I hope that the disciples and grand-disciples of the Old Daoist Fenhai will not disappoint me."

P.S.: There were quite a few long chapters this month, so I added fewer.

(End of this chapter)