Chapter 1208: Money Problems (1/2)
In the days that followed, Pagoda City was drowned in strange phenomena. A great maelstrom of dark clouds could be seen spinning over the city. It was as though the end of the world was nigh and that the sky itself was moving.
Amidst the chaos, Xu Jingxuan went out to the city in-person to inform the people that the phenomenon was caused by Commander Qianye’s cultivation, and that there was no need to be alarmed. This calmed the people down but also led to fervent discussions.
Who would’ve thought a person’s cultivation could move heaven and earth?
In truth, Qianye himself was feeling quite depressed. Zhang Boqian had considered every aspect during the modification, but he simply didn’t think about the commotion involved.
Although the cultivation caused a fair bit of disturbance, there were unexpected benefits as well. Word spread like wildfire, and everyone in Pagoda City ended up worshipping Qianye like a god. The zealotry was superior to what people felt for the late Royal Tutor. Some even claimed that they were citizens of Qianye and Qianye alone, that they had nothing to do with Zheng anymore. Some of them even began discussing what to call the new country.
With Xu Jingxuan around, operations for the western expedition went on in an orderly fashion. Batch after batch of scouts was dispatched to collect new intelligence on the dark races near the western border. The closest scouting party had returned at this point and added new markings to the big map in the war room.
By the time Qianye summoned the generals again after a period of cultivation, this map was crowded with a dense array of markings. Even the smallest tribe or fort was clearly labeled.
Those who understood the field were full of praise for Xu Jingxuan after seeing this graded map.
The mercenary generals were also able to witness the man’s methods and great prestige during the recent training of new troops. As seasoned soldiers on the battlefield, the generals naturally understood what kind of units were of use in battle. In just ten days, Xu Jingxuan had dragged a bunch of inexperienced civilians to the level of a basic soldier with absolute obedience to orders. Every general wanted such troops.
Most of these mercenary generals had grown up in the wilderness. But, as people who had survived for so long in the neutral lands, they were able to tell if someone could actually fight or if they were just citing books. Everything on the battlefield was real, and theoretical people would not last long out there.
He spoke little more about the Jade Sea and instead turned back to the great corridor. “According to the latest intelligence, there are a total of one hundred and sixty-six tribes living within a hundred kilometers, totaling thirty thousand in population. Additionally, the dark races have erected two big fortress groups, with two main fortresses and twenty-some smaller strongholds or stone castles distributed nearby.”
Some of the mercenary generals looked serious, but the captain from the Song clan looked fairly at ease. “Building small fortresses and stone castles in this day and age? Isn’t that just giving us practice targets?”
Finding the remark to be true, the mercenary generals broke into a laugh and began mocking the dark races for their stupidity.
Qianye knocked on the table to quiet them down and allow Xu Jingxuan to continue.
The general explained with a bit of a blush, “Zheng never had this kind of airship fleet, nor did we have any vessel able to withstand their cannon turrets. Normally, the air force would only be used for exploration, chasing down routed enemies, and wilderness battles. They would never join the siege.”
Qianye nodded. He had seized a dozen or so smaller airships from Zheng—all of them were old models, and their mobility and firepower was nothing to write home about.
In truth, Zheng’s city defense cannons possessed certain characteristics, likely to deal with the dark race nobles. They were powerful and possessed great armor penetration, so much so that the bolts almost blasted the battlecruiser's armor open. Considering this firepower, even a cruiser might not be able to withstand the turret-fire.
Qiany’s battlecruiser, on the other hand, was enough to change the rules. The defensive system that had kept the dark races safe all this time would crumble with ease. After uprooting all the small forts in the periphery, the two big ones wouldn’t last long.
Xu Jingxuan ordered two diagrams to be hung on the wall, depicting the structure and defense distributions of the main fortresses. They weren’t exactly detailed—the facade was fairly clear, and the internal structures were quite messy—but this was an extremely valuable piece of intelligence for the current Zheng.
Qianye went over the information and nodded. “You’re quite thoughtful.”
Xu Jingxuan, “This subordinate’s wish for many years has been to fight our way out of the great corridor and lead our forces to the Jade Sea. That’s why I’ve been collecting information in my free time.”
Qianye smiled. “This is a good mindset. Follow me well, and before long, you will see your wish come true.”