Patrol Captain

Four days later, on the morning of the same day, at the Xuntian Hall on Yunding Mountain, all the generals stood solemnly, and the atmosphere inside the hall was solemn.

Before the hall, a general clad in dark blue armor, covered in blood and with his armor torn, knelt on one knee, his clothes and hair disheveled, his face filled with sorrow.

Before this general, a mangled demon corpse was presented in front of the hall.

This demon corpse was only half a piece, about three or four zhang in size, with green skin, four claws, green eyes, white hair on its head, and green blood. It was extremely ugly and ferocious.

Last night, a convoy carrying a batch of military supplies from Yong'an Prefecture to Chengdu was intercepted on the way. The convoy was led by a detachment of Yong'an Prefecture's patrol troops, numbering several hundred, along with two captains of a thousand households. However, only a handful of them managed to escape, and one of the captains is kneeling before the palace.

The military supplies being escorted consisted of armor, swords, and other weaponry that the Circuit Intendant had ordered to be requisitioned and put into rapid production.

The "culprits" who intercepted and killed the soldiers of Yong'an Prefecture were several demons.

The corpses displayed in the hall were those of demons, one of which had been brutally killed by the garrison troops. The body was taken away by the garrison captain who escaped and used as evidence in court to seek assistance from the Daofu Division.

On the main seat in the hall, Chen Yuan's gaze shifted and landed on the demon's corpse.

It was just a minor demon at the Body Profound Realm, but its physical characteristics indicated it came from the Night Fox Clan of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. He had fought it before, and this kind of demon seemed to be a subordinate clan of the Fei Yi Demon Clan.

"Everyone, what do you think?" He turned his gaze away from the demon corpse, then looked around at the group of armored figures standing behind him, and spoke.

The Twelve Mountain-Conquering Army is now fully staffed, and all the lieutenant generals have been appointed. The various colors of armor reflect a cold, hard light inside the hall, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring aura. The twelve Mountain-Conquering Banners flutter in the main hall square.

The first person to step forward was Gongsun Yang, who was standing in the front row.

"General, it seems the demon race knows you are preparing for war against them. They have sent demon soldiers to infiltrate the rear and target our supplies. This is definitely not an isolated case; it will become more and more frequent. We did not realize this problem in advance, which means we underestimated them. We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible; otherwise, our military deployment will be hindered, and more changes may occur."

Chen Yuan's gaze was thoughtful, a glint of shrewdness in it. He nodded, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, "We did underestimate our enemy. As the saying goes, 'An army marches on its stomach.' The demon race understands military strategy. They sent demons to create chaos in the rear and have their eyes on our supplies. This is indeed a problem."

"However, this also serves as a warning to us that a full-scale war between our Daofu Division and the demon race is about to begin. Neither side has any way out and they will become ruthless. The fighting will no longer stop at the front lines; the battles and killings in the rear will become fierce and dangerous, in the cities, in the mountains, and even in the prefectures."

Golden light flickered in Chen Yuan's eyes, his vocal cords vibrated, and a chilling killing intent swept through the hall, causing the generals present to tense up, their eyes to tremble, and their armor to clang with the slightest movement.

"Today's topic revolves around what I just said. You need to come up with a plan to minimize these losses. The military preparations of the Fusi are strained, and I do not want the deployment plan to be delayed."

"Someone, take this captain to get medical treatment first."

"In addition, seats will be offered to all the officers."

"Let's start with Yun Zhonglang from the first mountain."

Chen Yuan issued several orders and began a discussion on the problems exposed by this matter, ordering the various military commanders to express their opinions. Soon, in the main hall, Yun Tiansheng began to speak, followed by the others in turn, and finally a discussion was held. This discussion lasted for quite a while, during which other officials from the Fu Si were summoned to supplement the discussion.

The problem seems simple, but the various issues it exposes require complex and meticulous planning. After all, the war has not yet begun, and the governor has already mobilized all the prefectures under its jurisdiction. This vast Jiannan Circuit is like a huge machine with a complex array of "parts" that are indispensable. There are many things to consider, and the core leadership of the governor needs to work together to solve them.

During this time, the Twelve Mountain Generals, Gongsun Yang, and other core figures of the Fusi, who were Chen Yuan's most trusted subordinates, came up with the regulations. The Registrar Gao Yu and Fan Chou took notes in the hall, and Chen Yuan was responsible for approving and finalizing them. Once one item was finalized, they would move on to the next item. Afterward, they would summon their subordinates to quickly draft the documents and issue them promptly.

And so the meeting continued from morning until nightfall, and it was still not over.

During this time, people came and went, and orders were issued one after another.

The outcome of today's meeting at the Heavenly Patrol Hall can be summarized in one sentence.

—Jiannan Road Level 1 combat readiness response.

On the other hand, eight thousand miles north of Chengdu lies Tianxiong Pass, a formidable pass on the Shu Road.

At midnight that night, the deep autumn night, like a silk cloth soaked in ink, pressed heavily on the back of Tianxiong Pass. The mountains, like lurking beasts, formed dark silhouettes of craggy peaks in the night, enveloping the pass in its heart, with only the eaves of the arrow tower piercing the dark sky.

The world was completely silent. The only sounds on the eastern city wall leading to the Shu Road were the fluttering of flags in the wind and the soft rustling of patrolling soldiers walking on the stone slabs.

Suddenly, from the previously quiet city wall, a hurried shout rang out, shouted at the top of its lungs.

"There's movement in the northeast!"

"Blow the whistle!"

The next second, a sharp whistle pierced the silence of the night with a "xu".

The quiet city walls suddenly stirred, chaotic yet not panicked. Soldiers who had been feigning sleep against the parapets abruptly stood up, the crisp sound of swords being drawn echoing through the air. Scouts on lookout duty had already climbed to the highest point of the city gate tower, bringing their horns to their lips, the alarm piercing the night wind and carrying into the city. The sounds of mechanisms and runes lighting up rang out in unison, the defensive formations on the city walls and the weapons they had set up all began to move, waiting only for the order to burst forth.

At the same time, torches were lit one by one on the city wall. In an instant, the crimson flames spread along the city wall. Under the firelight, the eyes under the helmets looked towards the northeast sky, where the dark sky was cleaved by a blazing streak of light.

A fiery streak of light shot from the sky like a meteor, hurtling towards Tianxiong Pass.

At the same time, a shout filled with shock, anger, and fear tore through the silence of the night.
"I am a special envoy of the imperial family. Someone has intercepted the imperial entourage bestowed with rewards. Where is the general guarding the city?"

As he spoke, the streak of fire suddenly accelerated, rapidly approaching Tianxiong Pass.

In the firelight, a chariot-like vehicle could be vaguely seen, upon which stood a disheveled figure carrying a bright yellow flag!
Just then, a deafening explosion resounded from the sky, and a massive fiery hand seemed to emerge from the void, slamming down towards the figure on the chariot with astonishing power, turning half the sky crimson. (End of Chapter)