Searching for the Great Chanyu

What is there in Youbeiping that the Xiong State are willing to explore?

"I don't know either!"

Relying on his Demon Power to control the Technique Within the Clouds, Zhang Xuezhou planted his flag across the vast territory of the Xiong State in all directions. When he returned to Chang'an City to welcome the new emperor, he truly had only his Law Power left.

Zhang Xuezhou had no elixirs to restore his Demon Power, and there was no place with abundant Spiritual Qi to replenish it. He could only rely on eating and drinking to slowly restore his Demon Power.

Having eliminated the super-fast flight ability brought by Demon Power, he became much more composed. When piloting the Sky Shuttle, he did not pursue speed but instead preserved most of his Law Power.

Standing on the Imperial Shuttle, the new emperor would occasionally glance into the distance, hoping to discover something different.

However, the new emperor eventually relented, as the vast mountains and rivers offered no indication of anything special, and Zhang Xuezhou's chosen time for his flight was also unfavorable, with the dim moonlight providing very limited visibility.

"If I order Wei Qing to lead troops from Yunzhong, and then execute a large-scale flanking maneuver to reach the rear of the Xiong State Legion, could I catch them off guard?"

Ah~

"What?! You've flown across countless places; you should know very well that while the Xiong State Legion is fiercely fighting on the front lines, their rear is Kongxu!"

"Right!"

"If I send Wei Qing to lead the troops from Yunzhong, do you think it's possible to win?"

"That requires a stealthy, roundabout approach; revealing even the slightest clue will lead to failure!"

Unable to see the situation below, the new emperor began to engage Zhang Xuezhou in military strategy planning.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't have much to say, after all, the new emperor's previous military campaigns could only be salvaged by the Battle of Dragon City, while Li Guang and Gongsun Ao's armies were almost completely wiped out.

If previous wars were driven by a need to adjust power and perceptions, then this renewed large-scale, proactive offensive is one where defeat is unacceptable.

The new emperor could come up with his battle plan so easily that Zhang Xuezhou was genuinely worried that the emperor might impulsively gamble everything on it.

He gave a few perfunctory replies, but ultimately had to issue a warning.

"Wei Qing has cultivated the Fortune Technique, so his luck should be pretty good. Perhaps he can meet the conditions," the new emperor said.

Ah~

"You're up again!"

The new emperor found it hard to criticize Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou a lot of work, but he rarely expressed his opinion. After all, what the two were talking about was not money or figures, but the lives of tens of thousands of people, and the military general that the new emperor relied on most.

"Can you have a serious talk with me?" the new emperor asked.

"The outcome of war is always zero or one; there is never a 'maybe'," Zhang Xuezhou said helplessly.

"But you'll never know the outcome of a war if you don't try," the new emperor said.

"Then you've asked the wrong person!"

"Oh?"

"You should ask Wei Qing whether General Wei thinks he's lucky, and whether he's even capable of doing such a thing!"

Zhang Xuezhou completely shirked responsibility.

There are countless people fighting in a war; he truly had no ability to influence the outcome.

Just like the layout of the real world, Zhang Xuezhou could only do his best to create and strive for the basic conditions for victory in the war.

Whether they are pushing for the emergence of the Seventh Sequence Holder cultivators or competing with great cultivators like Daojun and Zhu Jiuyin, they are reducing the variables in the war, thereby increasing the likelihood of their side winning.

But no one can guarantee victory in a war.

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't guarantee it, the new emperor couldn't guarantee it, and Wei Qing couldn't guarantee it either. The outcome of the war could only be known at the moment of clash.

"This battle must be fought, and I have a very bad feeling about it," the new emperor paused before continuing, "If we cannot completely suppress these demons and the Xiong State that borrow their Demon Power, not only will our Han Kingdom perish, but many people will also seek short-term power through Demon Power, neglecting the development of wisdom. The Southern Jambudvipa Continent will become a land of savages and bloodshed, just as Dong Zhongshu said... uh, I wasn't talking about you, but you should know that people like you are ultimately rare!"

The new emperor spoke at length, even taking care of Zhang Xuezhou's feelings.

Dong Zhongshu's advice ultimately had an effect, and Houtu also cast a shadow on the new emperor. The new emperor did indeed have a sense of survival crisis, even after the two Sacred Land masters of the Xiong State were eliminated.

"You are entitled to make offerings to Houtu!"

"Um?"

Zhang Xuezhou offered a suggestion, and the new emperor frowned, then seemed to understand something.

"Are you asking me to take a risk?" the new emperor asked suspiciously.

"This is better than nothing!"

Zhang Xuezhou shrugged, indicating that there was nothing wrong with doing the thing, since the new emperor's actions and the offerings did not conflict, and the Xiong State was not currently recognized as the legitimate dynasty by Houtu.

If they could deceive Houtu and maintain peaceful relations with the Immortal Court supported by Hongjun, the Great Han Dynasty might very well have continued for a long time, instead of suffering the same fate as the Great Qin Dynasty.

"I already worshipped a deity named Taiyi, so worshipping a God Houtu is nothing!"

After opening up the secret realm of Shanglin Garden, the new emperor built a temple for the God of Taiyi, but it has not served any purpose to this day, only making some ignorant people believe it to be true.

Offering God Houtu at this time may not show any effect for decades, but it is always better to be prepared than to wait until the need arises.

Zhang Xuezhou avoided involvement in the war, completely absolving himself of any involvement, and instead offered a suggestion about worshipping the Earth God. The new emperor could only inwardly complain that Zhang Xuezhou was making things up and offering suggestions that wouldn't lead to any trouble.

But he would actually do as Zhang Xuezhou suggested, since the new emperor also thought the suggestion made a lot of sense.

"Yes, our worship of God Houtu is nothing special... We've arrived in Youbeiping, and the battle situation here is alright!"

Dealing with the new emperor is hardly a pleasant experience; regardless of whether Zhang Xuezhou agrees or disagrees, the two are prone to disagreement.

If it involves situations with only two options, positive or negative, Zhang Xuezhou avoids getting involved altogether, lest he miss out on any good opportunities and face accountability.

He increased the speed of the Sky Shuttle, and the city walls of Youbeiping appeared in the night sky.

The area inside and outside Beiping City was peaceful, with only a patrol team of about a hundred people carrying torches patrolling around.

This is the northernmost town in the Northern Military Region, primarily used to defend against disturbances from remote countries like Bohai and Korea. The probability of the Xiong State Legion circling around to this area is extremely low.

That's why even Zhang Xuezhou found it hard to imagine that the Xiong State would be in such a remote corner.

"This area used to be Dongjinshan, which is a no-man's land. Are you really sure...?"

The Imperial Shuttle only hovered briefly in Youbeiping, as if confirming the location, before Zhang Xuezhou piloted it northward to search.

The new emperor also confirmed this, but he felt that the area Zhang Xuezhou was searching was somewhat remote. He saw firelight in the mountains that were considered no-man's land, which made him quickly shut his mouth.

After crossing two high mountains, a crater lake was ablaze with flames, and more than ten tents were set up for camping.

By the light of the fire, the new emperor could also see traces of excavation and searching for the volcanic lake.

It was only the first watch of the night, but the mountains were extremely cold, and even cultivators could not withstand it. Many people had already gone into their tents to rest, while only two soldiers from the Xiong State were patrolling outside, constantly adding dry firewood to the campfire.

A flash of silver light appeared, illuminating the two astonished heads that looked up. The two were then met with an extremely swift throat-slitting kill.

The new emperor grabbed the lifeless corpse in his hand and gently placed it beside the fire.

"There!"

That's the advantage of having the new emperor by your side. Zhang Xuezhou needs to fight with some bumps and bruises, but his opponent can defeat him the instant he draws his sword, and the sound of the fight is barely audible.

With violent swordsmanship clearing the way, Zhang Xuezhou was left only with the task of quickly finding the person.

He had seen the Great Khan's golden tent before, and could tell it clearly with just a glance.

After walking quickly for several dozen meters, Zhang Xuezhou led the new emperor into the tent in a flash.