Chapter 248 Before the Expedition

As if a caged tiger had its claws sharpened anew, the aura of these four individuals underwent a tremendous transformation almost instantly. The young strategist turned his gaze towards Changcheng and the Qiantulai Mountain God, his voice gentle yet firm: "Gentlemen, please excuse us."

The normally amiable, or at least seemingly approachable, young strategist's voice carried an undeniable weight. The Mountain God and Water God had no choice but to temporarily withdraw, fortunate enough not to be escorted out by the water ghost, preserving at least a semblance of divine dignity.

Zhuge Wu Hou flicked his sleeves, and a detailed version of the Great Wilderness map provided by Bai Ze unfolded directly on the table. With a pointed finger, the marching route of Zaochi appeared in mid-air. Almost simultaneously, the four famous generals murmured:

"Encirclement."

"Interception."

"Breakthrough followed by reverse encirclement."

"Frontal assault on the vanguard to shatter their morale."

Four fingers simultaneously traced paths across the map.

Whether by coincidence or not, the entire continuous military formation was suddenly dissected before Wei Yuan's eyes. Stretching the enemy thin to break through, annihilating their momentum, then adopting multi-pronged interceptions, converging for a reverse encirclement, and finally defeating them one by one. Wu'an Jun said, "How many troops do we have?"

A Liang held up one finger.

Wu'an Jun asked, "Ten thousand?"

The strategist in white shook his head. "No, one hundred thousand."

"One hundred thousand? That many?"

Wu'an Jun was somewhat surprised, but A Liang slowly explained, "One hundred thousand? Is that too many? This is the entire accumulation of the Divine Land's Daoist sects, accounting for at least seventy percent of their total. Of these, Yin generals transformed from true cultivators account for less than one percent."

"The remaining portion are all Yin soldiers."

"They are the countless evil ghosts and Yin souls that those true cultivators had saved during their lives. Their true spirits returned to the heavens and earth, leaving only the instincts of their bodies. Finally, through special secret techniques and talismans, they were refined and offered sacrifices for decades, transforming into guardian Yin soldiers."

"The Yin generals are still capable of battle; the strength of the Yin soldiers is almost negligible."

"They can only provide military formation buffs for you all."

Wu'an Jun was silent for a moment, then said, "We will do our best to bring them back..."

The young strategist said, "You are mistaken. You must not return."

He swept his feather fan slightly across the map and said, "Many countries in the Great Wilderness have mobilized their armies, claiming to number in the millions, including even non-human races. Such a grand and righteous offensive must involve the entire Great Wilderness."

"This is an opportunity!"

The man who had once relied on one-tenth of his foundation to rebel against the Nine Provinces revealed a burning light in his eyes: "Correspondingly, once we can completely defeat this million-strong army head-on, without needing to encircle and annihilate, only needing to slay their generals and seize their morale, then chaos will inevitably arise within the Great Wilderness."

"Chaos breeds change, and change creates opportunity."

"Opportunity cannot be designed; if designed, it will miss the mark."

"I want you to lead these one hundred thousand heroic souls into action behind enemy lines after completing this battle. In the art of war, when in a position of certain death, deep within enemy territory, what should be done? I believe I don't need to elaborate."

"I will not instruct you on any micro-management at this time."

"Because I trust in your combat prowess."

The young man in white took out a Daoist military token and handed it over. Then, he pointed to the map on the table and said, "Seventy percent of the troops will be given to Wu'an Jun. I entrust you with leading the main force in a frontal assault. Yun Chang, you will lead twenty percent of the troops to launch a surprise attack on the left flank as support. General Zhang, the remaining ten percent, the elite from Longhu Mountain, will be entrusted to you. When the enemy formation is disrupted, you will charge from behind."

"And..."

The young strategist gave his orders in an orderly manner.

Wu'an Jun's command ability was the highest. When he led seventy percent of the army, his own strength would surge. Guan Yunchang himself had a terrifying historical record of taking the head of the enemy general from among ten thousand troops during large-scale battles.

His command ability also continued to improve, making him one of the few commanders in the late Three Kingdoms period capable of launching large-scale campaigns on his own.

Zhang Liao, on the other hand, was purely about the use of military formations.

Commanding too many troops would only hinder him.

Wei Yuan easily understood A Liang's arrangements, but he always felt like he was forgetting something. Finally, Xiang Hongyu couldn't help but speak slowly, "Zhuge Wu Hou, what about me?!"

The young strategist was surprised. "This... I am a man of Ji Han, and King Xiang was an enemy of the Gaozu Emperor. How could I dare to rashly instruct you?"

Xiang Hongyu: "??!"

We've reached this point, and you're saying this?!

I've already taken my pants off, and this is it?

As for the matter of Liu Bang.

After the awakening of his true spirit memories, Xiang Hongyu was not without some resentment about this point.

However, being directly pointed out by the young man made him feel as if he had been seen through. He said in a displeased tone:

"Although I am a mere brute, I know the importance of priorities. This battle is for the sake of the Yan Huang people, for the greater good. How could I, Xiang, be influenced by past grudges and enmities?"

The young strategist asked in surprise, "Is that truly the case?"

"Xiang Yu's word is his bond!"

"I can even make a military pledge!"

"Good!"

A Liang waved his feather fan slightly and said, "In that case."

"King Xiang, please stay for now. I have other important matters that only King Xiang can handle."

"Huh?!?"

Xiang Hongyu, who had written the military pledge, opened his mouth, feeling like he had punched the air. Finally, seeing the young strategist's solemn expression, he nodded and suppressed the anxiety in his heart. Only Wei Yuan suddenly realized something—A Liang, this guy, was planning to team up Han Xin and Xiang Yu.

Well, now Xiang Yu had said in front of everyone that he would not mention the grudges and enmities of the past.

He had even made a military pledge.

So...

A Liang, how can you be so adept at digging pits?

Why can you dig pits for people with such an innocent face?

Moreover, Xiang Hongyu jumped right in, and he even jumped in voluntarily?

He even wrote a military pledge, which was equivalent to jumping into the pit and burying himself?

A Liang, you are so despicable!

Xiang Yu was arrogant and self-respecting, but he kept his promises. With a military pledge and so many people watching, his pride would not allow him to go back on his word. And the military genius Han Xin, well, as everyone knew, Han Xin's emotional intelligence was basically zero. Meeting A Liang, he might very happily jump into the pit the next day.

Then, the two would be dependent on each other for survival in a distant enemy country.

They were thoroughly designed.

Those with greater command ability than A Liang did not have his emotional intelligence.

Those with greater emotional intelligence than him did not have his talent and foundation.

Apart from lifespan, whether compared horizontally or vertically, he was two words: invincible.

Finally, A Liang clapped his hands and handed the map to the generals, saying, "The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans. Subduing the enemy without fighting relies on the exchange of benefits and the pressure of the situation. This is what I have always liked, an upright and open strategy. But this time, we do not have the choice of the best strategy."

"This time, we must win; we cannot lose."

"Three days. Depart in three days. You have three days to familiarize yourselves with the strategic map."

"Regarding the terrain, weather, and specific surrounding circumstances, my assistant Bai Ze will be responsible for answering your questions for these three days. After three days, it will begin. Also, if you need any weapons, I have them here."

"What?"

Wei Yuan was stunned and raised his head, seeing the young man casually take out a token from his sleeve.

It was the Crouching Tiger Token.

Three of the people present, excluding Xiang Hongyu, recognized it.

Bai Qi frowned and was about to speak, but the young man in white said, "The Qin Mo family's repeating crossbows, I have them here too. I took the time to modify the Qin crossbow style into repeating crossbows that can fire bolts formed from the gathering of magical power."

"Don't use the arrangements of the imperial tomb."

Wu'an Jun was slightly stunned, then took a deep look at the young man in white before him. He had never mentioned the arrangements of the imperial tomb. Even Wei Yuan himself was not responsible for this part, after all, this halberd-bearer only needed to be responsible to the First Emperor.

He said, "The name Wu Hou is indeed well-deserved."

Wei Yuan's eyes were fixed on the Crouching Tiger Token in his hand, which was just a strengthened version of a brick, and the corners of his mouth twitched. "Uh, may I ask, A Liang, your merit points, didn't you use them to empty out this Crouching Tiger Token?"

"A Yuan, what are you thinking? Of course not." The young man in white thought for a moment.

"At most, it's only about seventy-five percent."

At most, it was only seventy-five percent...

The smile on Curator Wei's face slowly froze.

………………

For the next three days, Wei Yuan was training in the dream with the ancient macho group on a special program for Zaochi.

He worked hard to have Curator Wei master the "Zaochi Special" within three days.

Of course, with Zhu Jiuyin present, Wei Yuan didn't know how many matches he fought in the dream. Anyway, by the end, even when he could finally rest, his dreams were filled with Zaochi's big face, and he subconsciously kicked out. As a result, he heard a shout and suddenly opened his eyes, seeing the water ghost lying flat on the ground, looking innocent.

"You scared me..."

Wei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

For the one hundred thousand heroic souls who were about to set off for Divine Land.

Even though they had lost all their memories and even their true spirits had long been crushed by the furnace of heaven and earth, leaving only their forms behind, the customs of Divine Land still required sending them off. Wei Yuan and the Great Monk were busy for a long time.

Of course, there weren't enough people.

One hundred thousand ah. There was space. Curator Wei had put Yaochi in his Qiankun sleeves.

There weren't enough cooks.

Curator Wei went out and bought a bag of two kilograms of soybeans, then grabbed the bag, used his strength in his waist, and threw it out with a whoosh. The soybeans flew out directly, then he clapped his hands together, too lazy to form hand seals anymore. Anyway, it always worked: "Yellow Turban Strongman Guardian Spell!"

In an instant, towering Yellow Turban Strongmen appeared.

Their aura was magnificent as they formed ranks.

The commander of the Yellow Turban Strongmen saw the dense ranks of his colleagues around him.

He also saw the other Daoist Yin soldiers and Yin generals. He was overjoyed. Although he felt some inexplicable fear when he saw Guan Yunchang, the atmosphere of the battlefield made his hands tremble. When Wei Yuan called out, his reply was much louder: "Yes!"

"The Yellow Turban Strongmen are willing to be driven!"

"Good!"

"Come and take this."

Curator Wei greatly praised the Yellow Turban Strongmen's spirit of dedication, then handed over a peeler and a potato, saying, "Come on, peel!"

The Yellow Turban Strongmen: "??!"

In addition to mopping, cleaning, repairing houses, and plastering walls.

The Yellow Turban Strongmen had successfully unlocked the latest usage.

If the Yellow Turban Strongmen didn't need to be under the influence of the Heavenly Court's talisman formation to be effective, and even if they could carve talismans on them, there was still a time limit, they should have been the main force for this expedition. But their principle of not having their true spirits extinguished even if they died in battle was based on the Heavenly Court's formation.

This also meant that they could not fight at long distances.

And relying on carving talismans on soybeans to cast spells had a too fatal time limit.

Imagine the situation of a military cultivator leading an army suddenly losing all of his troops, with all of his soldiers turning into soybeans. That would be tragic on the battlefield. With the hard work of the Yellow Turban Strongmen, the meal was quickly prepared.

A pre-war mobilization meeting was held in Yaochi, with the goal of going to the Great Wilderness and fighting the gods to the death.

Even A Liang had to exclaim that it was impressive.

It was truly not a waste at all.

When Yaochi was built, they certainly never imagined it would be used like this.

From ancient times to the present, Curator Wei might be the only one who played it like this.

The young man in white raised his wine cup and took a light sip. Those Yin soldiers and Yin generals had long lost their selves and true spirits, only their heroic souls remained. But even so, Wei Yuan still stubbornly insisted on performing the farewell ritual, saying that it was still the New Year season, so it couldn't be skipped. It was truly a bit foolish.

A Liang could come up with seventeen or eighteen reasons to tell him that doing so would not restore the memories of these Yin soldiers and Yin generals, would not improve their morale, and would only waste time and energy. But when A Yuan had really made up his mind, A Liang couldn't pull him back.

Even if it was this foolish.

However, there were often such foolish people in the past.

In Yaochi, where the gods and Heavenly Emperor met, the Yellow Turban Strongmen were busy working, preparing pre-war food for those who had already passed away and the famous generals of ancient times. Putting down our weapons, we have already passed away in the past; raising our wine glasses, in the gathering place of the gods, we will eventually raise the banner of conquering the heavens. Isn't this the romance that even the gods dare not imagine?

"What the Yan Huang people value is every drink and every meal, and the warmth and fullness of the people is the way to peace."

Wei Yuan reached out and rubbed the young strategist's hair.

Only at this time did the young man suddenly realize that the guy next to him was the Dao Lord of the Taiping Dao of the Daoist sect. This was not just a casual saying. In addition, the Heavenly Masters' Mansion and the Special Operations Team had also sent a large batch of equipment.

Including walkie-talkies with wireless communication, which could be contacted with the equipment in hand.

There were also recorders that could be used to record a large amount of data. Although they could not be immediately transmitted back to the human world, they could be stored for a long time. There were individual combat weapons, individual rations, a large number of talismans, and even individual rocket launchers prepared with Qiankun sleeves, as well as a concealed base station.

As long as it was thrown out, it would disguise itself.

Divine Land was never a character that would be beaten without fighting back.

"Although we are single-soldier operations, it always feels like we are not just fighting alone."

Wei Yuan took a sip of tea and said, "These supports from the Special Operations Team, the parts in them must be from all over the world. Their appearance by our side is a gathering of the power of I don't know how many people, from wind power, from research institutes, and what they eat in the morning might be rou jia mo from the roadside, or egg pancakes."

"The flour comes from wheat in the Central Plains, and the meat is raised by the villagers in the countryside."

Wei Yuan thought for a moment: "Not everyone has to be a warrior."

"But isn't everyone in Divine Land doing their own thing also fighting with us?"

"Don't worry, we will win and come back alive."

Wei Yuan patted A Liang's shoulder. The young man looked at the side of the museum director's face, and for some reason, he vaguely saw the figure of another young man from him, more than two thousand years ago, whose ambition was named Zhaolie. The museum director's expression was calm. This battle must be won.

Until the Great Monk pulled him, Yuanjue's face was embarrassed, and he said, "Curator Wei..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Wei Yuan asked confidently and calmly.

"That, this pre-war mobilization today..."

"Oh, the pre-war mobilization. Thank you for your hard work, Yuanjue."

"No, I, I mean..."

Yuanjue hummed and hawed for a long time, and finally handed over a card, saying, "I'm out of money. I spent it all on buying materials..."

Wei Yuan opened his mouth and was stunned: "...I saved it for so long."

"But, this is one hundred thousand people."

Wei Yuan's lips trembled: "N, none left?"

The Great Monk pondered and said, "There's still a little bit." He took out his phone and operated it.

The screen lit up for Wei Yuan to see: "Your bank card expenditure is 372 yuan, and the account balance is 2.33 yuan."

The expression on Wei Yuan's face gradually solidified. He suddenly thought of what Zhao Gongming had said a few days ago:

'I curse you to be poorer this year than last year, you bastard!'

Curator Wei clenched his right fist, and the heroic and age-old traces on his body disappeared. What kind of hero was he? What kind of anchor of the years? Being poor was the truth. Curator Wei let out a poor ghost's angry roar: "Zhao Gongming!!!"

The poor curator almost gritted his teeth and choked up:

"You're serious!!!"

"I'm going to visit you at your house with Dayi for the New Year! I'm going to block your door and ask you to transfer my luck a hundred times, a hundred times!"

The young strategist next to him was slightly stunned, then smiled as he watched this scene.

Sure enough, A Yuan wasn't a hero.

He raised his glass slightly: "Everyone..."

That night, while the entire human world was in the joy of the Divine Land's New Year, a team of Yin soul armies from the past quietly left here, crossed the boundary between the world and the world, and rushed to a significant battle.

What do people live for?

People always have their own persistence, their own flaws.

Is it love, affection, money, power, or something that cannot be obtained, something that is constantly tossing and turning, or something that is finally held in hand, but something is lost, or perhaps it is just something that is extremely familiar in the past, but is ignored?

When the last part of the army entered.

The soul Yin soldiers who had lost all their memories in the long years paused, turned their heads to look at the prosperity of the human world, between heaven and earth, the world was full of red dust. This Yin soldier who had lost his memory and past seemed extremely lonely. He suddenly murmured in confusion:

"Spring Festival...?"

He turned his head, stepped into the Great Wilderness, and rushed to a battle of certain death.

ps: Today's second update...