Start with a red name

After a night of unbridled pleasure, just as I awoke from my reverie, a tremendous surprise awaited me.

Sitting there cross-legged, Dong Guan resembled a round, plump ball of flesh.

A pair of small but bright eyes blinked incessantly, as if filled with confusion, or perhaps struggling to comprehend the information reported by the messengers from "White Crane Beach," "Golden Leaf Cliff," and "Rapid Stream Cave," who all reported the same thing.

What started as a casual "picking" activity before heading south ended up with nothing to show for it.
This place, which should have been home to tens of thousands of bandits, was deserted except for some dead people.

Before today, he, who prided himself on having a thorough understanding of the Xuan and You states and controlling them as if they were impregnable, had not noticed any unusual signs.

Tens of thousands of bloodthirsty killers, the sand bandits with enormous destructive power, just vanished without a trace?
While Dong Guan was still stunned by the news, there were several figures sitting on either side of him with their heads down and eyes lowered.

The atmosphere in the room was silent and oppressive.

After a while, Dong Guan finally snapped out of his dazed state, stood up abruptly, kicked over the low table in front of him, and roared his questions like an explosion, instantly echoing throughout the room.

"What about people?"

"Did it grow wings and fly away?"

"What are the Iron Feather Guards doing? Why didn't they report such an important matter to me immediately, instead of delaying it until now?!"

"And the Dark Night Division, with so many spies, are they all useless? How come there wasn't a single piece of information beforehand?"

"..."

Faced with his relentless and angry questioning, everyone kneeling on the ground bowed their heads, adopting a posture of accepting punishment and repentance.

Even the Iron Feather Guard representative, who was also present at the night watch and was singled out for criticism by Dong Guan, offered no defense when Dong Guan singled him out.

Only after Dong Guan had vented his emotions sufficiently did the one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man, who was kneeling to his left and closest to him at that moment, speak solemnly:
"My lord, please treat this matter with utmost care."

I suspect that this anomaly is likely not limited to just these three places: 'White Crane Beach', 'Golden Leaf Cliff', and 'Rapid Stream Cave'.

They were simply the closest and the first to relay the message. If I'm not mistaken, similar messages will soon arrive from the other five locations as well!

Dong Guan's round eyes swept over everyone in the room, a surge of murderous intent rising in his heart.

In his view, this was so unusual that not a single word had reached him before today.

The fact that the forces that carried out this in secret were certainly aware of the secrecy of their actions.

But the more important reason must be the problem on my own side.

Moreover, it's not just a problem of one person or one department, but a systemic issue. After decades of complacency, an organization, once ambitious and enterprising, has begun to rot from the roots, exhibiting slow responses, mutual buck-passing, and a series of other problems.

Otherwise, he would never believe that such a massive operation could be carried out without leaving a trace!

This is also an important reason why Dong Guan decided to go south this year.

He had keenly sensed that the power he had created had reached its peak and was beginning to decline.

Dong Guan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said in a muffled voice:

"This is what I'm most worried about!"

He paused, looked at the one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man, and asked:

"If that's really the case, how should we respond?"

"..."

The man remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Stop the southward march and focus all our efforts on resolving this matter."

Upon hearing this, Dong Guan's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.

After a long while, he slowly said:
"Do you think this might be their goal? To stop us from crossing the river and heading south?"

"...that's very likely the case."

“If we withdraw our troops now and try to resolve this matter, wouldn’t we be falling right into their trap?” Dong Guan said, his voice somewhat hoarse.

His answer clearly shows that he was absolutely unwilling to do so.

Being led by the nose is one aspect.

More importantly, from troop mobilization to material procurement, he had done everything possible to the utmost in every aspect of this plan, which embodied all his ambitions, passions, and complex considerations.

Although they are still on the north bank of the Hanghe River, it's as if they've already stepped one foot into the south bank.

Now, he suddenly pulls back the foot he's taken out and tells everyone, "It was just a joke."

He couldn't even imagine how severe the side effects would be.

Within the Xuanyou and Xuanyou states, this will deal an unprecedented blow to the formidable prestige he has built up over decades with his fearsome reputation.

This is a side effect on a psychological level.

Even setting aside all these factors, even if he could replicate the "southward plan" again, it would be difficult to reach the same level in terms of resource collection and manpower allocation.

This was an extremely devastating blow to his reputation.

This is a side effect at the material level.

This is still within the Xuanyou and You states.

If he misses this opportunity, the situation in all out-of-state areas will become even more difficult for him than it is now.

Putting aside everything else, just look at Yuanzhou...

Dong Guan suddenly remembered the various misfortunes that had been coming from Yuanzhou since the second half of last year.

A suddenly rising gang has thrown his plans for Yuan and Hao prefectures into complete chaos.

Consequently, the situation in the entire Yuanzhou became delicate.

If left unchecked and given more time to develop, the situation in Yuanzhou will inevitably become more unfavorable.

And then there's the rising "little tyrant" of Yangzhou...

Considering all this, Dong Guan found it difficult to make the decision to "pause" his trip south.

He harbored a deep-seated worry that he dared not fully confront: once the project was "suspended," it would be difficult to restart it.

The one-armed, one-legged, and one-eyed man clearly understood his unspoken concerns.

So he chose to remain silent and say no more.

Dong Guan then asked others for their opinions, but who among them wasn't a shrewd person?
No one said anything like "suspend the southward journey" that would surely displease him. Instead, they offered seemingly serious but actually innocuous suggestions such as "intensify the investigation" and "gather more clues."

They said they would investigate thoroughly and gather more clues.

At the end of the discussion, having received no constructive suggestions, Dong Guan looked at the sky outside and suddenly said:

"Based on the arrival time of the first three batches of messengers, the messenger from 'Wild Wolf Gorge' should have arrived by now as well."

"..."

His words reminded everyone of what had happened, and as they looked at each other in bewilderment, a sense of unease crept into many of them.

They always felt that something even worse might happen.

Dong Guan clearly realized this as well, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

No one spoke again, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

Aside from sending out yet another batch of messengers, the only thing we can do is sit here and wait quietly.

The sun rises high, passes its zenith, and sets in the west...

The daytime of the eighth day of the first lunar month passed slowly as everyone sat and waited.

It wasn't until nightfall on the eighth day of the lunar month that the sound of galloping hooves finally approached again.

From Dong Guan to everyone under his command, those who had truly experienced what it meant for "every day to feel like a year" instantly seemed to be resurrected from their petrified state.

This time, within a short period of time, with the arrival of several batches of messengers, a constant stream of new information "bombarded" their ears.

The first messenger to arrive was not the one they had been eagerly awaiting from "Wild Wolf Gorge".

It's not "Wild Wolf Gorge" further west, but "Swallow Peak" located within Youzhou, which requires crossing a waterway.

Instead, it came from the "Sanyakou" pass, which is nearly 4,000 li (approximately 2,000 kilometers) further west.

They brought news that was exactly the same as that of "White Crane Beach", "Golden Leaf Cliff" and "Rapid Flow Cave".

The anomaly was discovered around the same time, around yesterday evening.

After making a rough confirmation of the anomaly there, several dozen messengers set off.

Working tirelessly, day and night.

They changed horses but not riders halfway through the journey, and many of the Xuanyou horses died from exhaustion.

It took them a day and a night, or more accurately, thirteen or fourteen hours, to travel three or four thousand miles and send the message back to Chizhu Plain.

After hearing the news reported by the messenger team, everyone's hearts were filled with turbulent emotions.

Sure enough, the anomalies were not limited to the three places of "Baihetan", "Jinyeya", and "Jiliudong".

It could very well happen simultaneously in all the bandit strongholds!
But why were there no messengers coming from "Wild Wolf Gorge" and "Swallow Peak"?

Shouldn't the distance between these two places be closer?
Could it be that the situations in these two places are different?
Just as these complex thoughts were swirling in their minds, another group of messengers rushed in.

This batch of messengers came from "Jiliudong".

They brought even more shocking news, truly devastating.

Based on the results of the on-site investigation, it can be basically confirmed that the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry that was assigned to "Wild Wolf Gorge" has been completely wiped out!
Upon hearing this devastating news, Dong Guan jumped up from the ground like a bouncy ball.

"boom!"

Because the impact was so sudden, the roof, which was much taller than a normal house, was smashed into a huge hole by his fleshy body.

No wonder he reacted so strongly.

The reactions of others were not much better than his.

Before this devastating news arrived, most people assumed that a hidden force had secretly stolen the fruit they had cultivated.

They certainly wanted to get back the stolen "fruit," and they would never let the "fruit thief" get away with it.

However, psychologically, everyone still has a significant advantage.

But now, with the arrival of this messenger team, these psychological advantages have vanished.

A force capable of annihilating the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, numbering over two thousand, is no longer a "bandit." Looking across the Nine Provinces, there aren't many forces capable of this, and each one is a renowned and powerful leader.

And even fewer people would dare to do that!

While this devastating news stirred everyone's emotions, another worry arose in the hearts of some.

Since the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry sent to "Wild Wolf Gorge" has already suffered this calamity.

Did the other one that was skipped, Yanlai Peak, which is located between Wild Wolf Gorge and Three Passes, also suffer the same fate?

As everyone grew increasingly worried, the night deepened, and Dong Guan's expression grew more and more somber.

Then, throughout the night before dawn on the ninth day.

More messengers and fast horses arrived at Chizhu Plain in succession.

The messenger first came from Baimagang, which is further west of Sanyakou.

They brought the same news as those from places like "Sanyakou" and "Baihetan".

Then, another group of messengers from "Sanyakou" arrived almost one after the other from "Jiliudong".

The former brought a definite piece of bad news—

The Xuanyou Iron Cavalry that was sent to "Yanlai Peak" was completely wiped out.

Moreover, scout cavalry have already pinpointed the enemy's movements as they migrate eastward.

But just as they were about to conduct further reconnaissance, the nearest scout cavalry teams all disappeared without sending back any updates.

This means that the enemy can easily eliminate the power of a small scout squad.

Continuing to send out scout cavalry without further reinforcements is like constantly adding food to the enemy's bowl—a completely unwise move.

Moreover, the Xuanqinghai sand eagles that were traveling with them have also lost contact, which deprives them of the advantage of aerial reconnaissance.

The underlying meaning is the same.

reinforce!

Requesting reinforcements!

They dared not take any further action until more reinforcements arrived.

Shortly after the arrival of the messenger from "Sanyakou", another messenger from "Jiliudong" brought the latest news.

We have located the enemy's movements. The enemy force is large, estimated at between 20,000 and 40,000, and they are all migrating westward.

Our scout cavalry has engaged them, and we've also deployed the Azure Sea Sand Eagle for aerial reconnaissance. Their movements are being severely hampered, and their speed is decreasing.

[Out of contact! Out of contact!]

All the scout cavalry sent out to investigate have lost contact.

Also missing were the Xuanqinghai sand sculptors; we have completely lost control of the enemy's movements.

We will retreat to "Jiliudong" and wait for the more than 4,000 riders from "Jinyeya" and "Baihetan" to come and join us.

Meanwhile, more supplies were transferred from the south.

Shortly after this news arrived, another group of messengers arrived.

It comes from the farthest "Fish Scale Dock".

From then on, the fog that had been shrouding everyone's minds gradually dissipated.

But no one's heart becomes brighter as the fog dissipates; instead, a deeper shadow rises from the depths of everyone's heart.

Who is it?

Who has such ability and skill?
Going with the flow and turning the tables on them, taking advantage of their plans against the bandit group, they not only snatched the "fruit" before them, but also caught them off guard and dealt them two heavy blows, directly wiping out more than four thousand of their Xuanyou Iron Cavalry!
Originally, Dong Guan was filled with murderous intent, but after seeing the current situation clearly, he calmed down completely.

Even the intense killing intent that seemed about to dissipate instantly vanished like water, leaving not a trace.

Without a doubt, this is a formidable enemy.

This is the most bizarre, and perhaps most deadly, enemy that Dong Guan has encountered since unifying the Xuan and You states.

Whether or not to suspend the plan to head south, Dong Guan no longer had any doubts.

He looked at everyone and calmly asked:
Who is this enemy?

"..."

No one responded.

It's not that I don't want to answer, it's that I really can't.

Who is the enemy?

Everyone was completely baffled.

Dong Guan, equally clueless, was not annoyed and asked again:

What are your thoughts on their next move?

He first looked at the one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man on the left.

The person's only remaining right eye is lowered, as if deep in thought.

Dong Guan looked at the first person on his right, a handsome man with an outstanding appearance and even better temperament.

Instead of answering immediately, the person dipped their finger into the already cold tea and casually scribbled a couple of lines on the floor with their wet fingers.

"...There wasn't much useful information, but the basic outline was fairly clear."

"The other side's actions were clearly divided into two parts."

“In Xuanzhou, starting from Baihetan, the attack swept westward, and more and more bandits were caught up in it.”

"...How did you figure that out?"

You should know that some experienced people can roughly estimate the time of a person's death.

I specifically asked several experienced messengers beforehand, and the bodies found in the 'White Crane Beach' burial pit died about two days earlier than those in 'Golden Leaf Cliff'.

The corpse at 'Golden Leaf Cliff' predates the corpse in the burial pit at 'Rapid Stream Cave' by about two days.

"The situation in Youzhou is exactly the opposite."

The enemy swept eastward from the westernmost point, 'Fish Scale Dock,' and along the way, bandits either died or were forced to join their ranks, becoming part of their force.

At this point, the man couldn't help but shake his head and say:
"...The most incredible place is right here."

I simply can't understand what methods they used to make these bandits so determined to be our enemies!

"Although it is not possible to identify all the bodies in those 'burial pits'."

However, based on certain external characteristics, it can be basically determined that the vast majority of them were originally bandits.

“Even in the two burial pits near ‘Wild Wolf Gorge’ and ‘Swallow Peak’ where a large number of iron cavalry corpses were buried, the largest number of corpses were those of the sand bandits.”

"...This is unbelievable!"

The man shook his head repeatedly, indicating that he could not understand it at all and was deeply shocked.

Another person next to him curled his lip and said:

"Although the methods are peculiar, it's not entirely unimaginable, is it?"
Even we have Heart-Eating Powder in our hands, don't we?

After a night of herbal decoction, with proper guidance and circulation, it can quickly drive those with low cultivation levels into a frenzied, bestial state, making them reckless and willing to die.

Although this method is a one-time use and has significant side effects, upon closer examination, it's actually not that different from the opponent's method, is it?

"Or perhaps, the other party has mastered an extremely sophisticated technique for controlling people."

...As far as I know, in the southern states of Zhu and Yan, there are many shamans who are skilled in using poisons and Gu (a type of venomous insect).

With sufficient preparation and resources, this matter can be accomplished in a short time, whether using poison or witchcraft.

Upon hearing this, the handsome man looked at Dong Guan with a questioning expression in his eyes.

Dong Guan nodded slightly, acknowledging the authenticity of the news.

Finally, Dong Guan couldn't help but add softly:
"But as far as I know, no matter which method is used, the cost is very high."

These will greatly shorten the user's lifespan; in some cases, the effect will wear off immediately, leading to sudden death.

It is precisely for this reason that, even knowing that such methods are extremely effective, no matter which military leader or which force, they will only use such methods as an auxiliary means, and it is impossible for them to become the true core of a force.

Otherwise, before eliminating the external enemy, one's own "internal organs" will be depleted.

"...At both 'Sanya Pass' and 'Jiliu Cave', scout cavalry teams discovered traces of the enemy."

Moreover, one went east and the other went west, both after they had annihilated the nearby Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

Very urgent, in a very rush.

"Whatever they intend to do after taking this step, their next move is relatively clear."

The handsome man used his wet finger to draw two lines that were moving in opposite directions.

Eventually, these two lines intersect somewhere.

Dong Guan stared at the confluence of the two water lines for a long time before asking, "Are they about to make their final rendezvous?"

“Obviously,” the handsome man said.

Dong Guan nodded slightly, his tightly furrowed brows relaxing a little.

Just then, the one-eyed man, whose brows had been lowered, softly reminded him:
"Watch out on the water."

The meeting place of the two teams is located at the border of the two states of Xuanyou.

And there, the Azure Sea lies across the land.

Reminded by him, Dong Guan nodded emphatically and said:
“I will arrange for some people to monitor from the water… However, compared to the Xuanyou horse, the boat is still a bit slow, so the effect may not be very good.”

As the morning sun shone through the window, Dong Guan, who hadn't slept for a day and a night, finally made the most important decision.

The southward journey plan has been suspended.

A large number of Xuanyou riders rushed out from the Crimson Arrow Plains and scattered rapidly to various parts of the Xuanyou and Xuanyou states. (End of this chapter)