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Cheng Nanxing's plan to reshape the Brocade Guard into an iron wall had clearly defined steps, while the overall counteroffensive Ling Yunxiao outlined struck at the heart of the matter.
Chen Cong tapped his knuckles against the edge of the table, his voice low and measured. "Yunxiao is right. Defense is never a long-term solution."
He lowered his eyelids slightly, a dark glimmer moving through the depths of his eyes. "The Crimson Church has already overturned the table and bared its blades. Hoping for peace now is nothing but a fool's dream."
"Over in Heaven Dou, A Zhang has already made plans to strike back."
Chen Cong nodded and turned to Cheng Nanxing. "We can't neglect a single thing that needs doing on our end. First, tell me where we stand. How many people does the Brocade Guard have altogether?"
Cheng Nanxing had clearly come prepared. "Master Cong, the Brocade Guard headquarters and the garrisons at the sixteen Medicinal Herbs Markets originally had a combined force of 9,478."
"For this major recruitment drive, we worked with the Organization Department and moved fairly quickly."
He gave the new figures. "By the end of June, we had recruited 2,256 Academy graduates, including Soul Ancestors and above."
"We also recruited 1,589 people from the general public. That includes 582 who came in through family connections."
"In addition, we specifically brought in a group of retired servicemen from the Chang'an Military District: 4,886 people. (Note: Like the public recruitment intake, this included soldiers who were not Soul Masters.)"
"All the new recruits together come to 9,731."
"With the old and new personnel combined... our current total, counting everyone, is 18,200."
Chen Cong gave a slight nod.
It was nearly