Chapter 1054: Outrage
Proofreader: Papatonks
“What’s going on? Why the sudden commotion in the enemy camp?”
The three land forces’ wailed and grieved like their own funeral hearing they were sent to die fighting that monster Invincible Sword. The thick air of despair and anguish leaked all the way to the central area’s army camp.
Baili Jingwei was still smug in his belief that he broke Zhuo Fan’s empty city tactic and took the three lands without losses.
[That guy must be wallowing in his defeat right about now, being rebuked by all the other leaders.]
But then the sudden widespread grief had him flinch.
A scout burst into the tent, “Prime Minister, for some reason there is a sharp increase in forces on the northern lands’ side. Their howls alone travel for thousands of miles. From what I’ve seen, they have now tripled their numbers!”
“Tripled? How? Where did northern lands get so many people?”
Baili Jingwei was confused, but then he exclaimed with a mocking smile, “Oh, since the empty city tactic fizzled out, the lands had no choice but to converge here. Humph, they’re nothing but deserters with lower morale. Of course they’ll cry. Tell the army to raise defenses for when the cornered dog makes an a.s.sault.”
“Yes, sir!”
The man left.
Baili Jingwei looked mighty pleased, humming a tune. He even started dancing.
Whoosh~
Danqing Shen entered the tent and paused, taken aback, “Prime Minister, what got you so excited about?”
“Ha-ha-ha, Dragon Cleaving Sword King, you’re just in time to hear the good news. The war against the four lands will be done in three months. I’ll be sure to put on a good word to the Patriarch when merit is given back in court. Dragon Cleaving Sword King has always wanted to rule over your paradise? After the unification, that area will be set aside for you to oversee.”
“Oh, I am most thankful, Prime Minister, ha-ha-ha…”
Danqing Shen nodded, but his heart sank. He made sure to hide his worries, though, behind his smile, “Prime Minister, weren’t you saying it’s going to take a year? Why so soon all of a sudden?”
Baili Jingwei leaned back with immense pride, “We have to thank my old opponent for that, Zhuo Fan’s empty city tactic, ha-ha-ha. His tactic got exposed and ended up delivering the three lands to us. Now northern lands’ borders have increased activity, mostly from the other lands’ forces teleporting in. In other words, the other lands are ripe for the taking. We will crush their teleportation arrays in a week and the lands are as good as ours.
“Then, in half a month, the three armies will be called here and defeat northern lands together. That will give him no room to escape.”
“But with four lands united, the northern lands’ border will be even stronger. It won’t be easy taking it down!” Danqing Shen sat at the table and sipped from his teacup, not looking pleased at all.
Knowing his thoughts, Baili Jingwei smirked, “Dragon Cleaving Sword King, have you forgotten how Patriarch’s team is out there and are waiting for the right time to strike? With both of us working together, northern lands will be weakened and wide open for attack. Now must be the ninth day. Patriarch will act on the tenth. With attacks coming from within and outside, we’ll just see how long they’ll last, humph…”
Danqing Shen’s brow shook at Baili Jingwei’s celebrating tone. He lowered his head and just sipped tea, in his own thoughts.
Baili Jingwei glanced over with a scoff, “The worst sinner in the lands, hated by millions, Zhuo Fan, Gu Yifan. I will be sure to raise his monument in every land to be remembered by, he-he-he. Though I’ve yet to settle on the right name…”
“Report!”
The sudden shout broke his bliss as the soldier rushed to bow and stammer, “A jade slip arrived from the enemy’s side. Please take a look, Prime Minister!”
Baili Jingwei gave it a look and chuckled, “He doesn’t even care if he’s found out, sending jade slips all the time. But with the situation crystal clear, it won’t matter even if they’re discovered.”
“Uh, Prime Minister…”
The soldier grimaced, “The jade slip is a secret message and under a seal. We can’t open it.”
Baili Jingwei shook and froze in a frown, “He sent a secret message to me? Is it that crucial? The situation is obvious, the Sea Bright Sect’s barrier is broken, so what could be so important? Does that guy have a way to reverse things even in this clear-cut scenario?”
“Give it to me!”
Baili Jingwei gestured for the guard and he presented it.
Danqing Shen sighed, “Is it the spy in northern lands again?”
“Yes, Patriarch would have a hard time breaking the Sea Bright Sect so I took precautions. While he hasn’t gotten the Heaven Sealing Sword, he proved his use by sending intel on Gu Yifan being the Grand Marshal of the four lands.”
Baili Jingwei knew Danqing Shen would’ve figured it out in the end so he didn’t deny it. He made a sign and the jade slip was unsealed for him to read.
He was better off not knowing anything, for the information shocked him to the core. His hand relaxed and the jade slip broke as it hit the floor.
Danqing Shen paused, seeing the great Prime Minister Baili lose his cool, “Prime Minister, are you alright?”
“Zhuo Fan, you’re brutal!”
Baili Jingwei took a good while to come to, but now his face was twisted, his nails digging into his palms till he bled.
Baili Jingwei looked savage, “I knew he shouldn’t be left alive. He’s terrifying in the command of the four lands. He actually found out my greatest worry and still dares to use it. Ruthless, cruel, shrewd…”
Baili Jingwei couldn’t even finish from sheer outrage. He then barked, “Guard!”
Thump~
A soldier rushed inside and on his knee, “Prime Minister, orders?”
“Attack! Right now!” Baili Jingwei shrieked, “Tell all men to attack the northern lands’ border and punch through them!”
“Ah?”
“Don’t give me that!”
“Uh, Prime Minister, but didn’t you just order us to raise defenses? The men are doing it as we speak…”
Pa!
Baili Jingwei slapped him hard and cussed, “When the h.e.l.l did I give you such an order? I want you to charge, now! Send every last man to the northern lands’ border and get me an opening!”
“Uh, yes, yes…” The soldier shook in fear then left in haste.
Baili Jingwei paced around the tent in great distress, like he was a different person from before. He has lost his calm and shook all over like a scared mouse, “Today’s the ninth day and that means Patriarch will attack tomorrow. His appearance will paint a hundred million targets on him. If something happens to the Patriarch… Zhuo Fan, you son of a she-dog, d.a.m.n you to h.e.l.l…”
“Tell the other three armies to get to northern lands right now!” Baili Jingwei roared at the first soldier.
The man bobbed his head and went right to it, away from the Prime Minister’s wrath.
Baili Jingwei was still uneasy, unable to sit on his chair as he was sweating bullets, “The armies have invaded the lands for three days and they’ll need that much time to return to the borders. Then they’ll need three more days to use the teleportation arrays. Six d.a.m.n days! Will Patriarch be able to last the endless flood of men chipping at him for so long? Zhuo Fan, G.o.d d.a.m.n you for making me do this!”
Baili Jingwei roared like a madman.
Danqing Shen was startled, then he smirked, “Prime Minister, did something happen?”
“Uh, nothing.” Baili Jingwei shook then gave him a look. He gnashed his teeth as he tried swallowing the fury.
[The foreign Sword Kings must never know Zhuo Fan is after the Patriarch, or they’ll only make things worse.]
[Zhuo Fan is a true mastermind with his devious plans. He now has me trapped without a single hope to fight back. At least I left a spy there to inform me, or else…]
Baili Jingwei squinted, feeling a chill crawl up his spine.
[He’s an abomination…]