Chapter 375: The World Shall Be Settled by Arms

The Golden Wang Yin of the Tiger.

For three hundred years in the Western Regions, since written records began, the first great hero—the legend of the Tuyuhun King—on this land of ancient chaos, the Golden Wang Yin represents absolute legitimacy, absolute claim to hegemony.

Among the generals, especially Li Kedi, Qi Bi Li, and Hao Yuan Xia—all native to the Western Regions—their expressions subtly shifted; a notion, absurd yet irresistibly tempting, stirred within them—

To borrow troops. Yes, Li Guanyi's plan was to borrow troops.

The great power struggle in the Western Regions, no matter what, made the Yu Langwang an absolute enemy to all Westerners; Li Guanyi and the khans of the various tribes shared this common interest—

Since the Yu Langwang had exhausted his strength, all forces upon this land would converge to settle the score with him.

Though they understood Li Guanyi's intent, these Western-region warlords still harbored a thought: if a hegemon must once again rise upon this earth—

If the various Western tribes must inevitably reunite beneath a single banner—

Then why not their lord?

The King of Kings over the Western Regions, the Tian Kehan of Khans!

Why not their lord?

When this thought arose, it exploded like a vast fire, searing their hearts with intense heat; Western-region warlords, compared to Central Plains generals, burned hotter—their ambition blazed as brightly as their loyalty.

Once they submitted to their lord, they would revere him utterly.

Li Guanyi said to Po Jun: "We have the name of legitimacy. Master, write the Juan Sect for me. We shall negotiate with the Western tribes, lay out the stakes, and forge an alliance to counter the Yu Langwang's might."

Po Jun nodded, yet still said:

"The kings of the Western Regions—all rose to kingship within the past year, formerly grand commanders of their tribes, once subjects of the Tuyuhun and Tangut kingdoms. When the realm faced great upheaval and their sovereigns were in peril, they did not think of serving their country, but immediately rebelled and declared themselves kings."

"Thus, they are all ambitious, lawless men."

"They may not agree so easily…"

Li Guanyi shared this suspicion, yet replied:

"We must try."

"Unite every force that can be united."

Po Jun bowed in assent.

Li Guanyi's forces, having settled their strategic direction for confronting the alliance of Chen and Ying, began contacting the Western states to jointly build an alliance against the terrifying might of the Yu Langwang.

But as previously feared, not all things proceed smoothly.

Li Guanyi's forces, Nangong Wumeng, patrolled the periphery.

She unexpectedly discovered Western-region military scouts.

And recovered a caravan of camels abandoned by a wandering merchant fleeing a sandstorm, containing gold and silver artifacts worth over a thousand taels.

Publicly announced for seven days; if unclaimed, the treasure would be stored in the treasury to aid the people.

Master Yan Daiqing was awestruck.

Master Yan Daiqing pondered, attempting to assign Nangong Wumeng to oversee logistics.

Nangong Wumeng accepted gladly, yet as a beauty from the Jianghu Sect who disliked numerology, she stared blankly at the dense scrolls, abacuses, and the countless documents—her expression slowly froze.

Then, amid a rustling sound, a pale-faced, smiling Jiangnan gentleman—dark circles under his eyes, increasingly refined as jade—emerged from the scrolls as if grown from them.

Master Yan Daiqing, surrounded by endless scrolls, children, and fiscal deficits, smiled warmly: "You're here?"

"Come, come, sit…"

"Don't be formal."

"From now on, this scroll chamber is your home."

Nangong Wumeng was shocked and politely refused.

When asked why, she stammered for a long while, only saying: "It makes my face pale, unattractive… If I get angry at that person again, cough cough—I mean, sometimes, sometimes I blush, wouldn't it be even more obvious?"

She mentioned neither who nor what, yet merely speaking of it caused the First Scout General of the Fire Qilin Army's face to flush crimson, nearly steaming in the winter air; she waved her hands frantically, stammering:

"N-no, I'm not talking about Li Guanyi."

"Ah, no, I mean…"

"No, no."

"And it makes your hair fall out."

"Pale face, hair loss, dark circles—ugly."

Master Yan Daiqing was struck as by a bolt from the blue.

Mr. Wen He, upon hearing this, immediately abandoned the envoys of Chen and Ying; at that moment, Mr. Wen He was in another city within Anxi, one hand gripping the reins, galloping one hundred and seventy li to come and mock.

This incident was witnessed by Miss Sa Atandi.

The usually motionless Master Yan Daiqing, enraged, chased after Mr. Wen He in person to beat him—rather, over this period, Master Yan Daiqing's only daily physical activity was being enraged by Mr. Wen He.

It was, in fact, good exercise.

Otherwise, Master Yan Daiqing sitting still all day long was worrying.

Miss Sa Atandi thought, then paused, wondering if Mr. Wen He did this for that reason—just then, she saw Master Yan Daiqing finally hurl a bamboo slip with great force, striking Mr. Wen He squarely; Mr. Wen He turned to look at her.

The plain-faced strategist extended a finger to his lips and softly shushed.

Miss Sa Atandi nodded.

She thought: Mr. Wen He must have done this for Master Yan Daiqing.

It couldn't possibly be for amusement.

It certainly wasn't!

Mr. Wen He was such a good, kind, gentle man.

Her youth had been spent among these figures who held decisive weight in the turbulent world—Master Yan Daiqing taught her numerology, General Fan Qing taught her human nature, Mr. Wen He told her to live well.

That was a distant, distant future—by then, the girl was white-haired, hearing others speak those familiar names with respect, with the distance of statues.

Apart from their names, they had become other people entirely.

She suddenly felt dazed, unwilling to let these extraordinary people of her youth and life be reduced at last to cold, lifeless labels.

Thus, at seventy years old, she gathered and recorded these things, extracting them from her own memories, turning them into words, composing the *Biographies of the Esteemed*. On the biographies it was written: 【Though minor arts, they must contain objective truth; not recording great events, only observing human nature.】

The sixth volume's chapter "Grace Under Provocation" records how contemporary ministers deliberately provoked such jests — the gentle gentleman struck the notorious schemer with his old fist, becoming a tale endlessly recounted by later generations.

Those who once roamed the world were no longer merely a few terse strokes in history's annals; they became vivid, alive as people.

Wen He, upon hearing this, abandoned his envoy post.

He drove his own ox cart to Yan Daiqing's gate, mocking and taunting.

Yan Daiqing, enraged, hurled bamboo slips at him and struck him.

Then he seized him by the collar and asked: "Do you recognize your fault? Will you change?"

He replied: "I recognize my fault. I will not change."

Yan Daiqing laughed three long laughs, then said:

"Bǐ qí niáng zhī!"

He struck him again with his old fist.

A total of three punches.

—————— *Biographies of the Esteemed, Volume Six: Grace Under Provocation* · Sa Atandi.

…………

Li Guanyi and Pojun had no idea that over there, Mr. Wen He was cheerfully amusing himself by making Yan Daiqing exercise daily, while the scout captured after getting lost by Nangong Wumeng had originally been extremely defiant.

Even Lei Laomeng and Shi Dalin had failed to break his silence.

But when the door opened and he saw Li Guanyi approaching, clad in scaled armor beneath a white battle robe, he jerked violently, his face turning deathly pale, as if mourning his own death, restless and uneasy, as if fire had erupted beneath his buttocks.

Li Guanyi sat down on the chair opposite him.

The scout, bound at wrists and ankles, shot to his feet.

The steel chains clanged and rattled; his face was frantic. Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow and said: "Sit."

The scout opened his mouth but dared not move, instead half-kneeling on the ground, head bowed: "Baha'er, pays homage to the Divine Might Heavenly General."

Li Guanyi said: "You know me?"

The burly man's face flushed slightly: "A few months ago, I followed you into battle against the Central Plains' army. We trapped the Duke of Ying. You personally charged the enemy lines several times — we were all thoroughly subdued by you."

"Afterward, I thought you'd kill me, but instead you released me. I..."

He seemed deeply ashamed — he had witnessed Li Guanyi slay Helian Jieshan in battle, and though released after defeat, he had somehow returned to the battlefield. Now, seeing Li Guanyi again, fear gripped him, mingled with an instinctive shame.

He had been so careful.

Dressed as a destitute desert bandit, full of fierce courage — though forced out, he carried the thought: if caught by the Divine Might Heavenly General, he would kill himself.

Yet he never expected to turn around and see a lost fellow sauntering over, then that man seemed to notice something — as if he'd singled him out.

Pretending to be a bandit had been fine.

These bandits were like hyenas of the desert — preying on the weak, cowering before the strong. All major powers despised them, yet found them too lowly to bother with.

But who knew — who knew that Anxi City had a habit of ambushing desert bandits?

Damn it, what kind of thing is this?

That woman's Wu Gong was extremely high — not inferior to many tribal generals — and she wielded a strange, black-and-white ruler. When she tossed it into the air, inexplicably, just as the fierce Western scouts were about to fight, they all felt their bellies go soft.

Gurgling sounds, as if they were about to defecate.

Even the bravest warriors froze in an instant.

Half their combat effectiveness vanished; they were captured alive — and once captured, it was better: they were happily taken back by Nangong Wumeng, and only afterward discovered to be scouts, then handed over to Shi Dalin.

After Li Guanyi arrived, the scout who had been defiant and unyielding immediately broke down, confessing everything truthfully.

Charging through an army of a hundred thousand, slaying generals.

To the Western tribes, who revered martial valor and culturally honored plunder, this carried immense prestige. Baha'er revealed all, and Li Guanyi and Pojun's expressions hardened slightly.

The Western tribes had already dispatched armies — armies that could be called great forces.

After the alliance that had once hunted Yu Langwang was swept up by his overwhelming momentum, the Western tribes were both terrified and furious — yet ambitious men rose, adopting a strategy identical to Li Guanyi's: seizing Yu Langwang's ferocity to forge their own renown.

Helian Jieshan's elder brother, Helian Bo, Lord of Shiwang City, the Shatuo Tian Kehan.

Leveraging the Western tribes' anger toward Yu Langwang, their hatred and enmity toward traitors, he steered public opinion, gathering all the khans together to proclaim a grand ambition like that of the ancient Tuyuhun Tian Kehan.

Thus he unified the great army, reestablished momentum, allied the kings and khans, and declared the formation of a Wang Ting and alliance — ordering the great army to march first, yet their target was neither Yu Langwang's forces nor the khans and Wang Hou positions granted by Yu Langwang.

Their target was Li Guanyi's forces.

Dozens of thousands of troops advanced, vast and thunderous, drawing near Anxi City, where Li Guanyi was stationed.

Baha'er's face flushed with shame. Li Guanyi lifted his gaze slightly, thoughtful: "Leading dozens of thousands, bearing grudge against Yu Langwang — yet coming to attack me? So that's how it is..."

The Western terrain map was crystal clear in his mind.

Yu Langwang's military strength was at its peak; the Chen and Ying alliances were insincere.

Behind them stood the super-fortress forged personally by Lu Youxian's layered armor techniques.

Jiangshan gives rise to talents in every age — such fortresses were nearly equal to Master Siming's methods. And at this critical moment, deep within the Western lands, the many khans gathered not only to form an alliance, but also to send troops — directly targeting Anxi City.

Pojun said: "The Western lands have capable, clever men too..."

"Using Yu Langwang's prestige and pressure to rally Western civilians, yet never truly attacking Yu Langwang — instead, intimidating us."

Li Guanyi replied: "Yes."

"Thinking this way, their goal is likely to ensure no victor emerges here in the Central Plains — we must not win, and Yu Langwang must also collapse, fracturing into a dozen rival armies, leaving the Western lands as chaotic as before."

Pojun said: "Yes, Lord. Only then can the Wang Ting formed in the Western lands reestablish its authority by crushing these rebel armies, and perhaps unify the Western lands..."

"Lord, even in the Western lands, there are warlords."

Li Guanyi said: "So they entered the game — and chose us."

Bata'er's expression froze; immense fear rose in his heart. He stiffly raised his head and saw this young divine general and strategist — secrets so deeply hidden even within the entire Western Wang Ting had just been unraveled by these two in mere words.

Compared to what he had overheard before, these words were far clearer and more direct; he did not want to believe what these two were saying, yet they carried an undeniable sense of truth.

But, but—

Shenwei Tianjiangjun Tian'ge, according to the propaganda of the Western Regions' kings.

Merely a fool with courage but no strategy.

Po Jun said: "Pity, pity—Lord, you still wish to ally with them, to borrow troops… It seems this borrowing of troops may not come to pass; instead, they have firmly regarded our position as a stepping stone and the easiest piece of meat to bite into."

This time, the Western Regions have mobilized their armies in full force. Batuer replied in a low voice: "The clans of each tribe do not wish to fight the Shenwei Tianjiangjun; it is only the decision of the kings and the Shatuo King of Tongwan City."

"The main army is behind us."

"All the khans of the tribes have gathered beneath Mount Juxu, to re-swear their oaths, establish a Wang Ting, enfeoff the tribes, select the true Tian Kehan of Khans among the chancellors and nobles, emulating the ancient Yuyuhun King by melting down each tribe's seals into the Sacrificial Golden Idol."

Li Guanyi and Po Jun learned of this intelligence, then sent Nangong Wumeng and Changsun Wuchou from different frontlines to scout ahead—and indeed, they discovered signs of the army's movement: the Western Alliance.

Upon hearing this news, all generals fell silent; for the first time, they truly felt the wind and clouds churning, the waves crashing—each side had its own resolve, each side had enacted its own strategy.

Then Fan Qing entered, delivering two letters.

One came from Li Zhaowen.

Li Zhaowen's letter to Li Guanyi stated that he had become the vanguard general under He Ruo Qinhu, the Fifth Divine General of the present era, and that one day, when they jointly campaigned against Yu Langwang, they could fight side by side as comrades-in-arms on the battlefield.

The other was from Yu Langwang.

Li Guanyi held it in his hand, gazing at Li Zhaowen's carefree composure.

Then he unfolded Yu Langwang's letter—the letter had been delivered by a Canglang Guard cavalryman, who immediately surrendered upon delivery; Li Guanyi was so infuriated by the old wolf king's cunning and slippery tactics that his liver ached.

On the battlefield, in martial resolve and physical strength, the aged wolf could no longer suppress the young and mighty Fire Qilin; but in human psychology and deceitful adaptability, Li Guanyi, like his father Li Wanli, was left with a pounding headache by Yu Langwang.

The Canglang Guard heavy cavalry were elite units—units whose horses even ate meat—and Master Yan Daiqing's already heavy workload had just grown heavier.

Li Guanyi opened Yu Langwang's letter and paused in surprise—it contained two letters.

One was written in Western Regions script.

Li Guanyi possessed the Yao Guang Magical Art, so he recognized its contents.

"The Alliance Juan Sect…"

"Tongwan City, Helian Bo."

This was clearly the Western Region warlord leveraging Yu Langwang's prestige to reorganize the Wang Ting; publicly declaring his intent to punish rebels and execute Yu Langwang, yet secretly plotting to ally with him and launch troops against Anxi City.

Li Guanyi read the contents of Yu Langwang's letter.

"Nephew, the tide of the Western Regions is surging—what will you do?"

"Hahahaha!"

Li Guanyi said: "Yu Langwang—a true warlord."

He displayed both letters to the generals: "The situation in the Western Regions has reached this point—we have allied with Chen and Ying, yet Yu Langwang has managed to ally with the Western Alliance, whom he was theoretically utterly incapable of allying with."

"Thus, logic may contradict, but grand trends align."

The entire Western Regions' grand strategy had become a tangled web of crossings and intersections.

Tian Kehan Qibili sighed bitterly: "Is Yu Langwang's move meant as a warning to us?"

Li Guanyi thought for a long while, then said: "I don't know. If he didn't deliberately inform me of their alliance, then he is pressuring us—gradually accumulating pressure, inch by inch, pressing it upon our hearts."

"Many generals perform well in debate, but under excessive pressure, their judgment and performance suffer."

"Otherwise, I cannot understand why Yu Langwang would write to me and reveal their alliance…"

Li Guanyi was puzzled—it couldn't be that Yu Langwang was deliberately letting him off.

"But it doesn't matter. Nangong Wumeng obtained this intelligence—we already knew it. We didn't need Yu Langwang's letter to understand: General Nangong Wumeng is truly our lucky star, our Fire Qilin Army's great omen!"

"Gentlemen, to General Nangong Wumeng!"

Nangong Wumeng met the gazes of all, expression unchanged.

Li Guanyi noticed the man's eyes were vacant—undoubtedly, he was maintaining his composure by zoning out; Li Guanyi couldn't help but smile—he was exactly who he thought she was.

He did not expose the man, but said: "I can see the possibility of borrowing troops through alliance to defeat Yu Langwang; with a top general like Yu Langwang, he must also see the path we will take."

Back and forth, offense and defense—that is how true generals clash.

Fan Qing remained silent: "The other tribes and khans of the Western Regions have been swept up by Helian Bo, seeking to form a Wang Ting alliance; Yu Langwang and Helian Bo secretly cooperate—these Western armies have locked their blades onto our Anxi City."

"Yu Langwang's main force is ahead; Lu Youxian's defensive line is behind."

"Chen and Ying each have their own plans."

"Has the grand situation in the Western Regions become deadlocked?"

Because of this chain of grand strategies, Fan Qing—the general who had been in the Tiance Prefecture since the beginning—changed his style, adopting the military school's approach; his martial energy had already improved through the use of shaqi.

He had once believed his limit was the early stage of the Fourth Heavenly Layer.

Yet now, Fan Qing's cultivation had advanced with astonishing speed—he had reached the late stage of the Fourth Heavenly Layer, and after the Night Gate Pass battle and subsequent engagements, this great general had once again shattered his own limits.

He now commanded nearly miraculous numbers: seven thousand troops.

One with such command ability was not far from the ranks of the famed generals.

But Fan Qing knew well—this was his absolute limit.

He was content.

Li Guanyi raised his gaze slightly and replied to Fan Qing:

"Of course not. When I spoke of borrowing troops earlier, I meant seeking through diplomacy—making resolve clear, negotiating—that was civil borrowing. But now, since they intend to seize the world by force, I have my own path."

"Martial borrowing!"

"First defeat the Western Regions, then confront Yu Langwang."

All were stunned. Every general and strategist knew the situation was shifting unpredictably, the wind and clouds churning—Yu Langwang's million-man army loomed ahead, envoys from Chen and Ying stood by, and the allied forces pressed from behind the desert, with major battle imminent.

At this moment, deploying a large army was unthinkable—moving troops required accompanying logistical forces, triggering massive troop movements that would be obvious to the naked eye.

How, then, could one perform martial borrowing?

Li Guanyi pressed his hand against the Western Regions topographic map and said:

"Left Guard Cavalry Commander Tian Kehan Qibili."

This was no idle chat; Tian Kehan Qibili's expression sharpened. He rose, his armor clanking with a deadly resonance, and bowed: "Yes!"

Li Guanyi said: "Deploy all three thousand Golden Crescent Blade Cavalry."

"Yes!"

"Right Guard Commanding General Generals Ling Pingyang."

Generals Ling Pingyang, who had just arrived, rose and said solemnly: "Your servant is here."

Li Guanyi said: "Select three thousand 【Beiwai】 cavalry from within the army and withdraw them."

Generals Ling Pingyang said: "Yes!"

Li Guanyi said: "Divine Shot Commander Wang Shunchen."

Wang Shunchen rose and bowed: "Your servant is here!"

Li Guanyi said: "Divine Shot Commander, select one thousand 【Bai Bao Xian Zhen Camp】 mounted archers."

"Yes!"

"Fan Qing…"

One order after another fell. The entire room brimmed with the chilling martial aura of a battlefield, fierce and solemn. Li Guanyi held the Tiger Golden Seal, his gaze calm and lowered, and said gently: "General Po Jun, Master Wen He."

"After I depart, I entrust this city to you two to maintain the situation."

Po Jun rose: "Yes!"

Wen He composed himself: "Yes!"

Strategists and generals may propose one strategy after another, but a true sovereign is the one who makes the final decision.

Boldness, grandeur—the ruler of a chaotic age—never needs merely "good enough," but—

The supreme.

Li Guanyi swept his sleeve, unfurling the complete Western Regions topographic map taken from the Tangut kingdom's secret archives. His gaze stretched vast, crossing layer upon layer of territory, settling on the distant Sacred Mountain 【Mount Juxu】, as he caressed the Golden Wang Yin.

"If we are to rebuild the Wang Ting and enfeoff the Wang Hou, how can I not be there?"

"Hundreds of thousands of troops have reached the edge of this battlefield's core…"

"The Western Regions situation is deadlocked."

"I shall lead seven thousand cavalry, abandon all baggage, use this map to bypass the Western Alliance's advance, travel light and swift, and head straight for 【Mount Juxu】, raise our blades, and lay out our strategy to the Western Wang Hou."

"They each have their strategies; we have ours."

"Then let us kill each other!"

The generals of Anxi City all changed expression, their hearts surging. Li Guanyi looked at these generals and strategists and said softly: "Situation? Deadlock? They don't exist. If the situation is locked, tangled and chaotic, it must be split open by a single sword!"

"Must we compromise with these situations?"

"If we cannot break open the Western Regions, how can we ever quell the chaos of the age?"

"To claim the true mandate of a state, one must strike squarely, defeat all head-on—no room for luck, no room for compromise. Only sword and fire can open a realm of peace."

"When the world is at peace, I hope to drink and admire flowers with you all. For now, I leave this place in your care."

Li Guanyi bowed deeply, his voice calm, his battle robe sleeves hanging low, his gaze sweeping with dominance:

"You all face north; I alone march west."

"You followed me here—I must show you the world I see!"

Li Guanyi lifted his head and said:

"The world is deadlocked."

"Let me tear it open myself!"

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