"Boss, what's going on in here? Are we just going to stand here like this?"
Below Tong Pass, the West Sea Army stationed outside couldn't help but start discussing among themselves. Those further back, less able to access the truth of the matter, exaggerated their discussions the more.
"How should I know?" Inside a small squad, the captain stared intently ahead, his brow furrowed. Everyone above knew what they were here for, but no matter how they explained that the Fighter Army harbored rebellious intentions, they couldn't convince them.
Those who could participate in this battle were all veterans of the West Sea. Although there had been some friction with the Fighter Army, everyone knew each other's backgrounds. In fact, many villagers even had several Fighter Army. To say they were rebelling was like saying that Lord Chen Qing had rebelled—no one in their right mind would believe such nonsense.
Is such a wonderful place Jiangnan really going to be ruined by those powerful figures?
If the two sides fight, how will they face each other's families when they return to their hometowns, regardless of which side wins?
If they were to rebel on their own side, they wouldn't reap any benefits if they succeeded, and if they failed, they'd likely be condemned behind their backs even after death, their own parents and relatives would be ashamed, let alone have a good place in the Underworld after death.
After calming down, the various consequences made some captains who were not very keen on fighting back down.
In no time, the distance between the teams widened, and some teams were even exchanging glances, having other ideas.
But in the midst of this silent and oppressive atmosphere, the original stone gate of Tong Pass suddenly opened.
The eyes of the leading military leaders lit up, and they were about to order their men to go in when a divine decree floated in the air. The divine power of the West Sea Principal God had an absolute suppressive effect on all the West Sea Army. Without the resistance of the Ancient Demon, the leading military leaders, though they had their own disloyal thoughts, all knelt down directly under the suppressive force of the divine decree.
The remaining West Sea Army also sensed the divine power and saluted.
" West Sea Army, heed my command! The remnants of the rebellion led by Zhou Tengbin have been eliminated. You need not worry any longer. We, the West Sea Army, are loyal to our lord and to the Divine Path. We will never turn against our brothers and comrades. We came here only to lower the guard of the rebel leader. Now that the rebel forces have been wiped out, they have nothing to do with you. Now that foreign enemies are invading, all brothers of the West Sea Army, prepare to enter the city and fight alongside our brothers in the Fighter Army against the invaders!"
"Forehead?"
Tian Heng was the Principal God, and under his divine command, his voice could be clearly heard by every member of the West Sea Army. In an instant, almost every one of the 100,000 soldiers was stunned.
The leading military leaders, in particular, had uncertain expressions, clearly not expecting that Tian Heng would suddenly turn against them and kill Zhou Tengbin and the others!
What does this mean, Laoda?
But the West Sea Army, who were not involved in the conspiracy, cheered!
In the Jiangnan today, ordinary people consider joining the army an honor, but everyone who joins the army is there to make contributions and achieve success, not to rebel and slaughter their own compatriots.
Upon hearing that it was just a few petty people causing trouble, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief and cheered. The gloom that had clouded their hearts when they arrived vanished instantly. Hearing that there was an invasion from outsiders, they were all filled with fighting spirit, a hundred times stronger than their previous listless appearance!
Seeing this, Xu Hu above nodded slightly in satisfaction, looking refreshed and full of energy.
Although some high-ranking officers are blinded by self-interest, the people at the bottom are fundamentally good. And then again, life in Jiangnan is so good now; people aren't ungrateful. How could everyone be as blinded as Zhou Tengbin and his ilk?
Tian Heng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His choice was right. In life, sometimes you have to be ruthless for the sake of profit, but you can't be without principles. Otherwise, people won't support you, and what good will come of it for you and your ilk?
As the God of the West Sea, his current strength far surpasses that of the Tian Household Army. His power stems from the faith of the entire West Sea Army. To betray him would be to betray his divine position. The Ancient Demon covet his position, but that position comes from Chen Qing's trust.
If I were to betray them, how would that be any different from the brothers who betrayed me when I promised those warlords?
"Shouldn't we deal with those people now?" Xu Hu glanced at the senior generals who were secretly surprised and clearly harbored ill intentions.
"With a formidable enemy at hand, it's best to remain still for now." Tian Heng shook his head. If there were no sudden enemy attack, they should indeed clear out a wave of enemies, but now, if they were to clear them out directly, it would greatly affect the combat strength of the West Sea Army.
As for whether those people would defect at the last minute, he wasn't worried. Now that the situation was settled, if they still dared to cause trouble, they would be truly courting death.
Tian Heng looked towards the other side of Tong Pass: "Is there any news from the lord's side?"
Xu Hu shook his head. "Ever since the last bit of intelligence came, there's been no news from our lord. I'm very worried about him. We absolutely must send reinforcements to Cloud Capital!"
"Support." Tian Heng frowned and looked outside Tong Pass. The military strength of Jiangnan was absolutely top-notch in the world at that time, but the battle lines were too stretched out, and the number of troops available was actually quite limited. North Sea City could not be touched, and the Fighter Army at Tong Pass could not be moved lightly either.
Especially now that the enemy is attacking, there is no chance to go out. Either I or Xu Hu must stay here to guard this place!
"Based on the intelligence I have, that so-called Ancient Demon Clan not only has designs on Jiangnan, but also on all the major powers, including the South Sea, the capital, and the Northern Lands." He then looked at the massive, billowing army of pythons approaching and whispered, "Judging by this, the Northern Lands has most likely fallen to them."
Xu Hu nodded. This scheme was completely unexpected by their lord. If Tian Heng hadn't betrayed them at the last minute, something terrible might have happened. In the Northern Lands, it's highly likely that Tian Heng's unexpected turn of events wouldn't have occurred.
The Ancient Demon ' ability to infiltrate high-ranking officers from within is truly difficult to guard against.
"Therefore, the military strength at Tong Pass can only increase, not decrease!" Tian Heng looked at Xu Hu, waiting for his reply.
Xu Hu fell silent.
The other party's meaning was clear: either Tian Heng would lead the West Sea Army to guard Tong Pass, or he would personally lead the West Sea Army to Cloud Capital to welcome the Lord.
But he wasn't entirely at ease with any of them.
Once trust is established, even the slightest crack makes it difficult to restore things to their former state. Even if the other party does the right thing at the last moment, who can say for sure that it wasn't a ruse?
Frankly, Xu Hu wasn't entirely comfortable with either letting him guard Tong Pass or sending him to fetch the lord!
The crucial point is that Tian Heng commands a large army, but now foreign enemies are invading, and there are several monsters guarding outside Jiangnan City. Furthermore, his lord is clearly in trouble.
Distrusting Tian Heng at this time could be fatal if it alienates him.
what to do?
Xu Hu's mind went blank for a moment. He was not a complicated person, nor was he born into a prominent family. Although he was now the number one military man in Jiangnan, he had never encountered such complicated people and affairs in his previous life, and he really couldn't think of a way to deal with it.
Tian Heng saw this and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. Xu Hu was a very easygoing person, and you could almost always tell what he was thinking at a glance.
Even someone as bold and unrestrained as Xu Hu is now wary of me; I fear I may be in trouble from now on.
Just as they were at a stalemate, Lao Bai's voice suddenly came from afar.
"Commander Xu, someone from that group of snake monsters requests an audience!"
"A person?" Xu Hu Tian Heng were both taken aback, but then they immediately realized what was going on.
Yes, the Northern Lands might already be under the control of the Ancient Demon. According to the original plan, shouldn't they be coordinating with this side from the inside?
If that's the case.
Tian Heng thought, maybe we can stir up another wave of trouble!