Patrol Captain

"The army has stopped?" Qi Tian frowned, his voice turning somber.

"Reporting to the General, the rebel army has indeed halted its march and begun setting up camp in the Ghost Cry Mountain Rift Valley area." The scout knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, not daring to omit a single word.

Upon hearing this, Qi Tian looked surprised and doubtful, and raised his hand.

"Bring me the map!"

"Yes!" Soon, an armored soldier quickly brought a paper scroll, which was pulled open in front of Qi Tian like a giant screen. The scroll depicted mountains and rivers with appropriate detail.

Qi Tian nodded at the Ghost Cry Mountain, then stopped at the prefectural gate near Yinping Road. His eyes gleamed as he pondered something, but he seemed unable to grasp the key point.

Pei Yanhu and his men behind him looked at the map and then at their general, but they couldn't understand what was going on.

"General, the Northern Liang army has halted its march and set up camp. They must be conserving their strength for the final siege, or perhaps preparing for a protracted war with our mountain-climbing army. Why are you so troubled, General?"

Qi Zhonglang spoke up and expressed his thoughts.

The Northern Liang army halted its advance nine hundred li away and set up camp. In his view, the strategic intention was very clear: the army's march had depleted its strength, and the enemy was preparing to conserve its energy and prepare for an attack, or perhaps to engage in a protracted war while waiting for supplies to arrive.

Pei Yanhu, however, had extensive experience commanding the southern front in Chengdu and had a different perspective. He glanced at the map and asked doubtfully:
"Does the general suspect that the rebels are not really going to attack Tianxiong Pass, but are using a feint to attack Jiangyou Pass and Shapingba on the Yinping Road instead?"

"After all, Tianxiong Pass is easy to defend and difficult to attack. With a great general in charge and the Imperial Preceptor bestowing holy weapons to guard the city, even if the King of Liang comes in person, he probably won't be able to achieve anything in a short time. If a stalemate occurs and the court sends troops to the scene, the situation will be even more disadvantageous for the other side."

Pei Yanhu put himself in the rebel king's shoes. Although Tianxiong Pass was a fortress connecting several places, it also had the strongest troop deployment and would be difficult to take down in a short time. As a rebel, the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be.

Qi Tian paused, then finally spoke, his gaze deep and his voice low, "You're only half right!"

"Two days have passed since the Liang King raised his army. The court has already received the news and should have dispatched troops to rush here. Time is now of the essence for this rebel king. Today he marched south with his army and issued a proclamation to punish the rebels, making a great show of force. I had already lined up my troops to meet the enemy, but the enemy's army suddenly set up camp, and their momentum stopped. It seems that they are not conserving their strength. They cannot afford to waste time like this. They must have some ulterior motive."

"Think about it, what did General Chen say in his letter just now?" He suddenly changed the subject, mentioning Chen Yuan's letter.

Pei Yanhu and several other generals fell into deep thought, recalling the letter that Wei Zhong had just brought.

First, Liangzhou general Huo Zhen led his troops to defect from the western front. Second, scouts were sent to investigate whether there were any new faces in the army's camp, or to find out if there were any unusual movements in other directions of Northern Liang.

The second point is too difficult to investigate, and the first point is most likely to cause trouble.

"Could it be that the rebel army is waiting? The Northern Liang general Huo Zhen has defected. If he suddenly appears behind Tianxiong Pass at some point and launches an attack, the Northern Liang army will receive the signal and besiege the city, leaving our mountain-crushing army attacked from both sides."

"That's right, the more I think about it, the more likely it seems."

"General, we must guard against this plan. We should send men out of the south gate to conduct reconnaissance within a thousand miles and set up hidden stakes. If Huo Zhen's troops are discovered, send an alarm to give us a chance to maneuver."

The group discussed the matter amongst themselves, and the more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Their voices were firm and their expressions were solemn as they offered their advice to General Qitian.

Qi Tian pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"Yan Hu!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Pei Yanhu's expression hardened, and he clasped his hands in a solemn manner.

"I hereby order you to lead a team out of the south city to conduct reconnaissance. If you encounter the enemy, do not linger in battle. After all, Huo Zhen is no different from me. He is a dragon and tiger, and one of the best among them. He was able to survive in the hands of Grand Tutor Helian, so he must have something to rely on. You should understand."

"This humble general is naturally aware of the situation and would never dare to underestimate it!" Pei Yanhu accepted the order. He was new to Musashi and dared not confront Longhu head-on. Besides, that's not how you fight a war.

After saying this, he grabbed the back of his cloak, flicked it, and walked with measured steps to receive the order.

Even after Pei Yanhu descended the city wall and left, the black specks in Qi Tian's eyes did not disappear; instead, he continued speaking.
"Sheng Yuan, Yang Zhong!"

They were calling for the seventh and eighth lieutenant generals.

"This humble general obeys your orders."

Knowing they had a mission, the two quickly clasped their hands in obedience.

Qi Tian's eyes flashed with cold light, and his voice carried immense power, "Although what you say is possible, a commander must consider all dangers. After all, this concerns not just a few of us, but the lives of millions. At this time, if we wait for the enemy to make a move, we will only be led by the nose. Since we cannot fathom the rebels' true intentions, let's take the initiative and probe their strength!"

"You two, each select five hundred elite soldiers and secretly leave the city via the teleportation array. At 1:15 PM, arrive near Riftwind Valley and set up your formation. At 3:45 PM, launch a night attack on Riftwind Valley. I will personally go to meet you and also scout out the enemy's strength. I really want to meet that rebel king."

Qi Tian's tone was full of fierce determination.

"General, you mustn't! As the commander-in-chief, how can you leave Tianxiong and personally go into battle? That Liang King is a martial saint, and his army is full of fierce generals. How can you take such a risk?" The two were shocked and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

Sending them to lead a small elite force to harass the enemy camp is entirely feasible. After all, it's not a direct confrontation; the main focus is on harassment. They can attack and then retreat. If the enemy launches an attack and sends out a large number of troops or Musashi-level supernatural beings to pursue them, they are few in number and can easily disperse and retreat towards Tianxiong Pass. Naturally, troops will come to their aid.

However, it would be different if General Qi Tian were to leave the city as the commander-in-chief. If the commander-in-chief were to enter the enemy camp and risk being trapped, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The 100,000 iron cavalry of Beiliang are no joke, especially with the Martial Saint in charge!
The two lieutenant generals felt that General Qitian's words were too audacious, and they were terrified.

Qi Tian remained unmoved. He had been stationed in the Demon Kingdom for many years and had experienced countless battles. The 100,000-strong army of Beiliang could not shake his resolve. He said this not out of recklessness, but out of the keen intuition he had honed over the years. In his eyes, there were many suspicious points about this 100,000-strong army. It was indeed possible that they would join forces with the defector Huo Zhen to attack Tianxiong Pass, but that was not enough to dispel his other doubts. After all, even with Huo Zhen added, they could not change the situation on the battlefield.

His intuition told him that this army of 100,000 might be a decoy put out by the King of Liang. Just as Chen Yuan said, he had to personally lead the sacred weapon to Ghost Cry Mountain to investigate the enemy camp and verify this guess!
"Don't rush to persuade me!"

"I have my own considerations and will not allow tens of thousands of soldiers at Tianxiong Pass to be put in danger. As you have seen, there is a teleportation array at Tianxiong Pass that directly connects to General Chen. I will send him a letter explaining the reasons and asking him to take care of me."

"Although General Chen has many grievances against the court and resigned to return to his hometown, he still has feelings for the mountain-climbing army. Before coming here, he sent that Mr. Gongsun to deliver a message, which is a sign of his affection. There is no need to worry about safety for the time being."

"Furthermore, although I failed to break through to the Martial Saint realm back then, I am no ordinary dragon or tiger. If I wield the Imperial Preceptor's Sacred Weapon, I will still have some ability to protect myself against a Martial Saint. There is no need to worry."

He wasn't lying. His attempt to break through to Martial Saint a few months ago, though ultimately unsuccessful, had yielded some insights, further enhancing his strength. With the added power of his Sacred Weapon, he might be able to put up a few moves against a Martial Saint. These were his advantages; what harm was there in taking a trip to the enemy camp?

The seventh and eighth lieutenant generals, upon hearing the general's words, were filled with worry, yet they also felt that the general's arrangements had considered all aspects. Their throats tightened, and they swallowed back their words of advice. They felt their blood rushing, their hearts surging, and they bowed, their voices resolute.

"Now that the General has made his decision, we two humble generals will certainly fight to the death to assist him!"

Qi Tian hummed in agreement, "Go!"

"Yes!"

The two lieutenant generals received their orders, took their leave, and then went to gather their men and mobilize their elite troops to prepare for a night raid on the enemy camp.

On the city wall, a chorus of shouts and cries from soldiers followed.

Qi Tian waved his hand and summoned his accompanying adjutant.

"General!"

"Send a letter on my behalf, and deliver it to Wei Zhong, the local Lieutenant General, who will then forward it to General Chen!"

Not long after, nine thousand miles to the southeast, in the Langdang Mountains, lies the former site of a royal palace.

It was noon, and unlike the bleak wind and rain at Tianxiong Pass, which seemed to be a deadly battleground, the mountains were bathed in the bright autumn sun. It felt as if the war in the north was far removed from the mountains, as if we were in two different worlds.

In the underground wine cellar of a prince's mansion, the aroma of wine is irresistible. The floor of the cellar is paved with polished bluestone slabs, with moisture-proof glutinous rice mortar embedded in the gaps between the slabs. On both sides of the wall stand luxurious nanmu wine racks, their bodies gleaming with a deep brown luster from years of wine aroma. Each shelf is neatly stacked with various wine vessels, like rows of solemn "jade wine ceremonial guards".

The top layer mainly consists of small silver pots and jade cups, with clear wine that shimmers and exudes a subtle fragrance. The middle and lower layers are dominated by earthenware urns and wine jars. The earthenware urns are mostly made of coarse pottery, about the height of a person, with their mouths tied tightly with red silk cloth. The silk cloth is stamped with a gilded "tribute wine" seal, and the body of the urn is affixed with yellowed paper labels with the wine name and the date of sealing written in small regular script. Among them are words such as "sealed in the twenty-third year of Xuanwu, presented as tribute by a special envoy from Khotan." According to the year, it has been more than a hundred years.

The palace houses countless fine wines, including Tusu wine from the Central Plains, grape wine from the Western Regions, and even imperial wines from the court. However, the arrangement and wording reveal that this palace harbored rebellious intentions and was built to the standards reserved for emperors.

Meanwhile, in the wine cellar, wine vessels lay scattered on the ground, as if they had been robbed.

On the second basement floor of the wine cellar, Old Dong, with his red nose, was leaning against a wine rack, holding a precious white jade wine jar in his hands, gulping it down. The old man's cheeks were flushed, his eyes were glazed, and he had an extremely intoxicated smile on his face. He wished he could immerse his head in the wine. He was simply blissfully happy.

And in front of him, Chen Yuan was speaking to him.

"I will soon be focusing on refining my personal celestial abode. These are turbulent times, so I'll trouble Elder Dong to take care of me. The capable should do more work."

"You're telling the truth, kid!"

“In Qingshan County, Ni Chang, Liu Qing, and the others are too stubborn and don’t know how to be flexible. Elder Dong should also check on them from time to time.”

"Alright, they're all juniors. With an old hand like me watching over them, those thieves wouldn't dare to commit any crimes, hiccup..."

"Also, regarding the war in the north, if anyone from the mountain-climbing army sends a message, Elder Dong should consider it first and see if he can handle it himself according to its importance. If it is urgent, then call me. As for other people who come to see me, just turn them away."

Old Dong put down the wine jar he was holding, opened his drowsy eyelids, revealing most of the whites of his eyes, and waved his hand dismissively.
"You brat, alright, alright, stop bothering me while I'm drinking. All you want is for me to keep an eye on things for you. Go ahead and cultivate your precious grotto-heaven. Go on, go on."

Normally, if Chen Yuan made so many demands, Dong Fu would mutter and complain incessantly, always finding something to grumble about. But at this moment, he simply forgave the kid.

It's because he gave too much.

With so much fine wine at his disposal, this was better than being an emperor. He would agree to anything Chen Yuan said.

Seeing his expression, Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Alright, I won't disturb your good time any longer."

"I know you know what you're doing, Mr. Dong, so I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, he shook his head and smiled. In these turbulent times, he wanted to refine his personal magical world as soon as possible and form his own combat power so that he would have more trump cards to fight against his enemies.

The combination of the Heavenly Pot Technique, the millennium-old array diagram of the former royal palace, and the Ninth Mountain troops under his command to oversee the array diagram, if used well, would be a formidable weapon!
He didn't let the storms outside disrupt his rhythm. He persuaded Elder Dong to act as his tool and help him handle the matters he had just been assigned. With Elder Dong's Dragon-Tiger cultivation, he was capable of filling this vacancy.

Thinking about it, I stumbled and left the rather large wine cellar.

When he came out and summoned his subordinates to give them some instructions, his subordinates brought news that General Qitian had sent another message from the Sacred Tree!
Less than half an hour had passed.

"Please take a look, General!"

Chen Yuan took the silver leaf and, following the same procedure, read the message and learned the general outline of the matter. He raised an eyebrow slightly.

The Northern Liang army halted its march 900 li outside Tianxiong Pass. General Qi Tian prepared to lead his holy troops to scout out the enemy camp at night. In a letter, Qi Tian briefly explained his intentions.

He truly has the courage of a hero!

Chen Yuan had been indebted to this general for relieving the siege of Tianxiong Pass years ago. Upon seeing the request, Chen Yuan made a decision to lend him a helping hand.

Not long after, the weather changed dramatically inside Tianxiong Pass, and a white beam of light descended from the sky!

Then, a single, cold star tore through the leaden clouds in the sky and fell.

"when!"

A large spear was planted on the command platform in front of the Heavenly Patrol Hall!

Three-pointed, double-edged blade, its cold light dazzling!
The entire Tianxiong Pass trembled! (End of Chapter)