FVN Answer to Chapter 45
Answer to Chapter 45
"Unless the Battle Hall is confident it can turn the tables and defeat Huan Chenbuwu!"
"Otherwise, agreeing to let us pass would be like inviting a wolf into the house, leading to our own destruction!"
"But with no advantage in terms of timing, location, or popular support, where does the War Hall's leader get the courage to devour Huan Chenbuwu?"
"Could it be that the Lord of the War Hall isn't some far-sighted and shrewd strategist at all, but simply an arrogant and conceited brute?"
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Xuanming frowned.
He simply couldn't believe that the founder and ruler of a force that had stood firm for so many years in a chaotic world would be so cunning.
"If that's the case, Mr. Yue's provocation would be the most effective tactic." Xuanming sighed silently, rejecting the guess.
"Oh, right, sir, how could I have forgotten about you!"
Xuanming quickly grabbed a piece of white paper, ignoring the ink on the previous one which was still wet, and placed it directly on top, writing the four characters "假道伐虢" (meaning "borrowing a path to conquer Guo").
Why did you specifically choose to use the pretense of attacking Guo?
"If the leader of the War Hall weren't a reckless fool, he would likely see through any tactic, whether it's a feigned attack or a provocation, and the outcome would be the same."
Xuanming picked up his pen again, adding that intractable knot after "borrowing a path to conquer Guo".
Why is Zhan Tang able to guarantee that he will be the final victor?
"For the War Hall to agree to allow passage, it must be confident in its ability to deal with Huan Chen's martial prowess!"
"No, that's not enough. The Battle Hall's gains are too small with just that. He needs to be confident he can destroy Huan Chen Bu Wu!"
"Sir, you knew the chances of this plan succeeding were slim, yet you still used it; there must be some deeper meaning behind it."
After a moment's thought, Xuanming wrote the words "bait" under the phrase "borrowing a way to attack Guo".
"These kinds of schemes, so easily seen through, are usually deliberately baited, designed to be seen through!"
As Xuanming pondered, he suddenly had a bold guess.
"Could it be that this very plan made Zhan Tang see the possibility of destroying Huan Chen Bu Wu?"
"It even gives the Battle Hall a very high degree of confidence that this possibility can become a reality!"
"That's why the Lord of the War Hall followed the Master's advice and remained inactive when the main city of the Demon Cave was vulnerable; he wanted to win on both sides!"
"But it's just a matter of borrowing a passage, so why is the Battle Hall so confident?"
Xuanming wrote down the four characters "Huan Chen Bu Wu" again, and then began to think about how to defeat Huan Chen Bu Wu.
He first listed out all the possibilities.
Siege, assault, sowing discord, poisoning, capturing the king, burning supplies, cutting off water, guerrilla warfare, exhausting the enemy...
Once he had almost finished writing, Xuanming pondered each of the plans, considering whether the War Hall could possibly implement them.
"A siege requires that the forces outnumber the besieged significantly, and the same applies to a direct assault; neither of these conditions applies!"
Xuanming picked up his pen and crossed out "siege" and "forceful attack," then looked at "sow discord."
"Sowing discord is more suitable for the Battle Hall's situation, and it has a chance of success. Let's keep it for now!"
"Poisoning..."
Two-quarters of the plans listed on the paper were crossed out, leaving less than ten, including sowing discord, poisoning, capturing the king, and burning the grain.
Xuanming began the second round of elimination, trying to connect the remaining schemes with the "borrowing a path to attack Guo" strategy.
"The connection between poisoning and using a passageway is too far-fetched; let's set that aside for now. As for sowing discord..."
Fifteen minutes later, a glint suddenly flashed in Xuanming's eyes.
He abruptly looked up, his gaze flashing like lightning as he stared at Yue Tianji, and asked urgently, "Sir, who is the leader of the army that is using the Battle Hall as a route to directly attack the enemy's capital?"
"Bury! Soul! Emperor!" Yue Tianji slowly uttered three words, a hint of admiration in his eyes as he looked at Xuanming.
"It really is the Soul Emperor!" Xuanming suddenly stood up, his voice rising several decibels. He hadn't expected that he would actually guess correctly.
"Do you have any reason to explain?"
Xuanming was trying hard to control his excitement, warning himself not to make any of the celebratory gestures of the Dragon Kingdom.
It wasn't until quite some time after Yue Tianji finished speaking that Xuanming's emotions calmed down a bit, and he began to continue his deductions.
"This was deliberately designed by the gentleman!"
The key issue that had been troubling him had been resolved, and Xuanming felt a sudden sense of clarity, as all the confusion dissipated.
"After the Soul Emperor conquers the main city of the Demon Cave, his strength will inevitably be diminished."
"If the War Hall were to launch a full-scale attack now, and then spread the news that the Soul Emperor had killed the Lord of the Demon Cave, it would incite his subordinates to seek revenge."
He spoke faster and faster, his cheeks flushing slightly.
"With vengeful forces ahead and a deadly force behind, the Soul Emperor is caught in a dilemma!"
"No matter which side the Soul Emperor falls to, Huan Chen Bu Wu will be utterly demoralized."
"With the Demon Cave now without its master, the Battle Hall will be the biggest winner in this round!"
"The master is well aware of Zhan Tang's ambition for absolute dominance, so he personally presented this reason that left him no choice but to play along!"
"But..." Xuanming suddenly frowned slightly, as if he had noticed something was wrong.
"The intention to use this route is too obvious; under normal circumstances, no one would fall for it."
"Sir, your suggestion will surely arouse suspicion, making people suspect that it is a trap."
"Perhaps Zhan Tang can see through your true intentions and has a backup plan to intercept reinforcements."
"The key to victory or defeat thus becomes whether the Soul Emperor can hold out until reinforcements arrive!"
"But the two main cities, Zhan Tang and Mei Yao Ku, are too close to each other, and there are no dangerous places in between to block them."
"If the Battle Hall can truly utilize the Enchantress Cave to create a pincer attack on the Soul Emperor, the chances of successfully killing him will be very high!"
"What if the Soul Emperor can't hold on..."
Xuanming felt that the plan was too unpredictable, since it was Zhan Tang's territory after all.
Even if Yue Tianji's scheme succeeds, the subsequent situation will not be very favorable for Huan Chenbuwu.
"Sir, haven't you considered this? Or do you think such a risk is worth taking?"
"If it's the latter, then sir, you should have a backup plan for this situation!"
What could it be?
Xuanming sat down again and picked up the purple brush to continue his deductions.
"The solutions are either to increase reinforcements or to reduce the pursuing forces; there are essentially only these two approaches."
Xuanming stared at the two cities that were very close to each other on the paper, his mind filled with thoughts of how he could help the Burial Soul Emperor alleviate his stress.
"The Battle Hall and the Demon Cave were able to stop Huan Chen from spreading his martial arts only because of their advantageous natural defenses and terrain."
"The Soul Burial Emperor is currently deep within the valley; reinforcements must cross this formidable natural barrier!"
"But if there really is a way to overcome the formidable defenses of the Battle Hall, wouldn't Huan Chen Bu Wu just attack the Battle Hall directly..."
"No!" Xuanming was startled and involuntarily exclaimed.
"Sir, your target isn't the Demon Cave at all!" Xuanming stood up excitedly, pacing back and forth around the table as he spoke.
"It's the Battle Hall!"
"The true target of the decapitation plan has always been the War Hall!"
"No, it's not just the Battle Hall."
"I understand! Sir, you want to kill two birds with one stone!"
"First capture the main city of the Battle Hall, then take the main city of the Demon Cave!"
"Whether Zhan Tang realizes your intentions or not, he will agree to let us pass."
"Both main cities are located on the same road; to reach the Demon Cave, one must first pass through the Battle Hall!"
"As long as the Soul Emperor launches a surprise attack, first beheading the War Hall Master and seizing his main city, then attacking the Demon Cave, the risks will be greatly reduced!"
He had been misled by the old idea of "borrowing a path to attack Guo," never considering that the first country to be attacked might not necessarily be Guo.
After pouring out all the thoughts in his mind, Xuanming turned around and took a step in front of Yue Tianji, his tone filled with curiosity and admiration.
"To be able to take the head of an enemy general amidst a vast army, isn't the Soul Emperor's strength formidable?"
Yue Tianji smiled calmly, a hint of pride barely perceptible in his tone.
"Even with the combined strength of the Battle Hall and the Lord of the Demon Cave, they could not withstand five moves from the Soul Emperor."
"Without external help, there are very few in this Dark Domain who can rival the Soul Emperor."
At the same moment, a thousand miles away, in the main hall of the Heavenly Pavilion City.
The heavy obsidian palace doors were tightly shut, cutting off the outside light. Only the bronze lamps with animal heads on the walls emitted a dim flame, illuminating the imposing and somber figure on the throne.
Master of the Heavenly Pavilion!
His large, calloused hands were gripping a newly presented battle report tightly. The silk paper was deformed from being squeezed in his palm, making a faint sound as if it were about to break under the weight.
"Burial, Soul, Emperor!" The three words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with disbelief and rage.
"Just two days ago, they were troop-staffed at the edge of the Demon Cave, ready to fight until they were defeated... How could they suddenly head north, their forces aimed directly at my Heavenly Pavilion?!"
A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and a terrible idea emerged.
"Openly repair the plank road... secretly cross the Chencang pass!" The Lord of the Heavenly Pavilion suddenly stood up from his throne, his tall figure casting a huge, swaying shadow under the lamplight, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.
"What a Soul Burial Emperor! What a ruthless warrior! Attacking the War Hall and the Demon Cave is a pretense; the real target has always been the North!"