Chapter 323

Pan Wanshou led Nangong Wumeng in.

This woman, the number one beauty of the martial world, looked at the people in the room with a strange expression; she had worried all the way that Li Guanyi and the others might be in danger, so she rushed to the Tiele tribe at top speed and then returned.

But then?

You didn't just eliminate the enemy—you also seized this territory?

Nangong Wumeng bowed according to protocol, then pulled out the letter from Pojun and said: "Mr. Pojun and General Qibili are leading two thousand Golden Crescent Cavalry on their way to reinforce us."

"Mr. Pojun feared the General might be in danger, so he sent me ahead with this letter."

"Though it seems his concern was unnecessary."

Li Guanyi laughed loudly: "Nangong, you've worked hard. Lei Laomeng, bring tea for Miss Nangong at once."

Nangong Wumeng coughed once.

So Li Guanyi said: "Bring the best tea!"

Lei Laomeng scurried off to pour tea; Nangong Wumeng reported military matters, then sat on a chair to one side and said: "That's more like it."

Li Guanyi unfolded the letter; Pojun's familiar handwriting appeared—the young strategist, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, wrote: "Lord, now that you've come to the Western Regions, you must have noticed the current state of affairs here—only one word explains it: chaos."

"Warlord against warlord, tribe against tribe, city-state against city-state."

"The Mo Sect, the Tangxiang, the Yu Langwang—all are locked in fierce conflict. Now I understand why the Western Regions' Living Buddha went to Jiangzhou and told Master Zu that he sought a path to survival for the Western Regions' Buddhist sects."

"Had I not come here, I never would have imagined the situation had deteriorated to this extent."

"Given this situation, in my view, there is only one essential word—"

"【Speed】!"

"Since the various powers of the Western Regions are locked in mutual balance and tangled entanglements, we must cut through the chaos with a swift blade—establish our foothold before any side can react. By normal logic, such action would provoke mutual attacks, but the people of the Western Regions are short-sighted and instead pull at each other's sleeves—this is Lord's great opportunity."

"Strike fast, finish fast."

"I am currently on my way here with General Qibili—we must swiftly capture several cities and enter this grand game."

"May we meet again soon."

"Pojun respectfully."

After reading the letter, Li Guanyi carefully folded it away and smiled at the officers present: "Mr. Pojun's advice is nearly identical to ours—except we were forced into a swift campaign due to the Mo Sect's invasion, while Mr. Pojun foresaw it all."

Nangong Wumeng blinked: "The Mo Sect?"

Lei Laomeng told her everything that had happened during this time.

Nangong Wumeng frowned: "I've heard of this sect—it's terrifying. It appeared in the world three hundred years ago; there was no such school in the martial world before. And when the Mo Sect emerged, it was brutally violent."

"The Wu Gong they teach is strange and devious, not seeking to nourish the body, only aiming for short-term lethality. Practitioners often die young, and they deliberately fall into demonic deviation, hurling themselves at opponents stronger than them to explode and kill."

"I didn't expect you'd already clashed with the Mo Sect so quickly."

"Unlike me—I've spent the past ten days just being blown around by desert sands."

"Luckily, on my way here I stumbled upon a few shady characters, fought them, and won—they're tied up outside. Said they were spies from the Huyan family, boasting loudly about revenge, demanding I release them."

"I knocked out all their teeth, and then they finally shut up."

Li Guanyi: "Huh?"

Lei Laomeng, the part-time scout: "Huh???"

Everyone in the temporary command tent of the Fire Qilin Army froze.

The woman sitting there, sipping tea, muttered: "I was just hiding from the sandstorm—who'd have thought I'd catch seven people behind a big rock?"

Lei Laomeng ran out to check and shouted: "Those are the ones who escaped from me before! My ancestral master! You—you—you caught them all back?!"

Nangong Wumeng beamed: "Of course!"

Li Guanyi and the others went out and saw seven large men bound by a single rope, struggling uselessly—because the Fire Qilin Army's officers had all mastered excellent binding techniques and were highly skilled in preparing Ma Fei San, originally used to bind Master Master Wen He.

These seven spies had been fed Ma Fei San and bound with ox-hide ropes—they couldn't break free at all. Li Guanyi beamed: "Nangong, you're truly our good omen!"

Nangong Wumeng lifted her chin: "Obviously!"

"When Miss Nangong takes the field, what problem can't be solved?"

The men interrogated the spies, but they remained stubborn and refused to speak.

Shi Dalin entered with a vial of powder; amid a chorus of wails and howls, these hardened Western Regions spies immediately confessed, eager to spill even the details of their childhood bedwetting.

Li Guanyi and the others now fully understood the situation of the Huyan city's forces.

A ten-thousand-strong force, mostly combat-capable, skilled in hunting; they had less than seven days of grain supplies left. Their city lord was at the Fourth Realm, their general also at the Fourth Realm, three hundred elite troops had crossed the border, the rest were ordinary strong warriors.

They understood nothing of Central Plains military principles of Qi flow.

Their standard tactic was massed volleys—when ten thousand arrows flew together, the intimidation was immense.

Li Guanyi said: "... Barbaric, skewed—but dangerously effective in open-field combat. If a skilled general led heavy infantry in a defensive formation from the military arts, they could defeat them with minimal losses."

"But..."

Fan Qing, the expert in such formations, grinned.

Heavy armor, heavy shields—these required advanced forging technology and vast iron mines. Even in the Central Plains, heavy armored infantry ranked second only to fully armored cavalry.

They required robust physiques, strong internal Qi, and exceptional endurance.

And their equipment was nothing short of luxurious.

Li Guanyi fell silent, glancing unconsciously toward Nangong Wumeng, who was eating fruit. She leaned back in her chair, left hand pinching a fruit toward her mouth, her hair falling softly, her neck pale and slender. Just then she turned her eyes—and met Li Guanyi's gaze.

The young lord's eyes shone with hope, brilliance, longing.

Like a kitten waiting to be fed.

Nangong Wumeng, leaning back with the chair's rear legs supporting her and front legs raised, froze—then bristled, leapt up in a flash, fruit still in her mouth, right hand pointing at Li Guanyi:

"You—you—you were just thinking I'd find you an iron mine, weren't you?!"

Li Guanyi kept his expression calm and looked away: "No."

"You clearly were!"

"How could there possibly be iron ore here!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Nangong Wu Meng stubbornly insisted it was impossible to find any in this Western Region, so Li Guanyi said: "Just wander around when you have nothing to do; if you find anything unusual, come back and report it."

Fan Qing pondered: "My Lord, this large force of mounted archers is troublesome for us now. As previously stated, fighting from behind the city walls remains a good strategy."

Li Guanyi thought for a moment and said: "But I have an even better plan."

He gestured for everyone to gather close, then revealed his newly conceived strategy. The others' expressions shifted slightly; they exchanged glances and said: "This… might work…"

"It should work."

"But some details need refinement."

Li Guanyi proposed the plan; all officers deemed it feasible, and immediately prepared: one group managed town affairs and settled the Batuer clans, while another gathered volunteers from the scouting cavalry.

Meanwhile, Huyan Chengji raged over the loss of his scouts, advancing along the trail of the target tribe—only to find them gathered in a small town. Though small, the town, like all settlements in the Western Region, had walls built to withstand the frequent sandstorms of spring and autumn, which whipped up vast clouds of dust.

The walls weren't large, but they did have archers atop them.

Huyan Chengji sent men forward, only to be driven back by a volley of arrows.

Upon closer inspection, he realized the walls—originally meant only to block sand—had been fitted with arrow slits resembling those of the Central Plains, allowing archers to hide behind them and fire, inflicting casualties on his cavalry.

Huyan Chengji sent a messenger to shout: "I am Commandant Huyan! I've come to pursue the traitors who murdered Young Master Huyan Yins. You, a tiny town with only a thousand defenders, dare resist? Hand over those men and beg for mercy!"

Lei Laomeng, mimicking the Western Region accent, shouted back: "Those tribes gave Master Xiao great benefits. We must protect them. You've no strength—how dare you act so boldly here?!"

"Don't you fear the Holy Sect sending heavenly troops to crush you?!"

The two sides exchanged furious insults.

Lei Laomeng held his own, roaring:

"That tribe gave Master Xiao a fine golden blade."

"Its scabbard holds seven precious gems. If you want to enter or take the men, bring us the same!"

Huyan Chengji recognized it instantly—his son's blade. Fury surged, his eyes turning bloodshot. He ordered an assault, but achieved little.

After another round of attacks, his Western mounted archers were battered by repeating crossbows, cursed and retreated to camp. Days passed; food and fodder dwindled, and the ten-thousand-strong cavalry began to starve. Yet Huyan Chengji, consumed by vengeance for his son and his honor, refused to leave.

Everyone knew the men who killed his son were here—if he fled,

where would his honor be?!

He ordered rations halved, to hold out longer.

Yet he himself feasted daily on wine and delicacies.

One day, sudden clashing of blades erupted from within the town. As Huyan Chengji puzzled over it, he saw the town gate open—a massive man rode out, clearly a Central Plains man, shouting: "I am a Central Plains merchant!"

"We traded here, but Master Xiao detained us and dragged us into war with your forces. We refuse to join his corruption—we secretly killed him and bring his head to you!"

It was Changfeng Lady. From afar, he tossed a box to the ground. It opened, revealing a fat, severed head: Master Xiao Danyin.

Huyan Chengji recognized the man—he was a local noble. Combined with Changfeng Lady's appearance, he believed at least seven-tenths of it.

Changfeng Lady then presented a golden curved blade, shouting: "We found this blade in his house. We offer it to you, Commandant. And the tribe—we've captured them all. Everything they own is yours."

Huyan Chengji gripped the blade, hacked at Xiao Danyin's head, cursed loudly, wept, then declared: "I will kill every man who murdered my son. The women will be sold as slaves to the lowest tribes. The men taller than a cartwheel will be chopped into paste."

Changfeng Lady soothed him, then named many Western Region nobles, intimidating Huyan Chengji, and added: "Our guild's leader is trapped here too. Hearing of your renown, he wishes to host a feast for you. Please!"

Huyan Chengji's ten thousand men had starved for days. He hesitated, sensing unrest in his ranks, then agreed. The town served lavish food. The host was a young man, his brow bold and spirited, courteously offering wine.

After feasting, Huyan Chengji was about to ask where the tribe was—when suddenly his vision blurred. His heart lurched; he realized too late, yanked his blade, and roared: "You!!!"

"Poison?!!"

He turned—smoke rose from his army's tents.

A chill struck him: disaster loomed. In the camp, ten thousand fierce warriors lay sprawled across the ground. Hou Zhongyu's 【Ten Aromatic Weak-Bone Powder】 was unknown to these Western men.

No resistance. All were paralyzed.

The plan unfolded in perfect sequence: the golden curved blade exploited Huyan Chengji's rage and pride; the lack of supplies ensured desperation; Xiao Danyin's head and Changfeng Lady's knowledge of Western nobles won their trust.

Then Shi Dalin administered the poison—knocking them all out at once.

Li Guanyi possessed some ability in grand strategy, tactical maneuvering, and command—but at his current age, none of these reached the pinnacle of the realm. Yet here, in the Western Region, they were still useful.

The general of Huyan City drew his blade to fight—he still had some strength; the poison's effect was greatly suppressed. He'd regain consciousness in less than half a cup of tea—but Changfeng Lady and Fan Qing struck together, knocking him unconscious.

Huyan Chengji stared at Li Guanyi seated calmly before him, gritting his teeth:

"So young—and so cunning!"

"Not even inferior to the Wolf King's son."

"Who… who are you?!"

Li Guanyi said: "If you ask my name, remember it well."

The young man touched the beard glued to his lips and said:

"I am Tian Ge'er."

"Just a passing Central Plains merchant."

Huyan Chengji's fury surged; he nearly spat blood, roaring: "A Central Plains merchant? Those weaklings who only trade and have no Wu Gong—how could they possess such cunning? How dare you mock me?!"

With a roar, he summoned his strength, swung his blade—inner Qi surged along the edge, extending three feet of clear, radiant light. He unleashed the Western blade art 【Ten Thousand Miles of Sand】, aiming straight for Li Guanyi!

The boy, still sipping wine, tilted his head slightly—the blade's glow grazed past him.

Li Guanyi tapped his finger once.

The blade's glow, capable of cleaving iron armor and rock, shattered completely.

Huyan Chengji gasped: "You—you drank too!"

Li Guanyi said: "Didn't I say?"

He took a sip from Lei Laomeng's monkey wine:

"I am immune to all poisons."

This plain, unremarkable sentence pierced deeper than any blade—Huyan Chengji's lungs and organs were already shaken, his rage overwhelming his heart; he spat a mouthful of blood, toppled backward, and fainted. Li Guanyi swept his sleeve and rose.

"A meal of meat and wine—farewell, all of you."

"Bind them all!"

Already, Batu'er tribesmen emerged, wielding ropes prepared over this period, binding every one of them—without a drop of blood spilled, they captured over ten thousand cavalrymen, each strong young man seized.

Thirty thousand horses were absorbed into this city; the prisoners were handed over to Fan Qing for disposition.

Though supplies were scarce, there were various Western Regions-style light and heavy armors, weapons packed in woven baskets, continuously transported into the town—this ten-thousand-strong force had been swallowed whole, and Li Guanyi suddenly realized a grave problem.

Bai Bai had added over ten thousand mouths to feed; the accumulated Merit Coins from the Mo Sect, obtained from Xiao Dayin, were visibly dwindling. Fan Qing organized and mobilized the young men, sending them to labor and re-education, reclaiming farmland.

The farmer-philosopher Xu Tiange organized cultivation.

These prisoners were resentful, yet dared not speak out.

Only then was the fiscal deficit barely plugged.

Li Guanyi wondered whether Gong Wumeng's single remark had truly thrown away his fortune—only now did he grasp how difficult Master Yan Daiqing's task had been.

Li Guanyi stared at the Mo Sect statue, its surface thick with the aura of human destiny.

Li Guanyi pressed his palm against the statue; within him, the Nine Provinces Cauldron roared, eager to cleanse it with pure energy—but he could not refine it yet.

He needed to cast a great cauldron.

Li Guanyi had tried briefly: the several ten thousand people here lacked sufficient human destiny aura to forge even a small Nine Cauldrons—its weight was too immense, a sacred relic of state, not something to be cast lightly.

"... Several ten thousand people are still insufficient."

"The earth veins' metal ores are insufficient too."

"Logically, we should rest and recuperate—but time does not wait..." Li Guanyi fell silent, lifting his gaze to the distant horizon—the sky was deep blue and endless; the Whale Fisher moved with astonishing speed, having already dismantled several small Mo Sect outposts in these few days.

Master Siming transmitted news to Li Guanyi via the Black Tortoise Manifestation and arcane techniques.

Roughly, the old bastard's eyes had turned red—he'd torn through every outpost along the way, killing every Mo Sect disciple he caught, severing the Qi of those who practiced Wu Gong, and burning every outpost to the ground; he was now nearing the capital city.

At Li Guanyi's strong insistence, Master Siming followed the furious Whale Fisher, collecting every statue imbued with the human destiny aura of each region—gold coins, silver, and the like, he left behind.

"Oh, the fisherman heard they were for you—he nearly burned them all."

"Said he'd rather throw them into the water to fish than let you use them!"

"I added a word."

"Yao Guang girl is with you—if you run out of money, she'll have nothing to eat—not even a snack, not even a steamed bun, just shared northwest wind. She doesn't have your immortal, deathless body."

"The fisherman held his breath for a long while, then turned back, used a formation to make a giant sack, and stuffed all the coins inside."

"Hahaha, don't worry—the Black Tortoise carries heavy loads well."

Li Guanyi sighed; the final words from Master Siming seemed to reveal something.

Li Guanyi thought, extended his hand—his fingertip glowed with a faint golden light—and pressed it against the Black Tortoise's back, writing a question: "May I ask, Elder, how many Mo Sect statues do you hold now?"

On the tortoise's back, the golden characters faded, then slowly glowed anew:

"The fisherman tore through one after another."

"He dismantled them region by region, making no effort to hide his noise."

"Since the enemy already knew he'd come, there was no need to conceal—he marched openly, vast and overwhelming, announcing to the entire Mo Sect: the Whale Fisher who once slaughtered the whole sect alone has arrived."

"Thus he amassed a tremendous momentum."

"The Western Regions have truly been thrown into chaos."

"I now hold thirteen statues."

"Seven million Western Regions coins."

Li Guanyi's pupils contracted.

"This old bastard is likely heading straight for the largest city in this region—the Mo Sect's three greatest outposts, the one you marked as Huyan Jixuan's position..."

"After the Sword Madman sealed his blade, the greatest event in the martial world is about to unfold."

"Boy, don't be late."

Li Guanyi stared at Master Siming's final warning—he and Master Siming both knew: relying solely on the Whale Fisher's legend could shatter one Mo Sect outpost, but could not eradicate it completely. Li Guanyi studied the terrain map and replied directly:

"This city is three hundred li from here."

"I need more time, Elder—seven days from now, meet me beneath the city."

The golden light slowly faded. Li Guanyi murmured:

"The largest city within five hundred li of the Western Regions was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Agni—Ducheng is vast, surrounded by mountains, crisscrossed by springs and streams, irrigating fields where goosefoot, winter wheat, and fragrant dates grow—now seized by the Mo Sect."

"A swift victory..."

In these days, two thousand strong young men from Batu'er and other tribes willing to follow Li Guanyi, plus rescued horse slaves, totaled roughly four thousand; combined with the two thousand Golden Crescent Blade cavalry, the force numbered about five to six thousand—neither large nor small.

"The Mo Sect..."

Li Guanyi contemplated the layered, tangled situation of the Western Regions, thought of the beautiful woman, his gaze calm and cold—he had come here not for the Mo Sect, which had schemed for centuries in the martial world, but for Yu Langwang and the Emperor of Ying.

At this moment, the Golden Crescent Blade cavalry arrived at Li Guanyi's location.

Khan Qibili and others had assumed they were coming to assist—but when they arrived, the town had already been subdued; upon learning Li Guanyi had captured over ten thousand cavalry without a single drop of blood, every Golden Crescent Blade cavalryman was shaken.

Khan Qibili steadied his composure and barked at the cavalry: "What manner of lord is our master!"

"Is this not natural?!"

The Golden Crescent Blade cavalry all responded in unison, their respect deepening.

They had come prepared to die in battle; what they witnessed was a great victory—this stark contrast stirred profound change within them.

Until now, the image of the young hero, the bold and heroic lord Khan Qibili had described for two years, had finally shifted from a vague rumor gleaned from Central Plains reports to a tangible reality.

Though they had not yet met, many Golden Crescent Blade cavalrymen now felt anticipation.

To capture ten thousand soldiers without bloodshed—what a hero!

The Golden Crescent Blade cavalry waited outside the city; Khan Qibili personally rode in, demonstrating his submission—no thought of seizing troops or causing chaos. Such bold ferocity, yet measured restraint—far from the simple brute of legend.

Khan Qibili and Po Jun entered the city to catch up on old times.

After Li Guanyi learned the news, he set down the Gongyang Suxiang and went to greet them; when he arrived, Po Jun was laughing and chatting with the others, having already forged good relations with the Tiance Prefecture members, calm and composed, until he heard Li Guanyi's voice:

"Hah! Mr. Po Jun."

Po Jun's body paused slightly, then turned to see Li Guanyi striding forward.

The seventeen-year-old youth wore the same smile he had when they first met, as if stepping out of the past, laughing loudly:

"Long time no see—we've finally reunited!"

Po Jun's eyes flickered—he saw no Bai Mao.

He bowed with a smile: "Indeed, my lord."

"At last, we meet again."

He moved to bow, but Li Guanyi stepped forward and seized Po Jun's arm; Khan Qibili seemed not to be here, and Li Guanyi said to Po Jun: "Mr. Po Jun, no need for such formalities. You've reached the Western Regions—our old plan has succeeded. Now we can travel together."

Po Jun's lips twitched, suppressed, then twitched again.

Nangong Wu Meng noticed what seemed to be a tail violently swishing behind the handsome strategist and snorted.

Po Jun exchanged pleasantries with Li Guanyi, his heart filled with joy.

This idle chat today, Yao Guang—oh Yao Guang, guess who's not here?!

In the end, I've bested you!

Yet amid this joyful atmosphere, the strategist's sharp gaze flickered once.

He saw a strand of Bai Mao emerging from one side of the room.

The strategist's smile faltered.

"Hm?!!"

?? Struggling to maintain a half-hour earlier schedule—success

? Good night, everyone

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