Chapter 504: The Dark-Hearted Lord (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Kang Shi displayed his great power.
This put considerable pressure on Xun Zhen.
He squinted slightly and murmured.
"Shen Jun's forces are truly full of talented people..."
He knew that the scholar Yan An had taken a liking to must have something special, but he never expected that Kang Shi would reveal his true colors so powerfully and dazzlingly.
That's good, it puts my mind at ease.
In fact, Xun Zhen had some regrets.
Do I regret making that decision too quickly?
Should we meet Shen Jun in person before making a decision?
If Shen Jun dislikes him, wouldn't his actions be like offering a warm welcome only to be met with indifference, making him look foolish?
Looking at the big picture, Shen Tang has only a reputation as an advantage; everything else is a disadvantage. Its foundation is too weak, Longwu County is located in a remote area, making development difficult in all aspects. Establishing itself in the war-torn northwest continent is incredibly challenging.
Given my current situation, it's incredibly expensive.
The construction of literary palaces and the mastery of the way of scholars are all related to "money," which is the foundation upon which literary scholars establish themselves.
Moreover, it's not just about the money involved; there's another, fatal "threshold" for the true implementation of the scholar's way...
The move Kang Shi and Chu Yao made today was like a reassurance to him—Yan An's praise might not mean much, after all, Yan Xingning could misjudge people, like that troublesome junior brother, but for Chu Yao and Kang Shi to genuinely support him, this Shen Jun must possess extraordinary abilities unknown to him. The ship he chose might be more stable than he imagined.
in this way--
"I can't very well hide it..." Xun Zhen had no patience whatsoever for gaining Shen Tang's trust by sitting on the sidelines for two years and slowly plotting to be given an important position. What he wanted was to be given an important position as soon as he entered officialdom, not to be used because of his talent.
Therefore, this battle is of paramount importance.
Even if their military achievements cannot surpass those of Chu Yao and the other two, they should at least be on par with them, so that no one dares to underestimate them.
Xun Zhen made up his mind, and his gaze towards the two large armies on the flanks of the Ten Crows became much colder. Every move he made with his chess pieces was designed to achieve his goal!
A stepping stone should stay in its stepping stone position!
Snap!
Pointing lightly with the fingertips.
The lustrous chess pieces, formed from the essence of literature, were placed down one by one.
A menacing aura raged across the chessboard, sometimes punctuated by flashing swords and the roars of dragons and tigers. The chess pieces crumbled to dust only to reform. If someone were near him, they would see the black and white pieces arranged on his chessboard, mirroring the battle below.
The situation on the board is constantly changing.
Xun Zhen understood it perfectly.
The Ten Crows' flanks attempted a breakout, but were held back by the malevolent spirits summoned by Xun Zhen using his financial power. These spirits moved with perfect coordination and swift reflexes, clearly indicating they were being controlled and directed from behind the scenes. This forced the Ten Crows to remain stationary, unable to advance or retreat.
At the border where the two armies clashed, blood flowed into "rivers," and severed limbs and remains were everywhere, demonstrating the ferocity of the battle.
The death toll continues to rise.
Shi Wu was naturally furious, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.
The total number of troops that went out to fight at Yonggu Pass was no more than 30,000.
Only 30% of the population are alive.
The fallen heroes charged ahead, while the living soldiers provided support from behind. Although our side had achieved some gains, the number of living soldiers killed was not large. If this continued, the losses would be incalculable. Most hateful of all was that scholar, who seemed to have seen through the weaknesses of our own army's formation.
The Shiwu authorities immediately ordered an interception and killing of Kang Shi.
But Chu Jie and Zhao Feng were not just for show.
How could we let them succeed so easily?
Even when on the dangerous battlefield, Kang Shi showed no fear. He was not only confident in himself, but also trusted his colleagues and comrades.
In the central command tent, King Shiwu's face was gloomy.
"Does our army lack any capable individuals to contend with him?"
No one spoke, nor dared to speak.
Shiwu also cultivated many scholars and intellectuals, some to assist the army, others to oversee the overall situation. They attempted to compete with scholars like Chu Yao, but no matter how they arranged their troops, they were consistently suppressed by the enemy's overwhelming strength. This was especially true for the scholars on the left and right flanks of the army…
No one knew where the enemy assassination attempt had come from.
One of the bolder ones stammered, "Your Majesty, several of the men at Yonggu Pass seem to possess the ways of scholars and officials..."
To put it bluntly, the difference between a scholar with these two skills and an ordinary scholar is greater than the difference between a human and a dog.
They're not even in the same league.
King Ten Crows questioned, "Don't we have any?"
Everyone fell silent.
Yes, there are...
A generous reward will surely attract brave men. Shiwu was not short of money, and by throwing money at the problem, he recruited many literary figures to work for him.
but--
The literati aren't the main force in the charge, and since the war began, they haven't neglected their duties. You can't expect them to grab weapons and fight those few enemies head-on, can you? Your Majesty, that's not a very wise question.
King Ten Crows suppressed his anger.
"Is there no way to control it?"
Everyone: "..."
If they truly had a way, they wouldn't be hiding it. This isn't because their scholars are weak; it's because the opposing scholars don't follow the usual path. Tell me, who has ever seen scholars more ruthless than martial artists in a charge? Three of them came at once!
I don't know where Chu Jie got his helpers from.
Or perhaps Zheng Qiao, that bastard, had anticipated this and had already laid an ambush, just waiting for them to fall into the trap.
Some people have already begun to regret sending troops.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. The people inside the pass are lowly, cunning, and despicable. This might very well be a conspiracy to lure the enemy into a trap...
King Shiwu was about to break his back teeth. He took a deep breath to calm himself down: "What did Su Shiyilu say?"
Su Shiyi Lu went to the front line to entangle with his old rival Chu Jie. If Chu Jie, such a powerful and courageous martial artist, were allowed to enter the battle and kill indiscriminately, and with scholars assisting him, his martial energy would not be depleted for a while. No matter how many people there were, they would not be enough for him to kill.
"Your Majesty, the general says we cannot retreat now."
King Ten Crows frowned: "Reason?"
"Yonggu Pass may seem difficult to attack, but 70% of their troops are heroic spirits, which cannot be sustained for long."
While the heroic spirits fought bravely, the price they paid was not small, as they consumed a massive amount of the national border barrier's luck with every breath.
They can stall and drag things out.
If we just hold out until then, we'll win!
Immediately, a high-ranking official who was at odds with Su Shiyi stepped forward and questioned, "What do you mean by 'cannot be maintained for long'? There must be some time to go, right? The longer our army is delayed, the more casualties we will suffer. Is he going to bear all the blame?"
"that is!"
"...Is it an hour, half a day, or a whole day? This kind of consumption isn't a solution..."
They had previously thought they would win the battle, and everyone was eager to volunteer to fight, placing their tribe's elite troops in the central vanguard and on the left and right flanks. However, the battle turned out to be unfavorable.
The extent of casualties is currently unknown.
The battle dragged on, and they were practically stripped bare, which meant the tribe's strength had declined significantly.
The risk of being swallowed up after returning is extremely high.
The adult princes, who thought this battle would bring them merit and increase their political capital, were also extremely anxious. They forced themselves to say, "...why don't we withdraw our troops temporarily and plan for the future?"
Once someone started, more people chose to withdraw their troops, chattering and arguing endlessly. They didn't want their tribe's elite to be used as cannon fodder to delay the enemy.
King Ten Crows slammed his eyes shut, his face trembling with resentment: "...Sound the retreat, we'll fight again another day!"
Upon hearing the order to retreat, Su Shiyilu was so angry that he cursed loudly and was kicked by Chu Jie.
"Hahaha—you've withdrawn your troops!"
Su Shiyilu was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
Today's battle was truly frustrating.
Every step of development has deviated from expectations.
"You wait, next time I'll take your head!"
Chu Jie was almost about to tell him, clutching his handkerchief—
Grandpa, come again next time.
Su Shiyilu nearly choked on a mouthful of blood.
Shiwu took the initiative to withdraw its troops, but some people disagreed.
"This place is not a place you can come and go as you please!" Xun Zhen was pondering his next move when he didn't expect Shi Wu to retreat at this critical juncture. If they retreated, where would he get his military merits? He immediately overturned the chessboard in front of him with a palm strike.
To initiate the way of the literati.
[Quick thinking in a crisis].
On the surface, this scholar's way seems to be about coming up with a brilliant idea in a crisis, a meteoric rise in intelligence. But its practical application is not so simple. Its true wonder lies in resonating with the sacred land of mountains and seas, obtaining the most needed incantation—whether Xun Zhen had learned it or not!
Once it starts, it's all out!
"We should press on with our remaining strength to eliminate the enemy—" The fierce spirits paused for a moment, then in the next instant, their fierce aura erupted from within, enveloping their bodies and transforming into a full suit of chilling armor. Despite the weight of the armor, their speed increased by more than double.
Even Kang Shi, whose literary talent was exhausted but who maintained a calm demeanor, couldn't help but widen his eyes—
That's a whopping 10,000 people!
————————
"My gold nuggets!"
A scream escaped from Shen Tang's mouth.
The one and only piece of gold she had kept in her purse, so precious, also turned into golden mist and flew away...
"Kang-Ji-Shou-"
Overwhelmed with grief, Shen Tang gritted her teeth!
Stomp your feet hard to vent your frustration!
"Wait for me to come back! You'll be waiting for 007 for the rest of your life!"
She was so angry she was trembling. Even if the capitalists were criticized for being worthy of being hung up as streetlights, they would still squeeze Kang Shi to death!
Hearing the commotion, Gu Chi and Jiang Sheng rushed over immediately, their expressions quite different. The former suppressed a laugh; he didn't get to witness his lord's antics all the time. The latter, however, looked momentarily bewildered, guessing—
What did he see?
(╬▔盘▔)╯
Who said I can't finish writing three chapters after defeating them?
Hehe, the flag didn't fall.
PS: Today is the 26th, it's almost the end of the month again. Sigh, does everyone still have any monthly tickets? We're only a little over 1,500 tickets away from first place in monthly tickets. Mushroom wants to reach Glory Five Stars within a year.
P.S.: Xun Zhen's way of the scholar isn't "splurging away wealth only to have it return," that's just the prelude to his use of words of power. The true way of the scholar is "thinking on the fly," and the side effects... well, I've mentioned them before.
The lines "[Going to the netherworld to summon old comrades, with ten thousand banners to slay Yama]" and "[We should pursue the fleeing enemy with our remaining strength]" are actually from a modern era. This is also a very important foreshadowing (#^.^#)
(End of this chapter)
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