By Cao Jie’s decree, Chen Fu, leading three hundred thousand county soldiers, advanced upon the northern territories of the Xia country: Youping, Wuxing, and Yuxici prefectures.

Beneath his banner marched Tian Anping, Tian Antai, Yang Jing (the younger brother of Yang Luo, Governor of Biwu County), Mo Liancheng of the Mo family from Baizhi County, Qi Qilianghua (son of Qi Wen), Gao Zhe of the Gao family from Jinghai, Zhang Weiyu (an official from the Ministry of Personnel), and Yan Fu of Bei County, among others.

Accompanying the army were numerous experts from various sects within the borders, including a considerable number at the Divine Revelation realm. The assembled force was undeniably formidable.

Among these, Young Master Yan Fu, who had initially been part of the Drunken Peak Army at the grand oath-taking ceremony in the western suburbs of Linzi, had since transitioned to the county soldiers’ ranks. Now in command of an army, he seemed intent on vying for military merit and distinguishing himself alongside Tian Anping.

Simultaneously, Xie Huaian, at the head of three hundred thousand allied forces from the eastern domains, spearheaded the assault on the eastern parts of the Xia country: Linwu, Huiming, and Fengli prefectures.

His ranks included Jiang Wang, Chongxuan Sheng, Xie Baoshu, Bao Bozhao, and Bao Zhongqing.

Naturally, the rising stars of the eastern domain nations were also present, such as Lin Xian of Rong country and Lin Jie of Yi country, some of whom were Divine Revelation cultivators.

On the whole, while the eastern domains’ allied forces boasted a greater number of experts, the Great Qi county soldiers possessed superior elite training. Thus, the strength of the two fronts was considered roughly equal.

Should the Xia country mistakenly believe Qi’s army was employing a feint and a real attack, they would suffer a significant loss. Both lines were, in truth, primary forces!

This time, the million-strong Great Qi army invading Xia consisted entirely of elite troops.

With a single command from Cao Jie, the forces surged forth like a tidal wave, spreading across the entire Xia country.

It is worth noting that the vanguard general, Chongxuan Zun, given free rein, chose to attack the eastern part of the Xia country. This held a clear implication of rivalry with his portly younger brother.

At this juncture, all long-distance communication within the entirety of Xia territory had been severed. Both Qi and Xia had lost the ability to exert real-time remote control over the war.

Cao Jie, alongside Yan Ping and Ruan Qu, commanded the nine troops and three armies, facing off against Si Jiao and Yu Liyang at Tongyang City.

True Monarchs engaged in mutual probing and pursuit, their armies’ spirit of battle clashing from afar. The Qi army maintained a constant assault on the city, though always within limits, simply to maintain pressure.

And thus, the comprehensive, chaotic new phase of the war unfolded…

“This… where are we going?” Following the army’s passage through the narrow mountain valley, Jiang Wang was somewhat bewildered.

Xie Huaian had led the army into Linwu prefecture four days prior. The three hundred thousand allied forces from the eastern domains were attacking cities and strongholds everywhere, engaged in fierce combat. The vanguard general, Chongxuan Zun, displayed great divine might, and figures like Bao Bozhao and Xie Baoshu repeatedly achieved merit. Beacon fires were ignited almost simultaneously across the northern eight cities of Linwu prefecture…

Yet, Chongxuan Sheng had been leading his contingent in a hurried march.

Moreover, he specifically chose sparsely populated areas, following remote, winding paths. Jiang Wang couldn’t fathom how he was so intimately familiar with the geography of the Xia country!

Chongxuan Sheng tapped the ring on his left index finger. Mist billowed forth, revealing a remarkably detailed map of Xia’s terrain suspended in the air.

This object, capable of functioning even in the incredibly chaotic environment of the Illusionary Realm, was even more effective within Xia territory. Mountains, rivers, cities, and towns were all clearly displayed.

The corpulent figure glanced at the map, then said, “Almost there. This is Jinglong Valley. Exiting the valley, head two hundred *li* southwest in a zig-zag pattern, and you’ll reach Ximing City.”

While Jiang Wang was unfamiliar with Xia’s geographical layout, he recognized the map. After a brief inspection, he said with some surprise, “We’re almost at Huiming prefecture!”

Linwu prefecture comprised a total of twenty cities, and Ximing City was the southernmost major city within its borders. Further south lay the boundary of Huiming prefecture.

“We walked a bit slow,” Chongxuan Sheng turned back to regard the winding line of soldiers. “But to maintain combat strength, this was the only way.”

The war banner emblazoned with the flower-like pattern had, of course, been furled. The contingent, having hurried day and night, showed signs of fatigue.

A unit of three thousand individuals was neither a vast number nor a small one. Leading them on a forced march across mountains and ridges was no easy feat.

These three thousand were soldiers, all drawn from Qiu Sha, making them first-class elites. Furthermore, due to his connection with the Lian family, the stout Chongxuan was willing to spend generously. All their equipment was of the highest quality. Swift travel talismans, qi and blood pills, none were lacking. Only with these could they keep up, managing to infiltrate and encircle within Xia-controlled territory in just three days, drilling their way here.

And yet, Chongxuan Sheng still considered it slow!

“We can’t go any faster,” Jiang Wang, who had recently absorbed a fair amount of military strategy knowledge, remarked casually. “Unless it’s just the two of us.”

“Do you think I don’t know what you know?” Chongxuan Sheng muttered softly. Before Jiang Wang could fully catch his words, he turned back to issue an order: “Whole army halt and change clothes!”

His personal guards, or *qinbing*, immediately produced sets of green military uniforms from storage boxes and distributed them one by one. Chongxuan Sheng’s personal guards were, of course, his shadow guards, who also served as his standard-bearers.

Their number was small, only a little over ten. Green Brick, who had accompanied Jiang Wang to Biwu County previously, was also among them.

At this moment, Jiang Wang finally understood Chongxuan Sheng’s plan, but the military uniforms still perplexed him.

“Whose army’s clothes are these?” Jiang Wang asked as he changed.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t use the Wishful Immortal Robe to change, but Jiang Wang was afraid he might not observe details closely enough, leading to oversight and eventual exposure, which would be detrimental.

“Shaokang Prefecture Prefecture Army.” Chongxuan Sheng, with the assistance of Fourteen, struggled to put on his armor.

This specially crafted general’s armor of the Xia country’s Prefecture Army encased him like an iron can.

Shaokang prefecture was located southwest of Huiming prefecture, bordering Jin’an prefecture and Huaiqing prefecture, with a small portion bordering Sang prefecture. It was still a considerable distance from the front lines, which provided a logical reason for it to be dispatched to support Linwu prefecture – the Xia court was indeed doing this, forwarding various prefecture armies to the front.

Jiang Wang said discontentedly, “Why do you pretend to be a general, while I’m just a small officer?”

Chongxuan Sheng chuckled, “With my distinguished build, if I said I wasn’t a high official, no one would believe it!”

Jiang Wang was truly speechless. He then asked, “Since we’re deceiving people, why didn’t we clear the battlefield before leaving? Stripping off the Zhen Guo Army soldiers’ uniforms would make it harder to be discovered, right?”

Chongxuan Sheng raised a finger. “Firstly, having just experienced battle, those stripped uniforms would be bloodstained, which would easily arouse suspicion.”

“Secondly, military operations prioritize speed. Although long-distance extraordinary communication is isolated, the transmission of messages by flying exotic beasts, and even direct flight by Xia country experts, cannot be prevented. The news of the comprehensive chaotic battle has already spread, and the north of Linwu prefecture is currently locked in fierce combat. We cannot afford to wait.”

“Third!” He lowered two fingers, a smile on his face. “The previous two points are not important. The most crucial reason is that in the current situation, the Zhen Guo and Shen Wu armies are fundamentally incapable of leaving Xiangyou prefecture. To pretend to be them and capture cities? I can’t imagine who would be fooled!”

Jiang Wang was somewhat speechless, and he eyed Chongxuan Sheng with a hint of danger.

Seeing his advantage, Chongxuan Sheng ceased his jesting. He turned back to the soldiers who had finished changing and waved a large hand, ordering, “Rest in place! Everyone sleep for one *shichen*! No need for guards, I will keep watch!”

This contingent of soldiers was truly elite. Throughout the entire changing process, there was hardly any noise. Upon receiving the military order, they immediately lay down and quickly entered a state of sleep.

The army possessed a specialized universal sleep method that could help soldiers rapidly fall asleep and recover their physical strength without any negative side effects. The Qi Country Academy had researched this method to its twenty-seventh version, achieving near perfection in balancing ease of learning and recovery effect.

Within the narrow Jinglong Valley, three thousand individuals swiftly fell asleep. Aside from the sound of heavy breathing, only the wind could be heard.

One *shichen* later…

Jiang Jue Ye, who had been standing guard at the valley’s summit with his Qian Yang Chi Tong, retracted his gaze and signaled “all clear” to Chongxuan Sheng. As for why he was on sentry duty… who else had mastered pupil techniques!

Chongxuan Sheng then assembled the army and led them out of the valley.

Jiang Wang scanned the surroundings one last time from afar. Seeing no noteworthy situations, he withdrew the Huo Dou Seal that concealed his presence and leaped down.

It was only then that he grasped the brilliance of Chongxuan Sheng’s order for the soldiers to sleep for one *shichen*. Besides recovering physical strength, simply lying on the ground for a while had added a certain disorder to the already worn Prefecture Army uniforms.

How to put it? At first glance, in terms of spirit and energy, they bore a greater resemblance to those Xia country Prefecture Armies…

Leading the army to this point, Chongxuan Sheng did not proceed directly to Ximing City. Instead, he circled further south before turning towards Ximing City, making it appear as though they were a unit of the Prefecture Army coming from the direction of Huiming prefecture to support Linwu prefecture.

Along the way, they actually encountered a detachment of the Fengli Prefecture Army en route to support Linwu prefecture!

Chongxuan Sheng boldly went forward to greet the other side’s general. With complete flags and uniforms, coupled with an authentic Shaokang prefecture accent, he completely flustered the other party. He even proactively suggested that the two armies combine forces to assist their brothers in Linwu prefecture. His words subtly implied an intention to take command, while also intentionally or unintentionally displaying a bit of his personal military prowess.

The leading general of the Fengli Prefecture Army chuckled awkwardly and evaded the suggestion, stating that he could not make such decisions and would follow upper-level arrangements. He then led his men away like they were avoiding a plague, taking a different path.

Annihilating this detachment of over a thousand Prefecture Army soldiers would, of course, be simple, but the aftermath would be quite troublesome.

Although long-distance extraordinary communication was isolated, the generals of the Xia country were not all weaklings.

It might seem easy for the De Sheng Camp to have quietly infiltrated the Xia country’s hinterlands and reached the border between Linwu and Huiming prefectures, giving the impression of effortless army infiltration. However, this was due to Chongxuan Sheng’s brilliant route selection and the ability of his subordinate soldiers to effectively execute their tasks, several times narrowly avoiding encounters.

Once a large-scale battle occurred, it would quickly be discovered by the Xia country forces. The extermination of a thousand-strong Prefecture Army detachment here, and their subsequent failure to arrive, would quickly narrow down the De Sheng Camp’s area of operation. At that point, a sweeping search by the main army…

Therefore, Chongxuan Sheng would rather coax than fight.

From Xiangyou prefecture into Linwu prefecture, they had followed a path of insertion and evasion, drilling their way through remote areas, circling through deep mountains and ancient forests.

Now, from the border of Linwu and Huiming prefectures to Ximing City, they swaggered along the official road, raising dust all the way. Their flag was ostentatious, their demeanor equally so, truly resembling a regular Great Xia army.

In the process, they even passed through a village.

The village chief, seeing the movement from afar, brought some young adults with shoulders laden and hands full, offering many things to the soldiers.

“How can this be?” Chongxuan Sheng righteously declared, “We are the heavenly army of Great Xia, with strict discipline! We do not offend the common people in the slightest! How can I accept your things?”

The old village chief tightly grasped Chongxuan Sheng’s hand. “General is loyal to the monarch and country, working day and night…” Feeling the plumpness of his hand, he changed his words. “Defending our homes and protecting our country. This old man only regrets not being young enough to personally wield a blade in battle. We’ve prepared some food and drink from our own families, simply to express a little something from our hearts. How can you refuse?”

The old man was truly earnest.

Chongxuan Sheng sighed heavily, bypassing the struggling old hen, several jars of village-brewed wine… and only accepted a basket of cakes into his hand.

He said to the old man, “Alright, I will accept these few hemp seed cakes. Consider it accepting the old sir’s kindness. The other things I truly cannot take. I am going to kill the Qi thieves and must travel light. Carrying too many things will only delay matters. Everything is available at the front lines, food and drink are not lacking, old sir please rest assured. This war… this war, we will end as soon as possible.”

The old village chief then called those several young adults forward and said to Chongxuan Sheng, “General, you can refuse the things, but you must take these several young men. Our Liu family village is a family that reads books. The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every man! You cannot stop them from going to kill the enemy!”

“General, I will follow you to kill the Qi dogs!” A simple-minded young man stepped forward vigorously. “I have great strength! I slaughter pigs in the village!”

As he spoke, he gestured with his hand. “Those Qi dogs, Qi pigs, one stroke, one kill! One stroke, one kill!”

Chongxuan Sheng looked at these people with complex eyes. Finally, he said to the old village chief of Liu Family Village, “Fighting is not child’s play. Our soldiers who go to battle have undergone long-term training. How to form ranks, how to swing a knife, these are not things that can be learned in a day or two. You can’t just pick up a hoe and participate…”

“General!” The old village chief stared at him with wide eyes. “Everyone says there’s strength in numbers! These young men, each with good strength, must be useful somehow, right? Even if you take them to block arrows, as long as they can help you kill the Qi dogs, it’s fine!”

The old man blocked the road ahead, displaying considerable audacity. If Chongxuan Sheng didn’t take a few people into the army, he simply wouldn’t let them pass.

Having no other choice, Chongxuan Sheng beckoned to the most energetic young man and said, “Alright, I’m not very familiar with the roads in Linwu prefecture, they’re quite tricky. I’ll take one person from your village as a guide. This way, you’ve contributed strength and also provided grain. The remaining matters, leave them to us brothers who live by the blade! How does that sound?”

Seeing his firm tone, the old village chief only muttered a few sentences. “Is one enough?” “There are many mountain roads in Linwu!”

Ultimately, he still let them go… Afraid of delaying military affairs.

“What’s your name?” On the way to Ximing City, Chongxuan Sheng asked the young man from Liu Family Village.

He was a lively character, not at all shy with strangers. “Liu Dayong!” he answered proudly. He didn’t know if he was proud of joining the army to defend the country, or proud of the name Liu Dayong.

Chongxuan Sheng simply said, “Okay, I’ll find an old soldier to look after you. Don’t wander off, and listen to everything he says.”

He called out, “Green Brick!”

The shadow guard Green Brick, wearing a Prefecture Army uniform like an ordinary soldier, trotted over. He enthusiastically put his arm around Liu Dayong’s shoulder and, speaking in an authentic Shaokang prefecture accent, chatted as they walked…

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