Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 56: A Great Army Bears Down
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!
A series of urgent knocks came from outside, quickly pulling Fang Xing from his thoughts.
He left his room, crossed the courtyard, and opened the main gate.
A young Constable was standing at the entrance, panting heavily.
"Lord Fang, Commander Xu has an urgent matter to discuss with you. He requests your presence at the County Yamen."
’So there’s news!’
At these words, Fang Xing’s expression immediately turned grave.
He looked at the young Constable before him and nodded. "Alright, I’m on my way."
With that, he left with the young Constable, heading toward the County Yamen.
As they wound through the streets and alleys, the city was eerily quiet.
The usual street vendors and peddlers were nowhere to be seen, and the few pedestrians they encountered were all rushing along in a hurry.
Upon arriving at the County Yamen, Fang Xing immediately sensed a different kind of atmosphere.
Every Constable’s face was etched with an incredibly grim expression.
’It seems they’re almost here...’
A chill ran down Fang Xing’s spine. He strode toward the County Yamen’s Inner Hall.
Soon, he arrived at the County Yamen’s Inner Hall.
Inside the Inner Hall, besides County Magistrate Zhang Chen and his deputy Lin Zheng, Xu Qingshan was also present.
And aside from them, there were five others.
Ning Jiangbo, the Patriarch of the Ning Family; the Patriarch of the Wang Family; and the Patriarch of the Sun Family.
The leaders of Qingshan County’s two major gangs were also there.
The Juyi Gang and the White Dragon Association!
It was safe to say that everyone in the Inner Hall was one of the most powerful figures in Qingshan County.
It was rare to see even one of them, but today they were all gathered together.
When Fang Xing arrived, all eyes fell upon him.
"This aura..." freёwebnovel.com
"He couldn’t have improved again, could he?"
Watching Fang Xing enter the Inner Hall, a flash of shock crossed the eyes of the assembled giants.
Fang Xing’s aura was one of Primordial Unity, making it impossible to see through, yet they all sensed a dangerous signal emanating from him.
Their instincts told them that Fang Xing’s power had likely taken another step forward.
But for Qingshan County in its current state, this was a good thing.
If his strength had reached a new level, their chances of success would be that much greater.
"Lord Fang." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
The Qingshan Five Giants rose to greet him. Fang Xing gave a slight nod, then strode forward and took a seat in the empty chair.
"Lord Zhang, is there news of the White Lotus Rebel Army?" Fang Xing asked, looking at Zhang Chen in the main seat.
Zhang Chen nodded. "Yes. According to the latest intelligence from Commander Xu, the White Lotus Rebel Army may be at our gates in one more day."
Hearing this, Fang Xing’s heart sank.
They would arrive in just one day.
’They’re moving so fast!’
He had just broken through, and the White Lotus Rebel Army was already at the door.
"Lord Zhang, when will the troops from the higher-ups arrive?" Fang Xing asked.
The others also looked toward Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen’s expression was grave. He took a sip of tea and said, "According to the news from our superiors, the fastest reinforcements can arrive is in five or six days."
"And that’s five or six days if everything goes smoothly. It could be delayed by another day or two."
Hearing this, Fang Xing’s brow furrowed tightly.
Five or six days at the very least.
The White Lotus Rebel Army would be here tomorrow. This meant they had to hold out for five or six days with only their current forces.
With the strength of Qingshan County’s garrison, even combined with the Five Great Forces, could this handful of people possibly fend off an army of over ten thousand?
"Lord Zhang, what is the number of the White Lotus Rebel Army?" Ning Jiangbo asked.
"Around twenty thousand," Zhang Chen gave a number.
Twenty thousand...
Everyone’s expression darkened.
If it were just twenty thousand ordinary people, it wouldn’t be a major concern. The key was that among these twenty thousand, there was a significant number of Martial Artist masters.
That was their core strength.
Martial Dao Masters acting in concert with a large army were practically invincible!
"Lord Zhang, where is the White Lotus Rebel Army’s exact location?" Fang Xing asked.
"According to the latest reports, they are currently camped at Qingshui Bay."
Xu Qingshan spoke up, providing a precise location.
Qingshui Bay...
Fang Xing thought for a moment and quickly recalled the location of Qingshui Bay.
It was a township under the jurisdiction of Qingshan County, about seventy to eighty li away from Qingshan County Town.
At their current pace, they could reach the vicinity of the County Town by tomorrow at the earliest.
And that would be the time for them to launch their all-out assault.
"What is the strength of this army’s Commander-in-Chief?" Fang Xing looked to Xu Qingshan.
"Currently, this rebel army is led by twelve Deputy Generals and one Vice Marshal, all of whom are at the Peak of Neutralizing Force."
Xu Qingshan explained.
At this, Fang Xing’s eyes lit up. "So, you’re saying there’s no one in the True Qi Realm?"
"Correct. This army’s Commander-in-Chief was severely wounded by a master from the Observatory and is not with the troops. Command has temporarily fallen to the twelve Deputy Generals and the Vice Marshal."
Zhang Chen answered his question.
’In that case... there might be some hope after all,’ a thought flashed through Fang Xing’s mind.
Without an Extraordinary to Saint level expert present, his own safety was at least not a major concern.
Whether they could repel the attack was uncertain, but even if the city fell, he was more than capable of escaping.
Having reached the Peak of Neutralizing Force, armed with two top-tier Martial Arts like the Longevity Technique and the Red Fire Divine Skill, and with his mastery of two other Superior Martial Arts, as long as he didn’t run into a True Qi Realm expert...
...there wouldn’t be any major problems!
His cultivation of the Wind God Step, a Body Technique and Lightweight Skill, had not been in vain. It had reached the Peak of Perfection, perhaps even the level of Returning to the Essence.
"The White Lotus Rebel Army is about to arrive. Gentlemen, if you have any good strategies, please speak freely. If we can defend Qingshan, I believe the Court will not be ungenerous in its rewards."
Zhang Chen spoke, his every word landing clearly in each person’s ear.
The room fell silent.
A good strategy...
Even with a good strategy, the disparity in strength was simply too vast.
An army of around twenty thousand, plus numerous top-tier Martial Dao Masters—this force could completely crush Qingshan County’s defenses.
The twelve Deputy Generals were all Neutralizing Force Martial Artists, and there were also Vice-Generals who had entered the Neutralizing Force Realm.
That force alone amounted to twenty-four Neutralizing Force Martial Artists!
The number of Commanders, Dark Force, and Bright Force Martial Artists under them was even greater.
Without support from the Court’s army, trying to hold the city would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
When Martial Artists fight together, it wasn’t a simple case of one plus one equals two; their power grew exponentially.
Moreover, the White Lotus Rebel Army was rumored to use a special military formation that could gather their strength and concentrate it into a single explosive point.
Even an Extraordinary Martial Artist of the True Qi Realm might not dare to face it head-on.
"I do have a plan, but... it’s a bit dangerous."
Xu Qingshan spoke, breaking the silence.
Everyone’s gaze shifted to him.
Zhang Chen looked at him, his eyes lighting up. "Commander Xu, please, speak freely. If it is useful, I will certainly adopt it."
Xu Qingshan thought for a moment, then said, "The White Lotus Rebel Army is still some distance away, camped at Qingshui Bay. We could organize an elite squad to launch a surprise attack at night. If we can inflict heavy damage, we might be able to slow them down and buy ourselves some time."
"..."
Listening to Xu Qingshan’s words, the others stared at him in a daze.
’Organize an elite squad to raid an army of twenty thousand that includes numerous Martial Dao Masters?!’
’Has he gone mad, or did I mishear him?’
’What’s the difference between that and just serving them our heads on a platter?’
’To delay an entire army, one would have to assassinate a general-level officer.’
’Otherwise, even if the raid were successful, what’s the use of killing one or two Commanders?’
’An elite squad like that would surely be a one-way trip, a pointless sacrifice of our own strength.’
’This is a suicide squad...’ Listening to Xu Qingshan’s strategy, Fang Xing understood at once.
Raiding an army of tens of thousands—it was no different from a suicide mission.
The feasibility was low, but the danger level was an absolute ninety-eight percent.
"Rather than sit here and wait for death, we should take the initiative and strike. If we take a gamble, it’s not like there isn’t a sliver of a chance."
Xu Qingshan said with a serious expression.
