The Demon Lords-Chapter 604 - 98 Your Home is Gone_1

When Zheng Fan first arrived at Li Tian City, he was accompanied by only one subordinate. That subordinate was lost halfway through the journey; who knows where he ran off to.

However, when he left Li Tian City, Zheng Fan commanded an army of five thousand soldiers.

These five thousand Jin soldiers were handpicked from the surrendered Jin forces, so they constituted a genuine, full-strength contingent. There was no time to deceptively pad their numbers, even if someone had intended to.

Of course, the Yan Army was not entirely free of fraudulent payroll practices. Water too clear will have no fish. Even if the Yan Emperor was exceptionally ambitious and capable, and could trample the powerful clans, he could not completely eradicate this persistent issue—a malady that inevitably exists in every era.

However, for the Zhenbei Army, positions were highly sought after. Not only people from the entirety of northern Yan State, but also many from the barbarian tribes and other groups in the desert, took pride in wearing the Black Armor.

As for the Jingnan Army, this phenomenon was rare. This was due to its initially smaller scale and because Lord Tian Wujing, a marquis who tolerated no deceit, was particularly diligent in its management.

Yan State's two great border armies performed quite well in this regard. If other military units skimmed a little, it didn't affect the overall situation much, as they wouldn't be the first ones relied upon when a real war broke out anyway.

For example, when Yan and Qian previously went to war, half of the several hundred thousand troops supposedly on the three borders existed only on paper. This naturally caused Qian State to fall into a passive position as soon as the war began.

As the Jin soldiers, marching eastward under Yan State's Black Dragon banner, progressed, the Jin people along the route had mixed feelings.

They were glad that the Yan court was already mobilizing troops eastward to defend against a potential invasion by the wild people.

What worried them was that the situation over there seemed truly dire.

Yan State had incorporated this territory less than a year ago. To say the local populace wholeheartedly supported the Yan court and the Yan Emperor would be deceiving even a ghost. However, the Jin people had to admit one thing: the Yan people were superior fighters.

They recalled how their own knights of the Three Jin, once praised to the heavens, had been utterly crushed by Yan forces numbering less than half their own.

The Yan people were skilled fighters; they could probably succeed in repelling the wild people.

Thus, the current mindset of many Jin people was extraordinarily complex. They despised the sight of that Black Dragon banner, yet instinctively felt it could bring them a sense of security.

During the march, Li Yiyong would come to Zheng Fan's main tent every night to report on the situation. Initially, Zheng Fan took it quite seriously, discussing matters with him, even chatting about military strategy and the like.

General Zheng, after all, was a man who had seen the world. He had closely observed capable generals and lords waging war. Even a Garfield cat, with such exposure, could offer a point or two on military matters.

However, after several consecutive days, Zheng Fan grew tired of it. He directly told Li Yiyong to just make his own decisions and stopped seeing him. Li Yiyong, however, interpreted this as a test from Zheng Fan. Regardless of whether Zheng Fan met with him or not, he continued to arrive at the tent punctually every evening to report.

In reality, Li Yiyong had truly overthought things. When it came to military affairs, Zheng Fan had always been a hands-off manager. Liang Cheng was responsible for training the troops, and the Blind One handled political and ideological education. Zheng Fan, on the other hand, only concerned himself with enjoying the sight of neat formations of soldiers and weapons, and the sound of resounding slogans during troop reviews on the training grounds.

And so, at a pace that was neither rushed nor slow, the army finally returned to Shengle City.

On the city walls of Shengle, the Blind One and Siniang stood side by side.

"My lord has been promoted; he's a general now," said the Blind One.

"I don't quite understand Yan State's military system," Siniang remarked.

"I reckon the Yan people don't understand it very well either," the Blind One replied. "But it should be a higher rank than a City Defender, probably equivalent to being in charge of a small operational area."

"In charge of whom?" Siniang asked.

"Still Shengle City."

"Then what's the difference?"

"It sounds more impressive."

"Ah, I see."

"Besides, didn't we just get another five thousand Jin soldiers?"

"Another five thousand soldiers means five thousand more mouths to feed. It's a headache."

"We aren't short of grain right now, are we?"

"We can eat beef and mutton every day, sure. But if we continue like this, what about the latter half of the year? The Yan Army has only recently begun to govern this area, and its foundation of rule is still very weak. Yan State's heartland can't provide much in terms of grain and supplies to this region either. We have to source it locally. Given the current scale of our Shengle City and the situation in the surrounding areas, how much can we really squeeze out?"

The Blind One rubbed his temples and sighed with emotion,

"It can't be helped. Who asked us to expand our forces so rapidly?"

Actually, at the very beginning, everyone was in step, agreeing on the general direction of prioritizing cautious development and focusing on agriculture as the basic operation.

But plans can't keep up with changes. Due to various coincidences, our military population has continued to explode. Correspondingly, the relative weakness in other areas has become even more pronounced.

Thanks to the wealth plundered on several occasions and the spoils from the last attack on the snowy plains, Shengle City's 'treasury' is still quite substantial. However, every day and every month shows a deficit in red; green profit is still a distant prospect.

Moreover, with My lord bringing back another five thousand soldiers this time, it's no wonder Siniang feels the headache.

"We're probably going to war soon. Once the war starts, these problems will all be resolved."

War is the quickest way to make money.

"Let's hope so. Come, let's go down and welcome My lord."

Upon entering the city, Zheng Fan first had Liang Cheng take the local Shengle City officers to dine with Li Yiyong's subordinate officers, to build rapport quickly.

Zheng Fan himself, accompanied by A Ming, returned to the City Guard's Mansion—oh, wait.

Reaching his doorstep, Zheng Fan deliberately took a few steps back.

"The Great General's Mansion?"

That was quick, wasn't it?

Siniang covered her mouth and chuckled, "My lord, San'er worked through the night on it. He started immediately after receiving news of your promotion."

"But this... Great General's Mansion, isn't it a bit presumptuous?" Zheng Fan asked, looking worriedly at the Blind One.

"The Yan people themselves are confused about their own military system. It won't be a problem, My lord."

"Oh, alright then. Let's leave it as is for now."

Once inside the mansion, everyone gathered as usual for a small reunion meal.

Apart from Liang Cheng, who had to attend to the military personnel, the other Demon Kings were all present.

During the return journey, Zheng Fan had already exchanged messages with Shengle City via courier, so both sides had some understanding of what had transpired for each other.

As soon as he sat down, Zheng Fan picked up a baby. It was a boy, chubby and soft-skinned. One glance at his eyes and brows, and you could see Tian Wujing's shadow.

"Little fellow, call me Godfather! Call me Godfather!"

"My lord, the child is still so young," Siniang said.

"I know, I know."

Then, Zheng Fan's gaze swept around, and he asked curiously,

"Blind One, where's the Sword Saint?"

Siniang couldn't help but tease, "My lord must have been a Pokémon player in his past life."

A 'Pokémon player' means someone with a collector's obsession.

"He's temporarily staying at an inn on Front Street."

"Alright. After we finish eating, take me to see him. Tian Wujing gave me the Longyuan sword, and this timing is quite fortuitous. To be able to draw such an expert to our side... no, even just having him in the city is worth any price."

The imperial capital openly has the Baili Sword, and Yanjing openly has Wei Zhonghe. To put it bluntly, although the powerhouses of this world don't possess abilities like moving mountains or filling seas, if they were determined to attempt a decapitation strike or something similar, you'd be in a very passive position without a guardian of comparable strength by your side.

If the Sword Saint could be persuaded to stay in Shengle City, Zheng Fan would sleep much more soundly in the future.

After a simple meal, Zheng Fan and the Blind One, carrying the Longyuan sword, prepared to head to the inn. Who would have thought that just as they stepped out the door, they would see Xiao Yibo delivering a most urgent delivery.

Outside the only private little courtyard room at the inn, the young sword boy was practicing her swordsmanship. The Sword Saint sat on a small stool, sipping tea from a pot he held.

Fanli squatted to one side, watching the young sword boy practice with a dazed look; the sword boy had insisted on dragging him there.

After two complete cycles of practice, the Sword Saint signaled the sword boy to stop. She is a natural Sword Embryo, her aptitude is superb. Therefore, there's no need to try and force her growth by pulling up the shoots. It would be most appropriate to wait until she is ten, when her body has developed further, before beginning specific cultivation.

The Sword Saint certainly understood the principles that Yuan Zhenxing understood.

"Phew, I'm exhausted!"

The sword boy plopped onto the ground, panting.

"Heh-heh."

Seeing this, the Sword Saint chuckled. He genuinely liked this disciple, so he was relatively gentle with her.

"Master, if the wild people don't come, will you continue to stay here?"

"If the wild people don't come, I'll take you to Cheng State. In this world, only Cheng State can still offer me a slight sense of belonging."

"But I'm a Qian person."

"When you've grown up and completed your training, you can go wherever you wish. Returning to Qian State is also an option."

"That's what I think too, but *they* don't think so."

"Which 'they'?"

"That Blind One! He said it's still uncertain whether Qian State will even exist in the future."

The Sword Saint shook his head and sighed with emotion,

"Who knows? Just as I, your master, am unsure now whether Cheng State will still exist in the future."

In the lands of the Three Jin, the only remaining regime established by Jin people is Cheng State.

The sword boy then looked at Fanli and asked,

"Big lunk, will you go to Cheng State with me in the future too?"

Fanli grinned his simple, honest grin, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

Just then, the Sword Saint called out,

"Come in."

Zheng Fan entered, holding the Longyuan sword, with the Blind One following behind him.

The Sword Saint extended his hand forward.

Instantly,

The Longyuan sword in Zheng Fan's hand let out a resonant hum. It unsheathed itself and flew into the Sword Saint's grasp.

"Heh-heh."

The Sword Saint caressed the body of the sword,

and remarked with feeling,

"Tian Wujing... he knows what's what."

"Sword Saint, this junior, Zheng Fan..."

"Ah, say no more. Tomorrow, issue me a suit of armor. I will go to the East Gate and help you guard it."

"No, Sword Saint, you've misunderstood. This junior felt that the Longyuan sword must remain in your hands to not be wasted. It wasn't about wanting to make this wager with you."

"Are you implying I'm someone who can't afford to lose?"

"Naturally not."

"Then that settles it."

"But still..."

"There are no more 'buts.' What's been decided is decided. I will guard the East Gate for you for three months. Within these three months, if the wild people come, not a single one will enter through the East Gate before the Longyuan sword breaks.

Within three months, if the wild people do not come, I will take her to Cheng State. Are you willing?"

Zheng Fan nodded. "I am willing."

"So readily?"

The Sword Saint was somewhat surprised. He didn't believe Zheng Fan would be so willing to let him go.

At the same time, he didn't believe Zheng Fan would be unaware of the young sword boy's value.

This young sword boy has transcendent aptitude and possesses the complete legacy from Yuan Zhenxing. In twenty years, even if she doesn't reach my level, becoming a half-Sword Saint would still be no problem.

Zheng Fan had agreed far too readily.

Zheng Fan sighed and said,

"To let the Sword Saint know, just moments ago, this junior received a military dispatch. It said..."

"Said what?"

"It said that Situ Lei, the Emperor of Cheng State, has already sent a state missive to Yanjing, requesting to our great Yan's Emperor, His Majesty, for Cheng State to become an appended territory. Sir, this junior can understand your desire to return to Cheng State. But, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Cheng State will soon also become Yan State's territory.

So, whether you continue to stay here or go to Cheng State, there's no longer any difference."

At this moment,

Fanli, who had been squatting there silently all this time, suddenly spoke up:

"Sword Saint, your home is gone."