"Take the initiative to attack?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the meeting hall was in an uproar.
Several soldiers, garrisons, and governors had their eyelids twitching, unable to hide the shock on their faces.
You must know that the seal of the Ten Thousand Mountains has not been lifted yet. When the demons first invaded, the former demon-suppressing envoy was killed, the mountain-killing army was defeated, more than half of the twelve armies were lost, and half of the sixteen prefectures in the south were directly lost. The mountain-killing army, together with more than 200,000 prefecture soldiers, were defeated on the battlefield, and the defense line was in jeopardy.
Right now, defense is already difficult enough, let alone attack. What's more, now that the seals of the Ten Thousand Mountains have been lifted, the Ten Evil Demons are likely to move north on a large scale. The most important thing right now is to organize troops, strengthen the defense line, and prepare countermeasures.
Although the Ninth Mountain's troops are now strong, taking the initiative to attack is tantamount to trying to grab chestnuts from the fire, which is a bit far-fetched!
"This"
Gao Yu's pupils trembled and his tone was shocked. He looked at General Fan opposite him and the Nancheng garrison commander under his right hand, and saw the shock in each other's eyes.
Before they could calm down, Yun Tiansheng continued to speak in a shocking manner, "Not only the Ninth Mountain, but also the front line of defense will all be in action. There will be a big battle. There is no chance of losing this battle. Once we fail, most of Shu will fall, and Jinguan City will bear the brunt. So, there is no way out this time. The general asked everyone to come here to prepare for this war with the strength of the whole city, and even the strength that all the prefectures in the Dao can gather. Do you understand?"
If the previous words were just a stone thrown into a calm lake, this sentence would directly create huge waves on the lake.
Everyone present could no longer sit still.
"Jiu Zhonglang is going to take the initiative and fight the demons to the death. Isn't this too..."
Among the crowd, Liao Qingshan, the garrison commander of West City, had a solemn expression on his face. His heart was churning. He straightened up and sat upright. He wanted to ask if this decision was too risky, but he hesitated.
Yun Tiansheng saw this and knew that he was considering the general, so he did not dare to speak loudly, "Captain Liao, please speak up. This time we are just discussing this with you. There is no need to consider anything. The general also means this."
Liao Qingshan nodded, his eyes full of worry, and said, "I want to ask, is this decision too risky? You know, the power of the Fusi has been weakened again and again, and even the military system has been mostly destroyed. The demon seal has been lifted, and it is at its peak. The soldiers led by Jiu Zhonglang are now the pillars of stability in the hearts of the people in the city. If we take the initiative to send troops, it is hard to say whether there will be casualties, and it will cause riots. I am afraid that the rear will be unstable. Why not take it slowly and take defense as the main method? This is a more reliable way!"
"That's just boiling a frog in warm water, and we are the frog! You all know that our Fusi is at a disadvantage compared to the 100,000 mountain demons. If we wait until the demons gather their strength to attack, we may not even have a chance to resist and will collapse at the first blow. This is not alarmist talk, but a fact that is likely to happen."
"As for the rear, don't worry for now. The general has already ordered me to guard the rear and coordinate with all forces to ensure the stability of the rear and provide protection for the troops on the front line."
His tone was calm, showing the demeanor of a general, and his eyes fell on the faces of the others, giving people a convincing feeling.
As he finished speaking, Liu Qing, who was sitting opposite him, put his hands on the armrests of the chair and spoke sternly,
"According to the order of my general, this time I will lead the troops. More than 10,000 cavalrymen of my Central Divine Power Army will set off for the battlefield soon. This time, we will go deep into the heart of the demons, which is extremely dangerous, so..." As he spoke, his leopard eyes opened, shining brightly, and he looked at the chief historian in charge of the armory and the directors of the ten departments in charge of the mountains.
"This cavalry officer needs the authority to mobilize the weapons, elixirs, and talismans in the arsenal of the government. In addition, I need the full cooperation of the ten mountain departments to build stronger armor, sharper swords, select the best exotic horses, and enough mountain-cutting flags to bless the formation."
"Master Yang, Director Wu."
"I'm here!" The two men quickly stood up from their chairs, lowered their heads slightly, and held each other's armrests.
"Do you two have any objection to what I said?" Liu Qing asked with an eagle-like gaze.
"When I receive the order, I will immediately notify the ten departments of each mountain and make every effort to complete the deployment according to the requirements of the General of Cavalry." Chief Wu, a middle-aged man with a mustache and wearing thin armor, clasped his fists in response.
Then, Liu Qing's gaze shifted and fell on Yang Changshi, who was in charge of the Fusi armory. The other party was a veteran in his sixties and looked a little embarrassed.
Liu Qing frowned when he saw the other person's expression, and the chief secretary quickly spoke up.
"In reply to Liu Huqi, the authority to use the armory can be given to the general, but I'm afraid Huqi will be disappointed. Now in the armory, apart from the various Taoist soldiers and puppets that are sealed and retained, there are still enough. There are not many consumable resources such as elixirs and talismans left. First, the demons on both sides of Shu have been causing chaos for a long time, and these resources are consumed greatly. Many years of accumulation cannot bear this consumption speed. Second, the military supplies provided by the court are decreasing day by day. It is difficult to rely on the alchemists and talisman masters of the Fusi to supply such a huge consumption."
As he said this, he sighed a little.
When everyone heard this, they raised their eyebrows, and then they all fell silent. This was true. The consumption of resources in a war was a terrifying number, especially the complex situation in Shu, where the Hundred Thousand Mountains and the Eight Demon Kingdoms were both causing trouble. The most important thing was that the imperial court did not provide enough military supplies, causing the Fusi to be somewhat stretched.
This situation may become worse in the future, because their general openly disobeyed the court at Tianxiong Pass, and they don't know what the court's attitude is. Even though the Demon-Suppressing General has spoken, it is unlikely to get any better.
However, this is not something that cannot be solved!
"It's okay. The important thing is to get out those sealed Taoist soldiers and war puppets. As for the basic elixirs and talismans, this cavalryman will pass the general's message to each family in the city and ask them to help purchase enough shares." Liu Qing spoke slowly.
What he wanted were the Taoist soldiers that had been collected and sealed over the years in the armory, as well as the war puppets with extremely strong lethality activated by Mohist mechanical techniques. As for consumables such as elixirs and talismans, he would purchase them from the major markets in the city. These shops were basically controlled by the major families in the city, and he only needed to convey the general's message, and he thought those families would give him this face.
"Yes!" Yang Changshi's expression relaxed and he responded.
"Please sit down, both of you!"
The two nodded and sat back in their seats.
At this time Liu Qing turned his gaze to Lu Ming on the opposite side, and the others also looked at this mighty cavalry general on the right.
Lu Ming understood, his eyes slowly turned, and he spoke, "I am a cavalryman under the order of the general, leading the troops to build fortifications and set up a defense line outside Jinguan City. A large number of manpower is needed, and the matter is of great importance."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on the four city governors, Guo, Sun, Zhang, and Ji, who were sitting at the end of the table.
"This will require the help of the four governors!"
Upon hearing this, the four of them quickly stood up, bowed, and waited for orders.
The governor of Dongcheng took the lead and said, "Please give us your instructions, General Lu!"
Lu Ming looked thoughtful, "After you four go back, issue a document early tomorrow morning and recruit a large number of civilians and craftsmen from the city and counties outside the prefecture in the form of half corvée and half labor according to the household registration of the government. In addition, you should be familiar with coordinating the logistics, food, and carriages of these people. In short, this cavalry wants you to recruit enough people as quickly as possible to start the work."
"I will arrange my men to assist you in completing this matter and will also instruct you on some of the specific matters."
"Do you understand?"
"I understand." The four governors Guo, Sun, Zhang and Ji bowed their heads and responded one by one. There was a sense of nervousness under their drooping brows. It seemed that this was going to be serious.
They could imagine the importance of this battle. If they failed, the consequences would be disastrous. They couldn't help but become nervous and their heartbeats quickened.
"Sit down!"
Lu Ming finished explaining what he wanted to say.
The atmosphere became tense and solemn as the people spoke. There was a brief silence, and the people who came to discuss the matter naturally understood that the Ninth Mountain had made up its mind, and the three cavalry captains each performed their duties and formulated their own plans.
There was a sense of impending storm in the air, and everyone's mood became a little heavy.
Finally, Yun Tiansheng broke the silence, "Okay, we are not going to die. My general has his own reasons."
Then, he turned his gaze and looked at the others.
"Everyone, don't just stand there, the battle has already begun, it's time to get busy!"
As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and the door to the first floor hall slammed open.
The people present understood and stood up one after another.
"Then we, the subordinates, will take our leave first."
The governor of the four cities stood up, held the handrail above him, and then prepared to turn around and leave.
Yang Changshi and Director Wu were also at about the same time.
Just as they were about to turn around, a vague voice reached everyone's ears, "Today's meeting is a military secret. The general does not want this matter to be mentioned by outsiders. If someone spreads it, be careful."
"Yes Yes Yes."
The people who left were not angry after hearing this. This was natural. It was a serious matter. If this matter got out, they would lose their heads. No one would be let off.
Among them, Nancheng Governor Guo Lixiong was startled. He felt as if they were pointing fingers at him. After all, his rebellious son was expelled from the Ninth Mountain because he had a big mouth and said things he shouldn't have said.
He was alert in his heart and kept his mouth shut. He also locked up his rebellious son when he got back.
Soon, people left the hall one by one.
The last to leave were the two military officers Gao Yu and Fan Chou, who were usually in charge of other affairs of the Fusi. They discussed and confirmed some things with Yun Tiansheng and the other two again. When they left, some of them frowned and some were worried.
After a cup of tea, only Yun Tiansheng, Liu Qing and Lu Ming were left sitting opposite each other in the hall on the first floor.
The door was open. After everyone left, the three of them fell silent. They quietly watched the snow flying outside the door and listened to the chaotic neighing of horses outside.
At some point, Liu Qing spoke in a muffled voice, "They all think that the general is still in charge of the situation in the Ninth Mountain. We don't know whether it is right or wrong for us to do this."
"This is what the general told us to do, but the general is not around, and we don't have his courage and bravery. But now, the three of us must become strong as soon as possible and take on the responsibility of the Ninth Mountain. No matter what, no matter how great the risk, we must bring the general back!" Yun Tiansheng said in a sonorous tone and a firm look.
"Old Yun is right!" Lu Ming patted the armchair hand, and then looked at Liu Qing with a pair of big eyes, "Old Liu, when are you going to send troops?"
"Of course as soon as possible. However, my brothers have been training at Jiangjun Mountain for about a month. Many of them have achieved breakthroughs and have reached a higher level in martial arts. Several of our old subordinates are also trying to break through the Heavenly Gate. Their original weapons and armor are no longer suitable and need to be rebuilt. Otherwise, they will not be able to exert their strength. Besides, going to the front line and deep into the heart of the demons is quite dangerous. It is not worth it if we lose our lives in the hands of the demons because of these trivial matters."
"Unfortunately, if we give it more time, the overall strength of my Ninth Mountain will increase significantly, and those old subordinates may all break through the heavenly barrier."
The people Liu Qing was talking about were all veterans under their command, who had lived all the way from the last General of the Central Army to the present. Some of them had been in the Qi Refining stage, and some had been in the Physical Refining stage. They had fought on the battlefield and survived, and were now making rapid progress and were trying to break through the Heavenly Gate.
Yun Tiansheng and Lu Ming knew all this. Yun Tiansheng's eyes suddenly jumped.
"Don't worry, have you forgotten?"
"The general left us the resources of tens of thousands of soldiers!"
"The corpses of hundreds of Heavenly Gate demons!"
"Distribute this flesh and blood to the soldiers to improve their strength as quickly as possible. Leave some of the demon bones to Lu Ming, who will use them in building formations. Give some of the demon bones and demon fur and scales to the sword and halberd divisions of each mountain. Let them use these demon materials to forge weapons and armor for your frontline operations as soon as possible."
"Achieve three birds with one stone!"
"I've thought about this, but the general hasn't given any order." Liu Qing said rigidly.
Yun Tiansheng shook his head helplessly. "The general asked Mr. Gongsun to pass on the message that we should do everything according to our own convenience. If the general knew that we were still entangled in this matter at this critical moment, he would scold us for being as stupid as pigs."
"Yeah, let's do it!"
Soon, the three reached an agreement.
The flesh and blood of hundreds of Tianguan demons, such a huge amount of resources, is extremely precious at this critical moment.
Good steel should be used on the tip of a knife. With these things, the strength of the Ninth Mountain can rise to a new level in a short period of time!
Yun Tiansheng and the other two suddenly remembered the heroic woman in red who had left in the afternoon, and their hearts were filled with admiration.
After the general's accident, this woman took the initiative to take on the important task of resettling tens of thousands of soldiers and escorting so much precious demon flesh and blood back to Jinguan. She had no selfish interests in her mind, and with just a little effort, she solved many problems for the Ninth Mountain.
In this way, the three of them reached the top of the ninth mountain.
The next day, at dawn, the morning bell rang, and horses carrying yamen runners rushed to the streets and alleys of the governor's office. Doors were knocked one after another, and notices were posted one after another.
Jinguan City soon became noisy!
And thousands of miles away, in the Ten Thousand Mountains, in the Yinshan area, a hundred miles south of the original barren mountain, there is a water curtain cave behind a stream.
Suddenly, three splashes of water appeared in the stream waterfall, and then three figures with extraordinary auras condensed from the three splashes of water and stepped into the water curtain cave behind.
"Brother Chen, as expected, we followed your method and saw the trace of the boat in the dark river below where we were before. This guy is still following us."
After the three of them appeared, they saw Chen Yuan sitting cross-legged on a bluestone. Their expressions changed and they spoke.
On the bluestone, Chen Yuan opened his eyes, and the cold light in his eyes could be seen three feet away, extremely cold.
"Begin with courtesy, then use force. Since this thing doesn't follow the rules, find a chance to kill it!" (End of this chapter)
