Covering the sky: Starting with the holy body, the immortal Taoist comes to attack

Chapter 162: Plowing the House and Sweeping the Holes!

"Such a ferocious alien race should be wiped out and its people exterminated."

When Gu Xuan spoke these words with absolute certainty, the hall of state was initially silent.

then.

Jiang Bushi and other border generals, as well as civil officials such as the governor of the northern border, who had already consulted with Gu Xuan beforehand, naturally agreed.

To be fair, the civil officials, represented by the governors-general of the northern border, have always preferred to avoid warfare.

But even they, at this moment, took a rare turn towards a grim and murderous approach when dealing with the Jie people.

This is naturally partly due to the influence of the principle that what the superiors like, the subordinates will follow.

But more importantly, it was the various atrocities committed by the Jie people, a foreign tribe, against the Great Zhou Dynasty over the past few decades.

Rape and plunder in the western capital, invasion of northern cities, and slaughter across the fields...

All of these are the consequences of actions committed by tribes that were originally servants of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Given the size of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it would have been impossible for it to allow a small tribe like the Jie to act so recklessly.

However, in recent years, the Great Zhou Dynasty has suffered from severe annexation within its borders, leading to a decline in its national strength.

In addition, the rise of several foreign tribes in the surrounding area has made the border region uneasy day and night, and it is difficult to attend to everything at once.

Even more serious was the fact that the powerful Sima clan, for the sake of their own selfish interests, disregarded the safety and honor of the entire human race, allowing the Jie tribe, originally a small tribe in the north, to grow stronger, suppressing domestic opposition forces, and at the same time helping them fight against the Quanrong tribe in the west.

It must be said that the Sima family's move did indeed achieve very good results.

This included the murder of Yue Zhong, a renowned general from the northern border, thus eliminating a major obstacle to his seizure of power in the court.

Yue Zhong himself was not only outstanding in military strategy and had won many victories in foreign wars, but he was also one of the generals who protected the royal family.

however.

During a surprise attack, the Sima clan secretly contacted the Jie tribe and ambushed them with a large force, resulting in the deaths of Yue Zhong and his personal guard.

In that battle, Cheng Luo, who was originally just a deputy general placed by the Sima clan, seized power over the northern border army afterward.

The power of the Sima clan also greatly increased, making them even more arrogant on their path to usurping power.

In the subsequent war between the Great Zhou and the Quanrong, the Jie tribe did indeed send troops to assist the Sima clan. Although they did not inflict many casualties, they did increase the Sima clan's prestige and forced back the Quanrong army that was attacking.

However, the consequences were exceptionally severe.

With the indulgence and tacit approval of the Sima clan, the Jie army burned and looted the western capital, Luoyang. They not only killed and burned tens of thousands of humans, but also abducted tens of thousands of human women as slaves. Their tragic fate needs no further mention.

Such a tragic scene naturally aroused great anger among some human soldiers.

however.

The Sima clan was in power, and they demanded that "the overall situation be taken into account," severely reprimanding the border troops and forbidding them from launching attacks, otherwise it would be seen as undermining the alliance.

Armaments and provisions were all under their control, and even if some soldiers were furious about this, it was difficult to change the overall situation.

In this situation, a small number of border soldiers were enraged and launched an attack, killing hundreds or thousands of Jie people.

But their ending was tragic.

With the Jie tribe having risen to power and its army numbering over 40,000, the situation was as follows:

The charge of these human soldiers was undoubtedly thwarted, and most of them were killed. A few escaped back to the human city, but were then executed by the Sima clan, led by Cheng Luo, for disobeying military orders.

The fact that the mighty Zhou Dynasty had suffered such a humiliating defeat undoubtedly infuriated many border troops, including Jiang Bushi.

With the Sima clan holding great power internally and the Jie tribe growing stronger externally, it was indeed difficult for them to resist and achieve any results.

But Gu Xuan's arrival ultimately changed everything completely.

"Your Majesty is wise and decisive; we will certainly do our utmost."

The governor of the northern border stepped forward and bowed on behalf of all the civil officials.

He was a shrewd and experienced minister who had been in a difficult position for many years due to the machinations of the Sima clan. Much of his power had already been taken away by Cheng Luo, leaving him only with matters concerning people's livelihoods.

"Your Majesty's decision is wise and swift. The Jie tribe is currently leaderless, and now is the perfect time to send troops!"

The white-haired veteran general Jiang Bushi was even more impassioned, as he and his personal guards had been waiting for this day for many years.

but.

Sending a large army into battle is easier said than done.

The operational planning, troop deployment, and the collection and distribution of supplies alone present considerable challenges.

It took three full days, with the full efforts of the governor, Jiang Bushi and other civil and military officials of the northern border, to barely complete the basic preparations.

Regarding the operational plan, after intense debate among all high-ranking civil and military officials and the core staff of the border army, a solution was finally reached.

That is, to combine the orthodox with the unorthodox and achieve victory through surprise.

The so-called main force was led by the prudent and experienced general Jiang Bushi, with the governor of the northern border serving as the supervising officer. They led a main force of 20,000 troops and tens of thousands of auxiliary troops, and marched squarely into the territory of the Jie tribe.

At the same time, they mobilized laborers from the northern border and other small tribes outside the border, rewarding them with military merits, to besiege the Jie tribe.

The surprise attack was still led by Gu Xuan, who commanded three thousand elite troops, each with two horses and ample supplies, to launch a flanking maneuver.

Needless to say, this was the result of Gu Xuan's strong insistence; otherwise, the civil and military officials would never have agreed to such a plan to let His Majesty the King of Zhou lead a surprise attack.

But the facts of these days have also proven that this is the only way to maximize the use of Gu Xuan's unparalleled martial arts!

This afternoon.

In Guangning, the largest city in the northern border, a grand departure ceremony, the likes of which had not been seen in decades, was held.

Or you could say it was a rallying ceremony.

Nearly 30,000 elite border troops, selected through elimination and careful planning, are ready to depart in the vast training ground.

On the other side, a huge crowd of auxiliary soldiers and laborers were hurriedly and somewhat excitedly sorting out the supplies in their hands.

have to say.

After seeing the heads of Jie King Nuchi and others that His Majesty King Zhou brought back, and the mound of heads made from them.

Most of the border soldiers and ordinary people felt a deep sense of excitement!
After so many years, the day has finally come when we can take revenge on the cruel and vicious Jie tribe.

Among these soldiers and laborers, many had deep-seated hatred for the Jie people, having lost their parents, relatives, or close friends at the hands of the Jie.

If it weren't for the Sima clan's strong suppression and the Jie tribe's formidable military strength, they would have retaliated long ago.

But now the situation has changed. King Nuchi of Jie is dead, and the Jie tribe has lost a brilliant and ambitious leader. It is the perfect time to take advantage of their weakness and kill them.

If this opportunity is missed, there may be no chance to take revenge in the future. This was the thought in the minds of everyone who went to war.

And this happened shortly after the oath-taking ceremony.

Sure enough, several carrier pigeons took flight in Guangning City, including even a gyrfalcon, a divine bird from the northern border.

Needless to say, these were all spies originally planted by the Jie people in Guangning City. They were either remnants of the Sima clan or members of the Jie people who used secret techniques to change their appearance and infiltrate the city.

With Guangning City already sealed off on all sides, and spies strictly prohibited from entering or leaving, they naturally had no choice but to use this method to send a message to the Jie tribe. But then...

With a few hissing sounds, hundreds of arrows shot out from all over the city, killing all the messenger pigeons and gyrfalcons.

Meanwhile, the inspection teams, which were also hidden throughout the city, had already been dispatched and followed the direction in which the birds took flight, capturing more than a dozen Jie scouts.

of course.

After Jiang Bushi, the governor of the northern border, and others led tens of thousands of regular soldiers to set off, it was inevitable that they would be informed by birds along the way.

This is something that cannot be prevented by human power; we can only try to delay it as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the 3,000 elite soldiers led by Gu Xuan secretly broke away from the regular army group one day after their departure and headed towards the rear of the Jie tribe's territory along a small path.

Originally, it was said that...

The way Gu Xuan's small detachment marched was extremely dangerous.

Because three thousand men marching in a long, single-file line, they could easily be ambushed somewhere, thus being attacked from both the front and the rear, unable to support each other.

In that case, even if these three thousand men were all elite border troops, they could easily die a violent death.

however.

With a peerless martial artist like Gu Xuan leading the way, no ambush could escape his sight or senses.

Along the way, almost all the Jie spies who were spying ahead or in the shadows were shot dead by Gu Xuan.

With his divine power, the divine bow passed down from the Great Zhou royal family was used to its fullest potential, covering a distance of one or two hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

Therefore.

He led his three thousand soldiers across the narrow paths with great difficulty, and finally arrived at the rear of the Jie tribe.

……

On the other hand, let's look at the Jie tribe.

It wasn't until three days after King Nuchi of the Jie tribe was killed and the royal city was burned to the ground that the devastating news spread throughout the entire Jie tribe.

They could hardly believe it.

You must know that many years have passed, and the King of Jie, whom they regard as an incomparably great ruler, has led them to achieve unimaginable glorious victories.

Moreover, King Nuchi himself was a formidable warrior capable of defeating a hundred men. In the past, fully armored, he led his men to defeat almost all the forces in the Northern Territory, and was invincible.

That is precisely why Nuchi was able to firmly hold onto his position.

However, this being was beheaded, and its head was even made into the topmost behemoth of a mound of skulls by the human race.

The news that the capital city had been burned to the ground was an even greater tragedy for the Jie people.

The reason is that the royal city contains their most abundant grain reserves, and the burning of these reserves means that many of them will suffer from hunger and cold for at least this winter.

Unless, as in previous years, they could plunder other small tribes and even raid the humans of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

But it's clear that this time, the humans won't give them a chance.

While you are sick, I will kill you!
The Great Zhou Dynasty's dispatch of a large army this time was clearly intended to take advantage of the Jie people's rare opportunity when they were short of food and clothing!
but.

Today, the Jie people are outwardly a tribal regime.

In fact, over the years, under the leadership of Nuchi, the Jie people have essentially become a military plundering group.

The more resources and human servants they plundered, the stronger they became, even attracting other small tribes from beyond the North to join them.

Perhaps this is what is known as the "winning effect"!

Whoever wins, they side with. This mentality is not unique to humans; many other races share it.

Therefore.

Even though elite figures like Nuchi are dead, the remaining strength of the Jie tribe is indeed not to be underestimated.

This is also why Gu Xuan wanted to send troops with all his might.

Otherwise, once a new generation of respected figures is chosen from the Jie tribe and the remaining 40,000 to 50,000 members are won over, it will be very difficult to completely pacify the region.

but.

Even with Gu Xuan and others suppressing spies and reporting information so swiftly, the Jie tribe still received news of the approaching army in time.

In this desperate situation, they quickly elected Nuchi's nephew, Daishang, as their leader to fight against the attack.

……

The terrain of the North is undoubtedly that of a desolate and rugged place.

Despite the fact that most of the more than 20,000 regular soldiers led by Jiang Bushi were soldiers from the northern border who had been accustomed to the harsh terrain since childhood, and were also supported by tens of thousands of civilian laborers and auxiliary soldiers, the advance of the entire army was still very difficult.

Meanwhile, Daishang also continuously sent out small groups of troops to harass the human army, causing thousands of casualties.

However, in the end, the human race fought steadily and surely, and the battlefield was still within the territory of the Jie race itself.

Jiang Bushi remained unmoved despite being subjected to various attacks.

He ordered his soldiers to do only one thing: burn down every small town and fortress of the Jie tribe they passed through, leaving no one alive.

This is the Zhou Dynasty's version of the "Three Alls Policy"!
In the past, the Jie people also used this tactic in places like Xijing Luocheng, but now the same retribution has fallen on them.

While in the rear camp, Dai Shang received a constant stream of intelligence from scouts, learning of the actions of the human army. He was so enraged that he could hardly contain himself.

He could only intensify his harassment, but he couldn't change the overall situation.

finally.

In Chanshan City, the second largest city of the Jie tribe after the royal city, the two armies officially faced each other.

On the human side, there was a main force of more than 20,000 soldiers led by Jiang Bushi and the governor of the northern border, all of whom were fully armed, not counting the other auxiliary soldiers and civilians.

The Jie tribe's side consisted of an army of nearly 30,000 men, assembled from the efforts of the entire tribe.

This is their limit, as the entire Jie tribe now numbers only 60,000.

It can be said that, apart from the elderly, women and children who were unable to move, everyone else participated in the battle, including gray-haired veterans and young boys who were not yet fully developed.

To be fair, most of these veterans had participated in plundering and rape within the Great Zhou Dynasty, and those young men may have also humiliated the human female servants brought back by their elders.

It can be said that each of them deserved to die, and that they have survived to this day only because of the indulgence of the Sima family and others.

In the military camp in front of Chanshan City, Jiang Bushi and the others looked at the intelligence in their hands and finally made up their minds to fight the decisive battle.

Throughout their journey, they had maintained constant contact with Gu Xuan, as both sides had set aside at least a hundred-man team specifically for their confidential communications.

According to intelligence, His Majesty King Zhou's surprise attack force has already reached the rear of Chanshan City.

finally.

The final battle against the Jie tribe has begun!

(End of this chapter)