Chapter 335: Great Army Approaches the City, a Conspiracy Begins

Zhou You, whose main body was in Gongliang City, handed over the spoils of war and then had his clone, 'Lu Zhigang', lie in wait nearby.

This trip to Zunyang City only strengthened his resolve to move.

The Witch tribe's large-scale invasion was inevitable; the Manxiang Tribe was merely the vanguard, with countless tribes of all sizes following behind, rushing over from Beijing.

The scenes of them swarming the city like ants and the Giants pulling down the walls were still fresh in his mind.

Gongliang City was on the front line of Beixuan Zhou, and the mere thought of his family and friends being about to fall into such a terrifying scenario...

This was a war between two civilizations, a fight to the death; to end it, only one side could perish or be driven out beyond the desolate Zhong Yuan.

Zhou You decided to move, because Gongliang City could no longer be held.

The Witch tribe skin he had harvested on this trip could, conservatively estimated, be used to craft 30 to 40 Hunger Pouches.

Once the quantity was up, he wouldn't have to be reluctant to use them for the sake of saving.

Supplies would be stored in batches; one pouch didn't need to hold too much, as long as it met the requirements of each stage, thus preventing waste.

Even if a Hunger Pouch was a single-use item, once the quantity piled up, it could be used as a daily necessity.

After all, there would be more opportunities to obtain Martial Master Skin in the future, and more ways to acquire raw materials.

Compared to crafting Hunger Pouches, Zhou You had many things to be busy with recently.

While Zunyang City in the distance was under siege, Gongliang City here was also being besieged.

At first, there were only spies from the rebel army attempting to sneak into the city through various gates, but over ninety percent were wiped out by the various martial artists guarding the city; those who did manage to sneak in could not stir up much trouble.

Suddenly one day, a sea of rebel soldiers appeared outside the city, with weapons and banners mixed among them.

The rioters, who had upgraded from refugees and disaster victims, had clearly become the main force of the rebel army, and one could not see the end of them at a glance.

The rioters had fierce gazes and were murderous; they were far from comparable to docile commoners, and at critical moments, they dared to risk their lives and were capable of bloodshed.

That alone would have been one thing, but for martial artists, dealing with ordinary, able-bodied men was like cutting withered grass—it was a clean sweep; even those at the lowest level of Force could fight ten men alone and hold their own against dozens of big men.

However, there were martial artists among this group of rioters, and not a few of them, ranging from Force and Blood Qi to Martial Masters, all present.

Some of the martial artists sat in sedan chairs, others rode on oxen or fine horses, and some even had people carry them on beds with canopies onto the battlefield.

The more they put on airs, the stronger they were; these martial artists were all powerhouses at the Martial Master level.

Since the appearance of the rioters, Martial Masters had been seen appearing in the direction of all four city walls: east, south, west, and north.

"The situation is even more perilous than previously anticipated."

Qian Shimeng pointed at the rioters outside the city, where martial artists stood on a high earthen platform, observing the city.

On the ground around the earthen platform, martial artists were drilling the able-bodied men, teaching them fist techniques and how to form arrays.

Teaching fist techniques and martial arts on such a scale was no longer ordinary training, but... drilling troops.

"The leading Martial Master originally ran a martial arts school in Su Cheng, but later he was challenged, lost, and left Su Cheng to teach fist techniques in a nearby town to make a living; I didn't expect him to have joined the rebel army as well."

The martial artists beside him were either Disciples, Apprentices, or local martial artists from Su Cheng.

Why would the people of Su Cheng come to attack Gongliang City? What deep hatred did the two sides have that led to them crossing swords? With things this way, the situation for the immigrants and refugees from Su Cheng in the city had become very awkward.

Even Bao Tiefeng was being monitored, for fear that he would collude with the Martial Masters outside the city and betray the city gate to let the enemy in.

Zhou You, however, knew that the mastermind behind it was Kunpengzi of the Golden Immortal Dao.

This old man was formidable, running multiple lines in parallel: inciting the Witch tribe to invade and capture Zunyang City, organizing rioters and rebels to attack Gongliang City, and privately still having the leisure to hunt down Liu Fengji to seize the Nine Tripod Characters. What a master of time management! "Commander Zhou, two Blood Qi warriors came to me yesterday, wanting to come over and help."

Qian Shimeng said in a low voice, "I figured we weren't short of manpower, so I took the liberty of investigating them; their backgrounds are fine. They were originally protecting merchant caravans, but later the caravans went bankrupt, and they lost their livelihood."

"Hmm, if you nod, these two can find someone to vouch for them, sign a contract, and send their families into your residence."

Sending family members meant sending hostages, indicating loyalty to Zhou You and that they would never betray him! This move could also be considered a benefit; the family members could move into the safe Inner City, and the martial artists would have no worries, allowing them to fight bravely without distraction.

Zhou You nodded, "Leave it to you to handle; you can lead those two warriors for the time being."

Newcomers all had to be observed for a period of time, and their families didn't need to be sent over just yet; after all, not everyone could enjoy this benefit.

Qian Shimeng felt a chill in his heart, cupped his hands, and said, "I will certainly not fail the mission." After saying this, he left in high spirits.

Zuo Shier watched Qian Shimeng's back and said gloomily, "This man has quite a lot of ambition."

Indeed, these two people joined through Qian Shimeng's connection, so they would definitely be close to him in the future.

Although they were also working for Zhou You, there was also selfishness involved, taking the opportunity to add bricks and mortar to his own little faction.

"It's nothing important; with two more Blood Qi warriors, the rotation on the city wall won't be as tense as before. It's a good thing!"

Little factions and such were human nature; back when he was at the martial arts school, there were also factions based on the city and the countryside.

Even if Qian Shimeng had ambition, he could only jump around in Zhou You's palm and couldn't jump very far.

In troubled times, talents emerged in large numbers; many unknown people began to stand out, and the number of martial artists in the city appeared as if a well had erupted.

Entering the door to strike Force, and Force breaking through to Blood Qi, appeared crazily during this period.

Not long ago, a warrior who had been stuck at the peak of Blood Qi for many years broke through and was promoted to a Martial Master, which caused a sensation throughout the city.

The person who broke through was older, belonging to the middle-aged and elderly group, and being able to break through to Martial Master made this life worth it.

Yet it brought hope to countless Blood Qi martial artists.

Some believed that this was a sign before the coming of troubled times; before a rainstorm, there must be vigorous vitality.

Others analyzed that it was a chain reaction caused by the huge pressure brought by the rebel army surrounding the city, with people as numerous as a sea.

In short, the situation in Gongliang City today was becoming increasingly tense.

The section of the city wall that Zhou You was responsible for had already sent away many friends and relatives one after another.

Just ten days ago, Ceng Fuzi's family was sent out of the city gate by people Zhou You had dispatched, driving a carriage to Fucheng to seek refuge with relatives.

Before leaving, the little Junior Sister was somewhat reluctant to part, whispering to Zhou You that she did not want to marry that husband she had never met.

Zhou You comforted her in a low voice, telling her to go to Fucheng first, and that future matters could be discussed later.

"Trial Task (Five-Star): Mountain rain is about to come; you are about to face a conspiracy. Please defeat the enemy and hold the city gate."

Zhou You's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly thought of the two Blood Qi warriors Qian Shimeng had introduced, so he asked two more questions.

"Senior Brother Zuo, go help me see what the true colors of those two Blood Qi warriors are."

The warning from the panel alerted him; a conspiracy was about to use his city gate as a breakthrough point.

Since ancient times, sieges have always required collusion between inside and outside; at a time like this, anyone defecting to him was highly suspicious of being a spy.

Zuo Shier cupped his hands, "Before sunset, I will surely get to the bottom of these two people's affairs."

(End of this chapter)