Tu Lang's Whereabouts, Returning to the Sand Battlefield

"Oh?" Qiu Yan's gaze lingered Fu Yong, who trembled as if a mountain was pressing down on him, his spine shaking as if he could not support the weight.

Fortunately, Qiu Yan immediately lowered his eyes, his sharp, knife-like gaze softening and allowing Fu Yong recover. Only then did Fu Yong realize that he was covered in cold sweat—he was already sweating profusely from the climb up the mountain, but now, with the added sweat, he felt cold all over.

Ran Lian, who was standing to the side, was not directly looked at by Qiu Yan, but because of the distance, Qiu Yan's gaze fell on him out of the corner of his eye, and he still felt the pressure. When he recovered, he wanted to speak, but Fu shook his head and stopped him.

Qiu Yan asked, "You said my plan won't work out, what do you mean by that?"

That's exactly what I've been waiting for!

Taking a deep breath, Fu Yong then cupped his hands and said, "I urge you to consider this carefully, Your Excellency. What I mean is not that your plan cannot be accomplished, but rather that if you rely on the people of Qiuxia as your core team, you will not succeed."

"Hmm? What's the difference?" Qiu Yan asked calmly.

Fu Yong knew that his next answer would be of great importance, determining his future path. Although his words were somewhat rash, he had considered similar situations on his way here, so it could be considered well thought out. However, if his answer did not satisfy the other party, it would backfire.

But there was no turning back once the arrow was released; he could only suppress his unease and lay out all the ideas he could think of.

"Does the compiler mean to form a small army based on us who have regained our freedom, to conquer the surrounding tribes, with the aim not of defeating the enemy, but of rescuing people? Is that correct?"

He paused, looked up at Qiu Yan, trying to glean more information from her reaction and words to adjust his next statement, but all he got in return was Qiu Yan's "Go on."

There was no turning back now. Fu Yong gritted his teeth, noticing the various thoughts in the eyes of the people around him, but he calmed himself down and continued, "This is precisely the problem. I am not familiar with tactics and military strategy, and I don't know if your idea is feasible in terms of combat power, but I have some thoughts on marching and troop formation itself."

As he spoke, he straightened up and pointed to the scattered Human Path below the hill, saying, "We have just escaped from the tribes of the Hu people. We are still in shock, and most of us are eager to return home. We don't have much will to fight. Even if we wanted revenge, we might not have the courage. Besides, when we were with the Hu Tribe, we suffered from hunger every day..."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yong's face showed a trace of pain, likely recalling the past. Even Ran Lian and the others felt a pang of sympathy, their expressions subtly changing, indicating that their own past had been touched and they had found common ground.

Qiu Yan noticed everyone's expressions and kept them in mind, refining his ideas and plans.

On the other side, Fu Yong his thoughts and continued, "To save on food, the Hu people feed us worse than pig swill, and they often curse us. Over time, our strength and physique are on the verge of collapse. It's difficult for us to even win against ordinary people, let alone fight against the Grasslands people who hunt and herd livestock every day. Even with the nourishment of flesh and blood, we can't recover quickly, and our fighting strength is limited."

Having said all that, Fu Yong knew that most people could have thought of what he had said. The reason no one had said it was simply because they hadn't thought about it yet, or they didn't intend to do as Qiu Yan said. Therefore, if he wanted to gain Qiu Yan's attention, he had to show a certain degree of unique insight.

"When I was a merchant in the past, I came into contact with many nomadic Hu Tribe. I know that these Grasslands peoples seem to have no rules when they march and fight, but they actually have an inner cohesion based on blood ties and clans. They should not be underestimated. A sudden attack can cause them trouble, but if you don't kill them all at once and let the news get out, other tribes will be on guard. It will be very difficult to repeat the same trick. Instead, you may be tricked into falling into a trap."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan still didn't show anything unusual, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"... Furthermore, in the minds of the people of the Central Plains, the Grasslands people are all hunters, but that's not all. Taking the eastern region under the rule of the Rouluo as an example, the proportion of hunting and fishing has been declining year after year. Apart from some low-status and impoverished tribes, many Grasslands people have been freed from the arduous task of hunting and have begun to engage in other industries."

"What specific industry are you in? Feel free to tell me." Qiu Yan's question gave Fu Yong a jolt.

"Yes," he nodded, suppressing his excitement and Fu Yong best to keep his words simple, "There is now a considerable amount of arable land in this Grasslands for cultivation."

However, no sooner had these words been spoken than a voice rang out. "Tilling the land? The Hu people can till the land? What a joke! What else can they do besides plunder and kill?" The speaker was a middle-aged man, no more than thirty or forty years old, but with graying hair. When he mentioned the word "Hu people," his eyes turned red and filled with hatred. He was the one who had shown hatred when Qiu Yan made his suggestion.

"Brother Zhang Fei, please calm down for now. We all know how cruel the Hu people are. It is a good thing that Scholar Qiu is willing to help, but we must know ourselves and our enemy in order to avoid defeat. We need to understand them better."

Fu Yong recognized the man and knew that his family had been destroyed by the Hu people, his elders had been brutally murdered, and his wife and daughters had suffered even more tragic fates. He harbored extreme hatred for the Hu people and had survived only because of his desire for revenge. There were many people like him among the more than six hundred people in Qiuxia, but few of them could become leaders. Most of them would be discovered by the Hu people as soon as they showed any signs of being a leader, and would be killed to intimidate others. Zhang Fei survived because of his "endurance," but such people are often even more terrifying.

Across from him, Qiu Yan's gaze also swept over Zhang Fei, trying to catch the changes in his emotions and glean some information from his thoughts.

"So that's how it is. The Grasslands people tamed slaves using the most direct method: intimidation through killing. They used death to break the minds and spirits of those captured, eventually smoothing out their rough edges and making them willing to become slaves. It's simple and brutal..."

Upon hearing Fu Yong's explanation, Zhang Fei suppressed his thoughts and held back his words. After regaining his freedom and escaping death, his desire for revenge had grown uncontrollably. Qiu Yan's plan had given him hope, but he would not express his opinion until the very last moment. It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but that he was afraid that after he died, no one would avenge his family, which was why he was cautious.

"Go on," Qiu Yan said, Fu Yong for Fu Yong to explain further.

"This farmland also has an origin. When the Rouluo first rose to power, it wasn't called this yet, but their leaders favored farming, which changed the entire tribe. People at the time said they 'loved farming, were good at animal husbandry, and taught the people to cultivate the land according to its advantages.' Later, the Rouluo rose to power, unified the north and south of the Great Desert, and established their capital in the Central Plains. They frequently raided the Central Plains. Among the Central Plains people they captured, many had mastered farming skills, which aroused the interest of the Rouluo people. So they made them engage in farming to feed the Rouluo nobles."

"In the end, it's still up to us Central Plains people! All they know how to do is rob!" Zhang Fei couldn't help but say.

Fu Yong didn't argue, and changed the subject, saying, "Cultivation requires fertile land, which only powerful tribes can sustain. Many smaller tribes also have other ways to make money, such as leather making, felt making, bow and arrow making, cart making, and horse harness making, which they trade with the Central Plains. Among these, some tribes can even mint coins!"

"Can they mint coins? Is that really true?" Qiu Yan couldn't help but ask after hearing the last sentence.

Fu Yong understood why Qiu Yan was surprised, and replied truthfully, "It's true, but that tribe is rather special. Although they possessed the art of metallurgy, it didn't spread beyond the tribe, and their whereabouts are elusive. Others searched for them in the south, and I only stumbled upon them by chance during a business trip. When I went to look for them again, they had vanished without a trace. The entire tribe disappeared without a trace. Furthermore, there are no suitable mineral deposits on the Grasslands to produce ironware on a large scale, so the iron-smelting method didn't actually reach the Grasslands."

Having said all that, he fell silent, knowing that he had revealed enough information. Even if someone wanted to pledge allegiance, he couldn't reveal everything at once. He needed to share it from time to time to make it valuable and give the impression that he was knowledgeable.

Qiu Yan frowned slightly as he processed the information. Apart from the last piece of information, the other details about farming and handicrafts were also valuable. They could help him further understand Grasslands society, improve his understanding of Human Path, and supplement his previous plans by revising the details.

Finally, he Fu Yong, and the latter secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But Qiu Yan then asked, "Your information network is so advanced, do you know the location of the Tulang Tribe?"

"The Tulang Tribe?" Fu Yong frowned slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. When he was a merchant, he dared not come into contact with powerful clans known for their fierce reputations, so he didn't know much about them.

Unexpectedly, Ran Lian spoke up, "I do know where the Tulang Tribe is. There's still some time before they migrate again, so if you want to find them, you still have time. However, even if you, sir, possess unparalleled martial arts skills, you might not be able to do anything to the Tulang Tribe. There are also experts within that tribe, and they've set up a great formation that will suppress even the most extraordinary martial arts power!"

"I will not go alone." Qiu Yan glanced at Ran Lian and saw the Three Shoulder Flames burning brightly.

Ran Lian also said, "I've guessed your plan, sir. You want to gather people into an army and fight soldiers against soldiers. But while military campaigns and brawls are similar, they are very different. Even if you can make us weak people strong, without training and honing our skills, we can't be considered an army. It will be extremely difficult for us to gain momentum in a short time. Just as Brother Fu said, it's hard to accomplish anything with these people! They don't know the formation, they can't distinguish friend from foe. With just one charge, they might collapse before the enemy even has to lift a finger."

These words enraged Zhang Fei, who was consumed by revenge. But before he could speak, Qiu Yan nodded and said, "Without Military School strategy, how can it be considered an army? Very well, since I want to persuade you and unite us against a common enemy, I should let you know something. Qiu An, protect me!"

After saying this, Qiu Yan swayed and appeared in the middle of the crowd. He then sat down cross-legged and flicked his sleeves. Two Military School Order swept in and enveloped everyone. The weapons flashed and the cold light intertwined. The consciousness of the crowd was drawn out by the Military School strategy and broke free from their shells!

Soaring straight into the sky!

In the Military Ranks World, on the Sand Battlefield, the stone statue formed by Qiu Yan's avatar trembled, and lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky! (To be continued...)

ps: Thanks to "galaxy01" and "The Dead Man" for their monthly votes!

Thanks to "Cooking Wine to Cultivate God", "Playing with Pull-Down", and "Han Xin Yunnuo" for the rewards!