Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 30: Military Strategy is a Good Thing

The sun was shining brightly, and the sunlight felt a little hot on my skin.

Sweating profusely from Song Youde's head, he kept wiping it off with a silk handkerchief, but it never stopped.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the twentieth year of the Wenhe era of the Jin Dynasty, and waited fifteen years before finally being appointed as the magistrate of Qiantang County.

As a result, such a major case occurred in the county under his jurisdiction not long after he took office, which normally means his career is over.

When the four tests come to an end, a failing grade is inevitable.

Fortunately, the academy intervened in time and sent out a young master named Xu.

They managed to identify a murderer in just three days.

The problem is that the other party is an outsider, or rather, a sorcerer with some strange methods.

Such things should be avoided, but when such merits are presented to you, it would be a disservice to not accept them, given all those years you spent striving for official positions.

As for why we came here...

The difference between waiting in the county government office and waiting on the sidelines is huge in terms of what can be written in the "merits and demerits" section.

Some of the things that Young Master Xu said resonated with him.

Finally, he cleared his throat.

"Qiantang has been known since ancient times."

Her voice was a bit shrill; well, she was still nervous. How was this any different from being on the front lines?!

With a final flick of his sleeve.

"County Commandant Zhao, I'm leaving this place to you."

"Young Master Xu, I'm also counting on you."

When it comes to crucial moments, he won't put on airs and prevent others from intervening.

The idea of ​​using the family to investigate merchants and pinpoint the area, as well as using local thugs to test the waters, was Xu Xuan's.

This shows that people have truly learned something from Professor Sheng.

Moreover, their background is exceptionally impressive.

They clearly have more experience than ordinary people when dealing with such evil and heretical forces.

Xu Xuan was not the type to overstep his bounds, or rather, it wasn't the right time yet.

After all, he only has academic titles but no official position. His current status is supported by the academy behind him, Professor Sheng, and Xie Yu's jade token.

So at this point, he humbly stepped aside and let Zhao Hu, the legitimate county magistrate, take the lead.

Apprehending criminals is simply part of their job responsibilities.

The specifics of how to proceed had already been discussed; he simply offered a few minor suggestions, and now it was just a matter of whether any unexpected events would occur.

Zhao Hu raised the flag, and the operation officially began.

A group of hooligans approached the courtyard, walking unsteadily and muttering curses as usual.

They genuinely didn't know what they were doing; their boss had simply sent them to collect protection money.

"This household?"

"This is the house, and the one over there too, break down the doors!"

Bang bang bang!
"Carpenter Li, it's time to pay your protection money."

A seemingly honest and unassuming man appeared somewhat at a loss.

"Master Zhang, I submitted it at the beginning of the month."

The scoundrel grinned in a way that made your teeth itch, and his voice instantly rose several octaves.

"It's gone up!"

"Old Song next door can come up with an ounce of silver, why can't you?!"

"It's all because you don't work hard enough!!!"

That tone is so serious.

In his heart, Li the carpenter cursed both the scoundrel in front of him and the old geezer next door, thinking, "So you think you're rich, huh?"

After that, a quarrel and shoving ensued, and then Carpenter Li and his family were taken away, supposedly to make the other party bleed.

Now, Zhang Si, riding high on his success, became even more arrogant. "A thug like me can actually arrest people in broad daylight? Haha!" he thought. "From now on, call me Third Master Zhang!"

Xu Xuan, watching from a distance, glanced at him in surprise. Could Zhang San be some kind of inheritable title?

In a moment, let Zhao Hu capture this scoundrel and throw him into jail. This man is too shameless and preys on the villagers, so let's not waste his talent.

The thugs then moved on to the next place.

The same operation, the same conflict—after all, it's just a tael of silver, a sum that's far too much for an ordinary family.

Riots soon broke out.

In the middle courtyard, Bu Hengzi was resting on the floor inside the house.

His sorcery was something he had painstakingly mastered by himself after accidentally obtaining a fragment of a manual. It was inherently flawed and put a lot of pressure on his soul, causing him to feel his soul being burned every day.

They usually hide in places without sunlight, pressing themselves against the ground to absorb stale air in order to resist the pain.

At that moment, his ears twitched as he heard a noise nearby.

The familiar banging on the door, followed by the familiar shouting, the smug tone really made me itchy to grab them.

This made Bu Hengzi feel uneasy, as he felt his spiritual senses were constantly throbbing today.

"Once I catch that scholar, I'll let those insects experience whether one tael of silver is worth it or not, then kill them all and stuff them into the mud golem!"

Sure enough, government officials arrived soon, and quite a few constables came. They quickly took all the troublemakers away.

"The constables of Qiantang are still somewhat useful."

The sudden silence brought a sense of comfort to Bu Hengzi's soul.

and many more!

Suddenly quiet?

Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound outside the wall, and several black jars crashed in.

Bang! Bang!
A unique, rather strong odor suddenly flooded my nasal cavity.

It's kerosene!
A tinderbox was thrown in, and flames immediately rose up, seemingly threatening to engulf the entire room and everyone inside.

What a cruel heart!

In his shock and anger, Bu Hengzi waved his long sleeves, and a green aura enveloped the house, extinguishing the flames in an instant.

Hmph! Looks like we've been found out.

It was still daytime, so they had no choice but to run away.

Then, hiding in the shadows of the house, he began to prepare to use some methods to let those mortals outside know what death really means.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.
This is? !
A metal grappling hook, attached to a rope, flew over and grabbed the house.

Houses in the south are typically built with a mortise-and-tenon frame, where columns directly support the purlins without beams, requiring less material and the walls offer almost no load-bearing capacity.

All the pressure is on the visible pillars.

so.
"One, two, one, two, one, two. Hey!"

Under the command of the county constable, dozens of yamen runners exerted all their strength in a fierce attack.

Splash, splash, splash
The entire house instantly crumbled into pieces, with grass clippings flying everywhere, leaving only a few ruins in the middle.

The sunlight slanted down, leaving Bu Hengzi, who was leaning against the corner of the wall holding a copper bell, momentarily stunned.

What kind of bastard came up with this tactic? A series of traps, and even destroying the house? So dirty!

Not far away, Xie Yu had no doubt about Instructor Xu's mastery of military strategy. A glimpse reveals the whole picture; indeed, what had rendered them speechless in the academy was the knowledge found in military texts.

“Those who first occupy the battlefield and await the enemy are at ease, while those who arrive later and rush into battle are weary. Therefore, a skillful strategist brings the enemy to his own feet rather than being brought to his own. He can make the enemy come of his own accord by giving him an advantage; he can prevent the enemy from coming by inflicting harm on him. Thus, he can make the enemy weary when he is at ease, hungry when he is well-fed, and restless when he is at peace.”

"The Art of War's Treatise on Deception and Reality happens to be in the library. It may be useless for the imperial examination, but it is very useful to me."

Xu Xuan revealed a calm smile.

Military strategy is his greatest acquisition in the library so far, especially the annotations, which have been of great help.

At this moment, the sunlight began to shine directly into the room. Looking at the figures surrounding him, Bu Hengzi could only begin to use his sorcery under the influence of the intense yang energy.

Spells cast during the day lose more than 50% of their power, and some spells are even impossible to cast at all. It's really frustrating.

There are at least two hours left before dark, and I don’t have much time left.

(End of this chapter)