The generals exchanged glances, even more perplexed.
The Left Xian King pointed to a line drawn on the map and explained, "We are nearing Yan Prefecture, where we can organize attacks and retreats at any time! If Liang Xiao is determined to defend and not come out, we can quietly send a detachment to support the Right Xian King in Yun Prefecture, and the Yan Prefecture defenders will find it difficult to discover and estimate our movements in time. But this is not the key!"
His gaze swept over the bewildered generals, and the Left Xian King couldn't hide his得意, feeling that everything was within his grasp.
"At that time, we will leave tens of thousands of troops here as a feint. If Liang Xiao learns that our army has split, he will attempt to dispatch troops to drive away or even annihilate the remaining force. Our detached troops can then immediately turn back to reinforce them, leveraging our cavalry advantage and the superior terrain here, catching them completely off guard. Is this not 'luring the snake out of its hole'?"
Everyone suddenly understood, impressed: "In this way, the defenders in Yan Prefecture will have no idea if we are indeed planning to split our forces. Even if they dare not fight, they dare not rashly split their own forces to reinforce Yun Prefecture! Yun Prefecture is easier to conquer than Yan Prefecture, but if the Yan Prefecture defenders come to us, we can take Yan Prefecture by storm and then attack other regions!"
A gratified smile appeared on the Left Xian King's face, "Warfare on the battlefield relies not only on direct confrontation. You are all young, promising talents. When this battle is won, I will personally teach you military strategy."
Having learned from He Anping's lesson, no one in the northern military camp dared to question Liang Xiao's strategy of steadfast defense, even though Liang Xiao's refusal to accept the Left Xian King's challenge sounded like a humiliation.
Before leaving the northern military camp, Liang Xiao paid another visit to the steel factory.
One hundred Mo Dao swords were ready for shipment today, forged using the quenched steel method.
Holding a new Mo Dao, Liang Xiao examined it closely and asked, "How does it compare to the original Mo Dao?"
"Your subordinate guarantees with his life, both power and resilience have been improved. It should be able to decapitate both a cavalryman and his horse!" the blacksmith replied excitedly.
The other blacksmiths echoed his enthusiasm, their smiling faces a testament to their sense of accomplishment.
The best weapons they had forged in their lives might be these Mo Dao swords, which in the past would have been considered divine implements!
Satisfied, Liang Xiao sent people to deliver the Mo Dao swords to the Great Gan Iron Guard, leaving half for the Qingtian Guard.
Captain Jiang Long and his men, who received the brand-new Mo Dao swords, trembled with joy.
They finally possessed the Mo Dao, known as "shattering man and horse"!
However, why did the Marquis seem less than fully satisfied?
Everyone noticed that Liang Xiao merely smiled, not appearing overly happy.
At this moment, Liang Xiao was still contemplating the coal mine.
If there were sufficient coal for coking, there would be coke. Even if the Great Gan's technological level could not produce blast furnaces, their metallurgy and steel production efficiency could be greatly improved.
The Silver Dragon Gold and White Dragon Gold that Liu Yunzi had given to Liang Xiao could also be used for forging, though Liang Xiao had not yet decided what to forge with them.
White Dragon Gold could be used to craft armor, while Silver Dragon Gold was too heavy; perhaps only individuals with immense strength like himself and Yue Qingtian could wield it.
For formidable generals like Nan Jiyun, Nie Yuan, and Lu Changhe, forging spears with Silver Dragon Gold would be too strenuous, as spears were not primarily for cutting. Silver Dragon Gold would only enhance the spear's armor-piercing capability.
In a civilian residence, the Yuntian Guards were diligently organizing the intelligence they had collected, merely observing the Liang Manor without any intention of making a move.
The eight Yuntian Guards tacitly understood and did not question the orders of their leader, Zuo Qing.
They all knew that after this mission, Zuo Qing would have no further opportunity to come to Great Gan. She likely wanted to linger here for a while longer...
Upon returning to his manor, Liang Xiao stepped into the courtyard and found dozens of people seated and conversing.
The martial artists of Mount Tian!
"Marquis Anguo!" the Mount Tian martial artists rose in unison, cupping their fists in salute.
"Did my father-in-law send you?" Liang Xiao asked with joy.
Jian Qinwan explained, "They said they couldn't bear to part with you. After resting on Mount Tian for a while, they brought along the rest of our senior brothers and sisters..."
Liang Xiao scanned the group and saw another fifty Mount Tian martial artists, half of whom were unfamiliar faces, clearly sent by Jian Nanfeng for training and to assist Liang Xiao.
Chen Shaoling and Yu Qingchuan had both settled down with families on Mount Tian. The leader of this contingent was the tenth senior brother, Du Pingling, who had hosted Liang Xiao on Mount Tian previously.
The group detailed their purpose to Liang Xiao, who immediately arranged accommodations for them.
"Marquis Anguo, our third senior brother, along with seven junior brothers, are still acting heroically in the Xichuan region, investigating the Hui Chun Cult. However, he has already replied, promising to return soon. We beg your understanding!" Du Pingling said apologetically.
"This is a good thing. It shows that Third Senior Brother is capable of handling matters independently," Liang Xiao said, nodding after understanding the situation.
Jian Nanfeng's third disciple, Ren Changfeng, possessed martial arts skills no less than Chen Shaoling's. He acted decisively and moved like the wind, also a renowned martial artist in the northern region.
Meanwhile, in Xichuan, Jin Cheng, five li outside the city, seven cult members of the Hui Chun Cult were attacking a green-robed swordsman in a hasty engagement.
Twelve pale-faced commoners hid in the forest behind the swordsman.
With a single step, a flash of cold light streaked past. A cult member who lunged forward passed by the swordsman, blood gushing from his neck as he fell dead on the spot!
The swordsman weaved among the remaining six, and in a flash, felled them all!
A swift and decisive cut to the throat!
And he had only lost a single strand of hair to the enemy.
The green-robed swordsman crouched down, slit open the enemy's sleeve, and finally found a secret letter. His pupils contracted: "Jian Beihai?? The Sword Clan... Master's clan..."
Stunned, the commoners behind the green-robed swordsman rushed out of the forest and bowed to him.
"Thank you, benefactor!"
The green-robed swordsman waved his hand and said, "Take this and keep it safe. I must depart!"
"May I ask the benefactor's esteemed name?" a beautiful young woman among the crowd asked courageously, her eyes like autumn water.
The green-robed swordsman was already heading into the distance, leaving behind only a hurried response: "Ten paces, kill one; a thousand li, leave no trace! Done, I brush my sleeves and go, my name hidden deep."
In a secret chamber of a luxurious mansion in Jin Cheng, the second son of Prince Nan, Xiao Chang, the one-armed Xiao Chan, said with a livid face, "This Ren Changfeng has killed twenty-seven core disciples of your Hui Chun Cult in seven days and intercepted a crucial secret letter! Your intelligence network is spread everywhere, yet you don't even know where he is? Pursue and kill him immediately!!"
At the foot of Mount Tian, Yu Zao linked arms with Yu Qingchuan, standing with the Mount Tian martial artists. She watched as her husband arranged for the distribution of porridge to aid passing commoners.
Further back in the crowd, a short, farm-dwelling couple stared intently at "Great Hero Yu's" wife, Yu Zao.
They noticed that Yu Zao spoke gently to the commoners but did not seem very happy.
Finally, it was the turn of the man and woman. Their lips were pale, their faces etched with sorrow, and they looked expectantly at the Yu Qingchuan couple.
Seeing them, Yu Zao's eyes changed. She walked towards the woman and personally served her a bowl of porridge. Her gaze fell into the bowl, then shifted to the woman, and she blinked.
The couple understood. After thanking her, they took their bowls, turned around, and carefully drank the porridge. Finally, they saw a small lump at the bottom of the bowl.