Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 357

"Mingzun is dead?"

"Zhu Quanzhong abandoned Xuzhou and retreated to Qingzhou?"

In the study, Li Guangyi stood solemnly, watching the letter in Li Cunxiao's hand turn to ashes.

The latter's expression was uncertain. He got up and walked to the sand table, fiddling with the flags of the various forces.

The news came suddenly, but upon closer examination, the decline of Daliang had already been evident for some time.

Starting from the first year of the Tongguang era, after more than four years of fierce fighting, the Qin Dynasty and the Liang Kingdom were initially evenly matched in strength, with each side experiencing victories and defeats.

But once the Liao Kingdom in the north subjugated the tribes of the grasslands and Bohai and moved south to join the war, the situation began to change.

Although the Liao state appeared not to participate in the several large-scale battles between Qin and Liang, it secretly provided considerable support.

Qin and Liao joined forces, one in the south and one in the north, to continuously nibble away at the Liang Kingdom from both the north and south sides of Hebei Road, Shannan Road, and Huainan Road.

The Liang Kingdom's territory, originally shaped like an ox's leg, now only has the "ox hoof" of the coastal states of Qingzhou, Mizhou, Yizhou, Dengzhou, and Laizhou intact, while the "ox legs" of the western states of Bozhou, Songzhou, and Caozhou are constantly shrinking.

"Brother, Mingzun was indeed a terrestrial immortal, so how exactly did he die?"

Li Guangyi did not open the secret letter casually because of his status. After being shocked, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"It was the Maoshan Immortal and the Magu Mountain Celestial Master Deng who made the move together," Li Cunxiao said, holding the banner of Yang Xingmi from Huainan in his hand, and planting it in Sizhou and Haozhou.

“The Ming Cult was originally a foreign religion and was not welcomed by the Buddhist and Taoist sects in the Central Plains.”

"When Zhu Quanzhong established the country and gained power, the Mingzun (Zhu Quanzhong) went too far by drastically altering Buddhist scriptures and killing Taoist priests."

"Perhaps His Majesty made some secret promise, which is why Magu Mountain also joined in the effort."

"With the Purple Jade Tablet of the Maoshan Sect and the Heavenly Ruler of Magu Mountain, two grandmasters wielding spiritual treasures, how could the Bright Venerable possibly survive?"

"Now that the Mingzun is dead, Haozhou, Suzhou, and Sizhou have fallen and been divided up by Li Cunxu and Yang Xingmi. The Liao Kingdom in the north has also taken Qizhou and Yanzhou."

As the capital of the Liang Kingdom, Pengcheng Xuzhou was already facing the military might of the Qin and Liao Kingdoms, and had lost its strategic depth.

Under such circumstances, it would be dangerous not to move the capital.

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily fell on a certain spot on the sand table, where most of it had been planted with the flags of the Qin Dynasty, with only a small portion still bearing the flags of the Liang Kingdom.

This place is none other than Songzhou.

However, with Li Siyuan coordinating with Qida in the north and Li Cunxu communicating with Yang Xingmi in the south, and Zhu Quanzhong's retreat now a foregone conclusion, the significance of Songzhou, this nominal gateway, is no longer as important as before.

At this moment, Li Cunxiao was not thinking about Li Yisheng's promise to make him a king, but rather about the familiar faces in the Flying Tiger Escort Agency.

Master, Mistress, Zhang Yuelu, Zhang Que'er, Zhang Xiaohu, Eldest Brother Shi Tie, and the Cui brothers.
Li Cunxiao was somewhat dazed for a moment. The days when he was escorting goods were still vivid in his mind, but six years had passed since they parted ways.

He had considered bringing the people from the escort agency to his side, but Songzhou was previously under Zhu Quanzhong's control, and he was the enemy who had wiped out Zhu's lineage. How could he dare to risk his life?
Even if Li Cunxiao had this idea, Li Yisheng would never allow his logistics steward and elixir production machine to penetrate deep into the enemy camp.

But things are different now.

"Guangyi, what is the current situation of the Dragon Armor Army and the Imperial Dragon Guard?"

Li Guangyi sensed something and his spirits lifted upon hearing this:
"Since the elder brother taught us the new method, we have benefited from trade. The Dragon Armor Army has selected brave and strong men from the people and now has five armies with a total of 50,000 men: the vanguard, the central army, the rear army, the left army, and the right army."

"Among the soldiers in the army, the lowest level is Qi and Blood, the squad leader is all muscle, the captain is all internal organs, the commander is all Yellow Court, and the captain is all Embracing Dan."

"The Imperial Dragon Guard consists of five guards and ten ranks, including Baxia, Chiwen, Bian, Yinglong, and Longxiang, totaling five thousand elite troops."

"One class has five hundred people, and the next class has a thousand. The lowest cultivation level is at least at the Internal Organs level, and nearly half of them are Yellow Court level martial artists. The class is a ladder to heaven, and among the generals, only Jianzan has reached the Profound Gate level so far."

Li Cunxiao felt a sense of accomplishment as Li Guangyi delivered the well-organized intelligence.

The emergence of the Elixir-Bearing Method and its accompanying Dragon Pearl Elixir System is undoubtedly revolutionary for traditional demonic martial arts.

Thanks to this, in just two years, a large number of veterans who were stuck in their cultivation methods and mental states advanced to the fifth realm.

With a larger base of mid-level martial artists, more high-level martial artists can naturally emerge, and sixth-realm ladder martial artists are springing up like mushrooms after rain.

Most of these elites were selected for the Imperial Dragon Guard, and the abundance of elixirs allowed the new recruits to grow at an extremely fast pace.

However, the seventh realm involves the Niwan brain region, and Li Cunxiao cannot interfere with the cultivation of the spirit at the moment, so Jianzan, who leads the Dragon Elephant Army, stands out from the crowd.

However, he usually had to be stationed in Weizhou and Yizhou, so the generals of Yulongzhi were generally still at the sixth level of cultivation.

Although the Dragon Armor Army has 10,000 soldiers in its five armies, only two of them are Grandmasters: Li Cunxiao and Qi Ci, and the latter is not familiar with battle formations.

Therefore, the five armies do not currently have generals. The twenty-five commanders each lead two thousand troops and are directly under the command of Li Cunxiao.

Fortunately, martial artists who cultivate the Crimson Scale Technique have less malevolent energy in their bodies than ordinary martial artists. Even a sixth-realm martial artist can barely manage to preside over a formation of a thousand people.

For Li Cunxiao, with the Vajra Pestle, commanding an army of 100,000 was not a problem.

"After Hedong took control of the capital, it launched attacks on all sides, which not only expanded its base of influence but also brought in more surrendered soldiers."

"Currently, Li Yisheng commands hundreds of thousands of troops, ranging from ten thousand to thirty to fifty thousand, who are divided among the Twelve Protectors."

"If I were to leave, I would need to leave at least half of my troops here to ensure the stability of the region."

"Ye Chengxiao's side also has several thousand troops scattered throughout Maozhou and Longzhou in Xichuan and Dongchuan."

"If we need to coordinate an attack from within and without in the future, I'm afraid we still need to..."

Li Cunxiao remained silent, closing his eyes in thought. Li Guangyi also remained silent, simply waiting quietly.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the former opened his eyes, having already made up his mind.

"Li Guangyi, I appoint you as the military commander. Within three days, in addition to the Chiwen Army, select another 10,000 elite troops from the four Imperial Guards and prepare the corresponding weapons and provisions. Can you do that?"

"Leader!"

Li Guangyi solemnly agreed, left the study, and immediately began to work without stopping.

Li Cunxiao then vanished from the study in a flash, and reappeared two hours later with a jade box the size of a fist in his hand.

The jade box was made of agate and had no patterns on it. You couldn't even see the seams unless you looked closely.

With a gentle touch of the finger, rings of talismanic seals appeared on the jade box as if in response.

With a whistle, a moment later, a beam of azure light shot into the sky from the military camp. The soldiers looked up and saw the nine-headed azure lion shrink rapidly and disappear into the horizon.

"With the Azure Lion escorting this item to the capital, Li Yisheng should transfer me back to the front lines."

Li Cunxiao's face showed visible fatigue, indicating that he had exhausted himself.

It is a major taboo for garrison troops to abandon their posts, especially since he is leading 10,000 elite troops this time. If he does not inform Emperor Li Yisheng, it would be considered a serious act of treason.

Over the course of two years, his cultivation level had been advancing by leaps and bounds, but it was still not as exaggerated as jumping to the ninth realm of Dharma Manifestation.

Even if one doesn't become a grandmaster, there will always be something to be wary of.

Now that he has mastered the Three Altars and Seas, and with the power of the Spirit Treasure Realm and the Daoist Temple, he is confident that he can survive even against a Grandmaster.

However, the threat level of a Grandmaster like Li Yisheng, who possesses a magical treasure and is in his prime, has risen to another level.

Now is not the time to turn against each other, so he naturally does not want to do anything that would provoke the other party too much.

Of course, theoretically speaking, Li Cunxiao could have stayed in the rear and developed peacefully, and no matter how fierce the fighting was on the front lines, he could have remained safe and sound.

But stability also means stagnation.

There are indeed many demons in the southwestern mountains, but if he stays here to grind monsters, his greatest future will be nothing more than becoming the King of Shu. Besides, he has already become a Grandmaster, and the malevolent energy that low-level demons can provide him is becoming increasingly scarce.

Wang Jian, wary of the imperial court, remained cautious and held his ground at Jianmen Pass, refusing to venture out.

Without war, there is no malevolent energy, and his cultivation speed will decrease.

This situation is contrary to the original plan. It can only be said that plans can't keep up with changes. Who knew that Qici's deterrent power would be so strong?

Furthermore, every time the Dragon Armor Army was formed, it always fought with superior numbers and strength, earning a reputation for its prowess while suffering few casualties.

They were all elites whom Li Cunxiao had personally trained, and it was impossible for him to deliberately send them to their deaths to accumulate malevolent energy.

The only place where he can test his skills and demonstrate his abilities after all these years is now the Central Plains battlefield.

On the one hand, the Qin Dynasty was unstoppable, and the recapture of the Central Plains was imminent.

Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu were both granted titles of nobility in recent years based on their military achievements, but he had no military merits.

If the world is unified in the future, the faction of the Thirteen Protectors will face difficulties in the imperial court.

On the other hand, the old friends of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency are in Songzhou. Although they are displaced in the chaos of the times, there is no guarantee that they may meet again.

Since Li Yisheng promised the throne of the Song King when he transferred me to the southwest, there is no reason not to seize this opportunity.

"A 26-year-old grandmaster—that's quite an achievement. It wouldn't be difficult for him to go back to the front lines and claim credit for it."

"Besides, I also sent that thing to Li Yisheng. Even if Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu interfered, it wouldn't make a difference."

Li Cunxiao left the study and wandered around before arriving at Qici's quiet room.

If I leave this time, I'm afraid I won't be able to return for at least a year or two. There are some things that I'll have to let the senior monk take charge of.

With a Grandmaster at the peak of his cultivation in charge and Master Qingcheng Yuhai in seclusion, Wang Jian alone couldn't cause any trouble.

When I return next time, Sichuan will have a new master.
Songzhou, Ningling County.

The Flying Tiger Banners fluttered continuously above the camp, and the blood and energy of tens of thousands of soldiers solidified, like smoke rising into a city wall that lingered for a long time.

Every now and then, fierce-looking soldiers would ride by on horseback, followed by a long line of men tied with ropes—strong men, craftsmen, pharmacists, and even women and young girls.

After Li Yisheng ascended the throne, he declared himself the rightful ruler of the land and naturally placed higher demands on his army.

Looting is forbidden, killing innocent people to claim credit is forbidden, and abducting women is forbidden. In short, we must display the grandeur of the imperial army and not continue the bandit ways of the past.

He was highly respected and a grandmaster; his every move could move mountains and fill seas. Who would dare to disobey him?
Therefore, at the beginning of the Tongguang reign, the various armies and generals were still able to barely maintain control, and the reputation of the new Qin Dynasty among the people was still quite good.

However, as a year or two passed and the war dragged on, the Liang Kingdom could not be destroyed for a long time. Li Yisheng was still able to remain calm, but his subordinates could no longer restrain themselves.

When the Qin and Liao states became sworn brothers and the war began to break through, with successive victories, this outburst of frustration, like a rebound from rock bottom, became unstoppable.

Not to mention that the prisoners of war who were captured after the defeat were all military officers of the regional military governors. The more capable the generals and fierce soldiers who were recruited by the Taibao, the more ferocious they were.

With these incidents piling up, the discipline of the Qin army deteriorated further.

Only Li Yisheng's personal guards, because of their generous treatment, had no reason to break military discipline;
There are also two princes, Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu, whom I hope will one day sit on the dragon throne and be able to control their subordinates for future advancement.

The remaining guards mostly only put on a show when Li Yisheng came; otherwise, they indulged in sensual pleasures, drinking, feasting, and patronizing prostitutes in the camp, doing whatever they pleased.

Shi Jingsi saw all of this and secretly reported it to Li Yisheng several times.

Unfortunately, after getting angry a few times, Li Yisheng gradually accepted the situation.

Ultimately, even a grandmaster cannot control people's hearts.

Besides, he has only taken over half the country so far. If the whole country were truly his, it would be worth the effort to manage it.

No matter how good the military discipline is, if you lose, you hand everything over to the enemy; no matter how bad the military discipline is, as long as you win, you will have plenty of time to fix it in the future.

A jumble of thoughts welled up in Shi Jingsi's mind, and for some reason, he thought of Li Cunxiao.

"If the thirteenth prince were here, I wonder if things would be different?"

He couldn't help but chuckle as soon as the idea popped into his head.

Only four years have passed, and even if Li Cunxiao is a genius, he can only stand at the same level as the other Taibao.

It would be better to stay in the southwest, where it would be peaceful and stable, and one could assist His Majesty in governing the country in the future.

Whether he is there or not will not affect the overall situation.

Ultimately, only grandmasters and great grandmasters can decide the great affairs of the world.

Thinking this, the central banner of the army was already close at hand, a banner that signified the presence of Emperor Li Yisheng of the Great Qin Dynasty.

"Your subject Shi Jingsi greets Your Majesty."

"Come in."

Inside the central command tent, the five Grand Protectors sat in order: Li Cunjin, Kang Junli, Li Cunzhang, Li Siben, and Li Si'en. Including Shi Jingsi, there were six people.

The rest were taken by Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu to fight on both the northern and southern fronts.

Li Yisheng was not wearing armor in the camp, but only a ochre-yellow robe.

He remained silent, and none of the bodyguards dared to utter a sound.

They were once adoptive father and son, but now they are ruler and subject. No matter how arrogant they were, they understood the principle that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and gradually they dared not speak casually in front of Li Yisheng.

'My godfather's authority is growing stronger,' Shi Jingsi said, bowing his head. After a dozen or so breaths, he finally heard a voice coming from above.

"I have summoned you here today to discuss the selection of the vanguard."

These words caused ripples on the surface of the water, and everyone's eyes immediately lit up with fervor as they scanned the other bodyguards.

The news of Zhu Quanzhong's withdrawal from Xuzhou was no secret to these trusted confidants.

Leading the vanguard to capture Songzhou was nothing to the Grand Protector and the Third Grand Protector who were leading troops alone in the field, but it was very tempting for the other Grand Protectors.

Now, Li Siyuan has been enfeoffed as the Prince of Qin, and Li Cunxu as the Prince of Jin. The former is an official title of the current dynasty, while the latter is an official title of Li Yisheng. Both titles have special significance.

The other guards were all eager to become the third person to be crowned king.

Thus, even though they were intimidated by his authority, and Kang Junli took the lead, the others all voluntarily stood up and volunteered:

"Your Majesty, this humble general is willing to serve as the vanguard!"

"His Majesty."

"His Majesty."

Li Yisheng raised his hand, and everyone immediately fell silent.

Although Shi Jingsi usually doesn't like to show off, he couldn't help but cast a fervent gaze at this moment, hoping that he could...?
He had kept his head down when he entered the tent, but when he raised his head now, he noticed that Li Yisheng was holding a fist-sized jade box, from which a faint golden light emanated.

Not only him, but the other bodyguards also noticed this, wondering what kind of treasure it was, and whether it was a reward for the vanguard.
"I have already made a decision on this matter."

Li Yisheng stroked the jade box, a complex expression flashing across his face, but his words remained calm.

"I intend to send Li Cunxiao as the vanguard, and attack Songzhou in three days."

(End of this chapter)