That's it?

Xu Qi'an's words were like a wake-up call, opening up Pei Manxilou's mind.

Of the three northeastern kingdoms, the capital of Yasukuni is located in the far north, bordering the former territory of the northern Demon Race. Now, with almost all of Yasukuni's cavalry deployed, its internal defenses are bound to be weak.

This certainly provided the conditions for a surprise attack, but to bypass the main route and attack the capital of Yasukuni, one more condition needed to be met: possessing siege weapons.

Pei Manxi hadn't considered this tactic before because the demon and barbarian races weren't good at siege warfare. But now things are different; with the addition of the Great Feng army, they have cannons, crossbows, and siege engines.

It would not be difficult to capture the capital of Yasukuni, a country with a weak garrison.

Pei Manxi looked at Xu Qi'an and said excitedly:

"This plan is feasible, but we must seize the opportunity. Jing Kingdom knows that its capital is poorly defended, so they will definitely be on guard. The armies of Kang Kingdom and Yan Kingdom have not yet been mobilized. If I am not mistaken, they are the very umbrella protecting Jing Kingdom so that it dares to launch a full-scale attack."

"Huh? This plan won't work?" Xu Qi'an was taken aback. Then, he heard Pei Manxilou continue:

"But if the Great Feng army splits into two routes, one to join forces with our divine race, and the other to advance from the northeast of Great Feng and engage in battle with the armies of Kang and Yan, then the two countries will be too busy to defend themselves and will certainly reduce the number of troops stationed in Jing."

"Similarly, in Jingshan City, the headquarters of the Witch God Cult, are the high-ranking witches there dealing with the Great Feng army that dares to invade the country, or are they just watching helplessly as the capital of Jing Kingdom is guarded? The answer is self-evident."

"The armies of Yan and Kang are preoccupied with other matters, and high-ranking sorcerers are involved. Only under such circumstances can we attack the capital of Jing. Because neither the armies of Kang and Yan nor the high-ranking sorcerers of the Witch God Cult can travel thousands of miles in a short time to rescue Jing."

"So, with the capital about to fall, will the Yasukuni cavalry continue their rampage in the north, or rush back to its aid?"

Pei Manxilou became more and more excited as he spoke, and even formulated a series of strategies in his mind for the subsequent return of Jingguo cavalry to provide reinforcements.

Pei Manxilou stood up solemnly, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Xu, you are a true master of military strategy, with keen insight. I have learned a great deal from you."

"So my sudden inspiration was actually so brilliant! Non-Self really be a military genius?" Xu Qi'an was stunned.

Pei Manxilou added, "After dusk, I will host a banquet at Tianxiangju in the city to entertain Young Master Xu privately. I hope Young Master Xu will grace us with his presence."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "Okay."

He stood up and saw the two demons off. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Huang Xian'er twisted her waist with extraordinary charm, her hips swaying in a captivating arc.

She was a stunning beauty with exceptional looks and figure, Xu Qi'an, the owner of the brothel, silently remarked.

Inside the imperial study, Emperor Yuanjing sat behind a large table covered with yellow silk, with a thick stack of memorials beside him.

He only laid out one portion, which came from Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan was to be the commander-in-chief of this expedition; this had been decided long ago.

It's not that the Great Feng lacked skilled military leaders, but rather that with a military genius already in place, why bother with all that trouble?

In his memorial, Wei Yuan outlined his plan: to mobilize 120,000 troops, with 20,000 of them heading north to join the 50,000 troops from the various garrisons in Chuzhou.

These 70,000 troops were responsible for aiding the northern barbarians and dealing with the unparalleled iron cavalry of the Jing Kingdom.

He personally led another 100,000 troops, setting out from the three northeastern states, penetrating deep into the Kang and Yan kingdoms, and heading straight for Huanglong Jingshan City.

Of course, 100,000 troops would have to be drawn from various prefectures. At most, 10,000 elite troops could be transferred from the three major camps in the capital. No more than that would be possible.

Because we must protect the capital.

Emperor Yuanjing stared silently at the memorial, remaining motionless for a long time. He repeatedly reheated the tea in his cup, letting it cool, before finally picking up his brush and writing a comment in red ink.

After the negotiations concluded, the vast imperial court mobilized swiftly, with the Ministry of War and Wei Yuan in charge of troop deployment and the Ministry of Revenue in charge of levying taxes and provisions.

The officials in the current court all participated in the Battle of Shanhai Pass back then, so they are no strangers to warfare.

In fact, when the news of the war in the north reached the capital, these important figures were already aware of the situation and were quietly preparing for it.

Emperor Yuanjing unfolded the second memorial, from the Ministry of War, which listed the generals and their positions for the expedition. After glancing at it briefly, he scoffed:

"They're just a bunch of rich young men trying to seize military merits. Yes, following Wei Yuan on this expedition, military merits are practically free!"

He picked up his pen expressionlessly, about to write a red annotation, when he suddenly stopped and said, "Xu Qi'an's cousin is Zhang Shen's disciple, specializing in military strategy, is that correct?"

The old eunuch said in a flustered voice, "This old servant... this old servant doesn't remember."

Emperor Yuanjing laughed, "But I remember, so there is no problem. The talents of the Cloud Deer Academy are also studying military strategy. I am a person who cherishes talent, so I will give him an opportunity to go on a military expedition."

"Ha, if he's unwilling, I'll strip him of his title of Junior Compiler and throw him into some obscure corner."

He immediately added the three characters "Xu Xinnian".

Bureau of Astronomy.

The supervisor remained seated behind the wine table, twirling his wine cup, half-drunk and half-awake as he observed the world.

Footsteps echoed as she ascended the steps, and a woman in a green robe climbed the Eight Trigrams Platform alone, her wide sleeves swaying gently with each step.

"You're here."

The old, aged voice of the supervisor chuckled.

"Before setting off on the campaign, I thought I'd come and see you, you old geezer."

Wei Yuan walked over and stopped beside the supervisor, looking down at the magnificent capital city, and sighed, "After seeing it for five hundred years, don't you find it boring?"

"Boring!"

The supervisor nodded and said, "In the past five hundred years, there have been very few people who are worthy of our attention, and you, Wei Yuan, are one of them. Being forced into the palace is nothing. A third-rank martial artist can regenerate severed limbs, making you a man again is a piece of cake."

"Wei Yuan, do you know what the hardest thing to overcome in a person's life is? It's yourself. You've spent your whole life troubled by love. How pitiful, how tragic, how lamentable."

"Your self-inflicted destruction of your cultivation is, in my view, a process of breaking down and rebuilding. Even if you don't become my disciple, as long as you don't give up your Martial Dao heart, I can help you become a first-rank martial artist. There have been very few first-rank martial artists throughout history."

"But you stayed with that woman in the palace, wasting your talent, wasting your time, and losing the possibility of reaching the highest position."

Wei Yuan stood on high ground, facing the wind, and smiled:

"Do you know why I didn't want to become your disciple back then? Because we are not on the same path. In this world, some people pursue immortality, some pursue wealth and glory, and some pursue the pinnacle of Martial Dao."

"What I yearn for is that girl from my youth, smiling and picking a flower under the shade of a tree."

The supervisor stopped speaking, raised his head, and looked up at the blue sky.

High in the sky, beyond the sight of mortals and even cultivators, a certain star shone with dazzling brilliance.

"How beautiful! In this world, Wei Yuan's natal star is one of the most dazzling stars. He should have been even more dazzling, but unfortunately, he was troubled by love, which is a pity."

On a certain mountain peak, a man dressed in white stood atop the summit, gazing at the sky and muttering to himself.

Beside the white-robed Warlock stood a man in purple robes, exuding an air of nobility, with a long beard and an aura of authority befitting someone long accustomed to a high position.

"If we can bring Wei Yuan under our command, what is there to worry about in achieving our great cause?"

The man in purple sighed, "Yuan Jing, as an emperor, desires immortality. Such defiance of the will of Heavenly Dao is bound to lead to the downfall of the Great Feng."

The white-robed Warlock laughed, "Don't underestimate Yuan Jing."

He paused, then stood with his hands behind his back and said, "Looking across the Great Feng, and even the entire Nine Provinces, only Wei Yuan is capable of leading troops to the headquarters of the Witch God Sect. There is no one else but him, no one else but him."

"That old bastard Salun Aghu has lived too long. If Wei Yuan can kill him this time, that would be truly gratifying."

The middle-aged man in purple glanced at the white-robed Warlock and slowly said, "Qian'er is dead, killed by Xu Qi'an. You orchestrated this, didn't you?"

The white-robed Warlock, still gazing at the sky, chuckled softly upon hearing this, "You mean Ji Qian? He hasn't learned much skill, but he's picked up most of the spoiled brat's habits. Can someone like that be emperor? Is he fit to be your successor?"

"I think it would be better if he were dead. He's an eyesore. Your future successor must be the one everyone wants, someone who commands respect and whose name will be remembered in history. This is not a role that Ji Qian can fulfill."

The middle-aged man in purple did not respond, but he also did not refute.

Southern Frontier, Tiangu Tribe.

The clouds in Southern Frontier are colorful, interwoven with poisonous gases and miasma. The jungles of Southern Frontier are beautiful, but their beauty conceals deadly murderous intent.

Countless ages ago, the God of Gu slept in the Abyss, and since then, the Southern Frontier has become a paradise for poisonous insects and ferocious beasts.

Humans, with their inherent resilience, succumbed to, adapted to, and mastered their environment. Through generations of inheritance, the Gu clan was born.

Among the many human tribes in the Southern Frontier, the Gu tribe is the most unique. They live near the Abyss, associate with Gu worms, and utilize the power of the Gu God to create a special cultivation system: Gu Master!

On this day, terrifying roars echoed again from the Abyss, roars that came from nowhere.

The roar sounded like it came from hell, accompanied by a slight tremor in the ground.

Centered on the Abyss, within a radius of several hundred miles, all the Gu worms were restless and agitated, as if they had encountered a natural enemy. In the dense forest and among the branches and leaves, the weak Gu worms fell down one after another and died instantly.

The Gu worms of the Gu clan also went berserk and turned against their master. Fortunately, the Gu clan had already learned their lesson once, so although their response was hasty, they escaped unharmed.

Long Tu of the Li Gu tribe knocked out the frenzied Gu worms and calmed the chaos of his tribe. He looked north and thought of his beloved daughter.

I wonder how Lina is doing in Great Feng. She's so intelligent and quick-witted; she must be thriving Great Feng.

Granny Tian Gu, dozens of miles away, was also gazing northwards.

"The power of the Confucian sage is waning; if the sorcerer god escapes, the next one will be the Gu god. Alas, when will the Martial Dao produce an existence that transcends its established ranks?"

Granny Tian Gu thought with deep worry.

"You absolutely must keep the Seven Deadly Gu safe, Lina."

After dusk, Xu Qi'an arrived at Tianxiangju as promised. Pei Manxilou and Huang Xian'er stood at the entrance of the restaurant, waiting for him for a long time.

The three of them chatted and laughed as they entered the private room, where they toasted and exchanged drinks.

Huang Xian'er deliberately wore northern-style clothing, revealing her shapely and firm calves, slender yet powerful waist, and full and perky breasts.

As she sat upright at the table, her slender waist was ramrod straight, and her two dimples were faintly visible, alluring Xu Qi'an.

Huang Xian'er felt that although she was as beautiful as a fairy, she was facing a good man like Xu Yinluo who was not moved by women. So if she continued to pretend to be Great Feng, she would never be able to seduce Xu Qi'an into bed.

So she decisively changed her style, reverted to her true self, and tried to win over Xu Qi'an with the exotic charm of a northern beauty.

When it comes to matters between men and women, it's either you take the initiative or I do. Since Xu Qi'an isn't making the first move, she definitely can't keep pretending to be a lady.

To her dismay, Xu Qi'an seemed to have an extraordinary immunity to beauty; any other man would have been completely captivated by her charms.

But he remained unmoved, showing no sign of being "overwhelmed by passion".

Huang Xian'er gave Pei Manxilou a wink, and Pei Manxilou immediately said, "It's getting late, and it's already curfew. Let's stay at the restaurant. I've already booked a fine private room for you, young master."

Huang Xian'er immediately said, "I'll take Young Master Xu there."

The three immediately left the private room. Huang Xian'er led Xu Qi'an toward the guest room and pushed open the door to enter.

In the luxuriously decorated room, there was a banquet table in the small hall.

The bedroom is just past the small hall.

Huang Xian'er turned around and closed the door, smiling as she said, "Young Master Xu, you didn't enjoy your drink enough just now. Would you like to have a few more drinks with me?"

She secretly glanced at Xu Qi'an and saw that he frowned slightly but did not object immediately. She was secretly pleased; his lack of rejection meant there was a chance.

It all depends on whether you can seize the opportunity.

So she took his arm and led him to the table, where they continued drinking.

"Young Master Xu, I have long admired you. To be able to sit at the same table and drink with you is a blessing I have accumulated over eight lifetimes."

Huang Xian'er held up her wine glass, her eyes, glistening with a captivating allure after the wine had touched them.

Xu Qi'an nodded reservedly, and was about to raise his wine glass in response when he saw Huang Xian'er's small hand tremble, and she accidentally spilled her drink on her chest.

The beauty's skin was as smooth as cream, and the wine reflected in the candlelight made her skin sparkle and shimmer.

But with the addition of alcohol, the scenery immediately changes.

Xu Qi'an subtly averted his eyes, knowing better than to look at something improper.

What a gentleman! Huang Xian'er bit her lip, feigning tears, "Oh dear, what should I do? My clothes are all wet! Young Master Xu, could you wipe them off for me?"

"No, don't do this," Xu Qi'an frowned.

"Could you wipe it for me?" Huang Xian'er looked up at her shyly.

After drinking, her cheeks were flushed with a delicate pink, her lips were bright red, and her alluring eyes were captivating.

"OK."

Suddenly, Xu Qi'an changed the subject and launched an attack.

Huang Xian'er was taken aback, her face stiffening slightly. She hadn't expected his attitude to change so abruptly, and she asked blankly, "Young Master Xu?"

"Shut up, open your mouth!"

The next day, early morning.

Huang Xian'er's eyes were puffy, and she left the room with a slightly unsteady gait, leaning against the wall.

She walked cautiously, occasionally furrowing her brow slightly.

Just then, she bumped into Pei Manxilou, who was coming out from the other end of the corridor. Pei Manxilou, with his full head of silver hair, scrutinized her disheveled appearance repeatedly and hesitated before saying:

"Didn't we agree that you'd beg for mercy and call me 'Grandma'? Is this all you've got?"

Huang Xian'er gritted her teeth. "I've been tricked!"

Xu Qi'an mounted his beloved little mare and rode towards the Xu Residence in the morning light.

Feeling refreshed and invigorated, he exclaimed sincerely, "The taste of a vixen is truly wonderful!"

P. S.: Finished a chapter, time for bed.