The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 512 Recalling Everyone

As the commander-in-chief of Chentang Pass, Li Jing not only had the responsibility of defending the territory, but also the obligation to quell rebellions within his domain.

However, this guy seems honest and kind, but he has quite a few tricks up his sleeve.

The entire area of ​​Chentang Pass is equivalent to a future city, but its military strength is only 30,000.

Moreover, the number of soldiers guarding the city was only 12,000.

With this number of men, guarding Chentang Pass, which has high city walls, is naturally no problem.

But if we were to send troops to attack King Pingling and other Dongyi tribes, we wouldn't be strong enough.

The population in the Investiture of the Gods is actually quite large.

During the Shang-Zhou War, the two sides often clashed with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops.

Moreover, after each defeat and loss of a large number of soldiers, it would only take one or two years to raise tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops again.

To maintain such a large number of soldiers, the population would need to be at least dozens or even hundreds of times larger.

Neither the Shang Dynasty nor the Western Zhou Dynasty were nomadic peoples, so it was impossible for them to conscript one-tenth, or even one-fifth, of their troops to fight.

Li Jingxiao estimated that the entire Yin-Shang dynasty had a population of about ten to twenty million.

In reality, the population of shopping malls was probably between five and eight million.

Of course, no one can confirm the accuracy of this number, but it is estimated to be roughly this size.

However, this is the world of Investiture of the Gods, and some things are indeed very different from real history.

The combined population of the four major vassal states and the eight hundred minor vassal states should be around ten to twenty million.

In addition to the Dongyi, Huaiyi, Quanrong, Nanman, and Beihai Man tribes, there may be several million more.

The total population is at least four or five times larger than it actually is.

This is why there were repeated battles involving tens or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

From the rebellion of Yuan Futong and the seventy-two feudal lords in Beihai to the rebellion of Su Hu against Shang, the Shang Dynasty was a period of continuous warfare.

Even the most substantial wealth will be largely depleted in a decade or two of continuous warfare.

Otherwise, they would only be able to rely on a local force in Xiqi.

The probability of overthrowing the rule of the Shang Dynasty was essentially zero.

Of course, King Zhou's loss of popular support was the biggest reason for the downfall of the Shang Dynasty.

Moreover, the repeated failures of the Jie Sect became the root cause of their dominance on the battlefield.

As for the soldiers of Yin Shang and Xiqi, no matter how elite they were, they were nothing more than bystanders and cannon fodder.
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Li Jing did want to go out of the city to attack King Pingling. If he could really quell the rebellion, he might have a chance to be made a king.

He was a man of military strategy and cunning, but he was also cautious by nature.

To put it bluntly, after serving as an official for a long time, one becomes too calculating and preoccupied with gains and losses, losing the ability to make decisions and appearing hesitant and indecisive.

Moreover, it was impossible for Li Jing to gather all 30,000 soldiers, including those inside and outside Chentang Pass, to quell the rebellion.

Moreover, the only ones truly capable of fighting were the 12,000 soldiers inside Chentang Pass.

The 18,000 soldiers outside the city were more like militia maintaining order than soldiers.

King Pingling raised an army in rebellion, and his morale was high.

With the support of many Dongyi tribes, their military strength was certainly at least 30,000 to 50,000, if not 100,000 or 200,000.

Li Jing wanted to defeat tens of thousands of rebel troops from the Eastern Barbarians with only ten or twenty thousand soldiers, unless he had the help of a master.

Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble.

So Li Jing sent enemy intelligence reports to Chaoge City one after another.

Upon learning of Li Jingxiao's return, he hurriedly brought generous gifts to seek his advice.

Although he said he was asking for advice, Li Jingxiao didn't even need to guess what the general was thinking.

However, Li Jingxiao did not refuse outright, but instead recalled Nezha, Ao Bing, and the Seven Monsters of Meishan from the North Sea.

The reason why the Dongyi dared to rebel was not only because their population and soldiers gave them confidence, but also because they must have had a master behind them secretly supporting them.

Li Jingxiao was not interested in the Dongyi, but he was interested in the gods and monsters who were behind the trouble.

The two major battles in Beihai raised Li Jingxiao's rank by 12.

Even if the forces behind the Dongyi are not as large or powerful as the demon race and the remnants of Chiyou in the North Sea.

However, if he could be promoted to level three, five, seven, or eight, it would be equivalent to saving Li Jingxiao several years.

Moreover, each time Li Jingxiao went to the battlefield, it only took him a few days.

This business is not only guaranteed to make a profit, but it's also incredibly profitable.

Li Jing originally thought that he would have to spend countless words and offer many benefits to persuade Li Jingxiao to help.

Unexpectedly, by merely feigning pitifulness and saying some soft words, Li Jingxiao actually managed to recall Nezha, Ao Bing, and the Seven Monsters of Meishan.

Needless to say, Li Jing knew that his third son, Nezha, had already surpassed the strength of his eldest son, Jinzha, and second son, Muzha, after only four years of training with Li Jingxiao.

I heard a while ago that Nezha was in seclusion in the North Sea camp and broke through from a Celestial Immortal to a Mystic Immortal.

His cultivation level had caught up with his two older brothers, and he was also skilled in martial arts and possessed many valuable treasures.

At this point, even if his eldest and second eldest brothers joined forces, they might not be able to do anything to this kid.

But what Li Jing didn't know was that Nezha had not only successfully broken through to the Xuanxian realm.

Having spent more than a year in Beihai, I have reached the peak of Xuanxian.

The rebels in Beihai are no longer capable of waging a major war, but they still engage in numerous small-scale raids, ambushes, and skirmishes.

With the pressure on them, Nezha and Ao Bing not only became more diligent in their training, but the strength of the Seven Monsters of Meishan also made great progress.

Especially Yuan Hong, with Li Jingxiao explaining the "Eight-Nine Mysterious Techniques" to him, his strength is increasing faster than Nezha's cultivation of the "Great Celestial Immortal Technique".

Perhaps ape-like monsters all possess extremely high talent when cultivating physical techniques.

However, Li Jingxiao did not teach Yuan Hong the supernatural power of observing the heavens and the earth.

But after practicing the "Diving into the Abyss and Shrinking the Earth" technique, this guy's combat power did indeed increase significantly.

With the addition of a level 130, 7200-jin (3600 catties) Wind and Fire Iron Rod in his hands, he had become invincible among the demons of the North Sea.

Even Yuan Futong had lost confidence in defeating Yuan Hong at this point.

Of course, the truly powerful demons and demon kings did not actually make a move.

These powerful demon kings weren't lacking in strength, but they worried that if they took action, it would attract more experts from the Jie Sect to join the battle in the North Sea.

As a result, Yuan Hong was able to defeat all the rebel forces in Beihai without being able to defeat them.

Therefore, in the past year or so, Yuan Futong and the seventy-two princes of Beihai have indeed behaved much better.

A major battle was unlikely to break out, yet Wen Zhong neither withdrew his troops nor engaged in a decisive battle.

That old man is incredibly cunning; he's thinking of a way to solve everything once and for all.

The 50,000 elite Shang army maintained a high-pressure posture, forcing the lords of Beihai to keep under heavy load.

There's no time or energy left to rest and recuperate.

If Wen Zhong were to drag this out for three to five years, it's possible that half of the territories of the seventy-two vassal states would collapse on their own.

Therefore, the rebellion in the East China Sea at this time, to some extent, relieved the pressure on the rebels in the North China Sea.
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After bidding farewell to Li Jingxiao's residence, Li Jing returned home and wrote a letter, which he then sent to West Kunlun to be given to his master, the Immortal Du'e.

Soon after, news of Li Jingxiao's transfer of Nezha, Ao Bing, and the Seven Monsters of Meishan back to Chentang Pass reached the hands of Daoist Ran Deng.

As the vice leader of the Chan Sect, Randeng should theoretically hold a position second only to the leader.

In reality, most of the affairs of the Chan Sect, large and small, were handled by the Antarctic Immortal and Guang Chengzi.

This put Randeng in an extremely awkward position within the Chan Sect. Yet, he dared not voice his opinion.

To put it bluntly, Yuanshi Tianzun was simply too embarrassed to refuse, so when Randeng took the initiative to join him, he had no choice but to make Randeng the vice leader.

However, Yuanshi Tianzun did not trust Randeng.

Both were guests in the Zixiao Palace; Yuanshi Tianzun and Randeng could be considered classmates.

However, their status is worlds apart.

But since Randeng had no shame and took the initiative to join the Chan Sect, Yuanshi Tianzun really couldn't refuse.

Moreover, the second-generation disciples of the Chan Sect at that time had only recently become disciples and indeed needed someone of high seniority and considerable strength to look after them.

To put it simply, he's a bodyguard and coach at the same time.

When the second generation of disciples grew up, although they still called Randeng "teacher," their respect for him was not as strong as it used to be.

With such a huge difference, it's no wonder that after the Investiture of the Gods, Randeng betrayed his religion and went to the Western Religion.
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When Nezha and the others returned to Chentang Pass, Li Jingxiao inevitably held a banquet to welcome his two disciples and seven servants back.

Li Jingxiao had been to the North Sea quite a few times in the past, not to fight with the Jie Sect members.

It's about drinking with these people.

The members of the Jie Sect could neither defeat Li Jingxiao in a fight nor outdrink him.

Therefore, Nezha, Ao Bing, and the Seven Monsters of Meishan not only knew how powerful Li Jingxiao was.

He was even more proud of being Li Jingxiao's apprentice and servant.

At the banquet, none of them dared to mention their achievements in Beihai.

Even the Seven Heroes of Meishan, who wanted to obtain an official position in the Yin Shang Dynasty, did not dare to complain in the slightest. After receiving Li Jingxiao's order, they immediately returned to Chentang Pass.

The seven siblings were still trying to find ways to praise Li Jingxiao for only making two moves when he was in Beihai.

They routed the elite forces of the North Sea rebels and the demon race, leaving them in disarray with countless casualties.

Li Jingxiao didn't care about these flattering remarks; there were plenty of people willing to fawn over him these days.

Especially when they were in the Yin Shang camp in the North Sea, the four generals of the Demon Clan, the disciples of the Jie Sect, and many generals and captains would have free spirit wine and immortal wine whenever they were there.

Flattery is given in abundance, without any regard for cost.

If it were someone else, they might have become arrogant and conceited from these flattering words.

However, Li Jingxiao not only holds a high position in Dream of the Red Chamber and Journey to the West, but also possesses great strength.

I've been through something similar before.

Looking at those who were praising themselves now, I not only felt very calm, but also found it amusing.

When you experience something for the first time, you're likely to feel elated.

When I experienced it a second time, my mindset was much more stable.

By the third time, you might get bored.

Li Jingxiao had this mindset at the time, but he didn't stop the Meishan Seven Freaks from flattering and fawning over him.

Being afraid of flattery is actually a skill in itself.

In Li Jingxiao's eyes, it wouldn't be a bad thing if Nezha learned to be flexible and tactful in the future.

After all, this kid will have to become an official in the Heavenly Court someday.

Arrogance, self-satisfaction, and rigidity are never good things in officialdom.
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After a drinking session, Li Jingxiao not only got his two apprentices and seven servants drunk.

Even Shiji, Caiyun, Qiongxiao, Daji, Deng Chanyu, as well as Biyun and Yunxia, ​​were all drunk and dazed.

Only Lei Zhenzi, because he is still young and not allowed to drink, is still sober.

However, this kid isn't exactly a well-behaved child.

While Yunxia, ​​who was taking care of him, was drunk and fast asleep, Lei Zhenzi, who was only a little over a year old, couldn't help but curiously steal some of the leftover spirit wine.

Once you start drinking, you can't stop.

Although the name of Monkey Spirit Wine has remained unchanged, this wine is actually completely different from the spirit wine from the time it was in the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Not only does it possess more celestial energy, but the quality of the wine is also several levels higher.

Even the wine used as a raw material changed from ordinary monkey wine to a spirit wine brewed by the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain.

As a result, Lei Zhenzi not only got so drunk that he slept for three days before waking up.

Then Yunxia scolded him terribly, and as a result, his daily homework increased by several times compared to before.

Although Li Jingxiao did not blame Yunxia for not taking good care of her, she herself was afraid that Li Jingxiao would be disappointed in her.

While feeling angry and uneasy, he naturally vented his anger on Lei Zhenzi.

Li Jingxiao's attitude towards Lei Zhenzi was far less concerned than his attitude towards Nezha.

To put it bluntly, Lei Zhenzi was just an ordinary person, even though he was the hundredth adopted son of King Wen of Zhou.

However, his talent was far inferior to that of Nezha, the reincarnation of Lingzhu.

During the Investiture of the Gods war, his performance was far inferior to that of Nezha.

If it weren't for Yun Zhongzi feeding him the 'Immortal Apricot' and granting him the Wind and Thunder Body, this kid would have been just a minor character in the Investiture of the Gods.

Moreover, Yun Zhongzi took the initiative to deliver Lei Zhenzi to Li Jingxiao. Even if Li Jingxiao was stupid, he would know what Yun Zhongzi and the Chan Sect were up to.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao basically left Lei Zhenzi to his own devices.

When this kid grows up, the Investiture of the Gods will begin.

This kid's ultimate battle form is to directly give Lei Zhenzi the 'Immortal Apricot' that Yun Zhongzi left in his own hands.

Li Jingxiao didn't care much about Lei Zhenzi, but Yunxia, ​​who took on the task of taking care of the boy, was a different story.

She was both a senior student and a nanny.

They put in a lot of effort and time, and they really took good care of the patients.

That's why Lei Zhenzi secretly drank the spirit wine and was drunk for three whole days, which is why Yunxia was so angry and remorseful.

Li Jingxiao, the master, actually had a hangover cure, but he wanted to teach the kid a lesson.

That's why they let him stay drunk for three days before he sobered up.

After this incident, Lei Zhenzi indeed became much more obedient.

With Nezha as his senior brother, it's not easy to learn good things, but it's incredibly easy to learn bad things.

After Ao Bing took the initiative to accept the mission of investigating King Pingling and the Eastern Yi rebels.

When Nezha had free time, he would often wander around, and then he would get entangled by Lei Zhenzi.

The two brothers either went to visit the Dragon Palace of the East Sea or wandered around outside Chentang Pass.

As for Ao Bing, with the East Sea Dragon Palace at his back, it was indeed very easy for him to inquire about things around the East Sea.

In less than half a month, they had thoroughly investigated the East China Sea rebellion.

Unfortunately, the Dongyi were not the demons of the North Sea or the descendants of Chiyou, and there were many forces supporting them from behind the scenes.

But to gather tens of thousands of demons is impossible, and there is no foundation or resources for that.

Therefore, after Li Jingxiao figured it out, he immediately lost interest in the Dongyi.

Incidentally, he privately instructed the Seven Monsters of Meishan that their mission with Li Jing this time was simply to protect Nezha and Ao Bing.

The Seven Freaks of Meishan were surprised after hearing this, but Li Jingxiao had no obligation to explain, nor did he want to.

(End of this chapter)