Siege

He then turned his gaze to Mu Wu, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Those who are barbarians but Huaxia should be Huaxia; those who Huaxia but are barbarians should be barbarians. Why waste words with such barbarians, General? Just order their execution. If you are concerned about past relations, then follow the customs of the Barbarian Hu and arrange a grand funeral for him, so that the whole world knows that this man is a traitor who abandoned China for barbarism, thus fulfilling his wish. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Di Zhongyi's old face turned bright red, almost bleeding, and he pointed at Si Ming with shock and fear, saying, "You scoundrel! How vicious, how utterly vicious..."

Wow, they're still holding up like this? Looks like we need to add more fuel to the fire!

"It seems you are not entirely satisfied with my suggestion. Well then, after I return to my country, I will try to publish a book entitled 'The Biographies of Huaxia Traitors,' which will specifically record the life stories of people like you who have betrayed your country and become lackeys of barbarians. This will allow the world to admire your integrity and help you achieve lasting fame—oh, you're welcome. It's what I should do. My name is Zhuge Qinmo."

Although the victor is king and the loser is villain, and the victor can later use historical records to clear his name, no matter Barbarian Hu were, they could only destroy the Li State at most, and could not control other countries. Therefore, Di Zhongyi was destined to wear the label of traitor to China, and he could not get rid of it even if he wanted to.

This time, Si Ming even used his Martial Dao Will. Even without saying anything, just standing there was enough to make people want to punch him. Coupled with his sarcastic remarks, he was even more despicable, making people unable to help but feel angry.

"You—Pfft!"

Di Zhongyi's face instantly turned bright red, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing face down with a thud to the ground, where he remained motionless.

A general stepped forward to check his breathing and said to the others, "He's gone."

An uproar immediately erupted in the hall.

"Wow, they actually verbally abused someone to death! I've only ever heard of such things in storytelling, I never imagined it could happen in real life!"

"Good riddance! He acted all righteous while being a traitor to China. I've disliked him for a long time. If I weren't so bad at speaking, I would have cursed him out too."

"That old scoundrel died a worthy death. We must spread this news far and wide, so that those who betray their country and side with the Barbarian Hu know what happens to traitors!"

In the hall, the soldiers praised Si Ming's eloquence in verbally defeating Di Zhongyi, expressing their admiration.

Only Mu Wu looked at the corpse on the ground and sighed with regret, "One wrong step leads to another. If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

He then looked at Si Ming and said, "Although this person deserves his punishment, there are also extenuating circumstances. He shouldn't have ended up like this."

He didn't think Di Zhongyi shouldn't have died, but he still felt a little sorry for him dying such a pathetic death. If what had just happened were to spread, Di Zhongyi would probably appear in various stories as a buffoon, leaving a bad name for eternity.

Si Ming, "It might be a bit too much, but it's also to make an example of him. Sacrificing him might scare off thousands of other traitors who have defected to the Barbarian Hu. We don't expect them all to abandon their evil ways and come to the light. As long as they are afraid of suffering the same fate and restrain themselves a little when acting as lackeys, his sacrifice will be worthwhile."

After a moment's thought, Mu Wu slowly nodded and said, "That makes sense. I had never thought about the problem from this perspective before. You are about the same age as my son, yet you have such a clear and insightful view of the world. Su State True Person."

Si Ming humbly replied, "I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed."

Actually, what he said just now was made up. The real reason was that he was annoyed by that person's "righteous and awe-inspiring" appearance.

If Di Zhongyi were shameless and utterly shameless, refusing to utter any high-sounding words and willingly becoming a pile of shit, Si Ming certainly wouldn't bother with him. After all, when a person is utterly shameless, they are invincible; since he has no shame left, what can be done about him?

But he's acting like a hypocrite, insisting on claiming to be chaste and virtuous. Well, don't blame Si Ming for smashing his facade, pulling down his pants, and letting everyone see where his ass is and how many tally marks are written on the inside of his thighs.

"The commander-in-chief summoned me, surely not to see just how shameless someone really is?" Si Ming inquired about the important matter.

Mu Wu smiled, took out two books, and said, "These were found by my men in the Vulture King. One is an account book recording his private transactions with your country, and the other is a martial arts manual."

Si Ming flipped through the ledger, but he couldn't understand it, so he decided to take it back and hand it over to his master for processing.

I don't feel comfortable entrusting it to others. If someone dares to collude with Barbarian Hu, they must have something to rely on. What if there's a big organization behind them? If they dig up a behemoth, his small frame won't be able to handle it. It's more appropriate to hand it over to someone taller to carry it.

As for the martial arts manual, it was clearly inscribed with the five large characters "Heavenly Firmament Arrow Formation Technique".

Chapter 187 Siege

The Heavenly Firmament Arrow Formation Technique, which uses qi to condense arrows and then uses arrows to form a formation, was originally created by a general from the Su State. It is a martial art of battle formation. As long as there is a well-trained team of soldiers to cooperate with, the formation can be completed in an instant and play a decisive role on the battlefield.

Later, through generations of modifications by the swordsmen, this archery technique also developed combat moves. However, it required extremely high Internal Cultivation. The initial Twin Star Arrows required at least level five Internal Cultivation, and with each additional arrow, the requirement for Internal Cultivation increased by one level.

Although Si Ming wasn't interested in archery, he hadn't forgotten his childhood sweetheart. As long as Liu Qingqing memorized the contents before handing it over to the authorities, it would be fine. After all, it was Barbarian Hu stuff and wouldn't be considered a violation of discipline.

"Thank you very much. Is there anything else, Commander?" Si Ming asked.

Mu Wu said, "Tomorrow our army will advance on Hao Capital and surround the Barbarian Hu Kingdom. At that time, our army's operations will no longer need to be kept secret, which means you will regain your freedom. Starting tomorrow, you can choose to leave at any time."

"I see..."

Si Ming did not show the joy that Mu Wu had guessed. Instead, he asked, "You said you'd restore our freedom. So, if we choose to stay instead of leave, you won't kick us out?"

"That... is entirely up to you, but swords have no eyes on the battlefield, do you really want to stay?"

"I don't know what the others are thinking, but I really want to stay and watch the battle. Anyway, even if I take a boat back immediately tomorrow, I won't make it in time for the New Year, so I might as well stay and experience the atmosphere of cold weapon warfare."

"Cold weapons?" Mu Wu asked, puzzled.

In this era, there was no concept of cold weapons and firearms. After all, they could create explosive effects with their True Qi. In the hands of the strong, cold weapons could also become firearms, and there was no clear boundary between the two.

"It was just a slip of the tongue, please don't take it to heart. Although saying this might displease you, Su State has been at peace for a long time and wars are rare, so I don't want to miss the opportunity to experience war firsthand. I hope you can agree to let me accompany the army to observe. In return, I will also help out if necessary."

"But you are, after all, Su State, and a member of the Mohist Knight Guard. Won't it invite criticism if you rashly intervene in the war between your own country and the Barbarian Hu?"

"Ha, anyway, I experienced this war and then ran away. If the barbarians are Barbarian Hu, let them come to the Su State to seek revenge. Besides, in my situation, don't I have an official title? I think it's called the International Military Observer Group."

"There seems to be such a saying: since you've chosen to stay voluntarily, I can only welcome you; I can't find any reason to refuse."

Through yesterday's battle to breach the city, Mu Wu had gained a general understanding of Si Ming's strength. Although his Internal Cultivation was not high, he clearly followed the path of external martial arts training, possessing a body of copper skin and iron bones, impervious to swords and spears, and unafraid of gunpowder. Martial artists below the Spirit Transformation would likely find it difficult to inflict substantial damage on him. With such a special trump card, it might have an unexpected effect.

From a tactical perspective, having more exceptional talents like Si Ming would undoubtedly be beneficial, as it would provide more tactical options.

Mu Wu regretted that the other party was a foreign friend and could not be truly used as his subordinate. He could not send him into battle unless necessary.

Si Ming returned to his room, informed everyone of the announcement, and handed the "Heavenly Firmament Arrow Formation Technique" to Liu Qingqing.