Patrol Captain

The direction of the Baoqing Prefecture faction.

As the Northern Liang cavalry receded like a receding tide, Mu Yuntian and the other generals frowned, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt, racking their brains to figure out which of the Thirty-Six Stratagems this situation was.
"General, the enemy has retreated," the deputy military governor said from the side, looking bewildered.

"I saw it. I'm not blind yet." Mu Yuntian watched as the black tide of smoke and steel rapidly receded, but his brows remained furrowed.

That's really weird.

Originally preparing for a fierce battle, my heart was on edge at all times, but suddenly the opponent's move left me feeling powerless, empty, and everything felt wrong.

"General, what do you think the rebels' intentions are?"

"Are they feigning a retreat to lure us out of the city to pursue them?" This was the most likely possibility he could think of.

The Earl of Xichang beside him was also completely bewildered. “That shouldn’t be the case. They haven’t even fought yet. If they want to lure us out of the city, they should do so after the battle, with the rebels feigning defeat to lure us out for pursuit. Besides, they’ve already raised their royal flag and sounded the horn. This logic doesn’t make sense. I really can’t see what kind of military strategy this is.”

"Could it be that reinforcements from both sides have arrived? However, I know that reinforcements from Guanzhong don't arrive so quickly. Perhaps the main forces at the Yulong Pass on the front lines have already detected the rebels' movements? Should we send someone out of the city to pursue them and investigate?" This Earl of Xichang made a hypothesis.

"No." Mu Yuntian suppressed the suggestion. "The previous letter from the Dragon Control Second Gate did not mention this. If there were any actions, they would definitely inform us. I don't know what's going on right now. Let's continue to observe and be wary of any traps."

"Pass down the order that the entire army must remain on guard and continue to be vigilant. Also, send out several scout teams out of the city to follow the rebels and observe their movements. I want to see what they are up to."

"Yes!"

"Pass on the order—"

Meanwhile, on the southwestern plains of Baoqing Prefecture, above the retreating torrent of Northern Liang cavalry, a flying boat was hidden in the dust. The hull was made entirely of Yinshan black iron mixed with sunken wood, and it was over thirty feet long. Like a lurking black python, it appeared and disappeared in the void. It was shrouded in an array, and there was no gold or paint on it. Only the two sides of the ship's side, the bow was raised high, shaped like an eagle's beak, and the ram was made of refined steel. There were three-story arrow towers on the side of the ship, each with ten large mechanical crossbows. The crossbow bolts were about ten feet long, with shiny patterns. The arrowheads were quenched with the unique frost of Northern Liang, and the quivers were full of killing intent. Three hundred elite Northern Liang soldiers were lined up. The ground was embedded with anti-slip iron ridges. The mast was ten feet high and hung a black flag with the two characters "Northern Liang" written in iron strokes.

On the flying boat, inside the cabin, the atmosphere was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

Inside stood two rows of fierce generals, clad in armor and wielding weapons, their faces grim, their eyes blazing with fury.

In front of him, behind the table, was Xiao Zhongtian, the King of Beiliang, also clad in armor. His body was covered in black armor, the plates of which were like scales. His arm guards were wrapped with three black iron straps, with seven iron rings hanging from the straps, interlocking with each other. His helmet covered his face, revealing only his eyes. A black tassel stood upright on the top of the helmet, the tassel as black as ink. He looked imposing and was dressed in full armor for going to the battlefield.

At this moment, he sat astride the commander's chair, his body lowered, and his large, piercing eyes under his helmet were filled with murderous intent as he stared at a subordinate general kneeling under the table.

The subordinate general kneeling before the table seemed to sense the killing intent; his body trembled uncontrollably, his head bowed low, and he murmured...

"Your Highness, please calm down."

At this moment, a general stepped forward, his face contorted with rage, almost gritting his teeth. "Your Highness," he said, "are we just going to give up like this? We finally found an opportunity; are we just going to retreat like this? This humble general thinks it would be better to capture Baoqing and reclaim what we lost in the south here."

Xiao Zhongtian, who was behind the desk, raised his head and his gaze swept sharply over the general who was speaking. His piercing gaze immediately silenced the general's words.

"Not retreat? Are we just waiting to be raided?" Xiao Zhongtian's voice was cold and harsh, with a hint of sternness. "If we don't retreat now, we're likely to be surrounded on all sides and trapped like turtles in a jar."

"Go on, do you still want to retreat?" He said, his tone turning indifferent, his eyes fixed on the general who was speaking.

The other person turned pale and dared not reply, clearly indicating that the prince was furious at this moment.

"Your Highness, please calm down." Seeing the atmosphere, another general stepped forward. "No one expected that at this critical juncture, the Shu region would launch a surprise attack and strike our rear. It's truly despicable."

He said this with considerable indignation.

These words caused the air to tighten. Xiao Zhongtian, seated on his armchair, gleamed with a sharp light in his eyes. It was that Chen fellow again. His voice held a questioning tone, "I'm also curious, why such a coincidence?"

"The letter said that they only had a few thousand soldiers, yet they managed to open the gate!"

His gaze, sharp as a knife, swept across the faces of everyone in the tent, silencing them all and making them afraid to provoke him at this moment.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside.

A soldier outside reported, "Your Highness, the Holy Monk requests an audience."

As soon as that sound ended, a Buddhist chant rang out.
"Amitabha."

With the chanting of the Buddha's name, a monk appeared, palm up, face compassionate, head slightly bowed, stepping across the threshold into the council hall. His robe was faded from washing, and the golden staff he held in his left hand tapped the ground at an angle, the copper ring at the top of the staff jingling. With each step he took, the somber atmosphere of the room was broken, and it was as if lotus flowers bloomed under his feet, revealing his profound Buddhist nature.

The monk's peaceful aura filled the cabin, subtly calming the atmosphere.

“deng”

Gayaraye slammed the vajra pestle on the ground, raised one hand, and with an expressionless face, said:

"This humble monk has come uninvited."

"I wonder what has angered Your Highness?"

Upon seeing the Western Regions holy monk arrive, Xiao Zhongtian, who was behind the desk, lost his murderous aura and straightened up, though his voice was deep.

"I'm afraid I'll have to break my promise to the holy monk this time."

"Over in Shu, that fellow surnamed Chen still won't let me go. I just received news that they sent several thousand troops to launch a surprise attack on Lazikou Pass, the closest pass to Shu in Northern Liang. They breached the pass and plundered the area. I'm furious."

It turned out that just now, they received news that the troops from Shu had launched a surprise attack on Lazikou Pass, the closest pass to Shu in Beiliang. The attack was successful, breaking through the military formation, and thousands of soldiers were looting the military town.

A breach appeared in their rear, so upon receiving the news, they had no choice but to immediately withdraw their troops.

Xiao Zhongtian was terrified that the troops from Shu would advance all the way into their rear, making them like frightened birds! (End of Chapter)