Chapter 261 Using a batch of high-proof liquor to paralyze the royal city's defense system

Splash—

The instructor, who was strapped to Mu Cheng, opened the parachute.

The two people's falling speed slowed down dramatically.

Another instructor opened his parachute after creating a safe distance between them; the three of them were now less than 300 meters above the ground.

As the speed slowed down, Mu Cheng woke up again.

"General Mu, you are safe now, there's no need to be afraid," the instructor reassured him as he controlled the parachute to glide.

Mu Cheng felt like his heart was about to burst, he was in great pain, he was panting heavily, and his face was covered with large beads of sweat.

But he still tried to stay awake, staring intently at the ground that was getting closer and closer.

Finally, the two landed safely.

Mu Cheng collapsed to the ground, as if he had just escaped death. His face was ashen, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.

High in the sky, the roar of propellers grew ever closer.

Mu Cheng then came to his senses, struggled to turn over, and tried to stand up by supporting himself on his hands and knees.

The instructor tried to help him up.

Mu Cheng waved his hand, "Please...please let me do it myself..."

He tried several times, but his legs were weak and trembling. He had strength, but he just couldn't muster any power.

As soon as the helicopter landed and the cabin door opened, the Xuanjia soldiers rushed out.

"General Mu!"

How are you?

"We were terrified when we saw you being kicked down by the Emperor!"

"General Mu is amazing! If it were me, I would have been scared to death in mid-air!"

"..."

Seeing dozens of soldiers surrounding him, Mu Cheng gritted his teeth and mustered all his strength to finally stand up.

At this moment, the intense physical and mental discomfort seemed to be subsiding rapidly.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi also came to his side.

Ning Jinli smiled and said, "As expected of General Mu, you didn't experience any motion sickness or vomiting from beginning to end. This proves that your physical condition is still excellent. All your discomfort stems from psychological fear. But I believe that once you get over the first hurdle, you'll be fine after that. Look, your hands aren't shaking anymore, are they?"

Mu Cheng slowly stretched out his hands and spread his ten fingers flat. Sure enough, he could keep his fingertips completely still.

A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Xiao Qidi said, "General Mu, what we did to you just now was due to the urgency of the situation, so we used extraordinary measures. Please don't take offense. Although it was an extraordinary measure that seemed frightening, we were absolutely certain that nothing would happen to you. The two instructors protected you the whole time, and Jinli even protected your heart meridian with her internal energy beforehand."

Upon hearing this, Mu Cheng realized that the Emperor and the Fairy had considered everything so thoroughly.

The thought of being kicked out of the cabin and then hurling insults at Xiao Qidi in a fit of rage made him feel embarrassed, his face turning red.

"Your Majesty... I certainly don't mind. I would like to ask Your Majesty to punish me for speaking nonsense and being disrespectful."

After saying that, Mu Cheng knelt down.

Xiao Qidi helped him up before his knees even touched the ground.

"Are you talking nonsense?" Xiao Qidi feigned ignorance. "What did you say? I didn't hear you."

Mu Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "Ah... nothing, nothing, hehe."

Xiao Qidi said to the instructors, "I thank you four for continuing the training."

Having had his first experience flying, and with Mu Cheng forced to overcome his fear of heights, the subsequent flight practice went much more smoothly.

Mu Cheng and the Xuanjia soldiers were both brave and skilled. In less than a morning, they mastered the parachuting techniques and were able to perform high-altitude parachuting with the instructors.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi, needless to say, grasped it very quickly.

By the end of the day's training, everyone was able to parachute on their own, but they still needed more practice in terms of proficiency in the procedures, coordination, and control of the landing site.

Three days passed quickly.

The special operations team members told Ning Jinli about everyone's training progress. They had met the basic requirements for the operation, but if they could train for a few more days, the results would be even better.

Ning Jinli thought it best to play it safe and let everyone get to know each other better.

However, Xiao Qidi told her that tomorrow would be a great opportunity, because it would be the day again when the Great Xuan Army would deliver food and supplies to the capital of the Wasteland Kingdom, and the guards of the Wasteland Kingdom would request to provide alcohol this time.

Alcohol is a good thing.

Ning Jinli immediately understood what she meant.

In this era, brewing technology was too backward, and the wine was not only sour and astringent, but also had a very low alcohol content.

All Ning Jinli needs to do is bring some high-proof modern liquor, and she'll guarantee that the guards in the desolate royal city will be completely drunk.

This method is also the safest and will not harm the people in the city.

So Ning Jinli quickly transferred a batch of liquor from her factory, specially selecting high-proof, good-tasting, and potent liquor, and sealed it all in sturdy earthenware jars before sending it to the Da Xuan Army camp.

Thousands of large, waist-high wine jars were placed together, their aroma constantly wafting through the air.

The soldiers' mouths watered at the smell.

There is no soldier in the army who doesn't drink alcohol, and they usually have a good tolerance for it.

But even though they were tempted, they would never rush forward to snatch it. This was not only because the emperor and the fairy were present, but also because Xiao Qidi had set many rules and regulations for the Great Xuan Army, and Ning Jinli could provide sufficient food and supplies.

They don't need to rely on plundering to maintain the resources required for marching and fighting, unlike the Great Xuan Army of the past or the armies of other nations today.

Sufficient and high-quality logistical support, coupled with rules and regulations, has subtly and continuously improved the quality of the military personnel.

"Want some?" Xiao Qidi asked, looking at the soldiers around him.

The soldiers all chuckled.

Mu Cheng swallowed hard and said, "Your Majesty, the wine that the fairy sent must be the finest nectar. Even though the wine jars are sealed, I can still smell the enticing aroma... It's such a waste for those scoundrels in the capital of the Desolate Kingdom."

Xiao Qidi asked, "How is General Mu's alcohol tolerance?"

Mu Cheng looked proud. “When I was young, I could drink all night without getting drunk. Drinking was as easy as drinking water. Now that I’m older, my alcohol tolerance has decreased, but I should still be able to ride a horse and shoot arrows after finishing this big jar of ordinary wine.”

"Jinli, let him give it a try," Xiao Qidi said with a smile.

Ning Jinli estimated that more than two thousand years ago, the alcohol content of wine was generally around one to three degrees. The wine that ordinary people could occasionally drink was not much different from vinegar with a slight alcohol smell. Wine that could reach three degrees was considered good wine. If it could be brewed to four or five degrees, only royalty and nobility could afford it.

Given General Mu Cheng's former status and position in the desolate kingdom, he should have been able to frequently drink "good wine" with an alcohol content of three to five degrees.

It's perfectly normal for him to drink all night long when he was young.

"General Mu, please." Ning Jinli poured him a small cup.

Mu Cheng held the wine glass with his fingertips, smelled it, and his eyes lit up. "Good wine! It really is good wine! Clear as water, rich and sweet! This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it in my life! But... Fairy, this is too little, less than half a sip, not even enough to moisten your throat."

Ning Jinli said with a smile, "General, please try it first."

"Yes, fairy!" Mu Cheng couldn't wait to drink it all in one gulp.

The soldiers around him all stared at him expectantly, and seeing the look of blissful enjoyment on his face, they couldn't help but feel extremely envious.

Mu Cheng's cheeks flushed slightly, and he said with lingering desire, "Your Majesty, Fairy, I'd like to try some more."

Ning Jinli then gave him another small cup.

He enjoyed it more and more as he drank, and after two cups, he still felt unsatisfied.

Ning Jinli then gave him a third cup.

After three cups of wine, Mu Cheng was drunk.

He gradually became unsteady on his feet, then couldn't be supported by others, and finally simply lay on the ground and started snoring.

The soldiers who witnessed this scene exclaimed in disbelief.

Ning Jinli chuckled inwardly. A small cup of this high-quality baijiu, which is over 60 degrees, is equivalent to about 50 grams. If Mu Cheng downs three 50 grams in one go, it would be strange if he didn't get drunk and pass out.

Such a strong liquor would have been too potent for people in ancient times.

"You guys carry General Mu into the tent first, so he doesn't catch a cold. I'll help him sober up later," Ning Jinli said, looking at the other soldiers. "And bring a few dozen more who think they can hold their liquor, so I can test the effect."

The soldiers witnessed just how potent the liquor brought by the fairy was, and most of them dared not try it casually, but there were seventy or eighty people who were willing to give it a shot.

Ning Jinli then arranged for people to serve them wine.

The test results came out quickly.

Of the dozens of people, more than half got drunk after just one drink.

With only a little left, I passed out after drinking two cups.

Not one of them could finish three cups.

Although not all of them got so drunk that they fell asleep like Mu Cheng, they were all rendered unable to fight and were still drunkenly saying they wanted to drink more.

It is evident that this batch of high-proof liquor is very effective.

——

The following evening.

Following Xiao Qidi's instructions, Mu Cheng led a group of soldiers, carrying a large amount of grain and wine, to the city gate of the capital of the Desolate Kingdom.

On the city wall, rows of archers stood ready with their bows and arrows.

Dozens of civilians from the desolate royal city were tied to the city walls.

"General Mu!" the city wall guard commander shouted, "If you had appeared any later, these dozens of civilians would have been dead!"

Mu Cheng roared coldly, "Release them!"

The garrison commander waved his hand in signal.

Those people were then untied and taken away.

Mu Cheng then said, "I've brought the grain and the wine you wanted. I've placed them outside the city gate; you can carry them in yourselves."

The guard general squinted and scanned the densely packed wine jars from afar, his mouth stretching to his ears. "Xuan Kingdom is truly wealthy. So much wine, delivered just like that. However, in my capital, there are thousands of princes, nobles, and ministers, and tens of thousands of elite guards. These few thousand jars are probably not enough. I would be grateful if General Mu could deliver more over the next two days."

Mu Cheng had personally experienced it yesterday and knew that several thousand jars of wine could incapacitate most of the guards in the royal city, but he still verbally agreed, "If you can finish it, I'll send you tens of thousands of jars, let alone several thousand! Just don't harm the civilians!"

"Hahaha! General Mu underestimates our drinking capacity!" The guard commander laughed loudly. "Alright! Take your troops and get out of here! Don't delay us from collecting our goods, and don't forget to continue delivering tomorrow!"

Mu Cheng sneered, issued the order, and led his troops away.

Once the Da Xuan army that had come to deliver the goods disappeared from sight, the guards of the Wasteland Kingdom opened the city gates and rushed out, hurriedly carrying back the good stuff they had once again extorted by holding the city's people hostage.

As night fell.

The city's garrison was overjoyed, as if it were a festival.

Now, all they need to do is defend the capital. With over 100,000 civilians as hostages, they don't even need to fight. They can still reap abundant food and supplies, and even get fine wine. Such a life is even more comfortable and prosperous than before.

They divided the fine wine among themselves and held lavish banquets in the military camps stationed throughout the city.

In the main camp of the garrison commander.

One of the generals laughed and said, "Damn it! If I had known that the rest of our Great Wilderness had been swallowed up by the Xuan Kingdom, leaving only the royal city, and that we could live so comfortably, I would have been more than happy for the Xuan Kingdom to attack us sooner!"

The commander of the guard slapped him across the face. "What you think is none of my business, but you're not allowed to say whatever you want!"

"Hahaha, yes, yes, yes! This humble general has misspoke! This humble general will punish himself!" The other party picked up the bronze wine cup on the table.

At this moment, several thousand jars of wine have been distributed to the various garrison camps, with each camp containing anywhere from a dozen to four or five jars.

Under normal circumstances, it was clearly not enough to give every soldier a full drink.

Therefore, the generals in each military camp should be allowed to drink their fill first, and any leftovers should be distributed as rewards.

Of course, the commander of the guards discovered that the wine Mu Cheng had sent this time seemed to be extraordinary. Before even tasting it, he decided to satisfy the guards' generals first and not send it to the princes, nobles, or court officials. He even had to keep it a secret from the emperor for the time being.

"Put it down!" The commander of the guards quickly grabbed the arm of the general next to him and glared at him, "I haven't even had a sip yet, and I'm already thinking about sharing it with everyone. Do you think I'd let you have the first sip?"

The general chuckled and offered the wine cup with both hands, saying, "Commander-in-Chief, please go first."

The Grand Commander took the wine cup, examined it carefully, and smelled it. He exclaimed, "This wine is truly unprecedented! Even our sovereign has never tasted it before. Xuan Kingdom certainly has something special. Let me savor it properly!"

He grabbed the wine glass with both hands, tilted his head back, and gulped it down like a cow, downing most of it in one go.

"Hiss... Fine wine! Excellent wine!"

The other generals stared wide-eyed, swallowing hard.

I was just about to ask the President if everyone could also have a taste.

The Grand Commander, his eyes glazed over, collapsed to the ground with a thud, his mouth smeared with blood, muttering, "It's...so delicious...give me...more...more..."

The half-full flask of wine in his hand spilled out, and the aroma of wine in the air became even stronger.

The others were astonished at the sight. Although they were extremely tempted, they became cautious when they saw that the commander-in-chief had only drunk so little and was already drunk. They found small cups to share the drink.

It was close to midnight.

A fleet of black reconnaissance drones descended upon the desolate capital city under the cover of night.

Inside the Great Xuan Army's camp, drone scouts observed the situation through the remote control screen and could basically determine that the city's defense system was paralyzed due to the majority of the guards being drunk.

The news was quickly reported to Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli.

The two summoned Mu Cheng and assembled forty Xuanjia soldiers who had passed the training.

Meanwhile, special operations team members and military transport helicopters were also ready.

"General Mu, these forty Xuanjia soldiers should have memorized the map of the royal city you drew, right?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Mu Cheng clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, they've all remembered!"

Xiao Qidi nodded. "Then proceed according to plan. You will lead them to take care of the other key areas besides the palace. Jinli and I will take care of the palace. Now, board the plane and depart!"