Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 56 Intercepting and Explaining, Counterattack and Retribution.

The Shahe River, the largest river in the north, stretches for thousands of miles. At the northernmost point of this winding river, the Haotian clan has now built altars at three different locations.

The monarch of Guotai, a ten-year-old boy, began the sacrificial ceremony under the guidance of his ministers. The young king of Guotai was clearly absent-minded and seemed very unhappy with the constraints of the ceremony, but after being glared at by the Grand Preceptor Pu'e, he lowered his head and obeyed the master of ceremonies.

The "good habit" of offering sacrifices to Heaven was brought out by the Dragon Descendants from the Xiren Realm. The reason they established the so-called "Celestial Dynasty" in the Haotian Realm was because the Dragon Emperor and the Moon Queen reached a "covenant of harmony between Heaven, Earth, and Man" with that realm.

Upon returning to the Xiren Realm, they did not revert to calling themselves the Celestial Dynasty because they dared not be arrogant.

This world has not agreed to "share weal and woe" with them. However, the most ancient dragon descendants are all aware of their clan's ancestral rules.

With the strict sacrificial ceremony involving three animals, and the presence of several high-ranking officials from various prefectures, the river roared. These officials, amidst the pushing and shoving of the soldiers, turned and roared in denunciation, their words likely being "false dynasty" and "licentious worship."

The captured generals who did not surrender were thrown into the rolling yellow sand, and the priests of Guotai completed their blessing ceremony.

As streams of divination power flowed from the massive riverside rock that served as the altar, the churning waters of the river, stretching for dozens of miles, thickened like mercury and began to flow smoothly.
At the bottom of this murky river, a huge "reef" moved. In what appeared to be its head, its newly awakened pupils shone with a comfortable gaze, as if the barnacles that had been parasitizing its body for a long time had been removed.

This giant beast is called Baxia. When the Shahe River existed, this tribe already regarded it as the "River God".

The Haotian Dragon Clan was active in the Xiren Realm eight thousand years ago, therefore, it can be summoned according to ancient methods.

These are guardian beasts of the great river, but in previous dynasties, they were considered sacred beasts that thrived and multiplied in the river.

…Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together…

Inside Yongji Pass, Wu Fei was further studying the Daoist arts. In the Dao as described by Da Yao, whether it was the "Dao of Heaven" or the "Dao of Man," all schools of thought maintained a balance.

However, the natural order of "taking from the surplus and giving to the deficiency" is a state of balanced stability; "taking from the deficiency to give to the surplus" is a state of maintaining stability in an unbalanced state.

To give a detailed analogy, imagine a seesaw. When there is no weight on either side of the seesaw, it is balanced and stable.

However, if you place 100 kilograms on the left side of the seesaw, you also need to place 100 kilograms on the right side to maintain balance. As time goes on, the left side is constantly "reduced from the insufficient to give to the excessive," increasing to 1,000 kilograms, while the right side also increases to 1,000 kilograms. This is the stability of imbalance.

As human nature evolved from a primitive existence to one that values ​​clothing and food, from hunting and gathering in the jungle to a landscape of interconnected paths, and from mud-brick and thatched houses to towering city walls, the path of humanity, on its own side of the seesaw of the natural order, became increasingly heavier and stronger.

Until the end of the Cheng Dynasty, a great calamity occurred!
As human behavior has developed to a certain extent, it has seriously affected the balance of mountains and rivers. Not only has it caused some spirits in the mountains and rivers to become increasingly fond of blood-eating creatures, but strange occurrences have also frequently occurred in some remote villages.

Similar phenomena can be observed in the current situation. As lakes and marshes were developed in many prefectures, many households fled to more remote mountains and forests due to the lack of land, competing with the creatures there. Many wild animals, after fighting with humans, learned to devour human souls and awakened into spirits.

This escape into the household registration is unorganized. The Wu family army is now building roads first. From a feng shui perspective, this opens up the "breath exchange" between the inside and outside of the mountains, allowing the human path to enter. Then, they kill all kinds of jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards in the mountains that might awaken into spirits, and replace them with humans. This forces a new balance to be formed, and the mountains and forests will accept it.

Therefore, at the end of the Cheng Dynasty, there were two factions: one was the "Intercepting" faction, and the other was the "Explaining" faction. The Intercepting faction believed that since the development of humankind had become too large to maintain balance, then a portion should be cut off. They advocated for a grand sacrifice, which meant eliminating the excess population.

After seeing the Jie Sect's propositions, Wu Fei was stunned for a moment. He immediately connected them with some theories from his previous life. Wasn't this the same approach that some Western countries used for "human extermination" in his previous life?
Some self-proclaimed chosen people of God: What happens when nature is destroyed? Then we'll just clear out the dregs of the population and keep it at a mere 500 million. A tiny minority can still live a life of luxury, using all sorts of transportation and having their villas with the taps running 24/7, because they consider themselves the chosen people. Meanwhile, the rest of the non-chosen people have to endure a constant bombardment of "indulgences," and even using a little bit of resources is considered a sin.

Of course, the above is only one side of Wu Fei's view, because Wu Fei is human, so his likes and dislikes are human opinions.

Although in ancient times, nine out of ten military strategists sided with the Jie faction, the ancient Great Cheng court not only had fox-spirited demon concubines, but also human beings descended from various divine beasts. However, the military strategist always believed that "truth lies in the hands of the minority."

Wu Fei: Humans and demons are irreconcilable; all existing military strategists are based on the human race.
Regarding this ancient Daoist struggle, the result was a victory for the Chan school, the destruction of the Da Cheng school, the establishment of the Da Yao school, and the further development of humanity to this day.

The Chan School's solution is to reveal the secrets of Heaven to all people. When humanity becomes too overwhelming, causing the Way of Heaven to deviate, humanity must create artifacts to guard mountains and rivers, thereby maintaining a new balance on the seesaw of the Way of Heaven. According to the Chan School, if future industrial development truly requires carving through mountains and cutting through roads, offending mountain spirits, the power of humanity can be used to reinforce the mountains with massive iron beasts, thus restoring balance.

Wu Fei: Oh, that's easier to understand. It's similar to how, in the Spring and Autumn Period of my previous life, the forest coverage in North China was 70%. As human activities developed and turned this area into plains, the Yellow River began to flood. Humans had to continuously build water conservancy projects and actively participate in the rebalancing of the natural order. In the process of this civilization's development, the people of this land were constantly being shown their close relationship with heaven and earth. As for dynasties that did not understand this principle, they would be struck down by the Yellow River Mother.

Therefore, in the past, industrial development damaged the global environment, and people in other regions were led by the West to the theory of "humanity is guilty," while only the East followed the theory of "rebalancing human activities" (sustainable development).

…Back to the Realm of the Xiren…

The project of regulating mountains and rivers is built around the system of divination. As the ruler mobilizes humane governance, mountains and rivers automatically adjust their fluctuations. The key to stabilizing the mountains and rivers after the changes is "suppressing the beasts".

The creation of the "suppressing beast" is equivalent to the construction of water conservancy projects or the creation of protective forests on Earth.

However, with the rise of the Great Yao Suppressing Beast culture, those ancient mythical beasts gradually disappeared.

In the most fertile and prosperous region of the land today, the fields are crisscrossed with roads, and everywhere is a field of grain. But during the Da Cheng era, one could see auspicious beasts such as elephants and nine-colored deer here. These auspicious beasts, after transforming into human form, could even serve as officials in the Da Cheng court.

Yes, just like how Xiaoqing can now work as an intelligence gatherer under Wu Fei. This shows that it's reasonable for the defenders of the Great Yao to call the Wu family army "barbaric." The Wu family army's recruitment of Xiaoqing and its inclusion of foreign servants was very common in the Cheng Dynasty.

Where did the spirit beast go? The answer is now clear.

An ancient saying goes: I have heard that in Chu there was a divine tortoise, which had been dead for three thousand years, yet the king kept it in a box and enshrined it in the ancestral temple. Would this tortoise rather be dead, its bones preserved and revered, or alive, dragging its tail in the mud?
…Let's return to the sacrificial ceremony in Guotai, the capital of the Northern Kingdom…

In the Shahe River, "Baxia" is slowly awakening. Under the rule of Da Yao, this guardian beast's body will petrify, forcing it to rest at the bottom of the river. Only when the river water changes its clarity in spring and autumn, and when the local officials preside over the mountain and river sacrifice, will the guardian beasts loosen up and wriggle at the bottom of the river, giving the flow of water vitality. After each sacrifice, "Baxia" will grow larger and heavier.

The ancient murals on the mountains where these three altars are located record the situation of Baxia a long, long time ago. At that time, Baxia was one or two zhang long, its shell was not that thick, and although its claws and teeth were sharp, its body was very small.

Especially in ancient times, when the dragon race was at its peak and various pure-blooded dragons were everywhere, the hybrid "Baxia" was often shattered by powerful beings because its shell, which had not been strengthened by incense offerings, was often used to prey on other dragons.

Now, as the sacrificial drumming intensified, the "islands" that appeared out of nowhere in the river grew stronger. Finally, after Baxia had completely risen to the shore, the river overflowed the banks, and large waves of yellow water submerged the boots of the sacrificial figures on both sides. Even the Heavenly Lion in the sky involuntarily swooped down to try and protect them.

Pu'e, however, was certain from the aura of the shifting island that this was what she was meant to awaken.

When Baxia emerged from the river, Pu'e and the other dragon descendants couldn't help but retreat. They hadn't expected that this "dragon son" from the Sand River, whose bloodline wasn't even top-tier, would grow to such a size.

If humanity, dominated by the Haotian Dragon Clan, were to reign supreme for thousands of years, the Baxia would evolve towards the other extreme. In that extreme, while these behemoths would no longer suffer from the growing sluggishness that comes with petrification, their armor would become thinner, their size smaller, and they would encounter more and more enemies. Eventually, they would degenerate into competing for food with turtles and alligators in the rivers.

At this moment, the descendants of Haotian Dragon looked at each other in bewilderment, like fishermen who had discovered a great catch in a long-abandoned pond. Their thick stone armor was sufficient to withstand the current artillery barrage.

Pu'e even looked at the smooth part of Baxia's back and felt that a giant cannon should have been placed there.

As the "divination" in the sky changed, Baxia, who had come to the shore, showed an expression of enjoyment. It seemed that the giant shell on its back was too heavy and it had been carrying it for too long, so much so that it had become numb. Therefore, even when the Yin and Yang energies drilled holes, threaded ropes, and attached a saddle, it remained unmoved.

A few days later, with the bronze cannon mounted on Baxia's back and a fine steel helmet attached to its head, this extremely elite giant soldier was completed.

Under the test firing of Guotai's army, each cannon shot caused a feeling of "heart being squeezed" to the armored soldiers within a range of two hundred paces.

Just as the generals of Guotai were trying to demand the giant beast, Pu'e gave Baxia to Zhao Cheng, who was currently in Lu County.

…A forgotten interlude…

After the Haotian clan liberated "Baxia," the area lost the regulation of this guardian beast. Soon, the river changed course, and the riverbed became a shallow marsh. The auspicious phenomenon of the great river nourishing all directions disappeared, and the region fell into drought. Downstream, due to the change in the river, floods also occurred.

A wisp of foul air flowed through the mountains and rivers.

…one month later…

In the 29th year of the reign of Emperor Xu Tian, ​​in February, in Fengcheng, downstream from where the Zhen Beast was taken, within the territory of Dayao.

The Guotai army, flying the banner of "Zhao", suddenly moved to the western part of Yan County. At this moment, the army that Da Yao had just reorganized was preparing to attack Gu Shou Pass, which came as a complete surprise to Da Yao.

Below Fengcheng, General Zhao Cheng of Haotian had already changed into his black jade unicorn mount. This Daoist soldier mount, crafted from Lingbi stone, was twice the height of an ordinary warhorse.

This type of "Taoist weapon" can be traced back to the Bu Dynasty, before the Cheng Dynasty, a time when the Dragon Clan was just rising in the Xi Ren Realm. The technique of making Taoist weapons using Lingbi stone is an ancient technique. During the Da Yao era, jade was used, and the methods of using this stone had been lost. Now, it has been revived.

With a mount, Zhao Cheng became more secure in battle. The Taoist mount, because it matched its master's aura, could help the master dodge swords and arrows.

The sounds of battle echoed as the army advanced, crashing against the city walls. Zhao Cheng was below Fengcheng, and the defenders on the city walls attacked him with crossbow bolts and cannons, but the projectiles all deflected to one side as they approached.

After counting the firing positions on the city tower, Zhao Cheng issued a flag order. The yellow flag fluttered to the rear, and the artillery opened fire. Red meteors streaked over the heads of the Guotai siege army. As the projectiles landed on the city, smoke and fire rose from the city tower, which was adorned with the large banner.

The first volley of cannon fire sent plumes of dust and debris billowing from the hit sections of the city walls, resembling the destruction of bricks and tiles. The second volley followed, the dust a flurry of fleeing soldiers, like grasshoppers startled by a sudden gust of wind. Then, the wait for the third volley by the defenders on the walls became unusually long.

As noon approached and the defenders on the city walls began to relax, cannon fire came again, stirring everyone's emotions. Meanwhile, elite cavalry and infantry rapidly approached the city walls, but soon after, with the sounding of the gong, the attacking force retreated like a receding tide. This attack was a joke.

As a result, the soldiers on the city wall did not close their eyes for two days and two nights.

Although there were many soldiers garrisoning Fengcheng, they were all newly recruited conscripted farmers.

The discipline of these peasant-turned-military units was lax. Unless the commander had the resolve to execute dozens of men during a period of chaos to uphold order, these peasants would only obey orders a limited number of times. That is, they would initially obey, but if they found the orders ineffective, they would question them. As questioning grew, disarray would ensue. This was a common problem in all irregular armies.

The commander on the city wall was clearly only an amateur 9-dan. He was repeatedly fooled by Zhao Cheng's feigned attacks, falling for the "all-out alert" order more than ten times. By the twelfth time, when the commander finally gave the order, the soldiers on the city wall were slowly getting up, sighing and standing in formation with their weapons.

And just after the second night, in the early morning, Zhao Cheng launched his final offensive.

This time, instead of artillery fire taking the lead, elite troops approached the city wall with grenades in their mouths and climbed up, easily capturing a section of the wall. Then, guided by large lanterns (sky lanterns) floating in the sky, the artillery bombarded the section of the city wall surrounded by the Fengcheng defenders.

In the early hours of the morning, when the Fengcheng garrison commander attempted to retake the city walls, he hastily issued orders to all camps. However, this was a grave mistake, akin to a commander in a 20th-century French-style evacuation in Northeast China being pricked and, in a moment of panic, sending a message directly in plain text.
When an army is attacked at night, it is most likely to encounter disadvantages, as the roads in and out are likely to be blocked and congested, leading to the greatest chaos.

The correct approach is to select the nearest few units to enter the fortified defenses. These units must not have conflicting routes, and the remaining battalions are not permitted to leave; they must await orders. Only after the situation on the city walls is assessed and the commanders understand which sections of the city can still accommodate troops can these reserve forces be deployed.

The garrison's flags and orders were in disarray, and fires broke out in buildings throughout the city. While trying to mobilize personnel to quell the fires, they also clashed with the city's firefighting teams, inevitably resulting in a blockage in the city's passageways.

At this moment, Zhao Cheng immediately learned of the situation through the command flags thrown by the Haotian Lion riders. He had already set up artillery on the earthen slope outside the city and aimed it at the streets where soldiers were gathered inside the city.

The first bullet struck a building in the city, and huge mortise and tenon structure fragments of the pavilion crashed into the crowd. Before the people crowded in the market streets could even brush off the dust, red bullets rained down on them, shattering the first unfortunate victim. Then, sparks flew like boiling water over everything within a two-zhang radius, and the iron fragments and red-hot coals caused a large number of people to fall dead.

Outside the city, the artillerymen of Guotai were using water-flowing talismans to clean the cannon barrels. The supply soldiers who were transporting the cannonballs filled the coconut shell-like shells with high-quality black charcoal, then covered them with iron shells, inserted wooden strips to stabilize them, wrapped them with a layer of damp cloth, stuffed them into the cannon barrels, and affixed a fire talisman. As the fire talisman was activated, the black charcoal inside the cannonballs immediately turned red-hot.

Immediately afterwards, the incendiary bomb, glowing red, streaked across the sky and flew towards the most densely populated area in the city.

The large army crammed on the city wall looked up as the red-glowing cannonballs fell closer and closer outside the city, and finally, their morale collapsed in the explosion.

The resistance on the city walls completely vanished, and chaos erupted within Fengcheng.

And so, Zhao Cheng once again easily seized this strategic opportunity.

If this battle report gets sent south, it will enrage the incompetent court of Da Yao, and further south, Wu Xiaoque will whine and complain like a know-it-all after the fact. The north will just be a bunch of useless idiots.

Why is it that Zhao Cheng is always so "lucky" as to run into such useless idiots?

…After the fall of Fengcheng…

Outside the city's main camp, Zhao Cheng personally received the families of some captured high-ranking generals. After exchanging some gifts, he presented them with boxes of jewels and jade. Several days later, these captured generals were released.

(End of this chapter)