Chapter 1388: You Forced Me to Do This (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

At the command, the arrows, poised to be released, hummed as they left the bowstring.

A rain of arrows, obscuring the sky, flew out from the enemy ranks.

Even though Xun Ding was mentally prepared for this, he was still surprised to see his guess become reality. He didn't understand what benefit the enemy would gain from repeatedly lowering the bar for the chaotic world. This incident was tantamount to cutting off a future path for prisoners of war, because the ceasefire agreement for exchanging/ransing prisoners of war had been torn up! Anyone could use this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on an unprepared enemy!

A collapse of trust can trigger a series of uncontrollable consequences.

One of them was to abandon the captured soldiers and horses.

Rather than taking a gamble and risking a surprise attack, it's better to treat prisoners of war as sunk costs from the start. Prisoners are already in a difficult situation; this incident would render them worthless and unable to be ransomed.

The prisoners also heard the noise from above.

Faced with a life-or-death threat, the will to survive turned the already chaotic group into complete disarray, with people pushing and shoving each other and scattering in all directions.

The prisoners were packed tightly together; they could barely run two steps before being pierced through the heart by a hail of arrows. At the critical moment, a thick blue mist surged upwards from the ground, instantly coalescing into a gigantic blue crocodile.

The giant crocodile has a ferocious and terrifying appearance. Its head, back, abdomen, and limbs are covered with heavy armor, and the surface of the armor is covered with metal spikes that are half an arm's length long. Even the sharp teeth in its mouth have a metallic luster.

The giant crocodile's head and tail can be over a hundred feet long.

Its long tail swept across, deflecting arrows with a clanging sound and sending sparks flying. The giant crocodile managed to stop the first wave of arrows, but many prisoners were still wounded by stray arrows. Before the first wave subsided, the second wave followed closely behind, darkening the sky and the field.

Xun Ding led his troops out of the formation.

The crocodile bought its side valuable time.

The centurion commanded his soldiers to gather morale and create a hurricane above the battlefield, using the wind to maximally disrupt the arrow rain formation's attack. Xun Ding instantly charged into the enemy ranks, approaching the one-eyed general. The latter, however, did not want to linger with him.

His mission was to bring back the ransom and kill the prisoners.

As soon as Xun Ding arrived, his deputy and personal guards rushed to greet him. He sat astride his warhorse, his remaining eye gleaming with a chilling light. He licked his dry lips, suppressing the boiling killing intent in his chest, and urged his men in a gruff voice: "Hurry up!"

Ransom is inanimate.

But this group of prisoners, exhausted, were not.

Right now, they're just a burden, a sitting duck. Especially in this chaotic scene, they'll only run around like headless flies, and in their panic, they might even mistake their rescuers for enemies: [After all, the woman surnamed Shen is just a woman.]

The one-eyed general didn't deny Shen Tang's abilities, but he also disdained her excessive leniency. Pawns are just chess pieces; chess pieces must have value, and those without value should be decisively discarded. Forcing them to be protected will only lead to neglecting other aspects and ultimately resulting in utter defeat.

If he were Shen Youli, he would only make a clean break when necessary.

Why would they use something of value to redeem a bunch of useless people?

As he was thinking this, the giant crocodile spun around, then plummeted down like a giant drill, its target right at him. The one-eyed warrior sneered, "If you insist on courting death, then don't blame me!"

He pushed off with his foot, and the one-horned bull beneath him let out a mournful moo, its limbs almost sinking into the mud, while the one-eyed warrior leaped to meet the giant crocodile. A surge of powerful martial energy flowed into his right arm, causing his already thick arm to swell as if inflated, almost bursting open his armor.

With a long arm, he blocked the attack and grabbed one of the crocodile's teeth with his bare hands.

Hmm—

The crocodile's violent writhing motion exceeded the one-eyed warrior's expectations, causing even him to let out a muffled groan as a tearing pain shot through his hand. However, he simply swallowed the metallic taste in his throat without flinching. Gathering his strength in his arm, he grabbed the crocodile and flung it away.

The giant crocodile flew a long way through the air, dizzy and unsteady, when a chilling killing intent pounced down from above.

Those were three hyenas clad in yellow and black armor.

Hyenas are smaller than crocodiles, their armor lightweight and form-fitting, protecting only vital areas while ensuring safety without hindering their agility. Three hyenas surrounded the crocodile from different directions, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, their mouths dripping with foul-smelling saliva. For some reason, none of the three hyenas had a right eye.

Xun Ding couldn't help but curse under his breath when he saw this situation.

Who wouldn't have a headache if they encountered a hyena, a symbol of fierce courage?

Other generals usually have only one Martial Courage Totem, but the Hyena Martial Courage Totem is shameless, preferring to gang up on others, often several at a time. These hyenas are incredibly coordinated and work together seamlessly, unafraid even when encountering a Martial Courage Totem stronger than themselves, relying on their teamwork to overwhelm and kill their opponent. However, Xun Ding remains calm, as his Martial Courage Totem excels in defense.

Gong Xi Chou disliked Xun Ding, and Xun Ding's Martial Courage Totem also disliked the giant crocodile. Over the years, the giant crocodile had been bullied by Gong Xi Chou's Martial Courage Totem in their sparring. The giant crocodile couldn't beat him, it couldn't compete in strength, and it couldn't compete in speed, so it had to find another way.

mindlessly thicken your skin.

Go straight for the thickest armor, covering you from head to toe!

Although it greatly affects its movement speed, it's safe! Even if a python tries to constrict it, its armor has countless sharp spikes!

These three hyenas could bite their teeth off but couldn't break through!

The result was similar to what we had guessed.

Two of the three hyenas were tasked with drawing the crocodile's attention, while the third pounced from above, attempting to attack the crocodile's vitals from a blind spot. However, its claws merely created sparks on the crocodile's scales, and its teeth left only shallow marks.

And the giant crocodile?

This level of inadequacy doesn't even qualify as scratching an itch through a boot.

Even Gongxi Chou's Martial Spirit Totem could only deal with the giant crocodile by throwing it, having long since given up on the idea of ​​breaking through its armor.

Despite several attacks, the hyenas gained no advantage.

Instead, the crocodile seized the opportunity, biting down on the forelimb of one of the hyenas. Then, with a fatal roll, it flung the hyena away, sending it crashing to the ground in a corner of the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust. It wanted to press its advantage, but two other hyenas blocked its path. One crocodile, two hyenas—these three behemoths faced off for several breaths before moving almost simultaneously.

Hyenas are intelligent and have roughly figured out the crocodile's weaknesses.

Abandoning the original tactics, they chose to approach the issue from other angles.

Meanwhile, the enemy took advantage of the chaos to pocket the ransom, and before retreating, they fired several volleys of arrows at the prisoners.

When the one-eyed general tried to stop him, Xun Ding only managed to kill one of the general's lieutenants and lightly wound two others. This loss clearly exceeded the one-eyed general's expectations, and he glared fiercely, saying, "Fine, I'll remember you today. You won't have that luck again!"

They retreated, leaving behind a trail of corpses.

Xun Ding did not send troops to pursue them.

Without a doubt, he knew how many enemies lay in ambush along the way: "Bring our men back first, then report the news."

He glanced again at the chaotic battlefield: [Take a headcount!]

Xun Ding was informed of the situation before receiving the order. His lord suspected that the prisoner retrieval would not go smoothly; either they would be ambushed on the return journey, or the transaction would be disrupted on the spot. This surprised Xun Ding, who always held a moral high ground: "How dare these people?"

Warfare is based on deception. Isn't that what Sun Tzu's Art of War is all about?

When it comes to military strategy, you still have to look to these strategists.

Xun Ding asked doubtfully, "[Previously, the lord said that there might be problems with this batch of returning prisoners. If they launch a surprise attack, wouldn't all our efforts be wasted?]"

Shen Tang said, "It's not like we killed them all."

This move can also naturally lower their guard.

When the enemy launches a surprise attack at a time when a ceasefire should be in effect, and the attackers are prisoners, most people would focus on the enemy's shameless and outrageous act, and wouldn't suspect anything amiss among the prisoners. After all, if the enemy had acted any faster, or if our side had reacted any slower, very few of these prisoners would have survived.

They survived only because of luck, nothing else.

Xun Dingdao: "But this could lead to the accidental killing of their own people..."

[How could they be one of our own? In the eyes of these self-proclaimed masters of the game, only they are human; everyone else is a pawn, the only difference being whether they have value or not. So what if they're mistakenly killed? It's just the loss of a worthless pawn.] As long as one doesn't see people as human, the mindset of the middle division becomes easily understood. [Don't let your guard down.]

Xun Ding was assigned a task.

Xun Zhen was worried about his son going into danger, so he assigned him more people.

【You absolutely must ensure this 'ransom' is successfully abducted. Remember to act convincingly, don't ruin everything.】 His father loved him, but only to a limited extent. The look in his eyes as he watched the "ransom" being taken away was filled with heartache and reluctance, making Xun Ding wonder who his biological father was.

Xun Dingdao: [Your son will remember this.]

Xun Zhen retorted with dissatisfaction: "Matters of the heart should not be discussed between father and son."

At home, you can call him "father," but what should you call him outside the house?

Xun Ding: 【…This general will remember this.】

As soon as he finished speaking, Xun Zhen slapped him on the back of the head.

Are you tired of living and trying to act like a great general in front of him?

Xun Ding: [...]

He has had a really tough time these past few years, daring to be angry but not daring to speak out.

The old man's father was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. If he offended the other party, the Ministry of Revenue would dare to approve military pay at the last minute. If he dared to argue with the other party, they would say they were handling official business. The Ministry of Revenue had so many things to do that it was impossible to approve everything at once; there had to be a priority order, right? Xun Ding was just unlucky enough to be at the end of the queue.

If you're not satisfied, you can impeach them.

Xun Dingzhen did impeach him once.

The father and son had a very unpleasant argument at the court meeting.

No matter what, the Ministry of Revenue approved the military pay within the stipulated time, without any delays or defaults. What's there to complain about? Xun Zhen even called Xun Ding a giant baby! If you're not convinced, go look elsewhere. Which Ministry of Revenue never defaults on its debts?

Is there anything else you're not satisfied with?

Xun Ding: [...]

It sounds reasonable, but something just doesn't feel right.

There was no lasting grudge between father and son. Xun Ding softened his stance slightly, took his daughter A Dou to Xun Zhen's side, and the father and son reconciled as before. Xun Ding was also able to prioritize his military pay.

_(:з」∠)_

Before the army set off, Xun Ding secretly inquired with his father about the situation. His father said, "The national treasury is in a bit of a predicament..."

[So, this batch of 'ransom'...]

You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.

Xun Ding: [...]

He watched the enemy soldiers disappear into the distance and exhaled a breath of stale air. Soon after, the casualties were tallied. The losses were primarily concentrated among the prisoners of war, totaling 516 men, mostly killed by stray arrows, with a smaller number killed by enemy charges.

Xun Ding didn't even blink when he heard the number.

He simply said in a calm voice: "Withdraw the troops."

These prisoners were mostly local garrison troops from the enclave. While they obeyed the orders of the Kang State, they were not truly united and tended close ties with the local wealthy and powerful families. The Kang State had poured considerable resources into them over the years, but the governance of the enclave remained chaotic…

It wasn't until Miao Ne led his troops there to reorganize the situation.

It had some effect, but it also drove people to desperation.

The news was relayed to the imperial palace as quickly as possible.

Shen Tang's side has almost finished tidying up: [The central region couldn't hold back any longer. I originally thought things would be peaceful for two years.]

Gu Chi asked: "Does the Lord mean to attack directly?"

"If we raise the white flag, will they just stop fighting?" Shen Tang stood up. "Since we're going to fight, let's fight. The worst outcome is mutual destruction, which can't be worse than that..."

At this moment, she actually started to appreciate Yunda's "goodness".

Because of this old man, there are two possible outcomes for Shen Tang in a war with the Central Region: if he wins, he'll celebrate with champagne; if he loses, he'll be reincarnated. However, there's only one outcome for the Central Region: if they lose, they'll be reincarnated; if they win, they'll also be reincarnated. The only difference is when.

Shen Tang is going to the capital.

However, I need to meet someone before that.

It wasn't that she invited them over, but that she personally visited them.

Cui Zhi, who is living in seclusion at home and working tirelessly to win back his wife: [???]

Hearing the servant's words, he thought he had misheard.

He rose to greet her, wondering what had brought Shen Tang here. Shen Tang, seated in the head seat, offered no pleasantries and went straight to the point, asking Cui Zhi for a favor. Cui Zhi didn't immediately agree, but instead looked warily at Shen Tang's face: "What are your instructions, Lord Shen?"

[You're still the head of the Southwest branch, right?]

Cui Zhi nodded: [The leadership transition period hasn't started yet.]

"I don't have a good impression of the Pantheon. The Southwest branch is a hidden danger, and we'll have to clean it up sooner or later, but not now." Shen Tang's bluntness made Cui Zhi's heart skip a beat. Then he saw her take a sip of tea and say calmly, "But Patriarch Cui, you don't need to worry that this 'cleansing' will 'clean up' you or the Cui family. In fact, it can even ensure the Cui family's prosperity for a hundred years."

Shen Tang immediately revealed his hand.

[War may break out again on the front lines. The situation in the southwest has just stabilized, and there are still remnants of the rebels fleeing in various places. I worry that they will take this opportunity to rise again. But with the Cui family head's abilities, these remnants will only be clowns jumping around.]

Cui Zhi moved his lips slightly: [Shen Jun is too kind.]

He vaguely guessed Shen Tang's true purpose in seeking him out.

She demanded his assurance that the southwest would remain calm during the frontline operations.

At least, there shouldn't be any major chaos within a year.

Cui Zhi also spoke the truth.

Whether things are chaotic or not is probably not something that Cui can decide.

He was merely the head of a powerful clan with a small private retinue, smaller than even a local warlord, let alone someone who could truly intimidate the entire southwest. The real deterrent to the remaining remnants was the royal court. If the war at the front became stalemate or resulted in a defeat, the southwest would inevitably descend into chaos.

But you are the branch manager!

The main organization just has more connections and resources.

"Those who can sit in the head of the branch are all roughly equal in ability." Shen Tang's gaze fell on Cui Hui, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, her words carrying a hidden meaning. The head of the Northwest branch is Qi Yuanliang, you know. Does Cui Zhi really want to admit that he's not good enough?

Cui Zhi: [...]

Furthermore, does the Cui family have a way out? If Kangguo falls, given the Cui family's actions in the southwestern wars, the southwest will likely not tolerate them. Is the Cui family head truly going to flee with his entire family, enduring a life of wandering? It's not a matter of whether they can do it, but rather that they must!

_(:3」∠)_

I feel a bit better today. I originally wanted to combine them into one chapter, but I'm still 1700 words short. Seeing that I don't have enough time, I can only post 4000 words for now.

The remaining chapter will be released late at night.