“His Majesty invites his highness king Lan Hao to discuss business in the central army.”
“Fine, I’ll go right away.”
This was still the first time Tang San participated in a military conference. He didn’t bring anyone, alone following the messenger into the army center.
The big tent in the middle of the army wasn’t lavish, the boiled cowhide tent looked thick and solid, surrounded by a steel forest of weapons, protected by the imperial guard. After following the messenger inside, Tang San discovered that there were actually more than a hundred people already inside.
Xue Beng sat in the elevated main seat, the position on his left empty, Grandmaster sitting to his right. Next were more than ten grave looking generals seated. The others all stood below.
Seeing Tang San arrive, Xue Beng stood hurriedly, personally going to meet him. The crowd of generals all looked somewhat curiously at this young Imperial Tutor. Especially when they saw Tang San bringing a trident inside. Xue Beng showed no offense, and he couldn’t help secretly praise him.
“Teacher, you came. Please sit.”
Xue Beng pulled Tang San inside, having him take the seat to his left. In fact, Tang San’s current position was below only his, above countless others.
Tang San lowered his voice:
“Your Majesty, I don’t understand military affairs. Don’t mind me, official business is urgent.”
Xue Beng nodded, gallantly returning to the main seat. His gaze swept the crowd below, and the large tent instantly grew quiet, the hundred or more military officials deferential.
“Our army has ten thousand men to a legion, you are all legion commanders. At present Our army is already less than five days travel from the Spirit Empire. The war is imminent. Gathering all generals here today is in order to concretize the battle plan. We don’t need to mention the importance of this battle to the Empire. We hope all generals can work with one heart. After we have won this battle and returned, We will provide rewards according to achievements, conferring titles accordingly.”
“Your Majesty, long live, long live, long long live.”
“Reporting to Your Majesty. At present everything is normal in the army. Advance scouts report that the Spirit Empire has already responded, gathering their army before Jialing Pass[1].”
A fifty year old general to Tang San’s right stood and gave a report. While speaking, his gaze swept Tang San, his expression somewhat apathetic. Clearly he wasn’t particularly concerned with this youngster who could sit above him.
Xue Beng said to Tang San:
“This is the Empire’s pillar, marshal Ge Long[2], titled the Nine Lives Divine Dragon. He is also number one in the empire, chief commander of the three armies[3].”
Listening to Xue Beng’s introduction, Tang San understood. No wonder this old commander wasn’t too taken with him, he was the number one person in the Heaven Dou Empire military. Even if he wasn’t above him and Grandmaster in noble ranking, in terms of actual authority he might be second only to Xue Beng. From Xue Beng’s expression as he looked at him, it was clear that this new emperor relied heavily on this marshal Ge Long. It was also no wonder this marshal was dissatisfied with having to sit below him. Judging by his presence, he should be a Spirit Douluo level power.
Ge Long wore Heaven Dou silver armor, embracing a three tined helmet. A spirit master was in the prime of his life in his fifties, and to have reached the Spirit Douluo level at such an age was quite remarkable. After all, how many geniuses like Tang San and the others could there be?
“Your Majesty, according to our analysis as well as estimations regarding those traitors, even if the Spirit Empire gathers the ten kingdoms and duchies, they can at most field six hundred thousand soldiers. This should be their limit in wartime. And with our army and the Star Luo Imperial Army attacking from north and south, they can only send around three hundred thousand troops against us, not even a third of our numbers. The terrain before Jialing Pass is flat, and even though the Spirit Empire seized the field ahead of time, they absolutely can’t stand up to us in battle. They will definitely retreat to Jialing Pass, defending from a natural stronghold. As long as they summon their spirit master legions, even with a million heroes, breaking through their defenses will be difficult beyond difficult.”
“Jialing Pass is in the center of the Heaven Spirit mountain range, a key military point. One man can hold off ten thousand there. If we want to make any contributions in this war, we must break through the pass.”
Xue Beng pondered:
“If we were to detour around the Heaven Spirit mountains and come at them from another direction?”
Ge Long frowned:
“I have also considered this option, but the feasibility is very low. First disregarding how many more days the army would have to march, in order to have a chance to go around, we would have to enter the hinterlands of the Spirit Empire. The terrain there consists mainly of hills, valleys and basins. It’s extremely unfavorable for our army. It’s on the contrary even more dangerous. Moreover, there’s also the chance for enemy troops to block our escape route. Behind Jialing Pass is a long narrow plain, leading deep into the territory of the Balack Kingdom, directly to the root of the problem. Consequently, this subject believes that breaking Jialing Pass is imperative. Only by attacking from there can we achieve the greatest benefits, entering to attack or guarding our retreat, as necessary.”
[1] Jialing Pass - (嘉陵关) “Auspicious Mountain Pass”
[2] Ge Long - (戈龙) “Spear Dragon”
[3] Three armies - Left, Right, and Center
Chapter 275: Seven Devils, Guarding, Supply Line
Listening to Ge Long, the Heaven Dou Empire generals nodded one after another, agreeing with his comments.
A seventy year old general on the right side got up:
“What marshal Ge Long says is correct, there are flat plains before and behind Jialing Pass. If we can force our way in, we will certainly be able to show the full might of our army. Even if we can’t attack, the plain behind is suitable for our retreat. At the same time, on the plains are our Empire’s three main cities watching out for each other. When retreating or defending, we won’t be pushed a thousand li in one go.”
Xue Beng nodded:
“Since that’s the case, we’ll proceed according to the plan. Only, since we can think of attacking Jialing Pass, the Spirit Empire will naturally also anticipate it. Jialing Pass has steep terrain, and is built using the mountains. The wall are a hundred meters high and a hundred meters thick. It will be very difficult for us to break through when facing the Spirit Empire’s army.”
Marshal Ge Long said:
“Your Majesty, we want to fight a war of attrition with the Spirit Empire. At present, even though the Spirit Empire looks like an iron wall, they founded the nation not long ago, and every kingdom and duchy has their own selfish motives. A war of attrition will admittedly cause us some losses, but their losses will belong to the armies of the kingdoms and duchies. It will be difficult for them to avoid being harmed unevenly. After the losses have reached a certain degree, the Spirit Empire’s morale will be in disorder. What we will do is to control the loss ration between our army and the enemy as far as possible. Our Heaven Dou Empire is vast, with millions of heroic soldiers, our logistics are replenished in a steady supply. Further adding in Star Luo Empire’s response, the circumstances will only be more and more advantageous for us the longer such a war continues. Only, this is still based on our spirit masters being able to hold off the Spirit Hall spirit master legions. State Preceptor, give us your opinion. Roughly to what degree can you resist the Spirit Empire spirit masters?”
The State Preceptor Ge Long mentioned was naturally Grandmaster.
Grandmaster said:
“King Lan Hao has already promised His Majesty to assist our spirit master regiment with the Tang Army, blocking the Spirit Empire spirit master legions, reducing the harm to the army as much as possible.”
“Oh? In other words, your highness king Lan Hao is very confident?”
Marshal Ge Long’s gaze turned to Tang San.
Tang San couldn’t help secretly nod during this marshal’s explanation just now. He had no attainments in military affairs himself, and therefore he only listened respectfully. Now that this marshal asked him, he smiled calmly:
“The battlefield is home to myriad changes, I can’t say to what degree we can block the Spirit Empire spirit masters either. But just as Teacher said, we will give our all to reduce the damage to the main force. Only, I still have some questions right now. Perhaps marshal has already thought of a way to deal with them, but I still want to remind you.”
“What questions?”
Ge Long’s eyes held some disdain. To his eyes, Tang San really was too young. Even though he also knew that Tang San had once taken the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament championship, defeating Spirit Hall’s Golden Generation, it seemed to him that Tang San was still just a talented young spirit master. To be able to sit in his current seat was even more related to him once rescuing emperor Xue Ye, achieving merits lasting until today. But to comment on military matters, what did he count as? He actually sat on his seat in this commander’s tent.
Tang San said:
“I don’t understand warfare, that will naturally all be executed according to grand marshall's arrangements. But conflicts where spirit masters participate will be very different from ordinary wars. Spirit masters have formidable personal capabilities. They might not be able to clash with your steel heroes, but they can very easily have extraordinary effects on the battlefield. For instance, if I was the Spirit Empire’s Bibi Dong, I would definitely send a spirit master squadron to circle behind our army. Grand marshal is right, we absolutely won’t fear the Spirit Empire in a war of attrition. Our army is as one, with the entire nation behind us. But, millions of men also consume equally enormous resources. When we are fighting a war of attrition with the Spirit Empire before Jialing Pass, if Bibi Dong sends spirit masters to our rear and constantly raids our supply army, influencing our provisions. In time, perhaps……”
The methods Tang San thought of were completely from a spirit master’s point of view. At his words, not only did marshal Ge Long’s expression change, Xue Beng’s face also instantly grew very unsightly.
“I’ve dispatched four light cavalry legions specially to guard our supply. Even if spirit masters are powerful, they still wouldn’t dare clash with our army. After all, it’s impossible for the Spirit Empire to send large numbers of spirit masters to sneak around our rear.”
Marshal Ge Long spoke while frowning. Even though he had also thought of what Tang San had, and had made some preparations, for some reason, after hearing Tang San’s warning he clearly felt a bit restless.
Tang San said:
“A spirit master’s speed and individual strength isn’t something ordinary soldiers can compare to. Indeed, it’s naturally impossible for the Spirit Empire’s spirit masters to confront our army head on, but they can divide and conquer. I believe that just one fire attributed spirit master with strength at a certain level, can cause enormous damage to our supply. I would ask grand marshal to please pay more attention to this. With formidable spirit masters playing tricks, if Bibi Dong just uses their harassment and remains holed up in Jialing Pass, then sorties once our supply is broken, at that time it might be difficult for us to even retreat.”
Ge Long was also a spirit master, and his cultivation wasn’t low either. Even if he was a bit disdainful to Tang San, he still conscientiously pondered what he heard. The more he thought, the uglier his expression became. Indeed, if Bibi Dong really sent large numbers of spirit masters mainly to harass, then this seemingly formidable Heaven Dou Imperial Army of millions would very possibly reveal large flaws. Just in case their supply really was cut, then the army might really collapse on itself within a few days.
“Your Highness, if I were to dispatch another portion of the army to station the towns along our supply line, and then escorting it by relay, what would you think?”
Marshal Ge Long asked Tang San. After listening to Tang San’s recommendation, his contempt decreased a bit.
Tang San praised:
“This is a good method. But as I said, if the troops encounter formidable spirit masters, it might still be very difficult to handle. How about letting me help marshal deal with this problem together. Only with stability in the rear and adequate supplies will we have full confidence to battle the Spirit Empire.”
“Teacher, what would you do?”
Xue Beng looked at Tang San, his expression doubtful.
Tang San said:
“The Speed Hall disciples of my Tang Sect are the best scouts. I need to bring a hundred to scout from the sky every day, then lead a powerful quick response spirit master force. Immediately ambushing and killing any Spirit Empire spirit masters we find, ensuring safety for the logistics. Like this, by cooperating with marshal Ge Long’s grain guarding troops, we should be able to guarantee the security of our provisions as far as possible.”
Listening to Tang San, the Grandmaster nodded repeatedly,
“This is a good plan. The supply really is too important for our millions of heroic soldiers, no mistakes can be tolerated. With king Lan Hao assisting marshal Ge Long, once the front line is stabilized and the supply line established, there’s nothing to fear in a war of attrition.”
Marshal Ge Long said:
“Then we will trouble king Lan Hao. I will dispatch the logistics forces as soon as possible, building strongholds along the way, garrisoning them with troops. Once this supply line is established, the Spirit Empire won’t have any chance to raid it.”
Next, another series of tactical discussions were held in the big tent. Xue Beng was extremely conscientious about the logistics problem Tang San raised, and separated another six legions to guard the supply. Plus the four previous light cavalry legions, that made it a hundred thousand soldiers along the supply line, ensuring unobstructed logistics.
Returning to his own camp, after Tang San discussed with everyone, he had already selected the candidates for this rear guard. Very simple, it was just them Shrek Seven Devils along with a hundred Speed Hall disciples.
Only the Shrek Seven Devils could respond the fastest. They were also strong enough to deal with an Spirit Empire spirit master incursion, and could even split into two teams. One hundred Speed Hall disciples were like a hundred eyes for them, enough to scout and report all kinds of situations ahead of time.
That Tang San appointed himself for this supply guard mission, besides confidence, was also because he didn’t want to stay in the army. Of the Shrek Seven Devils, only Dai Mubai had studied military affairs. Them following the army would not only slow them down, but would also leave them idle. Instead it was better to make an effort for the army, wiping out enemies and guarding the supply. This way they could also move freely. After all, they were accustomed to freedom.
The next morning, the Shrek Seven Devils left camp. They didn’t need horses, and left directly through the rear.
Looking at the million man army disappearing in the distance, Ma Hongjun released a long breath, looking at Tang San:
“Third brother, you really understand us! Being with the army like this really is uncomfortable. Absolutely boring. Every day it’s travelling, can’t even cultivate properly, with nothing to do. It bothers one to death. Xiangxiang is still better off, she can fly high in the sky every day, looking around everywhere. Living on Seagod Island and nervously cultivating or being in dangerous trials, returning to Heaven Dou and being this bored, really can’t get used to it!”
Naturally Ma Hongjun wasn’t alone in feeling this. Listening to his complaints, the others nodded one after another.
Xiao Wu burst into giggles:
“It sounds like our lives really are exhausting.”
Seeing Xiao Wu’s dimples, Tang San couldn’t h
elp but feel in a much better mood, grinning and looking evilly at Fatty:
“I don’t mind giving you another Nine Tang Sect Trials. If you pass, I’ll hand over my sect leader position as well as that king Lan Hao title for you. How about it, Fatty?”
Ma Hongjun snapped:
“Third brother, don’t try to tempt me. Authority to me is as fleeting as the clouds. I absolutely won’t be tricked. You just want to shirk your duties and dump it all on me.”
Oscar said:
“Speaking of, little San, how is your Eighth Seagod Trial going? Of us brothers, only you and Xiao Wu still haven’t completed your trials. Later on we also have to return to Seagod Island with you, so when are you ready to go?”
Tang Sa said:
“The Eighth Seagod Trial is already half finished, right now I just lack a few spirit rings and one last spirit bone. If I wanted to finish, making a trip to Star Dou Great Forest should be more or less enough. Only, with the war about to begin, we can’t leave before the situation has stabilized. We’re still needed here. We’ll talk about it later.”
Dai Mubai said:
“Little San, that you could resurrect Xiao Wu means your strength should have already reached the Title Douluo level, right? Yesterday there were a lot of people and you talked vaguely, what’s the story?”
Tang San sighed, pulling close the instantly paling Xiao Wu,
“It was Da Ming and Er Ming, you still remember those two great divine beasts? They were Xiao Wu’s comrades. When me and Xiao Wu arrived in Star Dou Great Forest, it was just in time to meet Bibi Dong leading people to hunt them. They were seriously injured, already beyond saving. In the end, they chose sacrifice, raising my spirit power above rank ninety. Their last wish before death was for Xiao Wu to resurrect.”
In front of their comrades, there was no need to hide anything, telling them in detail about his and Xiao Wu’s experiences in the Star Dou Great Forest. Especially telling them about the two spirits Bibi Dong showed at the time, as well as her formidable strength.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 473