Chapter 1432: Seizing the Bridge, Blowing Up the Waterway (Twenty-Three) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
If Wei Lou knew what the other person was thinking, he would probably sneer.
Not everyone in this world is trapped in the past and unable to move on. A century has passed since the fall of the Wu Kingdom. Even if some acquaintances are still alive, they have long since moved on to new lives and new paths. The Wu Kingdom was merely a passerby in their long lives, a faded glory.
Is the Wei Lou uncle and nephew unable to leave because they don't want to leave?
Don't you want to forget?
They were tricked and trapped in one place for over a hundred years by Ji Mo Cong.
The uncle and nephew had relied on each other for many years. Now that the nephew, Wei Cheng, was nothing but a skeleton and had lost his freedom, Wei Lou could not possibly abandon him. Ji Mo Cong used lies to deceive and seal Wei Cheng away, and in doing so, he also used Wei Cheng to bind Wei Lou, cutting off any possibility of a new beginning for the two of them.
This can truly be described as killing two birds with one stone.
Wu Guo is the only spiritual nourishment that Wei Lou can savor and reflect upon.
The more I review the situation, the angrier I get.
Therefore, he poured all the hatred that had been brewing for over a hundred years onto the culprit, wishing he could scatter the ashes of the Gods Society for the rest of his life! Wei Lou was like this, but others might not be.
Even if Wei Lou could find them and tell them the truth about the destruction of their homeland, how many of them would abandon their present circumstances and fight the Gods to the death? They wouldn't, and not only wouldn't they, they would also settle scores with Wei Lou—if the Gods are not innocent, then how could Wei Lou be innocent?
Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry.
Wei Lou is not one of them.
These thoughts were unknown to the Allied commander, who had a guilty conscience. He felt uneasy, his mind constantly swirling with the idea of how Wei Lou would retaliate—Wei Lou of the Wu Kingdom, one of the most troublesome ministers of the Wu Kingdom in the past. This was because Wei Lou had a nephew who unconditionally stood by his side, and also because Wei Lou himself possessed an extremely unique scholarly way of life, making him an unsolvable and heaven-defying figure.
If it weren't for the issue of the Wu Kingdom's ruler's lineage causing a rift between the monarch and his ministers, leading to a complete moral conflict, Wei Lou would never have been turned into a tool. The Gods' Alliance, wanting to eliminate the Wu Kingdom, will likely resort to other insidious methods. This also demonstrates Wei Lou's significant influence.
"So what if you know?" These words were like a thunderclap splitting the chaotic night sky, causing most of the distracting thoughts in the commander's mind to recede. He looked up and met the man's gaze, who sneered, "A stray dog is a stray dog. Once you're utterly defeated, you'll do it again and again. You're just some old codger who should be dead, yet you're so uneasy about him? It's truly despicable!"
The glory of Weilou dates back more than a hundred years.
What era are we living in now?
There is no place for old-fashioned things in this era.
The Allied commander wanted to endorse this statement and boost morale, but when his gaze fell upon the men in their civilian clothes, the initial surge of morale vanished instantly. The martial artists, relying on their ability to conjure armor from their martial energy, looked down on armor made of ordinary iron, finding it expensive, heavy, and cumbersome, far inferior in both defense and practicality to their martial armor. Therefore, they went into battle in light, casual clothing underneath, donning their martial armor only when the fighting began.
Wei Lou's scholarly way of life subverted both civil and military principles, and those within its sphere of influence were not spared. This resulted in a situation where none of them, despite being military officers, wore armor or carried weapons, a somewhat comical scene.
What's even more ridiculous is that they had to send someone to fetch the armor at the last minute.
Even the armor made of iron weighs thirty to fifty pounds, and the various parts are complicated, requiring soldiers to help put it on, which makes them sweat profusely.
"...Is there no one who can restrain his scholarly ways?"
The heavy armor made it hard to breathe, and the group was quickly losing energy, so they could only sit to conserve their strength. Hearing the successive stream of bad news from the messengers, they were filled with anxiety. They desperately wanted to lead their troops out to fight, yet they were also filled with fear.
Having lost their martial arts skills, none of them were confident they could return alive.
His only thought was to break Wei Lou's scholarly ways as soon as possible.
His response was a long silence.
Wei Lou's scholarly approach isn't particularly lethal, but its mechanics are incredibly overpowered. To counter it, you either need to kill Wei Lou or have your own side follow suit. The reversal of civil and military power essentially restricts both scholars and warriors; lower-ranking soldiers are less affected.
They are the key to determining the outcome.
The Allied forces in the central region suffered greatly in this regard.
This is evident from the fact that they recruited so many reclusive masters; they relied too heavily on these experts, hoping to compensate for the lack of quality among their lower-ranking soldiers. This worked in normal battles, but then Wei Lou, this unexpected obstacle, appeared.
Furthermore, the Allied Forces were composed of various factions from the central continent, pieced together from different groups, each contributing a portion of their troops. Not only were their skill levels uneven, but even if the differences in skill were small, it would be difficult for them to integrate seamlessly. In contrast, the Kang Kingdom was a unified entity.
There are unified regulations for training troops in Zhechong Prefecture.
Soldiers from all over the country can quickly integrate and work together.
If the two sides were to engage in hand-to-hand combat, Kang State would clearly have the advantage, not to mention that Kang State's troops had been trained in advance and, with their smooth cooperation with Wei Lou's scholarly approach, their advantage would naturally be more than doubled.
"Report—"
The battle reports from the front lines were getting worse and worse.
The commander-in-chief said coldly, "There is another way."
Several staff officers and deputy generals suddenly perked up.
"Delay it. Wei Lou's scholarly way can't last long." The more unconventional the scholarly way, the more restrictions it has. This rule applies everywhere. The group exchanged glances, knowing they had no other choice. The commander ordered the entire army to change its battle strategy, abandoning offense for defense, shrinking the battle line, and confining it to the vicinity of the stone fortress trenches, using the advantageous terrain to defend the fortress's strategic pass.
but--
Defending isn't easy either.
The main force of Kangguo was relentlessly pursuing the enemy at the front, while a surprise force was also desperately attacking from behind, putting the allied forces in a precarious situation of being attacked from both sides. However, the commander's decision did have some effect.
It won't be so easy for Kangguo to expand its gains.
Shen Tang wiped the blood from her face, stood atop the enemy's banner, sword in hand—yes, although the commander hadn't led the charge, the appearance of his banner did offer a slight boost to morale, but it wasn't of much use. The central allied army's banner camp was quickly scattered by the Kang Kingdom forces, and the banner fell into Shen Tang's hands. She pointed her sword directly at the stone fortress, her voice hoarse: "Throw everything you can! Bomb it!"
The little gadgets from the workshop director are perfect for this.
Explosions were heard one after another.
Gu Chi and his fellow temporary generals were caught up in the excitement of fighting on the enemy lines. Their heightened emotions allowed them to gradually become adept at using their unfamiliar abilities, especially Gu Chi, whose longsword flashed with brilliant light, leaving trails of blood in its wake. At first glance, one might really mistake him for a junior officer.
In the end, he even stole someone else's warhorse.
He leaped onto the horse's back, gripped its belly tightly with his legs, held the reins in one hand and brandished his sword in the other: "Follow me and chase after them!"
The nearby soldiers responded to the order.
"I swear to follow the general to the death."
On the stone fortress wall, several people had faces ashen.
Panic and anger burned within me like boiling magma, threatening to erupt at any moment. I lived in constant fear, the battlefield raging from dawn till dusk. The battle lines collapsed and were repaired, a cycle repeated several times, each time a nail-biter.
Fortunately, they managed to delay until the restrictions imposed on Danfu were relaxed.
Familiar martial energy surged endlessly through his meridians.
The power to move mountains and overturn seas returned to their bodies, and they were almost moved to tears. Eager to regain some face, they rushed to attack. However, the Kang Kingdom was also on guard. Gongyang Yongye and Luo San, who had been holding back for a long time, simultaneously intervened, stopping their attempt to assassinate Gu Chi and the others: "Do you all think I'm dead?"
Just then, both sides called for a retreat.
Gongyang Yongye turned his head and reluctantly went back.
During the day, he fought as a scholar, wielding a knife until his arms were swollen and he couldn't lift them. He looked like he had been pulled out of blood. But once his martial energy circulated through his body, all his fatigue disappeared: "What's going on here? Call it a day?"
What troops are we recruiting now?
Gongyang Yongye had been feeling aggrieved for so long and was eager to get his revenge.
He had a very loud voice, and his face was full of resentment.
"You've all had your fun, all high and mighty, but I'm still seething with anger!" He slammed his fist on Chen Tang's table, utterly ruthless. "Is this how you do things? Give me another night, and I'll cleave this dilapidated stone fortress in two!"
Shen Tang said, "We need to slow down first."
When civil and military affairs are reversed, the soldiers' physical strength will also decline.
If we continue to fight on, our own losses will increase.
In addition—
Shen Tang glanced at Wei Lou, whose face was pale. The latter was exhausted and needed time to recover. The iron chain bridge had been taken down, and the battle line had been pushed to the foot of the stone fortress. Their own forces would join forces with Yun Ce's troops, close the battle line, and encircle the allied forces.
Gongyang Yongye slammed his fist on the table.
He muttered disdainfully, "How can a young person say he can't do it after only a short time?"
The situation is clearly very favorable!
Shen Tang didn't hold Gongyang Yongye's rudeness against him; instead, she patiently comforted him, eventually managing to persuade him to calm down. Today they had won a great battle, not only advancing the front lines significantly but also capturing several big fish. The remaining captives were also dismembered by Shen Tang with her sword.
"Those people, we can try to persuade them to surrender."
Wei Lou snapped out of his meditation: "What if it's not possible?"
Shen Tang tossed a token between her fingers and shouted, "Kill!"
The word was spoken with force and a murderous intent.
Wei Lou: "These people are quite influential—"
He discovered that Shen Tang's bloodthirstiness seemed to be much stronger than during the war with Gao.
She had tried to persuade the defeated officials of Gao Kingdom three or four times, and if they were determined not to submit, she was willing to grant them their freedom, emphasizing mutual consent. Now, however, her attitude was to accept those who were sensible and kill those who weren't, showing no leniency whatsoever.
Shen Tang said, "What good is weight if it's heavy?"
She knew that these prisoners could be exchanged for great benefits.
This was incredibly attractive to the penniless wretches who had been swindled out of their savings by Xun Zhen, but Shen Tang knew even better that letting them go back would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, requiring them to be caught again later. Why go through the trouble of doing something pointless? Killing them would be the best solution.
"I don't like people who don't know their place."
In addition to that, there is another reason.
“They have too many interests involved with the central branch, and I’m too lazy to play the game of raising a tiger to cause trouble.” Shen Tang’s eyebrows and eyes revealed a cold and stern look. When he lowered his eyes, there was a hint of pity like that of a deity on a shrine. When his eyes were firm, they revealed a decisiveness to kill. “As for this group of people, I would rather kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free, so as not to repeat the same mistakes.”
Wei Lou: "..."
He seemed to have been hit where it hurt and looked away.
Back then, the Wu Kingdom was indeed careless and fell into a trap.
Wei Lou sighed and said, "Well, it's all up to Mr. Shen to decide."
Shen Tang asked him, "Will you still be able to fight tomorrow?"
Wei Lou shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that won't work."
There are limitations to the way of the scholar, but what those limitations are cannot be spoken of. He wasn't like young people such as Chu Yao, easily swayed by Shen Tang's flowery words and forced to reveal his bottom line. Not to mention Shen Tang, even the late lord didn't know. He thought Shen Tang would be angry, but the latter simply nodded calmly: "You've worked hard today too, you certainly deserve some rest. It's rare to achieve this situation; if we couldn't crush the enemy with such a huge advantage, the entire army would have to write some serious self-criticisms..."
Wei Lou cupped his hands in greeting: "It's my duty, I dare not complain about the hardship."
He's just trying his best to make up for the mistakes he made back then.
"My lord—"
Yun Ce came over with a beaming smile.
The generals knelt on one knee and clasped their hands in greeting. Shen Tang, having received the battle report from Yun Ce beforehand, said, "Why be so polite? Rise, all of you. Yuan Mou must have had a hard day. Where is Zhou Kou?"
She helped Yun Ce up herself, her eyes filled with satisfaction.
Yun Ce was a bit of a germaphobe. He tidied himself up before coming, and now he had no bloody smell. Instead, he had a refreshing fragrance of ice lotus. Who wouldn't praise him as a handsome young man?
"There are still some trivial matters to attend to in Zhoukou, so I sent this humble general to report the good news to the lord first." Yun Ce turned to the side and had a soldier bring over a plate.
The food on the plate was covered with a cloth.
You can tell whose head it is just by looking at its shape.
There weren't just one head, but three in total.
Those heads that Yun Ce was qualified to present must have belonged to someone of considerable importance. Shen Tang lifted the handkerchiefs one by one, revealing three bloodied and disfigured faces with their eyes wide open in death. Yun Ce had intended to capture the three alive, but Wei Lou's scholarly ways were too domineering.
Of the three, one was trampled to death by the chaotic army, one was captured alive by Yun Ce but refused to surrender, and the other was killed by the demonic monk. Speaking of the demonic monk, Yun Ce ordered his men to bring the monk up.
"How to deal with this person is up to the master."
"Don't be so rude, this old monk can walk by himself."
Shen Tang recognized the man at a glance as the one who had defeated Gongyang Yongye. Hearing the latter still complaining about the soldiers' rudeness, she guessed what was going on. She turned her gaze to Gongyang Yongye, her eyes questioning.
Gongyang Yongye clapped his hands and laughed.
"You're still alive? You've finally fallen into my hands!"
The monk deftly freed himself from the shackles on his shoulders, stood tall and proud, showing no trace of the pathetic posture of a prisoner: "I am protected by the Buddha."
Gongyang Yongye's lips twitched: "Stubborn as a mule."
What skills can a bunch of clay sculptures possibly possess?
Rather than attributing it to Buddha's blessing, it's more accurate to say that this old monk had a flexible bottom line. He simply didn't believe the other party was tough enough; he was definitely capable of kneeling down!
The monk was not ashamed.
The world is vast, but nothing is more important than one's own life.
He wasn't afraid of Gongyang Yongye's retaliation. He had indeed hindered Kangguo during the duel, but at that time they were each serving their own masters, and it was only natural that he had done his best. Later, after seeing the situation clearly, he switched sides and even saved Beijiu for Kangguo, so he could be considered half a hero.
With merits and demerits canceling each other out, what excuse could Kangguo use to kill him?
Of course, this thought began to waver when he saw the row of heads. Besides the three heads Yun Ce had presented, Shen Tang had two more heads, making a total of five heads belonging to his former temporary colleagues who were also mages. He couldn't help but worry how many were still alive.
Gongyang Yongye noticed his gaze and the fleeting blankness, a sneer creeping onto his lips: "Now you know fear?"
The monk clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name.
Like a compassionate Buddha on a lotus throne, unwilling to kill any living being.
(;Д｀)
OMG, my tax refund finally arrived! It instantly solved my financial crisis. The merchandise I ordered also arrived, hehe. The Qiankun Ring I ordered still has a little over a week to finish production (I wasn't satisfied with the last one, so it was remade; hopefully this one will be satisfactory. The labor costs are really expensive… and the price of gold has skyrocketed lately…)
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