Simultaneous travel: I am a talented person in all the worlds

Chapter 463 The Perplexity of Veteran General Meng Ao

At 9 PM, the night was as dark as ink, deeply enveloping Baimajin.

The stench of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the dampness of the riverbank, creating a nauseatingly sticky atmosphere.

This place used to be the central command camp of the Allied Forces.

At this moment, it has already been given the surname Qin.

Squads of Qin soldiers, carrying torches, moved through the vast camp, cleaning up the traces left by the battle.

Clad in heavy armor, Meng Ao walked slowly along the main road of the camp, his hands clasped behind his back. His white hair gleamed like silver in the firelight, and the wrinkles on his face were as if carved by a knife and axe, bearing witness to decades of war and battles.

Meng Wu followed closely behind, step by step.

"The camp of the Allied Forces here is quite ingeniously arranged."

Meng Ao suddenly spoke, pointing to the muddy ground beneath his feet and then to the faint traces of kerosene visible in the distance.
"If you hadn't been cautious and hadn't rushed in rashly, the 30,000 vanguard troops would probably have been reduced to ashes."

Meng Wu's gaze swept over the oil stains, and a chill ran down his spine.

He recalled the scene of attacking the camp during the day. If he hadn't noticed the abnormality and decisively chosen to retreat, but instead led his troops directly into this seemingly empty camp, the consequences... he dared not imagine.

"Your son has not failed in his mission." Meng Wu clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone tinged with lingering fear.

Meng Ao didn't turn around, but simply gave a faint "hmm".

His attention was not on the obvious traps; his sharp eyes scanned the details throughout the camp.

The division of the garrison areas of the six kingdoms' armies, the size of their camps, the density of their defensive fortifications...

Based on the intelligence gathered by scouts before the battle, a picture of the complex relationships within the Allied Forces slowly unfolded in his mind.

The Zhao army's camp and the Yan army's camp were connected, forming a strategic triangle. Interestingly, the location of the Yan army's commander's tent might be worth exploring.
The Chu army camp was the largest, yet it was located in a remote corner, clearly separated from the other states. Moreover, the camp was messy and poorly furnished, indicating that they had no intention of staying long and seemed ready to lead their army away at any time. Li Yuan's attitude was perhaps evident from this.
However, the camps of the Han, Wei, and Wei armies were interlocked and mutually supportive, forming a solid defensive structure, which surprised Meng Ao.

When did the relationship between the three kingdoms become so harmonious?
As Meng Ao walked, he silently analyzed the situation in his mind.

His steps suddenly stopped in front of an inconspicuous tent.

Judging from its location and layout, this tent is within the South Korean army's garrison area and is definitely not where the commander-in-chief is located.

However, Meng Ao's eyes, which had seen countless battles, noticed something unusual in the almost completely cleared-away traces around him.

The sheer number of visible and hidden sentries around this place, the cunning patrol routes, and the tight defensive arrangements make it the most formidable in the entire Allied Army camp!

It was even several times more secure than the command tents of Pang Nuan and Zhu Hai!
This arrangement, which is loose on the outside but tight on the inside, is something that ordinary generals could not accomplish.

It exudes an extreme level of caution, an absolute emphasis on one's own safety, and... an absolute power sufficient to support such an emphasis!
"Who originally lived here?"

Meng Ao turned his head and looked at one of his personal guards standing beside him.

A lieutenant immediately understood, turned around and quickly left. Before long, he returned carrying a trembling South Korean prisoner.

"Reporting to the general, this place...this place was originally...the residence of the Korean guest minister, Lord Moyu."

"Korean guest elder... Mo Yu?" Meng Ao murmured, savoring the name.

He had heard of this name.

However, it was not on the battlefield.

The first time was during a casual conversation with an elder of the Qin Mo Baili clan.

The old master craftsman, renowned for his forging skills, once mentioned with a mixture of admiration and regret that the most skilled master craftsman in the world at that time was not from the Gongshu family, nor was he Qin Mo, but rather Commander Han Mo, a young man who had not yet reached the age of thirty.

Not long ago, he saw that name again in the intelligence files because of the destruction of the Luo Wang organization in South Korea.

The true mastermind behind the Guiyi Chamber of Commerce, and the mastermind behind the rise to power in South Korea, who, in just six months, eliminated the powerful minister Ji Wuye and made a strong comeback.

It is obvious that the other party is not just a simple craftsman.

A glint of light flashed in Meng Ao's turbid eyes, and at that moment, he forcibly connected countless seemingly unrelated clues.

He turned his head, looked at Meng Wu who had also guessed something, and slowly said:
"It seems that the Commander Wei Mo who defeated you on the battlefield before, the so-called 'Six-Finger Qin Demon,' is this person."

Meng Wu had already thought of this at this moment.

The previous commander, Wei Mo, was eliminated by Xuan Jian, who was manipulated by Wei Yong. The new commander, however, did not select a capable person from among Wei Mo's disciples, but instead parachuted in a person from among the Six-Fingered Black Knight.

Since he was able to win over the masses in such a short time, this person must have been highly respected within the Mo family, in addition to being extremely capable.

Master craftsman of the Mohist school, leader of Hanmo, head of the Guiyi Chamber of Commerce, successor of the Grand Master, "Six-Finger Qin Demon"... Leader Hanmo!
When these identities overlapped on the same figure, a huge yet vague outline of threat already appeared in Meng Wu's mind.

However, his father saw things much more profoundly than he did.

Meng Ao's gaze seemed to pierce through the barriers of time and space, landing on Daliang, the capital of Wei.

"Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji... should already be dead."

"Everything we discovered before was just a deception set up by this person."

"Wha...what?!"

Meng Wu was truly shocked and cried out in surprise, drawing the attention of the surrounding guards.

Lord Xinling is dead?!

The reason why the Qin Dynasty had stationed hundreds of thousands of troops on the border but dared not easily invade the Wei Kingdom was because Wei still had Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji.

Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, was a war god who led five kingdoms!
This prince of Wei led the allied forces to defeat the Qin army several times, and his fame shook the world. He was a military genius recognized by all the states, and his prestige was once comparable to that of Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi.

If Lord Xinling really did die long ago from the assassination attempt by the Luo Wang organization...

Meng Wu's mind went blank with a "buzz".

Doesn't that mean their caution and hesitation over the past few months were forcibly halted by a dead man? They wasted two or three precious months of their time!
It should be noted that the alliance of the six states was rapidly formed within just two or three months!

A dead man not only halted the Qin's eastward advance, but also, in his dying moments, secured one last opportunity for the six states to form an alliance!

What an irony!

How...terrible!!

How could Meng Ao not have thought of this?
"The heroes of this world are truly as numerous as carp crossing a river, impossible to kill them all!"

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly. A look of solemnity and weariness appeared on his weathered face. "This time, our opponent... his wisdom and methods may be... no less than Lord Xinling's."

A long sigh dissipated into the cold night wind.

Meng Wu remained silent.

There are very few people in the world who can elicit such praise from a father.

After his personal guards carefully inspected the tents and confirmed that there was no danger, Meng Ao and Meng Wu slowly walked inside.

The furnishings inside the tent were extremely simple, even rudimentary.

There was no bed, no extra furnishings, only a huge desk several times larger than a typical general's desk, occupying most of the space in the tent.

A faint smell, a mixture of tung oil and metallic notes, lingered.

Meng Ao's gaze swept across the empty tent, finally settling on the huge table.

He could almost see a young figure through the remaining ink and engravings on it, hunched over a desk, working tirelessly day and night, occasionally taking a break to invent mechanical contraptions to pass the time.

Focused and efficient.

Time seemed to be never enough for him.

For some reason, as he looked at the scene before him, another 'young' figure vaguely appeared in Meng Ao's mind.

A completely unrelated person.

Why...did I suddenly think of His Majesty?

Meng Ao muttered to himself, a fleeting moment of dazedness, which he himself was unaware of, flashed across his eyes.

Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi.

Both are young and promising, and both possess the ability to command large armies at the age of twenty-something.

Similarly, in my spare time, I like to make things to relieve boredom.

In the Qin Dynasty, Moyu was a mechanical artifact.

The Lord of Wu'an back then, however, was fond of drawing maps and... forging swords.

Few people know that Lord Wu'an, who instilled fear in the world as the "Butcher of Men," was once an apprentice swordsmith in his youth.

Moreover, their sword-making skills had already reached their pinnacle.

His own divine weapon, the "Youxi," which had drunk countless lives, was forged by his own hands.

Meng Ao instinctively gripped the sword at his waist.

The cold touch pulled his thoughts back to decades ago.

For a very, very long time, he went on expeditions as the deputy general and vanguard of Lord Wu'an.

Yes, most of them are vanguards, just like Meng Wu.

In terms of command, he is no match for that old geezer Wang He.

If it weren't for the death of Lord Wu'an, which caused Wang He to become upset, he might be the current Supreme General of Qin.

It was during that long period of experience, under the tutelage of Lord Wu'an Bai Qi, that General Meng Ao became who he is today.

It was during this experience that Meng Ao was fortunate enough to have Bai Qi forge a sword for him.

That glory was something Meng Ao cherished as his life, and that sword is still worn on his waist to this day, never leaving his side.

Those who receive such treatment are no more than five people in the entire Qin Dynasty.

Besides Meng Ao, there were only a handful of others, including Wei Ran and Wang He.

His thoughts drifted away, and Meng Ao recalled more past events.

It is common knowledge that the Qin Dynasty's military elite is unparalleled in the world, with a greater number and quality than the combined forces of the other six states.

But few people know that this terrifying military force, capable of crushing the era, was largely thanks to Bai Qi alone.

The elite soldiers of Qin were a powerful army that existed as early as the time of Duke Xiao.

The Iron Eagle Warriors were created by Shang Yang after he entered Qin, based on the training methods of the Wei Wu Soldiers.

But it was Bai Qi who truly popularized it and even nearly destroyed the very foundation of the Wei Wuzu's military spirit.

He fought in the north and south, defeating Chu, defeating Wei, and burying Zhao alive. He used the secret techniques and fighting spirit of the most elite troops of various countries as nourishment to cultivate the Iron Eagle Warriors into the strongest legion in the world today, without exception!

The Golden Fire Cavalry, which Meng Ao was so proud of, was built on the same 'sharp sword' that Lord Wu'an had given him when he presented the sword. Its model was derived from the once powerful state of Chu.

There were also General Wei Ran's Dragon Tiger Cavalry and General Wang He's Pingyang Heavy Armored Army...

There were even a few military regiments whose spirit was lost because their commanders died in battle, and they have long since disappeared into the annals of history.

It can be said that the current military might of the Qin state is largely due to the personal efforts of Lord Wu'an.

Bai Qi was fond of sword forging.

Perhaps, in his view, forging a general or an army is the same principle.

Meng Ao received the sword from him, but wasn't Meng Ao himself also the one who forged the sword by his own hands and left it to the Qin Dynasty?

As for the divine power needed by the Army Soul Legion, where did Bai Qi get it from...?

Learn about Bai Qi slaying the snake god.

At this point in time, before the First Emperor destroyed mountains and temples, and before Zhang Daoling established the Zhengyi Alliance to call upon the Taoist community to establish orthodoxy and eradicate evil spirits, there were still many instances of worshipping evil gods and deities.
In addition, South Korea originally had a military spirit corps, but after Bai Qi's several campaigns, even during the coronation ceremony of the King of Han, Mo Yu did not sense the presence of the god he was worshipping.

Because Bai Qi had completely eradicated them, the gods they worshipped were sealed in coffins, and it was unknown when they would be able to rise from the dead.

For Lord Wu'an, so-called divine power was never a rare thing.

"call……"

Meng Ao let out a long breath, pulling his chaotic thoughts back from distant memories.

The reason I thought of Bai Qi was probably because that young man named Mo Yu also carried a similar aura of changing the times.

"I'm old."

After regaining his senses, Meng Ao gave a self-deprecating laugh, realizing he had actually lost focus at such a moment.

He quickly cleared his mind of distractions and refocused on the situation at hand. He glanced at his son, whom he had personally trained for over a decade, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, and then shook his head.

This fool is brave, but he always lacks a bit of wit in terms of strategy.

I'm afraid I'll never figure it out in this lifetime. At best, my maximum potential is to become a beginner-level commander of a large army of 100,000 men.

To expect him to reach the level of himself, or even Wei Wuji and Bai Qi, is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Well, the Meng clan has its own support, so it won't collapse.

After a moment's thought, Meng Ao decided to test him again:
"Let me ask you this: The armies of the six states, before even engaging our main force, divided their troops and withdrew. What was their intention?"

Why did our army capture the Allied Forces' camp so easily this time without encountering any significant resistance?

Furthermore, where is Zhu Hai, the commander-in-chief of the Wei army, now?

A barrage of questions left Meng Wu's head throbbing.

He didn't understand why his father suddenly felt like to torture him again at this critical juncture.

But he dared not refuse to answer.

Meng Wu pondered for a moment, then replied with some uncertainty, "The alliance of the six states was based on their own ulterior motives, as were the previous alliances."

"Pang Nuan is leading the troops of Zhao and Yan, presumably to reinforce Shangdang and resist our offensive. Bai Yifei of Han and Li Yuan of Chu may be trying to take advantage of the fact that our main force of Qin is tied down here to seize some cities elsewhere."

"As for Zhu Hai, the commander of the Wei army... perhaps he is staying in Puyang City, or perhaps he has returned to Daliang for some reason?"

"Confused!"

Meng Ao looked at his son with exhaustion and despair, and rubbed his sore temples.

"Even if the six states each have their own ulterior motives, they can be united as one and will not fall apart so easily! On several occasions before, it was our Qin state that used underhanded tactics, either sowing discord or tempting, to make them disintegrate!"

His voice carried a hint of disappointment and frustration.
"Now that the main force of our Great Qin is entirely deployed here, and we have not resorted to any more ingenious tactics, why would they take the initiative to divide their forces?!"

Meng Ao's gaze was like a sword, piercing towards his own son.

"That's because they believe that on the front lines, someone can single-handedly defeat, or at least... withstand, the main force of our Great Qin!"

Meng Wu's pupils suddenly contracted.

I suddenly realized a crucial fact that I had overlooked!
Since the start of the war, it seems that all he has faced is... the Wei army!

In the hands of that young man named Mo Yu, the army of the mere state of Wei seemed to be enough to hold back the main force of Qin's eastward expansion!

This is a terrible thing!
Although the Qin Dynasty was powerful, its vast territory meant that the defense lines were long and needed to be deployed everywhere.

If someone truly could use the power of a single nation to contain the main force of the Qin army, and use that as a fulcrum to incite the six other states to launch simultaneous attacks from different directions...

Even a powerful state like Qin would find it extremely difficult to deal with such a situation of widespread warfare!

The slightest misstep could lead to a complete collapse!
"Baimajin is a ferry crossing on the Yellow River. Only by capturing this place can our army truly send a large force to attack Puyang City, which is 20 kilometers away."

Meng Ao's voice continued, striking Meng Wu's heart:

"There's only one reason why the Wei army would hand over this strategic location at the Yellow River crossing: Mo Yu, who could command the Wei army to resist us, isn't here! Not even Zhu Hai is here!"

"Once the battle begins, the Wei army will surely collapse! Therefore, rather than suffering more casualties, it is better to retreat proactively, using space to buy time and directly handing over the camp!"

"So that's how it is... I see."

Meng Wu suddenly realized.

Only now do I truly understand the current battlefield situation.

He then realized his father's third question: "Then...where is Zhu Hai?"

Meng Ao shook his head.

Meng Wu looked at his father with a puzzled expression.

"Ugh……"

All that could be heard was a long sigh from the old general, and a rare hint of confusion and uncertainty flickered in his eyes, which held a profound understanding of the world.
"I don't know where it is either. Perhaps it's past the Pu River, heading to Puban to deal with Yang Duanhe and Zhang Tang."

"Or perhaps... in a place I can't even imagine..."

(End of this chapter)