FIMA Ch129: Strategizing

After Gu Siyuan finished speaking.

The hall fell into dead silence. No one spoke for a long time, and representatives from various forces all had ashen faces, their expressions extremely unpleasant.

Absurd!

They were both shocked and angry.

But looking at Gu Siyuan’s stern face, they couldn’t say anything to refute him. After all, they had set the high tone initially, and opposing now would be slapping their own faces.

Wouldn’t that reveal their selfish motives, showing they were only after the throne?

How could they continue to boast lofty ideals and righteously compete for the Imperial Jade Seal?

The people from various forces looked at Gu Siyuan with extremely complicated expressions.

Tang Sheng, who was closest to him, had already turned pale, his fists clenched and trembling slightly.

This damned fellow was here to make trouble, deliberately making things difficult for him.

Xiao Hanxin regretted deeply, feeling she should never have provoked this person, no matter what tricks he played or whether he broke her spiritual eye technique.

What harm would it have done to endure a moment?

What to do next?

Thus, in a very tacit understanding.

At this moment, everyone present almost had the same thought.

If time could turn back, they would never have let this person speak. Such a person should be thrown off the mountain the moment he opened his mouth, or even killed outright…

Thinking this, someone’s eyes brightened.

The next moment, someone stood up, pointing at Gu Siyuan and the Song clan beside him, shouting, “What is your purpose here, spouting nonsense? Were you bribed by that foolish ruler to come here and disrupt the selection assembly?”

“Right, how can we change the rules set by our ancestors? This is not only making it difficult for all the brothers here but also for the Holy Land!”

“This guy is here to cause trouble, throw him out, and we can continue the assembly!”

“Yes, throw him out!”

…

Facing this overwhelming anger and pressure.

Gu Siyuan’s expression did not change. Instead, he added some inner strength to his voice, making sure it reached every corner of the hall, “Why are you all so agitated? Are you feeling guilty, getting angry out of shame, thinking that because you can’t do it, no one else can either?”

Saying this, he turned directly, looking at Tang Sheng, “For example, Brother Tang, your Wu family army is renowned as a righteous force with a reputation for kindness and virtue. Just now, Brother Tang, you spoke as a true gentleman, expressing that your only goal is to help the world and its people, without the slightest desire for the throne.”

“I…” Tang Sheng was momentarily speechless.

He glared at Gu Siyuan, unable to directly deny his words.

The next moment, Gu Siyuan turned to Xiao Hanxin, “Since the other forces here are unwilling to follow the Holy Land’s rules and are selfish, and only Brother Tang is truly selfless and the wise ruler the Holy Land seeks, what are you waiting for, Miss Hanxin? Why not directly hand the Imperial Jade Seal to Brother Tang?”

“Brother Tang is already famous as one of the Twin Dragons of Jiangdong. If he were to wield the Imperial Jade Seal and call upon the people, wouldn’t everyone from all corners of the world follow him? In no time, Brother Tang could lead the righteous army to sweep across the land, ending this chaotic era and bringing peace and tranquility to the world!”

Xiao Hanxin’s expression was inexplicable.

This was indeed part of the plan for Tianwai Hall and herself, but hearing it from this fool’s mouth made it feel extremely strange, especially in this situation.

This guy probably intended to “surround Wei to rescue Zhao” or “borrow a knife to kill someone.”

But she couldn’t completely deny it, because in the end, the Imperial Jade Seal indeed needed to be handed over to Tang Sheng.

Xiao Hanxin licked her lips and said slowly, “What do you mean by this, sir? General Tang is indeed an outstanding hero, and it’s not impossible to directly entrust the Imperial Jade Seal to him, but we still need the approval of the heroes present…”

However, at this moment, Tang Sheng was in a daze, completely stunned.

For some reason, the scene Gu Siyuan described appeared in his mind, and it was such a beautiful scene.

Mandated by Heaven, with a long and prosperous life.

Who could refuse these eight characters?

Seeing his expression, Xiao Hanxin couldn’t help but frown and gently called out, “Tang Sheng…”

At this moment, Yang Tai, who had been silent among the Wu family army, suddenly stood up, resolutely saying, “Brother Gu makes a good point. Since everyone has selfish motives and is unwilling to follow the rules of Tianwai Hall, why shouldn’t the Imperial Jade Seal belong to our Wu family army?”

Tang Sheng snapped out of his reverie and looked at Yang Tai in shock. Had this guy lost his mind?

Hadn’t this guy always been at odds with him?

Or did he think that after getting the Jade Seal, he would really take it back to the Wu family army for redistribution and wanted to get a piece of the action?

Wu Man’er, though not understanding these military and national affairs, knew that the Wu family army came to Jiangcheng firstly to connect with Pili Hall, and secondly for the Imperial Jade Seal.

The Jade Seal was even more important because it represented legitimacy and righteousness, which would attract more followers in the future. Now that her Brother Tang could get it, it was naturally the best outcome.

She immediately stood up as well, smiling and saying, “Right, since you all are inconsistent in word and deed and do not meet the requirements of a wise ruler, then today the Imperial Jade Seal will belong to our Wu family army and to my Brother Tang!”

The people present were shocked by this sudden change, looking at each other in amazement.

What was going on?

This was ridiculous.

They were fighting tooth and nail to drive out that stinking brat named Gu, and now… the Wu family army was shamelessly trying to take advantage of the situation.

At this moment, Lei Yan, following Chu Yuan’s signal, stood up and laughed heartily, “Well said, Brother Tang. Our Pili Hall did not misjudge you. Today, the Imperial Jade Seal belongs to the Wu family army and Tang Sheng. We at Pili Hall will shoulder all other matters and ensure the safety of the Wu family army’s envoys as they leave Xuanqing Mountain and Jiangcheng.”

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere immediately changed.

The implied provocation was too strong.

The people from other forces revealed their true intentions as well.

“A mere Pili dares to boast like this? We of the Four Major Sects haven’t spoken yet!”

“The Wu family army is laughable. Do they think we are soft targets, that they can just take the Imperial Jade Seal for themselves? Impossible!”

“I advise you to behave yourselves and abandon any thoughts of the Imperial Jade Seal, or else you may not make it out of Xuanqing Mountain!”

“Heh heh… Young people truly don’t know their limits!”

Facing this overwhelming fury, Tang Sheng’s expression changed, inwardly blaming: feeling that Lei Yan was too impulsive, fearing the situation would become uncontrollable.

Xiao Hanxin also felt that things had taken a terrible turn.

At this moment, Yang Tai suddenly drew the long sword at his waist and laughed up to the sky, “What if we do think you’re soft targets? Whatever the outcome, we’ll only know after a fight. Stop acting all high and mighty!”

Tang Sheng looked at Yang Tai in shock, feeling that this guy was pouring oil on the fire.

The next moment, Yang Tai patted him on the shoulder, saying, “Brother, don’t worry. Our Wu family army has stationed troops south of the Yangtze, occupying five cities including Ezhou, and is only two hundred miles from Jiangcheng. Our foster father knew that today’s matter of the Jade Seal might not end peacefully, so before coming here, he secretly made ample preparations, sending several thousand elite soldiers to sneak in. Now the foot of the mountain is filled with our people. Later, we’ll sink all their ships, and we’ll see who doesn’t make it out of Xuanqing Mountain today!”

Lei Yan also quickly added, “Right, Brother Tang, you don’t need to worry. We have the firepower of Pili Hall to assist. We buried a large amount of gunpowder on Xuanqing Mountain a day in advance. Let’s see who dares to make a move. At my signal, we’ll blow them to the sky!”

“…” Tang Sheng.

You guys prepared so much.

He suddenly felt that these two guys, who used to be seen as dead weight, had become tactical geniuses.

But hearing this, the other forces went mad.

They had initially made some non-aggression agreements privately, otherwise, as high-ranking people, they were too afraid of death to come here and take risks…

But who would have thought that the Wu family army would dare to go crazy? Dare to attack them?

Among them, Zhao Tianzong, who had a deep grudge against Tang Sheng, immediately said angrily, “You dare to act so recklessly, do you want to be besieged by many forces?”

“Right, does the Wu family army intend to make enemies with the whole world?”

“Hmph! Don’t try to scare us. Whether we move today or not, if the Jade Seal falls into our hands, you will surely come at us like mosquitoes drawn to blood. Since that’s the case, why should we hesitate.” Yang Tai raised his sword and sneered.

“By the way, to tell you the truth, this Imperial Jade Seal has long belonged to the Wu family army. Miss Hanxin had promised my Brother Tang a lifelong bond. This so-called selection assembly was just an excuse to gather you all here and eliminate you in one fell swoop, ha ha!”

When this statement was made, the entire scene erupted into chaos.

“What!”

“You actually dare to scheme against us like this!”

“Tianwai Hall actually does such things!”

“What a hypocritical sacred place, concealing filth and accepting impurity!”

…

Wu Man’er blinked, her expression changing drastically.

So Brother Tang and this Hanxin girl actually had this kind of relationship?

Xiao Hanxin and Tang Sheng exchanged a glance, their minds empty of any thoughts, looking at Yang Tai as if seeing a devil.

How did he know about their relationship, and how did he know about Tianwai Hall’s decision?

Moreover, why did he deliberately say all this in front of everyone?

And when did they ever plan to eliminate the other forces? What nonsense was he talking about?

…

The two felt something was seriously wrong and were about to speak up to refute him.

But at that moment, Yang Tai continued laughing mockingly, “Haha, you fools deserve to be stepping stones for my Wu family army and Brother Tang!”

“You’re asking for death!”

Among the other forces, a hot-tempered middle-aged man immediately became furious and seemed ready to charge over.

Suddenly, someone in Pili waved a small yellow flag.

Immediately after, there were two sharp “whoosh” sounds in the air, and two small black spherical projectiles shot out violently, heading straight towards the charging middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man instinctively tried to dodge, thinking they might be some kind of hidden weapon.

However, as the black spheres grazed him, they exploded with a “bang.”

Though these spheres seemed ordinary and small, their destructive power was astonishing.

The air seemed to tremble, and the middle-aged man was knocked backward several meters by the force of the explosion.

His clothes shredded into pieces, and his body, needless to say, was a bloody mess, countless wounds oozing blood.

His companions rushed to his aid, but the man’s arm hung limply, and he was already lifeless.

“That’s Pili Hall’s Thunderclap!”

“Pili Hall’s Thunderclap!”

“So, the Wu family and Pili Hall really dare to kill!”

This sudden turn of events, like a lit match thrown into a powder keg, completely ignited the already dangerous situation.

Just then, another voice shouted from somewhere, “The Wu family army is ruthless. We can’t sit idly by. Everyone, attack together, kill them, and charge down the mountain!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

At this moment, the heroes in the field all changed colors, flexing their fists and directly rushing towards the Wu family army to engage in battle.

By now, even if Tang Sheng and Xiao Hanxin wanted to explain something, it was already too late.

Especially, the strongest resentment was directed towards the two of them. They had no choice but to fight for their lives.

With their high martial skills, they naturally killed several people in defense, deepening the hatred that could never be resolved.

However, as the battle progressed, the two gradually let go of their worries.

Yang Tai and Lei Yan’s earlier argument about being well-prepared was not just talk.

As the chaos erupted, nearly a thousand armored soldiers besieged from below the mountain.

Then, the most terrifying thing happened during the melee.

The most lethal in harvesting lives amidst the fighting were not the grandmaster-level experts or their superior martial arts, but the ubiquitous Thunderclap explosive projectiles wielded by the nearly thousand elite soldiers.

This seemed to be a newly developed gadget, needing no mechanical launching; they were thrown with internal force and exploded on impact with people, raining fiery death upon the scene, impossible to defend against.

For a moment, countless martial artists and members of major martial families died because of these Thunderclap explosive projectiles. The summit of Xuanqing Mountain was littered with corpses, blood flowing like rivers!

An old servant guarded his master hastily, saying, “We can’t hold on anymore. Let me protect you and jump down from the summit. May heaven bless you to cross the river and find a way to survive!”

As soon as these words were spoken, several middle-aged and young men in luxurious attire jumped into the river below the mountain.

Seeing their masters leave, the old servants were about to turn back to continue fighting.

But then came muffled sounds from below the mountain, and towering waves surged on the river surface, clearly the might of explosives and firearms.

It suddenly became clear that the Wu family had prepared so meticulously. Ambushers must have been stationed around the foot of Xuanqing Mountain. Those who had just jumped down were like fish throwing themselves into a net.

With their masters captured, those still resisting on the mountain felt a moment of despair, and soon, they were defeated like a collapsing mountain.

It’s hard to say how much time passed.

Gradually, the summit quieted down, and the cries of battle faded.

The dead were dead, the surrendered surrendered.

Tang Sheng got up from the ground, looking at the indistinguishable blood and flesh on his body, and smiled.

Finally won.

Haha…

The Imperial Jade Seal was his.

He looked to the side, and Xiao Hanxin, whose white clothes had turned purple-black, smiled, “Now, no one can stop us.”

Xiao Hanxin looked uncertain. This turn of events, whether it was good or bad, she couldn’t say.

But right now, she could only barely support herself and nodded gently to Tang Sheng, “Hmm.”

Then, a faint sound came from the summit.

It was the sound of footsteps on fallen leaves and twigs, not deliberately lightened, making it very clear to the few surviving people’s ears.

Tang Sheng looked up.

He saw the group of armored soldiers who had climbed the mountain earlier suddenly splitting open a path in the middle, and several figures slowly walked up that path.

His eyes widened suddenly.

Gu Siyuan stood at the entrance of the mountain path, standing with his hands behind his back, watching the scene on the summit. His expression was not particularly pleasant.

He calmly said, “Next time, let’s have a little fewer deaths!”

“…”

Xie Chenyun snapped out of his momentary daze.

Even Lei Yan, who feared Gu Siyuan to the point of death, couldn’t help but look at him disdainfully.

All that was happening before their eyes was caused by Gu Siyuan’s whims, and now he was pretending to be merciful and soft-hearted.

Gu Siyuan paid no attention to their gazes, coldly instructing those around him, “What are you standing around for? Capture everyone who can move, and finish off anyone whose body is intact!”

“Yes!” The soldiers responded in unison.

“…,” Xie Chenyun fell into complete silence.

Looking at these cruel words and contrasting them with his earlier melancholy demeanor, it was so inconsistent.

He realized he knew too little about Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan took a few steps forward with his hands behind his back, seemingly inspecting the results of the plan and checking if anyone was pretending to be dead.

Tang Sheng watched Gu Siyuan, then looked at Xie Chenyun, Lei Yan, Yang Tai, and finally fixed his gaze on Gu Siyuan’s face. “It was you. These elite soldiers are yours? Even Lei Yan listens to your orders…”

As he spoke, he turned to Yang Tai again. “You actually obeyed him too. So earlier, were you intentionally provoking conflicts between the major forces and us?”

Yang Tai smiled lightly. “You’ve finally figured it out.”

Tang Sheng gritted his teeth.

But he didn’t understand why. It was understandable that Lei Yan listened to this surname Gu; perhaps he had been caught and manipulated by this person through some means during their encounter at Lingxu Pavilion.

But Yang Tai was a proud person. He often clashed with him in the Wu family army. How could he be so easily manipulated?

Moreover, once today’s events spread, the Wu family army would inevitably become the enemy of the world. As the young leaders of the Wu family army, how did this benefit Yang Tai?

Unless the person in front of them could offer Yang Tai greater benefits…

He looked up, glaring at Gu Siyuan. “Who… who are you?”

Xie Chenyun sneered.

Gu Siyuan completely ignored them.

But Yang Tai stepped forward, fiercely kicking Tang Sheng, causing him to stagger.

He shouted loudly, “I am the Emperor of Great Zhou here. You rebels dare to be so insolent!”

Tang Sheng trembled all over.

Emperor?

The Emperor?

He stared at Gu Siyuan, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. “You… You’re actually that tyrant!”

Xiao Hanxin also found it unbelievable.

This person turned out to be the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, that tyrant?

Yang Tai immediately kicked again. “Still daring to talk nonsense? His Majesty’s wise and decisive decision-making, strategic planning, how can you fools understand!”

“Hehe…”

Tang Sheng immediately chuckled.

Yes, if not for shedding half of the rebel forces and key figures of the major factions without sacrificing a single soldier, he would still be considered a tyrant. Then I really don’t know who is considered intelligent?

However, thanks to Yang Tai’s two kicks, he was so close.

The next moment, he used up the last of his internal strength, raised his palm and rushed towards Gu Siyuan, intending to capture the ringleader and use Gu Siyuan as a hostage. This was his only way out.

…