The Purpose of Western Xia

"Little monk!"

Having finished his morning lessons and just descended from the side chamber, Li Su was preparing to grab something to eat when a voice rang out from behind him.

It was that unforgettable girl with the large eyes, Ming Yulong!

"Are you eating? Come on, let's eat together."

Li Su paused, ready to decline.

"Don't worry, it's all vegetarian."

The young girl trotted right over, grabbed Li Su's hand, and pulled him along with a rhythmic thump-thump-thump.

Li Su's mouth twitched. What was this girl thinking? Did she not understand the boundaries between men and women? Did she not know that monks were supposed to abstain from desire? He was at least fourteen years old, for heaven's sake! Still, he had to admit, her little hand was as fair as jade and as soft as sap, feeling just like that of a newborn infant.

Boundless Buddha preserve me.

Arriving at the table, Li Su was startled.

Well now, this was something.

There were already seven people seated.

In order, there was the White-Clad Buddhist, the young master Murong, the Green-Clad Woman, Wang Jiantong, a youth he didn't recognize, and Xuanci and the others. It seemed this whole group had come down.

Li Su's mouth twitched again. The others were one thing, but Xuanci...

A table full of second-rate experts.

Could it be that all the young second-rate experts who had come to Yanan Prefecture this time were sitting right here?

Only after walking the jianghu did Li Su realize that in this world, first-rate experts were actually quite rare.

In fact, aside from high-standing sects like Shaolin Temple, most places were held down by second-rate experts.

After all, becoming a first-rate expert was no simple matter; cultivation techniques, internal energy, and talent were all indispensable.

From this, one could see just how terrifying the foundation of Shaolin Temple truly was, as they could easily produce several first-rate, and even super-first-rate, experts in almost every era.

The jianghu might be terrifying, but perhaps it wasn't quite as terrifying as all that.

"Little monk, let me introduce you. This is the White-Clad Buddhist, Li Chengkong, Brother Li, who specializes in the Demon-Subduing Sleeve."

The White-Clad Buddhist smiled upon hearing this, his gaze exceptionally peaceful. Because of Xuanci's words yesterday, he had completely let go and was no longer troubled by the matter of leaving Putian Shaolin Temple.

Without pausing, Ming Yulong blurted out, "This is Brother Murong, from the Gusu Murong family. His unique skills are the Star Shift and the Canhe Finger."

"This is Sister Blue Bird, from the Diancang Sect. She specializes in sword techniques and is very formidable."

"You know this little monk, so I won't bother."

"This is Wang Xianglong, Brother Wang, from Mount Qingcheng. Although he isn't a disciple of a major sect, he is already at the peak of the second-rate realm. Very impressive."

"You know the rest, so I won't mention them."

Li Su pressed his palms together in a salute to everyone. After a moment of thought, he took out a charcoal pencil and wrote: "This monk, Xuankong, greets all the benefactors."

Everyone was taken aback. Writing with a pen?

Ming Yulong was straightforward and asked directly, "Little monk, why don't you speak? Why use a pen to write?"

Li Su wrote: "This monk cannot speak."

Ming Yulong was stunned. "Little monk, are you a mute?"

Xuanci said, "Xuankong is not a mute; he just suddenly lost the ability to speak. He will surely be able to speak again in the future."

The group was bewildered. What did that mean?

Xuanci naturally wouldn't explain. He turned to Murong Bo and asked, "Brother Murong, when you mentioned Western Xia earlier, why do you think a war won't break out?" Clearly, this was what he was most concerned about at this moment. After all, their purpose in coming here was the Song-Xia war; if it didn't happen, wouldn't that mean they would have to pack up and go home?

Xuancheng and the others also stared intently at Murong Bo, eager to know the answer.

Murong Bo smiled and said, "Of course, I am only analyzing. Based on current intelligence and the situation, the probability of Western Xia launching an attack on Yanan Prefecture is very low, or rather, it is basically impossible."

"Oh? How so?" the White-Clad Buddhist couldn't help but ask.

Murong Bo replied, "If Western Xia had rapidly gathered their forces and launched an attack a month ago, given the state of the Great Song at the time, they likely would have suffered a great loss. But now, the Great Song has reacted; not only have they stationed troops at the border, but they have also mobilized armies from Taiyuan Prefecture and Jingzhao Prefecture. Their strength already exceeds that of Western Xia, and they are on the defensive. Even if the Western Xia Army is formidable, they would likely gain nothing from such an attack. Unlike the Great Song, Western Xia's manpower cannot be consumed without limit. Even at a ten-to-one exchange ratio, it would be very difficult for Western Xia to accept."

As Murong Bo spoke, the others couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Undoubtedly, following this analysis, it really wasn't certain that a Song-Xia war would break out.

"It won't happen?" Xuanci looked as dejected as ever, as he had waited a very, very long time for this day.

Xuancheng and the others also wore expressions of disappointment.

Ming Yulong was curious and asked directly, "I say, you little monks, do you really want to fight that much?"

Xuanci was startled. After a moment of silence, he shook his head. "If there is no war, that is naturally for the best!" They hadn't come here for revenge; they naturally remembered the teachings of the monk Tianming.

Immediately, Xuanci looked at Murong Bo again and asked, "Brother Murong, how do you think the Song-Xia war will develop from here?"

Murong Bo pondered for a moment before saying, "It depends on the First Rank Hall of Western Xia. Their disappearance must have a motive. Once they appear, Western Xia's true intentions will basically become clear."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Wang Jiantong said, "Understood. Once I go down, I will notify the Beggar Sect disciples to step up their investigation into the First Rank Hall."

Wang Xianglong also spoke up, "I will have my people keep an eye out as well."

The White-Clad Buddhist added, "Same here."

Murong Bo smiled and clapped his hands. "Alright, the discussion ends here. It is time to eat; everyone dig in before the food gets cold."

Did it start from this period?

Sitting in his seat, Li Su blinked, remaining silent as he watched Murong Bo establish his status and win over the hearts of those present.

Without a doubt, he had already positioned himself at the core of this group.

I have to admit, this guy has some real talent.

His analysis of the Song-Xia war was incredibly logical.

In this era, one couldn't produce such an analysis without a keen eye for detail.

Look at Xuanci; he had clearly transformed into the man's little fanboy. If nothing unexpected happened, the two would likely remain close for over twenty years until Xuanci was ruthlessly betrayed and ruined by him, triggering the entire story of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

He truly is the anti-Song, pro-Yan Murong Bo—he'd betray his wife, his son, and his brothers, and to top it all off: whoever touches him dies.

However...

Li Su lowered his head and picked up a steamed bun, putting it into his mouth.

Murong Bo's analysis seemed impressive, but in reality, it was merely a summary of the current situation. To those who didn't understand, it might have been an eye-opener, but to those who did, it was undoubtedly a load of nonsense. Of course, it was still useful; after all, the monk Tianming had told them a few things when he returned yesterday, though the content was sparse. Murong Bo's analysis had essentially captured the general picture.

Attacking Yanan Prefecture would be a net loss for Western Xia.

If I put myself in Li Yuanhao's shoes, I wouldn't attack it either.

Then, what if the target wasn't there at all?

What about the flanks, Taiyuan Prefecture and Jingzhao Prefecture?

Taiyuan? No, Taiyuan didn't just border Western Xia; it also bordered the Liao Kingdom. Even if they dispatched troops, the forces stationed on the Liao border wouldn't move. If they attacked Taiyuan Prefecture, not only would the border forces react immediately, but Taiyuan Prefecture itself wasn't particularly prosperous due to its proximity to the Liao Kingdom.

Then, Jingzhao Prefecture?

Hmm... A strange glint appeared in Li Su's eyes.

Because of Yanan Prefecture, the Jingzhao side had moved a large number of troops from Weizhou, leaving only the forces in Lanzhou—which directly bordered Western Xia—and the forward-positioned Qingzhou untouched.

If they attacked Weizhou at this moment, once they took it, they could essentially threaten Jingzhao Prefecture...

People might not be familiar with Jingzhao Prefecture, but if one mentioned Chang'an, the confusion would surely vanish.

Taking Chang'an was, of course, impossible; they would be deep in enemy territory, met only by troops converging from all directions. But if the goal was simply to pillage, it would undoubtedly be terrifying.

There were quite a few counties surrounding Chang'an, and the economy there was very prosperous.

A feint to the east to attack in the west?

A strange look crossed Li Su's eyes. He remembered that in his past life, Western Xia had seemingly pulled this off once. In fact, the Song Dynasty side didn't react until the enemy had penetrated deep into their territory. Could this be that very time?

Hmm...

Li Su frowned slightly, his small face looking conflicted as he chewed his bun.

Because once they struck there, the Western Xia troops would be only one Henan Prefecture away from Kaifeng.

A distance of just one Henan Prefecture—that was not good.

How should one describe the Song Emperor? He had a relatively kind nature; it was the best era for civil officials, but also an era where the Emperor was incredibly timid.

If they really were to be attacked all the way to Jingzhao Prefecture, heaven knows what kind of situation that would lead to...

So, the question is: should I speak up or not?

Speak?

That treacherous villain Murong Bo was right there. He might not be unaware of the current situation; perhaps he had already colluded with Western Xia. After all, his son's introduction in the story was as a general of the Western Xia First Rank Hall. I fear that if I were to say a word here, my name might appear on the First Rank Hall's kill list by tomorrow.

Even if not, Murong Bo would likely target him and find a way to get rid of him. To be able to make such a deduction based on a few pieces of information—if I were wrong, it wouldn't matter, but if I were right, such a man would only feel at ease if I were dead, right?

After all, he was a man obsessed with restoring his kingdom.

How should I handle this?