Chapter 367

In the lush, tree-shaded mountain forest, a massive army walked slowly like a black tide toward the deep mountains that opened their abyss-like mouths like demon gods not far away.

'One hundred thousand troops.'

Li Rui rode his horse in the middle of the formation.

For this military training, a full one hundred thousand troops were mobilized.

Of course.

This was for external propaganda; in reality, the army belonging to Annan Town was only a little over ten thousand.

The others were conscripted laborers and logistics troops.

These were the bulk of the army's numbers.

Ten people supporting one soldier was no joke.

Martial artists were also people and still needed to eat; everyone who had fought in a war understood the principle that troops and horses move, but grain and fodder go first; grain and fodder supplies were the bulk.

One hundred thousand laborers for ten thousand soldiers was not excessive at all.

This time, they even saved ten thousand laborers.

Li Rui looked at the vast number of laborers following the main army and turned his head away.

At this moment.

Ning Zhongtian came to Li Rui's side.

"Li Laoge, I heard that there are piles and piles of military merit to be earned in this military training; I will certainly be able to break through this time."

He had an eager-to-try appearance.

Although it was called military training, Zhou Dinghai's scale was not small; military training was equivalent to actual combat, and military merit would not be lacking at all.

Let alone those little brats below, even military officers like Ning Zhongtian could not hold back.

One by one, they were howling to slay demons and eliminate devils.

Encountering a Provincial Military Commander like Zhou Dinghai who was willing to spend money, the morale was naturally high.

'I heard that when this General Zhou was fighting the Sea Clan in the south, he was extremely skilled at military training; many generals of the Yu Kingdom walked out from under General Zhou's command.'

For matters of risking one's life, of course, one gives one's all.

Ordinary soldiers only need to bury their heads and charge forward; as for higher-level officials like Li Rui, they have to think about more.

Slaying one or two demon beasts was meaningless.

What they wanted was a strategic grand victory.

That was the correct way to get promoted.

If his subordinates slew demons, it was equivalent to him slaying them, so why risk his life?

Li Rui: "You kid are already forty-something years old, don't be reckless again."

"Yes."

Ning Zhongtian scratched his head.

In Li Rui's view, military merit or not was not important at all; even if Ning Zhongtian only killed one demon, he could still manage to make it look like the merit of ten demons; the key was not to die.

Military training was also a battlefield, and swords have no eyes.

Every time the Northwest Border Army conducts military training, the casualties are not few.

A march of one hundred thousand scale, of course, could not be fast.

They walked for a full three days before arriving at the foot of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The Ten Thousand Mountains were the boundary between the Yu and Wu Kingdoms, with the majority in the territory of the Wu Kingdom and only a small part in the Yu Kingdom.

The target of this military training in Annan Town.

Was the monsters in this part of the Ten Thousand Mountains in the Yu Kingdom.

Of course, if any unlucky Purple Chai Jingong disciple happened to be bumped into, they would also be slain as demons and devils.

Before long.

Successive military camps appeared at the foot of the mountain.

Ordinary soldiers, of course, were squeezed into a tent with several people; this was already considered a decent treatment.

The treatment of the laborers was even more miserable.

Often, there were more than a dozen people in one tent.

Of course, compared to the Northwest Border Army, these were already as good as they could be.

One could tell by looking at Tan Hu's appearance.

As for the treatment of Provincial Military Commander Zhou and Regional Commander Xue and others, of course, it was different; they all lived in small courtyards inside the Qinghe enclosure.

These had all been planned in advance.

Ordinary soldiers just need to endure hardship during military training; how could the big figures be allowed to suffer?

As a Assistant Regional Commander, Li Rui was also assigned a small courtyard in the Qinghe enclosure, which was much better than those squeezing into tents outside.

After resting on the spot for three days.

According to the areas each guard battalion was responsible for, they began to clear out the monsters in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Whichever guard battalion could complete it first.

Would be the winner.

The entire army would be rewarded.

The guard battalions were secretly competing, and the four deputy generals were the same.

If the guard battalion under one's own command could win, it would be a great face-showing in front of Provincial Military Commander Zhou, and there would certainly be priority for promotion in the future.

At their level, they all knew that promotion was not a one-day achievement.

But the result of accumulation.

How to accumulate? Isn't it by showing one's face in front of superiors time and time again?

"Tell me, which guard battalion will win this time?"

Zhou Dinghai held the sword at his waist and looked majestically at the teams of troops going up the mountain.

Xue Gui smiled slightly: "Let these little brats run wild for a while."

The two spoke lightly.

But the several deputy generals behind them were already secretly competing.

Nie Siming stood with Li Rui: "Li Laoge, do you think the Anning Guard might win?"

"Win?"

"Let's aim for second and fight for first."

Nie Siming raised an eyebrow: "Li Laoge is so confident?"

"I heard that many good hands have come to Jiannan Town and Huaidong Town."

Annan Town was not the strongest among the thirty-two military towns in the world to begin with, and was weaker than both Jiannan and Huaidong towns.

If it weren't for the Purple Chai Jingong, perhaps it wouldn't be Annan Town's turn to grow big.

Those guard battalions that came from other places had always looked down on the Anning Guard, the local natives.

They wanted to suppress them in everything.

'Could it be that he left some trump card?'

After all, Li Rui had not done just one or two unexpected things.

Just when he was curious.

Li Rui gave the answer with a strange expression: "Who said I am fighting for first?"

"Not first?" Nie Siming's expression stiffened.

He quickly reacted; it turned out that what Li Rui wanted to fight for was second to last.

"Li Laoge is still open-minded."

Glancing at the three deputy generals and miscellaneous generals competing secretly nearby, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

First?

One must first have self-knowledge.

Li Rui knew the strength of the Anning Guard better than anyone.

He was not an immortal; how could he make a guard battalion instantly become strong?

Since it was impossible.

Then be more open-minded; why compete with others? Just obediently do one's own thing.

Even if it was last place, could it affect him, a guest official of Gu Changsheng, big brother of Jiang Linxian, and guest of Marquis Yuan?

Of course not.

!

Since it wouldn't, why waste effort fighting for it?

It is my fortune if I get it, and my fate if I lose it.

At this moment, Yuan Xiong spoke: "Let's go, let's also go and see what these guys are made of."

After speaking.

Li Rui, Nie Siming, and Yuan Xiong headed toward the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The other deputy generals were the same.

Their appearance was precisely to ensure that this military training would not cause any major trouble.

Deep in the Ten Thousand Mountains, on a rolling small hill.

The Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu narrowed his eyes.

Looking at the bright light occasionally reflected by the armor and weapons in the mountain forest.

"Annan Town."

He said lowly.

With such a large commotion in Annan Town, how could he not know?

Military training?

It was clearly not putting the Purple Chai Jingong in his eyes!

"Damn Yu Kingdom people."

First was the hatred of destroying the country, then the hatred of humiliation; how could he endure it?

Just as the Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu was pondering.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Turning his head.

He saw a man and a woman walking slowly toward him; they were precisely the two Daoist children received by the Purple Chai Jingong Master, Si Feng.

This man and woman followed Si Feng to cultivate.

Now they had changed their appearance greatly, actually possessing a bit of immortal charm.

The man held a jade ruyi, and the woman had a small jade sword flying around her body.

Magic treasure!

The Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu certainly knew that this was an immortal sect magic treasure bestowed upon the two by Si Feng, which was truly incomparable.

"Xueying Laozu."

The man and woman bowed respectfully to the Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu.

The Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu nodded casually:

"You take people and watch these Yu Kingdom people; once they dare to step half a step into the territory of my Purple Chai Jingong."

"Kill!"

In the Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's eyes, it seemed there were mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The pair of man and woman replied in unison: "Yes!"

After speaking.

The Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu turned and left.

Leaving only the man and woman in place.

After the Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu had completely left, the man spoke: "Junior Sister Zhu, I heard that Li Rui, whom the Palace Master often mentions, has also come to the Ten Thousand Mountains."

Zhu Yun looked at her Senior Brother Qi Tong, whose eyes were flashing with excitement, and worry flashed in her eyes:

"Senior Brother, the Xueying Laozu has said that we must not cause trouble within the territory of the Yu Kingdom."

Qi Tong's mouth lifted slightly:

"Junior Sister, rest assured, I have a sense of proportion in what I do."

'Best be.'

Zhu Yun lowered her head and stopped speaking.

Qi Tong was different from her; he was a member of the Qi clan, and then was chosen by the Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu to become the Palace Master's Daoist child.

He was certainly cautious and humble in front of the Palace Master, but in reality, he was a person who loved to claim credit.

'Just relying on a good life.'

Zhu Yun thought to herself, then stopped caring.

Her figure disappeared into the depths of the mountain forest.

In the mountain forest.

A team of more than thirty armored soldiers was surrounding a jackal with red fur using swords and spears; someone was injured, but could be dragged away in time, so although injured, they did not die.

In the bushes not far away.

Three people stood on a tree branch, actually without any sign of breaking it.

"Not bad, not losing their footing in a crisis, attacking and defending in an orderly manner."

Nie Siming nodded.

He was quite satisfied with the performance of the Anning Guard soldiers below.

That Red Flame Wolf had the strength of the peak of the Sixth-Rank; for Lu Jun, a garrison commander at the early stage of the Sixth-Rank, to be able to force it back with dozens of people was already quite remarkable, and looking at it, there was no big problem in slaying it.

Yuan Xiong also praised: "Not bad."

Li Rui did not speak.

However, he also nodded secretly; ever since Lu Jun was defeated last time, he had instead advanced all the way, especially in the way of leading troops, where he had made great progress.

Just when the Red Flame Wolf was about to be forced into a desperate situation.

Suddenly!

The ground began to shake slightly.

A roar of a beast that seemed to shake the sky seemed to wake up the entire Ten Thousand Mountains.

Wolf howls, tiger roars...

In a trance, it was as if they were in a pile of wild beasts.

Nie Siming's expression became solemn in an instant, and he stared fixedly at the black tide appearing not far away.

"Bad."

"It's a demon tide!"

(End of chapter)