Victory Upon Victory

Dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, a herd of strong steeds.

Dozens of Imperial Demon Hunters lined up at the entrance of the silk shop. Shi Chibao was not wearing official robes, but a silk shirt and a jade hairpin in his hair.

Although he tries hard to project an image of a wealthy merchant or gentry, he looks like a thoroughly shrewd and reformed gangster.

The top official of the Ci Prefecture Imperial Demon Hunters had a livid face and eyes that seemed to flash, constantly glancing to both sides.

Several Imperial Demon Hunters dismounted and surrounded the small silk shop, their eyes filled with vigilance.

"Your humble servant Zhu Yi, the garrison commander of Tian'an County..."

"Judge Shi."

Su Che led Zhu Yi to the door to greet them.

"Brother Su, you've worked hard."

Shi Chibao glanced at Zhu Yi beside him but didn't say anything. He then spoke directly to Su Che.

"Brother Su, why did you leave the Yin-Yang Realm and not return to Ci Prefecture?"

He strode inside.

"Brother, as the Chief Justice, your duty is to oversee all the affairs of the Imperial Demon Hunters in this prefecture. As for the matters of capturing demons and slaying ghosts, let your subordinates handle them."

Although Shi Chibao's words left room for interpretation, Su Che could already sense the superior's dissatisfaction.

"Ci Prefecture has a rich cultural heritage and fertile land. To be frank, Your Excellency, my elder brother has long mentioned that land prices around Jiankang are exorbitant, and he's looking to purchase some farmland and houses for future generations."

"It just so happens that a great disaster has occurred, so I've been traveling back and forth between several surrounding counties. To my shame, I've neglected important matters of the court, busy with trivial matters like seeking land and houses. Captain Shi, please don't laugh at me."

Su Che made up a story off the top of his head.

Shi Chibao certainly didn't believe Su Che's words, but he also wouldn't expose him to his face.

This way, everyone has a way to back down.

"Of the four words 'family, country, and world,' family comes before country. What use are country and world if there is no family? This is the fundamental principle of human relations, my brother." Shi Chibao looked at Su Che: "A family with a single surname may not produce an Longevity Realm immortal even after thousands of years, but an acre of land can be passed down for many generations."

Shi Chibao slowly walked into the silk shop, glancing at Zhu Yi and the group of Imperial Demon Hunters behind him.

"Speaking of which, I should first congratulate Brother Su."

"Oh? But I don't know what brings you this joy?"

"That fellow Yuwen Rui was intercepted by Lord Su on the Yangtze River, and a fierce battle ensued for ten days. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wei Huaiwen Marshal Wei launched a swift attack on Luoyang, then turned his troops to Qingxu, seizing supplies from the enemy. He won four battles in a row, and now most of Qingxu are in our hands. The Northern Dynasties has already sent envoys to sue for peace."

It was a resounding victory.

Su Che felt a mix of emotions.

The situation in Ci Prefecture is now largely clear.

Based on my deduction, it's probably because Buddhist School wanted to establish itself in Central Land. They had several great monks come to the East in the past, but the final result was similar to that of the Old Lion.

They either suffer a crushing defeat and return home empty-handed, or, like the Old Lion, they can't even protect their own territory.

Su Che had read in books before that Buddhist School referred to the Central Land as the "Five Turbid Evil Age," which was actually just a pretext used by eminent monks and powerful figures to justify their inability to fully utilize their supreme Dharma here.

Therefore, the Buddhist School changed its approach; if people were no longer suitable, then they would change their Law Treasure and use the Buddha Realm.

Therefore, they set their sights on the Yin-Yang Realm of the Yin-Yang Dharma King.

Of course, the core element for establishing a foothold in the Central Land was not the existence of a Human-Sword Dynasty, nor was it the adoption of strategies.

The most important thing is to obtain the consent of the Mysterious Capital Palace.

Thus, the Buddhist School reached an agreement with the Mysterious Capital Palace.

Su Che was unsure how Yuwen Rui had learned of this matter, but the Grand Tutor of Great Wei and the pillar of the Northern Kingdom quickly realized that there was profit to be made in it.

He contacted the Mùlián Mulan, united the Qiantang and Dongting dragon Dragon Clan who had always been at odds, and ultimately destroyed the Yin-Yang Realm, allowing Buddhist School to successfully establish itself there. The two Dragon Clan also took the opportunity to rescue the Elder Sin Dragon that had been suppressed under the Yin-Yang Realm.

At this point in the story, Yuwen Rui had demonstrated remarkable skill and invincibility, showcasing the true nature of a powerful and ruthless ruler.

However, judging from the current situation, this warlord from the Northern Kingdom is still somewhat inferior to the emperor of the Great Liang.

Su Che was unaware of when the Great Liang Dynasty learned that the Buddhist School wanted to use the Yin-Yang Realm to gain influence.

However, the Great Liang emperor's methods were truly brilliant. With the Buddhist School and Mysterious Capital Palace reaching a tacit understanding, it was already a foregone conclusion that the Buddhist School would use the Yin-Yang Realm as a springboard to establish itself in the Central Land.

Great Liang is now facing a stalemate.

The Northern Expedition was a protracted war. Although it was a victory in the end, the Huai River caused a major disaster and the rear was short of supplies. If the war continued to drag on, there would probably be another crushing defeat.

Yuwen Rui stirred up trouble in the rear, shattering the Yin-Yang Realm, establishing the path of Hungry Ghost Path, and causing continuous turmoil in Ci Prefecture, a land of wealth and resources. It was inevitable that a large amount of manpower and resources would be invested in disaster relief and resettlement of displaced people.

With both factors intertwined, this stalemate could easily turn into defeat if not handled carefully.

The moves made by the Great Liang side were also quite ingenious.

First, they offered Shanyin County as an opportunity to expand the Buddhist School territory, and both sides reached an agreement.

Then, they secretly laid out plans, sending experts to snipe Yuwen Rui on one hand, and having Wei Huaiwen take advantage of Yuwen Rui's absence to launch a counterattack on Qingxu on the other.

Su Che now realizes that this was a brilliant move.

Since it's a foregone conclusion that Buddhist School will grow in power, and we'll be neighbors that can't be moved away, we might as well start building ties and plan for some tangible benefits.

Yuwen Rui's titles are so long, such as Grand Tutor and General of the Heavenly Pillar, but these titles can be explained in just four words.

To hold absolute power.

In other words, Yuwen Rui was the central figure and controller of Northern Wei, so sending someone to hold him back would put Northern Wei in a dilemma.

For example, if the Northern Wei emperor wanted to summon troops stationed elsewhere to march south at this time, what choice would this general make?

He first needs to ask himself a whole host of questions.

Was the emperor using this opportunity to eliminate Grand Preceptor Yuwen's power? And how would Grand Preceptor Yuwen view him once he returned?

If this is the case for military generals, how should the officials responsible for logistics, ordnance, and local support make their choices?

Before the order was even officially issued, morale among the troops had already collapsed.

The calamities of the three armies often begin with suspicion. Being deceived by the enemy is one thing, but being confused about one's own situation is another.

Without Yuwen Rui in charge, Wei Huaiwen, with his talent, could certainly make arrangements at his own pace and take over both Qingxu, which was one of the greatest victories since the division of the North and South.

A stalemate, a potential defeat, was turned into a resounding victory.

Great Liang not only won, but he won so badly he was completely stunned.

The price the emperor paid was merely a tiny fraction of the common people's income.

"What about Yuwen Rui?"

Su Che asked Shi Chibao, "Did you kill this scoundrel?"

"Let him go."

Shi Chibao smiled, "Yuwen Rui has dominated the world for sixty years, and this is one of his most significant defeats."

Did Yuwen Rui really lose?

Su Che, however, did not see it that way.

"Did the Commander come to Tian'an County just to tell me this good news?"

Of course not.

Shi Chibao shook his head and said, "I'm here because I have a big case to handle."