Turbulent Times

Great Xia Prefecture.

As Liu Wenyan and Su Yu were discussing, there were also people arguing in the City Lord's mansion.

The spacious hall had only a few people.

Xia Longwu sat up straight, looking directly below.

Below, on the left, an old man, like the strategist of Great Xia Prefecture, was listening silently with a smile, not saying a word.

On the right, another old man, refined and amiable, also wore a smile. His hair was silver-white, and he remained silent at the moment.

Besides these two, a strong middle-aged man in the hall, with well-developed muscles, stood alone and shouted angrily, "Wan Tiansheng, stop preaching your nonsense! This is Great Xia Prefecture, not the Seeking Realm!"

The person the strong man was shouting at was the silver-haired old man on the right.

Wan Tiansheng, the sixth generation Academy Head of Daxia Civilization Academy!

Wan Tiansheng smiled amiably. Even though the strong man was shouting, he remained calm and spoke softly, yet clearly, "Zheng Ping, speak properly, don't be so loud. My ears aren't deaf, I can hear you."

As Wan Tiansheng spoke, he still wore a smile, as if it were just a neighborly chat. He said softly, "The Dragon Martial Guard should be withdrawn. The fighting is done. In the conflict with the Tianyi Divine Race, nearly a thousand out of three thousand guards were lost. The casualties are heavy."

"If it's time to show our strength, then we show it. I have no objections."

"But now, are we really planning to annihilate the Tianyi Divine Race?"

Wan Tiansheng looked at Xia Longwu and said softly, "Prefect, you must understand that it's impossible. What the Tianyi Divine Race deployed on the Battlefields of the Heavens was just a ten-thousand-man guard, not their main force."

"Continuing the pursuit might create greater achievements, but it will require more lives to fill the gap."

"Three thousand Dragon Martial Guards, does the Prefect intend to throw them all in?"

Wan Tiansheng finished speaking and shook his head, "There's no need for that. It's too reckless! The fighting has already happened. Now, we should talk! Talk to the Tianyi Divine Race, and at a certain price, let this remnant army of the Tianyi Divine Race withdraw..."

At this point, the strong man angrily said, "They are already surrounded, and they are approaching a dead end. This ten-thousand-man guard can be completely annihilated. Wan Tiansheng, why do you want to let them go? What are your intentions?"

"Has the Tianyi Divine Race bribed you?"

Wan Tiansheng was not angry. He smiled and said, "Zheng Ping, there's no need for personal attacks. I'm not denying that we can defeat them. The question is... is it worth it? Three thousand Dragon Martial Guards, how much did Great Xia Prefecture spend to forge them? Are we going to throw them all away for just a ten-thousand-man guard?"

"There are people from your War Academy in there, and people from our Civilization Academy. They are all elites. Are we going to throw them in to fight a ragtag army?"

Wan Tiansheng sighed softly, "Some people don't like to use their brains. They only like to fight and kill. Such people... should be sent to the battlefield as common soldiers. Never let them command."

The strong man said coldly, "I've been in the army for thirty years, and I fought my way up from a common soldier!"

"..."

Wan Tiansheng chuckled and said softly, "Then why don't you just do your job as a fighter and stop meddling in the formulation of major plans?"

The strong man said angrily, "I know you look down on me, and you don't need to look up to me! But as long as the remaining two thousand Dragon Martial Guards of Great Xia Prefecture are mobilized, they can be completely wiped out without paying too high a price!"

The strong man was indignant, "Nearly a thousand people were lost, and they were forced into a desperate situation. Wan Tiansheng, you're asking Great Xia Prefecture to withdraw at this time. Have you considered what the Dragon Martial Guard would think?"

"Are the soldiers on the front lines willing to accept this?"

"I am a soldier, I understand them! They are not willing, they feel wronged. They lost a third of their comrades, they have the absolute advantage, and now they have forced the enemy into a corner. To give up now... no one can accept it!"

The strong man's eyes reddened, "We paid so much to win this war..."

"So we need to get it back!"

Wan Tiansheng said softly, "War is not about exhausting your military might, Zheng Ping. After all these years, why don't you understand? Sometimes, victory or defeat is not measured by how many people you kill, but by how much you gain."

"I don't like the way Great Xia Prefecture fights, killing them all without leaving a trace!"

"It's not good, it's very not good!"

"If you do this, you will only provoke the enemy's will to resist, and only make them fight to the death, burning their bridges behind them!"

"When it's time to stop, stop immediately. Let them use their resources, their cultivation techniques, martial skills, divine blood, and heavenly treasures to exchange for their lives."

"Next time, when the war starts again, halfway through, if they lose thirty percent, they will think about surrendering and buying their lives with money."

"We need to disintegrate their fighting spirit, not ignite it."

Wan Tiansheng sighed, "Great Xia Prefecture has fought so many wars over the years. Yes, they kill the most enemies each time, but they also suffer the greatest losses and gain the least among all prefectures!"

"The enemy's fighting spirit has been ignited by you. The Myriad Races on the Battlefields of the Heavens know that if they encounter people from Great Zhou Prefecture and can't win, they can buy their lives with money. But if they encounter Great Xia Prefecture... they will fight to the death!"

"Zhou Potian does this very well. Even Great Ming Prefecture does better than us."

"Our Great Xia Prefecture has elite soldiers and generals, unparalleled in killing enemies on the battlefield among all prefectures, but... what about the losses? What about the compensation?"

Wan Tiansheng shook his head and sighed, "Zheng Ping, I think the Prefect should send you to the treasury to take a look. See if the treasury... is empty!"

Zheng Ping's body trembled slightly, and he looked at Xia Longwu.

Xia Longwu, who had been silent all along, saw Zheng Ping look at him and said calmly, "The treasury is not very full, but it doesn't matter. Great Xia Prefecture's foundation can afford it!"

Wan Tiansheng chuckled and said, "Does the Prefect mean... to continue fighting?"

Xia Longwu looked at him and said indifferently, "Wan Tiansheng, some of what you said is correct. Great Xia Prefecture suffers the greatest losses and gains the least when it goes to war. I am more aware of these matters than you are. But over the years, I have only listened to your words, but never taken them seriously. Do you know why?"

Wan Tiansheng was not surprised and said slowly, "I understand. The Prefect needs to forge the strongest human legion! To give humanity a vanguard that can fight fierce battles!"

"It's good that you understand!"

Xia Longwu stood up and said coldly, "In the past, Great Zhou Prefecture was the strongest! The Great Zhou Army swept across the Battlefields of the Heavens, invincible! At that time, they were like this. When they won, the enemy could buy their lives with money."

"One year, two years... ten years, a hundred years!"

"There was a time when they were conquering the heavens, pushing the enemy to the brink of despair, and they thought they could close the net, reap the rewards, but... they were wrong! That elite divine race legion fought to the death!"

"With ten thousand men, they routed the overconfident Great Zhou army of a hundred thousand! The Great Zhou army had forgotten how to fight to the death, forgotten how to fight with desperation! A hundred thousand troops... actually collapsed!"

Xia Longwu sneered, "This is the Battle of Luozhouhai recorded by the human race! A crushing defeat!"

"One hundred thousand of their finest troops were defeated by a remnant force! Unbelievable, the myriad races of the heavens were shocked, and suddenly they realized... the human race's elite troops were nothing but paper tigers!"

Xia Longwu's expression turned cold, "The Great Zhou army, which was said to be invincible, had its myth shattered just like that! Because they had grown accustomed to it, why bother with so many casualties in battle?"

Xia Longwu looked at Wan Tiansheng and said in a deep voice, "The lesson is right before our eyes, Wan Tiansheng, do you still think fighting tough battles is unnecessary?"

"Not at all."

Wan Tiansheng shook his head, then continued, "But Great Xia Prefecture can't hold on any longer! The Prefecture Head, Zhang Chi, has a way of doing things. We can't negate the entire Great Zhou army because of one defeat. The Great Zhou army was able to rise again quickly because they reaped great rewards in the past, allowing them to quickly rebuild an elite legion!"

"But for us in Great Xia Prefecture... if we lose the Dragon Martial Guard, it will be difficult, too difficult, to forge another Dragon Martial Guard!"

Xia Longwu looked at him, looking down at him.

Wan Tiansheng did not evade, meeting Xia Longwu's gaze, and said again, "Retreat, negotiate, and buy lives with resources!"

"I, Xia Longwu, am the soul of Great Xia Prefecture, I cannot retreat!"

"You must retreat!"

The usually refined Wan Tiansheng became aggressive, his eyes sharp, "If you don't retreat, Daxia Civilization Academy will never provide another soldier or a single troop to the Dragon Martial Guard, and no Civilization Masters will ever enter the Dragon Martial Guard to fight again!"

"Are you threatening me?"

Xia Longwu's voice was low. Wan Tiansheng stood up, his expression solemn, "If you don't retreat, I would rather have the teachers and students within the academy defect to Great Zhou Prefecture than let the academy's sons and daughters die on the Battlefields of the Heavens to achieve your fame, Xia Longwu!"

"Scoundrel!"

Zheng Ping exclaimed angrily, "Wan Tiansheng, are you betraying Great Xia Prefecture?"

"No, I am saving Great Xia Prefecture. I am willing to fight for the human race, but not for a tyrant!"

Wan Tiansheng suddenly removed the crown from his head and said in a deep voice, "Wan Tiansheng hereby resigns from the position of Head of Daxia Civilization Academy!"

Xia Longwu stared at him for a long time, remaining silent.

Just then, the old man on the left smiled and spoke, "Director Wan, stop joking with Director Zheng."

Zheng Ping frowned as he looked at them, displeased. What did they mean?

The old man chuckled, "Retreat, we still need to retreat. Great Xia Prefecture has been fighting for decades, and it has been too hard, with too great a loss. The Prefecture Head convened you all here to discuss this matter."

"Since you've guessed it, why bother embarrassing the Prefecture Head..."

Wan Tiansheng feigned ignorance, "What do you mean?"

The old man chuckled and shook his head, "You, you're still the same as you were back then. Let me say it, you're all arguing so much, can't you be more reasonable?"

"The Prefecture Head wants to retreat... but he can't. He is a banner of the human race, and also the soul of Great Xia Prefecture. If he retreats, how will the soldiers on the front lines feel?"

"He's not like Zhu Tiandao, who has no shame..."

The hall, which had been tense and confrontational, suddenly erupted in laughter.

Even the usually stern Xia Longwu sat down and coughed lightly, "Nonsense! Don't talk nonsense, Prefecture Head Zhu... cough cough, he still knows when to be decent."

Everyone chuckled, and the old man also smiled, "Yes, I misspoke. Let's not talk about him, let's continue with the previous topic. Retreating is necessary. The Dragon Martial Guard cannot afford to lose ten thousand troops at the cost of several thousand men to the Tianyi Divine Race."

"But it cannot be in the name of the Prefecture Head."

"The Prefecture Head has killed several experts from the Tianyi Divine Cult and needs to enter seclusion immediately."

"We have summoned the two of you here today for the upcoming ceremony... The Prefecture Head will be in seclusion, and Marquis Xia will temporarily take over as Prefecture Head. At that time... Wan Tiansheng, you can then stage the scene you're planning today."

The old man smiled, "Let Marquis Xia order the retreat! The Prefecture Head is in seclusion and will not concern himself with anything, so it will have nothing to do with him."

"Even if the soldiers on the front lines are dissatisfied, it doesn't matter. Marquis Xia won't care about that."

"Marquis Xia is a merchant by nature. Let him negotiate with the Tianyi Divine Race for compensation, for losses, for costs. At that time, the Tianyi Divine Race will not be suspicious, nor will it reveal the weakness of Great Xia Prefecture to the myriad races of the heavens."

At this moment, Zheng Ping understood and couldn't help but curse, "You old scoundrel, is this appropriate? Marquis Xia... you always dump the blame on him. He's already notorious enough outside..."

"So, what's one more bad reputation?"

The old man smiled, "Director Zheng, Director Wan is actually not wrong. Great Xia Prefecture's treasury is almost empty, and we really can't continue fighting like this. We can't build a second Dragon Martial Guard. If these strong soldiers and fierce generals are wiped out, then Great Xia Prefecture's elite will be finished!"

"It's just the Tianyi Divine Race, not the complete annihilation of their divine race, why must we fixate on a ten-thousand-man guard. The Prefecture Head is in seclusion, and Marquis Xia will take over. Everyone knows that he values wealth over fame."

"If he chooses to retreat and let the Tianyi Divine Race compensate us, filling Great Xia Prefecture's treasury, who would have any objections?"

The old man smiled brightly, "The Tianyi Divine Race will probably also be relieved that it's Marquis Xia taking over, not the Prefecture Head continuing to command the Dragon Martial Guard, otherwise, this ten-thousand-man guard would truly be finished."

"The Prefecture Head is famously unwilling to bow his head. If he were to retreat at this time, it would seem unbelievable, as if Great Xia Prefecture... is truly finished."

Zheng Ping wanted to speak but stopped, and after a moment, he grumbled, "Is it really that serious?"

"It is, the treasury is really close to empty."

The old man sighed, "Otherwise, after fighting for so many years, why would we choose to compromise now? The Tianyi Divine Race still dares to invade Great Xia Prefecture. According to our past attitude, we wouldn't stop until they felt pain!"

"But now, we really need to conserve our strength and replenish our troops."

The elder said earnestly, "The Prefecture Head chose this time to go into seclusion with such considerations in mind. We can't keep fighting. It's not just the Dragon Martial Guard; the Demon Suppression Army has also issued multiple calls for veteran conscription. The losses have been too great. Including the Demon Suppression Army, we'll need to lie low for a while."

"Great Xia Prefecture may seem powerful, but in reality, we're in a transitional period. We've built our reputation over the years, and now is the time to recuperate. This is necessary!"

"When Great Xia Prefecture has recovered its strength, that's when the Prefecture Head will emerge from seclusion!"

"At that time, it will also be when the Prefecture Head reaches invincibility!"

Beside him, Xia Longwu said indifferently, "I had intended to storm the Battlefields of the Heavens recently and slaughter a King to help me reach this realm! However... to ensure success and conserve strength, this battle is postponed. In a few years, I believe Great Xia Prefecture can recover its vitality!"

"The Prefecture Head is wise!"

Wan Tiansheng flattered, "With the Prefecture Head making this choice, Great Xia Prefecture has hope!"

Xia Longwu didn't buy it and said indifferently, "Weren't you going to resign? How about this: you can formally resign at the ceremony in a few days! Since Zhou Potian is willing to have you, then you can go over there."

"The Prefecture Head is joking!"

Wan Tiansheng's expression didn't change. "I was just practicing just now, to prevent Lord Xia from noticing anything amiss at the ceremony, and for others to not see through the facade. Zhou Potian is cunning and not worth associating with!"

"Heh heh!"

Xia Longwu let out a scoff. "These words... relay them to Zhou Potian!"

He said this to the elder on his left.

The elder chuckled and looked at Zheng Ping, saying with a smile, "Prefect Zheng, please relay these words to Prefecture Head Zhou. Lord Wan's words, not a single one omitted, relay them all!"

Zheng Ping's face darkened, but he remained silent.

Xia Longwu ignored them and stood up, saying, "This matter is decided! The Dragon Martial Guard will withdraw immediately. The Tianyi Divine Race will pay a price, and I... will go into seclusion. On the day of my emergence, I will make the Tianyi Divine Race my target!"

Those below acknowledged, and no one raised any objections.

Wan Tiansheng smiled broadly. As he left, he glanced at Zheng Ping and sighed, "A brute, not worth plotting with!"

Zheng Ping's face darkened. "You old scoundrel, during this year's inter-prefecture exchange, your prefecture will be filled with cries!"

Wan Tiansheng was unfazed and instead smiled happily. "I'll be waiting. Fight, fight hard! In previous years, your War Academy's people were too soft-handed and their punches too light, as if they hadn't eaten. This year, when you go again, I'll provide you with ten thousand jin of blood rations for free. Eat well, put more strength into your blows. If you manage to drive away half of the students, I'll personally deliver a banner of commendation. The Civilization Academy has too many people; why do we need so many?"

Wan Tiansheng shook his head. "A bunch of mediocre talents. I've wanted to streamline the organization for a long time. If it weren't for those old guys blocking me, I'd recruit at most a thousand people each year! Old Zheng, I'll trouble you this time. Work hard. If you manage to drive away a thousand people, I'll personally lead the academy's teachers and students to deliver a banner of commendation to you!"

Zheng Ping's face grew even uglier. This old scoundrel, he could never win an argument with him!

Wan Tiansheng laughed heartily and slowly walked out of the hall, lamenting, "Great Xia War College... it's declining! Alas! The Dragon Martial Academy has some merit, but it's a pity for your Great Xia War College. Truly, if you don't manage to drive away a thousand people this year, I'll look down on you!"

With that, Wan Tiansheng had already disappeared from sight.

After Wan Tiansheng left, Zheng Ping suddenly said weakly, "This old scoundrel is becoming more and more troublesome! Prefecture Head, is Great Xia Prefecture really going to switch from offense to defense?"

Beside him, Xia Longwu, who had just left, reappeared at some unknown time.

Watching Wan Tiansheng depart, Xia Longwu was silent for a moment, then softly said, "It's not defense, it's waiting! Waiting for our vitality to recover! Wan Tiansheng waited for so many years, and when Great Xia Prefecture became weak, he succeeded."

Zheng Ping sighed again. "I'm a little scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared of... losing the will to fight, losing confidence, losing morale."

Zheng Ping turned his head to look at Xia Longwu, his eyes filled with complexity. "I'm afraid that after retreating, Great Xia Prefecture's... people's hearts will also change with this retreat!"

"What is meant to come will come eventually," Xia Longwu said calmly. "We can't fight our entire lives, fighting until the old soldiers retire and then having to return to battle again! Recuperation is necessary. It's better to recuperate now than when we can't fight."

"Old Zheng, the War Academy has also suffered heavy losses these past few years; it's time to rest."

After saying this, Xia Longwu fell silent, a sense of desolation settling in.

He had been strong his entire life, but now, he couldn't maintain that strength.

He verbally looked down on Zhu Tiandao and Zhou Potian, but in reality... he admired them, even envied them.

"At least... their fallen soldiers are fewer than Great Xia Prefecture's..."

He murmured inwardly, a hint of bitterness in Xia Longwu's eyes. He wanted to continue fighting, but reality wouldn't allow him to.

Waging war excessively!

Great Xia Prefecture was currently like a raging fire, seemingly prosperous and flourishing, but in reality, it was already fraught with hidden dangers.

"Wan Tiansheng... after so many years of struggle, I want to see what you can change."

Xia Longwu mused inwardly, wanting to see how far Wan Tiansheng could go.

"Civilization Academy... the next frontier. I hope no trouble arises. Teacher... can you truly control it?"

Xia Longwu chuckled. Teacher, yes, that was his first mentor.

But after so many years, he had almost forgotten.