Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 302 Deploying Troops and Showing Off All Their Trump Cards

Woniu Village.

A wooden house in the mountainside.

The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on half of Liu Sheng's face, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.

He sat at the head of the table and could clearly see the expressions of He Yue'e, Lao He, Zhao Lei, and Du Bingyan, who were sitting on either side of him.

The atmosphere inside the room was heavy. Old He, his grandson, and Zhao Lei were all at a loss, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.

The motion Liu Sheng had previously proposed was simply too shocking.

They've only been here two hours, and they're already trying to wipe out Sun Kening and Han Santong's forces, which have over two thousand soldiers and more than ten thousand followers...

What will you use to swallow it?

Although those two thousand-plus White Lotus soldiers were defeated troops, they were still desperate men who had fought their way through the battlefield and were very experienced.

They were far from the thousand-odd greenhorns in their hands who had only recently been formed and had never actually seen blood.

The difference between a novice and a veteran is obvious to anyone who knows.

Moreover, Sun Kening and Han Santong's camp was located on the western peak to the upper left, where they had built fortifications, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Even if we wiped out all of our more than a thousand newly trained soldiers, we might not be able to take them down.

Moreover, even if we manage to win, how will we handle the aftermath?

Those ten thousand-plus thugs, gang members, mountain bandits, and river pirates are all no good people. If they start making a ruckus, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Moreover, do you think Young Master Ling would just sit idly by and watch you swallow up Sun Kening and Han Santong's troops?
If they join forces, will we still have a place to live in Woniu Village?
In this cannibalistic world, everyone is just trying to survive.

If we are really driven out of Wohu Village, how many of the more than 60,000 people standing behind us will be able to hold on in the end?

Among the more than 1,000 newly trained soldiers, their relatives and friends are all among the more than 60,000 people. How many of them are willing to give up everything and follow each other to the death?

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

After three years of life-and-death experiences, Lao He and his colleagues have broadened their horizons and learned to weigh the pros and cons; they are no longer the same as before.

“Sheng-ge’er…”

Old He glanced at his silent granddaughter, hesitated for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and said:
“I know you want to avenge Yu Niang, and that’s only right. Normally, I would have gone with you without a second thought.”

But times have changed. We are already in a difficult situation. If we provoke them again, I'm afraid... we'll just be giving them an excuse to cause trouble.

If we plan for the long term, and spend another year or two training three thousand more soldiers, then... let's avenge Yu Niang together, shall we?"

Liu Sheng remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the room, making everyone's attitude crystal clear.

He Yue'e, the Green Snake Saintess, remained expressionless, only twisting her fingers in distress.

Zhao Lei, his former sworn brother, had a somber face and was breathing rapidly. He tried to speak several times, but ultimately said nothing.

Du Bingyan watched him quietly, her eyes full of encouragement.

You can't really blame Lao He.

If Liu Sheng didn't have a cheat code, or if he didn't gain much from the ruins, he would probably have made a similar choice.

It has nothing to do with whether he is weak or not, but with whether he can maximize his interests.

Adults' decisions are always driven by self-interest; emotions are merely a facade and a pretext.

Therefore, given that his personal strength far surpasses that of Sun Kening and Han Santong, and he is confident in absorbing their power...

Only by fighting all night can we maximize our profits.

Only by swiftly eliminating their more than 10,000 men and forcing the Zhang brothers to choose sides, and controlling most of the mountain stronghold, can we be qualified to contend with Young Master Ling and his group.

There may be personal grudges, but they are ultimately for the greater good of the public good.

Lao He and his men have always survived by the skin of their teeth, used to the enemy being strong and them being weak, maneuvering and compromising, and have never fought a battle where they were well-off, let alone been carried by someone else.

Therefore, their vision is limited, and they always consider the big picture.

That's not wrong, after all, in a group, the strong are the ones who matter most.

"Now that I'm strong enough, I... am the one who matters most. Sun Kening and his gang provoked me and disfigured Yu Niang; they disregarded the bigger picture!"

Those who lack a sense of the big picture and disobey the interests of the collective should be eliminated.

Liu Sheng's eyes were deep, and he straightened his back, as if a great demon had turned over and sat up.

A strong wind howled inside, as if a mountain was pressing down, causing inexplicable panic and instinctive fear.

"Just how strong is Brother Sheng?"

Old He swallowed hard, recalling the earlier exchange between Liu Sheng and Qiao She, and realized he might have been wrong—

The reason why Young Master Ling and the others left was not because they were forced to back down after being pressured by his words.

It's very likely that he was forced to leave by the strength that Brother Sheng displayed!
If that's the case, wouldn't Brother Sheng have the strength of the Yellow Court Realm?

Including Commander Du, the three demons who appeared—the dragon, the leopard, and the eagle—and then Yue'e, Xiao Biao, the Five Snakes, and myself…

This fighting force is equivalent to one Huangting, six Rudao, and six Zhenxing. If they can catch them off guard, they might actually be able to wipe out Sun Kening and his group.

If you have confidence, who really likes to be a coward?

It's all about living, and living better!
Thinking of this, Lao He's cheeks flushed red and his breathing became rapid.

Seeing this, Liu Sheng gave him a half-smile:
"Figured out?"

"Brother Sheng, it's my fault for getting senile!"

Old He scratched his cheek, chuckled, and quickly said:
"Leizi and I will go and gather men right now, and launch a surprise attack under the cover of night..."

"No need to bother."

Liu Sheng shook his head, and the setup began:
"You just need to bring three hundred soldiers with you on this trip. Make sure they are reliable, brave, and fearless."

Yue'e stayed here and sent someone to invite the Zhang brothers here. They wouldn't allow us to leave until we returned.

The remaining soldiers were handed over to Lei Ge to lead, and together with Xiao Biao, Wu She, A Jiao, and A Yuan, they were deployed to the east to guard against Ling Gongzi and his group.

Without my permission, they are not to be allowed in, not even a step in, even if it means a fight.

A Yuan is the name of the incarnation of the Long-Armed Demon Ape.

This avatar is the strongest of all Liu Sheng's current avatars, with almost no weaknesses. It should be able to hold off Qiao She for now.

As for Aque, she took off directly to monitor the entire field. When necessary, she acted as a bomber, using her "Sky-Splitting" blade energy to clear the field.

Liu Sheng's troop deployment was swift, efficient, and comprehensive, which ignited the passion of Lao He and his men, making them eager to grab their swords and charge into battle right then and there.

So inspiring!

"Those Zhang brothers have heads of bronze and arms of iron; if they're determined to leave, I'm afraid I alone can't stop them..."

He Yue'e pursed her lips and hesitated before saying:
"If we go all out and there are casualties, those two thousand 'mining gang members' will be..."

“Your sister Du will stay and help you. If the Zhang brothers listen to advice, fine. If they don’t, Bingyan will ‘help’ them listen.”

Liu Sheng smiled faintly, glanced at the sky outside the window, and then at the dripping water clock inside the room:
"It's past midnight now, and we'll start at 11:15 AM. We must make preparations before then."

After a while.

After everyone left, he was left alone in the room.

He twisted his neck, and several wisps of light fell from his body, transforming into three terrifying figures upon landing.

For a moment, the house was filled with the cries of monkeys and the roars of bears, mixed with the mooing of thunder oxen.

The three incarnations—the Long-Armed Demon Ape, the Black Wind Bear, and the Silver-Horned Thunder Ox—were his hidden contingency plans.

When necessary, they can protect Grandma and Yu Niang so they can safely leave the mountain village.

In this battle, he has revealed all his trump cards.

Only victory is possible.

And victory is inevitable!
(End of this chapter)