Chapter 263: To attack Shu through a pretextual path, to suppress the west and the south

Chapter 263: To attack Shu through a pretextual path, to suppress the west and the south

Chapter 263: False Passage to Attack Shu, Seize the West and Suppress the South (First update, congratulations to Earth Immortal for breaking one million words~)

Fifteen days later.

Hu Yanjun and his disciple Yu Nanlin arrived late as scheduled.

"Master Guan Xuan, I am sorry for the insolence."

Hu Yanjun apologized repeatedly as soon as he entered the door.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and asked him to sit down.
"It's okay, I'm just an idle person, Brother Huyan, please sit down and talk."

Hu Yanjun sat down and saw that besides Feng Jihu, Wu Qingbo was also there, so he said,

"The last time I met you, fellow martial artist, we said we would meet again, but I didn't expect to see you so soon."

Cheng Xinzhan was a little surprised.
"Do you know?"

Hu Yanjun explained,
"I met him when I was leaving the mountain last time I came to visit the master."

"That's a coincidence. Qing Bo is my good friend and will be staying here permanently. I'm afraid that Daoist Huyan will be able to see him every time he comes."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled.

When Hu Yanjun heard what Cheng Xinzhan said, he was stunned at first, and then burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing, fellow Taoist?"

Hu Yanzhuo stroked his chest and said,
"The last time we met outside the mountain, my martial arts friend asked me what kind of person you are. It turned out that he wanted to test whether I had said bad things about you behind your back!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qingbo just bowed and smiled.

After an episode, Hu Yanjun said to Cheng Xinzhan,

"I'm really sorry, Master. I'm late for the appointment. Oh, I didn't expect such a big change to happen on that day."

"Is it about the South?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

Hu Yanjun nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure the master has heard about it. Now that Miaojiang has been lost, the southern troops are heading straight for our Shu territory. Now the whole Shu is shaken, and the alliance has been holding discussions for days. It was not until today that I was able to get away."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan said,

"I don't know what Xuanmen is planning now. It would be convenient to reveal it, but if it is a confidential matter, forget it."

Hu Yanjun thought about it and said,
"It's hard to talk about the details, but it doesn't matter if you tell the Taoist priest about the general direction. Besides, I'm sure that after a while, when there's a big movement, the Taoist priest will naturally know."

"I am all ears."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

"The general direction will definitely change. Previously, we were advancing west and defending south, and advancing was the main thing, and defending was secondary. But now, the southern faction is so fierce, so although the policy of advancing west and defending south will not change, it will definitely be defending first, and advancing will be secondary.

"That is to say, a large number of personnel will be withdrawn from Xikang and moved to southern Sichuan."

Hu Yanjun told the truth.

Cheng Xinzhan heard this and said,

“But now the Xikang demon-chasing campaign has reached its final critical juncture. The Xuanxin Temple is located at the border between Xikang and Tubo, so it doesn’t count. Looking throughout Xikang, there is only one White Bone Temple.

"If we withdraw our forces now, the area of ​​the Five Rivers of Xikang is so vast and sparsely populated. I am afraid that once the high-ranking cultivators of the Xuanmen Sect leave, the demon cultivators who are temporarily dormant in the Xuanxin Temple and the White Bone Monastery, as well as the demon leaders who fled before, will probably reappear like bamboo shoots after the rain during the Jingzhe season."

Hu Yanjun nodded repeatedly and sighed,

"What the Taoist said is absolutely true. Xikang has indeed reached a critical juncture. After years of hard work, the harvest is about to come, but the situation on the southern border of Shu is even more urgent!
"The alliance has been discussing for so many days, arguing every day, and it is difficult to make a decision. However, with the strength of Shuzhong alone, it is indeed difficult to resist the south and advance west. The problem is that we have to focus on one thing and lose the other.

"Ah! This year's Jingzhe really gave us a big shock. The timing of this green-robed old demon was so perfect!"

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Cheng Xinzhan suddenly thought that the Green Robe Patriarch's sudden ruthless move, besides taking advantage of the right time, was he also trying to save Zhao by attacking Wei?

"But the situation will not wait for us to slowly make up our minds. On the day of Jingzhe, Xin Chenzi personally ordered tens of thousands of demon soldiers to march north, out of Loushan Pass, and headed straight for the Yangtze River. They almost destroyed the Lingyun Sword Pavilion that Emei had deployed on the Simian Mountain in Jiangjin.

"As soon as the news came back, Madam Miaoyi rejected all the opinions and said, 'First make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to be defeated.' This set the tone and strategy of drawing from the west to help the south."

Hu Yanjun said.

Cheng Xinzhan understood as soon as she heard it. Lingyun Sword Pavilion in southern Shu was where her beloved son Qi Jinchan was. She was very anxious.

So he smiled when he heard it.

Hu Yanjun knew what he was laughing at and laughed along with him.

"Then will Fellow Daoist Huyan also go?"

Hu Yanjun nodded.

"Yes, the current situation in Shu is that Wuling and Xikang serve as buffers in the east and west, and only the north and south face the Demon Sect. However, there are still righteous sects in Longyou and Guanzhong in the north, and the northern sect is still unable to march south in large numbers. Only the south is almost unified by the Green Robe Patriarch, and the south is connected to the sea. The demon soldiers are endless, which is a great concern.

"The alliance said that we should build nine cities north of the Yangtze River and along the border between Shu and Miao to defend against the southern faction. I also want to build a city."

At this time, Hu Yanjun sighed again,
"To be honest, the Southern Faction's sudden use of Miao as a transit point to attack Shu really caught us off guard. After all, the Miao and Zhuang people have been fighting for so many years, and it's no exaggeration to say that their hatred is as deep as the sea. They actually let the Southern Faction pass through their borders."

Cheng Xinzhan could understand the Miao people, so he said,
"Because in previous years no one could do anything to anyone else, but this time, Lu Pao has completely cut off the Miao people's retreat from the right time and right people, and they have no choice."

Hu Yanjun nodded, "That's true, and this time it was thanks to Emei that they took the lead in setting up sword pavilions everywhere. To be honest, we all thought that Emei took a big step at the beginning. Now it seems that Master Miaoyi was far-sighted. If it weren't for Cuiping Sword Pavilion, Lingyun Sword Pavilion and Heliang Sword Pavilion guarding southern Shu and controlling the Yangtze River, the southern demon soldiers would probably have rushed directly into Bashu this time."

"Fellow Daoist Huyan, tell me, Master Miaoyi sent his two children to southern Shu a few years ago. Did he think it was safe there, or did he foresee the current demonic threat and want them to be the backbone?"

Cheng Xinzhan said with a half-smile.

Hu Yanjun's eyes flickered, and then he laughed out loud.

"How can we guess the real person's thoughts? By the way, Master, my flying sword has been repaired. Now that the war is imminent, my flying sword must be filled with devil blood."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and nodded, then waved his hand, and the flying sword on Lan Qi flew over and stopped in front of Hu Yanjun.

Hu Yanjun took the flying sword and looked down. As expected, the evil fire green spots were gone. He then transferred his magic power and divine thoughts to try again. There was no sense of hindrance at all. He was overjoyed.

"The master of the temple is truly a divine skill!"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled slightly.

Hu Yanjun put away the flying sword, took out a golden box from his arms, handed it to Cheng Xinzhan, and said,
"Thank you for your help, Master. Hu Yan also has a small gift to offer."

Cheng Xinzhan waved his hand when he saw this.
"Meeting is fate. You are the first Qingcheng Taoist master I have ever met. It's just a small favor. Forget it, forget it."

Hu Yanjun refused.

"Master, you are wrong. My flying sword has delayed your practice for a few days. How can I not express my gratitude? Moreover, if the first Qingcheng Taoist priest you meet is a person who does not know etiquette and morality, my master will punish me if he finds out. If you don't mind the gift being too small, please accept it."

Seeing that Hu Yanzhuo insisted, Cheng Xinzhan stopped refusing, took the golden box, and put it into the cave stone without opening it.

"In that case, I will accept it with audacity."

"That's how it should be."

Hu Yanjun replied with a smile, then looked at Yu Nanlin and winked at him.

Yu Nanlin understood, stood up, took out a wooden box from his arms, walked to Feng Jihu, held it with both hands, and said,
"Thank you for your guidance, Taoist priest. I have recovered after returning to the mountain. I came here to thank you."

Feng Jihu also declined upon seeing this.
"It's just a piece of cake for me. No need to thank me."

Yu Nanlin was able to stand out from the Yu family's multiple rounds of selection and be sent to the famous "Thunderfire Golden Sword" in Qingcheng Mountain. Although he had high vision and arrogant personality, he was also smart and clever. He answered immediately,
"A word from the Taoist priest is just a small favor, but for me, it is a matter of great importance to my family and cultivation. My reward should not be calculated based on the Taoist priest's hard work, but based on the benefits I have gained."

Everyone in the temple's eyes lit up when they heard this. Cheng Xinzhan even said to Hu Yanjun who was sitting next to him,
"Fellow Daoist, you have found a good disciple."

Hu Yanjun was also very happy to hear this, because this was not what he taught.

Feng Jihu also smiled when he heard this and said,

"My friend, your insights are unique and refreshing to me. I will accept them."

By the time the girl returned to her seat, the atmosphere in the temple had become harmonious again. After the boy served more tea, they continued chatting.

"Fellow Daoist, I wonder what you mean by pulling Xi to help Nan? You can't let Xikang go all of a sudden, right?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

"That's natural."

Hu Yanjun said,

"It's still the same eight words, 'Advance west and defend south, defend first and advance second', advancing west is just secondary, it doesn't mean giving up. What the master said just now is pertinent. If we retreat too quickly to the west, the devil will definitely come back, and our years of hard work will be in vain.

"Going west is our Xuanmen's thousand-year plan. Previously, we planned to clear the entire territory, sort out the mountains and rivers, and then move people to Sichuan and fill Kang, creating a blessed land step by step.

"So, expelling the demon is only the first step, and the subsequent tidying up of the mountains and rivers is what takes a lot of energy. Xikang is a rare and good place with five rivers flowing together and mountains crisscrossing it. However, it has been ruined by the demon for thousands of years. After the mountains and rivers are carefully sorted out, it will definitely be a blessed land that is not inferior to the "Duguan Wilderness".

"But now, I, Xuanmen, definitely don't have the energy to follow the plan step by step. No matter how good Xikang is, our roots are in Shuzhong, and Bashu must not be lost.

“So, for Xikang, first we have to slow down our pace, not take over the entire territory, suspend expansion, and first protect the land we have cleared.

"The northern boundary of Xikang was originally planned to be the source of the Yalong River and the Yellow River. However, since the White Bone Monastery has not yet been destroyed and the Northern Sect has been reinforcing the White Bone Monastery, we are currently planning to establish a small northern boundary south of the Queer Mountain Glacier, with the east-west Zengqu River as the boundary. Now the people besieging the White Bone Monastery will gradually withdraw, with some going to southern Sichuan and others guarding the small northern boundary to prevent the demon from moving south.

"The western border of Xikang was originally planned to reach Nujiang River, but Xuanxin Temple has been defending the river and gathering strength. We are unable to deal with it in the short term, so the western side is preparing to retreat to Jinsha River. Just like the northern side, some will go to southern Sichuan and some will defend the river."

Hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan asked,
"Are you going to set Xiaoxijie directly to the Jinsha River? Are you going to leave the Lancang River alone?"

Hu Yanjun shook his head.

"The Nu River, Lancang River and Jinsha River in Kangxi flow together and are too close to each other. After the Nu River is the Maha River. It is too risky to put Xiaoxijie on the Lancang River."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded upon hearing this.

"Too."

"The original plan for the southern boundary of Xikang was to reach the southern section of the Jinsha River, that is, the section from the south to the east, in order to occupy some of Dianwen's land. However, the terrain in southern Kang is extremely complex, and there are many small demon temples that have not been cleared out. In addition, the demon problem in Dianwen is also serious, so the small southern boundary will retreat directly to the Baima Snow Mountain-Lugu Lake-Qionghai line.

"As for the eastern border, there is nothing to say. It still goes to the Dadu River and directly borders our Shu area."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, thought for a moment, and said,

"In this case, 'Little Xikang' only accounts for 40% of the territory of Central Xikang that Xuanmen envisioned."

"Given the current situation, it would be good if Xiaoxikang can hold on and manage well."

Hu Yanjun said.

(End of this chapter)