This place is fun

Chapter 193 Situation

Wen'an City.

“Commander,” Song Yuanfeng strode up the city wall and handed several military intelligence reports and a letter to Wei Zhifei. “This is intelligence from the rear and General Han’s side. The letter is in General Tang’s own handwriting.”

On the city wall of the garrison fortress in the north of the city, Wei Zhifei, his face ashen, was gazing at the distant battlefield.

The exorcism array has been activated. Hundreds of obelisks distributed inside and outside the city rise up in strands of light, intertwining with the light pillar of the magic array in the center to form a white light curtain like a giant umbrella, covering the entire area including a mile outside the garrison fortress.

Now, countless mad puppets and ghost soldiers are launching wave after wave of fierce attacks at the edge of the light barrier.

Because they carried the power of the Netherflame, both the Mad Puppets and the Nether Clan soldiers were burned by the exorcism array's light barrier when they passed through it. Many Mad Puppets were even reduced to ashes within the barrier itself.

However, the horde of mad puppets gathered by the You Clan was simply too massive. Even though Wei Zhifei had already ordered Wen'an City and Yishan City to launch a cleanup operation, countless mad puppets still bypassed mountains and hills, crossed the Gobi Desert, and converged from all directions in an endless stream, forming a mad puppet horde that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The situation became dire when these mad puppets were still under the control and command of the Faceless Clan.

After all, the exorcism array requires a large amount of resources and is driven by the divine messengers of Fengyuan Hall. If too many mad puppets and Netherworld soldiers attack the light barrier, the array's destructive power will be spread out, thus being greatly weakened.

Therefore, the You Clan, who were already familiar with the weaknesses of the exorcism array, launched a high-intensity saturation attack from the very beginning.

From morning until now, in just a few hours, the divine messengers of Fengyuan Hall have been replaced three times. Each batch that was replaced was pale-faced and drenched in sweat. Several of them even fainted.

Using this high-intensity attack, the Ghost Clan sent even more mad puppets and Ghost Clan soldiers into the exorcism array's light barrier. Deep trenches were filled in, barricades were destroyed, and camp arrow towers and walls were torn down…

Moreover, several miles away on the hillside, more than fifty sandworms were lined up in a row. The rear half of their huge bodies was deeply embedded in the ground, while the front half was raised high, opening their mouths like giant caves, constantly spraying sand and stones out.

With each of their ejections, their bloated, obese bodies could be seen undulating from back to front like surging waves, followed by a thunderous explosion.

The gale-force winds, carrying sand and stones, spewed from their mouths and soared high into the sky.

Unlike those that shoot in a parabolic trajectory, these sandstorm worms can control the wind to form rotating hurricanes, carrying more sand, gravel, tree debris, and other debris along the way, propelling them forward with greater force.

Fifty sandstorm insects are like fifty crisscrossing hurricanes that sweep across the land like razors.

The world outside the light barrier was now completely engulfed by a sandstorm. Rocks of all sizes rained down from the sky like a storm, as if it were the end of the world. The once solid ground was pounded into puddles, with flying debris and dirt everywhere, and craters all around.

Fighting the You Clan under such circumstances, one can imagine the pressure on the soldiers at the front. The wounded were carried down from the front like a flowing river. Meanwhile, troops from the rear were being sent up one after another.

If it weren't for the exorcism array, and if it weren't for the high-level martial artists who always appeared at key locations to constantly resolve dangers, the demon army's lines would probably have already pushed to the walls of the garrison fortress.

“Send a team of demon hunters up there,” Wei Zhifei said to an advisor beside him, pointing to a spot on the battlefield. “Kill those Faceless Demons over there. We can’t let them snowball.”

The staff officer accepted the order and left.

Wei Zhifei turned his gaze away from the distant battle line, took the military intelligence and letter from his deputy Song Yuanfeng, and asked without even reading it, "What did Han Luheng say?"

“General Han has arrived in Wanchang City. However, the entrance to the Wanchang City secret realm is now in the hands of the demonic forces. General Han is stationed two miles away from Wanchang City, confronting them,” Song Yuanfeng said.

"With their strength, they can't take over the entrance?" Wei Zhifei asked in astonishment.

Han Luheng went to Wanchang City with a multitude of experts. Not only were there demon hunters led by Hua Chong, but also powerful figures from various sects in Xia Prefecture. Such a force would strike fear into the hearts of anyone, anywhere. But unexpectedly…

Song Yuanfeng nodded and said, "We've already clashed several times, and we've retreated each time. General Han said that the two sides are currently evenly matched. If we try to seize the entrance to the secret realm, we will pay a heavy price. And once their reinforcements arrive, we won't be able to stop them from entering the secret realm. It would be a losing proposition."

As he spoke, he pointed to a list in the intelligence report that Wei Zhifei had just opened: "This is the intelligence we have gathered about the enemy during the battle. We have confirmed that the enemy is mainly led by the Haojie Sect."

Upon hearing the words "Cataclysmic Sect," Wei Zhifei's heart sank.

The Cataclysmic Sect is one of the four great demonic sects. In terms of both strength and foundation, it is comparable to the four great righteous sects. If it truly is someone sent by the Cataclysmic Sect, even if they are not top-tier experts from the sect, they should not be underestimated.

"What did the Sect Alliance say?" Wei Zhifei quickly flipped through the intelligence reports in his hand, his gaze settling on one of them, and his expression relaxed slightly: "The Cloud Hidden Sect and the Eastern Mountain Sect have sent people?"

Song Yuanfeng nodded and said, "Yes. However, their people have only just entered Xia Prefecture, and it will take them some time to reach Wanchang City. Moreover, the Demonic Path hasn't been idle either. It's said that besides the Haojie Sect, the Jixing Sect and the Chishou Sect have also shown up. The most troublesome thing is..."

At this point, Song Yuanfeng stopped talking because he saw that Wei Zhifei's gaze had already fallen on the intelligence report.

"Xiang Yuxi is dead?" Wei Zhifei suddenly raised his head.

Song Yuanfeng nodded silently.

"Who did the killing?" Wei Zhifei's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within them. "How many groups of our men are left? What about the others?"

"We don't know who the murderer is yet. But Xiang Yuxi has the strength of a peak fourth-rank cultivator and is a scholar. The fact that he was attacked and killed at night suggests only two possibilities..." Song Yuanfeng said, "Either the opponent's strength is far superior to his, or it was a carefully planned ambush with the other side being numerous and well-coordinated... I lean more towards the latter."

Wei Zhifei nodded.

In martial arts, those at the third rank or above are considered grandmasters, standing at the very top of the pyramid. At this level, there are no longer any unknown figures. It can be said that the movements of every grandmaster at the third rank or above are under the surveillance of various forces, with countless eyes watching them at all times.

Take Wei Zhifei himself as an example. As a third-rank grandmaster and the commander of the vanguard of the Blazing Fire Army, he held a high position and great power.

But Wei Zhifei knew better than anyone that he could manage his camp and residence perfectly behind closed doors. However, once he left the military camp or residence to go elsewhere, intelligence would be on everyone's desks within an hour.

No one would sit idly by and watch a third-grade grandmaster run around.

From a certain perspective, a third-rank Grandmaster is like a peerless divine weapon. If their movements are out of control, who knows when or which important figure might lose their head? This kind of situation used to be quite common.

Therefore, if a third-rank Grandmaster really did enter Xiazhou territory and commit murder, it's impossible that this side wouldn't have noticed.

"So," Wei Zhifei said coldly, his mind racing, "the area around Beizi Town is basically under the control of the demonic path?" To execute a precise ambush against a peak fourth-rank expert requires extremely high environmental conditions. The attackers not only need a space free from interference and a period of time where nothing goes wrong, but they also need to closely monitor the target, track their movements, and maintain intelligence cover over the battlefield.

Since the other side was able to successfully assassinate Xiang Yuxi and his entourage, it means that their power around Beizi Town is already overwhelming.

This is troublesome.
Although Beizi Town was only a temporary transit point, it was a crucial node connecting Chongguang City and Yishan City. The two main camps in Chongguang City and Yishan City were key to supporting the operations at the Wen'an City and Kelenburg front lines. If the connection between the two were severed, both logistical support and troop deployment would be severely hampered.

It should be noted that the most terrifying aspect of the Ghost Race, which is humanity's greatest enemy, is its Ghost Mist and wormholes!

For humanity, these are two battlefields. But for the Ghost Clan, it is one battlefield.

You'll never know how many troops they've amassed in the mist, nor will you ever know where their main attack will take place, or when it will suddenly change direction.

Therefore, maintaining smooth logistics and troop deployment has been of paramount importance in the annual battles against the You Clan. Otherwise, if the enemy suddenly concentrates all their resources on one place while our side is unable to react in time, the result will be disastrous.

Moreover, it would be one thing if so many demonic cultivators threatened Beizi Town under normal circumstances, but it happened today, when the You Clan launched their attack... Wei Zhifei did not believe that this was just a coincidence.

Song Yuanfeng nodded and said, "That's how it is for now. However, the defenses of Beizi Town are not weak. As far as I know, there are several fourth-rank experts there..."

“We can’t let our guard down. It’s always better to be cautious about this,” Wei Zhifei frowned and ordered an advisor beside him, “Contact Beizi Town and ask about the situation there. Also, notify the Third Wolf Guard Battalion, the Second Demon Hunter Brigade, and the Fifth and Sixth Battalions of the Jia Division to be prepared to provide support at any time.”

"Yes." The staff officer accepted the order and left.

"As for the scholars we sent to Wanchang City..." Song Yuanfeng continued after Wei Zhifei finished making arrangements, "Including Xiang Yuxi, there were four groups in total. The other three groups are progressing smoothly so far. However, according to intelligence, the miniature poison master Kang Jinzhi has appeared among the people sent by the demonic path this time..."

Wei Zhifei stared silently at the intelligence report in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

Among the five major professions in human society—scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, and soldiers—scholars have always been the fewest. And those who can rise to official positions and govern a region through scholarship are even rarer. This has been true throughout history.

Similarly, the structure of extraordinary professions is also like this. Among the six extraordinary professions, not to mention miscellaneous professions, just considering the other four of the five orthodox professions, the number of people is many times that of scholars.

Therefore, upon hearing that unlocking the secrets of Wanchang City required extraordinary scholars, Wei Zhifei immediately sent a secret letter, urgently mobilizing all available scholar resources at his disposal.

He had originally thought there would be at least five or six routes. But when he listened to the reports yesterday, only four routes were of a certain standard and could be completed within the allotted time. Unexpectedly, when he asked today, it was still the same four routes.

Of these four groups, only Xiangyuxi was at the upper level of the Earth Realm; the other three were at the lower level.

Kang Jinzhi, however, was a transcendent being of the Heavenly Realm!
This man was a dwarf, only a little over a meter tall, with a pigeon chest and hunchback, making him look quite comical. Furthermore, because of his vicious and ruthless nature, his vindictiveness, and his indiscriminate killing, his mentality was extremely twisted. Therefore, he earned the nickname "Pocket-Sized Poisoner."

But this very person was born with a photographic memory and was learned from a young age. He was proficient in poetry and prose and was one of the most famous scholars of his time.

If Xiangyuxi were alive, he might be able to compete with it.

Now that Xiang Yuxi is dead, how can we fight for it?
Seemingly knowing what Wei Zhifei was thinking, Song Yuanfeng sighed and said, "Now we can only hope that the people from Yunyin Sect and Dongshan Sect can arrive as soon as possible."

Wei Zhifei remained silent, instead unfolding the letter in his hand. It was a personal letter from Tang Wancheng. The former military commander-in-chief only mentioned one thing in the letter.

Wei Zhifei's expression suddenly turned strange.

"General, what's wrong?" Song Yuanfeng asked.

"You remember that kid named Su Daoshan, right?" Wei Zhifei squinted, turning the letter over and over, examining it from both sides, as if he suspected it was a fake.

"Of course I remember," Song Yuanfeng nodded.

This kid saved Tang Mo'er; everyone in the front line of the Blazing Fire Army knows that.

What Song Yuanfeng remembered most vividly was that as soon as Tang Mo'er escaped danger, she applied for a first-class military merit for the boy. At that time, he personally handed the document to Wei Zhifei for approval and then submitted it to the military headquarters.

To be honest, at first, Song Yuanfeng thought this kid had just gotten incredibly lucky. However, after thinking about it carefully, he felt that things weren't as simple as they seemed.

Based on his understanding of Tang Mo'er, he knew she was not the kind of person who would casually pass on military merits to others.

If the young man had merely rescued Tang Mo'er, even if he had saved her life, Tang Mo'er would only repay him in a more personal way.

For example, wealth, beautiful women, treasures, or even cultivation techniques and inheritances... With the Tang family's strength, whether the reward falls on Su Daoshan or on the Su family, a small, remote aristocratic family, a life of wealth and honor is not a problem.

But Tang Mo'er reported military merits. That leaves only one possibility—this kid played a crucial role in Tang Mo'er's narrow escape from death.

As for its specific function, Tang Mo'er went straight to Tang Wancheng as soon as she returned, without even telling Wei Zhifei.

Now, seeing Wei Zhifei read Tang Wancheng's letter and suddenly mention this young man, Song Yuanfeng's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

Sure enough, Wei Zhifei chuckled and said, "The old man wrote that the military has approved that kid's first-class merit. Moreover, he's already on his way to Xiazhou. He told me to protect this kid. He'll personally come to me for him later. If this kid loses even a single hair, he'll skin me alive."

"Oh?" Song Yuanfeng was surprised. He hadn't expected that Tang Wancheng, who had been retired for many years, would personally go to Xiazhou for this young man.

And the only person who could speak to Wei Zhifei in this tone was this old man.

“It seems this kid really does have some secrets.” Wei Zhifei laughed and slapped the letter and intelligence in his hand into the dumbfounded Song Yuanfeng’s hand. “Select a few capable men to go to Yishan City and escort that kid here for me… Hmm, make sure there are plenty of people and that nothing goes wrong on the way.”

However, after Wei Zhifei finished speaking, he did not receive a response from Song Yuanfeng. He turned his head in surprise and saw that Song Yuanfeng looked hesitant to speak.

"What's wrong?" Wei Zhifei asked, frowning.

“There was a piece of intelligence about Yishan City yesterday that was about Su Daoshan. I didn’t think it was very important, so I didn’t report it to you,” Song Yuanfeng said with a wry smile. “That kid ran away from home and is now in Beizi Town.”

(End of this chapter)