The students of the academy were a.s.sembling urgently.
While the higher-ups were still in a meeting.
Inside the conference room of the Sky Academy, the atmosphere was oppressive and solemn.
The president Zhuang Huayang, the vice president, the director of teaching Gu Yunxia, the chief of the tactical staff Cao Huazhang…
All the higher-ups in the Sky Academy, except for Tribulation, who was doing closed-door training, including the leaders of the teachers of different lessons, has almost attended the meeting.
The meeting room was thronged with people.
Zhuang Huayang, president of the Sky Academy, however, did not sit on the special seat that was prepared for the most important person. Not to mention that special seat, even the several seats near it didn’t belong to him. Several elderly and middle-aged men in military uniform or plain clothes occupied the special seat and the several seats near it. Therefore, Zhuang Huayang only got an upper-middle seat.
In Zhongzhou State, no matter what systems and what level the meetings were, people were very particular about seniority. Everyone should take a seat according to their seniority. As the president of the Sky Academy, Zhuang Huayang was also a General in the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State, however, he could only get an upper-middle seat. Through this point, one could see the high standard of this meeting.
The meeting room was pervaded by silence. Everyone was holding a list of names and staring at it. There were not many names on the list, but they all carried a lot of weight. So no one spoke until everyone looked back and forth several times.
“Please express your opinions.”
On the special seat in the meeting room, a fierce old man in military uniform quietly put down the list and said in a deep voice after glancing around.
The old man looked at least sixty or seventy years old, but there was no sign of oldness on him. His hair was gray, and because of his old age, he wore a pair of reading gla.s.ses when he read the list, but the look in his eyes behind the gla.s.ses was fierce and sharp. As he glanced around the room, suddenly, heavy pressure pervaded the meeting room. Everyone unconsciously straightened up, looking more and more serious.
The meeting room remained silent.
The old man frowned slightly and grew increasingly solemn. Irrelevant to Martial Arts, it was the momentum that could only be formed by staying at a high position for a long time. The old man was tough, bold, and domineering, and his every move carried an aura of enforcement.
“Old Zhuang, talk about it.”
His gaze finally fell on the face of Zhuang Huayang, and he said in a calm tone.
Zhuang Huayang subconsciously straightened up and coughed to clear his throat. This was no ordinary chat. As the president of the Sky Academy whose words carried weight, he may have much seniority. But when it came to power, he couldn’t really get to the front of the line. Now that the old man on the special seat asked him to talk, he had to talk.
Because in a sense, the old man on the special seat was the real No.1 military man in Zhongzhou State. Although it was actually Gu Xingyun who dominated the Special Warfare Group of Zhongzhou State currently, at least on the surface, the old man in front of him was the supreme leader of the Special Warfare Group.
The old man was Qi Beicang, a member of the Decision Making Committee of Zhongzhou State and also the Minister of Army Headquarters!
He was the Minister of Army Headquarters, not the Vice Minister.
When the Academics took over the highest power of Zhongzhou State from the Prince Group, the Prince Group and the Special Warfare Group united to put Qi Beicang where he was today and helped him remove the word “vice” from his t.i.tle. Only the person involved could feel how cruel this move was and how acute the pain was. If the Academics was not really in a difficult situation, it would not be in a hurry to cooperate with the Giant Group and Dongcheng Clan.
Various of ideas flashed through Zhuang Huayang’s mind, but he stayed calm and collected. He said calmly with a smile, “I fully agree with the operation plan of the Army Headquarters. The Sky Academy will cooperate fully with the Army Headquarters. The names of the second batch of elites will be reported to the Army Headquarters and Kunlun City within three days.”
Qi Beicang nodded. These words may sound quite empty, but at least it showed the att.i.tude of Zhuang Huayang. His dignified gaze turned and finally fell on a plain middle-aged man with a pair of extremely sharp eyes beside him. “Dongsheng, what do you think?”
Qi Beicang, the Minister of Army Headquarters!
Ye Dongsheng, the G.o.d of Army in Zhongzhou State.
Dongcheng Wudi, the G.o.d of Ma.s.sacre in Zhongzhou State.
These were the only three generals in the military today. Although in the Special Warfare System, Gu Xingyun and the newly appointed Gu Qianchuan had the military rank “General” as well, the concealment of the Special Warfare System doomed them both to be impossible to be exposed in the eyes of the public. Therefore, the three military generals were known as the three of the highest military rank in Zhongzhou State.
They represented the Special Warfare Group, the Southeast Group, and the Giant Group respectively.
Although their stances differed from each other, it was the time for them to cooperate fully with each other. Even if they harbored different ideas, their goal was the same, and as a result, they would attach less importance to their stances.
Ye Dongsheng looked at the list in front of him in silence for a moment.
The list that was distributed to everyone was not long, but it was by no means short. At the top of the sheet was the list of people watching the fight.
Wuji Sword Master from East Island.
Jifeng Sword Sage from East Island.
Huan Kong, the Lord of Fantasy World.
Chaos, the Commander of Knights Templars.
Jiang Qiannian, the Second Master of the Jiang family in South America.
The names of the five Invincible Realm experts were the most notable on the entire list.
The five people, or we could say, the five forces, were not the only ones who were going there to watch the fight. It was just that other forces planned to send experts at the Peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm here. They were not that powerful, so for the time being, they were among those who could be put on the back burner.
Below the list of visitors was the names of the forces in Zhongzhou State. The Sky Academy, Deep-sea Academy, Border Praetorian Corps, the four theatres of operations, Shadow Sting Army, the military region of Beihai, Kunlun City, and all the major Special Operations Bureaus were on the list.
Among these densely distributed names, many were very familiar to Ye Dongsheng. He looked at them silently for a long time before he smiled and said, “There’s nothing wrong with the plan. If we execute it well, nothing will go wrong in the early stage. As for the future, we will make further plans in Zhongzhou State based on the information we receive from the front line. We’ll adopt measures that are appropriate to the actual situation.”
Qi Beicang nodded his head in satisfaction and unconsciously stroked his greying hair. Ye Dongsheng was known as the imperial G.o.d of Army and was a true expert in the arrangement of troops. Since he had said that there was nothing wrong, so perhaps the plan was not really perfect, but to some extent, it represented the highest-level tactical judgment in Zhongzhou State.
“Wudi, what’s the situation of the Border Control Corps? Do you have anything to say about this plan?”
Dongcheng Wudi sat next to Qi Beicang and opposite to Ye Dongsheng. Hearing that, he shook his head and replied placidly, “Fifty thousand elites of the Border Control Corps, which were transferred from the five subordinate regiments, can reach Huating before dawn. My concern now is not what will happen at home, but what will happen in East Island, which is the top priority of this war. Do you feel a little insecure with Tribulation leading the team?”
Qi Beicang was silent.
It was not a silver bullet to have Tribulation led the team to East Island, but it was the relatively best method. Tribulation, the most powerful a.s.sa.s.sin in Zhongzhou State, was now not on the list of the top 10 contemporary masters of Zhongzhou State, but except for the four Invincible Realm experts, few were his rivals. With such strength, he was now the most suitable candidate to go to East Island.
Over the past two decades, the Invincible Realm experts of Jade Pool and of Kunlun City of the previous generation died. During this period, the old Patriarch of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai died of an illness. Moreover, the Li family was trapped at the border and Li Kuangtu betrayed his country.
This was arguably the most difficult period of the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State. Although the temporary deficit in manpower didn’t appear in the Special Warfare System, with the death of the older generation, it was an indisputable fact that the younger generation had not yet grown up. Zhongzhou State, the most powerful country in the world, had only four Invincible Realm experts as the strategic resources, which was only one more than East Island on the surface. If it were not for the fact that w.a.n.g Tianzong, Gu Xingyun and Situ Cangyue were ranked first, fourth and fifteenth on the Divine List, such an awkward Special Warfare System would have already met strong challenges from the outside world.
Nowadays, Zhongzhou State was powerful and prosperous, but the Special Warfare System was in decline. Although there had been no apparent provocation, in recent years, the elites of the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State had encountered increasing resistance in carrying out its missions in the outside world. As Zhongzhou State grew stronger militarily, some of its neighbors grew increasingly uneasy. Abetted by the ulterior motives of some western countries, some neighboring countries had more frictions with Zhongzhou State in the Dark World, and some of these conflicts were becoming increasingly fierce.
When Zhongzhou State was not the most powerful country in the world back then, it was constrained by many neighboring countries. Nowadays, when Zhongzhou’s national strength was strong yet the strength of the Special Warfare System was declining, it was also constrained by a number of countries around it, and it was even glared by them like a tiger watching his prey.
Zhongzhou State needed an opportunity to break this increasingly difficult situation, which was the common aspiration of all the major groups in Zhongzhou State.
To break this situation, East Island, a country consisting of three large islands and countless small islands, with a land area of only 300,000 square kilometers, which was even less than one-thirtieth of Zhongzhou State, but possessing three Invincible Realm experts, was the key.
East Island was a country with the most powerful comprehensive strength among many countries around Zhongzhou State. It was second to none in terms of economy, military force and Martial Arts, and it had also been a p.a.w.n that western powers had tried to cultivate and use as a counterweight to Zhongzhou State. This ambitious country could perfectly unite Gaoshan State, Annan State and Heng State together to fight against Zhongzhou State, especially when the strength of the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State gradually became weak. Its ambition had become increasingly uncontrollable.
The Master of Samsara Palace was going to challenge the G.o.d of War of Zhongzhou State.
Among the three Invincible Realm experts in East Island, two came to watch the fight between two Invincible Realm experts as soon as possible, which showed a lot about the att.i.tude behind their move.
As long as the development of the special warfare forces of East Island could be controlled or restrained, several other countries around Zhongzhou State were nothing to be feared. Furthermore, it was hard for western powers to reach out to harm Zhongzhou State. That would give Zhongzhou State plenty of time to consolidate its backyard and regain its footing.
Night Spirit was wiped out in Bili State.
However, people at a certain level in the Dark World knew that although Night Spirit’s headquarters was in Bili State, its deepest foundation was in East Island.
Tianling and Tian Xin, the two dead Invincible Realm experts, had been secretly working for the government of East Island over the years. And now Night Spirit was destroyed, its foundation and countless resources were all concentrated in East Island. It was no exaggeration to say that it was half of the Special Warfare System of East Island.
And what Zhongzhou State planned to seek this time was the Special Warfare System of East Island!
The Master of Samsara Palace was going to challenge the G.o.d of War of Zhongzhou State.
This was certainly true at first. Just as the Old Master of Dongcheng Clan had said, Gu Xingyun dared to fight, but he didn’t dare or wasn’t willing to fight to the death with the Master of Samsara Palace. But given his ident.i.ty, he couldn’t really shy away from it. Therefore, how to express his meaning in a subtle way and make the Master of Samsara Palace agree with him became something he had to consider.
Bai Youming’s entry into the Sky Academy was merely a small part of it.
Cool Breeze and Drifting Cloud from Sigh City would find their own positions of real power after this war. And this was also a part of it.
There were many behind-the-scenes transactions, and these were the chips that Gu Xingyun had offered in order to avoid a life-and-death battle.
Naturally, the Master of Samsara Palace agreed with such a deal, so the original life-and-death battle secretly evolved into a plot of Zhongzhou State.
The life-and-death battle had turned into acting.
The primary purposes of Zhongzhou State were to launch a surprise attack on the Special Warfare System of East Island and set off a fierce battle of the Dark World in East Island when most people were focused on the battle between the two Invincible Realm experts.
So from the very beginning, the life-and-death battle and the secret operation of Zhongzhou State, even including the compet.i.tion of the t.i.tle “Heavenly Son”, were the same thing.
More than a month pa.s.sed.
The date of the arranged battle was drawing near.
Zhongzhou State also secretly set up the Snowdance Corps.
The Border Control Corps, the four theatres of operations, Kunlun City, Sigh City, Shadow Sect, Shadow Sting Army, the military region of Beihai, various Special Operations Bureaus and independent action groups of Zhongzhou State, all transferred the most elite forces to join the Snowdance Corps.
A month after its establishment, the Snowdance Corps had more than 15,000 people.
And the corps was divided into three parts. Gu Qianchuan led a team to the west, guarding Western Europe.
Situ Cangyue went straight to North America to restrict the Fantasy World.
Like the Fantasy World and Night Spirit in North America, the Knights Templars in Western Europe was supported by other countries behind the scenes. The conflict between the superpowers of the Dark World was more or less a game between the countries behind them. The purpose of Situ Cangyue and Gu Qianchuan leading teams to Western Europe and North America was not to fight fiercely with the Knights Templars and Fantasy World. All they needed to do were tie down the main forces of these two superpowers on their own soil and keep them from supporting East Island.
It sounded simple, but only Invincible Realm experts were up to the task.
Zhongzhou State could only dispatch Situ Cangyue and Gu Qianchuan to the two places.
All the real intrigues of Zhongzhou State were concentrated in East Island.
Two Invincible Realm experts from East Island would come to Zhongzhou State to watch the arranged battle. Predictably, they could not go back until there was a definite outcome of the affair concerning East Island.
Even Huan Kong, the Lord of Fantasy World, who was most likely to support East Island, and Chaos, the Commander of the Knights Templars, would face the same situation.
The plot of gaining the Special Warfare System of East Island was, in fact, a struggle to seek the status of Zhongzhou State in the Dark World decades later.
Tribulation was indeed powerful, but how could he deal with them when facing the only Supreme Ninja of the Invincible Realm in East Island, and Evil, an Invincible Realm a.s.sa.s.sin?
On second thought, asking Tribulation to lead the team might seem a little risky.
But who else could lead the team except for him in this operation?
Some people had thought of Li Honghe who was at the border, but they could only harbor this idea in their minds. Everyone knew that it was completely impossible for Li Honghe to leave the border campsite again.
Even Samsara was opposed to this.
w.a.n.g Tianzong guarded Zhongzhou State.
Gu Xingyun and the Master of Samsara Palace pretended to fight.
Situ Cangyue and Gu Qianchuan went to Western Europe and North America respectively.
Of the rest, Tribulation was the most qualified leader to lead the army to East Island.
It was just that no one knew for sure whether he would be able to control or greatly limit the Special Warfare System of East Island in a short time.
“Tribulation is under much pressure.”
There was a long silence before Qi Beicang spoke slowly. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. The first batch of people of the Snowdance Corps has finished a.s.sembling. As for the second batch, we will send them to the front line of East Island first. That’s the biggest support I can offer him.”
He paused for a while and suddenly looked at Qin Weibai, who sat opposite him. He then smiled and said in a very kind way, “I wonder whether Boss Qin has any brilliant idea.”
Though extremely young, Qin Weibai was one of the leading plotters in the matter. She appeared here, representing Samsara Palace. This ident.i.ty enabled her to confidently face Qi Beicang, the No.1 military man in Zhongzhou State.
“Don’t worry about the matter concerning East Island.”
Sitting across from Qi Beicang causally, Qin Weibai dressed in a white shirt and black tights. However, she looked like a landscape painting which anyone was willing to indulge in. She paused for a moment and continued with a laugh, “As long as the second group of the Snowdance Corps can get to East Island on time, there will be no big problem.”
“Oh?”
Qi Beicang took a deep look at Qin Weibai and asked meaningfully, “Boss Qin, does Palace Master have any plans?”
He was becoming more and more afraid to look down upon Samsara and Qin Weibai.
Qin Weibai smiled but didn’t give him any definite answer.
Intentionally or unintentionally, Qi Beicang glanced at Ye Dongsheng, who sat beside him.
The higher-ups of Zhongzhou State had doubts about their cooperation with Samsara. After all, if this plot were to yield a good result, the major groups in Zhongzhou State would gain a lot. Compared with them, Samsara could gain little. Moreover, once Zhongzhou State took control of the situations of the Special Warfare System in several nearby countries, it would greatly reduce its dependence on Samsara. As a result, Samsara Palace seemed to suffer losses no matter how it was looked.
Surprisingly enough, Samsara Palace was the first to propose the plan.
All its purposes were now veiled. Even the old fox Qi Beicang did not dare to be careless in the face of the exceedingly beautiful Qin Weibai.
Ye Dongsheng seemed to notice Qi Beicang’s gaze. He thought for a moment and finally nodded slightly.
Qi Beicang took a deep breath and said calmly, “It’s a deal. The selected people remain the same. Tribulation will still lead the team to East Island. When I return to Youzhou, I will apply for convening the plenary meeting of the Decision Making Committee to determine the number and strength of the second batch of people.”
Everyone nodded at the same time.
Opposite Qi Beicang, Qin Weibai was sipping the water, her eyes calm and deep.
Zhongzhou State hatched a plot to overturn East Island with the power of the nation. Perhaps among all the people present, only she knew that this action was impossible to fail. But the eventual success may not be what some people in Zhongzhou State had imagined.
Some grudges would eventually be uncovered.
And some people would turn up eventually.
She had created a great opportunity in the Dark World. It was a Heaven-sent chance. If they didn’t seize it, they would be struck by lightning.
Qin Weibai drank water in silence, observing the faces in the conference room calmly.
The result of this plot may not be what Zhongzhou State wanted.
But for her, it didn’t matter.
As long as the end result was what she wanted.
A plot to overturn a country with the power of a nation!
Qin Weibai smiled. In recent years, Zhongzhou State had been under increasing pressure in the Dark World. The cooperation between Samsara and Zhongzhou State was cheerful.
But did these old higher-ups in Zhongzhou State really think that they were selfless model citizens, just like Lei Feng?
…