Chapter 1576: Fear of Delaying Military Intelligence

By Cao Jie's command,Chen Fu led three hundred thousand郡 troops to attack the northern prefectures of Xia, namely Youping, Wuxing, and Yucí.Under his banner were Tian Anping, Tian Antai, Yang Jing (brother of Yang Luo, Prefect of Biyu郡), Mo Liancheng of the Mo clan in Baizhi郡, Qi Lianghua (son of Qi Wen), Gao Zhe of the Gao clan in Jinghai, Zhang Weiyu (a Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel), Yan Fu of Bei郡, and others...Additionally, there were powerhouse cultivators from sects within the borders who accompanied the army, not lacking in 神臨 realm experts. The lineup could not be said to be weak.Among these, Young Master Yan Fu, who was originally in the Zhufeng Army formation during the oath-taking ceremony in the western suburbs of Linzi, later joined the 郡兵 ranks and took command of a division. There was a hint of him vying with Tian Anping for martial merit and trying to gain an edge.Xie Huaian led three hundred thousand allied forces from the Eastern Domain nations to attack the eastern prefectures of Xia, namely Linwu, Huiming, and Fengli.Under his banner were Jiang Wang, Chong Xuan Sheng, Xie Baoshu, Bao Bozhāo, Bao Zhongqing, and others...Furthermore, the rising stars of the Eastern Domain nations were naturally not absent, such as Lin Xian of Rong and Lin Jie of Yi, with some 神臨 realm cultivators among them.Overall, the allied forces of the Eastern Domain nations had more powerful experts, but the Qi 郡兵 themselves were more elite than the allied forces of the Eastern Domain nations. Thus, the strength on both fronts was roughly equal.If Xia believed the Qi army would play feints and tricks, they would surely suffer a great fall. For both fronts could be considered the main force!This time, the million-strong Qi army attacking Xia were all elite soldiers.At Cao Jie's command, the forces surged forth like a tide, spreading across the entirety of Xia.It is worth mentioning that the vanguard general Chong Xuan Zun, who had freedom of movement, chose to attack eastern Xia, with a clear intention of suppressing his portly younger brother.At this time, within the entire Xia territory, long-distance communication had been completely cut off. Neither Qi nor Xia could instantaneously control the war remotely.Cao Jie, alongside Yan Ping and阮泅, led the Nine Troops and Three Armies, confronting Si Jiao and Yu Liyang at Tongyang City.The Dao principles of True Monarchs probed and chased each other, while the military Qi of the grand armies faced off from a distance. The Qi army's siege had not stopped, but it was always only maintaining pressure.And so, the new phase of the conflict, a comprehensive chaotic battle, unfolded..."This... where are we going?"Traveling through the narrow mountain valley with the army, Jiang Wang felt somewhat bewildered.Xie Huaian had led the army into Linwu Prefecture for four days now. The three hundred thousand allied forces of the Eastern Domain nations were attacking cities and seizing strongholds everywhere, fighting with great fervor. The vanguard general Chong Xuan Zun displayed his divine might, figures like Bao Bozhāo and Xie Baoshu achieved repeated meritorious deeds, and the beacon fires in the eight northern cities of Linwu Prefecture were ignited almost simultaneously...But Chong Xuan Sheng had been leading people to constantly travel.And he specifically chose remote and sparsely populated areas, taking secluded paths. He was surprisingly adept at the geography of Xia!Chong Xuan Sheng tapped the指輿 he wore on his left index finger. Amidst the rising mist, an incredibly detailed topographic map of Xia appeared in the air.This device could function even in the extremely chaotic environment of the Misty Realm, let alone within the borders of Xia. Mountains and rivers, cities and towns, everything was clearly displayed.The portly man glanced at it and said, "Soon. This is Jinglong Valley. After exiting the valley and traveling southwest for two hundred li, we will reach Ximing City."Although Jiang Wang was unfamiliar with Xia's geography, he recognized maps. After looking for a couple of moments, he said with some surprise, "We're almost at Huiming Prefecture!"Linwu Prefecture had a total of twenty cities, and Ximing City was already the southernmost large city in this prefecture.Further south would be the territory of Huiming Prefecture."We're moving a bit slow," Chong Xuan Sheng glanced back at the long, winding队伍 and said, "But to maintain combat effectiveness, this is the only way."That flamboyant battle flag, of course, had been put away long ago.The troops who had been traveling continuously showed signs of fatigue.A force of three thousand was neither too many nor too few. Leading them on forced marches through mountains and over hills was not an easy task.These three divisions of soldiers were all from Qiusha, and were naturally top-notch elites. And with the relationship with the Lian clan, and Chong Xuan Sheng being willing to spend money, all their equipment was the best.Speed-enhancing talismans and blood-increasing pills were used without hesitation, which was why they could keep up and managed to infiltrate and绕行 through the controlled areas of Xia in three days, drilling their way to this point.Even so, Chong Xuan Sheng still thought it was slow!"We can't go any faster," Jiang Wang, who had recently learned a lot about military movements and formations, said casually, "Unless it's just the two of us coming alone.""Do you think I wouldn't know something you know?" Chong Xuan Sheng mumbled slightly, and without waiting for Jiang Wang to hear clearly, he turned back and ordered, "All troops halt and change uniforms!"His personal guards immediately retrieved sets of green military uniforms from their storage boxes and distributed them one by one – Chong Xuan Sheng's personal guards were, of course, his Shadow Guards, who also served as his flag bearers.There weren't many accompanying him, only about a dozen people. Qing Zhuan, who had accompanied Jiang Wang to Biyu County, was also among them.By this point, Jiang Wang knew exactly what Chong Xuan Sheng was planning, but these uniforms were completely unfamiliar to him."Whose army's uniforms are these?"Jiang Wang asked while changing.It wasn't that he couldn't use the Ruyi Immortal Robe to transform, but Jiang Wang was afraid that his observation wasn't meticulous enough, and he might miss details, which would be unfavorable if someone saw through it."Shaokang Prefecture Army," Chong Xuan Sheng put on his armor with difficulty with the help of Fourteen.This custom-made general's armor of the Xia Prefecture Army wrapped him like an iron jar.Shaokang Prefecture was southwest of Huiming Prefecture, bordering Jǐnan Prefecture and Huaiqing Prefecture, and also partially bordering Sang Prefecture. It was still far from the front lines, and thus provided a reasonable explanation for coming to support Linwu Prefecture – the Xia court was already doing this, with Prefecture armies from all routes being transferred to the front lines.Jiang Wang said dissatisfiedly, "Why are you pretending to be a general, while I'm just a small officer?"Chong Xuan Sheng chuckled, "With my wealthy build, no one would believe me if I said I wasn't a high official!"Jiang Wang was truly speechless, so he asked again, "Since we're trying to deceive people, why didn't we clean up the battlefield before leaving? Wouldn't stripping the uniforms off those鎮國軍 soldiers make it harder to be discovered?"Chong Xuan Sheng held up his finger: "First, having just experienced a battle, those uniforms would be stained with blood, which would inevitably arouse suspicion.""Second, speed is of the essence in warfare. Although long-distance supernatural communication methods have been cut off, the transmission of messages by flying exotic beasts, and even the personal flight of Xia powerhouses, cannot be stopped. The news of the comprehensive chaotic battle has already spread, and the northern part of Linwu Prefecture is now also in fierce combat. We cannot afford to wait.""Third!" He drew back two fingers and said with a smile, "The above two points are not important. The most important reason is that the Zhenguo and Shenwu armies, under the current circumstances, absolutely cannot leave Xiangyou Prefecture. If we pretended to be them to take the city, I can't imagine anyone being fooled!"Jiang Wang looked at him with a bit of speechlessness and a hint of danger.Seeing that it was time to stop, Chong Xuan Sheng turned back to the soldiers who had already finished changing their uniforms, waved his large hand, and ordered, "Rest in place, everyone sleep for one hour! No need to stand guard, I will keep watch!"This battalion of soldiers was indeed quite elite.Throughout the entire process of changing uniforms, there was almost no noise. When they received the order, they immediately lay down and quickly fell asleep.The army had specialized universal sleeping methods that could help soldiers fall asleep quickly and recover their physical strength without any negative effects. The Qi Academy had researched this method to its twenty-seventh version, achieving near perfection in balancing ease of learning and recovery effect.In the narrow Jinglong Valley, three thousand people quickly fell asleep. Besides the continuous breathing, only the wind could be heard.An hour later...Jiang Jueye, who was keeping watch from the top of the valley with his Qianyáng Red Eyes, withdrew his gaze and gave Chong Xuan Sheng a signal that it was safe. As for why he was on watch... who made him learn pupil techniques!Chong Xuan Sheng then assembled the troops and emerged from the valley.Jiang Wang took one last sweeping look around, confirming that there was nothing worth noting, then withdrew the Huodòu Seal that concealed his tracks and form, and flew down.Only then did he realize the cleverness of Chong Xuan Sheng's order for the soldiers to sleep for an hour.Besides recovering physical strength, after sleeping on the ground like that, the Prefecture Army uniforms, which had already been made to look old, appeared even more disheveled.How to put it, at first glance, in terms of spirit and energy, they were more similar to those Prefecture Army soldiers of Xia...Leading the army to this point, Chong Xuan Sheng did not go directly to Ximing City. Instead, he circled south again before turning towards Ximing City, making it look like a Prefecture Army unit coming from the direction of Huiming Prefecture to support Linwu Prefecture.In between, they actually encountered a unit of Fengli Prefecture Army coming to support Linwu Prefecture!Chong Xuan Sheng went up to greet the opposing general boldly. With complete flags and uniforms, plus an authentic Shaokang Prefecture accent from Xia, he completely fooled them.He also proactively suggested that the two armies join forces to support their brothers in Linwu Prefecture, subtly implying that he wanted to take over command, while also intentionally or unintentionally displaying his personal martial prowess.The general leading the Fengli Prefecture Army awkwardly changed the subject, saying that he couldn't make the decision and had to follow the arrangements of his superiors. He then led his men away like they were avoiding a plague, taking a different route.Destroying this force of over a thousand Prefecture Army soldiers was, of course, easy, but dealing with the aftermath would be quite difficult.Although long-distance extraordinary communication had been cut off, the generals of Xia were not all pushovers.Don't think that the Victorious Camp has now quietly infiltrated the heartland of Xia, reaching the border between Linwu and Huiming prefectures, as if a large army is easy to sneak in. That's because Chong Xuan Sheng chose an excellent route, and his soldiers were able to complete their missions well, brushing past people several times...Once large-scale combat occurs, it will quickly be discovered by the people of Xia.If a Prefecture Army force of over a thousand is eliminated here, and they fail to arrive on time, the activity range of the Victorious Camp will quickly be circled. At that time, the grand army will converge...So Chong Xuan Sheng would coax them whenever he could.From Xiangyou Prefecture into Linwu Prefecture, they infiltrated all the way, drilling into whichever area was remote, circling through deep mountains and old forests.At this time, moving from the border between Linwu and Huiming prefectures towards Ximing City, they swaggered along, only taking the main road, raising dust all the way... The flag was ostentatious, the people were ostentatious, truly like a regular army of Great Xia.During this process, they also passed through a village.The village chief saw the movement from afar, and with some able-bodied youths, carrying things on their shoulders and by hand, brought many items to comfort the troops."How can this be allowed?" Chong Xuan Sheng said righteously, "Our Great Xia heavenly army is strictly disciplined. We do not offend the common people in the slightest! How can I accept your things?"The old village chief tightly gripped Chong Xuan Sheng's hand: "General is loyal to the monarch and serves the nation, working day and night..."Feeling the fat in his hand, he changed his words: "That is, protecting the family and defending the country. This old man only regrets not being younger, unable to personally take up a saber and go to the front lines. I have prepared some food and drink from our own homes, a small token of our regard. How can you refuse?"The old man was truly too sincere.Chong Xuan Sheng sighed deeply, bypassing the vigorously flapping old hen, several jars of locally brewed wine... only taking a basket of flatbreads in his hand.He said to the old man, "Alright, I will accept these few sesame flatbreads. Consider it accepting the old man's good intentions. The other things truly cannot be carried. I am going to kill the Qi thieves, so I must travel light and simply. Bringing too many things will only delay matters. There is everything at the front lines, no lack of food and drink, please rest assured, old man. This battle... this battle will end as quickly as possible."The old village chief then called those able-bodied youths forward and said to Chong Xuan Sheng, "This general, you can refuse the things, but you must take these young men with you. Our Liu Family Village are also literate people. The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every commoner. You cannot not let them go kill the enemy!""General, I'll go kill the Qi dogs with you!" A simple-minded young man stepped forward vigorously, "I have a lot of strength! I'm the one who slaughters the pigs in the village!"As he spoke, he also gestured with his hands: "Those Qi dogs and Qi pigs, I'll take care of them with one strike each, one strike each!"Chong Xuan Sheng looked at these people with a complex expression, and finally said to the old village chief of Liu Family Village, "Fighting is not child's play. Our soldiers who go to the front lines have undergone long periods of training. How to form ranks, how to swing a saber, none of this can be learned overnight. It's not something you can participate in just by picking up a hoe...""General!" The old village chief stared with wide eyes, "Everyone says that there is strength in numbers! These young men are all strong. They must be useful, right? Even if you use them to block arrows, as long as they can help you kill the Qi dogs, it's fine!"The old man stood in the way, with the demeanor of a mountain bandit chieftain. If he didn't take a few people into the army, he wouldn't let them go.Chong Xuan Sheng had no choice but to wave to the most eager young man and say, "Alright, it just so happens that I've been to Linwu Prefecture less often, and the roads are unfamiliar. I'll take one person from your village as a guide. This way you've contributed your strength and your grain, and the rest of the matter, leave it to us brothers who make a living on the edge of a knife! How about that?"The old village chief saw that his tone was firm, and only mumbled a few words, "Is one enough?" "There are many mountain roads in Linwu!"In the end, he let them go...Afraid of delaying military intelligence."What's your name?" On the way to Ximing City, Chong Xuan Sheng asked the young man from Liu Family Village.He was lively and not shy at all."Liu Dayong!" He answered proudly.It was unclear whether he was proud of joining the army to defend the country, or proud of the name Liu Dayong.Chong Xuan Sheng simply said, "Okay, I'll find an old soldier to take you. Don't wander around. Listen to him in everything."He called out, "Qing Zhuan!"Qing Zhuan, a Shadow Guard wearing a Prefecture Army uniform, trotted over like an ordinary Prefecture Army soldier, enthusiastically put his arm around Liu Dayong's shoulder, and walked and talked with him in an authentic Shaokang Prefecture accent...