Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 677 Getting Radical

The calamity of Dongting Lake began here.

Inside the Zijiang Water Palace, several commanders were whispering among themselves.

Have you heard? Lord Bloodvine.

Shh! General Benbo is coming!
At the bottom of the murky river, General Benbo was waving his short forelimbs, spitting as he soothed the aquatic spirits who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

"Fellow travelers, do not panic!" Turtle slapped his breastplate with righteous indignation, causing several planktonic organisms to fall to the ground. "Those were just some ignorant outsiders, who have all been wiped out by our Blood Vine King!"

The surrounding shrimp soldiers and crab generals trembled with their antennae, while a few old clam spirits quietly blew bubbles. They glanced at the withered blood vine branches in the mud—these once ferocious vines were now as limp as overcooked noodles, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the demon king's life roots.

"General," a blue carp spirit leader bravely swam closer, "but what about these roots?"

"Fool!" Turtle suddenly roared, startling all the demons into retreating half a zhang. "A powerful enemy attacked, and Your Majesty was wounded and repelled. Doesn't that show even more heroism?" Green bead eyes rolled as he lowered his voice and said, "Besides, if something really happened, would His Majesty sit idly by?"

The aquatic creatures were immediately relieved. Indeed, as long as the ever-present mist over Junshan Mountain remained, the entire 800-mile-long Dongting Lake would remain untouched.

Several crabs began to back away sideways, preparing to return to their burrows for a long nap.

Looking at this group of opportunists, Gui Da felt nothing but contempt. How could such a bunch of vile creatures make Zijiang great?

When it first came to Zijiang at the beginning of the year, there were a few tough nuts to crack, but I killed them all, so it's fine now.

"Scatter, scatter!" Turtle waved its claws to drive away the demons before returning to shore.

Along the Zi River at dusk, reeds sway in the wind.

Little Green King is explaining the next tactics.

She stood with her hands behind her back on the river rock, her black hair being lifted by the evening breeze, revealing a demonic mark on her forehead. Behind her stood Master Mao, Zhuge Yu, Yan Chixia, and others, while Gui Da and Yu Bai knelt respectfully in the front row.

“As stated in the Six Secret Teachings: Military Teachings,” came the cold voice of Master Qing.

A streak of azure light was drawn through the void with his fingertips. "When a bird of prey is about to strike, it flies low and folds its wings; when a fierce beast is about to pounce, it lowers its ears and crouches; when a sage is about to act, he will surely show a foolish expression."

The Water God of Taihu Lake effortlessly quoted Jiang Taigong's military maxims, each word as precious as gold and jade falling to the ground.

Zhuge Yu paused slightly as he gently waved his feather fan; the deputy hall master's opening move was a masterpiece that compelled serious thought.

It seems the next tactic is to continue lying in wait, slowly infiltrating the enemy's base, and then turn the tide in one fell swoop.

The way of thinking in it is quite reminiscent of Master Xu, both being so shrewd and calculating.

Gui Da, disregarding all that, excitedly gesticulated, "Your Majesty's quotations are eloquent and profound!"

Yu Bai immediately chimed in: "Exactly! Your Majesty is well-versed in the military principle of 'showing weakness when you are capable,' this strategy is truly remarkable." The Taihu scholar was not to be outdone.

"Shut up." Xiaoqing shot them a glare, and the two sycophants immediately fell silent.

It's too late to say you filmed it too early; this is a tactic left behind by the man surnamed Xu.

She pulled a jade bottle from her sleeve, and a curtain of water poured out from its mouth, transforming into a three-dimensional map of the Dongting Lake area before everyone's eyes.

"However, the essence of change lies in transformation." With a light tap of her slender, jade-like fingers on the water screen, the Zi River basin was instantly illuminated with a scarlet light.

The conversation shifted abruptly, and the tone became menacing.

"I have a more suitable idea."

"The speed of rushing water that can carry away stones is due to its momentum; the speed of a bird of prey that can destroy and break its prey is due to its discipline."

The sentences from "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, in the chapter on "Strategic Force," were read aloud by Xiao Qing, yet they carried a fierce and ruthless energy, like the clash of metal and stone.

The red light on the water curtain suddenly surged, spreading along the water system to the entire Dongting Lake.

Xiaoqing's expression turned somber: "The six-month planning and the period of dormancy are over. We need to spread our wings, stand up, and show our presence."

"With the blood vines removed, one of the eight demon kings is missing. Can I, the Green Serpent King, ascend to the throne?"

She suddenly flipped her palm, and the water curtain exploded into thousands of water droplets. "This Zi River is our first step in taking over Dongting Lake."

"In short, it has to be fast, even faster, as soon as possible."

"If we are too slow, we may lose everything."

The most terrifying thing about Dongting Lake is not the thousands of demons, nor the eight demon kings, but the clouds and mist above Mount Jun. Now that the Lord of the Clouds is being held back, I must complete my mission as soon as possible.

Otherwise, Xu Xuan will be in danger!

This was her original intention in changing tactics. If Xu Xuan were to get into trouble, what difference would it make if the Dongting Lake system were merged into the Taihu Lake system? What difference would it make if she were to transform into a true dragon?

“Big Turtle.” Xiao Qing suddenly called out his name, her voice carrying an undeniable sharpness.

"Yes, sir!" The old tortoise jumped.

“Go back to Zijiang and be your ‘General of the Run’.” Xiaoqing flicked a wisp of green light from her fingertip and it disappeared into the tortoise shell. “I want all the aquatic creatures to know—the Blood Vine Demon King is seriously injured, and you will temporarily take charge of the defense of Zijiang. Just hold on for three days.”

The turtle's big, green bean-like eyes darted around: "No problem, not just three days, even thirty days is fine."

Arranging defenses isn't difficult; it already had some authority over them. Now that the Bloodvine Demon King is severely injured, it's normal for it to transfer some authority further.

Those commanders who had been thoroughly ravaged by him and the Blood Vine Demon King would be overjoyed to know that the Blood Vine was recuperating; they would never have the audacity to come and investigate.

With a splash, he plunged back into the water to begin stabilizing the situation.

Day 1, Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The old tortoise swaggered into the Bloodvine Cave, and in front of all the demons, "accidentally" knocked over a mermaid oil lamp. Amidst the flickering flame, he cried out in panic, "Quickly, fetch Xuanbing! The King must avoid heat when healing!"

In the blink of an eye, the news that the Blood Vine Demon King was "healing" spread throughout the entire Zi River and also reached the outside world.

The demon kings sneered, "Even this madman has his day."

The second day, midnight.

Deep within the water palace, Turtle Big "accidentally" revealed half of a withered vine.

The water snake spirit on duty saw it clearly—it was obviously the life root of the Blood Vine Demon King! The old tortoise hurriedly wrapped the broken branch with brocade, but it was "just so" seen by three or five patrolling shrimp soldiers.

The next morning, all the aquatic creatures of the Zi River learned that the king was seriously injured, but fortunately, General Turtle was taking good care of him.

The demon kings in other waters were wondering if something had really happened to this guy.

Day Three, Dusk.

The most exciting part was about to begin. Turtle deliberately chose the moment when the demons were exchanging places, and hurriedly swam by carrying a jade box covered with talismans.

A faint smell of blood seeped from the cracks in the box, but the old tortoise sternly rebuked the inquiring crab general: "Don't ask any more questions! This is an important item to be presented to the emperor!" At the same time, he lowered his voice and mysteriously pointed upwards, "My master has already made arrangements."

As for which adult it is, everyone knows.

If you don't understand, just assume it refers to Yun Zhongjun.

So now even the slowest-witted clam understood that the Blood Vine Demon King was probably so badly injured that it would alarm the king on Mount Jun!

It was precisely because of Turtle's daily erratic actions that all the demons had a concept in mind.

That means the Bloodvine Demon King is in bad shape, but he hasn't died.

In reality, the Blood Vine Demon King had been dead for three days, and it was purely a secret that he didn't announce his death.

Meanwhile, a storm was brewing on the shore.

"master!"

A clear shout pierced the air, and a purple sword light fell like a meteor, crashing down in front of Xiao Qing.

As the smoke cleared, a spirited young woman appeared, carrying two swords of purple and green on her back, with sharp eyebrows and a fierce fighting spirit—it was none other than Li Yingqi, the vanguard general of Baoan Hall!

Behind her, several sword lights followed one after another:

Qi Lingyun, dressed in white, stood by the riverbank. The Qinggang Sword in her hand shone brightly, its blade gleaming with a cold, clear light, like frost and snow forming a sharp edge, making her face appear even more beautiful and otherworldly.

After the destruction of Mount Shu in the past, he was plagued by inner demons, poisoned to the bone marrow, and his sword intent was tarnished, and his cultivation was almost decayed.

Having accompanied Li Yingqi on his journey through the mortal realm, slaying demons and eliminating evil, he has finally shed all worldly impurities and attained a clear and enlightened swordsmanship. At this moment, every gesture he makes exudes the awe-inspiring spirit of a Shu Mountain sword immortal, without a trace of decadence.

Yu Yingnan was dressed in red, her robes fluttering as if flames were dancing in the air. Her head was slightly raised, and beneath her arched eyebrows, her eyes were clear as a cold pool, exuding an aura of righteous indignation.

(End of this chapter)