Chapter 1 The Ambush

Sheng Le City,

City Lord's Mansion,

Back residence,

Bedroom.

On the bed,

Si Niang proactively brought her lips to Zheng Fan,

But Zheng Fan subconsciously moved his face away, dodging backward.

Si Niang glanced at Zheng Fan with captivating charm,

And said:

"My lord, are you still disliking yourself?"

"Hehe, hehehe, hehehehe..."

City Lord Zheng could only chuckle foolishly.

"My lord, rest a little longer, I'll go wash up."

Having said that, Si Niang got out of bed, washed up, and put on her clothes. She walked to the door and opened it.

The fresh morning air rushed in, instantly making one feel refreshed.

Si Niang stretched out her arms, and strands of silk shot out from her body, automatically weaving into lifelike butterflies, fluttering and dancing.

Under the eaves in front, a "bat" hung upside down.

Xue San pointed at his own eyes,

And shouted:

"Si Niang, what do you see in my eyes?"

Si Niang scoffed.

Xue San then answered his own question:

"Jealousy, thick jealousy!"

The butterflies began to dissipate, turning into needle and thread, and were收入 Si Niang's sleeves. Si Niang's temperament also underwent a considerable change, becoming somewhat ethereal.

"What's with all the yelling so early in the morning?"

Xue San jumped down from the eaves, landing firmly on his three legs,

And said:

"Tell the lord, they've fallen into the urn over there, we need to prepare to close the net. Is the lord able to get up now?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to?"

Zheng Fan walked out of the room.

"Yo, good morning, my lord, your subordinate greets you."

Xue San flicked his sleeves and bowed in a theatrical manner.

"Fallen into the urn? Is this news from the mountains?"

"Reporting to the lord, the deadline has arrived. Not a single one of the three wildling settlements in the Tianduan Mountains near us has come down the mountain."

Zheng Fan nodded and said:

"Is everything prepared?"

"We're just waiting for you."

"Alright, I'll put on my armor."

Si Niang then came over with the armor and began to help Zheng Fan put it on.

Previously, a tone had been set for the wildling settlements within this section of the Tianduan Mountains, requiring them to pay tribute, provide troops, and send hostages. Xiong Lie was also sent as a lobbyist, but when the deadline arrived, the three wildling settlements there showed no reaction.

"Has Xiong Lie returned?" Zheng Fan asked.

"He's back. He returned last night, saying he was almost held back in the settlement and couldn't escape."

"What else did he say?"

"He also said that these wildlings don't recognize the might of Great Yan and are trying to anger the royal army, so he's prepared to be a guide, leading us into the mountains to conquer them and teach them a lesson."

Zheng Fan nodded and said:

"Xiong Lie, is he trustworthy?"

Xue San nodded and said, "Of course he's not. I followed his men into the mountains. This guy acted like he was coming home when he entered the settlement. He was also on very good terms with the wildling settlement leaders. When he came out, those leaders personally saw him off. He found a place outside the city to smear some mud on his face, pretending that he had worked hard to escape."

"You've worked hard."

"My lord, look at what you're saying. I just went into the mountains for a nap, it's nothing."

"How is the Tufa tribe doing?"

"The Tufa tribe is still quite stable. My lord, the Tufa tribe is different from the wildlings in the mountains. The wildlings want autonomy, and even to gain an advantage when buying and selling goods in the future. Xiong Lie wants to help stabilize the wildlings' position in the mountains to stabilize his own position.

In the end, their roots are still in the mountains, but the Tufa tribe is in or near Sheng Le City."

"Is Liang Cheng ready?"

"The army is ready and is eating breakfast and distributing dry rations."

"Good."

The benefits of having capable subordinates are evident at this time. You can be a hands-off manager throughout the entire process, but these people below you can help you dig the pit, set the trap, and wait for the prey to be caught, and then be the first to run over and tell you, as if you caught the prey yourself.

It's even easier than saying 1234567 when acting.

"My lord, let me accompany you." Si Niang said.

"No need." Zheng Fan smiled, held Si Niang's hand, and said, "We have to give them a chance."

Xue San immediately chimed in:

"That's right, Si Niang, you're a sated man who doesn't know the hunger of a starving one.

You've eaten your fill, but us brothers are still hungry."

"I think you're itching for a beating." Si Niang glared at Xue San.

Xue San was so frightened that he jumped back three steps and waved his hands, saying:

"No, no, no, you're stronger than me right now, bullying me isn't a skill."

Xue San knew that he was no match for Si Niang at this moment.

Zheng Fan patted Si Niang's hand one last time, picked up the long saber placed to the side, and twisted his neck a few times, but unfortunately, it didn't make a "crack".

But this didn't affect City Lord Zheng's mood,

"San'er, let's go."

"Alright, my lord."

............

After Zheng Fan rode out of the city, he went straight to the military camp outside.

The soldiers were already sitting on the ground, resting after eating breakfast.

It was a bit like students before entering an exam hall. Many people had to take this opportunity to solve their physiological problems, otherwise, you wouldn't be allowed to call for a break to relieve yourself on the battlefield.

After Zheng Fan arrived, the gate of the military camp was opened from the inside.

Zheng Fan dismounted and walked past the soldiers.

Within the military camp, a thousand Jingnan Army soldiers would be left to guard the home. The remaining men, plus the tribal soldiers of the Tufa tribe, totaling four thousand men, would all enter the mountains.

Zheng Fan saw Xiong Lie standing with Liang Cheng. When Xiong Lie looked at Zheng Fan, his eyes were filled with aggrieved tears.

When the Sixth Prince recommended Xiong Lie, he had directly said that those who are not of our race must have different hearts, and told him to be careful when using him.

After all, when the Sixth Prince first took him in, Xiong Lie was just a down-and-out wildling slave. After living a good life for the past few years, he had the feeling of being above others, so it was inevitable that he would develop some other thoughts.

However, playing tricks and scheming, wanting to gain an advantage in front of the demon kings, was truly more difficult than ascending to heaven.

"Lord, Lord, you must seek justice for me, you must seek justice for me!"

Xiong Lie directly threw himself at Zheng Fan's feet, hugging Zheng Fan's boots and began to cry.

Oh ho,

Are you also a graduate of Shanghai Theatre Academy?

Junior brother,

When I and Xu Pangpang Marquis Jingnan were acting, you were still selling puppies in Sheng Le City.

"Old Xiong, you've worked hard, you've really worked hard."

"Lord, Lord..."

"I know, I know, rest assured, I will get justice for you!"

"Thank you, Lord!"

Zheng Fan turned around,

Drew his saber and pointed it to the sky,

And said:

"I haven't been here for long, but when I was in Yan, I heard that the heroes of the Three晋 all take pride in hunting down the heads of wildlings in the mountains!

Today, the wildlings are bullying newcomers, thinking that since Jin is gone, there are no more heroes in the land of the Three Jin!

Thinking that since the Yan people have come, the Yan people can't do anything to them!

Thinking that since the barbarians have come, the barbarians don't know how to fight if they leave the desert!

Today,

We'll teach those wildlings in the mountains,

Your daddy,

Will always be your daddy!"

This was a characteristic of a diversified army, and also a tiring aspect. When giving a mobilization speech, you had to take care of all aspects, like a host on the Spring Festival Gala giving New Year greetings to the entire country one by one, a tongue twister that couldn't leave anyone out.

However, this kind of rhetoric could indeed arouse morale.

The thousands of soldiers around also gave face, and under the leadership of the iron-headed barbarians, they shouted together:

"Mighty!"

"Mighty!"

"Mighty!"

Even the two thousand Jin conscript troops who had been recruited had good morale at this time.

With the Yan people, they were opponents at the table, and if they lost, they lost. But with the wildlings, the Three Jin had been fighting the wildlings for hundreds of years, and killing the wildlings was their bounden duty.

Even Tufa Chengji of the Tufa family led his tribal soldiers to cheer together. From time to time, he glanced at Xiong Lie, who was standing beside Zheng Fan with an excited expression, and a mocking smile involuntarily appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The blind man, who was facing away from Tufa Chengji,

Also had a smile on the corner of his mouth,

If you could pull a long shot in this direction at this time, you could name it, "The Smile of Two Old Foxes."

"Set out!"

Under Zheng Fan's command, the troops began to set out.

While marching, Zheng Fan took the initiative to get close to Liang Cheng, and Liang Cheng understood and leaned closer to his lord.

"No problem, right?" Zheng Fan asked.

After all, Sheng Le City had only been acquired for a week, and it was easy for something unexpected to happen when such a "multi-national" coalition army set out together.

"It's alright, my lord. Using battle as training is the best."

"Mm." Zheng Fan unconditionally trusted Liang Cheng in military matters.

This time, except for Si Niang, all the other demon kings came.

Zheng Fan and Liang Cheng were talking on horseback,

Behind them, the blind man, A Ming, and Xue San were talking on horseback,

Fan Li was alone, walking, following at the back of the team.

"Mo Wan has improved, and Si Niang has also recovered." Xue San said.

A Ming then said, "The question is, are you going to learn from Mo Wan, or learn from Si Niang?

If you learn from Mo Wan, you have to die first, and then you can give the lord a dream after death;

If you learn from Si Niang, do you think the lord will let you?"

"They can improve, and we can too!" Xue San said with certainty, "It's just that we haven't found a way yet."

"Si Niang did tell me about her method. Now that she's succeeded, it's clear that the method is correct." The blind man said.

"What method?"

"To be more in-depth."

Xue San frowned,

A Ming also frowned.

The blind man then said, "How about this, tonight after we set up camp, San'er, you put on a mask and go to the military tent to assassinate the lord. I'll then step in to defeat you and save the lord, but you have to make a well-placed cut on me, so I can shed some blood. If the lord is moved, I'll probably be able to improve."

Now, just relying on flattery is not enough, you have to go deeper.

Xue San rolled his eyes at the blind man,

And said unhappily:

"Hey, do you know that Mo Wan is always close to the lord, and I estimate that I can't beat Mo Wan at the same level. Now, he's even a level higher than me. If you let me assassinate with a mask on, aren't you afraid that Mo Wan will directly blow me up?"

A Ming was somewhat surprised and suspicious:

"San'er, is that what you're worried about?"

"What else should I be worried about?"

"Shouldn't you be worried about what the blind man said, that you're going to assassinate the lord with a mask on?"

"Huh?"

"You, is there any difference whether you wear a mask or not?"

"........." Xue San.