Above the wasteland, there was a dead silence. More than a thousand fine knights raised their heads and looked at the old man riding the dragon colt. At this moment, the air seemed to have stopped flowing.
On top of the dragon colt, Xiao Zhan's expression was as ice-like, with blood-like light flowing from his eyes:
"Who did you say died?"
You can hear the drop of a needle, and thousands of people and horses bow their heads.
An invisible momentum filled the air at this moment, and the vegetation on the wasteland seemed to have their heads lowered.
The middle-aged man who stumbled over had a pale and bloodless face. He just trembled when he heard the words and could hardly utter a complete word.
He knew very well how important Xiao Qingfeng was to the family, and he also knew that although the clan elder was an uncle and nephew, he felt like a father and a teacher.
The former has always been regarded as the legacy of this old man who has never served in the military and has no wives or children.
When he came to report the news, he was already prepared to be angered.
"Ah……"
After uttering words of unknown meaning, Xiao Zhan closed his eyes expressionlessly:
"I see."
The expected fury of thunder did not appear. The middle-aged man looked in shock, only to see the armored old man slowly turning the horse's head, raising his hand, and Qianqi followed suit.
They all headed towards the military tents and the main camp that stretched in the distance.
"Elder of the clan..."
The middle-aged man opened his mouth to speak when he heard the autumn wind whistling and a bone-chilling voice echoing:
"Follow Xiao Changfeng to search the entire city. When I return, if there is no explanation, I will cut off my head and hang it on the top of the city!"
…
…
"grown ups."
He spurred his horse forward in pursuit, and the black-armored young general was filled with worries.
As the confidant who is most familiar with Xiao Zhan, he knows that if his master does not get angry, it means that the anger in his heart has become uncontrollable, and if it does, someone will be doomed.
"I was born in a side family. I lost my father and my mother when I was young. I relied on my eldest brother's help to prevent me from starving to death on the streets. For decades, I have deeply felt his kindness and doted on my only son..."
On top of the dragon colt, under the heavy armor, there seemed to be a hint of fatigue in Xiao Zhan's voice:
"I want him to ignore everything, study literature and martial arts, and lay a solid foundation, but why doesn't he listen? In such a big family, there are foreign enemies, so how can it be the turn of a junior to take the lead?"
The young general in black armor lowered his head, feeling a little chilly in his heart as he listened to the old man's words.
"When he contacted the Jingming Building privately, I should have woken him up, but at that time I always thought that he had been well protected over the years, so it was time to stand up..."
Xiao Zhan murmured to himself in an incomprehensible tone:
"Xiao Qing, tell me, am I wrong?"
The young black-armored general gritted his teeth:
"Sir, with your order, I will lead my elite cavalry back to Tianlang Pass. If I don't avenge the young master, I will bring my head up to see him!"
"It's not stable outside the pass, how can you leave lightly?"
Xiao Zhan shook his head and refused:
"It has been more than fifty years, and both the Heavenly Wolf Court and the Dali Dynasty have long been restored! These two families are determined to kill each other. It will only be a matter of time before the war starts again."
"Wang Chongyue's coming here at this time may not be to prepare for war..."
As he spoke, Xiao Zhan felt a little unmotivated.
There will definitely be a war between the three countries. This is the consensus of many knowledgeable people. He deeply believes that, and for decades, he has made countless preparations for possible wars.
This was originally the road he paved for Xiao Qingfeng, but at this time, it seemed to have no meaning...
"Then you..."
Xiao Qing looked worried.
It is a serious crime for a general in the army to leave his post without permission, and it is an especially serious crime for a general at the border.
"I?"
Xiao Zhan laughed at himself:
"I'm going to meet our general."
…
…
Ten miles away from the military tent, on the bank of a large river, a dozen people stood with their hands down, looking at the three pitch-black iron balls that were thrown away.
boom!
boom!
boom!
The fire splashed everywhere, the mud and sand flew up, and wherever the air wave spread, the vegetation bent over.
A radius of ten feet was reduced to scorched earth.
"Tiangongyuan is not just for free after all. This thunderbolt fire bomb is quite interesting. If adopted on a large scale, the combat effectiveness of the army can be greatly improved."
Seeing this scene, the young scribe standing aside with his hands down couldn't help but nod.
On the side, several swordsmen and penmen were writing, recording the power and damage of the thunder and fire bombs, shaking their heads from time to time.
"What's the use of a bird? The two armies are facing each other. If you don't have time to throw it out, you might be shot down by the sharp archer and fall into your own army instead, right?"
A big man with a beard sneered:
"I heard that the cost of this 'Thunderbolt Fire Bomb' is more than ten taels of gold. If it is only used to kill small soldiers, it will not be worth the gain. It will be useless against expert generals.
It’s really tasteless, tasteless!”
All the generals nodded in agreement.
This thunder and fire bomb seems to be very powerful, but it is only for ordinary people. For warriors who have changed their blood, the detonation speed is really slow.
Ten feet?
Not as far as one step!
"Of course it is useless to you generals, but even if we look at the three million Ming army, how many people are as powerful as you?"
The middle-aged scribe complimented him and then said:
"Furthermore, this Thunder Fire Bullet is only in its infancy. If it matures, its power and cost will be greatly reduced. It may even replace the Divine Arm Crossbow."
"Replacing the Divine Arm Crossbow?"
Several generals looked at each other and shook their heads.
In terms of pure power, this Thunder Fire Bullet is quite impressive, but the strongest point of the Divine Arm Crossbow is its armor-piercing and gang-breaking power!
"not bad."
A few people wanted to say something, but a deep voice sounded.
Hearing this voice, everyone present closed their mouths, looked at the visitor in surprise, and saluted:
"General..."
The young scribe bowed profusely, his sleeves and robe hanging to the ground. With his peripheral vision, he saw a pair of black-soled gilt boots approaching from a distance.
"General."
The generals all seemed to have turned into quails, restraining their hands and feet, talking softly, and looking at the visitor with awe in their eyes.
The generals in the army wore many armors, but the man who came was wearing a loose black robe.
Although the robe is wide, it cannot hide the strong and muscular body underneath. Looking closer, you can see that he is tall and large, with long chest and legs, big ears and square eyes.
As you come slowly, you will feel as powerful as mountains and as heavy as the earth.
But it was none other than the number one man in the Qingzhou Army, General Wei Zhengxian.
"This thunder and fire bomb is quite interesting."
Wei Zhengxian threw the black ball in his hand and asked about its damage and cost with great interest.
Several swordsmen and penmen were busy reporting.
"Why is the General here?"
The bearded general asked with a naive smile.
"Looking for you."
Wei Zhengxian casually threw the thunder and fire bomb, and the swordsmen and pen officials were frightened to death. They grabbed it like a vicious dog and put it down cautiously before retreating.
"Find me?"
The general was stunned for a moment, a little flattered. Does the general still need to take the initiative to find me?
Immediately he looked solemn:
"The end is coming!"
"You didn't even ask what I wanted you to do, and you just agreed?"
Wei Zhengxian burst into laughter.
"Even if the general wants the general to die, the general will not hesitate at all."
The battle will return.
"There's no need to die."
Wei Zhengxian stood with his hands behind his back:
"Zhao Jinglong obeys the order!"
"The end is here!"
Zhao Jinglong knelt on one knee.
"I have ordered you to return to Tianlang Pass, release the six-door prisoner Yang Prison, and retrieve the secret order. This matter is urgent. Set out immediately and leave under the starry night without any mistakes!"
Wei Zheng first stood with his hands behind his back.
"If there is any delay, please come and see me!"
Zhao Jinglong stood up, without any delay, turned on his horse, heard a long neigh, and drove away.
Not even a single question.
The other generals looked at it with eager eyes. They had not received military orders from the general in many years.
"Okay, let's go."
Seeing several generals looking at them eagerly, Wei Zhengxian smiled dumbly, waved his hand and told them to go away, and went to try out the new weapons sent by Tiangong Institute.
Thunderbolt and fire bombs are just one of them.
"May I ask, General, if something happened at Tianlang Pass?"
The young scribe did not disperse, but took a few steps closer and asked in a low voice.
"Lu You?"
Wei Zhengxian picked up the weapon casually and said casually:
"Wang Muzhi, who are you?"
The young scribe did not dare to be negligent and bowed in reply: "Returning to the general, I have had the honor of listening to Master Wang's lectures, and I have always treated him as a teacher."
"Teacher pays homage to him? That means there is no entrance wall, and he is not a registered disciple, right? No wonder he was sent to Qingzhou, a bitter and cold place."
Wei Zheng was fiddling with his weapons first, and the young scribe who spoke directly blushed.
"The general is wrong! Although the students have not yet entered the academy, Qingzhou came here on their own initiative, and they definitely did not come because they were reprimanded!"
Lu You blushed and defended.
"Yeah?"
Wei Zheng smiled first and changed the subject:
"General, I have read your proposal before. You listed the top ten shortcomings in the army, but you don't know which ones are more serious and how to solve them?"
"General, have you seen the students' suggestions?"
Lu You was surprised and happy. He straightened his clothes and began to express his feelings:
"According to students, among the ten major problems in the army, the most serious one is Xiao Zhan! He controls the most elite 40,000 troops, and the rest of the commanders follow his lead. His power is no less than that of a general..."
At this point, he glanced at Wei Zhengxian, who was still fiddling with his weapons. Sensing his pause, he just motioned for him to continue speaking without any change in his expression.
"As far as the students know, half of the generals in each department are his confidants, or have inextricable connections with him..."
"...These things, every one of them, are all taboos for the superior. Doesn't the general really know this?"
Lu Youzhi's mouth went dry as he spoke, but looking at General Gujing Bubo's face, great frustration suddenly rose in his heart.
"Why are not you talking?"
Wei Zhengxian stopped and asked:
"In your opinion, what should I do, general?"
Lu You pursed his lips and said:
"According to the students, the general should first collect all the generals and schools, then mix and combine his troops, and move them away from Tianlang Pass. If they dare to resist, they can take advantage of the situation..."
While he was speaking, he kept paying attention to the general's face. Suddenly, he saw the smile on the general's face and his voice.
"What do you think?"
Who thought?
Lu You was shocked. Before he could react, he heard a hoarse and cold voice coming from behind:
"General, you are guilty!"
Wow!
Amidst the sound of armor leaves scraping together, Lu You turned around stiffly and saw Xiao Zhan, who had a face as black as iron, walking over.