Chapter 1602 IF Scenario: What if Shen Tang woke up earlier (Sixteen)
Good news, they assembled efficiently in half an hour.
Bad news: Shen Tang led his pack of wild beasts out of their enclosure and rode motorcycles outside the city. Only then did she remember a very fatal problem.
So he turned to Wei Lou and asked, "Who should we attack first?"
The moment those five words left her lips, Wei Lou nearly fell off his horse. His face contorted in pain, a torrent of complex emotions brewing within him into the most vile words. However, his composure allowed him to restrain himself. He forced himself to sit up straight, gritting his teeth, "You dragged this person out without even thinking about who to hit! It's utterly absurd!"
His words expressed Luo San's true feelings.
However, Luo San can be quite stubborn when he gets angry.
"What's so absurd? We're going to fight sooner or later, so what difference does it make when we fight? What difference does it make who we fight? We've already come all this way, so why not hunt down a big one and go home empty-handed? Are you scared?" It wasn't that he was arrogant or conceited; he genuinely had the confidence to say such things.
In his view, his lord was indeed somewhat reckless.
but--
Sometimes you need that kind of self-assured spirit!
Wei Lou was so angry that his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
"You're both insane! You're both crazy!"
Don't drag him into your madness.
He shouldn't have followed along so carelessly.
Then something happened that made his blood pressure even more out of control.
He saw with his own eyes Shen Tang take a money pouch off his waist, take out two copper coins from it, toss them high into the air and catch them with his hands, while muttering to himself: "Two heads, hit the north; two tails, hit the south; left head, right tail, hit the west; left tail, right head, hit the east."
Wei Lou: "..."
With no one to play the straight man, Shen Tang set the tone for himself: "Ding ding ding, wow, two straight men, is there a big fish on the northern path?"
Luo San said, "Yes, yes, we have them."
In the current world, warlord forces exist in every direction. After hearing Wei Lou's words about "short-term labor," Luo San, eager to prove his worth, began to prepare, ordering people to investigate the surrounding forces—as long as his lord harbored expansionist ambitions, this intelligence would come in handy sooner or later. As it turned out, his foresight was extremely correct.
See, this is where it comes in handy!
As Luo San spoke, he took out a simple map from his pocket and handed it to Shen Tang. Shen Tang took it, pretended to look at it for a few moments, and then solemnly closed it: "Hmm, this is it. This is Heaven's will to destroy him!"
With a flick of the whip, he shouted, "Let's go!"
Wei Lou: "..."
He wished he had never said those things to Shen Tang.
Was there no one present who could stand up and stop her from going crazy?
Despite being just a seemingly unintelligent mule, Shen Tang's mount was surprisingly fast. With the added blessing of the Gongxi tribe's unique divine favor, their marching speed was practically doubled.
"Scouts? Where are the scouts?"
Wei Lou's roar was almost drowned out by the horses' hooves. Were they just going to charge straight into battle without scouts to gather intelligence?
Shen Tang's wild laughter came from ahead.
"What kind of scouts do you need!"
In combat mode, the Gongxi clan possesses a natural sensitivity to the land and vegetation, with the High Priest being the most exceptional, able to communicate with the energy of heaven and earth within a certain range. Under these circumstances, there's no need for scouts to risk scouting ahead, reducing the risk of being discovered by the enemy and prematurely exposed. Shen Tang gripped the reins tightly with her left hand, while her right hand conjured a silver longbow.
The warlord's main camp has been located.
"Warriors, the time has come to make your mark!"
It's about six miles from the destination.
The enemy's arrow tower had spotted unusual bird tracks beneath the mountain's outline at the edge of their line of sight, and the soldiers on duty immediately issued a warning.
The whistle arrow soared into the sky, its sharp sound echoing throughout the camp.
The generals inside the tent were just getting sleepy when the noise startled them awake.
He roared in fury, "What's that noise?"
At this moment, the guards rushed over.
"Reporting, General—"
Before the words were even finished, a deafening roar erupted in front of the camp. Two unfamiliar streams of martial energy attacked from both sides, heading straight for the central banner. One of the streams instantly burst forth with countless silver-white rays, and a barrage of arrows blasted the banner to dust before the other could reach it. The attacker let out a strange laugh: "Heh, first come, first served!"
This move was truly unexpected.
Before the general could react, the banner had already been damaged.
No, who goes straight into enemy territory by skipping several lines of defense? Aren't they afraid of running out of reinforcements and getting surrounded and killed?
This scene caused the military officer's blood pressure to spike.
He immediately transformed into his armor and charged straight at one of them like a cannonball.
The entire camp erupted in chaos. The enemy soldiers, reacting a fraction of a second slower, hastily formed ranks. Before their morale could fully solidify, the explosive force of the blast had already breached the camp and was hurtling towards the main tent. In an instant, nothing could stop it. Many soldiers were stunned by the shockwave before they could even see what the enemy looked like. Those who witnessed this scene all had the same thought in their minds.
Who exactly is this person?
"Whose soldiers are they, anyway?"
Amidst the chaos of war, a lieutenant asked in a hoarse voice.
"I don't know, I didn't see it clearly..."
They hadn't seen any enemy flags, let alone identified which side they belonged to. The lieutenant, enraged, shoved aside the useless soldier, only to be met with a cleaver slashing down upon him the next second. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two severed bodies, one lying askew to the left and one to the right.
Luo San spat.
For the first time, I had a problem with my lord.
What kind of lord enjoys stealing kills from his subordinates?
The rest of the enemy camp felt like they'd been stuffed into a sack and pushed into an alley. Before they could even react, they were met with a barrage of punches and kicks. They didn't know who the enemy was, or their strength; the only thing they felt was the real pain, telling them this wasn't a dream. Luo San wiped the blood away and searched for his next target.
"Why are there women here?!"
The moment the enemy soldier entertained the thought, the muscular woman with clearly feminine features slashed down with her blade, warm blood spraying onto her face, torso, and arms. Without even glancing at the fallen man, she continued to slash and kill the next.
She reunited with her people, and as they stood back to back, she spat out a mouthful of blood. She then grabbed a beast's tail to wipe the blood off her knife.
"This is my first time killing someone."
A closer look would reveal that her arms beneath her armor were trembling. She could still grip her sword steadily, but only because the hilt was hooked to her arm guards, preventing the weapon from slipping from her hand. At that moment, a familiar voice reached her ears: "Who isn't like that?"
The clansmen have always lived in their ancestral land.
I had only heard from the elders of my clan when I was young how dangerous and chaotic the outside world was, and how they had to be constantly prepared and vigilant against external threats. I never imagined that one day it would actually come in handy. But no amount of training could compare to the direct impact of actual combat.
Almost the instant blood was drawn, my heart started pounding uncontrollably, my mind went blank, and my limbs felt weak for a moment.
only--
Only the enemy knows the true force of that strike.
It can split a person in two in an instant.
After the intense emotions came a strange calm, my heart was still pounding, and at the same time, a strange excitement surged up.
She forced back her trembling teeth from excitement and said in a deep, breathy voice, "Gods above, let's not embarrass ourselves."
"You don't even need to bring that up."
The Gongxi clan is different from the outside world.
Those outside the clan rely on talent, cultivating both literary and martial prowess, while those within the clan are connected to the divine power of the High Priest. The requirements for talent are not high; the only hurdle is faith. As long as the High Priest is present, divine power can be invoked to draw every member of the clan into battle. Their individual strength cannot compare to that of the elite martial artists, but they excel in healing, defense, and endurance.
When the two armies are at war, they have a natural advantage.
Shen Tang snatched the enemy general's head before Luo San could, kicked a flagpole in half, and used the tip to hold up the head: "Your commander has been beheaded. Those who don't want to die, put your hands on your heads and squat in the corner!"
"You son of a bitch!"
Some realized that these enemies of unknown origin were troublesome, so they turned around and ran in the opposite direction, summoning their warhorses to gallop.
"Quickly, go get reinforcements!"
His warhorse had only galloped a dozen or so paces when the heavy load on its back suddenly tilted to one side, crashing to the ground with a dull thud. The man who had gone to fetch reinforcements looked down in disbelief, only to see a gleaming sword pierce his heart from back to front. Crimson blood dripped from the blade. With a soft "plop," the sword, summoned by some force, withdrew from his body and flew back to its master.
"I'll say it again: those who surrender will not be killed!"
Shen Tang carried the flagpole with the human head hanging on it and leaped towards the highest point of the camp. The sound waves carrying her warning spread throughout the battlefield.
"Those who refuse to surrender, shall be killed!"
The intimidation brought by the 20th-rank Marquis was terrifying, and some soldiers with low morale even fainted because they couldn't withstand it.
The entire battle lasted less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
As the first weapon clattered to the ground, the already low morale of the enemy camp crumbled instantly. More and more soldiers dropped their weapons and removed their armor, obeying Shen Tang's orders to bury their heads in their hands, crouching with their backs to the enemy and facing the tents, their eyes filled with confusion, fear, and helplessness. Ji Mo Cong conjured a vine and tossed one end to the nearest member of his tribesman.
He said, "Tie them up."
The commotion here shouldn't have escaped the notice of the city's garrison.
It was unclear whether they had come in droves to rescue people or were frantically preparing vehicles and equipment for defending the city. If it was the latter, that would be fine; if it was the former, the prisoners' movements had to be restricted to prevent them from suddenly turning on their own side and colluding with the reinforcements. Although the number of prisoners in the camp outnumbered their own, the prisoners dared not make any small movements, obediently remaining bound, their minds filled with worries about their future fate.
Shen Tang brazenly barged into the main tent.
The main tent was not simply furnished; its decorations were quite luxurious.
She picked up something from the table.
The gleaming gold ornament may not look large, but it is surprisingly heavy.
Shen Tang: "Is this copper plated with gold or pure gold?"
He then sat down.
I must say, this thick animal rug is quite comfortable to sit on.
While she was surveying her surroundings, Luo San, already adept at the routine, had already looted the camp's valuables and was returning with a stack of account books. Wei Lou wasn't particularly interested in these valuables; he ordered his men to search the logistical supplies and provisions. These were all essential supplies; how could one go to war without them? Who would go to war like Shen Tang, without even a single meal's worth of rations, just grabbing their men and running away?
That's unreliable, extremely unreliable.
Wei Lou, enduring the headache, said, "Let's take it one step at a time."
Not to mention Shen Jun, Robert is already obsessed. That old man is the type who won't act until he sees a clear benefit; he's not going to go back obediently, and might even encourage Shen Jun to continue his reckless behavior.
Tsk, we shouldn't have hired such a troublesome person back then.
Wei Lou cursed Luo San in his heart.
But they quickly changed the target of their insults.
Our side discovered dozens of boxes of dried meat in the grain and fodder.
Wei Lou watched as boxes of dried beef were brought out. Among them was a woman who, feeling uncomfortable with bloodstains on her clothes, had stripped down to only a bandaged bodice. She casually squatted down and picked up a piece of meat, seemingly oblivious to everyone else: "Judging by the color, it looks like beef?"
"Beef? Isn't it said that cattle used for draft purposes are generally not slaughtered in the outside world?"
In this era, cattle are far more precious than people.
Dozens of people might not be able to sell a whole adult cow for the same price.
"Mom, come quick!"
She called out, and Wei Lou saw Ji Mo Cong, who had just been whispering instructions, move and walk straight to the woman's side.
"What's wrong?"
The woman handed her the beef jerky.
Is this beef fresh?
Ji Mo Cong glanced at it and tossed the beef jerky back into the box.
"Although they're all red meat... if you were diligent in cooking, you wouldn't be unable to tell the difference between beef and beef." Ji Mo Cong's children are not like her in temperament. Her son is quiet and introverted, enjoys farming and housework, and is quite talented in planning. He usually manages the kitchen at home. Her daughter is outgoing and lively and doesn't like to stay at home. After her daughter Gong Xiyao was born, she was even less seen.
"Not beef?"
Wei Lou stepped forward and examined the dried meat in the box.
Thanks to his early experiences and his nephew Wei Cheng's unusual collecting hobby, he was very familiar with the origins of the dried meat in the box.
"Congjun, have someone handle this."
"Yes, have it buried."
Wei Lou suggested, "Let's burn it."
Simply burying it, if not buried deep enough, could easily be dug up by nearby wild animals with a keen sense of smell. It's better to burn it.
Ji Mo Cong had no objection to this.
As the supplies and provisions were all unpacked, Wei Lou's face grew increasingly gloomy, and he didn't even notice that his hands, which were clenched tightly in his sleeves and had turned white.
Ji Mo Cong said, "If there were a choice, I think no one would want the flesh of their own kind to appear on their plate. We won't dwell on the past, but we just won't do it again."
In years of great disaster, even cannibalism can become commonplace.
Ji Mo Cong abhorred such evil deeds, but he also knew that many people had no choice at all. For such people, he believed that Heaven and the gods would be willing to give them a chance to repent and reform, and there was no need to be harsh.
Her gaze, tinged with pity, shifted away from the boxes.
"What we need to do is present them with a choice."
This is probably the main reason why His Highness adopted the decapitation strategy – to achieve a quick victory and give more ordinary soldiers a chance to survive.
If the battle is prolonged, the death toll will be even greater.
Wei Lou felt as if his heart had been gently touched by a light feather, and the subtle tingling sensation made him feel dazed.
After a long while, I finally heard myself hum in response.
He thought—
Perhaps Shen Jun isn't exactly an evil god.
I should take another look and be more fair and objective.
This thought only lasted until he saw Shen Tang again, when something snapped in his mind. Shen Tang and Luo San were huddled together, surrounded by all sorts of glittering gold and white things. Their demeanor was nothing like that of a regular army; they were clearly bandits!
|ω`)
Wei Lou: I waver between being an evil god and a normal person every day.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
