Undercurrents

Goa Kingdom is a nation enclosed within a massive high wall. Precisely because this wall perfectly excludes all unnecessary elements, the country can be called a successful model of an "isolated society."

It is this very isolation that causes the residents within the walls to view the outside world as venomous, and it is this isolation that has left the nobles within the walls corrupt and decadent. The class consciousness throughout the entire kingdom is terrifying.

Across the kingdom, the areas along the high walls are lined with border towns, where the residents of the lowest status in the kingdom reside. Beyond the border towns lies the Central Street, which houses commoners one rank above the border town residents.

And that is not all; inside the Central Street, which is built around the center of the kingdom, lies the High City, where the nobles reside. Finally, enclosed by the High City is the Royal Palace, where the royal family lives.

"And it is precisely because of this blatant class system that it is impossible for us to rely on a surprise attack to storm the Goa Kingdom in one go!"

In the dojo, Bai Ina sat on a chair, pointing at a map as he explained to Hijikata Yoshitoyo and Loxi, "Therefore, our initial goal is to first occupy the border towns. We don't need to take too many; we only need to capture the few border towns near the Terminal Gray, allowing us to both retreat and advance as needed."

"Understood!"

Hijikata Yoshitoyo nodded to show he understood, then asked, "Zongcilang has already begun expanding his forces. According to the latest report, he has already recruited 800 people. Over the past half-month, the number of men in his Ghost Squad has reached nearly a thousand."

"Nearly a thousand, is it?" Bai Ina nodded with satisfaction and smiled. "He certainly hasn't been slacking off. Tell him to continue his campaign, but be careful to keep it secret so that other bandits don't get wind of it and form an alliance!"

"Then how should we expand our own forces? We still only have about 200 men under our command." Hijikata Yoshitoyo was somewhat anxious. After all, Zongcilang on the other side had already entered a period of rapid development, having overcome his initial hardships. With nearly a thousand men under his command, as long as he didn't provoke an alliance of bandits, he would eventually bring the entire Mt. Colubo under his control.

"Don't worry!"

Bai Ina chuckled. "Pick fifty men from the Guard Unit—the ones with silver tongues—and send them into the high walls to spread some news in the various border towns."

"What kind of news?" Hijikata Yoshitoyo asked, his voice full of confusion.

"That the Revolutionary Army is about to attack the border towns near the Terminal Gray!"

"What?" Hijikata Yoshitoyo was stunned, then said urgently, "Why release such news? Wouldn't that make our attack on the border towns even more difficult? It would also expose our existence to the Goa Kingdom."

"Heh, don't be foolish. Do you think the Goa Kingdom's intelligence department is stupid? Our full strength has likely been known to the upper echelons of the Goa Kingdom for a long time, and Zongcilang is no exception. The only reason they haven't acted yet is that they are investigating whether we have any other hidden cards up our sleeves."

At this point, Bai Ina couldn't help but smile bitterly. "You could say that it is precisely our weak strength that makes the Goa Kingdom feel wary... because they don't believe we would launch a revolutionary war with only 1,200 people; they assume there must be forces deployed in the shadows..."

"..." Hijikata Yoshitoyo's mouth twitched. He felt it was unbelievable and somewhat absurd. According to Bai Ina, the only reason the Goa Kingdom hadn't chosen to attack despite knowing of their existence was that their forces were too weak.

"Moreover, I imagine there must be many new faces in the border towns near the Terminal Gray by now. The garrisoned Kingdom Army shouldn't be small in number, and they will likely decide to march out and annihilate us soon. Since that's the case, let them play with me properly."

Bai Ina looked cold as he pointed at the border towns adjacent to the Terminal Gray on the map and sneered, "Send a telegram to Zongcilang to pull 500 men back. We are going to attack the border towns!"

"A real attack? Then why did you spread the news?"

Hijikata Yoshitoyo was becoming increasingly confused. If they were going to attack the border towns, wouldn't spreading the news just give the Kingdom Army time to react?

Bai Ina chuckled, slowly stood up from his chair, walked to the window, and gazed at the hazy high wall in the distance. "Appear to strike while retreating; show them an attack when not attacking, and show them no attack when intending to strike!"

"..."

Hijikata Yoshitoyo felt a headache coming on. He suddenly felt that the current Bai Ina was even harder to understand than the previously taciturn Bai Ina.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand; I will preside over this battle. For now, you just need to be a good messenger. Tell Zongcilang not to recruit any more for the time being and to focus his energy on the team's cohesion. This battle will be the opportunity for our Guard Unit to develop."

"And it must be fast, because winter is coming soon. It will be difficult to house everyone with only the tents issued by headquarters. There is no need to worry about Zongcilang's side; the bandit camps on the mountain are enough to house his men. But the Guard Unit is different, so we must occupy at least one border town as a foundation."

On the other hand, many noble family heads were gathered in the council hall within the High City. At the very head of the table sat a man dressed in embroidered robes. He looked to be about 40 years old, and even just sitting there, he made people subconsciously feel a sense of authority—an aura that only those who have held high positions for a long time possess.

Judging by the authority he exuded and the seat he occupied, his identity was clear: he was the King of the Goa Kingdom, Goa Roschud!

"Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on that group of thieves at the Terminal Gray?"

Roschud scanned the nobles below before speaking in a slow voice.

"They are nothing but a small group of refugees and bandits; they are not worth fearing at all."

"That's right. The intelligence department is still investigating. Once we determine their hidden strength, we will send the Kingdom Army to annihilate them all."

"Why investigate? Just send the Kingdom Army to wipe them all out!"

"..."

Watching the noisy scene in the council hall, a flash of imperceptible disdain crossed Roschud's face, though it returned to normal in an instant. He suddenly turned his head to look at a burly man sitting across from the council table and asked, "General Rice Ode, what is your opinion?"

That man could be said to be the only unique person in the entire council hall. While everyone else in the hall wore luxurious robes, he alone wore battle armor. His expression was resolute, and he exuded a chilling aura.

"Reporting to Your Highness, I have already dispatched 10,000 Kingdom Army soldiers to secretly infiltrate the various border towns near the Terminal Gray. They are led by my younger brother, Rice Vincent. With a single order, we can attack the Terminal Gray at any time."

General Ode's expression was extremely calm; he didn't hold the rabble outside the walls in any regard at all. "They are just a bunch of low-level thieves. My suggestion is to send troops to annihilate them directly."

"You mean we shouldn't wait for the intelligence department to investigate their hidden strength and just start the attack?" Roschud frowned.

General Ode's expression remained unchanged as he said respectfully, "I do not believe they have any hidden strength. We have already investigated their origins; they were formed by the disciple of the Revolutionary Army cadre Kubo Yamato. We originally reported this to the World Government as a matter of routine, but due to the visit of the Celestial Dragons, the matter attracted the attention of the World Government, who dispatched CP9 to capture them. It was only then that his disciple formed the team, so I do not believe they possess any hidden strength."