Jiksan, Joseon. As a bulwark before the Joseon royal capital, it formed a massive oblique quadrilateral with Cheongju, Yeoju, and Chungju. Within this quadrilateral were numerous Japanese strongholds, garrisoned by large numbers of soldiers and generals for defense.
Should the Ming army attack any one location, the other three locations and surrounding strongholds, such as the vital passes of Seocheon Castle and Gongju Castle, could swiftly dispatch troops for aid.
"I never imagined Tachibana Muneshige, who was my equal, would die like this. It's truly not glorious."
"Though I have received orders to create a great rout, why choose Jiksan specifically... If a breach is made here, the southern positions will be in great trouble, won't they?"
Honda Tadakatsu wished to win battles to showcase his valor, but unfortunately, the order from above was to feign defeat, and to do so naturally. This meant… they truly had to lose a battle.
Honda Tadakatsu was extremely annoyed by this act of gifting kills to the enemy.
"There could have been many choices for feigning defeat, why must it defile my reputation as the Peerless Warrior of the East?"
Mogami Yoshiaki, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front, solemnly explained to Honda Tadakatsu, "Because your fame is great, you can attract the Ming army to attack here. Wasn't it the same last time when they tricked Date Masamune and Uesugi Kagekatsu into attacking Kaesong? They placed the commander-in-chief at Kaesong and assigned only ten thousand troops for defense, all to cast a long line to catch a big fish."
"And they wouldn't be suspected. After all, the Ming army had suffered many casualties, and without reinforcements, ten thousand men was already a considerable force."
"And this time, we are using their own methods against them. We have even more casualties, the entire navy and army annihilated, plus those who died at Wonju Castle on the eastern front, totaling over a hundred thousand."
"The total force that entered Joseon for this campaign was originally three hundred thousand. Now, with the deployment of all subsequent national forces, the total has reached five hundred thousand. If this battle is lost entirely, the soldiers to be conscripted next will be useless farmers."
The fifty thousand most elite soldiers were all here. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had even demanded that the various daimyo and families send their most elite retainers, a matter that met with strong opposition from many. It was said that disputes were still ongoing on the mainland.
"But such quibbling is meaningless."
Mogami Yoshiaki gazed into the distance, his tone light and casual. Without needing to inquire, he knew the outcome of the debate on the mainland:
"In the end, they will compromise. Compared to annihilation or becoming vengeful spirits or divine beings for generations to come, to be manipulated, they would rather live like humans, at least retaining some dignity for the remaining decades."
"The Chancellor, supported by Emperor Jinmu, has gone completely mad. He will spare no expense to devour Joseon's national destiny, to shatter this land completely, even if it means breaking bones to snatch a piece of meat from the Ming's mouth."
"Fifty thousand is just the vanguard. Even if they dispatch all the logistics soldiers, and even the farmers from within the country to the battlefield, as long as it serves the overall strategy, the Chancellor will surely do so."
Honda Tadakatsu was silent for a moment, then said, "Since the end of the warring states period, our country's population has been no more than fifteen million. We sent five hundred thousand elite troops to Joseon, originally intending to sustain ourselves through war. However, the war has lasted nearly seven years, and the food in Joseon has been completely plundered. We have nothing left to gain."
"Now that the eastern front has also fallen, reinforcements for grain transport are inevitable. Even though it costs the Ming more to send grain from their cold lands, we, crossing the sea, need at least a million men to maintain the supply lines."
"If we conscript more laborers from within the country, who will till the land?"
Mogami Yoshiaki's tone was calm, "As long as the 'Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit Collection' exists, Yin soldiers, ghost generals, mountain spirits, and those who cultivate grain, be they humans, yokai, or ghosts, will never be extinguished. The land will surely be cultivated. Although the cultivators may not be human, as long as they can feed the soldiers, who cares how the grain is obtained?"
Honda Tadakatsu: "No! That's not what I'm talking about. Even if the land is cultivated, are we to endlessly mobilize living people to fight here?"
"Currently in Joseon, besides the army of five hundred thousand, there are hundreds of thousands of demons born from wishes. This is indeed good, but if we leave no living people in the country, will our nation become a demon realm and ghost country after this war, with no inhabitants left?"
"It shouldn't come to this, should it? Moreover, what if the 'Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit Collection' is taken away? Those hundreds of thousands of demon armies would vanish in an instant, and we would immediately run out of food."
"Furthermore, wishes are born from the common people. If the people all die, who will sustain such a vast number of wishes? Just Emperor Jinmu alone? Or should those vengeful spirits..."
Before Honda Tadakatsu could finish speaking, the sound of an enemy attack echoed from outside.
The Ming army was attacking. Mogami Yoshiaki and Honda Tadakatsu observed from the city walls.
"The Ming army's momentum is vast... That banner, is it Chen Lin?"
"No... it's Jie... The banner has 'Jie' on it. There are five large banners... It's Jie Sheng!"
Jie Sheng, Deputy General of the Joseon Defense Command of the Ming Army!
The Five Directions Divine Banners!
"I know this fellow. He's the subordinate of that commander, Ma Gui. The one who defended Kaesong with ten thousand men. How the tables have turned... This time, it's our turn to fish them."
As Honda Tadakatsu prepared to meet the enemy, he suddenly saw a tall and mighty general emerge from the Ming army. His face was covered by an iron mask, obscuring his features. The armor he wore was different from that of ordinary Ming soldiers, heavy like a moving iron mountain. In his hand, he held a large saber made of fine iron.
A great general marches south with a valiant heart,
His waist girded with a blade like autumn water, a goose-feather saber.
The wind blows the war drums, shaking mountains and rivers,
Lightning flashes on banners, reaching for the sun and moon.
The banner bore the character "Liu"!
Honda Tadakatsu's eyes immediately lit up, "A fierce general has arrived!"
In his sight, the armored general's aura shot straight into the heavens, as thick as a pillar supporting the sky, causing the clouds in the sky to churn and ripple like surging waves! The divinity of the opponent was extraordinary!
"It seems I can teach him a lesson! Even if this battle is lost, it will be worth it!"
Mogami Yoshiaki, however, looked grave.
"Liu... It's General Liu Ting, the Black Tiger General! This fellow has come to Joseon! I didn't expect the Ming army to be so determined to capture this Jiksan City!"
"It's also a good opportunity to use their plan against them."
He saw within the vast, rolling sea of clouds, the Big Dipper stars twinkling, and a surge of profound energy transforming into a roaring tiger.
"His divine position is that of a Heavenly Marquis and King, the Lord of Xuanji in the Big Dipper, governing twelve thousand celestial deities in the heavens, holding the registry of human lives! He extinguishes the three calamities and subjugates dragons."
Hearing Mogami Yoshiaki's grave tone, Honda Tadakatsu showed no fear, but rather grew more excited,
"So it's Liu Ting. I heard he returned to Ming after the previous peace talks. Now that he's campaigning again, it's truly a worthwhile trip to fight him!"
"The stronger, the better. Let's see if his reputation is just talk!"
He raised his great spear, "Tombo-giri," and a divine phantom appeared on his body, flames spontaneously igniting!
Kagutsuchi, God of Fire!
...
"Lord Ieyasu, according to the plan, our army has consecutively lost battles at Jiksan, Seocheon, Chungju, and Gongju. The casualties in these four battles are approximately twenty-three thousand soldiers. As for the demons..."
"Enough. There are as many demons created from wishes as we need. They are not very strong in combat, so there's no need to report them."
Tokugawa Ieyasu listened to the large casualty figures, but his expression did not change much. Mori Terumoto, Todo Takatora, and Kuroda Nagamasa, however, looked uneasy.
Indeed, as Tokugawa Ieyasu said, the demons created from wishes were expendable, mere cannon fodder, not the truly powerful ones.
However, the loss of over twenty thousand living elite soldiers was a substantial and real blow. Even though they knew it was the price for the plan, their hearts still ached.
"With such heavy casualties, if we cannot lure the Ming army in, then all will be in vain."
Kuroda Nagamasa couldn't help but add a remark, but Tokugawa Ieyasu stated that these were necessary sacrifices. How could they catch a big fish without substantial bait?
"You all don't seem like anglers. Unlike me, who comes from the coast and is skilled in fishing, never returning empty-handed."
"If the bait is too shallow, the opponent will only nibble and may withdraw. Only when they see great profit ahead will they rush in like madmen. It's the same with gambling."
Tokugawa Ieyasu appeared confident.
Todo Takatora asked, "Then... in these four battles, that Ming immortal never appeared. What do you think?"
"Could he have infiltrated behind us?"
Tokugawa Ieyasu replied, "The defeat at Wonju was due to Shimazu Yoshihiro's rebellion and Tachibana Muneshige's death, leading to the annihilation of the eastern army and the loss of the divine artifact, which caused Date Masamune and Uesugi Kagekatsu to be defeated and captured."
"But this time, I am certain there are no spies here... Does anyone present here have allegiance to the Ming?"
The three men exchanged glances and shook their heads, professing their unwavering loyalty.
Great General, you know us. If we were to betray you... you would likely be dead right now.
Tokugawa Ieyasu smiled and raised his hand, "Alright, there's no need for everyone to be so alarmed. I'm just speaking frankly. If there are any grievances, please bring them up as soon as possible. Let's try to gain as much as we can from the Chancellor now. The four of us must help each other more in the future, and not sacrifice the lives of friends and family for temporary gain."
"Indeed, indeed, Great General, you speak wisely."
The other three echoed his sentiments.
Then Tokugawa Ieyasu continued, "My shadow warriors have been dispatched, and I can sense their presence. They have successfully infiltrated the Ming army. In such large-scale wars, the deaths of a few ordinary generals are extremely common."
"To pass oneself off as someone else, one must do it at such times. Shadow warriors also need to see the appearance of the enemy generals to transform; they cannot create people out of thin air."
"Moreover, speaking of which, even if that Ming immortal has infiltrated, it's not a big deal. We are in Ulsan, so far from Jiksan. For him to come here, he would first have to break through pass after pass. I haven't heard of him possessing any transformation techniques."
"And now, the expert I mentioned should also be..."
...
A shadow warrior's appearance changed, and he infiltrated the Ming army after the Battle of Jiksan.
Liu Yujie, a captain, died at the hands of the Japanese general Honda Tadakatsu's great spear during the Battle of Jiksan. When the shadow warrior saw him die, he emerged from Honda Tadakatsu's shadow and, like a substitute, took Liu Yujie's place.
As for the original corpse, its face was burned beyond recognition, making it impossible to distinguish between human and ghost.
The rank of captain was not very high, belonging to the lower ranks of officers and soldiers, but he commanded four hundred and forty combat-ready troops. This was a considerable military force, and if used properly, it could cause great chaos within the Ming army.
In the next major battle, he had already made plans to kill his superior, Lieutenant General Li Penqiao, and the identity of Liu Yujie would disappear in the next battle.
Captain, Lieutenant General, General... climbing step by step. In other cities, other shadow warriors had also completed the actions of substitution and grafting.
They had integrated perfectly, with no one noticing.
As the shadow warrior moved forward, he suddenly saw "Shimazu Yoshihiro" moving among the Ming army.
Indeed, just as Lord Tokugawa had said, Shimazu Yoshihiro was leading the Ming army. However, it was a pity that the side he had bet on this time was destined to fail.
At this moment, that Shimazu Yoshihiro glanced at him, and then the surrounding Ming soldiers all turned their heads. Some had expressions of shock and disbelief in their eyes.
"Tang Dynasty Shadow-Stepping Technique, performed using the Shadow-Stepping Gu. I didn't expect the Japanese side to also have practitioners of this magic, it's quite rare."
"The magic left from the Tang Dynasty has many peculiar, divine, and unique aspects, but your shadow cultivation is not yet proficient."
"Halt!"
A sudden voice, the parting of the crowd, and the raising of torches isolated the shadow warrior in the center!
And upon hearing the word "Halt," the shadow warrior's thoughts ceased, along with its actions. From among the Ming soldiers holding torches, a black-robed Taoist priest emerged.
"The shadow spirits of the Shadow-Stepping Technique can devour each other to strengthen themselves. However, your master's Shadow-Stepping Technique is not fully cultivated. It seems he has lowered the cultivation threshold, thus the number of controllable shadow soldiers has become very small."
"But ultimately, it still utilizes the ability of the first shadow spirit, 'You Huang'."
Ji Xiang conjured a portion of sentient spirit essence in his hand. With this one used, only three portions of the spirit essence he had obtained previously remained.
One Shadow-Stepping Gu could separate one shadow spirit.
Next, Ji Xiang stepped forward and reached into the shadow warrior's head. Then, the power of the shadow was transferred!
Without even a chance to think, the shadow warrior's power was transferred, and it immediately disintegrated and vanished.
And at Ji Xiang's feet, with nine shadows transforming, the second shadow rose from the ground.
Shadow Spirit, Xie Jie Shu!