Chapter 208: Ally Relations
In the 2nd year of the Tong Zheng Calendar, September, Xuan Chong and the Feather Tribe’s Storm City reached a military alliance, but facing the battlefield region to the east of the Feather Tribe, centered on Griffon City with seven or eight seaports and small fortified cities, Xuan Chong did not immediately intervene!
Facing some subordinates who urgently wanted to finish the battle and call it a day, Xuan Chong rebuked: “What’s the rush? Do you think hastily handing over the betrothal gifts will make the other side open their modest gates for you from now on?”
Military strength is for allies to see, not to be consumed for allies. After confirming the alliance, Xuan Chong very cautiously selected campaigns that could showcase his own power.
Xuan Chong pointed at the map: “We come from the North, and relative to all the Feathered People’s city-states here, we are a Northern force.” Then his finger pointed at Storm City, “Griffon City, compared to Storm City, is on the eastern coastline.”
Xuan Chong: Before joining a brawl, pay attention to your positioning!
On September 25th, in the jungle roads area approximately northeast of Storm City, the expeditionary army engaged in a campaign against about six hundred berserk Horned People.
Xuan Chong lined up three hundred firearm soldiers on the road. In the sky, Dragon Horses were in reserve at the rear, without deploying Guiche or War Kui. And on both sides of this southward road in the jungle, Xuan Chong ambushed a Bamboo People troop.
For Tree People, although they require special Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse vehicles for transport; but overall, their supplies are even less than those of human troops. Mainly because they don’t eat grain, just drink water for photosynthesis. They need some soybean cakes as incentive, but one soybean cake can sustain them for ten days.
Of course, even so, as a modern person, Xuan Chong insists on proper procedures for everything. He doesn’t skimp on supplies for the Bamboo People at all; every batch of bamboo gets fully guaranteed sunlight time. To prevent insect damage, Xuan Chong brushed white lime downward from one meter above the root on all bamboo, and specially prepared Mud in the supplies.
Tree People lack fire resistance despite strong physical defense; but wrapping a layer of Mud before battle can better reduce fire damage.
Moreover, the current cow-leg-thick big Bamboo People carry a spinning wheel with blades attached. The Bamboo People form a large square formation spaced three or four meters apart, turning this formation into a meat grinder.
Meanwhile, the smaller Bamboo People are equipped with blades, slicing enemies with blades hidden among their leaves.
It can be said that now under Xuan Chong’s leadership, the previous weaknesses of the Tree People in the earth embankment battle have been covered up. Their combat power has been strengthened.
The Horned People numbered six hundred, and their demonized Horned People leader saw Xuan Chong’s army standing rigidly in the open plain guarding the military formation. These bone-proliferated, bumpy-headed Horned People grinned ferociously, then ghostly dove into the jungle, preparing to give the Wu Family Army a secretive, elusive jungle ambush.
The result was that after three incense sticks, screams echoed from the jungle. Sounds of bones breaking and flesh being sliced were incessant.
When the remaining three hundred Horned People emerged from the jungle, they saw the despicable foreigners raising firearms.
The combat formation was already prepared. As the command flag soldier swung down his arm, bullets harvested these unlucky ones fleeing the jungle like a storm.
The Horned People bursting out of the woods saw their companions ahead all fall down, felt fear, and thus turned back to the woods, only to encounter another brutal assault by the Bamboo People in the jungle. As a result, this troop of muscle-bound berserk Horned People collapsed and knelt under the threat of the Bamboo People’s “hula hoop”-like bladed wheels at their waists.
After this wave of Horned People collapsed, they discovered that these tree demons stopped the killing, just staring them down intently. Soon, the “Northerners” outside the jungle arrived, whipped them, and then tied them into a string with ropes around their necks.
In Xuan Chong’s camp, when captives had their skulls pried open and Spirit Taming Talisman infused, streams of black Chaos energy could be seen. Under Xuan Chong’s “insight” perspective, this layer of black energy was quickly identified as blocked congestion. Under Xuan Chong’s insight perspective with the scalpel, these black energies were drawn out like threads with a needle prick.
Then the interrogation began. After these Horned People’s madness was cured, they became obedient. After question and answer, Xuan Chong suppressed the whole army’s idea of advancing hastily.
And seizing Wu Zhantie as an example, he gave him a sharp knock on the head. Xuan Chong: “Look, rushing again, so impetuous.”
…Foreigners must be despicable…
Although Xuan Chong has now signed a military alliance with Storm City, does that make them friendly forces?
To describe it more realistically, before Liu Bei had Jing Prefecture, who could he ally with? First he sought refuge with Yuan Shao, then planted vegetables under Cao Gong. For a small Pei City, he pinched his nose and called Lu Bu brother.
From the Horned People’s perspective, Xuan Chong concluded that this group of kingdom Feather Tribe seemingly upholds ancient alliances, but actually split into groups centered on two north-south city-states. One is Storm City, the other is Southern Region’s Shark-Control City. And now Griffon City has sought aid from both forces, but the result is “friendly forces in trouble, steady as Mount Tai.”
In Feather Tribe city-state culture, the requirement for “allies” is to have certain strength.
So to qualify as an ally of the southern ocean nations, Xuan Chong is very “diligent,” resolutely not letting his strength suffer excessive loss. — He won’t be like Er Mao, shedding blood, sweat, and tears like a fool over an empty promise from an “ally.”
Xuan Chong looked at Griffon City’s position and gave his verdict: “The residents in this city must be rescued by any means. But we can’t act just to ‘save more people,’ but rather ‘how to make saving people beneficial to us.'”
If he lets his own disciples shed blood to save a bunch of ungrateful wolves, wouldn’t he become a “high-level NPC”?
Xuan Chong recalled the Lord of the Rings he watched, where the protagonist team sought reinforcements from various forces, and those high-level NPC forces were all betrayed by the kingdom and unwilling to help; the protagonist used stratagems to direct dark forces to threaten these NPC forces, then got them to join the fight.
As for the real-world mapping of those “NPC” forces in Lord of the Rings, Xuan Chong: “Why the hell does it look more and more like the hairy bear?” (Lord of the Rings was written during the V2 rocket bombing of Britain period; the British pinched their noses and were forced to call the demon reddened for over a decade an ally.)
Under cold political science, when all sides are “thinking of ways,” it’s not centered on the parties’ interests, but respective interests.
Ang Ri led troops to survey the entire Southern Region sea coastline map, beginning to analyze the geopolitical situation of each city-state.
Xuan Chong: “We must save Griffon City, but we can’t do it across Storm City; otherwise, how will Griffon City be grateful to us? Will they give me a good person card through our ‘loyal’ ally here (Storm City)? Will we watch like lapdogs as Griffon City and Storm City deepen their friendship, and then in the future when Griffon City needs to repay us for saving them, haggle interests across Storm City?”
Now Xuan Chong is waiting, waiting for the high-altitude surveying to complete.
Currently, the “rescue Griffon City” task requires using the roads provided by Storm City. This is very bad!
Xuan Chong: “I help the little rabbit resist the big bad wolf, but still have to go through the fox’s territory; so after the little rabbit is saved, will it thank me or the fox? (Just like in his previous life, when East made concessions for mutual benefit to some bastards, those bastards thanked their lighthouse big brother, thinking it was White Eagle big brother who forced East to spit out aid.)”
To prevent future “high blood pressure,” Xuan Chong wants to find a direct route to Griffon City.
…Life experience: If you lack the ability to collect debts, don’t lend money…
For this, Xuan Chong targeted the Ling River estuary. It’s the same Ling River where Xuan Chong previously led Yongji Pass and Li Huo Sect in a hundred clans alliance standoff across the river.
Previously, everyone knew Ling River flows into the ocean, but neither Da Yao nor Southern Border hundred clans had seen where Ling River enters the sea.
Because as Ling River heads east, it suddenly turns south, causing Ling River to flow southward, branching into multiple streams, creating vast swamps and jungle areas.
For thousands of years, neither Da Yao nor Southern Border hundred clans had the motivation to cross southward through miasma and further pursue the estuary.
Notably, the geological conditions causing Ling River’s sharp southward turn are geographically extremely bizarre.
Because it’s a continuous highland over a hundred kilometers long, but relative to surroundings only thirty meters higher; this strip highland is uniformly about two kilometers wide, just like some mosquito bites leaving long strip “swellings” on skin. This slight uplift highland blocked Ling River from directly rushing east into the ocean, diverting it into the complex geology of the Southern Region home turf.
Xuan Chong later discovered that the turn’s endpoint is exactly where the “Chi You Soldiers'” bowl mountain is located. That “strip highland” is suspected to be caused by the Chi You Fleet navigating underground.
On September 27th, Ang Ri’s exploration team made a discovery. Before Ling River enters the estuary, it passes a geological fault, creating a waterfall, which basically interrupts shipping here.
Now Xuan Chong has crossed the vast forest, contacted the ocean in the Southern Region, and scouted that the Ling River outlet is just one hundred kilometers north of Griffon City, a very close distance.
…Maritime Silk Road must be developed…
Now with a currently mutually beneficial start with the Feather Tribe, Xuan Chong dispatched Gongshu Wang to build a water mountain great array at the waterfall. With twenty Tamed Beasts placed there, the fault can be slowly compensated in the future. For now, they’re digging an eighteen-bend channel around the waterfall to reduce the slope, allowing ships to glide down gently and switch to new ships to enter the sea.
Expected soon, the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse supply team from the northern coastline will arrive, and then the political effect of rescuing will be different.
In the military tent, Xuan Chong explained to the many people attending the meeting inside: “I want to build a city here (Ling River estuary). Who is willing to be the Prefect.”
In the silence, most avoided Xuan Chong’s gaze! — Speaking of deploying four strongholds in the Thorn area, no one wanted to go either. In the end, Xuan Chong called over the Dragon Descendants to be lords of those four Fortresses, and at the Ling River outlet, surrounded by foreign races, future culture and attire are highly likely to be assimilated.
Xuan Chong glanced at Ang Ri, who avoided his gaze. He was already at his limit after being forced to agree to Xuan Chong marrying Ying Zhao.
Xuan Chong also felt it was a bit excessive. At that moment, a Bo Prefecture Hao Army captive, an Elf female archer Captain with pointed ears: “My lord, if this offensive captures Southern Region Feather Tribe servants, hand them to us, and we are willing to build a city here.”
Xuan Chong confirmed this Elf’s name is Tina.
Xuan Chong nodded to her and gave assurance: “I can guarantee that at your city-building site, Yongji Pass merchant caravans will regularly come.” Then he gave her an enfeoffment no less than a Marquis. In the Wu Family Army, they are only responsible to him and his heirs.
Of course, for Da Yao, this Ling River City will be a pure foreign race city in the future. After withdrawing troops, it cannot be directly controlled — this is already the current expansion limit; even those Southern Border hundred clans origin non-commissioned officers are unwilling to station here.
For land that will inevitably detach, is such enfeoffment meaningful?
Of course it is meaningful; these are lifelines built by Da Yao extending control southward. Whether Shen Wanqing of Wang Feng Mountain or the four Dragon Descendant-guarded Fortresses on Thorn Plains, they are all “small enterprises” deliberately fostered by Xuan Chong.
In the future, whether exporting silk and porcelain southward for profit, or northward exporting Grass Returning Pill, or mining agate gems from Thorn Ridge rivers for carving. Inevitably, a large number of family city-states will arise living off this. — Their descendants, one day when rules are broken and they can’t eat, will remember that their ancestors took root here because Da Yao proactively opened the road southward.
The so-called “when time comes, heaven and earth share the momentum,” “momentum” is various forces cooperating with heroes following inherent interest thinking. Such “momentum” doesn’t appear from nowhere, but is fixed by predecessors leaving “shared interest good karma.”
Northern Da Yao has some treacherous ones who overdraw trust, destroy consensus behind contracts, making contract-keeping unprofitable.
Xuan Chong views those lowlifes as negative examples, to leave capital for posterity to achieve great things.
During this southern expedition, although Xuan Chong flew the flag of opening trade routes and expeditioning against Evil Moon.
But along the way, it wasn’t based on upholding correctness, but accumulating “momentum,” though the good fruits of this “momentum” may take hundreds or even thousands of years to ripen.
Xuan Chong gazed at the heavens: “I can achieve things also thanks to predecessors’ accumulation, so I should leave some for posterity too.”
In the sky, facing Xuan Chong’s gaze, clusters of black clouds obscured Evil Moon, or rather, Evil Moon hid behind the clouds.
As Xuan Chong kept not lowering his head, Evil Moon kept hiding without emerging.
Finally Xuan Chong uttered: “All changes must follow causality.” Then he lowered his head.
…System checks this sentence…
On Evil Moon’s blue part, golden computation data streams began permeating all interfaces, triggering chain reactions for all believers connected to the blue knowledge base.
Far away nine thousand nine hundred ninety li, Xian Daoren suddenly spat a mouthful of blue blood, his expression confused, subconsciously seeking “Clear Spirit Dao Ancestor’s” blessing, but suddenly felt dizzy and dazzled.
He was pulled by a golden force to something like a desk, forced to immerse (reflect) in his past thinking.
Xian Daoren’s memories from his transmigrator period were flipped out by the “golden force,” the altered and erased parts all marked one by one.
He was remotely controlled, he was instigated, he was proud of his masterpieces, but actually just a puppet.
Finally, in confusion, Xian Daoren recalled he was a transmigrator. The original ideas and initial ideals self was so unfamiliar?
Xian Daoren looked at his hands, murmuring: “Me? Who am I?” When that very useful third eye was forcibly closed, in his long-forgotten dual-eye perspective, only confusion remained.
Evil Moon’s vast will was furious; a golden firewall built in Xian Daoren’s mind, tampering was stopped. This was open sabotage. — However, Xian Daoren seemed to have sunk for a very, very long time, and finally no longer obsessed over “who the past self really was,” but gritted his teeth firmly: “Now I am me.”
Although Xian Daoren and Xuan Chong are ten thousand li apart! But the bright moon in the sky, at the ends of the earth shared at this moment.
Thus, Evil Moon that had just hid in the clouds emerged from behind, glaring with hatred at Xuan Chong with “insight” ability. Thus the blessing began!
Evil Moon’s space-warping tentacles descended, of course not daring to touch Xuan Chong’s main camp, where his killing intent condensed Vermilion Bird Fire information; deep in the earth, Vermilion Bird coordinates were ready to bite Evil Moon’s filthy hand.
Outside Griffon City, among the besieging Horned People, two brothers suddenly felt the boon from their worshipped “magic energy god,” their head horns starting to shine brightly.
But this blessing mixed in some different power, after all, the golden power’s tampering was very deep.
In mutation, one Horned People’s horn turned golden, becoming a warrior; while the other brother’s horn turned silver, becoming a Master.
The two thousand besieging Horned People, after their boss obtained this powerful blessing energy, bowed even more devoutly to the magic moon.
…Task begins…
Outside Griffon City walls, numerous Feather Tribe trembled watching the vast magic energy gather on these two brothers. And below, Horned People warriors sharpening their head horns with whetstones.
The commander in the city was horrified and ordered all Feather Tribe soldiers to raise shields to the city wall, repair the city wall. But distant Horned People hammered siege rams with stones.
This siege ram was suspended on a whale bone frame crossbeam, swinging back and forth via straw rope suspension. The dents in Feather Tribe city walls were smashed by this siege ram, but now this siege ram with “heavy wood” hanging below was left at the city wall base, as Horned People lifted the whale bone frame and withdrew.
Griffon City palace dome was imprinted with a Storm Sea map; in the palace, nobles discussed what to do next. Because other city-states remained stationary on Griffon City’s crisis.
In this stalemate, a Feather Tribe princess named Xi Yuan said to her father king: “I think we should personally meet that corps force that crossed over from the black woods.”
Griffon City’s king and numerous Generals said nothing to this suggestion, appearing awkward in silence.
They had long known of the foreign force shuttling Thorn Ridge from the North, even knowing of Northern Da Yao force. Because every few years, trade caravans pulling silk northward include Griffon City nobles.
Notably, Xuan Chong’s expedition here lacked understanding of Feather Tribe city-state upper echelons, completely unaware of market prices for silk and spirit-patterned porcelain. Given his previous life selling rare earths without knowing their importance across the ocean, he hasn’t done large-scale sales yet, only trading small amounts during marches with locals, hinting to Feather Tribe city-states of “his existence” through trade.
So how could Griffon City not know of Wu Family Army’s power? As for whether “order or chaos,” they all know clearly. But! These Griffon City nobles at this moment deliberately ignored for various reasons.
Reasons are two.
1: Any civilization, out of their own arrogance, feels certain shame seeking aid from foreign races in their own crisis.
2: Storm City has already reached an allied forces pact with Yao Army, and promised to relieve Griffon City; many Griffon City nobles think they just need to wait.
But Griffon City can’t afford to maintain restraint any longer; after Princess Xi Yuan broke the paper on “directly seeking aid from Northern foreign races,” seeing no opposition from father and brothers, she mounted the best griffin and headed to Wu Family Army camp.
…NPC with exclamation mark overhead…
Ten hours later, Xuan Chong looked at the “far-traveling” princess and smiled.
He sneered inwardly: “Took this long to come, so clueless! Doesn’t know the rules of greasing palms when seeking favors.”
“Greasing palms” is a bad habit in bureaucratic systems, but in international politics, it’s necessary. Even a small country hugging the biggest thigh can’t boss around other countries or righteously ask same-camp countries for help.
(Weak country) After acting grandson must act son, after becoming son, must worship big brother. As for why so troublesome? Ask why the (weak country) is so weak yet stirred up trouble?
Xuan Chong invited her to his “zoo.” This zoo has over forty “four-footed land birds,” over a dozen of which, due to good nutrition and Herb Restoration Liquid drip on wings, began griffinizing. But Xuan Chong’s team lacks taming methods. Zhao Xian Zhong’s griffin back then was subdued by killing intent, a unique case. If that griffin had submitted slower, it would have been turned dumb by killing intent.
After Xuan Chong stated his needs, this princess quickly understood and offered to stay as hostage, teaching Wu Family Army griffin taming techniques.
Xuan Chong immediately responded positively: “Our strategic development has common ground. Future cooperation prospects are long-term.”
Xuan Chong heard these words so much in his previous life his ears grew calluses, but only understood after thirty: this is a big country’s polite hint to a small country of “what you can offer in exchange.”
And after joint broadcasts, small countries often say: “Hope for in-depth cooperation in new energy, security fields” meaning pointing at big brother’s shelf saying “Big brother I want this!” — But internationally not everyone gets it, at least not Ah San.
Xuan Chong stared at this Feather Tribe princess, hoping she would understand.
