Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 296 Crimson Scale Guards, Crouching Tiger Ridge

It's getting dark.

Campfires lit up the distant military camp, their light spreading across the mountain mists and evening fog. Amidst the surging malevolent energy, they transformed into all sorts of demonic forms, ever-changing and unpredictable.

Liu Sheng withdrew his gaze, looked at the ghostly figure before him, and asked:
"How much do you know about the Green Snake Saintess of Crouching Tiger Ridge? Who are the main people around her?"

Since we are going to use force against the rebel army at Wohu Ridge, we must do our reconnaissance and gather intelligence in advance.

This ghost, who presided over military operations in his lifetime, must have had much more detailed intelligence on the front lines than the prefect who stayed in the city.

"Reporting to Master, the Green Serpent Saintess has five serpent spirits under her command, one tiger demon assisting her, and her main force consists of two elders and six strong men..."

Without hesitation, the ghost recounted all the information it possessed, including the appearance of the demons and the people, their martial arts skills, habits, and so on, in great detail.

"The five-headed snake spirit's body color is the same as the five strange snakes I raised back then, but that tiger demon... blind and lame, is it really the little tigress I adopted?"

One of the two elders wields the Green Dragon Blade, while the other is skilled with the Serpent Spear; their appearances also differ from those of Old He.

Could it be that I guessed wrong, and that Green Snake Saintess wasn't He Yue'e?
"Overthinking is pointless; a trip to Crouching Tiger Ridge will tell you whether it's true or not."

Liu Sheng frowned, made up his mind, and asked the ghost some more questions, including but not limited to the various secrets of this elite force, the identities, backgrounds, cultivation levels, main cultivation techniques, and magical artifacts of the main generals.

This gave him a comprehensive understanding of this elite force called the Crimson Scale Guard, and he shared this information with his Spider Puppets avatar.

In summary, this Red Scale Guard was funded by the Cai family of Hedong, and the generals in key positions in the army were all Cai family members or protégés, so in a sense it was a private army of the Cai family.

It's no wonder that Cai Baimao, despite having no prior military experience, was able to command an army and manage a force of 200,000 men so well.

Liu Sheng suddenly realized what was happening and asked about the "celestial change".

The ghost revealed that the powerful clans of the world seemed to have anticipated this and made preparations in advance, and the Cai clan of Hedong was no exception.

This includes, but is not limited to, provisions, soldiers, soldiers, spiritual plants, elixirs, talismans, and so on.

"This is because they were certain that war would break out, so they made preparations in advance."

Liu Sheng felt a chill run down his spine, but he wasn't surprised.

He is not the only intelligent person in the world; he must have already made a judgment on the current situation.

Moreover, these powerful families have a long history, some even dating back a thousand years, and possess profound knowledge, so they may know more.

For example, some "truths".

He remained silent for a moment, then finally asked about Song Yingtian and the attitude of the Cai family of Hedong towards him.

The ghost relayed the Cai family patriarch's evaluation of this person based on his birth chart:

"His heart harbors treachery, and his ambition is to rebel and cause chaos."

Cai's attitude towards him was typical of aristocratic families: outwardly friendly, but secretly preparing to seize the opportune moment.

They were all waiting for this scoundrel to wreak havoc on the world and commit all sorts of evil deeds, so that these powerful clans could then come out and clean up the mess.

He relieved the people's suffering, punished the guilty, won their hearts, and established a new dynasty.

In this way, they can continue to exploit the people and bleed them dry for hundreds more years.

"No wonder some people say that dynasties last for a hundred years, while powerful families last for a thousand. These aristocratic clans have long since mastered this method."

They used Song Yingtian as a pawn to break the deadlock.

Another version of Dong Zhuo?
However, that old dog Song is an alien with grand ambitions, and it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious.

Hopefully, they'll fight to the death, so I can sit back and watch them fight, calmly making my move.

Liu Sheng sniffed, seeing that he couldn't get anything more from Cai Baimao's ghost and had already obtained detailed information about Wohu Ridge, so he took him back.

He then summoned the incarnations of the Fire Crow and the White Elephant, had them transform into human form, and sent them to the military camp to report to the incarnation of the Puppet Spider.

This token was taken from the commander's desk when I left the military camp earlier.

Afterwards, he met up with Du Bingyan, who had been waiting for a long time, and they headed to Wohu Ridge to investigate. "...If that's really the case, could it be that Yue'e and Grandma got separated?"

On the back of the Sky-Splitting Sparrow, Du Bingyan frowned slightly after hearing Liu Sheng's words, hesitating to speak.

According to that ghost, the people around the Green Snake Saintess, as well as Granny, Jade Maiden, and Old He, did not match up.

In a world where the heavens and earth have changed drastically, and even the plants and trees have become ferocious, what will become of a group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people if they do not receive protection...?

"We're almost there. We'll find out soon enough."

Liu Sheng remained silent for a moment, then said something and fell silent again.

On the sparrow's back, the air seemed to freeze, eerily quiet.

Before long, the Sky-Splitter arrived at Crouching Tiger Ridge under the cover of night.

This place is located more than 300 li from Shanyang Prefecture. It is characterized by high mountains and wide ridges, with layer upon layer of peaks, lush vegetation, and ancient trees reaching the sky. It is named after its terrain, which resembles a crouching tiger.

According to the Shanyang Prefecture Gazetteer, this place was just a small hill three years ago, but due to dramatic changes in the landscape, the mountains grew and the land expanded, turning it into the dangerous place it is today.

Liu Sheng possessed extraordinary talents, including exceptional eyesight, which allowed him to see the night as if it were daytime, even better than that of eagles and falcons. He quickly made discoveries in the towering mountains.

"Over there... such a huge mountain stronghold has been built!"

He pointed to a dangerous peak, and the Sky-Splitting Sparrow beneath him, connected by thought, immediately turned and flew towards it.

Under the cover of night and clouds, I circled the mountain village and couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

With his terrifying eyesight, Liu Sheng could clearly see the various layouts of the mountain stronghold, listing them off as if they were his own treasures.

"This outpost at the foot of the mountain is fortified with giant logs, and the rock face is carved with arrow slits and hidden bunkers. With the help of hidden rolling stones and logs, it would take at least a thousand lives to take this outpost alone."

"The winding mountain path was equipped with a series of tripwires and various traps to prevent cavalry charges."

A suspension bridge and cableway were also installed, with a flexible mechanism that could be used to cut off the cableway in an emergency, isolating the front and rear villages and buying time for evacuation.

The stockade walls are made of wood and stone, reinforced with talismans, making them as sturdy as bricks and stones, and the surface is as smooth as ice, making them difficult to climb.

This secret path in Houzhai, seemingly connected to the cliff below by vine ladders, is actually just a makeshift structure of rotten wood. If any pursuers are not careful and attempt to descend the ladder, they will surely fall to their deaths.

"This is the heart of the stronghold, with a council hall, row houses, granaries, armories, drill grounds, stables, and workshops. Its scale is comparable to that of a small military town!"

Where did these desperate people get the resources to build such a mountain stronghold deep in the mountains?

"Simple fortifications were built on the cliff face at the summit, with ten siege crossbows mounted. These could be used for observation of enemy positions, suppression fire from above, and air defense—"

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, the three crossbows on the cliff suddenly turned and fired upwards.

Three massive arrows, each as thick as a child's arm, tore through the night, carrying a terrifying aura, and hurtled through the air at an unbelievable speed.

The Arrow of Deterrence!
Isn't this a crucial piece of military equipment? How come it's in this mountain stronghold?

Liu Sheng was completely numb. He took out his Mountain-Driving Whip, slapped the Sky-Splitting Sparrow, and took the initiative to meet it.

With the infusion of true energy, the Mountain-Driving Whip rapidly grew larger and longer. He swung it in a circle and shattered the three giant arrows in mid-air.

"Roar!"

The next moment, a tiger's roar resounded, fierce and domineering, shaking the mountains.

Under the cover of night, a giant tiger emerged from the shadows and stood on a rock, its single eye fierce and menacing, exuding a chilling aura.

(End of this chapter)