Chapter 358

A terrifying thought suddenly burst from Chen Wuji's mind.

Clear the fields and fortify the walls.

These damned bastards are going to clear the fields and fortify the walls!

Why the hurry? Because they're afraid that once he catches his breath and runs out to find them, he'll mess up their plans.

Having realized this, Chen Wuji's face instantly darkened terribly.

Today, he also got to see how vicious human hearts can be.

The Gu, Li, and Xue families, in order to deal with him, actually wanted to sweep away the people on this land like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

Those are civilians, not damn weeds!

A bunch of scum!

Noticing the change in Chen Wuji's expression, Xu Zengyi and Qin Feng both looked over.

"Brother Wuji, have you thought of something?" Qin Feng asked.

Chen Wuji squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Clear the fields and fortify the walls."

Both of them felt somewhat bewildered; these four words were somewhat unfamiliar to them.

"What does that mean?" Qin Feng asked doubtfully.

Chen Wuji stared, "You... don't know?"

When he saw that even Xu Zengyi's eyes were somewhat bewildered, he suddenly thought perhaps Da Yu had never had such a precedent, or such a tactic.

The Gu-Li-Xue alliance is now making history.

If such a tactic existed in history, Qin Feng might barely grasp it, but Xu Zengyi would certainly understand.

He would also surely guess the purpose behind the Gu-Li-Xue allied army doing this.

If a strategist can't even guess something this simple, how could he possibly sit in the strategist's seat?

Chen Wuji roughly explained the concept of clearing the fields and fortifying the walls to the two of them.

"They actually dare to use such a heaven‑defying, unjust method!" Qin Feng slammed his fist on the table, making the bowls and dishes shudder violently.

Xu Zengyi's reaction was comparatively subdued, merely his eyes deepening.

Compared to Qin Feng's anger at what the Gu-Li-Xue allied army had done, he was obviously considering far more.

"We must stop them!" he said in a low voice.

The Gu, Li, and Xue families probably won't still be obsessed with capturing Yunan City; they're trying to turn us into trapped beasts. The highest form of warfare is to attack the enemy's plans; gains and losses of a single city or territory are not the most important in a war. They may give up attacking, but we will be trapped in this city.

"How would we be trapped?" Qin Feng asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Yunan has Shenxian Ling at its back; we could escape anytime we wanted. The Qiang people can come in through Shenxian Ling, so we can also go out through it and then bring in heavenly troops—wouldn't that give us a chance to survive?"

Xu Zengyi asked: "But what if the entire Nan Jun region becomes enemy territory?"

"It seems we don't even need an 'if'; with Lu Ping'an's abilities, he should already be close to completing this step. While we hold Yunan, the outside world will surely change day by day these days!"

Qin Feng opened his mouth, suddenly feeling powerless: "It really seems there's no solution."

Chen Wuji then said: "Our foundation is in Yunan; if the Gu, Li, and Xue families turn Yunan into a barren wasteland, we will lose the soil for our survival, and outside everything is enemies, so we really seem to have few paths left to live."

"Seeking survival in the cracks, we would perish from internal strife even without the enemy doing anything!"

Xu Zengyi gave a slight nod, looked up at Chen Wuji, and said: "Deputy Commander Chen, we must make a decision quickly; even if we have to pay a heavy price, we must exterminate these pests and preserve Yunan."

"What's there to deliberate? There's only one road—just do it!" Chen Wuji sprang to his feet.

He strode toward the outskirts of the camp, his voice carrying far: "You two hold the city; I'll personally lead troops out and let these grandsons see what guerrilla warfare is."

In a situation where our resources are scarce, there should be no better tactic than guerrilla warfare.

If intelligence permits, we can also add some allusions like the tortoise and hare race or Tian Ji's horse race.

One thousand versus ten thousand—I still have the advantage!

Chen Wuji first went to the East Market, then brought Yang Tiejiang and his six hundred old comrades rushing to the city gate.

Tempted by the generous military pay, Yang Tiejiang's lot—who were long accustomed to slaughter and had atrophied other skills—showed up at ninety-nine percent.

Only a tiny fraction chose the present hard‑won peace, resolved to remove their armor and return to farming as ordinary commoners.

Below the city, Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong, who had just returned from outside not long ago, stared at the contingent that suddenly appeared beside Chen Wuji, their expressions instantly as if they'd seen a ghost.

The whole army in armor?

When did Yunan City have such a contingent?

How could they not have heard a word about it?!

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes of different sizes both filled with bewilderment.

"Ah, Old Yang?!" Qian Fugui suddenly exclaimed, jumping up.

He didn't recognize the others, but he recognized Old Yang.

Although their acquaintance wasn't deep, they had met several times before and had done a bit of business together.

Yang Tiejiang's ferocious mouth twitched: "Young Master Qian, long time no see."

Qian Fugui, hands in his pockets, circled Yang Tiejiang three times to the left and three to the right: "General's armor, still the old one…"

Looking back at the soldiers behind Yang Tiejiang, who obeyed orders with grim, unyielding resolve, Qian Fugui's mouth twisted sharply: "Those old immortals of my family have always told me that the waters of Yunan City are deeper by countless folds than our household pond, so when I go out I must restrain myself—absolutely avoid provoking anyone I can befriend, and if I can sell a smile, don't truly act like a young master."

"Before I didn't care at all, thinking those old fogeys were really just old and living too cautiously. But today I realize, damn it, I'm the frog at the bottom of the well—this water… it's not just deep, it's damn bottomless."

"I wouldn't even dare dream of doing this!"

"Who would believe it? The old ironsmith who forges in the East Market suddenly becomes a general, and with a single order withdraws an elite force!"

This is definitely an elite force.

Qian Fugui may not have seen much, but he considers himself not blind.

If a unit that sits and stands in perfect unison, with grim expressions and killing intent filling the air, isn't an elite force, then he really wouldn't know what an elite force ought to look like.

"It's all forced by life; where would any depth or shallowness come from?" Yang Tiejiang's mouth twitched slightly.

Usually unsmiling and fierce-looking, when he spoke these words he resembled a wicked grinner who pretends to smile to lure children, then gulps them down whole in one bite.

Qian Fugui stepped forward, lowered his voice and asked: "Lao Yang, we two can be considered old acquaintances, right? Now it's obvious we'll be eating from the same trough in the future; may I ask you a few small questions?"

Ask.

These are all your old subordinates?

They used to be, but now they are the Commandant's Personal Guard Lìng.

Qian Fugui said, "Why are you being so careful with your words? Our Commandant isn't that petty, narrow-minded person." He muttered a sentence, his eyes flashing with a greedy gleam, then asked again, "Do you have any extra Armor? It doesn't matter if it's a bit damaged; as long as it's usable, just give me a few sets—seven or eight, nine, a hundred or so."