Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 240 A Change of Heaven and Earth, Zhenwu's Peril

After the elders and disciples of Dafan Temple joined the Pingbei Army, the army's strength immediately increased.

This time, Lu Wubing did not lead the troops forward. He temporarily handed over military power to Chen Tongxi and quietly left the army to gather experts to accompany him.

Of course, senior sisters Ouyang Lan and Shen Xinzhu were still by her side.

The rest were all a group of bald men of all ages.

Okay, there are a bit too many monks.

"General, shouldn't we take advantage of the high morale and capture Huling Pass in one fell swoop, heading straight for the Northern Zhou?"

Chen Tongxi, the eldest uncle, showed a slight smile on his face regarding Lu Wubing's arrangement, but deep down he was still worried that he might not do a good job, and at the same time, he was also quite puzzled.

With the Northern Zhou army of 100,000 having just suffered a defeat, there were virtually no strong obstacles on the border. It would be extremely difficult for Longcheng, the capital of Northern Zhou, to once again muster its elite forces to resist this ever-growing army.

At this point, to order one's own army to stop, collect grain, distribute land, and stabilize the local area seems a bit like focusing on trivial matters.

If this delay allows the Northern Zhou to react and deploy a large army to guard the pass, it will be extremely difficult for them to invade the northern border. A series of bloody battles are inevitable.

"You have to give others a chance."

Lu Wubing smiled and said meaningfully.

“If we linger in Jingzhou for too long, the world will surely descend into chaos. Those princes and rebels from all over the country will surely turn the Great Li Kingdom into a complete mess.”

Chen Tongxi studied military strategy from a young age, and as a descendant of a fallen noble family, he did not abandon his family's traditional skills.

Their strategic vision and tactical skills are both quite good.

After a fierce battle, he grew rapidly and was now capable of handling things on his own.

To say he was at the level of a renowned general would be to exaggerate his abilities.

However, he still deserves the reputation of a qualified army general.

That's when it became clear that something was wrong.

His face showed some anxiety due to his worry.

"Pfft..."

Ouyang Lan found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Seeing Chen Tongxi looking over with a confused expression, she quickly covered her mouth and said seriously, "Uncle, what you see is only the Great Li Dynasty, only patching and mending. But Junior Brother sees a world transformed and a new dynasty being built!"

A glint flashed in Lu Wubing's eyes as he looked at Ouyang Lan with a strange gaze.

Although Senior Sister Xiaolan is usually quite careless, she has a knack for seeing through things at a glance.

I never told her anything about the state of the world, yet she understood it all on her own without any instruction.

Ouyang Lan continued, "Uncle, you naturally don't want the Great Li Kingdom to fall into chaos, which is correct."

If the emperor were still alive, the Ji family dynasty would have to maintain the status quo and absolutely could not make any changes if it wanted to continue.

Otherwise, he would lose the dignity of the royal family, and he would not be able to hold onto the throne.

But now, Uncle, you might want to consider this: does the Ji family still exist? Does the Great Li Dynasty still exist?

Just as Chen Tongxi was about to retort, his expression suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning, and he looked at Lu Wubing in disbelief.

He then turned to look at Ouyang Lan.

He's not stupid; he's already been explained to this extent, how could he not understand?

"Does Miss Xiaolan mean that we need to break everything down before we can rebuild our empire?"
Yes, the Ji family emperor has passed away, and the princess has transferred power to the Grand General's Mansion. At this point, it's less about the Great Li kingdom and more about a new dynasty in hand. So, we, we..."

At this point, Chen Tongxi was filled with fear and could hardly continue speaking.

He had a vague feeling that his behavior represented something.
So it turns out, they were rebelling!
"Don't think about it so much, Uncle. The Great Li has been around for two hundred and eighty years, and it's rotten to the core."

The poor have nowhere to stand, while the rich own fields stretching as far as the eye can see.

Ninety-nine percent of the world's wealth is in the hands of a small group of people.

They would rather let gold, silver, and grain rot and stink in the warehouse than share even a single bit with the people of the world.

If this continues, wealthy and powerful families will only become more extravagant and cruel, and one day, ordinary people will be unable to survive.

In this situation, what's the point of mending and patching?
It would be better to let those who can't survive, those with ambition, smash everything again.

Otherwise, what excuse would we have to wipe out these insects that occupy all the world's resources?

Although his own family, the Xinhou Mansion, was also considered a pest by Lu Wubing, Chen Tongxi still felt that this statement made a lot of sense.

If chaos breaks out everywhere, and all the powerful families, wealthy households, and officials are slaughtered, wouldn't all these fields and grains be redistributed?

Whoever is stronger has the power and influence.

In this time of great chaos and reshuffling, anything can happen, and that's perfectly normal.

"What if the rebels gain power and occupy many cities? Should we offer them amnesty?"

"What's the point of seeking amnesty? If they don't gain any power, it's not easy for me to make a move... I'll just wait until they do. Then I can kill the bandits and take over their territory, which will save me a lot of trouble."

"What if local officials and powerful families were to quell the chaos, and they would have a great deal of influence for a time...?"

"You think you can punish them with a crime like confiscating their property and exterminating their entire family just because they started a war without cause and caused unrest among the people? If you're not happy about that, look at our 200,000 troops. What are they even doing here?"

"I see."

Chen Tongxi finally understood what to do.

It was nothing more than a matter of distributing land and grain in Jingzhou, destroying everything, and rebuilding everything, and then implementing it all over the Great Li Dynasty.

"It's really difficult to operate without completely destroying the world."

Given Lu Wubing's current status as a Grand General of the Imperial Court, it is not advisable for him to take the initiative to deal with officials in various regions, which is already a difficult situation.

If it's someone else causing trouble, then coming to quell the unrest would be perfectly justified.

Thinking of this, his forehead and back were covered in cold sweat.

I feel that the current situation is unprecedented in history, and I don't know how it will end up.
Will the Northern Zhou dynasty benefit again when the world is in chaos and turmoil?

"Are you worried that the Northern Zhou and Western barbarians will gain an advantage while the Great Li is weak?"

Lu Wubing wasn't worried at all; he simply looked up and gazed northward.

"Uncle, you should station your troops and proceed slowly. See where the chaos becomes uncontrollable, and then send troops there."

With so many experts accompanying me, I feel at ease. As for the Northern Zhou, heh heh, in a while they'll be in chaos themselves.”

It's better for everyone to be in chaos than for one person to be in chaos.

They didn't want chaos, but chaos was inevitable.

Lu Wubing waved his hand, and the two women followed closely behind him.

Venerable Master Fayuan and the three monks Minghui followed closely behind. Of course, they didn't forget to mention the two prisoners, Xuji and Xudu, as they would be needed on their journey to the Zhenwu Sword Sect.

As for the former abbot of Dafan Temple, along with the four thousand warrior monks and elders, they all dispersed and joined the army of two hundred thousand, awaiting a series of battles.

By seizing control of Dafan Temple, their escape route and foundation are cut off. They will have no choice but to fight desperately, unless they want to flee into the world and become refugees.

In doing so, not only will Dafan Temple be placed in a position of injustice, but there will also be no turning back in the future, and death will be inevitable sooner or later, bringing trouble to the family.

By the way, monks do have families.

These days, being a monk is a great profession. One person becomes a monk, and the whole family benefits.

Some monks even secretly kept wives and concubines at the foot of the mountain, and had sons one after another.

Life was incredibly pleasant.

These are all unspoken matters, and Lu Wubing is too lazy to care.

He only cared about two things: the right to allocate land, money, and grain, and the control over personnel. No matter how ambitious or resentful these people were, they all had to eat.

If food rations are cut off and people are starving, even if you ask them to jump, they won't be able to.

If you're not happy, fine, then go ahead and kill yourself.

Otherwise, it would be courting death.

"The True Martial Sword Sect is a powerful force, no less than that of the Great Brahma Sect. Such a force cannot be ignored."

Someone once said that the game of conquering the world is about making as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.

At the last glance, all that's left are friends, not a single enemy; naturally, victory is assured.

Lu Wubing chuckled.

Ouyang Lan and the others all nodded secretly.

Although this statement is straightforward, it gets to the heart of the matter.

If the enemy is all killed, then there will be nothing left.

If you don't want to be killed, the only option is to befriend yourself...

……

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, people climb mountains to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. Although Lu Wubing had no intention of celebrating the festival, he followed the example of refined scholars and climbed Zhenwu Mountain to visit friends.

As expected of a renowned sect, the Zhenwu Sword Sect's mountain gate is equally magnificent.

Compared to Dafan Mountain, where Dafan Temple is located.

Although Zhenwu Mountain has lost some of its grandeur, it has gained more of its rugged beauty.

Even the mountain peaks appeared much taller.

The Zhongfeng Zhenwu Hall is located where the mountain peaks pierce the sky like swords.

Looking out, all you can see are white clouds like a curtain, obscuring the mountaintop.

Looking up from below, you can't see what the mountain peak looks like.

It is unclear whether they learned of the annihilation of 100,000 Northern Zhou troops in the Battle of Dali, or whether the Zhenwu Sword Sect had completely gained the trust of the Northern Zhou court.

All the way north, Lu Wubing did not see any Northern Zhou soldiers guarding this major martial arts sect.

Not only was the area below the mountain deserted.

There was no large army stationed in Sanliancheng.

"The Northern Zhou Dynasty really trusts the Zhenwu Faction completely."

Lu Wubing's eyes turned slightly cold, and he felt somewhat displeased.

Although they understood that, being located in the northern border, the Zhenwu Sword Sect, whether genuinely loyal or forced, would eventually gravitate towards the Northern Zhou barbarian dynasty—this was the natural course of things.

However, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Just as in his past life, there were always some people who claimed to be narrow-minded nationalists, he admitted that he was indeed one.

If a murderer and arsonist stays in his own home for too long, he can't speak his mind. If he speaks his own words and rapes his own women, then he's one of his own.

If you can't win for now, you have to endure and bear the consequences, and take revenge in the future.

It's understandable that they were outmatched.

But when it comes to genuinely appreciating them, doing things for them, and speaking up for them, I'm not sure how to put it.

It's even more shameful than spinelessness.

However, on the other hand, there are all kinds of people in the world, and sometimes we shouldn't have too high expectations.

Since you are determined to clean up this world and make your environment more comfortable and happier, then you might as well try to abandon your own likes and dislikes and make use of everything you can.

Being human is inherently contradictory.

Lu Wubing walked along the mountain path until he reached the halfway point, where he finally saw the archway and the disciples guarding the mountain.

The old monk Fayuan roared, "General Lu Wubing, the Great General of Dali, has come to pay his respects at the mountain."

The old monk was becoming increasingly accustomed to the role of a follower, showing none of the airs of a revered monk from the capital.

The lion's roar shook the trees on Zhenwu Mountain and made the palace tremble.

Some of the younger disciples covered their ears and screamed in pain.

"Bold."

"What lowly creature dares to offend my Zhenwu Mountain?"

Soon, more than ten disciples dressed in dark blue Taoist robes rushed out.

Several people lightly touched the treetops with their toes and leaped five or six zhang away, revealing themselves to be experts of the upper third rank.

"You've heard your names, yet you still come to your deaths. We cannot let you live."

Ouyang Lan chuckled softly, took a step forward, and moved like an arrow to meet the attack.

As the sword light subtly unfolded, stars flashed across the sky. Amidst the majestic sword energy, seven or eight True Martial disciples were instantly killed.

hum...

As the music began, the next group of disciples rushed forward.

This time, they died even faster.

It was Ming Shi, one of the three monks, who made the move.

As soon as this person made a move, white lotuses appeared in the void. Disciples who rushed out from all directions didn't even know what was happening before their heads spun and they collapsed to the ground dead.

With his peak True Realm cultivation, the old monk was clearly offering his pledge of allegiance to the True Martial Sword Sect disciples who hadn't even reached the Innate Realm.

This also indicates his attitude of being at the mercy of others.

"stop."

A dozen or so middle-aged and elderly Taoist priests dressed in yellow robes rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

The leader was an old Taoist priest with a long, flowing beard and an excellent appearance.

Upon seeing the dozen or so Zhenwu disciples lying lifeless on the ground, his eyes immediately turned red.

With a clang, the longsword was drawn from its sheath.

"The bandits are attacking! Hear my command, kill them!"

The old Taoist priest gave a stern shout.

Just as he was about to rush forward, he suddenly stopped.

The bloodshot in his eyes faded, and with a pop, a bloody hole appeared between his eyebrows.

Lu Wubing sheathed his sword and stepped forward: "Kill them. The barbarians can come, but I can't?"

The four old monks shook their heads, and with a sway of their bodies, dozens of people were wiped out in just a dozen breaths.

“Stop, stop…”

An old Taoist priest who arrived later roared in pain.

From the direction of the Zhenwu Hall, thousands of Taoist priests surged out as the roar resounded.

The old Taoist priest reached out and stopped the densely packed group of sword-wielding Taoists in their tracks. He asked angrily, "My Zhenwu Sect has never had any enmity with Dafan Temple. Why have you masters come up the mountain and committed such a heinous act?"

"Sect Leader Xuyuan, why are you all so hard of hearing?"
Dafan Temple and Zhenwu Sect have no enmity between them, and my Great Yuanguang Temple also has little contact with Zhenwu Sect...

You were beaten up and brought up the mountain seeking revenge, and you don't even know what you did.

It can be said that your disciples died without any injustice.

The monk Fayuan's eyes were full of pity.

This is the downside of being a dominant figure in the martial arts world for too long.

They were completely unprepared and didn't care what was happening down the mountain.

That's how it was at that time, according to the Brahma school.

The Zhenwu Sword Sect is the same today.

More than a hundred hot-tempered monks died in the Dafan School, including the abbots of the Prajna Hall and Arhat Hall, as well as the patriarch of the Sutra Repository, before they finally realized the error of their ways.

The Zhenwu Sword Sect is even more outrageous; so many people have died, and they still haven't figured out who their enemy is.

It's absolutely hilarious.

No matter what, we should at least find out when our elders went down the mountain and who they offended.

Lu Wubing annihilated the 100,000-strong army of Northern Zhou, killed the King of Jinyang in battle, and wiped out all the masters under his command.

You don't even know this kind of news? What kind of sect leader are you, and what kind of martial arts world are you mingling in?
"It seems that Sect Leader Xuyuan has a bad memory. Let's give him a reminder."

Lu Wubing shook his head and chuckled.

The four old monks who had returned to the True Nature realm all sighed in unison and rushed out.

Every move is deadly.

Ouyang Lan and Shen Xinzhu were also busy.

This time, Ouyang Lan was the main attacker, while Shen Xinzhu provided support with her zither music.

With a zither and a sword, they worked in perfect harmony, and when it came to killing, they were almost as fast as the four old monks.

"Set up the formation!"

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of disciples of the Zhenwu Sword Sect had fallen.

The square was covered in blood.

Several old Taoist priests stepped forward with shouts and gradually stabilized the situation.

They formed a huge circular formation on the mountain, sometimes in groups of three, sometimes in groups of five, and sometimes in groups of seven.

The sword light spun, its power increasing dramatically.

……

(End of this chapter)