Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 203 The Ming Cult's Counterattack, the Imperial Court on Alert

"The weather is getting colder and colder."

Song Qingshu looked at the sky and said, "Fortunately, it's a sunny day today."

He then took his sword and walked out of the camp with Zhuo Yihang and several other Wudang disciples.

"Father, we're going."

"Yes, swords and spears have no eyes on the battlefield, so be careful."

"Yes!"

After bidding farewell to Song Yuanqiao, who was in charge of command, Song Qingshu and a group of Wudang disciples headed towards the battlefield.

The conflict between the six major sects and the Ming Cult, once they reached the foot of Bright Peak, entered into a defensive battle with extremely slow progress.

The Ming Cult built various defensive structures on the mountain, holding out with all their might, and managed to hold out for a long time.

The six major sects had no other choice but to launch a fierce attack every day.

Of course, it wasn't just the six major sects that made a move; many second- and third-rate forces also joined in.

As a Wudang disciple and the son of Song Yuanqiao, Song Qingshu was naturally qualified to lead a team here and charge into the enemy's territory.

The trees and bushes between the positions had long been cut down and burned, leaving only an open space. The Ming Cult had a commanding view, and they were discovered as soon as they showed their faces.

Suddenly, arrows flew in.

The group used their shields to defend themselves, and as they reached the Ming Cult's defensive offensive, the barrage of arrows suddenly disappeared.

"They're out of arrows! Attack!"

Song Qingshu was overjoyed and immediately raised his longsword, stood up and shouted.

at this time--

"Brother, be careful!"

A figure rushed over and tackled Song Qingshu to the ground.

Before Song Qingshu could react, he felt a scorching heat and saw a jet of flame shoot out from the defensive attack.

If he hadn't been tackled, he would probably be burned alive by now.

"Not good! It's the Ming Cult's Fiery Banner! Retreat! Retreat!"

Song Qingshu shouted immediately, and the crowd retreated hastily, shielding each other with their shields.

"Thank you for saving me, Junior Brother Yun."

"Senior brother, you flatter me," Yun Feiyang said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

After waiting for a while, the group saw the flames disappear and then attacked again. However, when they were far away, there were arrows, and when they were close, there were flames. Several attacks were ineffective.

"Something's not right here!"

Song Qingshu said, "Where did the Ming Cult get so many arrows and oil? Moreover, I remember that this enemy's defensive offensive has a flaw. The alternation between ranged and melee attacks requires walking a certain distance to create gaps in time, but I haven't seen any of that today!"

Zhuo Yihang said, "We've been fighting for so many days, we know about this problem, and they probably know it too. They've probably fixed it by now."

They fought until dusk, but they hadn't seen a single Ming Cult disciple, let alone killed any. They had no choice but to retreat back to their camp.

After dinner, Song Qingshu went to find Song Yuanqiao and told him about what had happened that day.

Song Yuanqiao frowned and picked up his pen to record what he had said.

Song Qingshu then noticed that dozens of entries were already densely written on the paper in front of Song Yuanqiao.

"...The arrow tower ten zhang on the left side of the second position has been repaired..."

"...The defensive fortifications on the right flank of the second position have been raised..."

"...The third defensive line has been moved back three zhang..."

Just then, a nun walked in, holding a whisk in her hand and carrying a sharp sword on her back.

Song Qingshu quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Abbess."

Abbess Miejue nodded and looked at Song Yuanqiao: "Hero Song, I heard that today's attack went very poorly?"

"Master Tai."

Song Yuanqiao nodded and said, "According to reports from all sides, the Ming Cult's arrows and oil supply have never run out today, and their defensive posture is extremely strong, to the point that the entire front line has not made an inch of progress."

In addition, there seems to be some trouble with the construction of defensive positions at various locations.

Upon hearing this, Abbess Miejue laughed loudly and said, "The Ming Cult is in decline and all kinds of resources are scarce. The sudden replenishment now is probably because they have been forced to the brink of desperation. They have used all their reserves and are going to fight a desperate battle!"

Song Yuanqiao nodded: "That's probably how it is."

But I had a bad feeling about it.

Extinction Master's eyes gleamed with excitement as she said, "After holding out for so many days, the Ming Cult has finally given in! It seems the day of its annihilation is not far off!"

a few days later.

boom!
Abbess Miejue slammed her hand on the table, her face contorted with boundless rage and resentment: "How can the Ming Cult still have so many supplies? And after so many days, their defensive posture shows no sign of weakening?!"

Inside the tent, not only was she there, but also representatives from the six major sects and more than a dozen second-rate forces, all sitting on either side of the table.

"Indeed! Is the Ming Cult's foundation really this profound?"

"Impossible. As far as I know, the Ming Cult has long since declined. The so-called Five Elements Banners can't even produce many arrows or oil during training..."

"So what's going on now?"

"This... I don't know either!"

Song Yuanqiao tore off an old map and spread another one on the table, saying, "Gentlemen, the Ming Cult today is not just about having abundant resources. The Ming Cult's defensive positions have also undergone tremendous changes in the past few days!"

As you can see, the various shortcomings we discovered during our long offensive have now been addressed by the Ming Cult, and even those we didn't see have been repaired.

The Ming Cult's current position is practically impregnable; to take it, one must rely on strength, there is absolutely no possibility of taking it by trickery!

Everyone looked at the map and couldn't help but frown.

"How could such a huge change have occurred in just a few days?"

"I heard that most of the Ming Cult's high-ranking members have returned to Bright Peak. Could it be them?"

"This is going to be difficult!"

"Report!"

Amidst the commotion, a man suddenly rushed into the tent, shouting, "Seniors, something terrible has happened! The Ming Cult has attacked!"

"what?!"

Everyone was shocked, and for a moment they thought they had misheard.

Song Yuanqiao quickly asked, "What did you just say? The Ming Cult attacked?"

"Master Song, that's right! The Ming Cult has suddenly launched an attack and has broken through their defensive fortifications!"

"How brave!"

Abbess Miejue stood up and shouted, "The Ming Cult doesn't stay in their shells and actually dares to attack? Heh, but that's fine too. Without their shells, they're nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs!"
"Gentlemen, why don't we join forces and extinguish the arrogance of the Ming Cult!"

"well said!"

He Taichong of the Kunlun Sect also stood up and said, "The Ming Cult has long been in decline. The reason it has been able to withstand the siege of our six major sects for so long is simply because it relies on the steepness of the mountains. Now it actually dares to break out."

"If that's the case, then let them see the true strength of our six major sects!"

"Okay! Well said!"

"Where does this insignificant Ming Cult get the audacity?"

"The Ming Cult is rampant; we must kill them!"

Everyone readily agreed, and a consensus was quickly reached. Even those who had doubts and thought it was not advisable to take the risk dared not speak up and could only echo the sentiment.

They then left the camp together, gathered disciples from various sects, and charged towards the front lines.

In everyone's mind, the Ming Cult had already declined. Even if there were still thousands of followers on the mountain, they were far inferior to them in terms of both numbers and strength.

As for the Ming Cult masters who have returned to Bright Peak, their numbers are insignificant compared to those of the six major sects.

Previously, the Ming Cult relied on the treacherous mountain terrain and the numerous fortifications built on the mountain for pure defense, and could only barely withstand the attacks of the six major sects.

Now they've broken out of their fortifications, voluntarily abandoning their greatest advantage to attack their own strengths with their weaknesses—it's utterly foolish.

If the two sides were to meet on the battlefield, the strength of the six major sects would allow them to easily crush each other.

However... countless arrows rained down upon them, densely packed.

Many grandmasters can condense their true qi into a powerful aura, but those innate martial artists do not have such a profound reserve of true qi and can only dodge.

As for the acquired martial artists below them, they could only curl up into a ball and use their shields to defend themselves.

Even so, faced with such a barrage of arrows, casualties were frequent.

Many grandmasters braved the rain of arrows to reach the enemy's front, only to be met not by Ming Cult experts, but by the jetpacks of the Flood Flag and the Blazing Fire Flag.

The pitch-black poisonous water and the greasy kerosene sprayed out at the same time, covering everyone.

Several torches were thrown out, and the flames instantly ignited the oil that covered the ground.

In the blink of an eye, it was transformed into a sea of ​​fire.

The terrifyingly high temperature was something even a grandmaster-level expert couldn't withstand.

Not to mention, under the flames, the previous poisonous water was burned away, turning into poisonous smoke and gas that permeated the flames.

Abbess Miejue looked disheveled, and with a slash of sword energy from her Heaven-Slaying Sword, she extinguished the surrounding flames.

Her anger burned brighter than the surrounding sea of ​​flames. She shouted, "Ming Cult demons! Despicable and shameless! Yang Xiao! Yin Tianzheng! Wei Yixiao! What are you hiding for? Come out and fight me if you dare!"

"Hahaha……"

A wisp of green smoke swept by, and Wei Yixiao landed on top of a large banner, laughing loudly: "Demon nun, you yourself said we are the demons of the Ming Cult. If we don't hide and play tricks on you, do you expect us to fight you openly and fairly?"

"you!"

The Heaven-Slaying Sword in Abbess Miejue's hand unleashed several sword energies.

Wei Yixiao easily dodged it.

"You only know how to use some strange and ingenious techniques, and you call yourselves martial artists?"

"So what if they have ingenious tricks? You people can't even beat them with these tricks! Flood flags, blazing fire flags, shoot more of them, poison them! Burn them to death!"

Without a doubt, with an almost unlimited supply of poisonous water and oil, and the Ming Cult's superior position, the six major sects tasted defeat for the first time.

Back at the camp, everyone looked grave.

This defeat means that the balance of power between them and the Ming Cult has shifted!

In the past, the Ming Cult only knew how to hide; to put it bluntly, they were like turtles.

Now, however, they can take the initiative to attack, as if they have transformed into a wolf.

"Damn it! Where did the Ming Cult get so much poisonous water and kerosene?!"

Suddenly, someone swore.

Everyone immediately understood.

"That's right! If it weren't for all that poisonous water and oil, could the Ming Cult possibly have stopped us?"

"Hmph! These heretics and evil sects only know how to use such simple tricks!"

This tactic of shifting blame really worked.

People were convinced that the great defeat was entirely due to the Ming Cult having too much poisonous water and oil in their possession, and had nothing to do with their individual abilities.

A crime other than war!

Although this statement is an attempt to shirk responsibility, it does indeed highlight the problem.

Where did the Ming Cult get so much poisonous water and kerosene?

There must be something fishy about this!

night.

Song Yuanqiao released a spirit pigeon with different bloodlines.

Looking up, one after another, pigeons flew out of the tents in the darkness, flying in all directions.

One of them had an exceptionally long journey, flying directly from the western border of the Ming Dynasty to the capital city in the east.

"Lord Eunuch, send a message by carrier pigeon!"

Flying Eagle, the chief of the Eastern Depot, waited for the pigeon to arrive in front of Liu Xi.

Liu Xi glanced at it and asked, "Where did this pigeon come from?"

"The Alliance of the Six Major Sects"

"Oh?"

Liu Xi immediately perked up and quickly took out a carrier pigeon to deliver the message. Upon reading it, his expression changed slightly.

He immediately put away the letter, said nothing, left the Eastern Depot, and found Cao Zhengchun.

After reading it, Cao Zhengchun couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Interesting! For so many years, the Ming Cult has been secretly suppressed by the imperial court and the entire martial arts world, and has never been able to purchase supplies such as oil through legitimate channels. How come so many supplies have suddenly appeared? Who is supporting them?"

Liu Xi thought for a moment and said, "The Sky Eagle Sect?"

Cao Zhengchun shook his head: "The Heavenly Eagle Sect is a branch of the Ming Cult, and it is suppressed by the imperial court just like them. Moreover, Yin Tianzheng does not have the training and equipment manufacturing methods of the Ming Cult's Five Elements Flags, and has never collected such resources."

Furthermore, even if they did, the Ming Cult's Bright Peak is currently under siege from three sides by the six major sects. Where did the Eagle Cult get its resources from...? Hmm?"

At this point, his eyes suddenly lit up.

They were attacked from three sides, but only one side remained!

The remaining side was the Tang Dynasty.

Liu Xi realized almost simultaneously: "The Ming Cult...the Ming Cult has colluded with the Tang Dynasty?!"

Cao Zhengchun couldn't help but stand up, his brows furrowed.

Although the Ming Kingdom and the Tang Kingdom are separated by towering mountains, these can stop ordinary people, but not experts.

Given that the Ming Cult was located on the border, it was only natural that they would seek refuge with the Tang Dynasty's forces to obtain resources and support at this critical juncture.

But this is definitely not good news for the Ming Dynasty.

Because the Ming Cult is not just a martial arts force, but holds a very special position.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, came from the Ming Cult.

If such a force were to betray the Ming Dynasty and side with the Tang Dynasty, it would be a truly enormous joke.

"It seems we were a bit too hasty this time. We shouldn't have pushed the Ming Cult to the brink of destruction all at once. The best strategy would have been to gradually erode their strength!"

Cao Zhengchun thought to himself.

This matter must be rectified as soon as possible.

It would be best to find a way to make the six major sects withdraw their troops.

But it's easier said than done.

After pondering for a moment, Cao Zhengchun went to the Imperial Study and reported the matter to the Emperor.

Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned: "How did it come to this?"

"This servant has failed in her duty. I never imagined that the Ming Cult would decline to such a state. Faced with the offensive of the six major sects, it has almost no power to fight back. In just a short time, it has been forced to the brink of despair and is on the verge of making a mistake."

"Alright, alright, there's no use talking about this. Let's find a way to stop those six major sects and protect the Ming Cult!"

“This… my Eastern Depot has a terrible reputation in the martial arts world, so it’s probably not appropriate for me to show my face.”

"Oh? What do you mean..."

"This servant believes that the Iron-Blooded Marquis has an excellent reputation in the martial arts world and is well-suited to handle this matter."

The emperor thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Excellent! Someone, go to the Dragon Guard Manor and invite the Imperial Uncle here!"

Zhu Wushi quickly arrived at the Imperial Study.

The emperor then had Cao Zhengchun explain the matter.

"The intelligence from the Eastern Depot is quite accurate, but this matter is not so simple."

Zhu Wushi said, "Your Majesty, during the Blackwood Cliff incident, some Yuan forces made a move with malicious intent. According to intelligence from the Dragon Guard Manor, these people disappeared not long ago, but they have not been seen on the Yuan border."

"Ok?"

The emperor frowned deeply: "Does my uncle mean that the Yuan Kingdom is behind this?"

(End of this chapter)