An Utterly Absurd Military Order? Level Twenty!

Although Dai Chengfeng wanted to avenge his soldiers, he knew full well that war was no child's play. Everything had to be planned in advance.

Otherwise, that would not be revenge. It would be leading his troops to their deaths for nothing!

The Art of War: Planning Offensives said: When ten to the enemy's one, surround him; when five times his strength, attack him; when twice as strong, divide him; when evenly matched, one may fight him; when fewer, one may flee him; when inferior, one may avoid him.

"The soldiers Wu'an City can deploy aren't even twice the enemy's number. How can we surround and annihilate them? Not to mention attacking a fortified city and taking strongholds..."

Dai Chengfeng took out Wu Ping City's terrain map and studied it carefully.

Soon, Dai Chengfeng's brows furrowed. Wu Ping City was similar to Wu'an City; both were small forward cities subordinate to major cities guarding crucial passes and routes.

It was only a small city, but because it was built against a mountain, it was easy to defend and hard to attack.

"Since we can't storm it by force, we can only take it by strategy... Then what is the greatest advantage in my hands compared with Wu Ping City?"

Dai Chengfeng rubbed his chin.

Soon, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile, as if victory was already in hand.

"I almost forgot. This world isn't my previous life!"

"My greatest advantage over Wu Ping City is none other than my uncle, Zhu Fan, who is a Soul Douluo, isn't it?"

Immediately, Dai Chengfeng hesitated no longer and ordered outside the door, "Pass on my military order!"

"Order Zhu Yan to do his utmost within six months to build a full set of siege equipment such as siege ladders. At the same time, he is to send men to repair and level the official road leading to Wu Ping City at all costs, so our army may pass through it in the future!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Soon, the guard outside hurried away.

At that moment, Zhu Fan and Zhu Yan, both members of the Zhu family, were sitting at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena watching the soldiers train while chatting idly.

Just then, the guard hurried over and relayed Dai Chengfeng's order to Zhu Yan.

"???"

"Such an absur... uh... order?"

Listening to the guard repeat it, Zhu Yan's first reaction was... this order was simply the greatest joke under heaven!

"Do our utmost to build siege equipment, but repair and level the road at all costs?"

"Are you sure you didn't remember the order backward?"

The guard quickly shook his head. "This is exactly what His Highness instructed. There is absolutely no mistake!"

"And His Highness specifically warned that you need not understand it. You only need to do it!"

"Yes. This general obeys!"

Zhu Yan nodded. Though he could not understand this military order at all, he still arranged it directly. After all, he had witnessed his own Highness's art of command on the battlefield.

But after giving the instructions, he hurried back to the Martial Arts Arena impatiently and found Zhu Fan.

After all, such an order truly left him uneasy.

"Commander Zhu Fan, His Highness wants revenge and plans to attack Wu Ping City. I can understand the need to build siege equipment."

"But he actually wants to repair the road too?!"

"This, this, this... Forgive me for speaking treasonously... but this order is simply absurd!"

"Isn't this equivalent to leaking the news in advance? As long as the enemy's spies watch when we stop building equipment and repairing the road, they'll roughly be able to guess when we plan to attack, won't they?"

"Commander Zhu Fan, can you guess why His Highness would issue such an utterly... order?"

Zhu Fan's eyes were likewise filled with gravity. He shook his head. "I can't."

After all, such an order completely violated a major taboo of military strategy. It actually exposed all of one's movements to the opponent in advance...

If anyone else had dared issue such an absurd order in front of him, Zhu Fan would definitely have slapped him hard across the face, then pointed at the man's nose and cursed him as an idiot who knew nothing about leading troops.

But he also believed that his nephew was absolutely not that kind of person.

"Commander Zhu Fan, even you don't know?" Zhu Yan was puzzled, his eyes full of worry. "Perhaps we simply cannot understand His Highness's farsighted plans..."

"I hope that is the case."

In the days that followed, even though Zhu Yan still could not understand why paving the road had to be prioritized, he nevertheless carried out Dai Chengfeng's order firmly.

The same went for the soldiers of Wu'an City.

At first, they also questioned Zhu Yan in confusion...

But when they learned that the order had come from Dai Chengfeng, the Fourth Prince, they all stopped asking.

"His Highness is the great benefactor who saved Wu'an City. Since His Highness is doing this, he naturally has his reasons. How could we possibly understand them?"

"Besides, would His Highness ever harm us?"

For a time, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, and the work of repairing and patching the road went on in full swing.

Instead, they had not built many siege engines.

By now, even Dai An, the Star Luo Emperor, knew about Wu'an City's abnormal actions.

Dai An looked at the letter Zhu Fan had given him and found himself torn between laughter and tears. "Did Chengfeng really issue such a muddleheaded order?"

"To attack a city, he didn't prioritize building siege engines, but prioritized building roads instead. This, this, this..."

"He's utterly absurd!"

High Priest Zhu Hongye also furrowed her dark brows slightly. "It is indeed somewhat muddleheaded."

"His Highness commanded the previous Defense of Wu'an City so beautifully, but now, why..."

For a moment, a trace of worry flashed through the High Priest's eyes.

After all, building roads before going to war, and even building them all the way to the enemy's doorstep...

This was simply outrageous!

Across the five-hundred-plus-year history since the founding of the Star Luo Empire, not a single general had ever dared to fight a war like this.

Dai An shook his head. "Sigh, even I cannot tell for the moment whether this is Chengfeng's strategy, or simply a child's willfulness."

"Let's wait a little longer. Let's wait a little longer..."

"Even if Chengfeng truly suffers defeat, our Star Luo Empire can afford to lose."

Everything continued until five and a half months later.

Wu'an City, City Lord's Mansion, Dai Chengfeng's Room.

At that moment, Dai Chengfeng sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands held before him as he focused his essence and guarded the one, immersed in cultivation. The soul power around him surged endlessly like a tide.

His eyes were shut tight, his expression focused. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, but he was completely unaware.

After an unknown length of time, a powerful fluctuation of soul power suddenly erupted from Dai Chengfeng's body. In the previously quiet room, the airflow instantly fell into chaos.

His long hair swayed in the wind, and his clothes snapped and rustled...

Dai Chengfeng slowly opened his eyes. A magnificent red-gold light flashed through them and vanished. "In youth I knew the world was hard, yet still allowed the wild swan to sweep through the clouds... Cough, cough, no, that's not right."

Dai Chengfeng smiled and clenched his fist slightly, feeling the flow of energy within his body. His eyes were filled with surprise and joy.

"I broke through! My soul power finally reached level 20!"

He murmured to himself, his voice carrying irrepressible excitement. "As expected of the Innate Skill, which was derived from the Yellow Emperor's Outer Canon!"

"Even though during the day, because the central Shenji Gate is closed, the circulation efficiency isn't high..."

"Even so, I still broke through 7 levels in a single year!"

Although two of those levels had come from Dai Chengfeng absorbing killing intent, without the existence of the Innate Skill, he probably would not have been able to refine that incomparably violent aura of slaughter from the battlefield so easily!

"Next, I obtain my Second Spirit Ring, and then..."

"Revenge!"

Dai Chengfeng's gaze instantly became firm and sharp, as if it could pierce through the walls and see Wu Ping City in the distance.

"Five and a half months should be enough to lull you into complacency, right? Unless you are War Immortal Han Xin too, then..."

Dai Chengfeng did not continue.

Instead, he turned his head and looked at the bloodstained clothes he had deliberately kept, as well as the long spear that was nearly broken in two and covered in notches.

He walked over and slowly stroked the shaft. Those were the marks of the battlefield.

"Hah!"

Dai Chengfeng took a deep breath and murmured in a low voice, "Wait for me!"

Then he turned his head and said toward the door, "Uncle, my soul power has already reached level 20. Is the carriage ready?"

He did not want to wait even a moment longer!

Hearing Dai Chengfeng's words, Zhu Fan, who had been standing guard outside the whole time, walked in.

His gaze fell on Dai Chengfeng, and he kept shaking his head and sighing. "Sigh, sigh... sigh!"

"Uncle, what's wrong with you?"

Looking at Zhu Fan deliberately circling him and sighing nonstop, Dai Chengfeng's forehead filled with black lines.

At those words, Zhu Fan stopped. "Although I knew long ago that you, Chengfeng, were a genius with Innate Full Soul Power..."

"Don't you think you've gone a little too far?"

Zhu Fan's eyes were filled with relief and envy. "Back then, when my soul power broke through to level 20, it took nearly five years. Five years!"

"But you?"

"In almost a single year, you actually broke through from level 10 to level 20!"

"I flatter myself that I've seen my share of grand scenes, but a cultivation speed like yours is simply unheard of!"

"Boo-hoo-hoo..."

"God, why is the gap between people even greater than the gap between people and dogs?!"

Looking at Zhu Fan, who was deliberately teasing him, Dai Chengfeng rolled his eyes at him in annoyance, then walked straight out the door. "We set off today. I'll obtain my spirit ring as quickly as possible."

"Chengfeng, wait for me!"

Seeing that Dai Chengfeng ignored his performance, Zhu Fan quickly trotted after him. "Have you decided which Soul Beast you'll choose for your second spirit ring?"