Chapter 64: Take You Across, You Must Die

"Rebuild the local administrative system."

"The original county clerks—not a single one."

"The position of county clerk shall be filled first from among the disabled military households."

"When military households retire due to old age, they shall be given priority for appointment as county clerks."

"The military households have attended night school, possess basic literacy and simple calculation skills, and are sufficient for the task."

"The main work in each place is to gather in refugees and wild people, restoring local production and livelihood."

Inside the county office, Lin Dao arranged and assigned tasks to Wang Meng and the others.

Wherever the Relief Army passed, the Later Zhao local government office system collapsed.

Lin Dao did not choose to plunder everything like refugees, but seriously arranged to take over the local area.

"The military household regular soldiers are truly our own people."

"If there is anything good, it must be given to them first."

Lin Dao caught his breath, gazing at Wang Meng. "I heard that recently many children of high-ranking families have come to surrender?"

"Most are small surnames from humble families."

Wang Meng's expression was as usual. "There may be children of high-ranking families, but their families have long since fallen into decline, merely seeking to survive."

After the Yongjia Southward Migration, the aristocratic clans remaining in the Northern Lands either surrendered to the Hu people, or fell into ruin and drifted away, leaving only their name.

"Accept them, but arrange them to do clerical work." Lin Dao took out a bottle of water and unscrewed it. "One thing to remember: do not take in children of families who have surrendered to the Hu captives."

"Here~~~"

Drinking half a bottle of mineral water in one breath, Lin Dao caught his breath.

Ever since seeing the corpse pulled up from the water well, swollen from soaking, he had never drunk water from this place again.

"Lord."

Wang Meng saluted again. "The Jiehu cavalry frequently spy on us; I fear their troops will come to harass us within days."

"I hope Lord will respond appropriately."

This was a tactful reminder to Lin Dao that they were nearly at Ye City, and the Qianghu cavalry charge would soon arrive.

Lord, you must have some great weapon to deal with this; you must prepare as soon as possible.

If you cannot produce it when the time comes, then these hundreds of thousands of the Relief Army will truly follow in the footsteps of the Jin Army at Ningping City.

In the Battle of Ningping City back then, Shi Le used the advantage of cavalry's rapid mobility to implement tactics of interspersing, dividing, and besieging the Jin military and civilians, chasing and shooting them down at will.

The Jin cavalry was useless, lacking the power to resist, and the result was corpses strewn across the fields.

Those who surrendered with hands bound were all massacred in pits.

The Relief Army at this time was very similar to the Jin Army back then.

Likewise lacking cavalry, likewise dragging along a large number of non-combatant vassals.

The opponent was still the Qianghu, but far stronger than thirty years ago.

If speaking of advantages, there was only one.

The Relief Army had a firm core leader.

"Rest assured."

Lin Dao stood in the hall, surveying the dim surroundings of the hall. "I have already prepared a surprise for Shi Hu."

"This place is really dark!"

He looked at Wang Meng and slowly said, "Have you ever seen an elephant?"

"When wandering in the clouds, I once saw one in the mountains and forests." Wang Meng stood calmly to one side. "One elephant can feed a thousand people."

After all, it was a chaotic era; when mentioning anything, the first thought was of eating.

There were actually elephants in the Northern Regions.

The character 'Yu' depicts a person leading an elephant.

Subsequently, due to thousands of years of continuous development, forests and grasslands gradually became fields.

During the Little Ice Age, temperatures dropped, making it unsuitable for elephants, rhinoceroses, and other creatures to survive.

Of course, the most important factor was humanity's frenzied hunting, which caused elephants to rapidly retreat southward.

"What do you think—if an elephant collided with cavalry, who would win?"

"Naturally, the elephant wins."

"Then if there were a colossal creature many times larger than an elephant to charge the cavalry, who would win?"

Wang Meng's face was full of helplessness.

He had never seen an existence larger than an elephant.

He could not imagine at all what the thing Lin Dao spoke of looked like.

"I think the larger the body, the more formidable."

Lin Dao smiled, baring his white teeth. "Fully armored cavalry? I have prepared a great gift for them."

Modern World.

Lin Daozheng was checking the modification effects of the Mineral Card Hundred Ton King when he received a call from Zhou Zhe full of schadenfreude.

"During work hours, where are you?"

Lin Dao raised an eyebrow, got in the vehicle, and rushed back to Cang Ku.

Normally, when goods entered or left without prior notice that day, he would lock up Cang Ku and go attend to his own affairs.

Unexpectedly, someone came to inspect Cang Ku today.

Returning to the entrance of Cang Ku, two vehicles were parked there, and several company people were waiting at the entrance.

Zhou Zhe stepped forward with a smug face, intending to make a few cutting remarks.

Lin Dao's slightly fierce gaze swept over, instantly making him stop in his tracks.

Long accustomed to a chaotic era where life is as cheap as grass, baptized by the fires of war, he needs no deliberate effort — killing intent comes naturally.

When the warehouse doors opened, the president from the business van got out, together with his mother, who serves as a director.

The president is fair and clean-looking, wearing ear studs, with clear brows and handsome eyes — at a glance, exactly the type of image women like.

As for the president's mother~~~

Skin like white snow, a face weathered by the years, exuding an extremely mature aura.

Dressed in a professional suit, feet clad in high heels.

Shoulders slender, yet below they fully display her assets, leaning forward.

Curves narrowing at the waist, then flaring out again.

Fully displaying the elegant figure women of this age bracket can scarcely attain.

Without a doubt, for her age, from face to figure she has poured enormous money and effort into maintenance.

The mother and son didn't even glance at Lin Dao, this minor staffer, leading their people straight into the warehouse.

Lin Dao smiled casually, taking the opportunity to quit this job and focus on his own career.

As for this mother and son, their suppression and interception continue — we'll take it slow.

"Lin Zi."

Zhou Zhe, feeling he had lost face, leaned over: "Skipping work during office hours — this time no one can protect you."

In any company, or school, unit, or other collective, there is never a shortage of this kind of person.

Lin Dao didn't speak, but raised his hand and pressed it onto Zhou Zhe's shoulder, his face full of schadenfreude.

Meeting Lin Dao's gaze, in an instant Zhou Zhe even felt a terror that he would die the next moment!

Take you across spacetime, and you must die.

Lin Dao smiled without speaking, finally released his hand, turned and left.

Zhou Zhe braced his hands on his knees, panting heavily, forehead covered in sweat.

That feeling just now was truly too terrifying.

The president's mother gazed at the returned goods piled like mountains in the warehouse, arms crossed before her protruding chest, face impassive.

"Business failed, and it's tying up the company's working capital."

"Do you know how much pressure I'm under at the board meeting?"

Facing the reprimand, the handsome president also frowned: "Someone is deliberately suppressing me — every time business progresses smoothly, someone always intercepts."

"Then investigate!"

The president's mother cut in decisively: "Find out who is targeting you, then think of a solution — not complain here."

"These goods, you must dispose of them as soon as possible, recover company funds."

"My say in the company isn't as great as you imagine!"

"Supporting you as president was already my limit — don't drag me into this!"

The president, face showing unwillingness, still said resentfully: "Understood."

Leaving the warehouse and getting in the car, the president's mother leaned back in the seat, crossed her long legs: "That warehouse manager, fire him."

"Wasted my time, the way he looked at me — displeased me."

Lin Dao resigned voluntarily, packed up, and moved to his own warehouse next door.

To him, this was just a trivial matter.

The great battle about to erupt in Yonghe Spacetime is the top priority.

Large batches of Hu Cavalry continuously harass the Qihuo Army, forcing its various departments to halt and encamp to resist.

The Hu Cavalry fully exploit the cavalry's mobility advantage, drawing and pinning down the Qihuo Army's various departments.

The massive Qihuo Army is powerless to protect everywhere; many places are directly exposed to the Hu Cavalry's spearhead.

The fighter opportunity has appeared; Shi Hu is determined to deal the Qihuo a fatal blow.

"Ma Qiu."

Shi Hu on the golden carriage summoned his trusted general: "Your unit charges the formation — do not disgrace the army's reputation."

Ma Qiu, newly restored to heavy trust, immediately performed the grand salute: "For the Heavenly King, I will die!"

The previously severely damaged Black Lance Dragon Soaring Army has already been reorganized and replenished.

Although the armored cavalry numbers have recovered to three thousand, the newly replenished armored cavalry's combat power is far inferior to the original.

Shi Hu commits his core combat force, the Black Lance Dragon Soaring Army, for the sole purpose of seizing military merit and prestige, thereby continuing to suppress the ambitious various departments.

In everyone's view, several thousand armored cavalry charging undefended refugees is purely effortless merit.

Smash the massive refugees, force them into chaos, thereby driving the entire Qihuo Army to collapse in turn.

This is the same tactics as the battle Shi Lei fought in Ningping City back then.

"Ji Yu."

Ma Qiu, returned to the formation, summoned a department general to ask: "Have you scouted clearly?"

"Reporting to the Du Du." Ji Yu saluted: "The scouting cavalry have already ascertained."

"The Qihuo Army before us numbers over ten thousand, mostly refugees; combat soldiers fewer than a thousand."

"Two or three li away is another Qihuo Army unit, even more numerous, combat soldiers still few."

"Hahaha~~~" Ma Qiu laughed proudly: "The Qihuo Army is too arrogant."

"Combat soldiers were already few, yet they still scatter everywhere — this is seeking death!"

Suppressing his laughter, Ma Qiu asked another critical question.

"Have you seen those long iron scrolls?"

The terror of the iron wire net, they had witnessed it with their own eyes, and could not help but guard against it.

"The Beggar Army's two wings have arrangements, but the front does not."

Speaking to this point, Ji Yu appeared somewhat urgent. "The Beggar Bandits likely haven't had time to arrange the front yet; the Governor should seize the battle opportunity."

Ma Qiu waved his hand. "This Governor has his own calculations."

Ma Qiu, who had suffered a loss before, was much more cautious, and did not rush to attack.

The armored cavalry donned their armor, sitting on the ground eating dry rations and resting.

The auxiliary soldiers served the warhorses, feeding them salt-mixed bean cakes and water.

Ma Qiu waited until the Beggar Army dispatched men to start laying iron wire net at the front, only then ordering the armored cavalry to mount.

With the auxiliary soldiers' help, the many armored cavalry who mounted took down their horse lances from the victory hooks.

They raised their hands to put on ferocious face masks, spurred their horses forward, and gathered into formations according to their respective military organizations.

"Ji Yu!"

Ma Qiu ordered loudly, "Your unit charges first! After breaking the formation, drive the ant-subjects to the next wave."

"Du Xun! Qi Mu'an!"

"Your two units, follow the charge."

"After breaking the formation, split toward the left and right wings, encircle and drive the ant-subjects!"

The generals saluted in unison. "Orders received!"

The low cow horn bugle sounded, and thousands of Black Lance Dragon Soaring Army armored cavalry advanced mightily.

Ji Yu, leading the vanguard, suddenly saw a colossal object wrapped in cloth appear in the opposing Beggar Army.

"A well railing? A siege engine? A cloud ladder?"

"This place is still tens of li from Ye City; such siege engines would have fallen apart on their own before reaching the city walls."

Ji Yu was greatly surprised; he had never seen this thing before, where did it come from?

With such enormous volume, were the scouts all blind?

At this time the armored cavalry had already begun to gradually accelerate; more words were useless, just charge.

As long as there aren't those weird long iron scrolls, under heaven, nothing can block the impact of thousands of armored cavalry.

(End of Chapter)