Within the Summer Kingdom’s vast domain, its mountains and rivers, lakes and cities, every strategic pass and vital stronghold were all laid bare, shrunk to miniature scale upon a grand sand table.

The subtle shift of a small general’s flag could dictate the life and death of tens of thousands of soldiers.

Chen Zeqing gazed upon this miniature world, his eyes holding an almost otherworldly depth. He remarked casually, “To speak of it, the warfare in Youping Prefecture is actually progressing more smoothly than in Linwu Prefecture.”

Wang Yiwu showed a flicker of interest. “Because of Tian Anping?”

“Not entirely.” Chen Zeqing withdrew his gaze. “Are you familiar with Yan Fu?”

Wang Yiwu raised an eyebrow. “Why would I be familiar with him?”

Chen Zeqing smiled. “Yan Fu wages war in a very interesting manner.”

“Is he also skilled in military strategy?” Wang Yiwu asked with disinterest.

Chen Zeqing chuckled. “On the northern front, he has been actively buying over enemy generals. Surrender, and you receive silver. Bring soldiers to surrender, and the silver increases. He’s even put forth the slogan, ‘Surrender one army, live a life without worry. Surrender one city, enjoy three generations of wealth and nobility’…” He paused, shaking his head with a laugh. “Whether he is skilled in strategy, I cannot discern, but the results seem rather effective.”

Wang Yiwu wore an expression of ‘this is even possible,’ unsure of how to respond.

Chen Zeqing spoke again. “I also wonder what Zhao Nan is doing.”

Wang Yiwu offered a rare laugh. “Perhaps he is wondering… what *we* are doing!”

The maddening tide of warfare had temporarily receded. Following a brief silence, the undercurrents of a more intense confrontation were already building.

In the tense interlude of conflict, the two senior and junior brothers casually chatted, their conversation drifting across the world.

In fact, when Wang Yiwu had first joined the sect, the Military God was preoccupied with martial affairs, and it was his senior brothers who primarily guided his cultivation. Chen Zeqing, in particular, played a leading role, forging a deep bond between them.

However, with the passage of time and their growth in age, each had their own responsibilities to bear. Especially as disciples of the Great Qi’s Military God, while they enjoyed boundless glory, they also had to deliver performances commensurate with that glory, ensuring they did not stain their master’s name.

All their senior brothers, the three who still lived and the two who had passed on, were exceptionally diligent.

It had been a long time since they had conversed in such a manner.

Honggu City, situated behind Huyang Pass, boasted a strategic location, relying on a formidable mountain pass in front and fertile plains behind. For many years, it had seen little military conflict and no natural disasters, making its domain exceptionally wealthy. Compared to Xinjie City in the adjacent Fengli Prefecture, one in the west of Huiming Prefecture and the other in the east, Honggu City served as a vital thoroughfare for the “Fengli Prefecture Army” on their journey homeward, a hub of north-south traffic.

Of course, for Zhong Xuan Sheng, there was no “south-north traffic.” This was simply his target.

This time, the entire Desheng Battalion had once again donned the uniforms of the Shaokang Prefecture Army, a return to their “original intention,” so to speak.

For this campaign against the Summer Kingdom, Zhong Xuan Sheng had meticulously prepared three hundred storage boxes, distributed among the entire army, sufficient to hold a vast quantity of supplies. Naturally, the consumption of Qi and Blood Pills and Dao Yuan Stones by three thousand elite soldiers was also enormous. Soldiers who had not yet reached the Transcendent realm, and those in the early stages of Transcendent cultivation, required even more sustenance. Carrying sufficient supplies was not enough; they had to procure food from the enemy.

Having filled their coffers in Ximing City, they temporarily had no need to worry about Dao Yuan Stones and Qi and Blood Pills.

Compared to Linwu Prefecture, which served as the front line of the Qi-Summer war, and Huyang Pass, which stood as a barrier before the entirety of Huiming Prefecture, guarded by Chu Shuo, Honggu City’s defenses could only be described as lax.

Zhong Xuan Sheng presented the order flag and seal, claiming to be a relief army from Shaokang Prefecture en route to Linwu Prefecture, forced to retreat due to defeat and requiring a nearby place to rest, and so on.

The Honggu City garrison genuinely opened the city gates, inviting the friendly army to rest and replenish their supplies!

It was unclear whether Chu Shuo, stationed at Huyang Pass, was overly confident, or if he believed the Qi army was fundamentally incapable of breaking out of Linwu Prefecture in a short period.

After verifying the order flag and seal, the Honggu City garrison general even personally came out to welcome them.

The venue for entertaining the friendly army was directly chosen as the training grounds of the Honggu City garrison.

Heaps of meat and fish, and a flowing banquet, completely covered the training grounds.

A crowd of “Shaokang Prefecture Army” soldiers scattered and sat down, eating heartily without any pretense – a demeanor perfectly aligned with an embarrassed retreating defeated army.

Their principal general, “Jiang Sheng,” was invited into the main tent, where he personally accompanied the Honggu City garrison general, clinking cups and engaging in lively conversation.

Inevitably, they discussed their ages and shared past glorious experiences. In their seemingly seamless chat, the atmosphere gradually warmed.

As the wine reached a tipsy point, “Jiang Sheng” indicated he wished to summon his adjutant to handle military affairs, claiming he wished to let loose today and enjoy the company of his Honggu City brothers at the wine table, and so on.

When that adjutant entered the tent, the Honggu City garrison general, captains, clerks, and others who were inside, never emerged again.

The guard captain, Li Chen, stationed outside the tent, heard no sound whatsoever. When the “Shaokang Prefecture Army’s” portly general emerged with his adjutant, he even politely bid them farewell.

It wasn’t until he had waited for a considerable time and his own general failed to appear that he went inside to investigate. At that sight, he was utterly terrified, his soul nearly fleeing his body!

The senior military officers of Honggu City, all within the tent, had their throats slit! They lay neatly around the wine table.

He stumbled out to the training grounds, just in time to witness the mutiny of the “Shaokang Prefecture Army.”

Those scattered, hungry “Shaokang Prefecture Army” soldiers set down their cups and bowls, spat out the bones from their mouths, and instantly transformed as if reborn, each exhibiting exceptional prowess. In just a few steps, they had already formed a battle array!

Their blades were swift, their footwork agile. They then pushed forward horizontally, instantly scattering the city garrison, who had barely managed to gather in panic, and mercilessly suppressed all resistance, leaving behind only rolling heads and a dense crowd of kneeling surrenders!

In less than an hour, they had seized control of the garrison camp.

This level of elite efficiency far surpassed his imagination!

Two hours later, all the vital points of the city had been brought under the control of this army.

Li Chen felt a hazy sense of disorientation, as if he were the one who had drunk himself into a stupor at the wine table.

Was everything before him not a nightmare?

But the blade pressing against his neck, forcing him to kneel and surrender, reminded him that he was not dreaming!

Li Chen knelt down in humiliation.

Then, along with all the brothers of the Honggu City garrison, they were rounded up and forcibly ordered to destroy the protective city great array of Honggu City.

In the wails of the protective city great array, and as he personally cleaved through the array nodes he had once guarded.

He truly felt that the portly figure was the most evil demon in the world!

That portly figure demanded that all people submit to the Qi Kingdom, and serve as the vanguard of the Qi army, threatening to kill those who refused.

He killed until blood flowed freely, until people were terrified.

He knelt down once more.

And then, he was actually appointed as a general, assigned two thousand surrendered soldiers from the city garrison, and without any restrictions imposed, ordered to go and launch a sneak attack on Gulan City to the south…

He was consumed by unprecedented fear, anger, and confusion.

Easily broken cities, slain generals, easily gained trust, easily presented opportunities for betrayal – but he completely failed to understand why?!

“Why?”

This was also Jiang Wang’s question.

Although the occupation of Honggu City was relatively easy, it was still a major city, and its value was not insignificant.

But Zhong Xuan Sheng seemed to have no intention of making any significant moves here.

He only did three things.

First, he destroyed the protective city great array and the war resources stored within the city. He threw open the prefecture treasury, taking away everything they could, and destroying everything they couldn’t.

Second, he released all the flying beasts used for transmitting messages during wartime within Honggu City, wrote numerous letters for help, and affixed the City Lord’s seal to all of them.

Third, after forcing the garrison to destroy the protective city great array, he compelled them to surrender. He then divided these surrendered garrison troops into several armies, selecting commanders on the spot, one army to the east, one to the west, driving them out like children, to attack adjacent cities.

Especially this last matter, Jiang Wang could not comprehend its purpose.

One could understand the difficulty of surrender with just a toe. In Ximing City, it was a process of threats, lures, and division, employing every possible means, yet they could not guarantee the Summer Army’s true submission.

Now, acting so roughly in Honggu City, these people would undoubtedly betray them as soon as they left the city.

Sending out these surrendered armies, besides accelerating the exposure of their tracks and details, what other role could it possibly play?

“Huiming is not Linwu. Linwu Prefecture was in utter chaos at that time, the front line stuck in the northern eight cities, not many people could notice us. Occupying Ximing City, we still had some room to maneuver. Huiming Prefecture is different. As long as Huyang Pass does not fall, the rear is an iron plate. They can easily close the door and catch the thief, and we are already a lone army deep in enemy territory.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng explained, “When we entered the city, did you see any Summer Army messenger riders? The kind with mixed blue and white fur, and a blue ribbon tied to their tails.”

Jiang Wang pondered for a moment. “Yes, I saw them.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng gave a sly smile. “I even caught one, just at the rear of the team!”

He seemed to possess some peculiar interest, his current demeanor immediately brought back Jiang Wang’s initial impression of him. m.6zw.net

“So what?” Jiang Wang asked.

“This is another means of wartime communication besides flying beasts outside. This horse is called the Jade Terrace Blue Steed, a military supply that the Summer Kingdom purchased at a high price from the Jing Kingdom. After the war, their Beast Taming Institute’s strength is insufficient, and the demon horses they breed are not ideal, so they have to seek them from outside. Compared to our Wind-Treading Demon Horses, the Jade Terrace Blue Steeds have a slightly shorter lifespan, but they run faster, and when they burn their life force, their speed can even double.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng described the Summer Kingdom’s situation as if listing his own family’s treasures. “The Summer Kingdom’s military has a Jade Terrace Blue Steed patrol system, specifically used for communication in isolated wartime. In the chaotic Linwu Prefecture, this system is already invalid, but in Huiming Prefecture, it still maintains dynamic contact. If Honggu City falls today, the news will spread throughout Huiming Prefecture within three days at most. Even Huyang Pass will soon receive the news that we did not go to Xinjie City, and thus discover the problem… We cannot possibly stay here.”

“Then we still have three days, don’t we?” Jiang Wang said. “Such a large city, surely we can utilize it, do something.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng laughed. “Do you have some obsession with this city? What can we do? At most, imitate the story of Ximing City and capture more prisoners. But the situation here is different from Ximing City. There is no one to take over the prisoners, and we cannot carry out a massacre… We are risking staying inside this city for no reason. Destroying one protective city great array and eliminating one node of the Protective Country Great Array is already the greatest merit we have in hand. Besides this, do not be greedy and think of more!”

“Then you are sending letters everywhere and driving out defeated soldiers, stirring up the waters of the entire Huiming Prefecture… Where do you plan to go next?”

Zhong Xuan Sheng counter-asked, “Suppose you are a person of the Summer Kingdom, one of those Summer Kingdom people whom we have just driven out to attack other cities… Where do you think we want to go?”

Jiang Wang’s gaze fell upon Zhong Xuan Sheng’s uniform and he raised his eyebrows. “Shaokang Prefecture?”

At this moment, he finally understood why they had changed into the uniforms of the Shaokang Prefecture Army before coming to Honggu City!

“Shaokang Prefecture is a land of fish and rice. The spiritual grain produced there is world-renowned and sold to various countries, an important source of finance and taxation for the Summer Kingdom. If possible, I would also want to devastate that place… Occupying one city in Shaokang Prefecture would yield more than capturing three cities in Linwu Prefecture.” Zhong Xuan Sheng chuckled. “So they will absolutely not dare to be negligent!”

Having first plundered Ximing City and then Honggu City, their gains were evident in the spirits of the Desheng Battalion soldiers. Following Zhong Xuan Sheng, Jiang Wang had risked his life, repeatedly infiltrating enemy territory, transferring troops over thousands of miles, barely getting a full night’s sleep, yet no one complained!

Why?

Of course, because their gains were substantial.

Because the things each person had obtained were already beyond imagination.

It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Desheng Battalion was now comprised of wealthy individuals.

The Desheng Business founded by Zhong Xuan Sheng was currently doing well, but its annual revenue could not compare to a single instance of plunder. Every major city was a place where the wealth of tens and hundreds of thousands of people accumulated, especially during wartime, each city held large amounts of military supplies…

After consecutively capturing two major cities, the soldiers of the Desheng Battalion wanted for nothing else. Simply filling their storage boxes with Dao Yuan Stones and Qi and Blood Pills was enough to overflow them.

In fact, during their march, the Desheng Battalion had already quietly buried wealth in several locations, setting up concealed treasure methods, waiting to activate them after the war ended.

Every single person in the Desheng Battalion was a rich man!

Besides, there was another great benefit.

That was the various low-level Dao techniques gathered from the two cities, all divided between Zhong Xuan Sheng and Jiang Wang, and poured into the Taixu Illusion Realm.

During wartime, the Taixu Illusion Realm was isolated and unable to connect to various areas.

But the key holders each month had their own private space within the Taixu Illusion Realm, and connecting to this place was not a problem… Of course, besides communicating with their own Dao Platforms, they could not activate other functions.

Zhong Xuan Sheng’s Dao Platform was at an unknown level, but Jiang Wang’s own Dao Platform had accumulated enough techniques to satisfy the requirements for the sixth level of the Dao Platform, upgrading his long-stagnant Dao Platform to a new level!

From the fourth level to the fifth level of the Dao Platform, it required the consumption of one hundred million points of Law. Because Jiang Wang inherited the legacy left by Zuo Guanglie, he only needed thirty million points of Law to unseal it – this was still an astronomical figure.

Initially, he contributed the Fire Realm technique, receiving the largest single feedback, yet he only obtained over ten million points of Law, still having a gap of over ten million points.

And from the fifth level to the sixth level of the Dao Platform, the consumption of Law already required ten million. He had just unsealed it and needed to acquire three hundred million points of Law.

To accumulate this himself, he did not know how long he would have to wait.

Now, having plundered two cities, he had already completed the process.

Moreover, his honorific title of Taixu Five Elements Cultivator had disappeared with his promotion to Outer Building, but the new honorific title of Taixu Four Symbols Cultivator had been obtained. In addition to the honorific titles that would be retained upon promotion, such as Taixu Strongest Tenglong and Taixu Strongest Inner Mansion, as well as the honorific title of Taixu Envoy that came with the Taixu Corner Tower.

The effect of his Dao Platform could now be urged to the tenth level!

This meant that most of the Dao techniques he had learned throughout his body, as long as he accumulated enough merit, could be evolved.

However, to truly utilize its function, he would have to wait until the end of this war, when the Taixu Illusion Realm reconnected to various areas.

Plundering two cities had already yielded such gains.

Shaokang Prefecture’s wealth surpassed that of Huiming and Linwu tenfold. Jiang Wang, in a relaxed state of mind, acknowledged that he would absolutely not want the enemy army to attack this place.

Then, in the next period of time, the armies of the various cities in Huiming Prefecture, having received the news, would undoubtedly be dispatched to where they would go next…

This was precisely the outcome Zhong Xuan Sheng desired!

His next target was Xinjie City, located in the east of Huiming Prefecture, adjacent to Fengli Prefecture!

Truly, feigning a strike to the west while attacking the east, a move calculated three steps ahead! It left Jiang Wang, who finally understood, sighing in admiration.

The great god’s emotions are why this update is the fastest