As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 421 Arrogant soldiers
When defending the three passes, one only needs to focus on the war at hand and compete with the enemy generals in terms of military formations, espionage, and strategies.

It tests a general's ability to lead troops to defend a position.

After passing through the three passes, the army expanded from a single point to a wider area.

Which generals to appoint, which places to attack, and which cities to capture?

Which cities are important and require increased troop deployment for defense?
Which cities are unimportant and can be omitted if necessary?
These are all things that need to be carefully considered, and they test the strategic ability of a commander.

These are completely different abilities.

"I've already eaten!"

"I'm not cold~"

The moment Ling Yu saw Ming Chen, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

Mingchen grabbed her slightly cool hand and rolled his eyes: "You better be!"

"If you stay here any longer, you'll start to stink."

"Come on, let's go for a walk."

Why does my silly older sister seem to be developing into His Majesty?

Ling Yu didn't refuse, but simply nodded obediently, "Oh..."

"Give this to General Wang when he arrives..."

"Yes!"

She casually wrote down a place name, handed it to her guard, gave him a word of advice, and then went out with Mingchen.

Winter was approaching, and a cold wind swept through the house. As soon as Ling Yu stepped outside, she couldn't help but shiver.

Focused on strategic planning, they unknowingly found themselves in the twilight of their lives.

"General!"

"General!"

"grown ups!"

……

Ling Yu and Ming Chen were highly respected in the army. When the soldiers saw them pass by, they would unconsciously bow and show great respect.

These two legends have led them to victory all the way to the present, pushing the front line back to the territory of Beilie. They are no less capable than the legendary general Hou Buchen from eighty years ago, and they deserve their respect.

Mingchen simply waved his hand, signaling them to continue doing what they were supposed to do.

He's a smiling tiger; no matter what he's really thinking, he's at least very gentle and easy to talk to in front of others.

Ling Yu, on the other hand, only showed her human side in front of Ming Chen.

In front of his subordinates, however, he usually had a cold and aloof demeanor, exuding an unapproachable and authoritative air.

She was a beautiful and spirited woman, and she had to do this to keep the fierce soldiers in check.

Seeing her serious expression, Mingchen couldn't help but joke, "What's wrong? Sister, aren't you happy to go shopping with me?"

Ling Yu simply shook her head gently, tightening her grip on Mingchen's hand: "Happy~"

Mingchen seemed to live in Lingyu's heart, always able to quickly discern her thoughts.

He glanced at the patrolling soldiers around him and smiled at Ling Yu, "What's wrong? It feels like the atmosphere in the army is a bit off?"

Qian Yuan has now launched a counterattack into Bei Lie territory, and the situation can be described as very favorable.

Why is the atmosphere wrong?

"kindness……"

Ling Yu nodded, looked at the smiling soldiers, and said softly, "They've become arrogant."

From the moment Ling Yu joined the army, he rose step by step to where he is today, from an unknown soldier to a great general who commands respect throughout the land.

A close look at her resume reveals that she was never defeated. In every battle and every war, she was victorious, and in most battles, she suffered very low casualties.

This may be due to the efforts of Mingchen, the robust national strength of Qianyuan, and the rapid advancements in technology... these factors may play a role.

However, what is most obvious and easy to understand, and what the soldiers see most clearly, is that their great general is invincible and has never lost a game.

They managed to turn the tide for Qian Yuan, even pushing the battle lines back and occupying Bei Lie's territory.

Ten years ago, this was something the people of Qianyuan would never have dared to imagine.

In the past, Qian Yuan had always stayed within its own territory, defending against the attacks of Bei Lie. It was always the defensive side. The country was in turmoil and was always facing risks. Although Ling Yu had never lost, the conditions were not good, and the soldiers were still trembling with fear.

But things are different now.

All three passes have been recaptured, the domestic rebellion has been quelled, and reinforcements are continuously arriving. The Northern Lie forces have also been driven back in defeat, and their territory has been lost.

It's hard not to excite the soldiers.

The army is growing larger and larger, and the original defenders of the Three Passes, who witnessed the ferocity of the Northern Lie soldiers, have been diluted to a great extent. Now, most of the troops coming are those mobilized from various regions for the Northern Expedition.

The atmosphere in the military is gradually changing.

General Ling is an invincible war god, and with a legend like Ming Chen assisting him, following them all the way is nothing more than conquering cities and territories and gaining merit.

Ling Yu had served as a general for ten years. She had experienced many battles and witnessed firsthand the rise and fall of the Qian Yuan dynasty.

She had witnessed firsthand the humiliation of Qian Yuan being utterly defeated by Bei Lie, the united will during the defense of the three passes, and the jubilation and excitement of the soldiers now...

It is true that Qian Yuan achieved victory and pushed back the battle lines.

But now, the entire Qian Yuan Army, from top to bottom, is immersed in this joy.

The most nervous one was Ling Yu, who had made the greatest contribution and held the highest position.

Her intuition was sharp; this was not a good sign.

They've become arrogant!
She had already seen the signs of arrogance in the soldiers.

In her view, the army's best state was when it united as one to defend the three passes not long ago.

The soldiers were tenacious, resilient, brave, and fearless.

In earlier times, the Qian Yuan army suffered repeated defeats, their morale was low, and they were extremely dejected.

However, now that the battle lines are being pushed back, the soldiers are tilting in another direction, becoming somewhat arrogant and overconfident.

This is not a good sign.

The best performance, however, came from the enemy.

The Beilie people are known for their toughness and bravery, and now, in defending their homeland, they are giving it their all.

Although there have been frequent reports of victories recently, the territories captured have all come at a cost of more casualties than Ling Yu had anticipated.

Furthermore, the conquered territories often descended into chaos, requiring a significant manpower commitment.

Offense and defense are two completely different concepts.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen smiled and said, "That's normal!"

Humans are not gods; their emotions are inherently complex, changeable, and fluctuating, and the advantages and disadvantages on the battlefield can change at any time.

After years of being suppressed by Bei Lie, all the pent-up frustration was finally released. Above him was still the reassuring, undefeated leader, and ahead lay treasures and achievements. It was hard not to feel excited and thrilled.

It's normal for an army to become arrogant after winning too many battles.

"The Northern Emperor's 400,000-strong army is coming soon. Just put some pressure on them and spread the theory of terror in the Northern Lie."

Ling Yu simply nodded slightly upon hearing this: "Oh..."

Qian Yuan's conditions are too poor, and she is always under pressure. She has never experienced the feeling of being a proud soldier.

Mingchen gently stroked Lingyu's hair and said jokingly, "You can't be so shameless as to deliberately lose a match, can you?"

Breaking your invincible status might actually be a greater loss than a gain.

"If it succeeds, it succeeds; if it doesn't, it doesn't."

Ling Yu looked up at him: "Don't you want to help His Majesty unify the world?"

Mingchen shrugged: "If it were possible, that would be great, but if the soldiers lose due to pride and can't complete the task, what can I do?"

"As long as it's not bad for me, that's fine."

"If it doesn't work out, so be it. We have enough money, and our experiences have been quite eventful. Finding a place to enjoy our retirement is perfectly fine."

"How old are you to be enjoying your retirement?"

Mingchen shrugged: "So what! I enjoy life, not to struggle for others."

Ling Yu simply rolled her eyes at him. She knew this guy was always unreliable, and she couldn't tell which of his words were true and which were false.

She didn't believe that Mingchen was the kind of person who could so easily and carelessly give up.

Putting everything else aside, she knew he didn't like losing.

As evening approached, the sun began to set.

The city where Ling Yu's main army is currently stationed is Yixiang City, located in the south of Beilie. The city is neither too big nor too small, and it serves as a transportation hub. Ling Yu chose this location to facilitate communication with the entire army.

The city had a small garrison, but the initial resistance was quite fierce.

The moment the city was captured, the defending general drew his sword and committed suicide.

Even now, Qian Yuanjun is still cleaning up the mess in the city.

Mingchen and Lingyu left the military camp and walked on the street.

The brutal war left a mess; the streets were desolate and deserted.

“I’ve been here before, and it wasn’t like this now.”

Looking at the deserted streets, Mingchen couldn't help but sigh, "It's probably going to be difficult to buy you a sugar figurine on the street now."

Ling Yu smiled and held his hand, "It's okay~"

Mingchen remembers what she likes, and that thoughtfulness makes her happy.

The two walked down the street like a young couple on a date.

After a short while, the smile on Ling Yu's face faded somewhat.

"Young lady, let us in!"

"Routine inspection!"

A series of noisy sounds came from not far away.

Two Qian Yuan soldiers stood at the entrance of a courtyard, their eyes arrogant and their behavior barbaric, as if they wanted to break into the courtyard.

"Sir...Sir, we really have nothing left!"

"I have three children in my family, please spare our lives."

At the entrance to the courtyard, a woman knelt on the ground, her expression sorrowful and pitiful, clutching the soldier's leg and pleading incessantly.

The woman wasn't particularly beautiful, but she was at least a fairly young woman with a decent figure.

The two soldiers enjoyed his prostrate, pleading posture.

One of them touched the woman's cheek and said with a smile, "If there's nothing fishy going on in your house, why won't you let us in to check?"

"Don't worry, as long as you are law-abiding citizens, we won't take anything more than what you need."

"No one will save you anymore. General Ling is the invincible war god of Qian Yuan, and he has never lost a battle!"

“Our Lord Ming is a god descended from heaven to protect our Qian Yuan. We have already reached your Yongzhou. In less than a year, we will surely capture Qingcang City. Your Bei Lie is finished.”

His gaze swept over the woman, his tone carrying a strange undertone: "Young lady, why don't you broaden your horizons and find some other way out?"

"We, the Northern Lie, are not finished!"

"Our Emperor will surely win!"

A rather childish voice came from the courtyard. A boy of twelve or thirteen years old ran out of the door and glared stubbornly at the two soldiers.

"Hey~"

The soldier chuckled and kicked him to the ground. Just as he was about to say something, at that moment...

A soft, gentle voice sounded in my ear.

"Soldier, tell me, what other way out are we looking for?"

"of course……"

The two turned around with smiles on their faces.

But when he saw who it was, he was shocked and his expression changed drastically.

"General!"

As the sun sets and its afterglow falls, I sketch these two figures.

Their expressions were hidden in the darkness, making it impossible to discern their spirits.

But there was a strange sense of pressure.

The two soldiers felt a tremor in their spirits and involuntarily knelt down on the ground.

Mingchen was all smiles, but Lingyu's face was gloomy.

She asked the two of them, "What are you doing?"

The two stammered, "Inspection."

It is certainly necessary to conduct verification of the occupied territories.

Eliminate the remaining enemy forces, confiscate harmful weapons, and manage the occupied territory to the greatest extent possible.

just,

The sword light swept across.

"Jingle, clang, clang."

The two felt a chill run through them as their armor was shattered by the superb swordsmanship.

Several pieces of gold and silver fell to the ground, some stained with mottled blood.

It's permissible to pick up something while on the way to perform duties, right?

People who have a little power will try every means to use it to bully others and seek personal gain.

His cold, sharp gaze seemed to penetrate to the very bone and pierce the heart.

How terrifying!
That's the Asura Killer Star who killed 100,000 people!

One glance from her and all one could see was a scene of brutal carnage and bloodshed, with wails and cries echoing in one's ears.

The two men trembled instantly and knelt down on the ground, unable to speak: "General, I...we..."

"Is this how you're supposed to inspect me?"

Ling Yu's voice was soft and her tone seemed calm, as if she were just asking a simple question without any emotion in it.

But when it reached your ears, it was a completely different story.

In that instant, a furious aura spread out.

The two men were filled with fear, their pupils bloodshot. The sun had not yet set, but everything before them seemed to have fallen into darkness.

Only a blood-red shadow could be vaguely seen, along with a pair of savage, blood-red eyes.

The immense pressure on their shoulders, like a mountain, made it hard for them to breathe.

"General..."

"We...we...we're innocent..."

The two soldiers' eyes were filled with horror. They raised their heads, struggling and pleading...

Their hearts were pounding, and the intense panic made it impossible for them to think.

"Pfft..."

"Um...uh..."

Meeting Ling Yu's gaze, their faces turned deathly pale, and they collapsed to the ground, vomiting blue liquid.

He was actually scared to death by Ling Yu's words.

Ling Yu truly cherishes her soldiers, and every decision she makes is made with the aim of preserving their lives.

However... some people are clearly not within her protection.

She watched silently as the two soldiers collapsed to the ground in terror, their hearts pounding with fear, their chests heaving, their faces pleading, until finally, they slowly lost their breath, without a shred of pity.

Some are fighting bravely, while others are trampling on the fruits of victory.

It seems she hasn't been enforcing military discipline for a while.

One must constantly cleanse one's heart to keep it free of dust.

(End of this chapter)