I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 481 - 266: Spend Ten Years of Life for One SSR Draw_2

Chapter 481: Chapter 266: Spend Ten Years of Life for One SSR Draw_2

"So fast, your ability really is extraordinary," Gu Shanhai also stood up, finding it boring to lie down alone, so he planned to find another place to rest.

"I dare not accept Mr. Gu’s praise," Zhan Yan naturally knew to be modest.

Both left together, and Zhan Yan had the chance to see the campsite. Afterward, he couldn’t help but express, "Mr. Jiang truly is a gifted teacher, the layout within this campsite is splendid, ready for both offense and defense, even the rear escape routes are well prepared."

Zhan Yan wasn’t a military leader, but he had read some military manuals. Generally speaking, these manuals are often read by ordinary commanders, but most of them contain only rudimentary tactics, and the reason they haven’t developed is that they’ve been suppressed by the extraordinary profession of military leaders.

"It’s passable, but unfortunately, these are ultimately insignificant," Gu Shanhai shook his head, seemingly unimpressed. If you encounter the Daoist Soldiers led by those veteran military leaders, this campsite would only need one charge or barrage to be instantly turned into ruins.

The gap in combat power is far beyond what tactics could compensate for.

"Mr. Gu’s vision is far-reaching, this indeed is insignificant; only the path of the military leader is true," Zhan Yan naturally agreed with Gu Shanhai.

This was common sense in their world, the entire era, the trends revolved around military leaders and Daoist Soldiers, like a modern world where if you told someone you could cultivate to transcendence without relying on technology, they would just think you were insane, and point out that if you forget your phone at home, you wouldn’t be able to do anything when you go out.

After walking around the camp, Zhan Yan finished his official duties and then returned to the back of the campsite to reunite with his family.

As for Jiang Lu, he led his men on an expedition to clear out the rebels, taking two hundred Daoist Soldiers and one thousand troops, while the rest stayed in the campsite to train and maintain normal operations.

According to the news from Xingsu City, another small group of rebels had entered the area around Xingsu City, coming from the direction of Wen’an City; it must be the vanguard sent by the rebel forces who captured Wen’an City.

That’s why it was urgent to eliminate them; otherwise, once the enemy learned of Xingsu City and the surrounding forces’ severe losses, the enemy would march right in, and Jiang Lu would have no choice but to flee with his men.

There were a thousand Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers in the Wen’an region alone, and after occupation and conversion by the enemy, even with high casualties, they could double that number.

Jiang Lu had a hard time dealing with a thousand Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers, let alone a larger number.

Fortunately, the rebels were not that extreme; they didn’t convert everyone into Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers but chose selectively, only taking the able-bodied. The elderly, the weak, and women were not selected.

But even among the able-bodied, there were selections to be made; though the resources needed to train a Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldier were less, they were still needed, and in large numbers, even the rebels could not bear the burden.

Gu Shanhai frowned; it seemed like something had observed him just a moment ago.

No, it was not observing him, but rather glancing at the campsite he was in and the nearby Xingsu City, similar to coming over for reconnaissance.

It was because the reconnaissance included Gu Shanhai that his senses picked it up.

"Rebels? No, not the rebels; the Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers of the rebels wouldn’t scout so stealthily," Gu Shanhai quickly ruled out the rebels.

The reconnaissance manner of the Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers among the rebels would be more akin to chaos or brute force, more of an "I’ve found you" rather than a discreet "I’m scouting."

’So it’s a strategy?’

Gu Shanhai could ascertain that it must be another military leader using strategy to scout their campsite.

’Based on the vibrations, it’s unlikely that it’s from those noble military leaders in Xingsu City, but from a higher level, the provincial government.’

’And there’s no corresponding hostility or malice, it’s more likely a comprehensive exploration of the entire provincial jurisdiction.’

’If my guess is right, those high-ranking military leaders must have found the source of the rebels, the military leader in control of the Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers.’

The Dalong Dynasty might be greatly weakened now, but those who stood at the apex of the world, the military masters, were still strong, so finding the source wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

"Does this mean the great decisive battle is about to begin?"

Gu Shanhai also pondered this matter, but of course, it definitely had nothing to do with him, and even less so with Jiang Lu.

This was a matter for the upper echelons. People like Gu Shanhai simply needed to take care of clearing out these scattered Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers.

When you think about it, it was quite normal. The appearance of Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers and the rebellion spiraling out of control were, to the military masters controlling all of Dalong’s resources, like robberies continuously pilfering their wealth. They certainly couldn’t tolerate it any longer.

"We must take advantage of this opportunity to quickly enhance Jiang Lu’s military achievements and personal reputation. I initially thought at most he could become the lord of a single county, but after earning the title of Colonel, with some effort, he might even become the governor of a city."

Especially since the nearby cities had all fallen into the hands of the Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers. These city governors were either killed or had directly surrendered, so with sufficient strength and accomplishments, one could also get a piece of the action.

After all, these neighboring cities were actually remote and not coveted by the scions of powerful families, who simply dismissed them. Those who did value them would be wary of Jiang Lu’s power.

Under normal circumstances, as long as there was no deliberate targeting, success was indeed possible.

As for becoming a provincial governor, that was out of the question. There were far too many people eyeing that position, and besides, the governors were not only alive but had not surrendered, instead, they were actively purging the corruption within their provinces.

One must not aspire too ambitiously.

"Speaking of which, that strategy is really shameless," Gu Shanhai complained, equating the tactics used just now to planting spies, x-ray vision, and unlocking the fog of war.

The strategy, similar to the "Sun and Moon Military Method," depended on the range of the military master and Daoist Soldier, rather than a fixed effect.

"Wait a minute, aren’t they planning to conscript people?" Gu Shanhai suddenly thought of this.

Otherwise, there was no reason to carry out such extensive reconnaissance across the entire province. The reason for the reconnaissance was to gather enough power to purge the entire province.

Otherwise, if everyone acted on their own, not only would there be overt and covert fights resulting in internal strife, but it would also delay the efficiency of the cleanup.

Hence, as long as everything was coordinated under a unified command, even if there was any dirt involved, a higher level of power could suppress it.

As long as the effort was directed towards the same goal, the provincial governor wouldn’t care about the rest. When the time came, just sharing a bit of the merits would suffice. To him, what mattered little were the thoughts of those less powerful military masters.

It was true that the higher-ups were targeting the military masters who had become Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers, but it didn’t mean the rebellion formed by these Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers wouldn’t be dealt with. Both military masters and Daoist Soldiers had to die together.

Of course, more importantly, they also wanted to develop the "Dragon Tooth Military Technique" of training Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers. Such a powerful technique that also conserved resources—if someone got their hands on it, they would be able to create an entirely new and extremely powerful great family.

In the eyes of the great families and military masters, toppling the Dalong Dynasty itself was not in their interests. A barely alive Dalong Dynasty was the most suitable for them.

Most of the great families and military masters now had not considered replacing it.

It wasn’t because they lacked ambition but because the timing wasn’t right. If someone dared to commit the great taboo of usurping the throne, they would be a prime fool. The other families and military masters would be thankful and then act under the guise of righteous execution of a Pseudo Emperor.

Thus, without truly formidable power, none of the families or military masters would entertain such an idea, and even if they did, they would have to lay low rather than reveal their intentions.

Even when the time of military cliques and territorial division arrived, although everyone might have the thought, they wouldn’t let others know they did.