Demon Lord Tang Dynasty

Inside the enormous tent, Gao Yi sat at the head of the table.

Below, on the left and right, stood the White Protector and Bai Yue'er.

This can be considered a high-level gathering of the Maitreya sect.

Although there were only a few big cats and small cats, they had finally taken on a certain appearance.

Oh, and there's also Bai San serving tea and water on the side, with a fawning expression on his face, just like Protector Bai.

However, at this moment, the White Protector's face did not have the usual messy expression; instead, it was filled with deep fatigue.

Not only him, but Bai Yue'er was the same.

More than half a month has passed since the troops broke camp and set out.

During this period, they traveled thousands of miles without stopping for a single day.

Such intense operation would be difficult for even those with internal energy to withstand.

"How is the situation?"

Gao Yi rubbed his temples and asked.

His face also showed signs of fatigue.

Although most of the miscellaneous tasks could be delegated, Gao Yi only needed to sit in the center and oversee things.

But he undoubtedly has more to consider.

From the overall situation and dynamics of the grasslands to the direction and status of the tribes.

This kind of mental exertion is more tiring than physical exertion alone.

"In the past month, our sect has annexed nearly thirty tribes, with a total population of over 100,000. If we were to conscript soldiers, we could probably gather 20,000 to 30,000," Bai Yue'er said.

"One hundred thousand people."

Gao Yi nodded slightly. The number was not small, but it was actually far from being a lot.

Thirty tribes, after all, not all of them are large tribes; most of them are small tribes with only a few thousand people, or even one or two thousand people.

It wasn't that Gao Yi didn't want to choose a bigger one, but rather that he didn't have many options.

There were certainly many Turkic tribes, but their territory was much larger, making them a truly sparsely populated country.

Unless you cross the desert and enter the true core of the northern desert, it is very difficult to encounter those truly super-large tribes.

But clearly, Gao Yi could not possibly venture into the heart of the Turkic territory.

In fact, the Turkic region was not very suitable for the development of Maitreya Buddhism.

The various religious sects are intertwined, and the local forces are stubborn; these are all minor details.

The most important thing is still the population.

The Turkic peoples, both in terms of their political system and population distribution, were in a weak position, whether in terms of missionary work or military expansion.

For Gao Yi, the most suitable place to develop was undoubtedly the Sui Dynasty, which was the center of the world.

It is also the main battlefield of the coming era of great strife.

But how to get there is undoubtedly a problem.

It's not absolutely impossible to break through.

But that's the worst possible solution.

After all, Gao Yi now commands troops from the Turks.

Leading such an army would naturally put one in opposition to the entire Central Plains.

No one wants to relive the chaos of the Five Barbarian Invasions.

Gao Yi also didn't really want to do that.

However, the only force he currently possesses is the Turkic army controlled by the Maitreya sect.

"Your Majesty, the tribe's population is growing rapidly. If we continue on this path, I'm afraid..." Bai Yue'er's voice rang out.

Gao Yi certainly understood what the other party meant.

By leveraging both divine authority and the power of the government, their annexation proceeded with virtually no resistance.

But this is only the initial stage of merger and integration.

The newly joined commoners could not possibly be as obedient to them as Maitreya Roughly did.

More than 100,000 people—that's an absolute powder keg.

It should be noted that they only had a little over a thousand actual soldiers, and even if the women and children of the Mile tribe were included, the number was only a few thousand.

With such a small number of people, not only do they have to maintain the operation of the tribe, but they also have to monitor and guard against all aspects, which is completely beyond their capacity.

This was because the soldiers in the newly added tribes were all dispersed and incorporated into the civilian population.

If the soldiers were to break away and become independent, their pressure would be even greater, and they might have already lost control.

Even so, we have now reached a critical point.

A tribe of over 100,000 people cannot simply break camp at any time.

Even if it starts moving, it can't be fast.

If they continue to march as hastily as before, unless they are forced to fight, their control over the tribe will decrease drastically, and the tribe could easily collapse completely.

"It's about time to stop."

Gao Yi nodded: "How many men does Xue Liang have left?"

"There are less than five hundred left," the White Protector replied.

Unlike Protector Bai and his group, who were merely physically exhausted, Xue Liang's troops were completely soaked in blood.

After nearly a month of continuous long-distance raids and endless battles, it was impossible for them to emerge unscathed.

"Let's call a halt. After a month of fighting, those few hundred men shouldn't have much fighting power left."

"Moreover, the situation will change drastically if we go any further, and it's not suitable to continue."

Hearing Gao Yi's words, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Venerable One, what should be done with Xue Liang?"

After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi said:

"The remaining five hundred men seem interesting. Let's settle them separately first. As for Xue Liang, send him back to the previous camp."

"Now, Yang Lin and Shi Bi should be almost done with it. Xue Liang is, after all, Yang Lin's adopted son, so he should be worth something. Let's keep him for now."

"Yes."

Protector Bai nodded, his lips parted slightly, about to ask another question, when Bai Yue'er's cold gaze swept over him.

For some reason, Protector Bai swallowed his original question.

By the time they realized why they should be afraid of this girl, the opportunity had completely passed.

"Venerable One, will our reckless expansion anger Shibi Khan?"

"Will he come looking for trouble after his negotiations with Yang Lin are over?"

Upon hearing this question, Protector Bai instantly forgot his own ulterior motives and looked at Gao Yi with concern.

"Won't."

Gao Yi shook his head.

If the matter were to be discovered by the Shibi or the Turkic high command at the beginning or halfway through, they would come to stop it.

But now that things are over, a super tribe with 100,000 people has been formed.

In that case, no one will bother him anymore, especially since he still has the Khan's Golden Knife as a cover.

Gao Yi didn't explain much to the two of them, because neither Protector Bai nor Bai Yue'er knew anything about political intrigue.

If you talk to them too much, they won't understand.

"You may leave now and take care of the affairs of the tribe. Follow the rules and experience of the previous Mile tribe and get the entire tribe organized and fully integrated as soon as possible."

Gao Yi waved his hand, dismissing the two.

Then he looked down at the desktop.

There was a huge map spread out there.

Turkic tribes rarely drew maps, and a detailed map like the one on the table is extremely rare.

However, the area depicted on the map is not actually Turkic, or rather, only a part of it is Turkic.

To the south, there is an area marked with a different color, and the same is true to the east.

One of the areas highlighted with black ink is where Gao Yi is currently located.

However, through Gao Yi's gaze, it could be seen that the place he was looking at was not where his tribe was stationed, but another area on the map.

"springboard!"

A barely audible murmur echoed in the tent.