Chapter 537: Entering the Mountain, the Great Demon King Mu (1)
October in Penglai Xiandao is supposed to be the season when the sky is filled with maple leaves.
But now, a war is taking place in this land, which is known as having one of the best scenery in the fairyland. It is sweeping across the whole country with the force of a prairie fire.
The East Horrai Empire led by Sikong and Katori pursues high-pressure militarism, controls 80% of the original military strength, and has the support of a large number of immortal sects. It can be said that it has a strong army and even declares to the outside world that it will end the war before winter comes.
The Xi Penglai Empire, represented by Baili and Shen Bairu, advocates a democratic society where everyone is equal. Its moderate policies have won the support of a large number of civilians, and many sects and forces who yearn for peace have taken refuge here.
But the most important thing is that the once silent Cangyun Empire, under the leadership of the new empress, showed extremely strong diplomatic methods and brazenly joined forces with Baili and Shen Bairu.
Not only did a huge fleet carry hundreds of thousands of troops to land on Penglai Immortal Island, but they also mobilized their own network to make a number of allies also choose to side with Xi Penglai, including Jin Fuxuan, the super power of the immortal world such as the Medical Saint Family.
The war started, and the entire fairy world was in turmoil. Most forces chose to sit back and watch, but some forces chose to seek wealth and wealth through danger. A large number of mercenaries entered Penglai Fairy Island for various reasons and joined the armies of both sides.
But what is surprising is that the Blacksmith Guild, which has always remained neutral, has publicly condemned Dong Penglai's tyrannical rule on various occasions and expressed its determination to support the Cangyun Empire and West Penglai in restoring order to the Immortal Kingdom.
The wrestling between all parties in the Immortal Realm did not affect the spread of the war in Penglai itself. With the border between the two countries as the central axis, fierce battles continued to be staged.
At the beginning, West Penglai was at an absolute disadvantage. Both the number of troops and the scale of energy stone equipment were far inferior to those of East Penglai.
There is also a huge gap at the tactical level. After all, the officers in East Penglai have been in the army for many years, while the senior officials in West Penglai, including Baili and Shen Bairu, were not involved in actual combat command.
Under such circumstances, the defeat in the battle was not surprising. In just three days, Xi Penglai lost more than one-fifth of its territory.
Fortunately, Baili responded quickly, and after negotiating with the Cangyun Empire's expeditionary force, command of a large portion of the main battlefield was handed over to Liu Chong.
This not only eliminates the gap between the two armies, but also allows tactical ideas and orders to be conveyed to the grassroots soldiers more smoothly. With the command of Liu Qingling, Pu Hui and other famous generals, the Xi Penglai side, which is already more cohesive, has shown
Amazing toughness.
For a whole month after that, Higashi Horai's army could not advance an inch further. What Sikong and Katori thought would be a devastating situation gradually turned into a protracted tug-of-war.
The complexity of the battle situation on the front line did not affect the mission of Li Mu's team. After suffering heavy losses in the Beishan Canyon, they paid more attention to hiding their identities.
In addition to using disguise masks as a standing measure, the five of them also tried their best to avoid traveling at the same time. They collected intelligence in groups of two, or even acted alone.
More than a month of going deep behind enemy lines gave everyone a new understanding of Dong Penglai's social ecology. Whether in large cities or rural towns, the common people's evaluation of the rulers was just one word: "Heartless and crazy."
After the failure of the Cangyun Empire's invasion war, the Penglai Immortal Kingdom was divided. Sikong and Katori, who lost half of their territory, set up various exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes within the East Penglai area in order to make up for the loss of the fleet as soon as possible. The level of onerousness is absolutely unprecedented.
.
In addition, in order to replenish the troops, the policy of compulsory enlistment was also implemented. All men between the ages of fourteen and sixty-five must unconditionally obey the army's arrangements. This kind of measure of killing the goose to obtain the eggs made the entire Dong Penglai people miserable.
In the face of growing opposition, Sikong and Katori acted as if they were possessed by a demon, and adopted bloody methods to suppress the protesters. No matter you were a commoner, a noble, a wealthy businessman, or even a monk, as long as you disobeyed, you would be punished.
The end result is death.
The Liushui Three Sword Sect is the most typical example. This sect has been developing for hundreds of years in the Penglai Immortal Kingdom. It also has a master of the Tribulation Realm who is in charge. However, because he openly opposed Sikong's policies, he was massacred overnight.
Door.
It is said that that night, no one was left alive in the mountain gate of Liushui Three Sword Sect, including the monster beasts, cats and dogs they raised, and blood was left all along the stairs, forming a pool of blood at the foot of the mountain.
Such a governance model in which military administration and centralization go hand in hand have indeed suppressed the scattered public sentiment in a short period of time, and even grassroots soldiers have chosen to obey orders out of fear.
Coupled with the contributions of many interest groups surrounding the most powerful person, Sikong and Katori actually created an army with strong combat effectiveness. If it were not for the help of the Cang Yun Empire Expeditionary Force, Xi Peng Lai's original strength alone
, it is really not impossible to be defeated in three days.
In an ordinary wing room, Li Mu took off the Yi Rong mask he had worn for several days, stretched his hands and feet, and drank the herbal tea in front of him in one gulp.
"Senior Brother Bai and Senior Brother Jin discovered the remains of a brave man in a dangerous place eighty miles north. According to legend, when the nine-tailed fox wreaked havoc on the world, it was this brave man who sacrificed himself and sealed the great demon."
"According to the records in the ancient books we found, the 'container' that originally carried the nine-tailed fox was in the ruins. Tomorrow they are going to go down to the ruins to see if they can find any clues."
"Also, Elder Li Shu has tracked down the possible hiding place of the Yamata no Orochi and is continuing to explore based on the narrative in the Penglai myth. There should be news in the next few days."
"In addition, the rumors of Nekomata point to Dabanchang City, and the clues of Chongming insect demon appear near Penglai City..."
It was Xiaomomoru who was flipping through the thick documents and constantly reporting on the progress of the mission. She and Li Mu formed a partnership, while the other three acted separately.
What is the real conspiracy of the "Blood" organization and what are the means of mass destruction mastered by Dong Penglai? These are the things they urgently want to know.
"There is no problem with the direction of our investigation. In the past month, we have discovered no less than a hundred bizarre cases. The various enemies scattered in Dong Penglai have men in black robes behind them. And all the things they do are related to the ancient times.
It’s related to the great demon.”
Li Mu rubbed his temples. Whether it was his intuition or the results of countless clues put together, it showed that the "Blood" organization and Dong Penglai had plans for these mythical monsters.
"That's right, what we are tracing is only within the territory of East Penglai. After receiving the information, Lord Baili has also sent a special person to investigate the clues about the ancient demon in West Penglai. The conclusion basically reached is the same as we guessed."
Although the fog is still there, both of them feel that they are getting closer to the truth.
"Tomorrow we will set off into the mountains, hoping to find clues about King Mu. He is a legendary demon who can control the power of water and fire."