Patrol Captain

"There might be something fishy about this!" Gongsun Yang paused for a moment before reporting.

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent for a moment, and many people tentatively raised their heads.

Sitting at the head of the table, Chen Yuan lowered his eyelids and said, "Continue."

Gongsun Yang, having received the approval, lowered his hand, turned around, and faced the guards. "As far as I know, General, earlier, in order to prevent demons from infiltrating the city, you bestowed upon me the divine power of Heavenly Eye, and together with the guards, I monitored the evil spirits. Although the divine power bestowed upon me by the General is less than one-tenth of the original, it is still not something that ordinary demons can evade detection."

"The demons causing chaos in the city this time are all at the Heavenly Gate Body Profound level, but there are as many as thirty or forty of them. The fact that so many demons entered the city without being detected by the surveillance eyes means that a powerful demon must have used a deceptive technique to conceal the secrets of heaven. The simultaneous attack on the armies escorting supplies from the four cities is organized and premeditated. At this moment, there must be a powerful demon in the city pulling the strings behind the scenes, watching all of this, waiting for an opportunity to disrupt our rhythm."

It's not difficult for Gongsun Yang to deduce this conclusion.

Finally, he turned around and looked at Chen Yuan, his aged and cloudy eyes seeming to burn with a flame.

"General, the war has begun!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it resonated deeply in the hall.

The night outside the hall was deep, but the candlelight inside, though flickering, burned steadily, its light illuminating the faces of the people and revealing a resolute aura.

"General, let's begin the battle!"

"The last general invites you to fight!"

"This humble general is willing to volunteer for battle."

One voice after another emerged, clanging loudly in the hall.

Chen Yuan looked at the faces below. These were all generals who had fought countless battles and possessed the spirit of never returning until Loulan was conquered.

If it were the old him, he would have led several thousand elite soldiers and dared to rush to the front line and beat those beasts in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Now, he is the general commanding all the troops in Shu, and he needs to consider the overall situation, therefore...
"Then let's fight!"

He spoke softly, his eyelids squinting, and stood up, his voice echoing in the hall.

He's still the same person!

Instantly, everyone in the hall looked up, and the eyes of the armored generals became extremely intense. Their blood surged in their chests, and their momentum merged into one, creating a powerful and resonant sound.

"All men, heed my command! Two days from now, prepare for the ceremony to bestow the seal of the General of the Central Army. Send a message throughout the region, summoning all heroes to come and pay their respects!"

"Once the ceremony is complete, immediately dispatch troops south!"

Chen Yuan gave the order in a loud voice, passing the baton to the person below.

At that moment, everyone stood up, cupped their hands in unison, and said, "Yes, sir!"

The sound shook the hall and echoed through the night.

Then everyone left, and the entire Daofusi (a government office) was filled with bright lights and bustling activity following the order.

Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Patrol, most of the people had left.

"Lord Jiang, please wait."

On the steps leading down from the palace, Gongsun Yang called out to Jiang Yi, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who was about to leave.

"Mr. Gongsun, what brings you here?" Jiang Yicai knew that this seemingly unassuming old general had led his troops north to conquer the Lazikou Pass of Beiliang and was not to be underestimated. Rumor had it that he was a confidant of Marquis Chen, and this was no exaggeration.

The one who caught up must have had something to do with Lord Chen.

Sure enough, Gongsun Yang said, "My general invites you to move to the side hall for a talk."

Jiang Yi nodded upon hearing this. Then, Gongsun Yang led Jiang Yi to a side hall, where the lighting was much dimmer and the place was more secluded, with half of Chen Yuan's face hidden in the gloom.

“Lord Chen.” Jiang Yi sized up the man’s expression. The man’s imposing aura and anger in the main hall just now were truly terrifying.

However, recalling the scene just now where everyone in the hall was convinced and the generals were vying to fight, which was in stark contrast to the court that was mired in a deep-seated infighting, I couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings of sorrow and reflection).

“Lord Jiang, we’ve met a few times, so we’re old acquaintances. I’ll get straight to the point.”

"As you can see, the demon race is rampant and has come to our doorstep. I no longer have the time or patience to slowly recruit soldiers and horses. The situation is getting worse and worse, and I'm afraid I won't have time to entertain you any longer."

"I need you to bring the situation here to the capital," he said, looking at Gongsun Yang. "Mr. Gongsun."

Gongsun Yang understood, took out a memorial from his sleeve, handed it to Jiang Yi, and said:

"This is the list of our battle losses from this deployment, as well as the list of military supplies that the Fusi urgently needs."

Jiang Yi took the memorial and felt the heavy atmosphere, as did the weight in his hands.

"I would be most grateful if Lord Jiang could do something for the soldiers of Shu." Chen Yuan softened his tone. "At least, we can't let our soldiers of Shu fight bravely on the front lines without even being able to wear armor, can we?"

Sincerity is the ultimate skill!

Jiang Yi had previously thought that this Marquis Chen was not someone to be trifled with, and that his words were barbed. Now, however, he felt that this man was being genuine and that he was worthy of respect.

"Okay!" He didn't say anything grand or eloquent, just a single, heavy word.

"I will set off for the capital early tomorrow morning to report to His Majesty. I am grateful for the Marquis's trust."

A short while later, Jiang Yi left, leaving only Chen Yuan and Gongsun Yang, the "lord and minister," in the side hall.

“If the general is truly preparing to send troops in two days, and announces this so widely, I fear that powerful demons hiding in the city might take the opportunity to cause trouble. With so many people around, the situation could become uncontrollable,” Gongsun Yang expressed his concern when the two were alone.

Chen Yuan stood up, his eyes flashing with a ruthless glint of gold, and the hidden, overwhelming killing intent he had been harboring was released without reservation, carrying a fierce light.

"Revenge should not be delayed overnight!"

“These bastards came to kill me right under my nose.”

"How dare these beasts be so arrogant!"

His voice was filled with hostility.

Even Gongsun Yang was taken aback. "What does the general mean by that?"

"Isn't it supposed to be two days from now when we send out the troops?"

Chen Yuan glanced at him sideways, "Aren't the troops you took to Beiliang still stationed at Tianxiong Pass?"

“There are demons in Chengdu watching me. With so many people in the army, it’s inevitable that news will leak out. Their disappearance won’t attract attention in the short term. After all, not many people are watching that place. They’ll only be focused on the investiture ceremony in two days.”

"Mr. Gongsun, I'll have to trouble you again to go to Tianxiong Pass tonight and take these troops to Youmen Pass. I've asked Liu Qing to arrange a branch of the Sacred Tree with King Luo to be used for transporting the troops."

"I intend to have you bring those beasts to perform the flag-raising ceremony in two days, while I will arrange for the main force of the Twelve Mountains to be transported out and dispatched ahead of schedule!"

"Of course, these words that I am about to tell you cannot be revealed to anyone beforehand. Even the general leading the army will only be informed once we arrive at the destination."

"If there is any trouble, retreat into the Netherworld Gate."

After hearing his general's explanation, Gongsun Yang suddenly understood, and his cloudy eyes shone with an alarming brightness.

The general's claim that he would send troops in two days was merely a ruse to draw attention and secretly advance his own forces—a classic case of deception in war. (End of Chapter)