Chapter 731: A Series of Scams (Part 2) [Two-in-One]
The shouts of battle in the valley gradually changed from high-pitched to low-pitched.
Blood pooled into puddles, reflecting the leisurely clouds in the sky.
Snap—
The tranquility of the puddle was shattered by a single step.
Only when that leg was lifted did the ripples slowly subside and return to stillness. Jiang Sheng stroked his beard, a rare relaxed smile on his face, and chatted with his colleagues, saying, "A scheme within a scheme, a plot within a plot. I never expected this matter to proceed so smoothly."
Ning Yan's brows relaxed a bit, and she smiled, "Before my lord set off, didn't Xian Deng look out for her once?"
Bright light shines through the window, and flowers bloom in the deep valley.
Everything indicated that this trip would be extremely auspicious.
Ning Yan's words only made things worse, and Jiang Sheng couldn't help but sigh, muttering a complaint: "That's usually how it is, but isn't it because of Kang Jishou, this unpredictable person? It's a complete waste of my scholarly ways. Alas, he truly is worthy of being Qi Yuanliang's cousin."
These two cousins were naturally his nemesis.
I wonder how much I owed them in my past life.
Jiang Sheng's approach to scholarship was understated and unassuming, but when used effectively, it proved invaluable on the battlefield. He could gauge the approximate success rate of a plan by analyzing the recent fortunes of the person executing it, a method that made him invincible. However, the variable of Kang Shi greatly reduced the accuracy of this method. The mere thought of it made him want to vomit blood, leaving him deeply frustrated.
Ning Yan recognized the true Qi Shan.
She naturally knew that the "Qi Yuanliang" Jiang Sheng mentioned was not the same person as the "Qi Shan" she had known in her early years, and that Kang Shi and the current Qi Yuanliang were not blood cousins. But in terms of temperament, the current Qi Shan was more like a brother to Kang Jishou than a brother.
Ning Yan could only try to comfort her unfortunate colleague indirectly: "Man proposes, God disposes. Even though Kang Jishou has implicated our lord again, with our lord's courage and strength, even if there are some setbacks along the way, it will not affect the final result."
The initial plan was to trick people into opening the city gates, infiltrate the city through disguise, and wait for an opportunity to launch a coordinated attack from within and without.
However, doing so might put the troops inside the city in uncontrollable danger, while the troops outside would need to launch a military attack, creating an opportunity for a pincer movement. After a moment's thought, Shen Tang rejected this idea and instead proposed an even bolder plan.
[Trying to fool them once is the same as fooling them twice, so let's just do it both ways.] Shen Tang chuckled slyly, gesturing for everyone to come closer to hear. She continued, [Trying to trick them into opening the city gates isn't enough, let's just trick them out of the city altogether!]
There is a significant information gap between the two sides.
If used properly, it can even make the enemy crippled!
【We'll lure them here, then slaughter them! By then, few elite troops will remain in the city, allowing us to seize key locations and take over the city with minimal cost and effort.】 Shen Tang's eyes gleamed.
Bai Su asked worriedly, "Won't this alert the enemy?"
What if the generals remaining in the city realize what's happening? Those who enter the city will be exposed to danger...
[Let me think about it, probably not, since he doesn't have an anti-fraud app here.] Even if he did have an anti-fraud app, it would be difficult to avoid this, because what truly traps the enemy is the information gap and the perfect logical chain. Even if the other side manages to react, it will be when they are almost dead. [If we're worried about arousing suspicion, we can arrange for someone to deliver a report of victory and request reinforcements.]
This is equivalent to double insurance.
At this point, everything is ready.
Take a city with minimal cost and maximum speed.
However, when Ning Yan and the others arrived, they discovered that the flag on the city wall did not bear the character "Chen," and their hearts skipped a beat. Before they could even imagine the scenario of Shen Tang capturing the city only to have it retaken by the enemy, the sharp-eyed commander on the city wall recognized them.
They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Xun Ding.
Jiang Sheng asked him, "What's the deal with the flags up there?"
He almost thought Kang Jishou had used his powers again!
Xun Ding glanced at the flags on the city wall and explained, "Oh, this is the lord's order. She ordered the flags to be changed back to their original ones. As for the reason, the strategist should ask the lord."
This story begins not long ago.
Shen Tang learned about the city's situation through the documents inside the government office and secretly rejoiced—the city had been repaired and fortified several times, and its defenses were excellent and formidable. Even if he won all three duels, it would still take three to five times the number of troops to take it down.
If we choose to take it by force, we'll likely bleed out.
Now, the city's heritage belongs to her.
Having gained an advantage, his mood was brighter than the sun. Stretching and preparing to go for a walk, he overheard commoners discussing the flags on the city walls. Shen Tang initially didn't care; it was normal to plant one's own flag after capturing a city.
I found an empty seat at a roadside stall, sat down, and drank some millet porridge. As soon as I took a sip, a super daring idea popped into my head.
The common people had no idea that the city had changed hands.
The troops inside the city were also under our control.
In other words—
The news of the city changing hands would take longer than normal to reach the neighboring city. Could he take advantage of this opportunity to set up a trap and pull off another daring maneuver? This was a golden opportunity! The more Shen Tang thought about it, the more tempted he became. He quickly finished his drink and paid the bill.
[Boss, the money's on the table!]
Shen Tang instructed Lu Ji to put all the original flags back in, which led to the "horrifying" scene that Jiang Sheng and the others witnessed.
"Tu Nan, you're back just in time." Shen Tang waited and waited until Ning Yan returned, then handed her a document sealed with wax. "I have a task for you. Deliver this letter requesting assistance to the neighboring county as quickly as possible."
Scams don't have to be old-fashioned, as long as they can fool people.
The initiative must be firmly in our own hands. Shen Tang plans to repeat the same tactic, luring the troops from the neighboring county to the city for an ambush. If they win, great; if not, they can immediately retreat to the city for defense. This strategy allows for both offense and defense!
Shen Tang: "We must do this before Zheng Qiao reacts."
A name on the Imperial Seal Register will not disappear even if the owner betrays the cause, but death is different; it will be automatically "cancelled" after seven days. Shen Tang must strike first before Zheng Qiao issues new orders or the neighbors notice something amiss and send troops to surround him! A proactive attack is always better than a passive defense!
Ning Yan quickly went through the plan in her mind.
He cupped his hands in acceptance and said, "Yes, sir."
While ordinary literary scholars may also possess avatars of their literary energy, these avatars cannot stray too far from their true forms, and their own literary energy will leak out, making it easy for others to discern their true nature. Ning Yan's [Utterly Illusory] is different; as long as she doesn't actively expose it, it is practically perfect.
Shen Tang was secretly busy with a series of scams, making a name for himself in Zheng Qiao's territory without the territorial owner noticing.
Zheng Qiao was still fishing, and with nothing else to do, he looked at the battle report.
After a few glances, I found it uninteresting: "Just a cowardly rat."
For several days, the Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces only dared to probe in small areas, but dared not truly set up their formation for a direct confrontation. It was unclear what their true intentions were. Compared to the allied forces jumping around, he was more concerned about how many fish he could catch today.
Just as I was thinking this, the fishing rod in my hand suddenly felt heavy.
He said, "There are some again."
He reeled in the fishing rod, but there was no prey on the hook.
Zheng Qiao frowned and muttered, "The fish escaped?"
"If they've run away, they've run away. Let those who are willing take the bait."
As he spoke, he flicked the fishing rod, briefly creating ripples on the water's surface.
Before the next prey could be caught, steady footsteps echoed from the deck of the warship: "Your Majesty, news has come from the front."
Zheng Qiao casually remarked, "Are those scumbags causing trouble again?"
After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Just send them away casually."
The visitor said gravely, “Our scouts at the front have detected a supply convoy with suspicious movements, escorted by heavy shield warriors under Huang Lie’s command. The guards are extremely tight; anyone who gets too close is killed… We’ve also lost two of our scout falcons.”
Zheng Qiao asked, "What is the size of this grain transport team?"
The other party replied, "There are only ten supply wagons."
Judging from the fallen grain, it should be very ordinary old grain. However, was it really necessary to send 500 heavy shield warriors to escort ten carts of old grain? He suspected there was a trap, and the problem was most likely with one of the carts, but unfortunately, he hadn't found out anything more yet.
Zheng Qiao chuckled and said, "They're serious this time."
The visitor, looking puzzled, asked, "This humble general is dull and incompetent and does not understand its meaning. I humbly request Your Majesty to enlighten me."
Zheng Qiao looked at the water surface ruffled by the breeze and said in a mocking tone, "What do you think Huang Lie used to create the so-called Heavy Shield Warrior? Although Huang Lie was cautious and kept this matter well hidden, there are no secrets in the world, and no mouth that cannot be pried open for a reason. He recruited many physicians who were skilled in alchemy to refine and stockpile 'Hercules Pills'."
He took out a pill the size of a longan from his pouch. The pill was perfectly round, brownish-brown, and emitted a very peculiar medicinal fragrance when brought closer. It contained many precious herbs that were invigorating and refreshing; even a brief whiff of their aroma would invigorate the spirit.
"This is the most important part of creating the Heavy Shield Warrior." He tossed the pill behind him, and it landed precisely in the hand of the general behind him.
"Such a fine item! This subordinate shall send men to seize it!"
The general's tiger-like eyes flashed with a sharp light!
Zheng Qiao raised her hand to stop her: "Why would you snatch it?"
The military officer said, "If we don't seize them, wouldn't it cause trouble for the king if Huang Lie created more 'Heavy Shield Warriors'? Even if we don't need them, we can't let Huang Lie benefit from them for nothing!"
"The ignorant masses only know that the pills are miraculous, but they don't know that this thing can also take a life." Zheng Qiao came from the royal family of Geng Kingdom, which was the main force advocating the extermination of the Gongxi clan back then. They had collected all of the Gongxi clan's documents and had also secretly studied the Wu Kingdom's Gu calamity for several years. How could he not know how to use these things? Precisely because he knew, he had no interest in taking them.
"Eating one pill gives you only a 10% chance of success."
Military officer: "What about the remaining 90%?"
“Naturally, it’s death!” Zheng Qiao said calmly. “This is only if the user takes the initiative, has a firm belief, and actively accepts the ‘Hercules Pill’s’ invasion and tempering of themselves. If the user is unwilling and resists with all their might, not one in a hundred will survive.”
Zheng Qiao is still self-aware.
Where would you find so many willing people under your command?
Huang Lie, on the other hand, was different.
Huang Lie was driven out with hundreds of thousands of refugees and bandits, and these common people regarded him as their savior. Even though Huang Lie told them that the chance of survival after taking this "Hercules Pill" was very, very low, many common people still kowtowed and begged for just one pill.
Even if someone dies from eating him, they won't feel any resentment towards Huang Lie.
Huang Lie granted them a chance to change their fate, allowing them to escape their commoner status and possess the strength and physique to rival martial arts masters, ensuring they wouldn't die as easily as weeds. Their failures could only be attributed to bad luck and a lack of willpower.
Zheng Qiao sighed, "They're clearly not even human, yet the foolish masses have elevated him to a god-like status. That's why they call them foolish masses."
The military officer was speechless for a moment.
At that moment, Zheng Qiao's fishing rod moved again.
I put the line back in, only to find there was no prey on the hook.
A slight crack appeared in Zheng Qiao's calm expression.
The military officer also realized something was wrong and whispered, "Your Majesty, the fishhook missed twice. What went wrong?"
Zheng Qiao did not answer, but instead looked in a certain direction and asked, "Has any report come back about the ambush on Shen Tang?"
The military officer shook his head: "Is Your Majesty worried about failing?"
Zheng Qiao replied, "After all, she is the person my senior brother has taken a liking to."
The military officer outwardly agreed, but inwardly he didn't take it seriously.
If Yan An were truly so good at judging people, he wouldn't have been chopped up by his junior brother and his corpse thrown to feed the dogs.
"Keep a close eye on it, and report back immediately if there is any news."
The military officer clasped his hands and said, "Yes, sir!"
Straight bait fishing never fails, but after missing twice today, Zheng Qiao felt utterly bored and returned to the cabin early with his fish basket. He tossed the basket to a servant beside him: "Have the kitchen cook these few and feed them to the animals in the cat and dog kennel."
The eunuch accepted it with trepidation.
at the same time--
The atmosphere within the Dragon Slayer Alliance was somewhat strange.
Alliance leader Huang Lie summoned everyone. Inside the tent were several large boxes, each open and filled with brownish-red pills the size of longans. The less perceptive couldn't understand what was going on, while the more astute vaguely guessed that these were Huang Lie's trump card. But they couldn't understand why Huang Lie hadn't kept them hidden, but instead, unusually, brought them out.
The soldiers presented stacks of pills to the table.
Wu Xian was the first to break the silence.
"What is this, Alliance Leader?"
Gu Ren had spent many years with his sixth brother and had a basic understanding of pharmacology. With a quick sniff, he could identify several of the medicinal herbs. The aroma was clear and pure, lingering and not dissipating; one whiff told him it wasn't cheap. He put the pills back: "Alliance Leader Huang, just tell me and wait for the answer. If we try to guess, I'm afraid we won't get it."
Huang Lie didn't intend to keep people in suspense.
He immediately revealed his trump card: "This item is called 'Hercules Pill.' Although the name is crude and simple, it is a rare treasure. You gentlemen must have been curious for a long time about how my heavy shield warriors were trained. The key lies in this pill!"
Gu Ren frowned upon hearing this.
Subtly push the dish away.
Because of his thirteenth brother Shao Chong's experience, Gu Ren was extremely averse to this thing; the round pills seemed to be twisting into grotesque, irrational faces. He said in an unfriendly tone, "Such a treasure, does Alliance Leader Huang intend to share it with us?"
Huang Lie seemed oblivious to the rejection in his words.
He nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking."
These words caused an uproar among the people in the tent.
Unexpectedly, Gu Ren slammed his hand on the table, silencing the noise inside the tent. Gu Ren said in a sarcastic tone, "I'm afraid I'm not worthy of Alliance Leader Huang's kindness. Please forgive me."
Yet another post from my girlfriends (〃'▽'〃)
Apple's article, "Live-streaming debt collection: One follower terrifies the entire internet!"
The legendary Taoist master Jiang Ningning transmigrated and became the owner of an incense shop!
A quick look at the original owner's ledger reveals nothing but debt? No worries! Let's start a live-streamed debt collection!
PS: I assembled a wooden keyboard today, and the feel is surprisingly good. The sound is also quite unique. Sigh, custom keyboards are such a huge pitfall.
P.S.: This afternoon, I went with my mom to get my head shaved, wearing a leather jacket. The amount of hair he has is equivalent to the baby hair of four children this afternoon! Wow, he could be a programmer when he grows up, no worries about going bald. Also, I, Shiitake, deeply understand the difference between hair and eyebrows in a child's appearance—it's like two completely different people.
(End of this chapter)
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